A Tree Grew in Oakland

Remembering GGG Granduncle Richard Lee

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Richard Lee 1808 – 1878

My Uncle Richard Lee was born 3 March 1808 in West Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, to William and Mary Summers Lee. For the longest time the only information I had about him was the entry in the Lee Family Bible provided by my cousin in Chicago. It was all he knew as well. Then, out of the blue, one day in March, 1999, I received a phone call from California. The caller identified herself as my cousin, descendant of Richard Lee. Well, the emails started to fly with exchange of information about Richard and his wife, Cordelia Noble, who were married on 3 November 1981 in what would become Canton, Wayne County, Michigan. Needless to say, I immediately looped in our cousin in Chicago who was totally amazed that I had encountered a descendant of Richard. I credit my early web site and yahoo and google search engines plus some well placed genealogy inquiries on search pages.

Anyway, Richard and Cordelia made their way west toward Utah, overshot by a bit, and settled in Davis Creek, Modoc County, California. In all, they were the parents of 5 sons, all born in Michigan, prior to the trek west: Richard Henry (1842), Rollin Harvey (1844), Lucian Noble (1847), Ossian Jerome (1849), and Theodore Tasso (1857).

Richard died 9 June 1878 in Medoc Co, California where he was laid to rest. Cordelia followed 12 years later and was buried next to him.

An honest man is the nobelest work of God

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Memories of Grandpa Lee’s Aunt Myra

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Pat Shaul

My grandfather’s Aunt Myra, his mother’s sister, Hannah Almira Lee Churches, was born 4 December 1864, in Southfield, Michigan. On 26 March 1891, in Pontiac, Michigan, she married Robert Richard Churches. Five and a half years later, her younger sister, Ora, would marry Robert’s younger brother, George. Aunt Myra and Uncle Robert had 6 children: Hazel (1897), Roy Thomas (1901), Raymond Charles (1901) [twin brother of Roy], a baby that died soon after birth in 1902, Ivan Lee (1905), and Esther Harriett (1907). Uncle Robert died 5 May 1952. Aunt Myra died 10 June 1954. Both in Southfield; both buried in the Southfield Cemetery along with the child that died in 1902.

Hannah Almira Lee Churches 1864-1954

Now, I never met Aunt Myra. But I have a very early memory tied to her. I was only 4 ½ years old when she died. I remember going to my grandparents house and piling into their car with my mother and brother and heading out to the country [Southfield was considered the country in 1954]. We were going to pay our respects to Aunt Myra. She was laid out in the living room of the family home. [This is the memory part]. A coffin in the living room obviously left a lasting impression on a 4 ½ year old! The was still a common practice in the mid 1950s in the country. And the Southfield Cemetery was a small country cemetery even though it is currently surrounded by high rise buildings.

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The rain finally stopped, so part 2 …

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Made it to Acacia Park Cemetery with all of the peonies from Grandmother Weaver’s plant that had bloomed — the rain had been constant and I was sure the blooms were going to be destroyed. But, there were enough to fill both urns:

Shaul marker in foreground.

Weaver marker in foreground

The cemetery grounds themselves were quite swamp-like. But, ….

I then did that bucket list item and headed over to Berg Road in Southfield to the house that Morris Jenks built in 1851, looking to see if the same peony bush was present. I knocked, no answer. I looked both in front and back and, unfortunately, no sign of a peony bush of any variety.

Berg Road House — The Jenks Place. aka the Lee Place, aka Deer Lick Farm

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Heirlooms and Family – Sometimes It Gets Complicated ….

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Great Grandmother’s Peony Bush

June 4, 2019, and Great Grandmother Weaver’s Peony Bush is blooming right on schedule — at least on the schedule I remember my mother defining for it. The bush was at Great Grandmother’s house on Tireman in Detroit; it was split and moved to my Grandparents’ house on Steel in Detroit; it was split again and moved to my parents house in Lincoln Park; and it was split again and was moved to my house in Novi. I have always meant to get back to the Lee home on Berg Road in Southfield to see if the same variety was there as well so that I could presume that Great Grandmother took a cutting from her parents’ plant and we could go back even further.

Mom would take blooms from her plant to Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit to Great Grandmother’s grave each year. Some also went to Grandpa’s at Acacia Park since his passing in 1970.

This is a bitter sweet event since the plant coming into full bloom is very close to my mother’s birthday — today would have been her 96th. Then 38 years ago, we had another family event, my grandmother, Mom’s mother, died on this date. Not a good omen as we were planning on meeting to celebrate Mom’s birthday and instead met to discuss the arrangements for Grandma’s funeral. Every since then we sort of never planned to celebrate on anyone’s actual birthday. Just to keep the family jinx going, my father’s mother suffered a fatal stroke on his birthday (She did not pass away until the next day).

Grandma and Grandpa share a headstone, they both got the donation of Peony blossoms from Mom. Mom and Pop share a headstone adjacent to Grandma and Grandpa. So I will be making my annual delivery in a day or two…..

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Happy 202nd, Great Great Grandmother Weaver!

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Pat Shaul

On 3 June 1817, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, my great great grandmother, Anna Lane was born to Richard and Mary Gayer Lane. Settling near the Lane family was the German immigrant, Gottlieb Weber, who became Goodliff Weaver as his stay in the United States continued. Anna and Goodliff married on 29 January 1835, still in Washington County, Pennsylvania. In all the pair produced a even dozen children. The first two were born while the couple (and Anne’s parents and siblings) still resided in Pennsylvania: Mary Ann (1836) and Roseanah (1837). Between the birth of Rose and the next child, both the Weaver and Lane families relocated to Perry County, Ohio. It is there that the remaining 10 children were born: William Powell (1840), Elizabeth Jane (1842), Margaret Anne (1844), Charles Louis (1847), Chirstiana (1849), David Shreider (1855), Jasper P (1855), Lemuel (1857) [my great grandfather], George Adam Hempleman (1861), and Eric (1864). I have the Weaver Family Bible where all of this is recorded — including the very inventive names given some of the children.

Grandmother died 14 October 1864 and Grandfather followed 15 November of the same year. Both are laid to rest in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Rendville, Perry County, Ohio.

Head stone of Anna [Lane} Weaver

Close up of headstone of Anna [Lane] Weaver

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Dear Aunt Ora, What were your parents thinking?

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Pat Shaul

It was 145 years ago, 29 May 1874, in Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan, that my grandfather’s Aunt Ora was born to Charles Norton and Esther Jenks Lee. Yes, that makes her full name Ora Lee. Now, say it out loud! What were they thinking with the choice of name? Or, is this where I get my off the wall sense of humor? If so, thank you great great grandparents Lee!

Ora Lee, youngest daughter of Charles and Esther Jenks Lee, and George W. Churches [ed note: brother of Robert Richard Churches, husband of Ora’s sister, Myra] were married September 2, 1897, at Pontiac, Michigan by the Rev. Mr. Pillsbury. Their only attendants were Mrs. Pillsbury and Miss Bernice Green. The bride’s dress was light gray serge with trimmings of lace and pale blue ribbons. They are the parents of three daughters, Pearl Geneva born February 21, 1899, Erma Lorene – July 29, 1906, and Ella Madelene – June 25, 1913. Pearl, the oldest, was married August 5, 1921, to Mr. Orthaldo Miller of Redford and is very happily situated in a lovely home a few doors south of her mother’s. Madelene, the youngest, made her appearance as reunion baby at our third reunion. At the 13th reunion she entertained the company with several readings which were highly enjoyed by all present. She, with Erma Lorene, help make the folks and home happy on Philbrick Ave, Redford, Michigan. – Eva Seymour Jenks [Family Historian]

Aunt Ora passed away on 23 April 1953 and was interred at Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit, Uncle George lived until 29 December 1960, and in interred next to Aunt Ora.

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Happy 226th Anniversary Grandparents Lee

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Pat Shaul

On 27 May 1793, William Lee and Mary Summers, my four times great grandparents, were wed in Guilford, Connecticut. Their union produced 8 children: Chauncey (1794), William (1796), Harvey (1798), Horatio (1800) [my three times great grandfather], Mary Ann (1804) [by this time the family had removed West Bloomfield, Ontario, New York], George (1806), Richard (1808) [who eventually migrated with the family to Michigan and then on to Utah and California], and Norman (1811).

The family migrated to Michigan in the early 1820s, with William and Mary settling in Farmington, Oakland County. Both William and Mary are buried in Quaker Cemetery, Farmington, Michigan [Headstones restored in 2018]:

William Lee died June 1, 1840 aged 69 year 10 months.

Mary – wife of William Lee died May 8, 1860, aged 86 years

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384 Years Ago in Charlestown, Massachusetts

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Pat Shaul

It was 384 years ago, 26 May 1635, in Charlestown, in the Colony of Massachusetts, that my nine times great grandparents, William Sprague and Millicent Eames were wed. Both William and Millicent were born in England – William on 26 October 1609 in Upway, Dorsetshire; and Millicent in 1615 in St. George, Fordington, Dorsetshire.

William came to North America with his brother [Ralph] in 1628. … settled in Hingham in 1636. Both of Millicent’s parents died in Marshfield, Massachusetts, so the family may have migrated together.

In the Colony of Massachusetts, the two had 11 children: Anthony William (1635), John (1638), Samuel (1640), Elizabeth (1641), Jonathan (1642), Persis (1643), Joanna (1644), Jonathan (1648) [my 8 times great grandfather], Mary (1652), William (1653), and Hannah (1654).

Grandfather Sprague died on 26 October 1675, in Hingham, Massachusetts. Grandmother Sprague died on 8 February 1696, also in Hingham. Both were buried there.

This is the ancestral line of my Jenks family who connect through Sprague descendant, Patience Sprague [my 7 times great grandmother] who married William Jenks [5 times great grandfather].

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249th Anniversary of the marriage of William Lee and Eunice Hotchkiss

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Pat Shaul

On 23 May 1770, in Guilford, Connecticut, William Lee and Eunice Hotchkiss were married. These were my five times great grandparents. Grandfather was a tanner by trade and he also served as a Private in the Revolutionary Army in Connecticut. I am applying for a supplemental Sons of the American Revolution entry with him as my ancestor.

He and Grandmother had eight children: William (1771) [my 4 times great grandfather], Reuben (1773), Tim (1775), Charles (1777), Sarah (1782), Elon (1786), Charles (1788) [his same named brother died the previous year], and Jonathan. As is apparent, child bearing took a break during the war!

Both grandparents lived out their lives in Connecticut, Grandfather died on 29 April 1795, and Grandmother on 27 February 1827. It was their son, William, who started the family migration that eventually settled in Oakland County, Michigan.

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Happy 123rd Birthday, Cousin Euphie!

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Pat Shaul

Euphie Gertrude Jenks was born on 21 May 1896 in Oakland County, Michigan, to Albert Arlington and Elizabeth Jane (Lizzie) Varnham Jenks. She was the fifth in their family of seven children. Cousin Euphie (I was always amused by her name) was my second cousin, twice removed. Euphie married, first, Robert Gresehover on 1 December 1915. He died 13 July 1943. Euphie then married again (I have not been able to track down the date or anything but the surname of husband #2) a Mr. Domin. Euphie and Robert Gresehover had two sons, Russell James (1917) and Robert Arlington (1919).

Besides husband # 2, I had always wondered what happened to Cousin Euphie (that name sort of sticks in your mind). I was browsing the Farmington Genealogical Society database of the records of the Thayer-Rock Funeral Home. And there was Cousin Euphie! Sometimes it pays to have a unique name. I found that she died on 17 November 1976, in Traverse City, Michigan and is buried in Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan.