I apologize for the lack of posts on the Milo front. I relocated to Michigan from Portland, OR in September and am horrified to report that I have done not one ounce of research since then. Unless you count being on Main Street, and you could.
Off the top of my head we still have the following cases open:
Proof (other than DNA) that Frank RUSSELL is Milo FREEMAN
Thomas COOPER's death certificate and correct regiment information (both of these things are unavailable under mysterious conditions)
Bridget Rachel nee GILLESPIE, maybe nee BISHOP, ROGERS's place of origin
Whereabouts of Robert ROGERS b 1809, b 1840 and Rachel Bridget in 1860 (Roberts obit states he left New Brunswick at the age of 19 and even I can tell you that was 1859 and the first child of Rachel and Robert Jr was b in 1862)
Location of living BARGER (COOPER) descendants
and finally the ongoing saga of our David POSS almost for sure the son of NICHOLAS POSS for sure for sure the son of David POSS of Lewis and Jefferson, NY, Lapeer and Huron, MI, where they came from and who the heck is Betsy WALBOUGHT
That is all.
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Milo Goes to Jail
After receiving Milo Freeman’s Pension records I ordered some intake
records form the prison that had had been assigned to. I was not sure
that he had actually made it to jail but the papers I received
yesterday confirm that he did complete his sentence there. Milo was
admitted to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus on 28 JUN 1865 and
was ordered released early by an order from the war department. The
order was received on 04 DEC 1865 and carried out on 11 DEC 1865.
The
assumption had always been that Milo changed his name to avoid this
sentence but now that we can see it was served there is no explanation
of him.
Some of the information submitted to me by the Ohio
Historical Society include his physical description and information
about his family. His intake form also included his age at the time of
arrival (19) and confirms his unit (9) and company (c) as well as his
place of arrest which we already know from military records was Little
Rock, Arkansas.
The Register of Convicts lists his nativity as
Michigan and his occupation as a laborer, height is 5 feet 11 inches
and hair is light, straight, soft and fine. He has grey eyes. It looks
like everyone on that page is either a laborer or farmer and they are
all quite young. Under general appearance it lists his Complexion as
Common (the only other ones on the page were Light and Dark).
"Freeman
has narrow low forehead. Flat face widest at eyes, eyes sunken, heavy
brows, close vertical ears horizontal scar in left temple, very large
scar on right arm."
Under Habits it says he is a moderate drinker, some of the other men are temperate, very moderate and free drinkers. HIs
education is Common School although others on the page are categorized
by weather they can read or write. They claim he has no property but
residence of relatives says; “Has father Alva Freeman, mother Betsy, 1
brother, 4 sisters near Keokuk, Iowa.”
Now, in case you have not
really been following this, Milo (for everything we know about his and
his family and generations of his family) does not have 4 sisters. This
begs the questions, whose daughters are these? I is possible that he
has none and he has made this up. But that seems odd now, after he has
told the truth about his age on the intake form (19) when he joined the
9th Cavalry he gave is age as 18 and that was three years ago. So he tells the truth about his age and lies about siblings?
There
is no real way to know how many children a woman had, even now, the
only real record you can consider is your own birth certificate, which
should list how many children have been born to your mother. In 1867
there was certainly no information like that and while birth, death and
marriage records had just been mandated they were records and not
certificates and frequently listed no information other than the
parents names and child's date of birth, if the child had a name that
was also listed. However, in 1900 census enumerators were told to ask
how many children had been born to each mother and how many were
living. I’ll give you three examples of how this works.
Eliza
(Powell) Cooper’s 1900 claim was 3 children born and 3 living and for
her we have, in fact, 4 children born and 3 living.Claud 1882, Cora and Cordy 1870 and only today Jennifer discovered that they had a boy in 1869 who by 1870 was no longer.
Lydia
(Powell) Wilson Russell’s claim was 2 born and 2 living, but we know
from records that she had at least seven (we have conclusive
information on records on the following children JerryRueben Wilson
1862, Robert Wilson 1868, Minerva Wilson date unknown, Frank Henry
1872, Louis 1873, May 1879 and Cordie 1881) and we know that at least
one (Minerva) was deceased, although we suspect May also did not
survive.
Betsy (Hicks) Freeman’s claim was 2 born and 1 living
but we do not have an actual record that states Betsy is the mother of
Milo, according to Betsy’s other son’s death certificate she s his
mother, but we have no such document for Milo. In Betsey’s letters to
the pension office she certainly claim’s she is Milo’s mother and she
does mention her husband Alva and other son William but never anything
about daughters.
So as you can see the claims of maternity vary
wildly and I’d have to say accuracy is about 50/50. In all of the above
mentioned cases we have the same claims on paternity as far as getting
proof from records except for Milo, again because we have no official
record, unless we consider Milo’s intake record an official document.
With
those inaccuracies in mind it is entirely possible that Alva, not
Betsey, had four daughters. Milo was born in 1847 or 1848 and William
was not born until 1852. We know that Alva spent a lot of time
traveling and we’re not sure how much of this he did with his family.
In 1845 Alva is listed as a tax payer inLodi, Washtenaw , in 1850 he,
Betsey and Milo are in Wayne County and in 1856 they are enumerated
twice in the Iowa state census once in Mitchell and once in Osage. In
1860 they are in Black Hawk county and of course two years after that
Milo enlists in Marion county, Iowa. Betsey says to the pension office
that her husband went to Davenport, Iowa in 1865 to meet Milo but Milo
never shows. In 1867 (I think it’s 67) Alva’s father dies and leaves
him some land (I have not substantiated this claim with any documents
but I have spoken to someone who gave me that information from memory)
but Alva does not go himself toWashtenaw and instead sends someone else. In 1870 Betsey, William and Alva are in Geneso, Illinois. In 1872 Alva dies while in Berrien county but his death information is placed in the Washtenaw county death returns, there is not information about his will at the Washtenaw Probate Court. In 1879 Betsey marries one George F Hughes in Washtenaw
but in 1880 Betsey, William and his new family are in Kalamazoo Aurora
and in 1890 Betsey applies for Milo’s pension from Aurora, Illinois.
There is never any mention of Betsey's second marriage and Mr. Hughes
is not dead, he continues to live on with, Ibelieve, his daughter and her family, but of course his only purpose in adding himself to our difficulties is to be enumerated
twice but at least in the same county, once listed as widowed and once
listed as married. In 1900 Betsey, William and family are still in in
Aurora. Betsey never gets the pension and stops applying after her 1898
denial, she passes away at age 85 in in 1904 in Aurora. In 1910 William
and family are living in Chicago but in 1916 William, while a resident
of Oak Park, IL (not too far from Chicago) dies in Cleveland, Ohio.
I cannot list all the conclusions I am able to draw from this. So you’ll have to work on your own for now.
I still have not received the Court Martial Records from the National Archives.
records form the prison that had had been assigned to. I was not sure
that he had actually made it to jail but the papers I received
yesterday confirm that he did complete his sentence there. Milo was
admitted to the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus on 28 JUN 1865 and
was ordered released early by an order from the war department. The
order was received on 04 DEC 1865 and carried out on 11 DEC 1865.
The
assumption had always been that Milo changed his name to avoid this
sentence but now that we can see it was served there is no explanation
of him.
Some of the information submitted to me by the Ohio
Historical Society include his physical description and information
about his family. His intake form also included his age at the time of
arrival (19) and confirms his unit (9) and company (c) as well as his
place of arrest which we already know from military records was Little
Rock, Arkansas.
The Register of Convicts lists his nativity as
Michigan and his occupation as a laborer, height is 5 feet 11 inches
and hair is light, straight, soft and fine. He has grey eyes. It looks
like everyone on that page is either a laborer or farmer and they are
all quite young. Under general appearance it lists his Complexion as
Common (the only other ones on the page were Light and Dark).
"Freeman
has narrow low forehead. Flat face widest at eyes, eyes sunken, heavy
brows, close vertical ears horizontal scar in left temple, very large
scar on right arm."
Under Habits it says he is a moderate drinker, some of the other men are temperate, very moderate and free drinkers. HIs
education is Common School although others on the page are categorized
by weather they can read or write. They claim he has no property but
residence of relatives says; “Has father Alva Freeman, mother Betsy, 1
brother, 4 sisters near Keokuk, Iowa.”
Now, in case you have not
really been following this, Milo (for everything we know about his and
his family and generations of his family) does not have 4 sisters. This
begs the questions, whose daughters are these? I is possible that he
has none and he has made this up. But that seems odd now, after he has
told the truth about his age on the intake form (19) when he joined the
9th Cavalry he gave is age as 18 and that was three years ago. So he tells the truth about his age and lies about siblings?
There
is no real way to know how many children a woman had, even now, the
only real record you can consider is your own birth certificate, which
should list how many children have been born to your mother. In 1867
there was certainly no information like that and while birth, death and
marriage records had just been mandated they were records and not
certificates and frequently listed no information other than the
parents names and child's date of birth, if the child had a name that
was also listed. However, in 1900 census enumerators were told to ask
how many children had been born to each mother and how many were
living. I’ll give you three examples of how this works.
Eliza
(Powell) Cooper’s 1900 claim was 3 children born and 3 living and for
her we have, in fact, 4 children born and 3 living.Claud 1882, Cora and Cordy 1870 and only today Jennifer discovered that they had a boy in 1869 who by 1870 was no longer.
Lydia
(Powell) Wilson Russell’s claim was 2 born and 2 living, but we know
from records that she had at least seven (we have conclusive
information on records on the following children JerryRueben Wilson
1862, Robert Wilson 1868, Minerva Wilson date unknown, Frank Henry
1872, Louis 1873, May 1879 and Cordie 1881) and we know that at least
one (Minerva) was deceased, although we suspect May also did not
survive.
Betsy (Hicks) Freeman’s claim was 2 born and 1 living
but we do not have an actual record that states Betsy is the mother of
Milo, according to Betsy’s other son’s death certificate she s his
mother, but we have no such document for Milo. In Betsey’s letters to
the pension office she certainly claim’s she is Milo’s mother and she
does mention her husband Alva and other son William but never anything
about daughters.
So as you can see the claims of maternity vary
wildly and I’d have to say accuracy is about 50/50. In all of the above
mentioned cases we have the same claims on paternity as far as getting
proof from records except for Milo, again because we have no official
record, unless we consider Milo’s intake record an official document.
With
those inaccuracies in mind it is entirely possible that Alva, not
Betsey, had four daughters. Milo was born in 1847 or 1848 and William
was not born until 1852. We know that Alva spent a lot of time
traveling and we’re not sure how much of this he did with his family.
In 1845 Alva is listed as a tax payer inLodi, Washtenaw , in 1850 he,
Betsey and Milo are in Wayne County and in 1856 they are enumerated
twice in the Iowa state census once in Mitchell and once in Osage. In
1860 they are in Black Hawk county and of course two years after that
Milo enlists in Marion county, Iowa. Betsey says to the pension office
that her husband went to Davenport, Iowa in 1865 to meet Milo but Milo
never shows. In 1867 (I think it’s 67) Alva’s father dies and leaves
him some land (I have not substantiated this claim with any documents
but I have spoken to someone who gave me that information from memory)
but Alva does not go himself toWashtenaw and instead sends someone else. In 1870 Betsey, William and Alva are in Geneso, Illinois. In 1872 Alva dies while in Berrien county but his death information is placed in the Washtenaw county death returns, there is not information about his will at the Washtenaw Probate Court. In 1879 Betsey marries one George F Hughes in Washtenaw
but in 1880 Betsey, William and his new family are in Kalamazoo Aurora
and in 1890 Betsey applies for Milo’s pension from Aurora, Illinois.
There is never any mention of Betsey's second marriage and Mr. Hughes
is not dead, he continues to live on with, Ibelieve, his daughter and her family, but of course his only purpose in adding himself to our difficulties is to be enumerated
twice but at least in the same county, once listed as widowed and once
listed as married. In 1900 Betsey, William and family are still in in
Aurora. Betsey never gets the pension and stops applying after her 1898
denial, she passes away at age 85 in in 1904 in Aurora. In 1910 William
and family are living in Chicago but in 1916 William, while a resident
of Oak Park, IL (not too far from Chicago) dies in Cleveland, Ohio.
I cannot list all the conclusions I am able to draw from this. So you’ll have to work on your own for now.
I still have not received the Court Martial Records from the National Archives.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Rachel Bridget Gillespie Rogers
Our subject is the mother of John Rogers (b 1863 in MI) who is the husband of Nellie Mae Albro.
In the 1870 census Bridget states her birthplace as Ohio and her birth year as 1843. She is listed as not being able to read or write. In the household are Robert Rogers age 29 a laborer of Canadian birth whose value of real estate is $300, nine year old John, 8 year old Ellen, 7 year old Robert Jr, 5 year old Margaret, 4 year old Alice Agnes and William who is just one year. We know from records that a daughter was born and died in March of that same year.
In 1880 she is going by Rachel and still says she is born in Ohio with a similar birth year. She lists her parents as having been born in Ireland. The children and husband are the same. Robert Sr. is now listed as a logger, no doubt making more than a laborer.
In 1880 relationships are listed in the census so we can confirm she is the husband of Roger and the mother of the children in the home. So far we have not been able to locate a marriage record.
Marriage records between some of the children indicate that Bridget was born in Ireland.
In 17 OCT 1895 a request for guardianship is filed by the Rogers children in Manistee at the Probate court.
In the matter of appointing a guardian of Bridget Rogers, an alleged incompetent married woman. The undersigned, John A Rogers, William Rogers, Robert Rogers Jr, Alice McDonald, Margaret Adams and Ellen Hansen your petitioners, would respectfully represent to the Court, that they are children of said Bridget Rogers, that said Bridget Rogers is of the age of Fifty-four years, and an inhabitant of, or resident in said county, and is possessed of personal and real estate, situated and being in said County, and the estimated value of the personal real estate the sum of sixteen hundred dollars, or there-abouts as your petitioners are informed and verily believe. Your petitioner further represent that it is necessary that a guardian be appointed, of the person and of the estate of said Bridget Rogers for the following specific reasons to wit; That said Bridget Rogers is now and has been for two years last sick and insane and wholly incompetent mentally and physically to take care of herself and to have the charge care and management of her property. Your petitioners further represent that her husband Robert Rogers, Senior is abdicted to the habit and use of intoxicant liquors and spends and squanders the most of his earnings and such property as he can get control of for drink, and has not and does not support said Bridget Rogers and furnish her the necessary medical attendance which she requires, and is therefore an unfit person to be appointed the Guardian of said Bridget Rogers.
The document goes on to say that all of her children reside in Manistee and Robert Rogers Sr resides in Wexford. It asks that John be appointed guardian. Just under a month later in November Bridget is dead. There is no indication of how she died but the application for guardianship that places Robert Sr in Wexford leads me to believe they are no longer living together.
At the start her estate is managed by a few people, among them John Rogers and John Albro. Margaret’s husband Adolf Adams appears to have been in charge of burial arrangements from seeing that the grave was maintained for the first year after her death to paying someone to dress Bridget for the burial. Eventually John Rogers becomes the sole executor and he spends a good deal of money on remodeling her home.
28 NOV 1898 Robert Sr. marries Eliza Logan in Wexford; they are still together in the 1900 census with Robert Jr living in the home, no less.
The 1920 census captures the Widowed Eliza living in the Wexford county poor house. Robert Jr. marries and lives with his own family after 1900 as do all of the children.
In the 1870 census Bridget states her birthplace as Ohio and her birth year as 1843. She is listed as not being able to read or write. In the household are Robert Rogers age 29 a laborer of Canadian birth whose value of real estate is $300, nine year old John, 8 year old Ellen, 7 year old Robert Jr, 5 year old Margaret, 4 year old Alice Agnes and William who is just one year. We know from records that a daughter was born and died in March of that same year.
In 1880 she is going by Rachel and still says she is born in Ohio with a similar birth year. She lists her parents as having been born in Ireland. The children and husband are the same. Robert Sr. is now listed as a logger, no doubt making more than a laborer.
In 1880 relationships are listed in the census so we can confirm she is the husband of Roger and the mother of the children in the home. So far we have not been able to locate a marriage record.
Marriage records between some of the children indicate that Bridget was born in Ireland.
In 17 OCT 1895 a request for guardianship is filed by the Rogers children in Manistee at the Probate court.
In the matter of appointing a guardian of Bridget Rogers, an alleged incompetent married woman. The undersigned, John A Rogers, William Rogers, Robert Rogers Jr, Alice McDonald, Margaret Adams and Ellen Hansen your petitioners, would respectfully represent to the Court, that they are children of said Bridget Rogers, that said Bridget Rogers is of the age of Fifty-four years, and an inhabitant of, or resident in said county, and is possessed of personal and real estate, situated and being in said County, and the estimated value of the personal real estate the sum of sixteen hundred dollars, or there-abouts as your petitioners are informed and verily believe. Your petitioner further represent that it is necessary that a guardian be appointed, of the person and of the estate of said Bridget Rogers for the following specific reasons to wit; That said Bridget Rogers is now and has been for two years last sick and insane and wholly incompetent mentally and physically to take care of herself and to have the charge care and management of her property. Your petitioners further represent that her husband Robert Rogers, Senior is abdicted to the habit and use of intoxicant liquors and spends and squanders the most of his earnings and such property as he can get control of for drink, and has not and does not support said Bridget Rogers and furnish her the necessary medical attendance which she requires, and is therefore an unfit person to be appointed the Guardian of said Bridget Rogers.
The document goes on to say that all of her children reside in Manistee and Robert Rogers Sr resides in Wexford. It asks that John be appointed guardian. Just under a month later in November Bridget is dead. There is no indication of how she died but the application for guardianship that places Robert Sr in Wexford leads me to believe they are no longer living together.
At the start her estate is managed by a few people, among them John Rogers and John Albro. Margaret’s husband Adolf Adams appears to have been in charge of burial arrangements from seeing that the grave was maintained for the first year after her death to paying someone to dress Bridget for the burial. Eventually John Rogers becomes the sole executor and he spends a good deal of money on remodeling her home.
28 NOV 1898 Robert Sr. marries Eliza Logan in Wexford; they are still together in the 1900 census with Robert Jr living in the home, no less.
The 1920 census captures the Widowed Eliza living in the Wexford county poor house. Robert Jr. marries and lives with his own family after 1900 as do all of the children.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Ordering Records and Books
On May 27th the military records for Thomas Cooper were ordered from the National Archives. On May 29th I put myself on a waiting list for the book "Freeman Footnotes" and today I placed an order for the Military Records for Milo Freeman from NARA. Now we wait.
Friday, May 9, 2008
How to get from Free Soil, Mason to Ypsilanti, Washtenaw
Using the Michigan Central Railroad was not much of an option because it appears as though the majority of the operating time they spent wandering to and from Detriot to Chicago. This link offers a look at current railway stops and routes, but be careful if you have dial-up, it's a PDF!
If you wanted to get there after 1879 you had this option but the dead people we are currently researching were in the area long before that. Isaac Elliot (who is running for the position of Frank Russell these days) was allegedly born in Michigan around 1851. In the 1860 census he is but a wee thing living in Little Sauble, Mason County (later on Eden, Free Soil and Indian Town). So he may have been born there. He lives in a home of some type with William Freeman, possibly age 24 and No Qua possibly age 26. There are no relationships listed on the 1860 census so there is no way to tell who those adults are to him. Page 7 of 8 of that census is rampant with surnames and unrelated Indians.
The Neighbor Study
Page 7 houses only Indians born in Michigan. There were three race options for a enumerator in 1860; White, Black and Mulatto. So all Indians are listed as Mulatto, except those who are listed as White, Black or in our case, Indians. :P
The enumerator for Little Sauble, Charles Roswell actually listed his Indians as "Ind." quite a new thing in those days. He may have even gotten a "talk-to" at work.
At the top of the page John Wakefield lives (age 20 born in Michigan) with belongings worth $50 and in his home a female, Ke Ge Qua age 15. I was curious about the relationship between these two people so I checked in with them in 1870. John Wakefield (of Indian Town, the new name of the same place) is now 50 and Ina Mee, a female in the house is 40.
In a similar situation in 1860 Freeman Sutton, age 24 living with Oe Na Swa Ba a male who is 40 and Charita a female who is 22. Also in there house are two children, William Griffin age 2 and Mary Judson who is 5. In 1870 they still live next to the Wakefields and they have aged at about the same rate. He is now 40 and his new wife, Mary Sutton is a 25 year old Indian woman and they have three children, John, Jane and William, ages 4, 1 and 6. Poor Charita must have succumbed to the consumption!
Whatever Freeman was doing in his personal life is, I suppose, his own business but he did purchase land in 1872 under the authority of the Indian Allotment and again in 1879 with the help of the Homestead Act in 1879 in Mason county in Township 18 N, otherwise known (at the time) as Indian Town. By 1880 the Sutton's of Mason are pretty much a new family.
Freeman is married to Jane (there is nothing to rule out the possibility that Jane, Charita and Mary are all the same woman) and there are two children, Johnson (6) and Andrew (15). They live quite near (next door in fact) John Wakefield, who is an old man, 70 in fact! What is interesting now is that Mr. Sutton Freeman has only aged 4 years since the last census and John Wakefield, in the last 20 years has aged 46 years.
Most of these people are unexplainable. I do know enumerators were not supposed to count Indian's who were not taxed. Can you imagine someone moving into your home and then charging you rent? Anyway, I don't know how this data was gathered. If the original data was transferred and transcribed that could explain all the errors in age and perhaps age. Did the enumerators make up names and identities for people they could not reach? Or people they did not want to reach? Did the Indian's think the Christian name's were a big joke?
"Hey, hey, Shah Uou! What's my name? Guess!"
"Ummm...is it Tom Bob?"
"No, it's THOMAS MITCHELL!"
"Ha ha ha, Oh that is sooo funny!" Ash E Wa laughs so hard he starts to cry.
I'm not sure what happened to all of these other people. They may have died or disappeared. If they could have left, perhaps William Griffin and Mary Judson went too. Did Issac go with them? Did he go to Macomb and marry 38 year old Ester Graham, widow of the county-wide-famous Benjamin Graham?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Michigan Trip
Here is the schedule for the Michigan Trip
April 23rd 2008
6:30 PM (PDT) Flight 2222/ Horizon Air and Northwest Airlines #AS 2496 from Portland to Seattle
Arrive in Seattle at 7:25 P.M. PDT catch flight 208 on Northwest to Detroit at 10:10 P.M. PDT
April 24th, 2008
Arrive in Detroit at 5:19 A.M. EDT (or 2:19 A.M. PDT)
Pick up rental car at alamo (I have a coupon and a discount!!)
Drive to Jen-wa's house and pick her up before heading to Mayfield in Lapeer to look at the White Opera House, then to the cemetery.
At 11:00 A.M. the Oakland County Pioneer Museum and Historical Society opens, poke around there.
Thursday evening go check in at Aunt Jean's in Lake Orion, where I'll be staying.
Friday April 25th, 2008
10:00 A.M. Get Jen-wa (Christin? Brother Dave?) meet Jim Schaffer and sisters at Alex's for late breakfast.
Noon, leave with Jen-wa (Christin?) for the Archives at the State Library, research like the dickens.
Saturday April 26th, 2008
Sometime (noon?) go to Uncle Harold and Aunt Mary's for get together with Bob and Diane, Patsy (Margarite?) Jenny, Christin, and Uncle Brother Dave.
4:15 P.M. Be at Aunt Jean's to go to 5:00 dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Dowis.
No Plans for Sunday (Thank God. No really, I might go to church.)
The only thing I have not entered into the schedule is a visit to the Pontiac Library to visit Terry McCormick and look up some obits and a coffee with my Uncle Bill.
Whew.
Monday Morning at the crack of dawn I catch my flight home.
April 23rd 2008
6:30 PM (PDT) Flight 2222/ Horizon Air and Northwest Airlines #AS 2496 from Portland to Seattle
Arrive in Seattle at 7:25 P.M. PDT catch flight 208 on Northwest to Detroit at 10:10 P.M. PDT
April 24th, 2008
Arrive in Detroit at 5:19 A.M. EDT (or 2:19 A.M. PDT)
Pick up rental car at alamo (I have a coupon and a discount!!)
Drive to Jen-wa's house and pick her up before heading to Mayfield in Lapeer to look at the White Opera House, then to the cemetery.
At 11:00 A.M. the Oakland County Pioneer Museum and Historical Society opens, poke around there.
Thursday evening go check in at Aunt Jean's in Lake Orion, where I'll be staying.
Friday April 25th, 2008
10:00 A.M. Get Jen-wa (Christin? Brother Dave?) meet Jim Schaffer and sisters at Alex's for late breakfast.
Noon, leave with Jen-wa (Christin?) for the Archives at the State Library, research like the dickens.
Saturday April 26th, 2008
Sometime (noon?) go to Uncle Harold and Aunt Mary's for get together with Bob and Diane, Patsy (Margarite?) Jenny, Christin, and Uncle Brother Dave.
4:15 P.M. Be at Aunt Jean's to go to 5:00 dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Dowis.
No Plans for Sunday (Thank God. No really, I might go to church.)
The only thing I have not entered into the schedule is a visit to the Pontiac Library to visit Terry McCormick and look up some obits and a coffee with my Uncle Bill.
Whew.
Monday Morning at the crack of dawn I catch my flight home.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Vital Records
Vital Records are available at the Library of Michigan, here's a link to some of that information. Most of the information posted here (or any any genealogy site) gives details on how to obtain the information on these records. Purchasing an official copy of a vital records is different. Here's where you can find that. Oakland County does not have much of a way to get information without ordering the actual certificate. Here's their site, but notice that you can only order birth records through the online system for persons born after 1935. If your dead people were born before that you'll need to print out this form and mail it in with the $15 fee and a copy of your drivers license. Here's the mail order death certificate copy and here's one for the marriage, neither of these need copies of your driver's license and they are also $15 each. They don't get into it much on the website but the data you seek must be post-1867. I am having a hard time surfing the laws of the state but from what I can gather 1867 was the year. What confuses me is that some counties seem to follow other guidelines, or at least they used to. Lapeer says here that they have marriage information dating from 1833. The Jackson Co Genealogical Society says here that they're library has sources records of all kinds from as early as 1830. Here's a rootsweb conversation about vital records.
I'm exhausted! Maybe I'll try and tackle Macomb later.
I'm exhausted! Maybe I'll try and tackle Macomb later.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Change you can Xerox (Facts about Robert Wilson)
Haha, just kidding. I hate politics.
Robert Wilson (or The Mystery of the Family Doubles - Reuben Wilson Part Deux)
Robert Wilson is born in Rochester to Reuben Wilson and Lydia Powell.
Sources: Reuben Wilson's Pension File and Batch M017303
He married Minnie Strong, parents Edgar & Eunice in Rochester on 16 NOV 1893. She was born in Imlay, Lapeer on 09 OCT 1878.
Sources: Microfilm #974252 and Batch M017303
Robert and Minnie were married 16 NOV 1893 in Rochester, Oakland, Michigan. In Montcalm County in 1900 they live together with their son Willie who was born approx. 1899 in Michigan.
Sources: Microfilm #1295530 and 1900 Census (Bloomer, Montcalm, MI pg 2 Dist 119)
In 1910 Minnie is living with George White. George and Minnie were married on 18 SEP 1905 in Pontiac. Minnie and George have been married for three years. Children in the house are William (12), Bessie K (9) and three year old Kenneth. It should be noted that they are living on page 19 and Eunice and Edgar Strong (parents of Minnie) are living on page 16.
Sources: 1910 Census (Almont, Lapeer, MI pg 19 and 16, Dist 30) and Batch M018206.
Robert is living with his brother Jerry in 1920 in Pontiac. Robert is buried at the Mt. Avom Cemetery and died on 17 APR 1921.
Sources: 1920 Census (Pontiac, Oakland, MI pg 4, Dist 196) and City of Rochester
Robert Wilson (or The Mystery of the Family Doubles - Reuben Wilson Part Deux)
Robert Wilson is born in Rochester to Reuben Wilson and Lydia Powell.
Sources: Reuben Wilson's Pension File and Batch M017303
He married Minnie Strong, parents Edgar & Eunice in Rochester on 16 NOV 1893. She was born in Imlay, Lapeer on 09 OCT 1878.
Sources: Microfilm #974252 and Batch M017303
Robert and Minnie were married 16 NOV 1893 in Rochester, Oakland, Michigan. In Montcalm County in 1900 they live together with their son Willie who was born approx. 1899 in Michigan.
Sources: Microfilm #1295530 and 1900 Census (Bloomer, Montcalm, MI pg 2 Dist 119)
In 1910 Minnie is living with George White. George and Minnie were married on 18 SEP 1905 in Pontiac. Minnie and George have been married for three years. Children in the house are William (12), Bessie K (9) and three year old Kenneth. It should be noted that they are living on page 19 and Eunice and Edgar Strong (parents of Minnie) are living on page 16.
Sources: 1910 Census (Almont, Lapeer, MI pg 19 and 16, Dist 30) and Batch M018206.
Robert is living with his brother Jerry in 1920 in Pontiac. Robert is buried at the Mt. Avom Cemetery and died on 17 APR 1921.
Sources: 1920 Census (Pontiac, Oakland, MI pg 4, Dist 196) and City of Rochester
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Polish Encouragement
After a bit of googling I have found the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan. Their mission, so far as I can tell is to "promote and encourage research". I don't believe any of the family's current polish researchers need any encouragement. But just in case there is also a great page of resources in the form of links, here. I also found a site called Polish Roots that may be helpful and on genforum they even have a message board.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Newsletters
The Rochester Avon Historical Society has a newsletter, you can select the issues to view here. You can also be a member, information about that is here.
There is only one group I really ever considered joining and that is the published of the Oaks to Acorns, The Oakland County Genealogical Society. I have purchased a few things from them, the most valuable a list of veterans and veterans widows from the 1890 Census. Here's the membership application.
Here you can find information on the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society. I do have plans to contact this group and see what kind of pioneer information they have, exactly. I wouldn't call our dead people pioneers so much as I would call them very early settlers. No one (it seems) showed up alone, it seems like every original Oakland Family rolled into town with a relative of ours. John Powell and Eliza were in Michigan in at least 1838 where their first son John Jr was born. By the 1850 census they were planted in Avon, never to leave. John Sr is buried there as well as his wife Eliza and their children Lydia (Russell), Eliza (Cooper) and James and his wife Anna. Eber Hotchkiss (1788-1837) and his wife Ronda began their career as early Michiganders in 1835, they arrived just in time for Eber to die and for his probate to become one of our family's oldest public records.
There is only one group I really ever considered joining and that is the published of the Oaks to Acorns, The Oakland County Genealogical Society. I have purchased a few things from them, the most valuable a list of veterans and veterans widows from the 1890 Census. Here's the membership application.
Here you can find information on the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society. I do have plans to contact this group and see what kind of pioneer information they have, exactly. I wouldn't call our dead people pioneers so much as I would call them very early settlers. No one (it seems) showed up alone, it seems like every original Oakland Family rolled into town with a relative of ours. John Powell and Eliza were in Michigan in at least 1838 where their first son John Jr was born. By the 1850 census they were planted in Avon, never to leave. John Sr is buried there as well as his wife Eliza and their children Lydia (Russell), Eliza (Cooper) and James and his wife Anna. Eber Hotchkiss (1788-1837) and his wife Ronda began their career as early Michiganders in 1835, they arrived just in time for Eber to die and for his probate to become one of our family's oldest public records.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan
This morning I found this in my e-mail box. It was on the Oakland County Genweb Mailing list.
To sign up for the once a day digest send an e-mail to MIOAKLAN-D-request@rootsweb.com and
put the word subscribe in the body of the e-mail. Here is a link to all the information on the
Rootsweb mailing lists.
The Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan, in cooperation with the
Programs Department of the Sterling Heights Public Library, is hosting
a
Genealogy Technical Workshop on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the Sterling
Heights Public Library, 40255 Dodge Park Rd., Sterling Heights,
Michigan.
Welcome and late registration at 9:30 a.m. Workshop is 10 a.m. to 12
noon.
The workshop is open to PGSM members and the public. The lecture will
be a
live Internet demonstration. You can bring your own laptop computer and
follow along. Wireless service is available at the library. One
segment of
the demonstration will be setting up a free website on aol or comcast.
You
must bring your own login username and password to access your personal
system provider online.
To register, e-mail: info@mipolonia.net
Please register early.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Mt. Avon Cemetery
There is no complete list of burials for the Mt. Avon Cemetery. The earliest records are no longer available but the cemetery is owned by the City of Rochester and you can call the Cemetery Sexton, Bruce to ask for more details on those interred. He can be reached at (248) 651-9061. Mt. Avon itself is located at 400 6th Avenue, Rochester, MI 48307.
List of buried courtsey of interment.net
The Michigan Tombstone Transcription Project's list of Mt. Avon Russell's. The rest of the Oakland Cemeteries can be found here. If you can't find a cemetery on this list or if there are no pictures, it could be because no one has registered the cemetery yet. If you think this is something you could do read this. If you are not in Oakland County maybe you can volunteer for a project in your area to help other researchers. This link should take you to the US Genweb Project, follow the links on the left hand side to the state you reside in to check on projects.
List of buried courtsey of interment.net
The Michigan Tombstone Transcription Project's list of Mt. Avon Russell's. The rest of the Oakland Cemeteries can be found here. If you can't find a cemetery on this list or if there are no pictures, it could be because no one has registered the cemetery yet. If you think this is something you could do read this. If you are not in Oakland County maybe you can volunteer for a project in your area to help other researchers. This link should take you to the US Genweb Project, follow the links on the left hand side to the state you reside in to check on projects.
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