AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

Flashback Friday: He Jingled When He Walked

2025-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

My dad, Bryan Henry Robbins, passed away on November 2, 2019. My mother, under his care for nearly 20 years at that time, came to live with me for a while until we were able to get her into assisted living. After some serious health issues requiring hospitalization, she was transferred to a skilled nursing facility, where she still lives.

In October 2022, I was going through the many things of my parents we had stored at my very small house, decluttering things that were no longer needed, legally required to be kept, sentimental, monetarily valuable, or useful for genealogy. I took photos of some things that evoked memories before they were decluttered. This was one of them.

My dad was a school custodian most of his life. He wore so many keys on a retracting key chain which hung from his belt that he used to jingle when he walked. Of course, he returned all his school keys when he retired in 2014.

When he passed, my sister gathered up all the keys she found when she cleaned out the house in case any of them were needed. We identified most as doorknob, vehicle, fuel cap, padlock, and suitcase keys. Those that were needed were set aside and used. These were the rest.

After three years none of these were needed, and so I disposed of them. But I had to take a photo first.

Miss you, Dad.

Mug Book Monday: Ethan Allen WESTBROOK (1837 - 1902)

2025-09-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Mug books" are collections of biographical sketches usually found within county histories of the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries, particularly in the United States. On Mondays, I'm highlighting ancestors or relatives who were featured in these mug books.

Ethan Allen WESTBROOK was the seventh of the eight children of my fifth-great-grandparents, Peter and Fannie (MARBLE) WESTBROOK, and a brother of my fourth-great-grandmother, Amanda (WESTBROOK) KIMBALL.

He was a Civil War soldier whom I featured in my Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Series in 2008.

"E. A. Westbrook, farmer, section 16, Dayton Township, is a son of Peter and Fannie (Marble) Westbrook, and was born in Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, March 29, 1837. His parents were natives of New Jersey and New York, respectively. They came to Michigan in an early day and settled in Kalamazoo County, where they were engaged in farming, and where they died.

"Mr. Westbrook was only one year old when his parents came to Michigan. He remained at home until the death of his father, since which time he has been obliged to care for himself. He came from Kalamazoo County to Newaygo County in the fall of 1867 and bought 80 acres of school land on section 16, Dayton Township, where he has since lived and now has 50 acres in cultivation.

"Dec. 31, 1865, in Kalamazoo, he married Cinderella J., daughter of Myron and Rachel Harrington, who was born in Kalamazoo County, Nov. 7, 1843. Her parents were natives of the State of New York and came to Kalamazoo County in the fall of 1843. Mr. Westbrook enlisted Oct. 10, 1861, in the 13th Mich. Inf., and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Shiloh, Stone River, Corinth, Chickamauga, Bentonville, N. C., and numerous others. He was wounded in the arm at the battle of Chickamauga, and again in the thigh at the battle of Bentonville. On account of his first wound he was unable to do service for three months, and was laid up four months by reason of the second wound. He was honorably discharged at Detroit, Mich. Since that time he has followed farming, excepting two years, when he was engaged in teaming. He receives a pension. Politically he is a Republican.

"His children, by his present wife, are: James W., born Dec. 8, 1869; Amanda L., April 6, 1875; Laura M., Dec. 12, 1876; Mabel A., April 12, 1882. Myron D. died at the age of 18 months. Mr. Westbrook had one child by a previous marriage, William P., born March 14, 1860."

---

The "school land" mentioned in the second paragraph refers to the Homestead Act of 1862 in which the sale of land in Section 16 of each township was used to fund public education in that township.

---

This biographical sketch was taken from Portrait and Biographical Album of Newaygo County, Michigan: Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of all the Governors of Michigan and of the Presidents of the United States. Also Containing a Complete History of the County, From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, published in Chicago by Chapman Bros., 1884. Ethan's biographical sketch was found on page 280. This county history, along with many other ones, can be found at the Internet Archive.

Mug Book Monday: Jeremiah REDENBAUGH (1824 - 1895)

2025-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah REDENBAUGH was a nephew of my children's paternal 4th-great-grandmother, Hulda (REDENBAUGH) DAILEY.

This biography mentions Jeremiah's father, Henry R. REDENBAUGH, Hulda's brother. It also mentions his grandparents, Frederick and [Anna] Margaret (HANEY) REDENBAUGH, who are my children's 5th-great-grandparents.

There are three great ties to American history in this biography, namely the famous Battle of Tippecanoe, the War of 1812, and William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States.

"Jeremiah Redenbaugh is a retired farmer, living just outside the city limits of Crawfordsville, but he still retains possession of his farm, which is located in Walnut Township, Montgomery County. Mr. Redenbaugh is a son of Henry R. Redenbaugh, one f the early settlers of this portion of Indiana, who was born January 2, 1800, near Redden, Ohio.

"Frederick Redenbaugh, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Germany, came to this country some time during the last century, and first located in Pennsylvania, whence he moved to Ohio, and from there to Indiana in the early days of the settlement of the state. After coming here he first settled among the pioneers of Jefferson County, and then came to Montgomery County, where his life was closed at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He was a soldier under Gen. Harrison at the famous battle of Tippecanoe, and he served with the General during the war of 1812. He married Margaret Haney in Pennsylvania, and they had twelve children, of whom their son William, who lives in Fountain County at the advanced age of eight-one years, is the only survivor. the grandfather of our subject was an ardent Democrat in his day, and was a leader in local politics.

"Henry Redenbaugh was the fifth child born to his parents, and was a young man when he accompanied them to Jefferson County, this state. He there met and married Mary Douglas, daughter of Jeremiah and Jane (Huthert) Douglas. They had come from England to this country and first settled near Cincinnati, whence they afterwards removed to Jefferson County, this state. After his marriage Henry Redenbaugh remained awhile in Jefferson County, and then came to Montgomery County in 1828. He took up eighty acres of government land, which he cleared and improved, and developed it into a fine farm, upon which he remained until his death, September, 1891, at the venerable age of ninety-one years. In dying he left behind him an honorable records as an active and useful pioneer, as a good citizen, and as a desirable neighbor. He was the father of twelve children, of whom the following grew to maturity and are still living: John, a painter, residing at Newton, Kans.; Jeremiah; Mary (Mrs. Brush), who lives in Iowa; Sarah Ann, who lives in Boone County; William R., a resident of Crawfordsville; Joe, a resident of Mace, and Eliza (Mrs. McMullen) a resident of Boone County.

"Jeremiah Redenbaugh was born in Jefferson County, in the southern part of this state, May 25, 1824, and he was a child of three years when his parents brought him to their new home amid the pioneer scenes of Montgomery County. He was reared in Scott Township, and has a distinct recollection of the appearance of the country in all its wildness when he was a boy, and he can remember when Crawfordsville had but three or four houses in it. He made his home with his father until he was twenty-one, and then married established a home of his own with the help of his wife. She was Elizabeth Corn in her maiden days and a daughter of William Corn, of Clark Township, one of the early settlers of the county.

"Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Redenbaugh, of whom five are living: Sarah Jane, wife of Thomas N. Hosier; William, George W., Eliza Ellen and Nancy Eddenfield. Mr. and Mrs. Hosier have one child, Viola Ellen aged nine years. The names of the deceased children of our subject are: Joseph Henry, Albert, Mary Alice, Andrew, Charlie and John, and one child who died in infancy unnamed. April 29, 1888, Jeremiah Redenbaugh had the misfortune to lose his wife, who had walked by his side for more than forty years, and to whose encouragement, cheerful assistance and wise counsel he was greatly indebted. Her age at the time of her death was sixty years, six months and twenty-seven days[.] She left behind her a blessed memory as a wife, mother and friend.

"Mr. Redenbaugh bought a piece of land in Walnut Township after his marriage, and there he and his wife commenced keeping house together. He worked hard to improve it, and bought other land until his farm comprised two hundred acres of most excellent farming land. In 1886 he retired from active business, and from the rental of his farm he derives a good income. His career as a farmer has placed him among the substantial citizens of the township, although he began life poor. This fact shows that beside being diligent, prudent and thrifty, he also carried on his work methodically, and was shrewd and far-seeing in his management of his affairs. Politically he is a Democrat of stanch principles. He belongs to the Montgomery County Horse Thief Detective Association, and has always entered readily into any scheme for protecting the interests of the farmer."

---

This biographical sketch was taken from Portrait and biographical record of Montgomery, Parke and Fountain counties, Indiana: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens : together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States, published in Chicago by Chapman Bros., 1893. Jeremiah's drawing and biographical sketch was found on pages 444-446. This county history, along with many other ones, can be found at the Internet Archive.

The Story of Lost Lynn: Part 2

2025-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series about Lynn Walker Westaby, my children's paternal great-grandmother's uncle. When their great-grandmother was still alive, she told me about her Uncle Lynn, who had a short and tragic life. Although he never married nor had children, he is worth remembering. Come along with me as I tell the story of Lost Lynn.

The Westaby family, c. 1908 with Will Leland, Izma's future husband, and unknown boy. Probably taken on their farm west of Forsyth. All photos in this post scanned by author in 2014 from the collection of Troy W. Midkiff, Vancouver, Washington.

In Part 1, we learned that little six-year-old Lynn lost his right foot and part of his lower leg due to a terrible railroad yard accident in his hometown of Forsyth, Rosebud County, Montana. It couldn't have been easy to navigate the world as a disabled person in 1911, especially in a small rural town or on the family's farm. Somehow, he and his family figured it out. We don't know if he had a prosthesis at such a young age; he was known to wear one later.¹ But for sure, he was using crutches within a few months of his amputation.²

He certainly didn't let his injury slow him down! He was a bright lad and held nothing in back, in school or in activities. By second grade, he was a top-notch speller in class.³ During Forsyth's Fourth of July celebrations in 1914, when he was nine, he won first place in the greased pole contest,⁴ which involves climbing a vertical greased pole the fastest! His upper body strength must have been pretty good due to compensating for his missing lower limb. In third grade, he was lauded for having perfect attendance and never being tardy during the month of February.⁵

By the time he was 15, he could play either the catcher or the pitcher position on his school's sixth grade baseball team (the Panthers) and was scheduled to play a series of seven games against the seventh grade team (the Giants) for the grand prize of five gallons of ice cream. While the Giants ultimately won, a local reporter stated that the game was well played: "...although the Panthers received a bad defeat they put up a good exhibition of the national past-time and took their defeat like veterans of a couple of world series. Both teams pounded the horsehide hard and often, but the superior playing of the Gaints [sic] was too much for the Panthers."^{6, 7}

It's not clear why he was 15 years old in sixth grade, but schooling in those days was different than today. When students were required to help in the family business or on the farm--and his family had both--they could miss months of school and have to pick up where they left off when they returned. Speaking of the farm, Lynn raised pigeons and was declared a winner for his pair of giant runts in the 1920 Eastern Montana Fair held in Glendive, in neighboring Dawson County.⁸ The following year, he won second prize for the best booklet on an agricultural topic. The choices were poultry, cattle, horses, hogs, wheat, corn, dairying, or potatoes.⁹ While the newspaper article doesn't give more details, it would not have been surprising if the topic was dairying, as Lynn's father Rice had started his Jersey Island Dairy in 1905 on their farm on Westaby Island on the Yellowstone River, about a mile west of town.¹⁰

The Westaby siblings pose c. 1910.
Back row, left to right: Izma, Lynn, George
Front row: Reuben, Guy, Charles

But all was not fair fun and ball games in the Westaby family: by the time of the 1921 fair, Rice had married his second wife, Nora Alice Myers.¹¹ We don't yet know when he and Rebecca divorced, but as early as 1914, she had been living separately from him in a home in Forsyth that may have been owned by her family, working in her son Guy's steam laundry.¹² She was listed as the head of the household in the 1920 census in her Forsyth home, with Lynn living with her.¹³ Rice was enumerated on the farm with their son Reuben.¹⁴ By then the older children were adults and no longer living at home. George and Izma had each married; George and his wife Rena Lerfald lived in Forsyth with their four-year-old daughter Helen (my children's great-grandmother) and George's brother Guy.¹⁵ Izma and her husband Will Leland were living in Glendive with their toddler, Velma, and Will's brother Joe.¹⁶ Charles had moved south to Sheridan, Wyoming to work for the railroad.¹⁷

Will Leland holds Helen Westaby while Lynn stands nearby, c. 1917.

Lynn was now a young man. Like his older brothers and sister, he would soon be off on his own.

Sources:

1. Westaby Family Notes, MS (No place: no date); privately held by Helen Mary (Westaby) Midkiff Tucker, Sunnyside, Washington, c. 1980s. A handwritten copy was made by her grandson, Michael J. Midkiff [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Spokane, Washington, c. 1980s. Whereabouts of the original manuscript is unknown after 8 November 1997, the date of Helen Tucker’s death.

2. “Is Improving Rapidly,” Forsyth Times-Journal, (Forsyth, Montana) 4 May 1911, p. 1, col. 7, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 February 2025).

3. "Spelling Report: Marcyes School," Forsyth Times-Journal, 5 February 1914, p. 3, col. 5-7, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

4. "Forsyth Has Big Celebration," Forsyth Times-Journal, 9 July 1914, p. 4, col. 3, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025.)

5. "Have a Good Record," Forsyth Times-Journal, 11 March 1915, p. 3, col. 6, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

6. "Hammond School Plays 1st Ball Game of Season," Forsyth Times-Journal, 1 April 1920, p. 1, col. 3, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

7. "Giants Take First of Series of Five," Forsyth Democrat (Forsyth, Montana), 22 April 1920, p. 10, col. 2, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

8. "Success Crowns Eastern Montana Fair in All Departments," Yellowstone Monitor, (Glendive, Montana), 23 September 1920, p. 1, col. 23 and p. 4, col. 3, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

9. "List of Winners at Fair Given Below," Yellowstone Monitor, 20 October 1921, p. 2, col. 4, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

10. "Local and Otherwise," The Forsyth Times, (Forsyth, Montana), 16 March 1905, p. 8, col. 2, Newspapers.com (accessed 16 March 2025).

11. Custer County (Montana) Clerk of the District Court, marriage license and certificate no. 3902 (1921), Rice Westaby and Nora Alice Myers; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 1 March 2012), "Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950."

12. Miles City, Glendive, Forsyth and Ekalaka City Directory and Custer, Dawson, Rosebud and Fallon Counties Directory 1914 (R. L. Polk Co. of Montana, 1914), entry for Mrs Rebecca C Westaby, p. 397; Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/ : accessed 25 June 2025), image 213 of 284, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995."

13. 1920 U.S. Census, Rosebud County, Montana, population schedule, Forsyth City, p. 19B, dwelling 386, family 459, Rebecca A [sic] Westaby household; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 27 May 2025), image 37 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 975.

14. 1920 U.S. Census, Rosebud County, Montana, population schedule, School District No. 4, p. 2B, dwelling 42, family 42, George R. Westaby household; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 27 May 2025), image 4 of 9; citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 975

15. 1920 U.S. Census, Rosebud County, Montana, population schedule, Forsyth City, p. 11A, dwelling 206, family 251, George R. Westerby [sic] household; Ancestry.com;(https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 9 June 2025), image 21 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 975.

16. 1920 U.S. Census, Dawson County, Montana, population schedule, Glendive City, p. 5A, dwelling 85, family 101, William Leland household; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 4 July 2025), image 9 of 42; citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 968.

17. 1920 U.S. Census, Sheridan County, Wyoming, population schedule, Sheridan City, p. 26B [corrected], dwelling 187, family 266, lodger in the James Dawson household; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061 : accessed 4 July 2025), image 49 of 51; citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 2029.

Notable July Fourth Events in Our Family History

2025-07-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Free photo image by Kaboompics.com
Found at Pexels.com

Today is Independence Day in the United States, the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers. On this day, Americans celebrate the birthday of our nation.

I thought it would be interesting to look through my RootsMagic family tree databases and see what significant events happened on July 4th in our family's history. I ran queries in my own database, my children's paternal lines database, and my grandchildren's paternal lines database.

There were many July 4th births, marriages, and deaths of individuals, mostly distant relatives. There were no July 4th burials, which makes sense. A burial is a sad occasion and Independence Day is for celebrations.

I won't list every July 4th birth, marriage, or death below, but I will list ones for direct ancestors or those which may have had an effect on a direct ancestor.

Births

Oddly enough, only one of the three July 4th ancestor births was on American soil.

My paternal great-great-grandfather, James W. Barber, was supposedly born on this date in 1841, somewhere in England. He is a brick wall ancestor, which means I know nothing about his family of origin: parents, siblings, etc. I also don't know where in England he was born or lived. The first record in which I can positively identify him is the 1871 Canada Census, although I did find an 1862 marriage record for a couple with somewhat wrong names in the correct location (that's a blog post for another day!).

Another July 4th birth belongs to John D. Concidine, my adoptive 3rd-great-grandfather, who was born to Dennis Concidine and Honora "Nora" Gilligan in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. John's granddaughter Nellie May Concidine and her husband Alfred Henry Holst adopted my paternal grandmother, Jane Marie York, who became Jeanne Marie Holst.

Polly Emeline Dennis, my grandchildren's paternal 3rd-great-grandmother, was born on July 4th in 1840 in Tennessee. It probably was in Overton County, where her father James Thaxton Dennis was found in the censuses from 1820 through 1840, before moving on to Dent Co., Missouri.

Polly's mother was Lucinda Catherine Hunter, which I find interesting because my grandchildren's surname is Hunter; their father's direct paternal line. But Polly and her mother Lucinda are found in their paternal grandmother's line. This means my grandchildren have Hunters on both sides of their dad's family tree. These lines don't seem to be related: on their dad's paternal side, the Hunters can be traced into early New Jersey, while Lucinda's line is found in South Carolina. But Hunter, after all, is a common occupational surname.

Marriages

My children's paternal great-great-grandparents, George Rice Westaby III and Rena Lerfald, were married on this day in 1915 in Glendive, Dawson Co., Montana. I've been spending a lot of time lately researching the Westaby family and am in the middle of a series about George's youngest brother Lynn.

In my own family, the only ancestor who had a July 4th marriage was Filippus Willems Jonker. He married his first wife, Grietje Eisses, on this date in 1812 in Kloosterburen, Groningen, the Netherlands. His second wife, Catharina Klaassens van der Laan, was my ancestor. They married 4 April 1831 after Grietje's death, and were my 4th-great-grandparents.

Deaths

No July 4th ancestral deaths were located in any of the three family trees. However, on this date my great-great-grandparents Tjamme Wiegers "James" Valk and Berber Tjeerds "Barbara" de Jong tragically lost two children, two years apart, in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan.

In 1895, their youngest daughter Chaterina died at age 5 months, 9 nine days of "summer complaint." This was an old medical term describing severe diarrhea and dehydration, usually in infants, typically caused by spoiled milk. Remember that pasteurization was not common until the 1920s and people in the 1890s relied on ice boxes or cellars to keep their food cool, but it was not reliable. What's especially sad is that Chaterina was the third and last daughter James and Barbara had named for James's mother in an attempt to carry on her name in the family.

In 1897, little Tjamme died from measles at one year old. The family had just celebrated his first birthday four days earlier. His name was recorded as Thomas on the death record; another anglicization variation. Pneumonia and encephalitis complications are the most common causes of death from measles. It would have been horrible for Tjamme's parents to watch him burn up with a fever they couldn't bring down and watch him struggle to breathe. We are so fortunate to have a measle vaccine available for our children today.

---

What July 4th significant events have you found in your family tree?

The Story of Lost Lynn: Part 1

2025-06-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is the first of a series about Lynn Walker Westaby, my children's paternal great-grandmother's uncle. When their great-grandmother was still alive, she told me about her Uncle Lynn, who had a short and tragic life. Although he never married nor had children, he is worth remembering. Come along with me as I tell the story of Lost Lynn.

Lynn Walker Westaby was the youngest child of George "Rice" Westaby, II and Rebecca Catherine Snook's family of seven children, six of whom survived infancy. He was born 27 November 1904 in Montana, probably in or near Forsyth, Rosebud County.¹ He was a handsome boy with a mischievous smile, and surely he was the darling of his four older brothers--George III, Guy, Charles, and Reuben--and his older sister, Izma.^{2, 3} (His parents' first child, a little girl named Clarice Orvilla who was born 22 August 1889, died in infancy.)⁴Keeping with the tradition of giving their children family names, Rice and Rebecca gave Lynn the middle name Walker in honor of his maternal grandmother's surname.⁵

Lynn Walker Westaby, c. 1906, Forsyth, Rosebud County, Montana
Original photo scanned in by author in 2014 from the collection of Troy W. Midkiff, Vancouver, Washington.

When Lynn was only 6 1/2 years old, a terrible accident left him injured for life. One Saturday around noon on the first day of April, he and a number of friends attempted to jump on the swiftly moving freight train at the elevator crossing and ride to the schoolhouse as it headed east. A work train had just unloaded several piles of cinders beside the tracks. Being little, Lynn could only grasp the bottom rung of the ladder attached to the freight car. As he hung there swinging, he was knocked under the train by one of the piles as they rode by. The train crushed his foot just above the ankle as it rolled over him.

He was taken to the doctor. His foot was so badly crushed there was no repairing it. The only way to save his leg and his life was to have the injured foot amputated.^6,7 This must have been a horrible experience; both the traumatizing accident and the resulting amputation. However, there was a great deal of spunk in the little boy. Only a month later the local paper reported "Lynn Westaby, the little fellow who lost a foot by falling under the cars last month, is able to be out again with the aid of crutches."⁸

And just a few days before Christmas, this intelligent child who celebrated his seventh birthday only a month earlier, would stand in front the congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church one evening and recite Clement Clarke Moore's poem, "The Night Before Christmas" as part of the Sunday School program!⁹

Sources:

2. 1910 U.S. Census, Rosebud County, Montana, population schedule, School District No. 4 Forsyth, p. 26B, dwelling 314, family 341, R. Westaby household; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 February 2025), image 47 of 56; citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 835.

3. Westaby Family Notes.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. “Child Loses Foot Jumping on Trains,” The Billings Gazette (Billings, Montana), 2 April 1911, p. 3 col. 6; Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 February 2025). Note this article incorrectly states Lynn’s age as seven years old.

7. “Westaby Boy Hurt,” Forsyth Times-Journal, (Forsyth, Montana), 6 April 1911, p. 8, col. 3; Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

8. “Is Improving Rapidly,” Forsyth Times-Journal, 4 May 1911, p. 1, col. 7, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

9. “Program of Exercises: Methodist Episcopal Sunday School Will Have Entertainment Dec. 23,” Forsyth Times-Journal, 21 December 1911, p. 6, col. 4, Newspapers.com (accessed 18 February 2025).

Read Part 2

Steve Goes to Reform School

2025-02-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I wrote about how my children's paternal ancestor reportedly blew up the local schoolhouse and that his younger sons took the fall so that their father could stay home and continue to support his large family. The newspaper articles I shared then showed there was some truth to the story, although it seems to have played out somewhat differently than the family story stated.

I discovered three more newspaper articles in the Bonners Ferry Herald at Newspapers.com as a follow up to where I left off. The first was a short mention in the Local News section about the hearing for the younger son, Stephen.

Untitled news item, Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 22 September 1916, p. 4, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 30 October 2024).

The continued hearing in the case of the state against Stephen Martin, charged with being a juvenile delinquent, was heard by Probate Judge O'Callaghan last Monday. Judge O'Callaghan took the case under advisement and will render a decision Monday.

The following week a Herald journalist wrote these paragraphs which appear to be not just reporting Stephen's sentencing, but an op-ed piece about the County Auditor:

"County Business Plus Politics," Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 29 September 1916, p. 10, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 12 November 2024).

County Business Plus Politics

Stephen Martin, who on Monday in Judge O'Callaghan's court was held to be a juvenile delinquent and who was ordered committed to the Idaho State Industrial cshool [sic] at St. Anthony, left last evening for the state school in the custody of County Auditor Stanley.

Just at this time this comes as an interesting bit of news owing to the fact that recently the county auditor alleged the duties of his office required two deputies (at a total salary of $150 monthly) and that he could not get along with less help. Nevertheless the county auditor finds time to assume the role of state land appraiser upon occasions and to act as a guard when an opportunity presents itself to visit other towns of the state, presumably at the expense of the county, all of which needs but little explanation when it is remembered that Mr. Stanley is the democratic nominee for congressman. The trip to St. Anthony should give Auditor Stanley a good chance to look after his political fences.

The final article I found was a notice published also on 22 September 1916 by the Martins' neighbor, John V. Witt, who you may recall reported in the article "Ike Martin Freed By Jury" that "Sunday evening someone fired a bullet from a high-power rifle through the front door of his house, the bullet passing a little over the head of his sleeping baby. On Monday Mrs. Witt was badly frightened when the clothes she was hanging up to dry were peppered with shot from a shotgun." The insinuation was that it was the Martins doing the shooting.

"Notice to Hunters in Katka District," Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 22 September 1916, p. 6, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 30 October 2024).

Notice to Hunters in Katka District

On and after this date there shall be no hunting upon the ground enclosed by my fence as I have taken notice that some people haven't sufficient brains to use a gun with safety to the general public. I have to take these precautions to protect the lives of my wife and baby. Any person or persons found hunting on my premises will be prosecuted.

September 15, 1916

(Signed) JOHN V. WITT. tf

I had not heard of the Idaho State Industrial School, so I did a Google search. Sometimes called the Idaho State Reform School, it was located in St. Anthony, Fremont County, Idaho. Founded in 1903, it housed wayward youth in conditions so bad that reportedly, some inmates chose to take their own lives. A Wikipedia article discusses the Women's Dormitory which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. A PDF document published by the Idaho Historical Society details the nomination of the dormitory to the National Register. The Men's Dormitory likely looked similar.

I wondered if Stephen was still an inmate when the 1920 Federal Census was taken four years later, but reviewing the census records for the school, line by line, did not yield his name. In fact, I could not find him at all on this census, any where in the United States, even in his parents' home. By 1920, the Martin family had moved to Kahlotus, Franklin County, Washington, over 200 miles southwest of their former home in Katka, Idaho.¹ They had sold their home in 1919² and moved to Washington; whether it was because of the neighborhood tensions or because Frank's job as a "railroad boss", or perhaps both. It's likely that Stephen had served his time and had moved on.

P.S. Check out the link in the second source below to see a 1910 photo postcard of the Martin's home in Katka and a short article from the Bonner County Historical Society & Museum. Steve is likely the smallest boy on the left wearing overalls.

Sources:

1. 1920 U.S. census, Franklin County, Washington, population schedule, Kahlotus Precinct, p. 1B, dwelling 21, family 21, Frank J. Martin household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 March 2014), image 2 of 9.

2. ---, "From the Archives," Bonners Ferry (Idaho) Herald, 16 September 1921; digital image, BonnersFerryHerald.com (https://bonnersferryherald.com/news/2021/sep/16/archives-sept-16-2021: accessed 4 February 2025).

That Time Grandpa Martin Blew Up the Schoolhouse and Uncle Ike Shot a Bull

2024-10-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

In my children's father's family, there had long been a story about how my former mother-in-law's maternal grandfather had blown up the schoolhouse because he was mad at the schoolteacher. The family story continued that the younger sons who were still living at home had taken the fall for their father and gone to prison because he was older and needed to stay home to continue to farm. If true, this would make sense, as penitentiaries in those days involved backbreaking hard labor.

Recently, my children's father's cousin was in our local area and met up with their uncle, my former brother-in-law. The cousin and her husband had driven up to Sandpoint, Idaho, the county seat near where their ancestors had lived, and visited the museum. They talked to the museum staff about whether they were familiar with a story about a local schoolhouse being blown up in the early twentieth century. When the staff answered in the affirmative and said two young men had been arrested, the cousin shared the family story of how it was actually the father who had done the dirty deed.

After hearing all this from my children's uncle, I decided to see if I could find any newspaper articles about the incident to parse out family legend and facts. I hit the jackpot with Newspapers.com's collection of Bonners Ferry Herald issues. I found two articles referencing the incident and another one that hinted at it.

“Katka School Wrecked,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 1 September 1916, p. 10, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024).

Katka School Wrecked
The school house at Katka was wrecked by an explosion of dynamite shortly after noon Wednesday. The county officers will endeavor to apprehend the guilty parties.

The Katka district recently let a contract for the building of a new modern school to Frank Clapp. The old building was to have been used until the new one was ready for occupancy. It is claimed that incident Wednesday is the result of dissatisfaction over the action of the school trustees in hiring a teacher.

The next article, published on 8 September 1916, provided more details:

“Katka Folks in Trouble,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 8 September 1916, p. 1, col. 6; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024).

KATKA FOLKS IN TROUBLE

Ike Martin Charged With Shooting Mayfield's Bull—Martins Threaten To Have Mayfield Arrested

YOUNGER MARTIN IS TAKEN TOO

Is Charged With Being a Juvenile Delinquent

Charged with maliciously shooting a bull belonging to A. C. Mayfield, Ike Martin, of Katka, was arrested last Saturday by Sheriff Worley. Steve Martin, a younger brother, was taken in charge by Worley and at the time of his brother's hearing, next Tuesday morning, will be arraigned as a juvenile delinquent before Probate Judge O'Callaghan.

The shooting is said to have happened Friday evening and it is understood that the state will produce witnesses to prove the charges made against the elder Martin.

The defendant in the case was unable to secure bonds and is in Sheriff Worley's charge. He claims that the bull shot is dangerous and that he shot it to protect himself.

The younger lad, it is claimed, will have to answer to several minor charges and the county authorities claim that he was heard to have made threats about blowing up the Katka school. It is claimed that the older Martin boy made similar threats and that damaging circumstantial evidence will be produced. Both the Martins deny having anything to do with the blowing up of the old Katka school house a week ago last Wednesday.

The Martin boys are sons of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Martin, who have lived in the district many years. Mr. Martin, Sr., was in the city yesterday and announced that he intended to swear to a complaint charging A. C. Mayfield with drawing a loaded revolver and threatening one of the Martin boys with it at the time of the recent school election at Katka.

After the Katka schoolhouse was blown up last week it developed that several of the patrons of the school were in arms over the action of the school board. It seems that the board first hired Mrs. Mary Dore to teach again this year and that for some reason or other the clerk, A. A. Jennings, took it upon himself to sign a contract with Miss Gertrude O'Neill, of Minnesota. Miss O'Neill arrived here last Saturday expecting to begin the school term Monday. It was told yesterday that the school board of the district had agreed to pay Miss O'Neill's expenses back to her home if she would relinquish her contract.

John Franklin "Frank" Martin and his wife Angelia Rebecca (Luke) Martin were my children's great-great-grandparents. They had 12 children; Isaac "Ike" Raymond Martin and Steven Charles Martin being their third and fifth sons and seventh and tenth children, respectively. Their sixth daughter and youngest child, Leona Mary Martin (married name Chaplin), was my children's great-grandmother. She does not appear in this story and would have been not quite 10 years old at the time.

While I have not yet found more information about charges regarding the schoolhouse incident, it does sound like there was basically a feud between the Martins and the Mayfields with gunshots fired on both sides. In addition, serious accusations were made against the young Steve Martin without any apparent evidence.

“Ike Martin Freed by Jury,” Bonners Ferry Herald (Bonners Ferry, Idaho), 15 September 1916, p. 4, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : 29 September 2024).

IKE MARTIN FREED BY JURY
Tried in Probate Court for Shooting Mayfield's Bull
The trial of Ike Martin on the charge of having shot a bull belonging to A. C. Mayfield, occupied attention of Probate Judge O'Callaghan Tuesday. The jury in the case brought in a verdict of "not guilty" and Martin was dismissed.
Nearly every resident of the Katka district attended the trial as a witness for the defendant or the state. Witnesses for the state claimed that the bull was shot from behind and Mrs. Mayfield swore to seeing Ike Martin shoot the bull. The Martin swore that he shot the bull from in front and that he was afraid of it as it was of a vicious disposition. Other witnesses swore that the bull was vicious. Bartlett Sinclair defended Martin.
On Wednesday Stephen Martin was given a hearing before Probate Judge O'Callaghan on the charge of being a juvenile delinquent. S. E. Henry conducted the defense. The case was continued until Monday when further evidence will be introduced.
In this case many Katka people were called in as witnesses. Mrs. Jennings and son were star witnesses for the state and swore that young Martin had attempted un-natural practices upon the baby Jennings girl. Witnesses for the Martin boy gave him a good character.
There is great bitterness in the Katka district over the recent happenings. The Martins and their friends claim they are being prosecuted, while many of their neighbors say they are living in dread of their lives and the lives of their wives and children.

J. V. Witt reports that Sunday evening someone fired a bullet from a high-power rifle through the front door of his house, the bullet passing a little over the head of his sleeping baby. On Monday Mrs. Witt was badly frightened when the clothes she was hanging up to dry were peppered with shot from a shotgun.

This all sounds very much like the Hatfields and the McCoys, doesn't it? I definitely need to search for more newspaper articles and plan to research court records, perhaps on site at the courthouse in nearby Sandpoint.

Precious Memories: Tying Shoes

2024-09-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Miriam and Pixie on the front steps at our home
on Bayview Boulevard, Klawock, Alaska, 1971.

My dad taught me how to tie my shoes when I was probably five years old, about a year after this photo was taken

First he taught me how to put my shoes on the correct feet by showing me how the tips of the shoes matched the shape of my feet: slightly larger on the inside by my big toes and curving down to the outside by my pinky toes. Next I learned how to pull the tongue straight so it wouldn't fold under or wrinkle and make my foot uncomfortable (it made me giggle to hear that a shoe had a tongue, just like me!).

Then he showed me how to cross the ends of the shoelaces ("make an X"), take the bottom lace up and over the other, through the "hole" at the bottom of the X, and pull the ends tight. Finally, I made "bunny ears" with each of the laces and repeated the previous steps. I was so proud that I could tie my little blue Keds all by myself!

Henry Jacobs: A War of 1812 Veteran Ancestor?

2024-09-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

View of the Camp of Col Laight's Regiment of Militia
from the New York Public Library's Digital Collection

Back in January 2017, I made an accidental discovery about a man whom I believe is my ancestor.

I was doing some research in old, out-of-copyright county histories for Tioga County, New York at the Internet Archive, searching for any and all of my many family lines who lived there in the second half of the nineteenth century, including my Strong, Curtis, Jacobs, Lane, Mead, Wright, Clark, Rockwell, and Partridge lines.

In the 1907 history, Owego: Some account of the early settlement of the Village in Tioga County, N.Y.... by LeRoy Wilson Kingman, I found a chapter of the military history of the village from the American Revolution through 1850. At the end of the chapter, it said that in March 1867, the Owego Gazette published a list of the survivors of the War of 1812 then living in Tioga County, with their ages. Henry Jacobs, age 83, was listed among them.1

My 4th-great-grandfather, Henry Jacobs, fits this bill. He was born about 1786 in Westchester County, New York,2 so he would have been more or less the right age in March of 1867. He resided in the Town of Spencer, Tioga County, New York when the 1810 Federal Census was taken,³ and was in the Town of Candor in 1820,⁴ so it was likely he was in New York during the war.

I have looked at the pension records available for War of 1812 Veterans and their widows at Fold3. The only one for a man named Henry Jacobs was a soldier who died 29 June 1861 in Morristown, Pennsylvania.5 My Henry Jacobs lived until 11 November 18766 and died presumably in the Town of Candor, where he was last enumerated in the 1875 New York State Census with his daughter and son-in-law, Esther and James Cortwright.7 Pensions for veterans of this war were not offered until 1871,8 and if his daughter's family was able to support and care for him, there would have been no reason to apply for a pension.

A little digging into this to see if I can find some solid evidence that my Henry is the same man mentioned in the county history is warranted. If true, this would be my fifth identified ancestor who was a veteran of the War of 1812.

Sources:

1. LeRoy Wilson Kingman, Owego: Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego (Owego, New York: Owego Gazette Office, 1907), pp. 391-2; imaged, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/owegosomeaccount00king/ : accessed 7 January 2017).

2. 1855 census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor ED 2, p. 5, line 29, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7181/ : accessed 5 August 2016); citing Tioga County Clerk's Office, Owego.

3. 1810 U.S. census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Spencer, p. 85 (stamped), line 20, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7613/ : accessed 18 June 2016.

4. 1820 U.S. census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor, p. 38, line 22, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7734/ : accessed 18 June 2016.

5. "U.S., War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1812-1815," database with images, Fold3.com (https://www.fold3.com/image/314331865/jacobs-henry-page-20-us-war-of-1812-pension-files-1812-1815 : accessed 3 September 2024) imaged untitled document: Henry Jacobs, Capt. John Huston's Co., Pa. Mil.; citing Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Applications Based on Service in the War of 1812; Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Washington, D.C.: National Archives).

6. Daughters of the American Revolution, Beulah Patterson Brown Chapter, Tioga County, New York, cemetery records of the towns of Berkshire, Candor, Newark Valley, Owego, and Richford (New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1928), p. 114; imaged, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-S9S7-W : accessed 11 September 2024).

7. 1875 census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor ED 2, p. 18, line 44, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7250/ : accessed 7 April 2014); citing Tioga County Clerk's Office, Owego.

8. Stuart L. Butler, "Genealogical Records of the War of 1812," Prologue Magazine (Winter 1991, Vol. 23, No. 4); online article, Archives.gov (https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1991/winter/war-of-1812.html : accessed 11 September 2024).

The Death Certificate of Rose "June" (Barber) Morarity Eaton Wrone

2024-07-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Death Certificate of June Wrone¹

While I have hardly been blogging at all the past few years, I have not stopped doing genealogical research at genealogy websites, ordering documents from courthouses, archives, and libraries, or expanding my genealogy education. My focus lately has been to identify the parents of my most recent "brick wall" ancestor, my paternal great-great-grandfather James W. Barber (1841 - 1912). I have blogged about him before here, here, here, and here.

One of the targets of my research plan has been to obtain death records for all ten children of James and his wife Elizabeth Ann "Betsey" Cole to see if a specific birthplace other than "England" is listed for their father's birthplace. I was challenged, however, to find any mention after 1955 of their youngest daughter whose name has been spelled Rose, Rosie, Rosa Bell, Isabel, Rosman, Rosamond, and Rosemond and who was often nicknamed June, which is what I will call her.

In attempting to locate a death record for June, I once again came across a challenge that has often frustrated me: there is an unfortunate nearly two-decade gap, 1952 - 1971, between available online death records indexes for the state of Michigan, June's presumed final residence. Ancestry has a death records index, "Michigan, U.S., Death Index, 1971-1996." FamilySearch's "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800 - 1995" is incomplete, according to the Michigan Deaths and Burials page at the FamilySearch wiki. At Michiganology's "Death Certificates 1897 - 1952" collection, death records created between 1921 and 1948 include an image of the death certificate, while records from 1949-1952 are only available in an index. I suspected June had died during this record gap, as I had been unable to find her in my many searches in the the above collections.

Fortunately, I have found obituaries for six of June's nine siblings, and four of them mentioned her specifically, giving me information that I did not have previously about her and narrowing the search time frame. The first was the 1945 obituary of sister Clarissa "Clara" Jane (Barber) Goodwin Sines which named Rose as "Mrs. Rose Rhome of Detroit".² The surname Rhome was new to me (although I found out later it was an incorrect spelling of Wrone). I had located two marriage records for June, neither to a man with a surname of Rhome or Wrone. The first record was for a marriage on 23 September 1896 to William Morarity in Lapeer, Lapeer County, Michigan.³ The second record was for a marriage to William A. Eaton on 15 May 1906 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.⁴

The next sibling obituary was for sister Lavina Elizabeth (Barber) Wilson Streeter in 1949.⁵ This one named June as "Mrs. Rose Wrone of Detroit". Sister Caroline "Carrie" (Barber) Smith Hutchinson Poole's 1951 obituary provided another clue, naming June as "Mrs. Michael Wrone of Detroit."⁶ And finally, younger brother Alexander Barber's 1955 obituary names her as "Mrs. Michael Wromes, Detroit."⁷

So began my search for a marriage of Rose/Rosa Bell/Rosemond or June Eaton nee Barber to Michael Wrone between 1955 and 1971. These searches involved many variations of their first and last names. I was able to find their marriage record in Lucas County, Ohio on 1 March 1930,⁸ less than two months after she divorced William Eaton on 9 January 1930 in Wayne County, Michigan.⁹ (I have yet to locate a divorce record for her marriage to William Morarity or a death record for him.) June signed her marriage application as "Mrs Rosemond J Eaton," which leads me to believe that June was her middle name and not just a nickname.

Michael Wrone's parents were listed on their marriage record as Peter Wrone and Teckla Bennett. However, his obituary mentions his brother Joseph Wronikowski, which led me to other documents confirming that this was the original spelling of his last name.

Michael's 1971 obituary in the Detroit Free Press at Newspapers.com¹⁰ described him as "Beloved husband of the late June", so I knew that she had to have died sometime between her brother Alex's death on 28 February 1955 and Michael's death on 26 May 1971. The obituary mentioned a funeral home, R. G. & G. R. Harris Funeral Home of Detroit, and I was able to find current contact information for them. I sent them an email to ask if they had any information on a burial, cremation, etc. for June, but never received a reply.

Meanwhile, I located a memorial page for Michael at Find a Grave.¹¹ He was buried at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan. My next task was to contact the cemetery to see if they had any death and/or burial information for June. I received an email from them stating that although they did not have an exact date of death for her, she had been interred on 1 May 1958 in Section Q, lot 778, plot 2. Michael was buried in plot 1.

Obtaining an interment date was beneficial in that it considerably narrowed down a potential time frame for her death. With this information, I sent off to the Wayne County Clerk's office for June's death certificate. It arrived on 3 February 2024.

Finally, I had a death date and location for June: 28 April 1958 in Detroit. Unfortunately, the death certificate had no fields for birthplaces of the decedent's parents; only for their names.¹²

Despite the many searches I had done in online newspaper websites, I had not been able to find an obituary or death notice for June until after I obtain her death certificate. Narrowing down the time frame, I was able to go page by page through the Detroit Free Press in the days after her death and finally located her death notice, published 30 April 1958.¹³ The Optical Character Recognition had simply not been able to find it in all of my many searches over the years.

I felt a sense of accomplishment and closure having finally determined when and where Rose June (Barber) Morarity Eaton Wrone--with many variations of her first name and with a surname originally spelled Wronikowski--was buried. With all these names and variants, no wonder it had been a challenge to find her!

---

Future posts will discuss the other death records of James and Elizabeth (Cole) Barber's children and what information was given on them for James's birthplace.

Sources:

1. Wayne County, Michigan, death certificate 5860, June Wrone; County Clerk’s Office, Detroit.

2. “Mrs. Clara Jane Sines,” Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan), 7 May 1945, p. 11, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : viewed 6 January 2023).

3. "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DYJ9-TXS?cc=1452395&wc=9663-T3D%3A1041533201 : viewed 15 January 2019), image 304 of 670, entry for Wm. Morarity and Rosa B. Barber, 23 September 1896, Lapeer, Lapeer County, record #1423; citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing.

4. “Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, ” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61378/ : viewed 6 January 2023), image 83 of 250, application and return for William A. Eaton and June Moriarty, 15 May 1906, Cuyahoga County 1906-1907, p. 165, application #46658; citing original data from Marriage Records, Ohio Marriages, various Ohio County Courthouses.

5. “Deaths: Mrs. Lavina E. Streeter,” Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan), 10 January 1949, p. 14, col. 5; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : viewed 22 March 2022).

6. "Mrs. John B. Poole," The Time Herald (Port Huron, Michigan), 25 May 1951, p. 26, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : viewed 6 March 2022).

7. "Barber, Alex," Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan), 1 March 1955, p. 22, col. 8; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : viewed 23 March 2022).

8. "Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61378/ : viewed 23 March 2022), image 1404 of 1420, application and certificate for Michael W. Wrone and Rosamund J. Eaton, 1 March 1930, Lucas County 1929-1930, p. 530, application #84338; citing original data from Marriage Records, Ohio Marriages, various Ohio County Courthouses.

9. "Michigan, U.S., Divorce Records, 1897-1952," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9092/ : viewed 6 January 2023), image 1652 of 4401, divorce record for Rosman Eaton and William Eaton, 9 January 1930, 1924-1947 Wayne County certificates 29,290-33,636, state file #82 30937; citing original data from Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing.

10. "Wrone," Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan), 28 May 1971, pg. 34, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : viewed 23 March 2022).

11. FindAGrave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/262037463/michael-w-wrone : accessed 11 January 2024), memorial page for Michael W. Wrone, Oakview Cemetery, Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan. Includes a tombstone photo.

12. Wayne County, Michigan, death certificate 5860, June Wrone.

13. "Wrone," Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan), 30 April 1958, pg. 29, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : viewed 12 June 2024).

A Busy Day for Weddings in the HOLST and ROBBINS Families

2023-05-14T22:01:00.003-07:00

I've been busy cleaning up items in the Downloads folder of my laptop. In many cases, I downloaded an image of a record from a genealogy or historical newspaper site and then used my photo editing software to make a copy of it, clip or resize it, rename it to fit my digital filing conventions, and then file it in the appropriate genealogy folder. But sometimes I didn't delete the original image. Other times, I downloaded an image but forgot to clean it up and move it to a folder. My Downloads folder was very full at over 1400 items, but it is slowly getting cleaned out and is down to about 550!

Today I once again came across the October 17, 1940 edition of the Coopersville (Michigan) Observer that published my paternal grandparents' wedding announcement on page 8, column 3:

Grandma and Grandpa had a simple wedding in the Methodist pastor's parsonage on a Saturday morning. They wore their Sunday best outfits, as seen in the photo below.

Their best friends, Geneva Parish and Raymond Adams stood with them during the ceremony, although my Great-Grandmother Nellie Holst signed the marriage certificate rather than Geneva. I know that Geneva would have been about 16 years old, just like my grandmother, so she would not have been of legal age to sign the marriage certificate. I don't know if my Great-Grandfather Alfred Holst or my Great-Grandparents Robbins (Bill Sr. and Marie) attended the ceremony.

After the ceremony, they had a "dinner", probably held at noon, at my Great-Grandparents Holst's home with immediate family. I'm guessing that would have been both sets of parents of the bridal couple, my grandfather's four younger siblings (Bill Jr, Shirley, Jack, and Joyce) and perhaps my grandmother's older married sister and brother-in-law, Lucille and John VanderHorn.

When I was double checking to make sure that I had clipped, renamed, and copied the announcement into both my grandparents' genealogy documents folders, the surname Klinger in column 2 of the same page caught my eye.

I knew that my Great-grandfather Holst had a sister named Margaret ("Maggie"), who had married Johan H. Klinger. Taking a closer look, I realized that Margaret and Johan's daughter Ethel Klinger, who was my grandmother's cousin, got married to Steve Hulka on the same day that Grandma did, only in the afternoon in Muskegon, rather than in the morning in Coopersville:

While Grandma and Grandpa had a simple and informal wedding, Ethel and her groom Steve Hulka, had a more traditional church ceremony at a Lutheran church. Ethel wore a "...white satin gown with train and fingertip veil...."

I was able to identify everyone in the article. Mrs. Theo. Klatt was Jennie (Holst) Klatt, another sister of Alfred Holst, and Mrs. William Scheile was Jennie's daughter, Ellen.

Next mentioned were my grandparents' wedding party and immediate families! Miss Geneva Parish, Miss Shirley Robbins, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Robbins (my grandparents), Mrs. Alfred Holst, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Adams (so Ray's wife would likely have been at my grandparents' wedding, too) and Mr. and Mrs. John VanderHorn were all named.

It sounds like nearly the entire two families and wedding party left after dinner at my Great-Grandparents Holst's home and drove up to Muskegon, about 25 miles north, to attend Ethel and Steve's wedding and reception. I did notice my Great-Grandfather Holst was not mentioned, nor three of my grandfather's siblings: Bill Jr, Jack, and Joyce. We don't know if Bill had to work that day; he was an 18-year-old young man. Jack and Joyce were 13 and 7, respectively. Perhaps they stayed home, or perhaps they weren't mentioned due to lack of print space.

Also, one member of the Klinger family was not mentioned. Joh(a)n and Maggie had at least three children: Earl, Jennie, and Ethel. Jennie was mentioned as the maid of honor, but Earl is not mentioned.

At any rate, it would have been an extremely busy day for both the Holst and Robbins families, and an especially busy day for my grandparents to get married in Coopersville, have a family dinner, drive to Muskegon, attend another wedding and the reception, and then set off for their honeymoon!

A New Blog: Shirley's Diary: A Depression-Era Girl's Story

2020-12-25T16:44:00.003-08:00

Today I started a new blog.

Yes, I can hear what you're thinking! "She hasn't kept up with her original one, and she's starting another?!"

Life has calmed down a bit (knock on wood) since my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2019, followed by his death five months later, caring for my mom, and a pandemic. Several months ago, I came across the diary of my paternal grandfather's sister, Shirley Robbins, in the things we had packed up from my parents' home. I had to share it, not just with family members and close friends, but with those who are genealogists, family historians, general historians, and descendants of the friends and community members mentioned in the diary. It's a wonderful perspective of Depression-era life through the eyes of a 10- and 11-year-old girl. It reminds me of the Kit books my daughter used to read from the American Girl series. It's real, and it will be unedited, although it will be published with comments and clarifications.

Please join me over at Shirley's Diary: A Depression-Era Girl's Story.

Before MLK, There Was Elizabeth Peratrovich

2020-02-16T22:31:00.001-08:00

Seventy-five years ago today, the first anti-discrimination law was signed on American soil.

It was more than two decades before the Civil Rights Act. Before Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech. Before Rosa Parks's act of defiance on a Birmingham bus.

And it was brought to fruition by a soft-spoken Alaska Native woman you have probably never heard of. It's long past time to learn her story.

Elizabeth Jean Wanamaker was born in Petersburg, Alaska on the Fourth of July, 1911, the daughter of a Native woman and an Irish man. She was a member of the Tlingit nation, a tribe in Southeast Alaska, Northwest British Columbia, and the Southern Yukon Territory with a complex language and rich in culture, art, natural resources and oral history; a nation with a history of fierce warfare and a love of politics that transposed in modern times to powerful leadership. Tlingit people are keenly aware of their heritage and can proudly cite their moiety and clan. She would have been able to inform you at an early age that she was of a member of the Raven moiety, Lukaax̱.ádi clan and that her Tlingit name was Kaaxgal.aat.

When her biological parents were unable to raise her, she was adopted by another Tlingit couple, Andrew J. and Jean (Williams) Wanamaker. Andrew was a fisherman, a lay minister for the Presbyterian church, and a charter member of the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB), a lodge for Native men which worked to combat discrimination. Jean was a skilled basket maker. Elizabeth's growing up years included several Southeast Alaska communities: Petersburg; my hometown of Klawock where she met her future husband Roy Peratrovich; and Ketchikan, where both she and Roy graduated from the public high school, which had been integrated after the school board was successfully sued by a Tlingit couple more than a quarter of a century before Brown vs. Board of Education. Elizabeth continued her education at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska and the Western College of Education (now part of Western Washington University) in Bellingham, Washington.

At the time Elizabeth was born, neither women nor Natives could vote. Native Americans were not even given citizenship until 1924--four years after (white) women were given suffrage--and the last state to fully guarantee voting rights for Native people was Utah in 1962. Alaska Natives, although in the majority population-wise, experienced a great deal of prejudice and discrimination from the Caucasian population in what was then Alaska Territory. Segregation was common everywhere in Alaska. It was this world in which Elizabeth and Roy grew up and were married, on 15 December 1931.

At first they lived in Klawock. Roy was from a prominent Native family. The Peratroviches, descendants of a Croatian man and his three Tlingit wives, were well-known in Alaska. They were acute businessmen and politicians. Roy's younger half-brother Frank served in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives, the Alaska Territorial Senate, the Alaska State House of Representatives, and the Alaska State Senate. Both Roy and Frank served as mayor of Klawock. Roy also served as a policeman, chief clerk, and the postmaster of Klawock. Just as importantly, he became Grand President of the ANB, and Elizabeth became the Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS). The couple and their three children eventually moved to the territorial capital of Juneau, where they could be more involved with politics.

It was in Juneau that the Peratroviches especially noticed how strong discrimination was. Signs stating, "No dogs or Indians" or "No Natives Allowed" were posted in front of many businesses. When Roy and Elizabeth attempted to obtain housing in a nice neighborhood, they were refused on account of their race. Three-and-a-half weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they wrote a letter to the territorial governor, Ernest Gruening:

The proprietor of "Douglas Inn" does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the White boys to lay down their lives to protect the freedom that he enjoys. Instead he shows his appreciation by having a "No Natives Allowed" on his door.

We were shocked when the Jews were discriminated against in Germany. Stories were told of public places having signs, "No Jews Allowed." All freedom-loving people in our country were horrified at these reports, yet it is being practiced in our country.

The governor befriended the couple and together they worked to pass an anti-discrimination law through the territorial legislature in 1943. Unfortunately, it failed with a tie vote of 8-8. But Elizabeth and Roy didn't give up. They traveled tirelessly across the territory, encouraging Natives to support their cause and urging many of them to run for legislature. Two years later, the bill again came to a vote. Although expected to pass this time, there was much heated debate and many onlookers, including the Peratroviches. Elizabeth sat quietly listening to the arguments while knitting in the back of the gallery.

Senator Allan Shattuck expressed the sentiments of many prejudiced Alaskans when he debated:

Who are these people, barely out of savagery, who want to associate with us whites with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?

When it came time for public comments, Elizabeth set down her knitting needles and, poised and dignified, made her way to the podium from the back of the gallery. Intelligent and beautiful, she would have had the eyes and ears of everyone in the room. The last to speak, she was clear and eloquent:

I would not have expected that I, who am "barely out of savagery," would have to remind the gentlemen with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.

Her passionate speech described what it was like to be treated as a second-class citizen in her ancestral lands, how difficult it was to be refused housing because of the color of her skin, and how dismaying it was for Native children to be barred from the theaters or stores.

No law will eliminate crimes but at least you as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak your intent to help us overcome discrimination.

Her words were met with thunderous applause. When the vote was taken, the bill was passed with a vote of 11 to 5. On 16 February 1945, Governor Gruening signed the act with Roy and Elizabeth proudly looking on.

Elizabeth Wannamaker Peratrovich died of breast cancer on 1 December 1958 in Juneau and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery there. Roy was laid beside her after he passed in 1989.

On February 6, 1988, the Alaska legislature declared February 16 to be "Elizabeth Peratrovich Day," which has been proudly celebrated by Alaska Natives ever since.

Every year a distinguished Native American is featured on the reverse of the U.S. Sacajawea golden dollar. At the 2019 Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand Camp, the design of the golden dollar coin commemorating Elizabeth Peratrovich was unveiled.

UPDATE: On December 30, 2020, Google honored Elizabeth Peratrovich with a Google Doodle beautifully created by Native Alaskan artist Michaela Goade. You can read more at the Google Doodle page here.

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part III

2019-06-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 6, 2019: Our third day of our trip and second full day in Michigan. And what a day it was!

We checked out of our hotel in Grand Rapids and headed to the public library. As we were leaving the hotel, I walked across the street to photograph this historic site marker, as Grand Rapids was once known as the "Furniture Capital of America." Several of our ancestors worked in furniture factories in Grand Rapids.

(Click photo to enlarge)

The downtown branch of the Grand Rapids Public Library is a beautiful building. It was built in 1904 as a gift to the city by Martin A. Ryerson. The library has been in existence since 1871. In 1967, a wing was added to the back, and in 2001 it was completely renovated. When I first approached the entrance, I wondered how many of our ancestors had entered this building and enjoyed the pleasure of reading.

Detail of the masonry above the main entrance of the GRPL
(click to enlarge)

My sister photographed me on the steps of the GRPL.
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Phillips.
(click to enlarge)

We headed to the Grand Rapids History & Special Collections department, which includes genealogical resources, on the fourth floor. My goal was to locate some newspaper articles about our 3rd-great-grandfather, Charles H. Robbins, a Civil War veteran; an obituary of our 2nd-great-grandmother's sister, Nellie (Ton) Houseman; and some school census records featuring our adoptive great-grandmother Nellie M. Concidine, a school teacher, and our great-grandfather William James Valk and his sisters, Jennie and Gertrude. While I obviously could spend days or weeks in Special Collections with all our Western Michigan ancestral records, these were a list of items I knew were reasonable to research with the little time we had to spend there. I had found references to many of these items in the online databases of the Western Michigan Genealogical Society ahead of time.

We had located two of the articles and the obituary by the time my genealogy friend, Chris Korstange, arrived. This was the first opportunity to meet in real life after being online friends for about 10 years. Chris and I had connected through the old Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website when he asked for a lookup to resources I had at my disposal. In turn, he has done lookups for me at GRPL and local cemeteries. Chris is also a genealogy blogger, and with similar Dutch immigrant ancestry in Grand Rapids, it is pretty likely we will someday find an ancestral connection, either by being related to each other, or discovering our ancestors lived near, worked with, or worshiped with each other. After a welcoming hug and introducing him to my sister, he helped us by looking up and making scans of the Kent County School Censuses while we finished looking for the rest of the articles.

Chris and I at the entrance of the Special Collections room
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Phillips
(click to enlarge)

Chris then drove us through the Heritage Hill Historic District with its grand homes (see what I did there?!) to what had once been the Delos A. Blodgett Home for Children, an orphanage where our paternal grandmother, Jane Marie York/Jeanne Marie Holst and her brother, and our maternal grandfather, William Valk, and his siblings, had once lived for short periods, at different times.

I had done some research in the past year, contacting the D.A. Blodgett - St. Johns non-profit organization to try to obtain records on our York and Valk families. Although the full records have since been destroyed, I was able to receive scans of the index cards listing our families, with just enough information to confirm some of the theories I had made regarding their stays, as well as new information. I will be blogging about this at a later time. My inquiries to ICCF, the organization that currently occupies the Blodgett building, were never answered. I had hoped to be able to tour the building's interior while we were in Grand Rapids. However, were able to get some good exterior photos. As we wandered the front courtyard, I thought about the sad circumstances that had brought two of our grandparents and their siblings to this building. Every family story I have ever heard on both the York and the Valk sides about Blodgett Home had the same theme: it was not a nice place to be. Whether it was because of the situations that led to their placement or their treatment while there, or a combination, I could feel the sadness of this place. And yet, I felt personal gratitude, as well, because despite whatever occurred within these four walls, it was a place that filled a gap in family care that otherwise may have brought on worse trauma than what was already experienced.

The former D.A Blogett Home for Children, built 1908
920 Cherry St., NE
(click to enlarge)

Detail of the three-story pillars and balconies
(click to enlarge)

My sister and I in front of an ancestral home, of sorts
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Phillips
Taken by Chris Korstange
(click to enlarge)

Next stop, was Oakhill Cemetery, where our 3rd-great-grandmother, Maria Marina (Van Klinken) Ton Bijl, and very likely her husband Pieter Ton, are buried in unmarked graves in the Potter's Field. Chris helped us to locate the unmarked plot where Maria's brother Johannes "John" Van Klinken was buried. By then, it was starting to rain pretty hard.

Somewhere in this corner of Oakhill Cemetery, our 3rd-great-grandmother, Maria Marina (Van Klinken) Ton Bijl is buried. Her husband Pieter Adriannse Ton is also likely buried here.
(Click to enlarge)

While these tombstones do not belong to our ancestors, I photographed them to show the condition of the few marked graves in Potter's Field (Permit Grounds) of Oakhill Cemetery: broken, dilapidated, uncared for. These graves aren't even listed on the cemetery's map. You can see that they are inscribed in Dutch.
(click to enlarge)

We were able to identify this spot as the resting place of Maria's brother, Johannes "John" Van Klinken (1840 - 1913) using Oakhill Cemetery's grave mapping website. We used some sticks to dig down to see if there was a gravestone covered by dirt, but were unsuccessful. It likely was never marked.
(click to enlarge)

This grave of Peternella de Jongh just south of Johannes Van Klinken's grave helped us to locate his grave, as the Oakhill Cemetery's grave mapping site listed hers as being in the same lot.
(click to enlarge)

This marker was in Potter's Field, next to the cemetery road.
It made me very sad to look at, as there is no information as to how many Blodgett Home children there were buried here, or who they were.
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Phillips.
(click to enlarge)

Chris returned us to the library parking lot where our rental car had been parked. There we discovered that we had lost our rental car keys! At this point, the rain was absolutely pouring down, so after quickly searching Chris' vehicle, the parking lot, the steps of the library, and the courtyard in front of it where we snapped photos, we reentered the library, dripping wet, to see if they had been turned in to the front desk. They had not. Our next search was the elevator, Special Collections room, and restrooms. We quickly determined that they probably had been dropped at the cemetery. Chris was kind enough to not only take us back out there, but tromp around in the downpour to help us find them. After about 10 minutes, they were located, and he returned us to our rental car. Thankfully, he did not need to drive us out to the airport to the rental car office get another set of keys!

After parting ways with Chris, we headed to west of the river to a cafe to dry off and grab a cup of coffee. After the cloudburst ended, we headed over to the John D. Widdicomb Furniture Factory where our step-great-grandfather, George DeVries, had worked. It's business complex now, but we got some great photos of the four beautiful yellow brick buildings located on both the west and east sides of Seward Avenue, parallel to the railroad tracks. I could just imagine how noisy and busy it was in its heyday, with the busy railroad bringing in lumber and shipping out completed furniture.

The southwest building, from the south
(click to enlarge)

The southwest and northwest buildings, from the southeast
(click to enlarge)

The southwest building, from the east
(click to enlarge)

The southwest building, from the northeast
(click to enlarge)

The northwest building, from the southeast
(click to enlarge)

South end of the southeast (original) building, from the west
(click to enlarge)

Detail of the old doors of the southeast (original) building, from the west
(click to enlarge)

Detail of the corner stone, east building"Widdicomb Furniture Co. 1877"
(click to enlarge)

North end of the southeast (original) building and south end of the northeast building
(click to enlarge)

North end of the northeast building, from the northwest
(click to enlarge)

North end of the northeast building, from the west
(click to enlarge)

Then we headed west to Coopersville in Ottawa County, where our dad and his siblings grew up. After checking in at our hotel, we met our dad's brother and youngest sister at her place, which just happens to be across the street from the home our grandfather built and where they all grew up.

The house and auto body shop our Grandfather Robbins built
Coopersville, Michigan
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Phillips
(click to enlarge)

Our dad's brother and youngest sister
Photo courtesy of Katrinka Pillips
(click to enlarge)

While visiting with them, sharing photos with each other of our of children and grandchildren and looking at old family photos, I held my own little Scanfest on my Flip-Pal scanner, scanning our Robbins great-grandparents' little memo book from 1938. I also took this photo of Aunt Jo's artwork. Josephine Rebecca (Huff) Robbins was married to our Great-grandfather Robbins' brother Lloyd. She was the Robbins family genealogist for many years before she passed away in 1987. I had forgotten that she was also interested in art.

After a long, full, busy day, we crashed in our hotel room. More adventures awaited us the next day!

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part I
Sister Trip to Michigan: Part II

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part II

2019-06-07T20:13:00.002-07:00

Our first full day in Michigan, Sunday, March 5, was a beautiful one. Since the forecast was predicting rain for much of our trip, we decided it would be a good day to visit the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park while we were in Grand Rapids. There are many gardens and exhibits, and we easily could have spent several days exploring everything; but since we had only one day planned for it, we chose the indoor art gallery, the Japanese garden, and the Sculpture Park.

"Gilded Champagne Gardens Chandelier"
by Dale Chihuly
Gallery foyer

Detail of "New World Map"
by El Anatsui
Gallery
Sculptural tapestry made of thousands of recycled aluminum bottle tops

"Blue Phrygian Cap"
by Alexander Calder
Gallery

Detail of "Fighting Lions"
by Nina Akamu
Gallery

"Long Island Buddha"
by Zhang Huan
Japanese garden

The pond at the Japanese garden

"American Horse"
by Nina Akamu
Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci
Sculpture Park

The Grand Rapids Arch
by Andy Goldsworth
Made with native Scotland stone
Sculpture Park

"I, you, she or he..."
by Jaume Plensa
Sculpture Park
These sculptures are made of thousands of stainless steel letters of the alphabet.

"Listening to History"
by Bill Woodrow
Sculpture Park
A favorite of mine!

After several hours at the Gardens, we met up for a late lunch with my mom's paternal half siblings and their family, the Valks, at Golden Corral. All four of the children of Grandpa Valk and his wife Elaine were there, three uncles and an aunt. While we had met them all on one of the trips we made when I was 11 1/2 - 12 years old, I really only remember playing with their children, my younger Valk cousins, in the family room in the basement of Grandpa Valk's house. And of course, my sister was a baby, so she had no memories from that time. Our mom's youngest Valk brother and his wife came to Spokane last summer for a visit, so we had gotten acquainted with them, but this lunch gave us an opportunity to meet the other uncles and aunt, along with their spouses, and some of their children and grandchildren, our cousins. There were about a dozen and a half of us, total, and we had an enjoyable lunch visiting for several hours, getting to know each other better, and sharing with them all the family news from our side of the country.

During lunch, as we were talking about Grandpa Valk and Grandma Elaine, I mentioned that I wanted to visit their graves, as I had never been to the cemetery where they were laid to rest. My youngest uncle and his wife offered to accompany us, and also told us that Uncle Jimmy's grave was there as well. Jimmy was Grandpa's first child, from his first marriage.

James "Jimmy" Frederick Valk was born 25 February 1939 in Grand Rapids to William Valk and Elfriede Joan Lomker. He was either developmentally disabled or deaf, or both. He was institutionalized and died at the age of 19, from pneumonia, as I understand it.

After paying our respects to Jimmy, we turned to leave when I spotted two Lomker graves nearby. I recognized them as Elfriede's parents, Anna (Kirchdyke) and Herman Fritz Lomker. It was comforting to me that Jimmy was buried near family, as my grandfather's grave was in a different area of the cemetery.

I have written previously about Jimmy, his mother Elfriede, her marriage to and divorce from my grandfather, as well as her subsequent marriage to my grandfather's brother Chet, who died in the Battle of the Bulge. You can read that post here.

Next, we spent some time at my Grandpa Valk's and Grandma Elaine's graves. My uncle and aunt shared fond memories of them, many of which were new to my sister and me. I especially enjoyed hearing how Grandpa and his three sons would play games of baseball together when they were kids.

Our maternal grandfather, William Valk, was born 30 October 1912 in Grand Rapids to William James and Agnes (Tuinstra) Valk, the third child and son of eight children. He first married Elfriede Joan Lomker on 13 May 1937 in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. They had one son, James Frederick Valk. After their divorce in 1941, he married our maternal grandmother, Ruth Lillian DeVries, on 11 September 1943 in Junction City, Geary County, Kansas near where he was stationed in the U.S. Army during World War II at Fort Riley. They had one daughter, our mother. After their divorce in 1946, he married Elaine Estelle Bennett on 22 April 1950 in Grand Rapids. They had three sons and a daughter. Grandpa died 10 October 1989 at his home in Caledonia Township, Kent County, Michigan.

Our maternal step-grandmother, Elaine Estelle Seif, was born to Robert Olive Bennett (a.k.a. Seif) and Treasure Baldwin on 27 January 1927 in Grand Rapids (Elaine's father chose to go by his stepfather Andrew Seif's surname). Elaine was the second of two daughters. She died 11 January 2016.

After parting with our family, we went to Meijer,a grocery and department store, not unlike Fred Meyer in the Pacific Northwest, and got a few supplies and groceries for the next few days. We then settled in at our hotel room to watch the current episode of Game of Thrones and enjoy our Cinco de Mayo "dinner" of margaritas and quesadillas ordered from room service.

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part I
Sister Trip to Michigan: Part III

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part I

2019-05-25T10:33:00.003-07:00

In early May of this year, my younger sister and I took a one-week-long trip to Western Michigan to visit family, do a little genealogy, and sight-see. Both of our parents are from Western Michigan: Mom is from the City of Grand Rapids in Kent County, and Dad was raised in Coopersville, a small town in Ottawa County about 20 miles west of Grand Rapids.

While not everything we did was related to genealogy, and what research we did was minimal, I am sharing our journey here, since we did a lot of follow up to some of the stories I have written about here in my blog.

A little background about our parents' families: Our dad is the second child and first son of a family of five children. His oldest sister lives in Spokane, near us. The younger three siblings, an uncle and two aunts, live in Western Michigan. Our mom was the only child of the marriage of her parents. Her dad had been married before and had a disabled son from that marriage who died in his late teens. Our grandmother was his second wife and he was her first husband. Our mom was raised in her mother and step-dad's home with a younger brother and sister. Our grandfather had three sons and a daughter with his third wife. All of my mom's living siblings live in Western Michigan, except for her maternal half-sister who lives near Detroit.

The first day of our sister trip was Saturday, May 4th. Our flight from Spokane to Grand Rapids through Denver arrived late in the afternoon, and after picking up our rental car and checking into our hotel, we met up with our uncle's family (our mom's maternal half-brother with whom she was raised) at a restaurant for an early dinner. Attending was our uncle's wife, their daughter (our cousin) with two of her children, and their daughter's fiance. After dinner, we headed to our cousin's house for more visiting, but on the way, we stopped at Fairplains Cemetery to visit our grandparents' graves. It was my sister's first visit to their graves since they had passed away in 2001 and 2007. I had visited the cemetery when I came to Michigan in 2012 for our paternal grandmother's memorial service.

Our maternal grandmother was born Ruth Lillian DeVries on 16 January 1919 in Blodgett Memorial Hospital, the Village of East Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan to John Martin and Lillian Fern (Strong) Hoekstra. She was the eldest of three daughters. She first married our grandfather, William Valk, on 11 September 1943 in Junction City, Geary County, Kansas, having traveled to marry him where he was stationed in the U.S. Army during World War II at Fort Riley. After their divorce in 1946, she met and later married my step-grandfather, Adrian "Ed" DeVries on 3 October 1947 in Wyoming Township, Kent County. Grandma died 25 August 2001 in Grand Rapids and was buried at Fairplains four days later. Today, both the Village of East Grand Rapids and the area in Wyoming Township where she married Grandpa, are now a part of the City of Grand Rapids.

Our maternal (step) grandfather, Adrian "Ed" DeVries, was born 10 June 1916 in Grand Rapids to Jarig Egbert Binnes DeVries and his wife Johanna Bos (their names were Anglicized to George Edward Benjamin DeVries and Josephine Bush). Ed was the third child and third son of five children. He attended South High School in Grand Rapids just a few grades behind Gerald R. Ford, Jr., and eventually followed him to the University of Michigan, although the Great Depression cut his college education short. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II and served as a military postal clerk in North Africa. After the war, he met our grandmother on a blind date with mutual friends, and soon they were courting. Our mother started calling him "Daddy" before Grandma even married him! He raised our mother along with his own two biological children and never treated her any differently than if she were his own. He was the only maternal grandfather we knew well, having met our Grandpa Valk only a few times. In fact, of the six grandchildren Grandpa DeVries had, only one was biological, due to step-families and adoption. He loved us all equally. Adrian died 6 January 2007 in Grand Rapids, and was buried four days later at Fairplains.

After a nice visit at my cousin's house for a couple of hours, we headed back to our hotel, where I enjoyed the previous week's episode of Game of Thrones, having missed it, and then wrapped up the evening with a couple of drinks from room service.

Sister Trip to Michigan: Part II
Sister Trip to Michigan: Part III

Pieter and Maria: Part III

2019-05-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

(Part I and Part II)

In mid-to-late 1872, Pieter and Maria (Van Klinken) Ton moved from Cincinnati to Grand Rapids, Michigan with their three daughters, Nellie, Mary, and Jennie (my ancestor), who were about 11, 8, and 5 years old, respectively.

Left behind in the area were Maria's oldest daughter, Cornelia "Kate" Van Klinken and her husband Joseph Meyers, who settled across the Ohio River in Newport, Campbell Co., Kentucky. They eventually had two children, neither of whom married or had children themselves.

Also left behind were Maria's sister, Adriana Van Klinken and her husband Leendert "Leonard" Klinke, who lived in Cincinnati. They eventually had four children, none of whom married or had children, either.

Finally, Pieter's widowed brother-in-law, Izak Pape, and his son Jacob also remained in Cincinnati. It's unknown at this time if Jacob had any descendants. It's likely Pieter and Maria never saw these family members again.

In Grand Rapids, they were joined by Maria's brother, Johannes "John" Van Klinken, who apparently immigrated about 10 years after they did. It's not clear where he lived, or with whom, until he appears in the same neighborhood as them in the 1873 Grand Rapids city directory. That year, John married Barendina "Dena" Lendering. They had two boys who did not survive infancy.

Pieter continued to work as a laborer in Grand Rapids. He and his family attended First Christian Reformed Church, located then at 58 Commerce Ave., SW. On 17 June 1874, he died of consumption. While that term was used most frequently to describe tuberculosis, "an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs" (Wikipedia), it's quite possible it may have been lung cancer caused by his exposure to white lead. We do not have a burial location for him, as the city did not start recording burials until about three months after he died.

Without a husband, Maria had no means to support herself and her three young daughters. A year later, she married a widower who lived down the street, Dirk Bijl (Byle), who had a ten year-old son, and a five-year-old daughter. Sadly, Maria herself died 22 April 1878 of dropsy, an old term for edema, "a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body."

Maria was buried in the Potter's Field of Valley City Cemetery, now a part of Oakhill Cemetery. It's very likely that Pieter had been buried there, too. There are no plot maps for this area, and few tombstones. Across a path from Potter's Field, Maria's brother John Van Klinken is buried in a identified plot. When I planned my trip to Western Michigan for early May 2019, I put Oakhill on my list of places to see. (Update: here is my post about the visit to the cemetery.)

Potter's Field, Southeast Corner of Oakhill Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan
Taken for me by Chris Korstange, 2007

Dirk Bijl remarried shortly after. Not wanted in their step-father and step-mother's home, the older girls, Nellie and Mary, worked as maids, living at those homes or in boarding houses. Nellie eventually married Martin Huisman (Houseman) and had six children. Mary married Charles Jerome Cleveland and lived in Muskegon, Michigan. They had one daughter.

Jennie went to live with her Uncle John and Aunt Dina Van Klinken. She had no more than a third-grade education. For a time, she lived with Mary and Charles in Muskegon. Eventually, she became a laundress, and that is probably how she met my ancestor, Martin Jans Hoekstra, who was a teamster, driving a delivery wagon for the American Steam Laundry Company in Grand Rapids. A laundress' life was hard, hot, dirty, muggy, and dangerous work in commercial laundries. Google has a historic book about what it was like: https://books.google.com/books?id=g55NAAAAYAAJ&lr=. She was probably glad to give up the life of a laundress and start her life as a housewife.

Martin and Jennie married in 1886 and had four children, including my great-grandfather, John Martin Hoekstra. His daughter, my grandmother Ruth, had many fond memories of Jennie, who died when Grandma was 24.

I have a precious scrap of paper written by Jennie, with a few short memories of her parents scribbled on it: "I, remember when my mother was kind to me, and took the long walk, with her. Sundays after-noon. and her Love. I, remember the walk, my Father and I, took one evening. in Cincinnati Ohio: the Father's day. and mother's days are a blessing. Sunday Feb 14 - 1943."

I get emotional every time I read Jennie's note. She was not quite 7 when her father died, and almost 11 when her mother died. You can tell by her writing she was not well educated, but I'm so glad she took the time to share the few memories she had of her parents.

Pieter and Maria: Part II

2019-05-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

(click image to enlarge)

"Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L996-KQJQ?cc=1987615&wc=4627-BFY%3A265564801%2C265694401 : 1 May 2019), Hamilton > Declarations of intention 1860-1873 > image 150 of 306; county courthouses, Ohio.

(Part I can be found here.)

Life for Pieter and Maria in America as Dutch immigrants was very hard. While they had arrived in New York City, it was not their ultimate destination; rather, it was Cincinnati, Ohio. It's not clear why they and the others from the Netherlands that they traveled with went to Cincinnati, which was not a typical Dutch immigrant settlement location, like Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, or Washington State were. However, Cincinnati was a growing city with a growing economy. River commerce was high and spurred many industries, such as steamboat construction. It was well-known for its pork packing center, and many German and Irish immigrated there in the years before the Civil War.

The Ton family lived in a succession of boarding houses, and Pieter worked as a laborer. They likely worshiped in the homes of their fellow Seceders, for although Christian Reformed Church history states a congregation started in Cincinnati in 1867, no church by that denomination (called Holland Reformed Church in those days) was found in the city directories until long after they had left the city.

They faced grief many times. In March 1860, Pieter and Maria had a second son, Louis, likely an Anglicization of Leunis, named for Maria's father. He was not listed with the family in the 1870 Federal Census, so he likely died young. Pieter's sister Suzanna (Ton) Pape died 10 October 1860 from "confinement", probably after giving birth to a son Jacob. Her daughter, Neeltje, has not been found in records beyond the ship's passenger list, indicating she also died young.

Pieter's work as a laborer was probably quite dangerous. One of his employers was Wood & McCoy's Eagle White Lead Works. A history of the company can be found at this link, with information about the various toxic products their employees were exposed to over a century-and-a-half: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/eagle-picher-industries-inc-history/. It is entirely possible that Pieter was familiar with processing white lead, used in those days as paint. There was a well-known method of processing called the "Dutch method" and it could be that Pieter had worked with this process in the Netherlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_lead). We shall see how working with this product may have affected his quality of life in the next post.

There were also celebrations. Pieter declared his intention to become a citizen on 22 January 1862 and was naturalized by 1870. By 1867, three daughters were born to him and Maria: Neeltje "Nellie"; Marina "Mary"; and my great-great-grandmother, Adriana, also known as "Jana" (YAH-nuh) or "Jennie". Maria's sister Adriana married Leendert Klinke in 1864, and Maria's daughter Cornelia married Joseph Meyer in 1874.

(Part III)

Pieter and Maria: Part I

2019-05-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

(click image to enlarge)

Manifest, S. S. E. C. Scranton, 7 December 1857, 6th page (unnumbered; contains passengers numbered 271-324), lines 29-32 (passengers 299-302), Peter Ton household; "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 March 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication M237, roll 181.

On December 7, 1857, my maternal 3rd-great-grandparents, Pieter and Maria Modena (Van Klinken) Ton disembarked from the E.C. Scranton in New York City at the Emigrant Landing Depot at Castle Garden, America's first official immigrant center, 35 years before Ellis Island opened. They had left the port of Rotterdam on October 31, 37 days earlier.

With them were Maria's six-year-old daughter, likely from a previous relationship, Cornelia Van Klinken; Maria's almost-26-year-old single sister, Adriana Van Klinken; Pieter's married sister Suzanna Ton, her husband Izak Pape, and their two-year-old daughter Neeltje Pape; and about a dozen other Dutch immigrants heading to Ohio, along with many other European passengers headed to various U.S. destinations.

The Tons, Van Klinkens, and Papes were Seceders: a religious group who had split from the official state church of the Netherlands, the Dutch Reformed Church, both in the Netherlands and the United States. The Seceders would form what became the Christian Reformed Church. They were not unlike the Separatists, whom we know as the Pilgrims, who separated from the official state church of England, the Anglican Church, in the early 1600s.

They were also poor laborers from the municipality of Nieuwerkerk (New Church) in the Province of Zeeland (Sea Land); my only non-Frisian immigrant Dutch ancestors. Frisians are an ethnic minority in the northern provinces of the Netherlands and western areas of Germany, who are ethnically and linguistically closer to the English than the Germanic peoples of Western Europe. The Ton, Van Klinken, and Pape families were ethnically Dutch.

Pieter and Maria had been married only a year, and had had one son, Adriaan Ton, named for Pieter's father. Adriaan had been conceived before they were married; not unusual in a time and place where the marriage fee to the church was prohibitive for the lower classes. Many couples co-habitated and had several children before they could afford a church wedding. Maria's daughter Cornelia was five years old when her mother married, and there's little evidence that Pieter was actually her biological father. Baby Adriaan died at four months old; three months before his parents and extended family arrived in New York City.

For a drawing of a similar ship to the one the Ton and Van Klinken families traveled on, see http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gerber/genealogy/gerbership.html.

(Part II)

Proving the Generations 4: Robert Louis Robbins

2018-09-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

My grandfather, Robert Louis Robbins (holding the kitten), with his parents, Marie (Lewis) and William Bryan Robbins, Sr, and his younger brother, William Bryan Robbins, Jr.
Taken c. 1924-5, probably in Muskegon Heights, Muskgeon Co., Michigan.
Digital copy held by Miriam J. Robbins, Spokane, Washington, 2018.

I was personally acquainted with my grandfather, as well as my great-grandmother (I met my great-grandfather at least once, maybe twice, but I was so young I don't remember him). My grandfather told me that he was born on 21 September 1920 in Muskegon Heights, Muskegon Co., Michigan. However, none of us are expert witnesses of our own births, since although we were there, none of us can remember the event!

Besides my own memories of my grandfather and his mother, my dad, aunts, uncle, and a great-aunt all have shared their memories of my grandfather and his parents. Additionally, I have original and digital copies of many photographs of my grandfather with his parents. Most importantly, my grandfather's birth to his parents has the following documentation:

A Certificate as to Birth issued by the County of Muskegon on 3 July 1942*, certifying "upon a careful examination of the original records on file in the office of the Clerk of said County and Court" a record as to the birth of Robert Louis Robbins, born 21 September 1920 in Muskegon Heights, whose parents' names were Wm. S. [sic] Robbins and Marie Lewis (maiden), the latter of Muskegon Heights. It also states the original record was recorded with the county on 1 November 1920 in Liber 10, page 40.[1] I have a copy of the index page of the liber, microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, which corroborates that his birth was recorded in Liber 10, page 40.[2] You can view the Certificate as to Birth in this post. The liber record is not yet available to the public, and will not be until 2020 or later.[3]
A birth announcement published in the local paper, The Muskegon Chronicle, on 2 October 1920, stating: "ROBBINS--To Mr. and Mrs. William B. Robbins, 1134 Hoyt street, September 21, a son, Robert Louis."[4]
My grandfather appears with his parents, three younger siblings, and a paternal uncle during the enumeration of the 1930 U.S. Federal Census. They were living on East Broadway in an unnumbered house (but not a farm) in Norton Township, Muskegon County, Michigan and were enumerated for the official census day of 1 April on 6 May 1930.[5]
My grandfather appears with his parents and four younger siblings during the enumeration of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. They were living on a farm in Wright Township, Ottawa County, Michigan and were enumerated for the official census day of 1 April on 11 April 1940. Unfortunately, the enumerator did not mark who provided the information at each household that day, as required.[6]

*At the time of all four of my grandparents' births, the law regarding birth registrations that was in place in the state of Michigan was Public Act 330 of 1905, which required the attending physician or midwife to file a certificate of birth with the local registrar within 10 days of the birth.[7] Now filing a certificate of birth and issuing a copy to the family are two different things. It's apparent that my grandfather did not have a copy of his birth certificate until he was almost 22 years old. The date of 3 July 1942 coincides with his registering for the draft for World War II, for which he would ask a deferment due to his daughter's (my aunt's) impending birth in August[8], after which he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on 13 October 1942.[9]

Additionally, DNA tests results from FamilyTreeDNA for my father and me show matches consistent with the degrees of relationship to a Robbins cousin who is a descendant of my great-grandfather's youngest brother, Don. Also, my test results from AncestryDNA show a match consistent with the degree of relationship to another descendant of Don Robbins, as well as to a Lewis cousin who is a descendant of my great-grandmother's younger brother, Percy.

My grandparents, Robert Louis Robbins and Jeanne Marie Holst, on their wedding day,
12 October 1940, Coopersville, Ottawa Co., Michigan.
Original photo held by Miriam J. Robbins, Spokane, Washington, 2018.

Finally, I am providing some information on my grandparents' marriage, even though I am not using it to prove my grandfather's parentage. My grandparents' Marriage License/Certificate of Marriage[10] states my grandparents obtained their license and married on the same day, 12 October 1940. The license would have been obtained at the Ottawa County Courthouse in Grand Haven. They married in Coopersville in the Methodist parsonage[11], and my grandfather's best friend, Ray Adams, and the minister's wife were the witnesses. I know that my grandmother's best friend, Geneva Parrish, stood with her[12], but like my grandmother, was underage, so she would not have been able to sign the Certificate of Marriage.

Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage of Robert Louis Robbins and Jeanne Marie Holst.
See footnote 10.

Conclusion:

Family stories and photographs, documents created at or near the time of birth or referencing an original record created shortly after birth, and DNA test results all provide conclusive evidence that my paternal grandfather, Robert Louis Robbins, was born 21 September 1920 in Muskegon Heights, Muskegon County, Michigan to William Bryan Robbins, Sr. and Marie Lewis.

Sources:

Muskegon County, Michigan, Certificate as to Birth, citing county birth liber 10, page 40 (1920), Robert Louis Robbins; Muskegon County Clerk's Office, Muskegon; original document held by Miriam Robbins [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington, 2018.
Muskegon County, Michigan, Index to births L-Z, 1867-1949 continued: 1920, Robbins, Robert L.; FHL microfilm 1,320,091, item 1.
Carol McGinnis, Michigan Genealogy: Sources & Resources, Second Edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005), 50.
"Heights Births," birth announcement, Muskegon (Michigan) Chronicle, 2 October 1920, p. 14, col. 3.
1930 U.S. Federal Census, Muskegon County, Michigan, population schedule, Norton Township, enumeration district 42, p. 21A, dwelling 416, family 442, William Robbins household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 November 2008); citing FHL microfilm 2,340,750.
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Ottawa County, Michigan, population schedule, Wright Township, enumeration district (ED) 70-45, p. 5B, dwelling 97, household of William Robbins; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 March 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 1809.
McGinnis, Michigan Genealogy, 49.
Bryan H. Robbins, interview by Miriam Robbins, undated (between 1996-2018). Bryan stated that his father had received a deferment to enlist until after his daughter was born; at which time, he persuaded his brother, William Bryan Robbins, Jr., to go to Kalmazoo to enlist with him.
Access to Archival Databases, "World War II Army Enlistment Records," database, U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (http://aad.archives.gov : accessed 22 Apr 2005).
Ottawa County, Michigan, Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage, no. 527, Robbins-Holst, 1940; duplicate document held by Miriam Robbins [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington, 2018.
Robert Louis Robbins, interview by Miriam (Robbins) Midkiff, 1989. Bob stated that he and Jeanne were married at the Methodist parsonage.
Bryan H. Robbins, interview by Miriam (Robbins) Midkiff, 1990. Bryan stated that at Bob and Jeanne's 50th anniversary celebration which he attended, Ray Adams and Geneva Parrish, who were introduced as the best man and maid of honor, were also present.

Proving the Generations 3: My Mom

2018-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

In the first post of this series, Proving the Generations, I wrote how my goal is to use the Genealogical Proof Standard to show my ancestry through my great-great-grandparents' generation.

In this third post, I will be proving that my mother, Faith Lillian Valk, is the daughter of William Valk, Jr. and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra. Because my mother is living, I will not be providing as many details or citations in this post as I will in the posts where all the ancestors are deceased.

My mother, around 3 1/2 years of age.

My mother was born in Michigan during World War II. Her father was serving in the U.S. Army, and so was not present at the time of her birth. My grandmother told me her memories of my mother's birth, and I have numerous photos of my mother with her mother from infancy through adulthood. Because my grandparents divorced when my mother was 22 months old, I have not seen photographs of my mother in infancy or young childhood with her father. However, I have in my possession professional photographs taken of my mother in infancy and early childhood with "To Daddy, from Faith" captioned on the back, which I received from my grandfather's widow and son after his death.

The following documents were created at or near the time of my mother's birth:

A Certificate of Birth issued by the Michigan Department of Health, Bureau of Records and Statistics, stating my mother's full name, date of birth, place of birth (hospital and city). It lists her parents as "William Jr. Valk" and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra, their ages, and their birthplaces.
A Notification of Birth Registration issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, stating my mother's full name, date and place of birth, and listing her parents as "William Jr. Valk" and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra.
My maternal great-grandmother, Lillian Fern (Strong) Hoekstra, mentioned my mother's birth and her parents' names in two places in her Family Record book. This information would have been written between the time of my mother's birth and 10 September 1967, when my great-grandmother passed away. Although this information may not have been written close to the time of the event, it was written by her maternal grandmother who lived in the same city and would have had personal knowledge about the birth of my mother, her first grandchild.

Additionally, my mother's DNA matches her parents' biological relatives on both sides of the family. Her paternal cousin shares 758 centimorgans (cM) of DNA, which is consistent with a first cousin relationship. She also shares DNA with numerous 2nd - 3rd cousins on both her father's and mother's sides, consistent with the estimated relationship ranges.

Finally, I am providing some information on my parents' marriage, even though it is not used to prove parentage. My parents' Marriage License/Certificate of Marriage document states my parents' full names, age at the date of the license (issued four days before their wedding), residences, full birth places, and names of their parents: Robert Lewis [sic] Robbins, Jeanne Marie Holst, William Valk Jr., and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra. The license half is signed by the deputy county clerk. The certificate half is signed by the officiating minister, best man, and matron of honor, and gives the date and location of their marriage. I have in my possession professional and informal photographs of the event, an invitation to the wedding from their scrapbook, and copies of articles from the local newspaper regarding their engagement and their wedding.

My mother is the daughter of William Valk, Jr. and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra.

Proving the Generations 2: My Dad

2018-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

In the first post of this series, Proving the Generations, I wrote how my goal is to use the Genealogical Proof Standard to show my ancestry through my great-great-grandparents' generation.

In this second post, I will be proving that my father, Bryan Henry Robbins, is the son of Robert Louis Robbins and Jeanne Marie Holst (born Jane Marie York). To begin, I must clarify that my paternal grandfather's middle name was often spelled Lewis, for his mother's maiden surname, and it is likely that his middle name was misspelled on his birth certificate. I must also clarify that my paternal grandmother was an adoptee, born Jane Marie York, whose name was legally changed at adoption to Jeanne Marie Holst when she was 16, although she had been using the latter name as a foster child since she was three years old. More details on my grandmother's birth and adoption will be provided in the fifth post of this series.

My dad at five years old.

Because my father is living, I will not be providing as many details or citations in this post as I will in the posts where all the ancestors are deceased. My father was born in Canada during World War II to American parents. My grandfather was stationed at a U.S. Army Air Corps base in the Province of Alberta, and my grandmother and my aunt, not quite two years old, were living on base with him. My grandmother had followed my grandfather quite literally around the continent to the various bases he was assigned at. These are the stories told to me by my grandparents and aunt (who has a few early memories of these times), and they are backed up by a photo album my paternal great-grandmother put together as a birthday gift for her son, my grandfather. Additionally, I have a photo of my expectant grandmother walking down the street of the city where my father was born, holding my toddler aunt's hand; this photo was taken by a street photographer, a common occurence during World War II. I also have numerous photos of my father with his parents, from infancy to adulthood.

My father was named for his grandfathers, William Bryan Robbins, Sr. and Alfred Henry Holst (my grandmother's adoptive father), showing indirectly that he is related to his parents, and thus grandparents.

There were several documents created at or near the time of my father's birth which state his birth date and location of birth:

His Certificate of Birth issued by the Province of Canada, stating his birth date, city of birth, his parents' names (Robert Louis Robbins and Jeanne Marie Holst) and their respective birth places (Muskegon Heights, Michigan, U.S.A. and Goodrich, Michigan, U.S.A.).
A baby announcement in his baby book stating his birth day of the week, birth date (month and day, but interestingly, not the year), time of birth, "U.S. Station Hospital" and the city, province, and country, and signed by the attending doctor and nurse. It appears this baby announcement may have been provided by the hospital where he was born.
Within a few weeks of my father's birth, my grandfather submitted a Report of Change of Status and Address to the War Department. This report gives my father's birth date and birth location, my grandfather's full name, Army serial number, grade, and military mailing address, and allowed for an upgrade in my grandfather's family allowance from the military.
Although it was created when he was 16 years old and not at or near the time and place of birth, my dad's Certificate of Citizenship from the Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service gives his date and country of birth, and his current residence, which was known to be the same residence as my grandparents. Citizenship is issued in the United States by the federal government only after careful examination of documents and the participating parties.
While the Certificate of Citizenship does not list my father's parents' names, the Summons for Interview for Certificate of Citizenship, dated a couple of weeks previous to the certificate date and mailed to the residence where my father and grandparents lived, stated my father had to appear at the Office of the County Clerk with both parents. Since my grandparents had to attend the interview, it stands to reason that the information on the certificate would be accurate.

Additionally, my father's DNA matches his parents' biological relatives on both his father's and mother's sides of the family. His aunt shares 1,842 centimorgans (cM) of DNA with my father, which is consistent with an aunt/nephew relationship. Dad also shares 325 and 255 cM with a paternal second cousin and maternal second cousin, respectively, which is consistent with a 1st-3rd cousin relationship.

Finally, I am providing some information on my parents' marriage, even though it is not used to prove parentage. My parents' Marriage License/Certificate of Marriage document states my parents' full names, age at the date of the license (issued four days before their wedding), residences, full birth places, and names of their parents: Robert Lewis [sic] Robbins, Jeanne Marie Holst, William Valk Jr., and Ruth Lillian Hoekstra. The license half is signed by the deputy county clerk. The certificate half is signed by the officiating minister, best man, and matron of honor, and gives the date and location of their marriage. I have in my possession professional and informal photographs of the event, an invitation to the wedding from their scrapbook, and copies of articles from the local newspaper regarding their engagement and their wedding.

My father is the son of Robert Louis Robbins (a.k.a. Robert Lewis Robbins) and Jeanne Marie Holst, (a.k.a. Jane Marie York).

Proving the Generations: My Parents and I

2018-09-02T22:07:00.002-07:00

For some time now, I've been following the genealogy blog of a Dutch Facebook friend and accredited genealogist, Yvette Hoitink, who is using the Genealogical Proof Standard to attempt to prove that she is descended from Eleanor of Aquitaine, her supposed 26th-great-grandmother.

As I've been reading these fascinating posts which Yvette publishes once a month, going back one generation at a time, I've been thinking, "I should be doing something like this to show that I've accurately traced back my ancestry!" My goal at this time is to work all my lines through my great-great-grandparents' generation, which will be a total of 31 posts.

So this is my first post in this series, which proves that I am my parents' biological child. Because my parents are both living, I'm not going to provide the full details that I would in a post where all ancestors are deceased.

A photo taken of me at one week old, held by my mother.

I have five documents that were created or published at or close to the time of my birth which list my parents as Bryan Robbins and Faith (Valk) Robbins and give my birth place and birth date. These documents include:

My official birth certificate from the State of Alaska, with the signatures of my mother and the attending physician. This certificate also gives the age of my parents at the time of my birth, and their general birth locations.
The Certificate of Birth from the hospital in which I was born, signed by the attending physician. It also has my footprints and my mother's thumbprints, and gives my parents' birth dates and specific birth locations (cities of birth).
The certificate from my parents' church enrolling me in the Cradle Roll of the church, at the time of my Dedication to God at one week old (a religious event similar to christenings in other churches).
A birth announcement published in the local newspaper of my mother's hometown of Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan.
Birth announcements handmade by my mother and mailed out to family and friends, one of which is in my baby book.

In addition, there are a couple of photos of my expectant mother taken during the time she would have been pregnant with me; many photographs taken of me at a very early age with my parents (I was the first child and first grandchild!); many cards of congratulations about my birth kept in scrapbooks and my baby book by my mother; a letter my dad wrote to his parents shortly after my birth; stories my mother told me about the day I was born; and my own earliest memories of my parents dating back to when I was 18 months old (yes...I remember seeing the local school on fire and hearing the town siren!) and 27 months old (accompanying my father to the local airstrip to pick up a wreath of flowers someone had shipped to be placed on the grave of my infant brother).

My parents and me, when I was about three weeks old. I believe my maternal grandmother took this photo, as she had come to Alaska from Michigan to help my mother care for me.

However, documents, photographs, and memories do not provide 100% proof of biological parentage. After all, there are many stories of secret adoptions, babies being switched at birth, and other examples of Misattributed Parental Events (MPEs) that one occasionally reads about. While I truly had no doubts about my parentage, I did want to have my parents test their DNA for genealogical purposes, especially since my paternal grandmother was an adoptee. My parents agreed to test through FamilyTreeDNA, and the results show my parents and I each share 3,384 centimorgans--or 50%--of our DNA, which is consistent with the amount of DNA shared in a parent/child relationship.

So there you have it: I am my parents' biological daughter!

Richard V. Robbins of Pennylvania and Michigan: Is He Related to One of My Robbins Ancestors?

2018-07-28T14:13:00.002-07:00

Michigan Department of Community Health, “Death Records, 1921-1947,” database with images, Seeking Michigan (http://cdm16317.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/collection/p16317coll1), entry for Richard V. Robbins, 20 May 1921, certificate no. 41 355.
(click on image to enlarge)

One year ago today, I made a discovery on one of my Robbins lines (I have two). I have known from one of my cousins that there was a land transaction between Richard Robbins and my 4th-great-grandmother, Marinda (Robbins) Robbins in Oceana County, Michigan in the 1880s. I have been trying to figure out if Richard was a relative of Marinda, or of her husband/my 4th-great-grandfather Joseph Josiah Robbins.

As I've mentioned often, my 4th-great-grandparents both had the last name Robbins. They married each other. They don't seem to be related, or if so, not closely. Joseph was born in Otsego County, New York and his father's name was George. Marinda was born probably in Broome County, New York or Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania (they border each other), and her father was Uzza Robbins.

So one year ago, I took another look at Richard's death certificate. He was young enough to be Marinda's son, so it was doubtful he was her brother (we haven't identified all her siblings). Perhaps he was a nephew? I saw his parents were Stephen Robbins and Sarah Wright, and he was born in Pennsylvania.

Looking through old notes and family tree info that was exchanged between myself and other Robbins genealogists, I saw that Stephen Van Rennselaer Robbins married Sarah Wright, and was a son of George Washington Robbins and Abigail Hicks, the couple I am 99% sure are also the parents of Joseph. Although most of George and Abigail's children moved directly from the Town of Westford, Otsego County to the Town of Carroll, Chautauqua County, New York, Stephen followed the same migration trail as my Joseph: living first in Elkland Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, then Liberty Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania, and then probably on to Oceana County, Michigan (I say "probably" because I don't know if Stephen did for sure...but his son Richard definitely did!).

Stephen also joined the same unit that Joseph did during the Civil War: the 58th Pennsylvania Infantry. In their forties, they both would have been considered "old men" at that time.

Joseph and Marinda's son Charles, my 3rd-great-grandfather, once declared in an newspaper interview before he died in 1934, that the family moved from Pennsylvania to Hesperia, Oceana County, Michigan near "where his aunt was living near Martin's lake in Newaygo county." I have long been trying to identify this aunt. Was she Sarah (Wright) Robbins?

Also, Stephen's brother, George Robbins, Jr., bought land in Oceana County, and lived in Newaygo County, Michigan (the counties border each other, with the village of Hesperia lying on that border).

It looks likely that Richard V. Robbins was Joseph's nephew, not Marinda's.

The indirect evidence is mounting that Joseph Josiah Robbins was the son of George Washington Robbins and Abigail Hicks. I haven't found the direct piece of evidence; I may never find it. But the puzzle pieces are fitting together better than ever. It's time to find a direct male descendant of George and Abigail and (Y-DNA) test him against my dad!