Marriage by Convenience????

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Pat Shaul

147 years ago, 13 May 1873, my second cousin, 4 times removed, Franklin Adelbert Jenks, son of Calvin and Annis Ellen Brown Jenks, married my second cousin, 4 times removed, Amy Jane Jenks, daughter of Elisha and Diana Burgess Jenks.  Calvin and Elisha were first cousins.  That made the couple second cousins.  Both families had settled in the Jenksville / Speedsville area of New York.  The hamlets are less than 5 miles apart, both founded by my 4 times great grandfather, Laban Jenks prior to his uprooting the family and coming to Michigan in 1820.

With the closeness of the relationship, I have found no children of the union.

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Happy 266th Grandfather Gaertner!

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Pat Shaul

266 years ago, 11 May 1754, in Kleiningersheim, Württemberg, my four times great grandfather, Johannes Gaertner was born to Melchior Gaertner and Maria Barbara Stockheimer.

What little I know about Grandfather Gaertner I have gleaned from church records that were microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for which I am always amazed and grateful!

Johannes Gaertner married Christina Leibbrandt, daughter of Christian Leibrandt, on 28 November 1780, in the Evangelisch, Grossingersheim, Württemberg.   I have only record of one of their children, my three times great grandfather, Alexander, born 1785.  Alexander and his wife provided 12 grandchildren to Johannes and Christina including my great great grandfather, Wilhelm Gotthardt Gaertner who came to the United States in 1854 and modified his name to be William G. Gardner.

Johannes Gaertner died 23 March 1791, in Kleiningersheim.

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Happy 170th Anniversary Aunt Caroline and Uncle Jerome!

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Pat Shaul

It was 170 years ago, 7 May 1850, in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan, my great great grandaunt, Caroline Lee, daughter of Horatio and Hannah Munn Lee, married Jerome B. Corey.  Caroline Lee’s wedding to Jerome Corey was officiated by her uncle, Harvey Lee, Justice of the Peace, Bloomfield Township. Witnesses were George and Mary E. Lee – Marriage Returns for Oakland County Michigan 1836 – 1884, Oakland County Genealogical Society, Ruth S. Kennedy, Compiler, 1989.

Aunt Caroline was the older sister of my great great grandfather Charles Norton Lee, in fact she was the oldest of her 12 siblings.

Aunt Caroline and Uncle Jerome were parents of three children:  James A (1848), Lucein (1853), and Minnie (1866).

I have found Aunt Caroline’s death certificate 25 July 1904 – in which it states she is widowed. I have yet to find Uncle Jerome’s.   Hopefully, when the michiganology.org website settles down I will have better luck in finding him.  OK, but Aunt Caroline’s death certificate recorded her interment as being in Woodmere Cemetery!  Woodmere is one of the greatest genealogist friendly cemeteries in Detroit.   I hoped she had been interred next to Uncle Jerome, so I sent a research request in on their website.  Within the hour, I received a reply!  Uncle Jerome died 1 June 1897, due to acute nehritis.

 

Posted in Detroit, Genealogy, LEE | Leave a comment

What is Life? A magazine!

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Pat Shaul

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And in the 11 February 1952 issue of that magazine (it cost 20¢, in answer to that question), my grandmother’s brother appeared!  Uncle Heinie was in Life!

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The man, just to the right of the only woman in the photo is Uncle Heinie (aka Henry Koontz, County Commissioner, Franklin County, Ohio).  The photo appeared in an article entitled “Life Goes to a Party Workers Convention – Ohio Republicans Write Their Own Ticket”

Now we all knew he was in politics and that he was the County Commissioner in Franklin County (Columbus is the County Seat), but this was the first I discovered his appearance in Life!

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338th Anniversary of 7th Great Grandparents Lawrence!

Posted on April 19, 2020 by Pat Shaul

338 years ago, 19 April 1682, in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, Abigail Bellows wed Isaac Lawrence.  I know little of my 7 times great grandparents.  Most of what I know is in reference to their daughter, my 6 times great grandmother, Rachael Lawrence (1712-1788), who became the wife of John Jenks in 1731.  They were the parents of 15!  Rachael was the mother of my Sons of the American Revolution Patriot, Jesse Jenks.

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Happy 273rd Birthday, Grandmother Clark!

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Pat Shaul

273 years ago, 15 April 1747, in Wrentham, Massachusetts, Miriam Thayer, my 5 times great grandmother, was born.  In 1763, also in Wrentham, she married Stephen Clark.  The couple were the parents of 5 children: Esther (1771) [my 4 times great grandmother], Jemima, Onesimus, Mary (1772), and Julietta (1787).  Their daughter Esther married Simeon Botsford which later joined into the Jenks and Lee lines of my lineage.

Grandmother Clark passed away on 27 August 1824, in Wrentham and is buried in the West Wrentham Cemetery there.

MyriamThayerClarkGrave

 

Posted in Botsford, Genealogy, Grave Markers | Leave a comment

240th Anniversary of Onkel Balthasar und Tante Maria

Posted on April 4, 2020 by Pat Shaul

On 4 April 1780, in the Evangelish in Besigheim, Württemburg, Johann Balthasar Gaertner, son of Melchior Gaertner and Maria Barbara Stockheimer, and Anna Maria Moehl, daughter of Johann David Moehl, were wed.  Balthasar was my 4th great granduncle, the brother of my 4th great grandfather, Johannes Gaertner.  5 times great grandparents, Melchior and Barbara are as far back in that line as I am able to trace at present.   Their great-grandson, Wilhelm Gotthardt Gaertner, would be the first of the family to cross the Atlantic and arrive in the United States in 1854.  Shortly after his arrival, Wilhelm took the name William G. Gardner.

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Happy 180th, Uncle William!

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Pat Shaul

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On 3 April 1840, in Monroe Township, Morgan County, Ohio, William Powell Weaver was born to Gottlieb Weber [a.k.a. Goodliff Weaver] and Anne Lane.  William was my great granduncle.  His birth was recorded in the family Bible by his mother between that of his sisters Roseanah and Elizabeth Jane.

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Uncle William married Catherine Elizabeth Deaver, daughter of Jonas Benjamin and Sarah Longstreet Deaver on 22 September 1861, in Perry County, Ohio.   A Weaver married to a Deaver makes life just a bit confusing for a family historian!    The couple were the parents of 11 children: Jonah (1862), Louis (1863), Sarah Anne (1868), Jonas B. G. (1870, James Henry (1872), Ezra Elsworth (1873), Alvira Jane (1874), Rose C. (1877), David L. (1879), George Edward (1881), and Clara Frances (1884).

Uncle William served in the Union Army during the Civil War [note the gap in birth dates of the children].  Aunt Catherine preceded him in death on 2 April 1924.  Uncle William died of pnemonia on 14 July 1927, in Falls Township, Hocking County, Ohio.  Both are interred in New Straitsville Cemetery in Perry County, Ohio.

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Happy 233rd Birthday, Aunt Clarissa and Aunt Chloe!

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Pat Shaul

Twin sisters, Clarissa and Chloe Munn were born 233 years ago on 28 March 1787, in Gill, Massachusetts to Noah, Sr. and Desire Hitchcock Munn.  The women were my 4th great grandaunts, younger sisters of my 4th great grandfather, Noah Munn, Jr.  I have very little information on the sisters.

None on Aunt Clarissa.

Aunt Chloe married Oren Severence on 3 October 1808, in Gill, Massachusetts.  They were the parents of two children: Samuel P (1810) and Ruth.   Aunt Chloe died in Gill on 8 September 1877.  She outlived Uncle Oren by almost 52 years as he passed away on 20 December 1825.

Posted in Genealogy, LEE, Revolutionary War | Leave a comment

Happy 129th Anniversary, Aunt Myra and Uncle Robert!

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Pat Shaul

On 26 March 1891 in Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan, Hannah Almira [Myra] Lee, daughter of Charles Norton and Esther Jenks Lee, married Robert Richard Churches, son of Thomas and Harriet Roper Churches.  Robert and Myra were the parents of seven children: Hazel (1897), Baby Boy (1900-1900), Roy Thomas (1901), Raymond Charles (1901), Baby Girl (1902-1902), Ivan Lee (1905), and Esther Harriet (1907).

In 1941, on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, they recreated the event:

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Front Row: Hannah Almira [Myra] Lee and Robert Richard Churches.  Middle Row: Effie Clarissa Lee Weaver [my great grandmother] *, Ora Lee Churches *, Marietta [Ettie] Lee Wright *, Anna Churches (“Vocalist who sang “Put on Your Old Gay Bonnet”).  Back Row: George Churches (husband of Ora Lee Churches), Stephen A. D. Wright (Husband of Marietta Lee Wright), Bill Jenks (in the roll of the Minister).

* Sisters of Hannah Almira Lee Churches, my great grandaunt.

Uncle Robert passed away on 5 May 1952.  Aunt Myra followed on 8 June 1954.  Both are laid to rest in the Southfield Cemetery, Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan.

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