The Search for John Minard (1865 to ??)

John Minard 

(1865 to ???)

Here is what I know currently:

John "Minard" was born about 1865 in Huron County, Michigan.  His mother would have been Sarah Riley.  His father is either Adam Minard (provided Adam died later than 1861) or is unknown.  In the 1870 census, John is listed as John Wilson, age 5 and living with his mother and all nine siblings.  In the 1880 census John is listed as John "Minard", age 15 and is living with his mother and six siblings.  By the 1900 census, John would have been about 25 years old and likely living on his own but I have not been able to find either John Minard or John Wilson listed in Huron County, nor in any later census records. Nor have I found a death record for either name.

So where did John go???

Analysis of evidence gathered so far:

1870
The first I learn of John's existence is in the 1870 US Census,

Sarah (Riley) Minard is a widow is living in Huron City, Huron County, Michigan (New River Post Office) with nine children ... all using the surname Wilson.  According to previous research, Sarah's husband Adam died about 1861, so the father of at least the two youngest has been in question.

The youngest two children in the 1870 census are John "Wilson", age 5 and Sarah "Wilson", age 2. Living next to the family is William Wilson, age 52, farmer, born in Ontario. Further research provided evidence that Sarah Elizabeth Wilson, was born to William Wilson and Sarah Riley.  Additionally, Sarah appears to have used the maiden name Wilson (instead of Minard) throughout her life.  I have not been able to find a birth record for John yet.

1880
In the 1880 US Census, Sarah is living in the township of Huron, Huron County, Michigan with six children, all listed under the surname Minard. Additionally, there is no William Wilson in Huron Township, so where William (the father of Sarah) has gone needs further research (As a side note, there is a Boarder living with the Dwains family in Caseville, but further research would be needed to tie this William to Sarah's father). The youngest two youngest are John "Minard", age 15 and Sarah "Minard", age 12.

1894
Further research in the 1894 State Census of Michigan may shed additional light on the location of the youngest children.

1897-1920
A quick look up of death certificates on Seeking Michigan's website (for the years 1897-1920) for "John Minard" turns up no results, while a search of  "John Wilson" gives me 129 results. But when filtering it down to Huron County, I get no hits.  With a filter of birth year of 1865, I get three hits which at initial view do not show any other connections to Huron county or any of the Minard, McLean or Smith families.

If he died after 1880 and before 1900, why isn't he buried in the New River Cemetery where the family was living and other family members were being buried?

1900
By 1900, Sarah (Riley) Minard is living with her widowed son George in Port Austin, Huron and Georges two living children Maggie and Stanton.  Sarah Elizabeth (Wilson) McLean has married and is living in Winsor, Huron, Michigan with her husband John Angus McLean and their five children.  One of the questions on the 1900 census is how many children born and how many living as of 1900. Unfortunately, this question was not marked for Sarah Minard, so we can only go off the 1870 census showing a total of nine children being born, but unsure how many where living as of 1900.  There is a John Wilson, born 1868 in Michigan, living in Washburn, Bayfield, Wisconsin apparently working as a day laborer with the railroad. His mother was born in Ireland and his father in New York (which is not where William Wilson was born, but may have been were Adam Minard was born), but nothing else seems to be a match at this time to other known facts.

1910
By 1910, Sarah (Riley) Minard is living with her daughter Mary Jane (Minard) Smith, Mary's husband Thomas E Smith and their six children, in Elyria, Lorain, Ohio.

1935
By 1935, according to the obituary for James Harvey Minard, James is survived by two brothers Adam (of Detroit), and Albert (of Alabaster), and two sisters Jane Smith (of Elyria, Ohio) and Sarah McCleon (of Detroit).  There is no mention of John as either living or deceased.

Questions to be answered:

1. Where did her John "Wilson" or John "Minard" go after 1880?
2. Did John go by the name Minard? or Wilson? or another surname?  
3. Did he share the same father (William Wilson) as his youngest sister Sarah Elizabeth?
4. Did John die sometime after 1880 but before 1900? And if so when and where?
5. Why isn't John listed as a sibling in his brother James Harvey Minard's obituary?  Is he listed as a sibling (surviving or otherwise) in the obituaries of any of Sarah Riley Minard's other children?

As always, I am looking to connect with the decendants of Adam Minard and Sarah Riley Minard, so if you are related please contact me so we can share information.

Thanks for stopping by.

Love & Aloha,

52 Ancestors: #2 - Caroline Elizabeth Sterling Wood (1868-1942)

Caroline Elizabeth Sterling Wood (1868-1942)

Caroline Elizabeth Sterling Wood is my 2^nd great grandmother.  She was born 12 January 1868 in New Scotland, Harwich Township, Kent County, Ontario, Canada to James S and Sarah (Bassett) Sterling.  She was the fifth child of eight children (five daughters, and three sons).  New Scotland is located in county of Chatham-Kent, Ontario a little over two miles away from the Rondeau Provincial Park on Lake Erie.

 

On July 24, 1889, at the age of 21, Caroline was united in marriage to a young man from Morpeth named Nathan Wood (1870-1907) at the Presbyterian Church in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada.  Blenheim is about ten miles west of New Scotland; and Morpeth is almost 5 miles north of New Scotland.

It is important to understand how geography affected the lives of your ancestors when doing research.  That way when it looks like someone traveled hundreds of miles to get married, you may want to double check that there is not another community closer that used that same name at one point in history.  For example: New Scotland is also the historical name for New Brunswick ... but it would be unlikely that Caroline would have met Nathan if they didn't live within ten or 20 miles of each other.  

Nathan, Caroline and their son Nelson immigrated to Michigan about 1892, likely over the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, Michigan (which was built after the civil war and is about 73 miles west of New Scotland.  The Blue Water Bridge, located at Port Huron, was closer for them (64 miles away) but was not open to traffic until 1938.

To this union, three children were born:

1. Nelson James Wood (1889-1945)
2. Robert Harold Wood (1893-1961) – my great grandfather
3. Mary Jane Lydia Wood (1903-1985)

In October 1907, Caroline was left a widow with two teenage sons (18 and 14) and a four year old daughter after the unexpected death of her husband Nathan in a boat explosion in Grindstone City, Huron, Michigan.  She never remarried.

My initial records showed that Caroline died December 9, 1942, at the age of 74 IN Grindstone City (which now I believe was based on assumption or best guess) and is buried at the New River Cemetery along with her husband.  However I recently came across this obituary, along with two other articles the in the newspaper the week before her death that indicate that Caroline Wood was spending the winter at the home of her son, Robert Wood when she took ill with pneumonia and was taken to the Harbor Beach Hospital, where she was at the time of her death.  So it is always important to double check your assumed "facts" with other facts to make sure you have the whole picture.

The Harbor Beach Times - 12/04/1942

The Harbor Beach Times - 12/04/1942

The Harbor Beach Times - 12/11/1942 Pg 1

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope to see ya again real soon.

Love & Aloha,
CuznAmy

Image Source: Minden City Herald, July 13, 1934, Page 2

WOODS-VOLZ

            A pretty wedding took place at the Latter Day Saint church here on Sunday afternoon, when Miss Ruth M. Volz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Volz of this place became the bride of Mr. Emerson H. Wood, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wood of Harbor Beach.  Elder Willard Parks read the wedding ceremony, a double ring ceremony being used.  About 150 guests were in attendance.

            The bride's father gave her in marrage.  Her sister, Miss Helen Volz, was bridesmaid and Miss Margaret Wood, sister of the groom was maid of honor.  The groom was attended by Mr. Archie Thomas of Harbor Beach.  The ushers were Harry Volz and Burton Wood.

            The bride was gowned in white satin over which she wore a full length briadl veil and carried a bouquet of pink tea roses.  The bridesmaid was dress in yellow chiffon, and Miss Wood, the maid of honor was gowned in pale green chiffon.  Both young women carried large bouquets.

            The wedding march was played by Miss Lois Rudel, and a solo "I Love You Truly" was sang by Glen Blashill of Harbor Beach.  A wedding luncheon was served at the home of the bride's parents.

            Mr. and Mrs. Wood left Sunday evening for a motor trip to Northern Michigan.  They will reside in Harbor Beach, where Mr. Wood is employed as salesman with the Milhenthaler Co.

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

Murray City, Utah Prepares For The 1940 US Census

The Census is coming!! The Census is coming!! Only 26 days left before the 1940 US Census images are released to the public for viewing.  Are you ready??



Photo:  Process 1940, US Census Bureau



I don’t know much about the 1940s except what I learned in school, which was mostly centered on the effects of the Great Depression and World War II.  Neither of my parents was born before the 1940s census, but their parents were.  Emerson and Ruth (Volz) Wood and Fred and Elsie (Roberts) Arntz were newly married and raising their young families in Harbor Beach, Michigan in the 1940s.  Neither of my grandfathers served in World War II, and we never really talked about the effects of the Great Depression on them personally in much detail.  Since they have all passed away, I am hoping that the 1940 US Census will give me a better snapshot of their earlier lives that I no longer can ask them about. 



http://media.nara.gov/census-1940/A3378/MI/m-a3378-00029-00518.jpg

I have been enumerated in five censuses myself.  Though I don’t remember much about them, I do know there was a lot of hoopla surrounding each event, to get everyone educated and excited to participate in the process.  So I decided to do some research on my own in my local newspapers, to see how they presented the 1940s census to the population.  I wish Michigan newspapers were available online, but so far I've had very little luck finding a good FREE resource, so for this article I've used the GREAT collection of Utah newspapers gathered by the University of Utah (Go Utes!!)

The University of Utah has an amazing collection of digitized newspapers, holding over 1,000,000 pages of historic Utah newspapers.  The Utah Digital Newspapers (UDN) collection can be found at http://digitalnewspapers.org/. There are 12 newspapers at the Utah Digital Newspapers Collection that cover the 1940s: Park Record, Vernal Express, Davis County Clipper, Manti Messenger, Times Independent, Eureka Reporter, Morgan County News, Garfield County News, San Juan Record, Piute County News, Murray Eagle, and the Kane County Standard.  There are also eight newspapers that carry editions from various dates in the 1940s, such as: Rich County News, Richfield Reaper, Roosevelt Standard, Millard County Chronicle, Parowan Times, Iron County Record, Topaz Times and the Tooele County Chronicle.

My husband's family have been long time residents of Murray City, Utah.  The Murray Eagle images covers the time period 1927 to 1960.  If you have ancestors who were living in Murray City during this time period, this is a wonderful FREE resource of local history. 

In an effort to get the local populace ready for the 1940s census enumerators, the Murray Eagle ran several articles about various aspects of the census including a historical piece, editorial commentary about various questions, and instructions on how to prepare in advance for the farm schedules. 

Photo: 1940 US Census Part A, US Census Bureau

The first article that I found was written by Elmo Scott Watson and released by the Western Newspaper Union entitled “Uncle Sam Prepares to Count His Children – and How His Family Has Grown Since First Census in 1790!” on December 21, 1939.

The article was well written with a history of how the census came to be, the population predictions of President John Adams and President John Tyler, and a fear among the deeply religious early settlers that the 1790 census would bring about a destruction, similar to the time in the Bible when David numbered Israel and the Lord sent pestilence to smote them.

“Officials of the census bureau regard the 1940 US Census as probably the most important and far reaching since that first one 150 years ago. For this one will be much more than a mere counting of noses.”   In addition to the usual questions of population, industry, and farming and manufacturing production … the census will also focus on the “new social and economic situations which have arisen in the last few years, bringing with them problems that are yet unsolved”.   The 1940 US Census included questions about unemployment and migration from one state to another.  And the health questions were intended to help the government anticipate how many men would be incapacitated for military service.

On February 1, 1940 there was an article on Page 2 entitled “Range of Family” explaining how “family” and “dwelling” would be defined in the 1940 US Census. 

On March 14, 1940 there was an article in the Farm News on Page 7 entitled “U.S. Bureau of Census Requests Cooperation in 1940 Inquiry” informing farmers that they can help increase the speed and accuracy of the Census by filling out a sample farm census schedule created by the US Department of Commerce.

On March 21, 1940 there was an Editorial about two questions objected to by many.  Question 33 asks about income over $50 from sources other than wages or salary.  Question 48 asks if a person has been married more than once.    

By August 1, 1940 the Murray Eagle headlines declared “Census Shows 468 Population Gain. Murray Falls Short of Fifth Largest City By Three Babies  With 5,640 Tally”. Would be interesting to see if we could find out who the next three babies born after April 1st in Murray were? ;o)  Bet their mother's would have been glad to deliver early, especially if they were at that horrible last month waiting stage. 

http://media.nara.gov/census-1940/A3378/UT/m-a3378-00066-00483.jpg

If you are looking for some additional help to get you prepared to research the 1940 Census, be sure to stop by the Legacy Family Tree website.  They hosted a free webinar today with over 1,000 attendees called “Navigating the 1940 US Census”.  Luckily the webinar was recorded, and you can access the recording for free ... but only until March 19, 2012.  So don't procrastinate.

Simply visit http://www.millenniacorp.com/_videos/webinars/2012-03-07-1940/2012-03-07-1940.html and then press the play button.

If you are fortunate enough to have someone in your life who remembers the 1940s, be sure to interview them.  The Unpuzzling Your Past Workbook by Emily Anne Croom has some wonderful interview questions related to the 1940s and WWII that can help you get started.  You should be able to find her workbook at most public libraries, or purchase your own copy through Amazon. 

And don't forget, there is still time to register to help index the 1940 US Census.  Just go to the 1940 US Census Community Project and download the indexing software (found under Downloads in the Quick Links section).  

Let the countdown continue ... :)

Love and Aloha,
~Amy

Scrapbook - Christian Binder Death Notice

Transcript: Christian Binder (date of article unknown)

Ubly, Apr. 30 - Funeral services for Christian Binder, 87, who died Tuesday afternoon in the old homestead in Bingham township, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday from the Bingham Lutheran church.

Rev. E. C. Stieg, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in the chuch cemetery.

Mr. Binder is survived by eight children. He had lived in Huron county 74 years, first coming to the vicinity of Ruth with his parents.

Seeking Joseph - Hiram IS Joseph's Brother. :o)

It’s official …. Joseph is not an only child.  Hiram Roberts IS his brother.   :o)

New Information:

Based on the information I obtained from Find-A-Grave yesterday, I researched the death certificates for Hiram, Anna, Elizabeth, and Martha Anna Roberts.  Here is what I discovered:

http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,322299

Hiram Roberts was born January 27, 1840 in Canada to Roswell William Roberts (born in Massachusetts) and Mahetable Miller (born in Pennsylvania).  Hiram died December 26, 1909 in Sand Beach Township, Huron County, Michigan, USA at the age of 69 years, 11 months were he had been a farmer.  He was buried on December 28, 1909 in Rock Falls Cemetery.  The cause of death is very hard to read, but appears to be “Chronic Myelitis, Cirrhosis of Liver”.  Hiram is listed as married on his death certificate, though I currently don’t know his spouse’s name.  The informant on Hiram’s death certificate was Elmer Roberts (living in Harbor Beach).  I do not know Elmer’s relationship to Hiram, but I am assuming he may be a son.

Anna (Gohill) Roberts is still somewhat of a mystery.  She was born May 30, 1871 in Sutton Canada to Charles Gohill (born in Montreal Canada) and Eliza Evans (born in Canada).  She is listed as married, but there is no information as to her spouse’s name.  The informant on her death certificate says “Sister”, who was residing in Bay City, Michigan.  The fact that was most interesting is that Anna is listed as living on Bartlett Street, so I know there must be a connection to my Redman Street family. (Source: http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,393468)

Martha Anna Roberts and Elizabeth E(mmer) Roberts (her middle name hard to read) are sisters to each other.  They were both born to Henry Roberts (born in New York) and Mariam Ramsey (born in Canada).  Both sisters died of heart ailments.

Elizabeth was born January 22, 1875 in Canada.  She died July 3, 1915 in Sand Beach Township, Huron County, Michigan, USA at the age of 40 years, 6 months and 11 days.  She was single at the time of her death.  The informant is listed as Ross Roberts of Harbor Beach.  Elizabeth was buried at Rock Falls Cemetery on July 6, 1915.  Elizabeth’s cause of death was “fatty degeneration of heart”. (Source: http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,256292)

Martha was born July 10, 1865 in Canada.  She died March 1, 1916 in Sand Beach Township, Huron County, Michigan, USA, at the age of 50 years 7 months and 21 days.  She was single at the time of her death.  The informant is “Mr. Ross Roberts” of Harbor Beach.  Martha was buried at Rock Falls Cemetery on March 4, 1916. Martha’s cause of death was “pneumonia” and “chronic valvular heart disease”. (Source: http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,102697)

Questions and Analysis:

A search of the 1851 and 1861 Canadian census in Halton County, Ontario, Canada should find Joseph and Hiram listed as children in the household of Russell (Rowsell) and Mahatable Roberts.

A search of the 1900 and 1910 Huron County, Michigan federal census may shine more light on Anna and her family; provided they emigrated from Canada prior to either census record.

Can I locate any other children of Russell Roberts and Mahatable Miller in the Death Records of 1897-1920 on the SeekingMichigan.org website?  It may be best to wait on that search until I locate the family in the Canadian census records, so I have first names to use in my query.

How is Henry Roberts related to Joseph and Hiram?  Perhaps Henry Roberts was a cousin to Joseph and Hiram, making Henry a nephew to Russell.  And is Mariam Ramsey related to Ramsey’s who own the Ramsey Funeral Home in Harbor Beach?

I am also curious about where Russell Roberts and Mahatable Miller were married?  According to Hiram’s death certificate Russell (Rowsell) was born in Massachusetts (which matches Joseph death certificate), and Mahatable Miller was born in Pennsylvania (Joseph’s death certificate lists her as born in Holland).  However, without knowing the date of birth and birthplace for their oldest child, it may be difficult to estimate a possible marriage year or location.

NEXT STEPS:

I guess I will see if I can find Hiram and Joseph listed in the 1851, 1861 and 1871 Canadian census on Ancestry.com.  This may shed light on the names of any other siblings, as well Hiram’s wife and any children he may have had while in Canada.  It may also help me narrow down the possible year and location for Russell Roberts and Mahatable Millers marriage.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

Love & Aloha,

~Cuzn Amy

Seeking Joseph - Find-A-Grave Information

Before I get started with my new research ... I would like to apologize to everyone who has tried to post a comment to this blog.  I did not realize I had the setting set to only let "registered" followers post comments.  I have now updated my settings for all future posts, and even previous posts should now allow comments (if you are so inclined).  Thanks. :o)


New Information:

According to the Find-A-Grave website the following six individuals with the surname ROBERTS are buried at Rock Falls Cemetery in Harbor Beach, Huron, Michigan, USA. 

Roberts, Anna Gohill                      b: April 1871 d: ??? 7, 1912 (65707624)

Roberts, Cecelia Gillem                  b: June 20, 1845 d: September 22, 1910 (65191848)

Roberts, Elizabeth E                        b: ??? 22, 1875 d: July 3, 1915 (65707566)

Roberts, Hiram                                b: January 27, 1940 d: December 26, 1909 (65707544)

Roberts, Joseph                               b: July 9, 1946 d: April 28, 1911 (65191720)

Roberts, Martha Anna                     b: July 10, 1865 d: March 1, 1916 (65707595)

It’s important to remember that the information on Find-A-Grave.com is provided by volunteers (like myself), so I you can never be sure how complete or accurate the data is (though we try to do our best).  So, it is possible that there are more ROBERTS family members buried in this cemetery who have not been submitted to the Find-A-Grave’s database yet.  But please don’t let that deter you from using this wonderful FREE resource in your own research process.

Questions and Analysis:

How are these six people related to each other?

We know that Joseph and Cecelia are married to each other.

Joseph and Cecelia had two daughters – Elizabeth and Sarah (whom I believe were twins).  Elizabeth was married at the time of her death, so I would expect that she is buried elsewhere under her married name – and so their daughter Elizabeth is not likely the same Elizabeth E Roberts buried at Rock Falls Cemetery. 

Both Anna and Martha Anna, were born about the same time as Joseph and Cecelia’s children.  But they could not be daughters-in-laws either as my notes reflect, George married a Hannah; William married a Mary; Charles married a Lillie; and Alfred married Mabel Ellen Ogle.  Robert James Roberts never married to my knowledge.

Anna’s maiden name is Gohill, so she was married to a Roberts but it would be unlikely that she was married to Hiram (as the age difference is over 30 years), and none of Joseph and Cecelia’s son’s were married to an Anna or Martha Anna.  Additionally, the Find-A-Grave memorials for both Elizabeth and Martha Anna do not reflect any maiden names, so it is possible they were spinster daughters, though they were both old enough to have been married

Since Hiram is a few years older than Joseph, it is possible that Hiram is Joseph’s older brother or perhaps a cousin. 

NEXT STEPS:

I guess I will see if I can find any death certificates for these people on the SeekingMichigan.org website (Death Records 1897-1920).  Their death certificates should provide the names of their parents, and spouses.  So if Hiram’s father is the same as Joseph’s I will know they are brothers.

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by.

Love & Aloha,

~Cuzn Amy

Seeking Joseph - Death Certificate 1911

http://seekingmichigan.org/u?/p129401coll7,3479b

What I’ve learned from Joseph Robert’s Death Certificate:

Joseph Roberts died in the City of Harbor Beach, Huron County, Michigan, United States on Friday, April 28, 1911 at 8:00 pm.  He had been under a doctor’s care for approximately 8 days.  His Cause of Death was determined to be Lobar Pneumonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobar_pneumonia), which he had for approximately six days, along with a contributory case of the measles.  Joseph was buried in Rock Falls, on Monday, May 1, 1911.

William Roberts, who was residing in Harbor Beach, is listed as the informant. (I am assuming that this William is Joseph and Cecelia Roberts’ oldest son).  Joseph’s date of birth is July 9, 1848, in Nelson, Canada.  He was 63 years, 9 months and 19 days at the time of death.  He married at age 21, was the father of 7 children of whom 6 were currently living in 1911 (Robert Roberts died approx 1908), and was widowed (Cecelia died September 22, 1910).  Joseph’s parents are listed as Russell W Roberts, born in Massachusetts and Mahatable Miller (which matches the M Miller), born in Holland.  Joseph’s occupation is listed as Labor.

New Questions:

1. Why does Joseph and Cecelia’s marriage registration list Joseph's father’s name as Joseph, and his death certificate list his father as Russell? Which is correct?
2. Since Joseph was born and raised in Nelson, Halton, Ontario, Canada until his move to Michigan …. can I locate a Joseph Roberts with his parents in the 1861 Canadian Census (or even the 1851 census)?  Are there other other Roberts families in Halton County that are related?
3. Were Joseph, Cecelia and their children the only "Roberts" to move to Huron County?  Are there other Roberts families in Huron County that are related?

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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

Unique News Clippings - Part 1

In addition to news clippings related to the life events of family and close friends, my great grandmother also kept articles of local, national and world events that she found of interest.  I will post those here as well, in hopes that these articles will be helpful to others conducting research on their own branches, or during this time period (1930s and 1940s).

-- And Their Mother is Only 35

Mrs. O.D. Dalton, of Valdosta, GA, age 35, is the mother of these ten beautiful children, the oldest 15 years and the youngest 14 months.  Only one pair of twins is included.  Mrs. Dalton is believed to be the youngest mother of ten.

West Wind Brings 'Flood' of Dust to Huron Motorists

(Special to The Times Herald)

Bad Axe, Feb. 6 (1937) - If you are tired of reading about flood conditions in the South -- try a little of this. Motorists on highways in Huron county and parts of Tuscola and Sanilac counties, complained today that they were forced to drive through dust storms so thick in places that it was difficult to see.  The dust was being driven by so strong a west wind that it was difficult to hold the cars steady on the highways.  The dust coming for the most part from winter plowed fields and also from dirt roads blanketed the thin coating of snow that spotted the landscape.  The dust seeped into closed cars, motorists complained and made breathing unpleasant and the dust also irritated their eyes.  The dust storm started about 9 a.m. and eased off about 5 p.m. today.  There has been very little moisture in Huron county this winter.

Love and Aloha,

Cuzn Amy