A Tree Grew in Oakland

Celebration of the marriage of 7 times great grandparents and remembrance of 4 times great grandmother.

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Pat Shaul

It was 288 years ago (1730) that 7 times great grandparents Joseph Lee and Lois Pond were wed. Their daughter Miriam married Mark Hotchkiss whose daughter married William Lee, her second cousin, once removed. And that is why my Lee lineage is a tangle of roots instead of stately branches. On the up side, they left all kinds of documentation so I can follow them!

It was also 183 years ago (1835) that my fourth great grandmother, Prudence White Jenks passed away in Oakland County Michigan.

The headstone of Laban and Prudence White Jenks

Grandmother Prudence is buried in the Roseland Park Cemetery in Berkley, Oakland County, Michigan, along with her husband, Laban Jenks (a War of 1812 Veteran). But this is not where the two were originally interred. Both were interred and the stone was originally set at the Gilbert Lake Burial Ground in Oakland County. In the early 1920s, all of the interred were removed to other cemeteries to make way for a urban developers. I have a write up from my GG Grand Aunt, Eva Seymour Jenks, who reported to the Jenks Family Reunion on the re-interment of the Jenks Ancestors.

Posted in Ancestry, Genealogy, Grave Markers, Jenks, LEE, War of 1812 | Leave a comment

Way to confuse the tree !

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Pat Shaul

Today, 187 years ago, my 3 times great grandparents, Peter Koontz and Elizabeth Derr were married in Stark County, Ohio. They had two children, Caroline and Ezra Peter (1832). I have not found a record of their divorce, but GGG Grandmother appears to be married to Peter Rudolph in time to have a third child, Gertrude (1852). Now GGG Grandfather’s death record shows he was still with us until 1882, so …

The complication / confusion then centers around the descendants of the three children of Elizabeth Derr. Ezra Peter’s son, Casmear had a daughter , Essie. Gertrude married Louis Spuhler and they had a son, Harold Rudolph. You guessed it. Aunt Essie and Uncle Harold married. The two were first cousins, once removed. Based on my research, the families were quite close and Essie and her sisters were frequent guests in the Spuhler home. Newspapers were quite willing to report the smallest of things, including the trips taken by various persons to visit relatives in near and distant towns. This has provided a great background for Essie and Harold’s courtship. It was further complicated by it being Aunt Essie’s second marriage and the bulk of the visits were after her divorce and it really appears she was accompanied to the Spuhler’s by her sister to make sure everything was “proper”. To keep the gene pool clear, there were no children of this union.

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Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Großmutter

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Pat Shaul

Well, actually, 3 times great grandmother. Today, 232 years ago (1786) in Pleidelsheim, Württemberg, Christiana Regina Bauer was born. She married Alexander Gärtner on 24 November 1813, in Kleiningersheim. With the great assistance of the LDS church I have found the Church records of their marriage, their births, and the births of all of their children. Their children include my most recent immigrant ancestor, Wilhelm Gotthardt Gärtner who changed his name to William G. Gardner when he joined the Union Army during the American Civil War. The family lore was that Grandpa Gardner came to America because he was the 7th son and there was nothing for him in Württemberg being so low in the birth order. Again, I was able to confirm that he was indeed the 7th son using the church records of the Evangelish, Kleiningersheim, Württemberg that were filmed and preserved by the LDS church. So a special thank to the churches of Württemberg for keeping such great records and to the LDS Church for filming and preserving those records! And Happy Birthday, Großmutter Regina!

Posted in Ancestry, Gaertner / Gardner, Genealogy, Koontz | Leave a comment

Big Birthday Celebrations 🎂

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Pat Shaul

Today marks the the birthdays of TWO of my four times great grandfathers. Both born on 11 June, different years.

Simeon Botsford was born 255 years ago (1763) in Derby, Connecticut. He married Esther Clark and they removed to Oakland County, Michigan. Their daughter, Almira Botsford, married Morris Jenks. Simeon’s father was John Botsford, a Private in Capt. Samuel Peck, Jr.’s command in the American Revolutionary Army.

Laban Jenks was born 246 years ago (1772) in Smithfield, Rhode Island. He married Prudence White and they removed to Oakland County, Michigan. Their son, Morris Jenks, married Almira Botsford. Laban Jenks served in Artillery Co., 1^st Bat., 6^th Reg., Brig. Gen. Samuel Coe’s Brigade, Tioga & Boone Co, NY, War of 1812. He was the son of Jesse Jenks who is recognized as a Revolutionary War Patriot for supplying the troups with goods and food during the War.

In addition, 381 years ago (1637), my 9 times great grandparents, Nicholas White and Susanna Humphrey were married. Two of their children, Elizabeth and Nicholas, Jr. would produce offspring that would eventually intermarry causing both this brother and sister to be my direct ancestor and making me my own cousin.

Posted in Ancestry, Genealogy, Jenks, Revolutionary War, Uncategorized, War of 1812 | Leave a comment

Some heirlooms are living

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Pat Shaul

2018-05-28 10.00.26

Not all family heirlooms are passed down in the form of silver, china, and crystal. Sometimes, plants are passed from one location to another and the lineage of where they were planted goes with them. That is true of the deep red peony above. I remember it as being in my parents’ back yard – in the home where I was born and grew up. My mother always cherished it and every year when it bloomed, it would bring a smile to her face. She called it Grandma Weaver. My mother had taken a cutting from the bush at her parents’ home when she and my father purchased their one and only home together. I found out, my grandparents transplanted the bush from my grandfather’s mother’s home before they sold it after her death in 1945. Where my great grandmother got her start on the peony bush, I am not sure. Maybe, I need to skulk around at her parents’ home (yes, it is still there) and see if I see the deep red blooms. I might be able to add another generation to the plant’s lineage. My daughter has already made it known that she intends to take part or all of the plant when I am willing to let her. And so the heirloom will continue.

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Read EVERYTHING and QUESTION

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Pat Shaul

A number of months ago, I found my grandfather’s World War I draft registration on Ancestry.

LGW_WWI_DraftReg

I think was surprised at the misspelling of his middle name. And wondered why did he not sign the form with his usual flourish signature? But, was glad to find the document. Then, the day before Memorial Day, 2018, I received an email from FamilySearch saying my grandfather’s World War I Draft Registration was online. I almost deleted it since I already had the document. But, I clicked on it and went to the actual image:

LGW_WWI_DraftReg_Original

And it was a DIFFERENT document!!!! Same registration number appeared on the form and it had the same date, but it was not the same document! This one HAD GRANDPA’s signature! I recognized that anywhere! And under the marks over his name, the middle name was spelled correctly (he was named after his grandfather). The City and State were printed in the first document and written on the second. There was a third reason for exclusion from duty on the second document that was not on the first: rheumatism. Then I notices the faint writing across the bottom of page 2 of the first document: “True Copy. C.B.” Well, C.B., no it is NOT!

Hay fever, asthma, and rheumatism did not get Grandpa out of serving:

lee8

(P.S. the image on Ancestry is now the original, not the “True Copy”)

Posted in Ancestry, Genealogy, Weaver | Leave a comment

And more of the Quaker Cemetery …

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Pat Shaul

A number of my family members were buried in Quaker Cemetery in Farmington, Oakland County, Michigan. Beyond my 4 times great grandparents:

Norman Lee

Norman Lee, born Nov. 28, 1811. Died Jan. 5, 1885. Asleep in Jesus. Uncle Norman was the son of William and Mary.

Lemuel Botsford

Lemuel Botsford died Dec 20, 1868 aged 80 yrs, 3 mos & 23 days. Uncle Lemuel was the father of Milton Clarence Botsford who took over and renamed the Botsford Inn in Farmington, Michigan. The Inn became a gathering place for the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone.

Lucy Smith Botsford

Lucy, wife of Lemuel Botsford died Aug. 13, 1854, aged 62 Yrs & 9 Months.

Mary Ann Eddy Botsford

Mary Ann wife of Orville Botsford [son of Lemuel and Lucy] died Aug 21, 1845 AE 18 yrs 5 mo & 14 ds.

Posted in Genealogy, Grave Markers | Leave a comment

New Direction …

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Pat Shaul

OK, even I am tired of the We’re Related endless start, stop, restart, and trying to figure out what bad trees they are basing their predictions of relationship upon. The final straw was today’s notice the Ron Howard was my latest cousin — he was also the first person they reported well over a year ago when it started. So, I am going to take this blog to a new direction.

Today, I want to send a big THANK YOU and Shout Out to the City of Farmington Historical Commission and the Farmington Genealogical Society. Last year they took on the task of cleaning up the gravestones in the Quaker Cemetery in Farmington — one of the oldest in the county. My four times great grandparents, William Lee and Mary Sommers Lee are buried there along with other family members.

The stones BEFORE:

William Lee (stone on ground) [before]

William (fallen stone) and Mary Sommers Lee [before]

Mary Sommers Lee [Before]

And now, after they were restored:

William Lee

Mary Sommers Lee

William and Mary Sommers Lee

Posted in Ancestry, Genealogy, Grave Markers, History | Leave a comment

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