Happy 378th Birthday, Grandfather Botsford!

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Elnathan Botsford, my 8th great grandfather, was born 14 August 1641 in Milford, Connecticut, to Henry and Elizabeth Woolhead Botsford.  Elnathan was the only son of Henry and Elizabeth , but there were 6 children in total.   Elnathan married Elizabeth Fletcher, daughter of John Fletcher, on 12 December 1664.  Elizabeth died around 1666.

Elnathan and Elizabeth had one daughter, Elizabeth (1665).

Elnathan then married Hannah Baldwin [my 8th great grandmother] on 12 December 1667.  Grandfather apparently did not want to have to remember a new anniversary date!  Grandmother Hannah was the daughter of Timothy and Mary Welles Baldwin [Mary the daughter of the Connecticut Colonial Governor, Thomas Welles].

Elnathan and Hannah were the parents of 11 children: Esther (1668), Samuel (1670) [my 7th great grandfather], Mary (1671), Hannah (1674) [my 7th great grandmother through her marriage to the Prindle line and additional descendants from there], Joanna (1674), Henry, (1676), Timothy (1678), Deacon John (1680), Sarah (1683), Ruth (1686), and Sergeant Joseph (1688).

Grandfather Botsford died on 10 September 1691 in Milford, Connecticut.   The will of Elnathan Botsford appears on pages 43-45 of Botsford Genealogy, The Line of Samuel, 1.1.3, Volume 1, published by the Botsford Family Historical Association.

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Happy 222nd, 3 Times Great Grandaunt Patience!

Posted on August 13, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Patience Jenks was born 13 August 1797, in Adams, Berkshire, Massachusetts, to Laban and Prudence White Jenks.  This locale was the second stop on the family’s migration from Rhode Island to Michigan.    There would be two additional stops along the way for the Laban and Prudence Jenks clan, both in the Berkshire Purchase area of New York.  The first was a settlement that was named Jenksville [named for the Jenks cousins who founded the hamlet and Grandfather became the first postmaster].  The second, a bit to the north of the first was a second setttlement named Speedsville — Grandfather opened a general store and also became the postmaster there.   Wanderlust did not stay hidden long and when the Michigan Territory opened up, Grandfather was ready to move again.

It was while the family was still living in New York that Aunt Patience married Nathan Park on 23 April 1815 in neighboring Caroline, New York.  The couple had three children: John, Oliver, and Emily Harriet (1816).  Nathan died before the Jenks family migrated to Michigan in 1822 and Aunt Patience and her three children came to Oakland County with her her parents and siblings.

After the migration to Michigan, Aunt Patience met and married John A. Williams.  The couple also had three children: Olive (1831), Edwin R. (1836), and John O.  The Williams family removed from Oakland County and settled in nearby North Plains, Ionia County, Michigan.  It was here that Aunt Patience died on 11 April 1869.

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Happy Birthday to Great Great Great Grandparents, an ocean apart!

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Two of my great, great, great grandparents were born on 11 August.  One in Würtenburg; one in New York.

Alexander Gaertner was born in 1785 in Klein Ingersheim, Würtemburg, to Johannes Gaertner and Christina Leibbrandt.  He married Christina Regina Bauer on 24 November 1813 in Klein Ingersheim, Würtemburg.  Grandfather Alexander and Grandmother Regina had 12 children, the youngest of which was my great, great grandfather Wilhelm Gotthardt Gaertner who became known in the United States as William G. Gardner.  My research confirmed the family story that Grandfather Gardner was indeed the youngest, and seventh son, and therefore the child sent to America since there was no inheritance for him at home.  [William = Wilhelm, Gardner = Gaertner, grandfather changed it himself.]

Across the Atlantic, in New York, Hannah Munn was born in 1807 to Noah Munn, Jr. and Mercy Simons Munn.  Grandmother would marry Horatio Lee on 5 April 1825 in West Bloomfield, Ontario, New York.  My great, great grandfather, Charles Norton Lee was their son, fifth child in a group of twelve.  It is through Grandmother Hannah Munn Lee that I have been able to trace my Mayflower ancestry.

Alexander’s descendant, Florence Marie Koontz, married Hannah’s descendant, Lee Goodliff Weaver;  joining these two families.   The merging couple were my grand parents.

Posted in Gaertner / Gardner, Genealogy, Koontz, LEE, Mayflower, Uncategorized, Weaver | Leave a comment

Happy 152nd Birthday, Uncle Stephen!

Posted on August 10, 2019 by Pat Shaul
swright

Stephen A. D. Wright

Stephen A. D. Wright [my great grand uncle] was born 10 August 1867 in Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan, to Allen Prince and Rebecca Caroline Griswald Wright.  Stephen was 9th in birth order of his parent’s brood of 11 children.   On 21 February 1894, Stephen married my great grandaunt, Marietta Lee, the sister of my great grandmother, Effie Clarissa Lee Weaver, in Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan.

From the Reunion Papers of the Jenks Family by Eva Seymour Jenks:

“Marietta Lee, daughter of Charles and Esther Jenks Lee and Stephen A. D. Wright were united in marriage in Pontiac, Michigan, February 21, 1894, by the Rev G. C. Pillsbury. Mrs. Pillsbury and Miss Maggie Green acting as witnesses. The bride was attired in a beautiful dress of light brown, trimmed with velvet and silk braid and very becoming to the wearer. On their homeward trip they spent a few hours with Mrs. Myra Wright Mudge (Mr. Wright’s sister) at Birmingham — then returned to the home of the bride’s parents. For a number of years Mr. Wright was employed in the mill of L. C. Phelps at Southfield burg, and they lived nearby. Some years ago, they bought the old Lee place where they still live.”

The couple had a long life together and provided for their family of 8:  Estelle (1894), Mariam Mae (1896) [a frequent correspondent to my grandfather Lee Weaver], Clare Levern (1898), Walter Lee (1901) [see prior blog post], Harvie Morris (1903), Lewellyn Lee (1904), Baby Girl (1905-1905), and Esther Rebecca (1912).

As indicated, Stephen took a great interest in the education of his children and of the community as served as the director of the Southfield Township School Board.

sfldhis2

[Robert Churches noted as the Board Treasurer happens to be Stephen’s brother-in-law as he was married to Marietta’s sister, Hannah Almira (Myra) Lee.]

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Happy 118th Birthday, Cousin Walter!

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Pat Shaul

WalterWright

Walter Lee Wright, my first cousin, twice removed, was born 8 August 1901, in Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan, to Stephen A. D. and Marietta Lee Wright.  Marietta was the younger sister of my great grandmother, Effie Clarissa Lee Weaver.  Walter was right in the middle of the birth order of his siblings — his parents had 8 children: Estelle (1894), Mariam Mae (1896), Clare Lavern (1898), Walter, Harvie Morris (1903), Lewellyn Lee (1904), Baby Girl (1905-1905), and Esther Rebecca (1912).

Walter grew up in the ever changing township of Southfield and it grew from a collection of farms to a town.  He attended school in the township school which was no easy task as his father, Stephen A. D. Wright was the Superintendent of Schools at the time.

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I have found no records of Walter ever marrying.  Cousin Walter died 12 May 1982 in Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan and was laid to rest among the family member in the Southfield Cemetery.

 

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Cousin Dorothy would have been 101 today!

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Dorothy Jane Griste [my first cousin, once removed] was born on 7 August 1918 in Toledo, Lucas Co., Ohio, to Charles McKinley and Ethel Jeannette Koontz Griste.  Dorothy was the second child in birth order and the eldest daughter.  Her older brother, Charles Gardner (1914) who was always called Gardner was the first grandchild of C.P. and Phebie Gardner Koontz.   The younger sisters were Mary Elizabeth (1920) [always called Elizabeth], and Phyllis Ann (1923).   Dorothy and Phyllis were the only children that did not follow the German tradition of being called by their middle name.

Dorothy Jane married Dorance W. Areheart on 5 August 1939 in Columbus, Franklin Co, Ohio.   The marriage ended in divorce with no children.   Dorothy then married Luther Shira in 1952.  They later divorced.  The couple had one son, Richard Allen Shira.   Dorothy passed away on 25 June 1995 in Whitehall, Franklin Co., Ohio.

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Happy 160th Birthday, Grandma Weaver!

Posted on August 3, 2019 by Pat Shaul
effie

Effie Clarissa Lee 1859-1945

Effie Clarissa Lee, my great grandmother, was born 3 August 1859, in Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan, to Charles Norton and Esther Jenks Lee.

While on a long visit to her Aunt Minerva Jenks Bolton at Norfolk, Nebraska, she was united in marriage, August 1, 1891, to Mr Lemuel Weaver of Columbus, Ohio. The bride’s dress was of cinnamon brown albatross trimmed with braid. I believe their wedding trip was back to Michigan. They lived a few years in Ohio, but returned to Southfield, Michigan, residing for a while in the old Jenks homestead. They have one son, Lee Goodliff Weaver, born May 15, 1893,

The Reunion Papers of the Jenks Family – Eva Seymour Jenks

Grandma Weaver assisted both my aunt and mother in their school projects of creating a family tree.   These old school papers of both my aunt and mother are what I found in the attic of my grandparent when I was 12 years old and then I was hooked on family history.   Grandma Weaver was VERY PROUD that she was a LEE.  In fact, she insisted that she was a Lee of Virginia and a cousin of Robert E. Lee.   Well, it took me about 35 years to break the code and find out that Grandma Weaver just plain invented that.   She was a Lee of Connecticut!  But, then that lineage led back to 3 Revolutionary War soldiers, a War of 1812 Veteran, and 2 Mayflower passengers!  Her mother’s family, the Jenks line, flowed back to the holder of the first patent granted in North America and two different Colonial Governors and 2 Revolutionary War Soldiers.  As Sgt. Friday used to say on Dragnet, maybe Grandma should have kept “just to the facts”!

Grandma Weaver lived 16 years after Grandfather Weaver died and passed away 11 August 1945.

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Remembering 9 Times Great Grandmother Baldwin

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Mary Welles, my 9 times great grandmother, was born in 1618 in Burnington, Warwickshire, England, to Thomas and Anne Tomes Welles.  The family immigrated to the American Colonies in 1635,  settling first in Boston, then moving on to Saybrook, Connecticut, in 1637.  Her father was destined to become the Colonial Governor of Connecticut.

Grandmother married Timothy Baldwin, son of Richard and Isabell Harding Baldwin, in 1642 in Guilford, Connecticut.  They were the parents of three children:  Mary (1643), Hannah (1644) [my 8 times great grandmother], and Sarah (1645).  Grandmother Baldwin died on 31 July 1647 in Milford, Connecticut.

Mary Welles Baldwin was the grandmother of yesterday’s blog entry on Samuel Botsford.

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Happy 349th Birthday, Grandfather Botsford!

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Samuel Botsford, my 7 times great grandfather, was born on 30 July 1670, in Milford, Connecticut, to Elnathan and Hannah Baldwin Botsford.  He was baptized in the Milford Congregational Church on the next day.  In 1700, he married Hannah Camp, the daughter of Samuel and Hannah Betts (apparently none of my ancestors could come up with original names to make my life easier 350 years later!).  The couple lived in Milford their entire lives and there they raised their family of nine children:  Samuel, Jr. (1702) [my 6 times great grandfather], Elnathan (1704), Sarah (1706), Ebenezer (1709), John (1710), Jonathan (1711), David (1713), Hannah (1714), and Mehitable (1715).

Grandmother Botsford died on 29 October 1732.  Grandfather died 13 years later on 14 November 1745.  In his will, he names his sons Ebenezer and David as executors.  To my 6 times great grandfather, Samuel left “besides what I have already done for him at and for his settlement, the sum of 20 pounds [approximately,  $5,100.00 in today’s value – before the pound crashes] as old tenor money or the value thereof.”

His entire will as recorded in the New Haven Probate Records, Vol VI, page 652 can be found on pages 45-47 of Botsford Genealogy, The Line of Samuel. 1.1.3.  Vol 1, published by the Botsford Family History Association.

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It’s the 99th Anniversary of Helen and Ward Quarles!

Posted on July 21, 2019 by Pat Shaul

It was 21 July 1920 that Helen Louise Gardner married Ward O Quarles in Wardner, Idaho.  But who was this couple and why am I including them in my blog?  Well, Helen was my ½ first cousin, twice removed and Ward was the man lucky enough to have married Helen.

Helen Louise Gardner was born 1 August 1895 in Gumuson, Colorado to William Fritz Gardner and Minnie Martenis.  William Fritz was the eldest son of my great great grandfather, William G Gardner (nee Wilhelm Gotthardt Gaertner) his first wife, Louise Kohler.  Louise died shortly after the birth of William Fritz.  Helen and Ward had one child, Bruce Martenis Quarles who died in child birth.

I am ever grateful to Helen for her long letters to my grandmother, her ½ first cousin, Florence Koontz Weaver, in which she recounted her memories and recollections of the Gardner family with updates from as many cousins as she could contact.   Grandma kept these letters and when I became interested in genealogy, she handed me the batch of Cousin Helen’s letters with the “you might like to have these”.  Without those letters, Quarles would have just been an odd name in the family tree.

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