Delay in Death, Delay in Life

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.

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.

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