Betsy L French Arntz (1882-1948)

Betsy L. Arntz  (nee French)

When Betsy Lurene French was born on May 5, 1882, in Croswell, Michigan, her father, Aaron, was 42 and her mother, Margaret, was 40. 

She married William Edward Arntz, son of John Henry Arntz and Nancy A Stewart, on September 17, 1900, in Buel, Michigan. They had six children in 15 years.

SOURCE: Harbor Beach Times, dated July 2, 1948, Page 1

She died on June 24, 1948, in Harbor Beach, Michigan, at the age of 66, and was buried in Rock Falls Cemetery.

Find A Grave Memorial page

Amanuensis Monday - The Art of Being Neighborly

Silvester (or Sylvester) Arntz is my 3 great grand uncle.  According to my records, Sylvester, and his twin sister Silesta, was born to John Philip Arntz and Elizabeth Rice, in Canton, Stark County, Ohio about April 1839.  About 1865, Sylvester married Meribah Hayes (who is the "Mrs. Meribah E Arntz" signed as a witness below).  I believe they had four children (2 daughters, 2 sons), but I only know the names of three: Henry, Syrena and Sherman.  Meribah died in 1925, and Sylvester died in 1926 in Vickeryville, Montcalm County, Michigan.

Below is the Affidavit of Silvester Arntz, dated 07 Nov 1901 in support of the Civil War Widows Application of his neighbor, Sarah J Dickinson, now Smith.  

1901 Affidavit of Silvester Arntz
Fold3 Image - http://www.fold3.com/image/269341374/

TRANSCRIPTION:

County of Montcalm                                                                   Middle Div.
                                             ss                           Widows Ctf No 53781 Sarah J Dickinson
State of Mich                                                       Now Smith                         Thomas R Dickinson Co. E
                                                                                          6^th Mich Cav.

Personally appeared before me Silvester Arntz of the age of 63 and after being duely sworn says.

First.  That he has known Chas. W Smith and Sarah J Smith ever since their marriage in 1869 and knows that they have not been divorced.

Second.  That Sarah J Smith has lived a widow ever since Chas W.  Smith death and has not remarried.

Third.  That Sarah J Smith now owns the N.E. ¼ of the N.E. ¼ of Sec 85 in Town 10 North and 6 West of fifth princible Meridian and valued at $600.00 also that the rental value is worth $50.00.  Also that and her hands as her means of support. Also states that he has joined farms with said Sarah J Smith since 1869.

Ormand Maynard                                                          Silvester Arntz
Mrs. Meribah B Arntz Witness                                       Vickeryville Montcalm Co
                                                                                          Mich.

Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 4^th day of Nov A.D. 1907
Ulyssis G. Philips
   Notary Public                                                               [US Pension Office Seal – Nov 7 1901]

(Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging prompt hosted by Geneabloggers)

1940 US Census - Who I am looking for ...



Photo courtesy the NARA website.

I have been busy the last week getting ready for the release of the 1940 US Census.  Here is the list of direct ancestors that I plan to look for starting April 2, 2012.

Lucky for me, the majority of my family was living in Harbor Beach, Huron, Michigan ... a small city with a population of just under 2200 within the city limits in 1940.

My maternal grandparents, Fred Aaron Arntz and Elsie Marie (Roberts) Arntz were married with one child and I believe living on Bartlett Street in Harbor Beach.  Living nearby Fred and Elsie were Fred's parents, William Edward Arntz (1882-1943) and Betsy Lurene (French) Arntz (1882-1948), as well as Elsie's parents Alfred C Roberts (1881-1946) and Mabel Ellen (Ogle) Roberts (1884-1958).

My paternal grandparents, Emerson Harley Wood and Ruth M (Volz) Wood were married with one child and I believe living on First or Second Avenue in Harbor Beach.  Living nearby Emerson and Ruth were Em's parents Robert Harold Wood (1893-1961) and Lottie Belle (Minard) Wood (1893-1977). 

Ruth's family came from the Village of Minden, in Sanilac County, Michigan ... which was an even smaller community.  Ruth's parents were William Charles Volz (1881-1966) and Jennie Violet (Clark) Volz (1886-1948).  The Volz family still runs a dairy farm just outside of Minden, and at one time I believe the owned the IGA grocery store in town.

But I think the most fun relatives to search for will be my two oldest living family members.  I had two great great grandmothers still living on April 1, 1940, Elizabeth (Binder) Volz who was born in 1853 and Caroline Elizabeth (Sterling) Wood who was born in 1868.

And of course I can't forget to look for my "bonus" (aka step) grandfather, B. Blake Soule (1915-1995).  Blake and Elsie were married in 1973, and I was fortunate to spend time at their home in Ubly during several summer vacation trips to Michigan when I was young.  In 1940 Blake was married to Olive Pearl Stoken and living somewhere in either Sanilac or Huron county.  I don't believe I ever met her or her children but I know they had a couple children, so this part of their story will be new to me.  :) B. Blake Soule was a retired Huron County Magistrate and I remember he liked to listen to the police scanner.  I thought that was really cool. :)

If you are interested in finding out how to access the 1940 US Census for your family, be sure to visit Stephen Morse's One Step website at http://stevemorse.org/census/quiz.php.  Don't let the word "quiz" confuse you, the website functions more like a tutorial helping you narrow down which "tool" to use to find the enumeration district your family is likely to be found in.

If you are researching Harbor Beach, Huron, Michigan you will want to start from this One Step page ... http://bit.ly/HyXIyG

If you are researching in the Village of Minden City, Sanilac, Michigan you can start from this One Step page ... http://bit.ly/H4EXX0

I can't believe we are down to three days. :)  I'm ready, are you???

Love & Aloha,
~Cuzn Amy

Hometown USA

Hometown USA

(Reprinted from The House of Seven Giggles blog - dated May 14, 2010)

So what do you blog about when you can blog about anything … ???  That question has been racking my brain everyday this week.  I’ve even researched the internet for some daily blog theme ideas, and wrote them down on a post-it (which has been filed away safely somewhere in the bottom of my purse) but so far I haven’t found the right blog theme, let alone enough time to be consistent with writing.

But since today is Friday, and I want to continue my Family Tree Friday theme … I decided to write about my “hometown”.  In family history … knowing “who you are” is just as important as knowing “where you come from”.  And I am lucky to have one of the best hometowns in the world. :o)

Welcome to

Harbor Beach, Michigan

Population +/- 1,700

Harbor Beach is located on the western shore of Lake Huron in Huron County, Michigan, at the intersections of Michigan Highway 25 (between Forestville and Port Hope) and Michigan Highway 142 (West to Bad Axe).   The city limits are approximately 2 square miles, surrounded by either farm land or lake water.

It is the home of the world’s largest man-made fresh water harbor, and boasts the longest fishing pier that is handicap accessible.  The best known landmark is the Harbor Beach Lighthouse, which is on the north breakwater wall.  It was first lit in 1885, and by 1968 it was changed to an automated system.  Today it is run remotely by the US Coast Guard from Saginaw, Michigan.

Terry Pepper has an excellent website “Seeing the Light – Lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes” about various lighthouses in the Great Lakes region.  You can find more information on the history of Harbor Beach Lighthouse at http://www.terrypepper.com/Lights/huron/harbrbeach/harborbeach.htm

The center of town is the corners of State Street and  Huron Avenue, and the Harbor Beach Community House is located on the northeast corner.  This building currently houses the local movie theater, gymnasium and public library, and the common rooms are used for local organizations and club meetings -- like the Harbor Beach Lions Club (of which my Grandpa Fred Arntz was an active member most of his life).  You can find more history on the Harbor Beach Community House at http://harborbeachchamber.com/community_house.

The earliest settlers to this area arrived in 1837, where they established a sawmill for processing lumber.  The settlement was named Barnettsville in 1855, and later became the Village of Sand Beach.  In 1899, the village changed its name to Harbor Beach, because the previous name gave the impression that the area was nothing but sand.  In 1910, Harbor Beach was officially incorporated into a city.

The earliest Huron County residents in my family tree were either in the fishermen, lumbermen or farmers (dairy or sugar beets).  The largest private employer was probably the Huron Milling Company, which several of my extended family worked for.  The Huron Milling Company created the local hospital in 1920 on the corner of Broad and First Street for their employees. (See http://hbch.org/about_us-c.html for more history on the hospital) By 1963 the hospital opened its doors to all local residents, and so this is hospital where I was born in 1968.

All the branches of my family, on both my maternal and paternal sides, come from either the Harbor Beach area or from the areas immediately surrounding Harbor Beach in Huron County and Sanilac County.  The Wood family originally settled north of Harbor Beach in a small fishing community called Grindstone City.  The city is basically now a ghost town, but there are some restaurants and a local marina that is still very active in the summer months.  The Volz family is from a small farming community to the south called Minden City (in Sanilac County), where they have owned the same farm for over 150 years.

My great grandfather Alf Roberts (who lived on Redman) made duck decoys for local hunters.  My Grandpa Emerson Wood (who lived in a redbrick house at Broad and First) worked his way up from sweeping floors to manager at the local department store, called Mehlenthalers.  My Grandpa Fred Arntz (who lived on Bartlett Street ) worked as a cooper making barrels at the Huron Milling Company (which later became the Hercules Powder Plant which made Lawry’s Seasoning Salt).  My Grandma Elsie (Roberts) (Arntz) Soule played piano for wealthy guests staying at the Resort along the lakeshore.  And my Dad (as did my Aunt Sandi Hunt) worked at the Community Theater in high school, and he taught swimming lessons in the summer at the local recreation center. 

I was born to the wandering branch of my family.  My parents and I moved away from Harbor Beach by the time I was 2 years old, and other than occasional visits when I was younger with my Grandparents (Emerson & Ruth) Wood and a family reunion or two through the 1980s … I haven’t been back.  But I still have very fond memories of my visits, and my family there.  I remember one summer visit in particular walking down to pier and the Community House with my cousin Flipper.  There was a drinking water fountain in the shape of a Lions head on the corner.  I wonder if it is still there?

Even though I was physically far away while growing up, the Spirit of Harbor Beach was always near.  Whether it was my folks talking about “Al’s Friday Fish Fry”, or copies of the local Harbor Beach Times with the lighthouse logo showing up in our mailbox in Hawaii and California.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if my folks still have a subscription that they get in Arizona now.

I’m not really sure what my younger siblings or my own children will consider their “hometown” as the years pass.  Perhaps it will be Kansas City or maybe even Lebanon, Missouri for some, or Cottonwood Heights or Murray, Utah for others.  But I hope they know that no matter where they call home, they have roots planted very deep in the Thumb of Michigan, along the shores of the Great Lake the Indians called Karegnondi.

 Photo by PEATmonster (photostream) 2007

Love & Aloha,

~Amy

USEFUL GENEALOGY LINKS

Here is a list of some useful websites for doing genealogy research in the Huron County, Michigan area.

The local daily newspaper is the Huron Daily Tribune (http://www.michigansthumb.com/)

The weekly newspaper is the Huron County Press (aka the Harbor Beach Times) (http://huroncountypress.mihomepaper.com/).

The MichiganGenWeb page for Huron County can be found at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mihuron/

The Deckerville Public Library, has a website of Huron County genealogical links at:

http://www.deckervillelibrary.com/huron_county_genealogy.htm

Several of my family members are buried at the Rock Falls Cemetery (including my Grandpa Fred Arntz, and his parents).  The cemetery is located about 1½ miles south of Harbor Beach on M-25.  The following website is an index of headstones originally compiled in 1994 by Robert B. LaBelle, and then updated in 2000 and again 2005 from obituaries.   http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mihuron/research/Rock_Falls_Cemetery.htm

Online Canadian Research Resources

Happy Saint Patrick's Day !! 

I was hoping to do a post today about my own Irish roots, but alas I have not been able to find time to devote to anything (yet).  Perhaps later this month I'll be able to get one put together.

And I'd like to wish my Aunt Diane a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today. :o)

In the meantime, I thought some of these Canadian resource websites might be helpful to any of my readers who are trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.  Please be sure to comment on this blog if you found any of these website useful to you or if you have additional Canadian resources that you think I should include in a future blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Hunting.
~Cuzn Amy

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Libary and Archives Canada

Canadian Genealogy Centre
 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html

Moving Here, Staying Here – The Canadian Immigrant Experience http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/immigrants/index-e.html

From Colony to Country – A Reader’s Guide to Canadian Military History http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/military/index-e.html

Immigrants to Canada before 1865 SEARCH http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/immigrants-canada/001084-100.01-e.php

In 1803, the British Parliament enacted legislation to regulate vessels carrying emigrants to North America. The master of the vessel was required to prepare a list of passengers. Unfortunately, few such lists have survived and therefore, there are no comprehensive nominal lists of immigrants arriving in Canada before 1865.

Some lists have been identified and indexed by name in this database. It also includes other types of records such as declarations of aliens and names of some Irish orphans.

The Shamrock and The Maple Leaf – Irish-Canadian Documentary Heritage http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ireland/index-e.html

The Shamrock and the Maple Leaf is a resource unparalleled in print or on the Web. The exhibition embodies a dynamic, ongoing collaboration between Library and Archives Canada and the National Archives of Ireland -- two institutions that are dedicated to sharing our unique documentary heritage with the world.

Here you will discover photographs, letters, books, music and other evidence of Ireland's vital influence on Canadian history and culture.

Search AMICUS http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/amicus/index-e.html

AMICUS is a free catalogue listing the holdings of libraries across Canada. As a national catalogue, AMICUS not only shows the published materials held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) but also those located in over 1300 libraries across Canada.  Search over 30 million records.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online http://www.biographi.ca/index-e.html

A major research and publishing project launched by the University of Toronto and the Université Laval in 1959, database of persons who played an important role in the formation of what is now Canada from 1000 to 1930.

Portrait Gallery of Canada http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/portraits/index-e.html

The Portrait Gallery of Canada is a program of Library and Archives Canada which has gathered the largest group of national portraits in the country: more than 20,000 paintings, drawings and prints, 4 million photographs, several thousand caricatures, and ten thousand medals and philatelic items