On 8 March 1875, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, my great great grandaunt, Minerva Jenks married Samuel Bolton.  Minerva was the daughter of Morris and Almira Botsford Jenks and the sister of my great great grandmother, Esther Jenks Lee.  Prior to her marriage to Uncle Samuel, Minerva was married to Nataniel Barnes with whom she had three children:  Ida Almira (1859-1862), Seth Adelbert (1864) and Erminnie (1866).   Nathaniel died on 28 September 1871.  With Samuel, Minerva had one additional son, Guy Washington (1877).

From The Reunions of the Jenks Family of Oakland County, Michigan – 1911-1927, by Evelyn Seymour Jenks, p 248-250:

“The youngest daughter of Morris and Almira Botsford Jenks was born in Southfield, May 8, 1838. At the age of 19, she became the bride of Mr Nathaniel Barnes of Redford, June 27, 1857. Uncle Nathaniel died in Detroit, September 28, 1871, leaving his widow with two small children, Ida – their eldest child had passed away before her father’s death, but I failed in getting the date of her death. Four years after Uncle’s death, Aunt Minerva was married to Mr Samuel Bolton of Bloomfield, Michigan, on March 8, 1875. A son was born to them on July 5, 1877, and a few years later they were divorced. It seems a funny mixups of our family and the Jenks — but a number of years before the marriage to Mr Bolton to Minerva Jenks Barnes, he was a suitor for the hand and heart of my sister, Julia Helen Seymour. He came to our home several times to see her, and presented her with a photo of himself – and – she might have been the second Mrs Bolton ( as he was a widower) if our sister, Emma, and I had not tormented the life out of her teasing about him. The photo was of a slim young man with what they there called side whiskers, wearing a long Prince Albert coat, checked trousers, and holding a very shiny plug hat. Well, in 1866, my sister, Julia, married Francis William Jenks, and in 1875, Mr Bolton married Minerva Jenks, a cousin of Francis. Of course when Sister married she did not keep any of her old beau’s pictures so as photos were quite a curiosity in those days she passed them over to her kid sister and they were among my own belongings until just before my marriage to Minerva Jenks’ brother Oliver. When Mr Bolton’s photo was cremated with a lot of trash, but I never knew until after my marriage that it was a picture of Oliver’s one time brother-in-law. I have not been able to ascertain whether Mr and Mrs Bolton went West together or whether they were divorced before she went, but with her children she settled in Norfork, Nebraska, and lived there a number of years. I have heard that she kept a hotel there. I am not certain whether she had moved to Kelso, Washington, before her third marriage or not, but she was married February 28, 1905, to Mr Charles Hall, who survived her six years as she died in Kelso, Washington, October 18, 1911. And his death occurred in 1917 at Weiser, Idaho.

“Of the children of Nathaniel and Minerva Jenks Barnes – Ida, the oldest, was born in 1857, but I have not been able to gather one bit of date or data from her own family, so if my history is very imperfect, it is not to be wondered at – but I think she died in the early sixties. Adelbert Barnes, the son, was born October 16, 1864, and was married to Miss Lucy A Holt in 1889. There home was in Kelso, Washington. And they were the parents of six children — Waite Derward, born September 27, 1891, and was married to Miss Lina Stankey, December 24, 1915. Ina May was born November 11, 1893, and married William Dickerson, December 2, 1915. Harold Holt Barnes was born September 20, 1896. Charles A, March 21, 189 9, Burton B, April 4, 1904, and Lois Minerva was born September 6, 1906. I have not heard whether the four younger children are married or not or whether there were any grandchildren. But, the mother, Lucy Holt Barnes, died in Kelso, Washington, September 12, 1907 and the father, Adelbert Barnes died in Portland, Oregon, November 16, 1917, aged 53.

“Erminnie Barnes, daughter of Nathaniel and Minerva Jenks Barnes was born July 26, 1866. And she was united in marriage to William Henry Westervelt of Westervelt, Ohio, February 22, 1887. They were the parents of six children. Elmer Adelbert born February 27, 1889, Theron John born October 5, 1890, married to Miss Birdie Estes December 24, 1917. Edith was born October 3, 1894, married Alfred A Fisher, November 30, 1913 (has two children Earle Fisher – September 20, 1915, and Thelma Lorene January 12, 1918. These little ones are grandchildren of Erminnie Barnes Westervelt and great grandchildren of Nathaniel and Minerva Jenks Barnes). Charles Russell Westervelt III, son of W. H. And Minnie Barnes Westervelt was born October 1, 1897, Bessie Westervelt born December 10, 1899 and died at Meadow Grove, Nebraska, April 18, 1900. Leota May – the youngest daughter was born March 28, 1901, and was married June 15, 1924 to Maxwell R Silyen. The father of these children, William Henry Westervelt, died in Norfork, Nebraska, January 13, 1903, aged 41 years. The mother, Minnie Barnes Westervelt came back to Southfield, the home of her childhood in 1913, and enjoyed our third Jenks reunion held at the home of her Aunt Esther Jenks Lee, August 9, 1913, and the company of her many cousins that she had not met in so many years. And who would all be more than pleased to have her with us once more.

“Of Guy Bolton, only son of Samuel and Minerva Jenks Bolton, I have no record but that he was born July 5, 1877, that he was married, had children, and that his wife’s first name is Hettie. And that they lived in David City, Nebraska. And have been 14 years finding that out. Have written but my letters were neither answered or returned. Am very sorry could not complete his mother’s family record with his or at least a little of his own family record.”

Eva Seymour Jenks 1925

My great grandmother, Effie Clarissa Lee, was sent to Norfolk, Nebraska to assist Aunt Minerva with her children / hotel.  It was while she was there that she met and married my great grandfather, Lemuel Weaver.

Luckily, the family has connected, and descendants of Guy Bolton and I have exchanged information and we could “flesh out” Aunt Eva’s account.   I am sure she would have loved the internet!