Saturday, February 28, 2009

Names, Places and Most Wanted Faces

Craig over at GeneaBlogie suggested the following:

List the surnames you are researching and the general localities. Then tell the names of your “Most Wanted Ancestors,” that is, the ones you most want to find behind that brickwall.

Here are my surnames and locations:

Trahan (Louisiana - Lafayette/Acadia/St. Martin Parishes, Nova Scotia - Port Royal/Pisguit/Grand Pre, France - Montreuil-Bellay)

Pemberton (Michigan - St. Clair/Sanilac/Macomb/Chippewa/Alpena Counties, Ontario - Kent/York/Wentworth Counties, New York - possibly Albany County)

Mertena (Oklahoma - Logan County, Illinois - Jackson/Williamson/Franklin Counties)

Currie (Michigan - Sanilac County, Ontario - Elgin County, Scotland - possibly Argyleshire)

Boneaux (Louisiana - Lafayette/Orleans Parishes, France)

Crysler (Michigan - St. Clair/Sanilac Counties, Ontario - Lambton County, New York - Fulton/Columbia/Schenectady/Dutchess/Greene/Schoharie Counties, Germany - possibly Neiderneisen)

Proffitt (Oklahoma - various counties, Tennessee - Jefferson County, North Carolina - Yancey/Wilkes Counties, Virginia - Goochland County, Scotland - possibly Perth)

Plaine (Ontario - Lambton/Middlesex Counties, England - Norfolk County)

Sonnier (Louisiana - Lafayette/St. Martin Parishes, Nova Scotia - Petitcoudiac/Grand Pre/Port Royal, France - possibly Bretagne)

Reynolds (Michigan - Sanilac County, Ontario - possibly Wentworth County, New York)

Baker (North Carolina, Tennessee - Sevier/Jefferson Counties, Virginia - Augusta/Frederick Counties)

Hillman (Ontario - Lambton/Middlesex Counties, England - Wiltshire County)

Most sought after ancestors:

Parents of Jeremiah Pemberton (abt 1811-1881). Jeremiah was married in York County, Ontario, to Susannah Jermyn in 1836. Most census records state he was born in New York. There was a famed Loyalist from Albany County, New York, named Jeremiah Pemberton, who supposedly fled to Ontario to escape persecution during the American Revolution. Could this be Jeremiah's grandfather?

Parents of John Henry Mertena (abt 1854-abt 1884). John Henry was born in southern Illinois, possibly in Jackson County. He resided in Jackson County and was age 22 when he married Carolina Christina "Carrie" Orth in 1876 in Williamson County. John and Carrie were living in Franklin County in 1880 for the U.S. Census. The census states he was born in Illinois and that both of his parents were born in Tennessee. The family story was that John Henry's parents were immigrants, and that his father was robbed and killed on the ship coming over to America. His mother gave birth to him on board. She remarried to a man named Brown once she arrived in America. I have since found out through census and marriage records that the "Brown" stepfather was actually the stepfather of John Henry Mertena's wife, Carrie. And if both his parents were actually born in Tennessee, then the ship story is unlikely. Carrie's parents were both German immigrants, so maybe this story does have some truth to it on her side, though I do know from census records that Carrie's father did arrive in America.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Trahan Sisters

This is my sister and I in July 1986. I was 5 and she was 2 1/2. I don't know why that girl was running around without pants on! I've been scanning some photos for 30 minutes a day that I inherited from my grandmother, and this is one of my favorites from yesterday.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Archie's Siblings: Ervin Currie, Part 2

I have already received the obits for Ervin Currie and his wife, Alma Margaret (Walhier) Currie, from the Saginaw Public Library system. Below are transcriptions (I have not had time to scan them yet):

"John E. Curry," obituary,
Saginaw (Michigan) News, 20 Feb 1950, p. 17.

Passed away at the Saginaw County Infirmary Hospital Sunday morning. Age 63 years, Mr. Curry was born Oct. 20, 1886 in Sanilac County. On Dec. 15, 1916 he married Miss Alma Walhier in Saginaw. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and one daughter: Robert J. Curry, Eugene D. Curry, and Mrs. James Taylor, all of Saginaw. Mr. Curry may be seen after 7 o'clock this evening at the Funeral Home. Funeral will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Reitz Funeral Home. Rev. R.G. Osgood officiating. Burial in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
So it appears that Ervin went by the name John Ervin as well, and that he had two sons in addition to Alice, who appears in the 1930 U.S. Census with her maternal grandparents in Saginaw. The obit also gave me Alice's husband's name. The birth date is one year and two days different than the 18 Oct 1885 birth date on Ervin's birth record. The marriage date is also a year and 10 days different than that on the marriage record. The fact that Archie, who was still alive in 1950, is not mentioned as a surviving brother is in line with my grandmother's statement that her dad was not very close to most of his siblings and that she had never heard of Ervin.

"Mrs. Alma M. Curry," obituary,
Saginaw (Michigan) News, 4 Jun 1966, p. A11.

604 McCoskry Street
Passed away 7 a.m. Friday at the Saginaw County Hospital Chronic Disease Unit after a long illness. Age 69 years, Alma Margaret Walhier was born June 11, 1896, in Saginaw, and had been a lifelong resident. She was married to John E. Curry in Saginaw in 1916. He passed away in 1952. Surviving are two sons and one daugher, Mrs. Alice Rupp, Robert J. and Donald E. Curry, all of Saginaw; seven grandchildren; her mother, Mrs. Ida Walhier, Saginaw. Funeral service will take place 1 p.m. Monday at the Reitz Funeral Home. Rev. William R. Conklin will officiate with burial in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Saturday.
Now I even have an address for the family! So the Alma I found in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census does seem to be the same Alma here, which I figured, since Alice Curry was living with George and Ida Walhier in 1930 and listed as granddaughter. Again, the marriage is off by a year from the marriage record, and Ervin's death date is two years off from that stated in his obit of 1950. We have a new married name for Alice, and Eugene's name is now given as Donald E. So he must have been either Eugene Donald or Donald Eugene. It seemed likely from both obits that the family did not move away from Saginaw, so I went back to the 1930 Census and searched under Donald and Eugene Curry. BINGO!!

In 1930, John E. Curry and Alma M. Curry were living at 648 So. Thirteenth Street in Saginaw with children, Alice I. Curry (11), Eugene D. Curry (9), and Robert J. Curry (6). John E. was listed as age 39, age 30 at first marriage, born in Michigan, and parents' born in Canada-English. He was working as a bill peddler for a loan company. Is this a bill collector? Alma was listed as age 30 and 19 years old at first marriage, born in Michigan, and parents' born in the U.S. and Michigan. All three children were born in Michigan, with both parents born in Michigan.


1930 U.S. Census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw (Ward 10), enumeration district (ED) 39, sheet 17B, dwelling 376, family 405, John E. Curry household; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search: accessed 20 Feb 2009); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1022.

I still cannot seem to find Ervin and Alma in the 1920 U.S. census. I think a detailed reading line by line may be in order, but that will have to wait until another day, especially since Saginaw is not exactly a small town.

Another census question: Why was Alice enumerated with her maternal grandparents in 1930 as well as with her parents? Perhaps she was visiting her grandparents the day the census taker came by? Or did they have custody of her? Court records should tell if they had custody.

I also did another search of the online Saginaw Public Library obituary index for Alice, Eugene/Donald, and Robert. See findings below:

1) Alice I. Taylor Rupp, maiden name Curry, spouses Arthur (2nd) and James (1st), born 5/11/1918, died 8/23/1994 in Saginaw, buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery

2) Donald E. Curry, spouse Bertha Meeker, born 10/15/1920 in Saginaw, died 7/12/1981 in Saginaw, buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery Soldiers Plot

3) Robert J. Curry, spouses Esther Miller (2nd) and Esther Mae Janson (1st), married 3/27/1999 (2nd) and 10/25/1944 (1st), 1st spouse died 9/8/1998, child of John and Alma M. Walheir, age 81, born 2/4/1924 in Saginaw, died 9/5/2005 in Saginaw, buried in Roselawn Cemetery, served in US Army during WWII, Baptist Church, Case Funeral Home.

I think I will be ordering their obits to see what other info I may be able to find. Maybe I can find some descendants who would be interested in sharing family info. It also looks like the two sons both served in the military, so I will be searching WWII records to see if I can find anything.

In summary:

18 Oct 1885 - Ervin is born in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan, to Elexander [sic] and Mary E. Currie, both of Canada.

Jun 1900 - Ervin, age 14 (enumerated as age 16), is living with his parents and younger brother, Archie, in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan.

Apr 1910 - Ervin, age 24 (enumerated as age 23), is living with Donald Campbell in Flynn Township. He is working as a farm laborer for Donald.

Jun 1917 - Ervin, age 31 (age given as 29 on record), is living at 634 N. Second in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, where he registered for the WWI Draft. He is working as an ironworker at a foundry in Saginaw.

25 Dec 1917 - Ervin, age 32 (age given as 30 on record), marries Alma Walhier in Saginaw.

11 May 1918 - Daughter, Alice I. Currie, is born. Ervin is age 32.

15 Oct 1920 - Son, Donald Eugene Currie, is born in Saginaw. Ervin is age 34.

4 Feb 1924 - Son, Robert J. Currie, is born in Saginaw. Ervin is age 38.

Apr 1930 - Ervin, Alma, Alice, Donald, and Robert are living at 648 So. 13th Street in Saginaw. Alice is also enumerated with Alma's parents, George and Ida Walhier, in Saginaw.

19 Feb 1950 - Ervin dies of chronic myocarditis in Saginaw at age 64 (age given as 63 in obituary).

21 Feb 1950 - Ervin is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, with no marker.

Yay for the Kreativ Blogger Award!



I have been awarded the Kreativ Blogger Award by Janet Iles.
Thank you, Janet! I'm really glad you like my blog. It's so exciting to find someone reading it besides me! I see that you also have Ontario roots, so maybe we can chat more about that later.

I present this award to:

1) Andrea - One of my very first followers who always leaves inspiring comments!
2) Lisa - My favorite research blog buddy!
3) Daphne - This is a promising new blog about genealogy on a budget!
4) Amanda - My Legacy and Blogoversary buddy!
5) Jo - A new genealogy blog focusing on England and Northern Ireland research!

I am also breaking the rules here and nominating only 5 because so many of my blogging friends have already gotten the award.

1. Copy the award to your site.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.

4. Link to those sites on your blog.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Happy Valentine's Day


L to R: Hassie Cora PROFFITT, Merlene Golda MERTENA, Merlen Paris "Zack" MERTENA. Taken 2 Feb 1955 on the wedding day of Merlene and Benford Maurice TRAHAN in Vinton, Calcasieu, Louisiana. The house in the background belonged to Benford's parents, Bienvenue TRAHAN and Beatrice Marie BONEAUX. Benford and Merlene later lived in the house.

This Valentine's Day is dedicated to my great-grandparents, Merlen Paris "Zack" MERTENA and Hassie Cora PROFFITT, who married on 14 Feb 1931 in Mulhall, Logan, Oklahoma. They are the parents of my paternal grandmother, Merlene Golda MERTENA.

Logan County, Oklahoma, Marriage Book 25: 47, Mertena-Proffitt; FHL microfilm 378,328.


"Friends Honor Mertenas," clipping from unidentified newspaper, c. Feb 1931; supplied by Merlene (Mertena) Trahan, Vinton, Louisiana. Merlene is the daughter of Merlen and Hassie.

Before they married, Hassie was a schoolteacher. Zack and Hassie had 4 children from 1931 to 1946:

1) William John "Bill" MERTENA was born on 20 Aug 1931 in Frederick, Tillman, Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism. He served with the U.S. Army in Korea and retired from the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. He worked as a journalist for the American Press in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana and in Olympia, Thurston, Washington. He married Eva Jo WARD on 6 Apr 1958 in at First Methodist Church in Lake Charles. They had five children. They later divorced in 1986. He then married Betty ESTES. Bill died on 8 Oct 2001 in Olympia and was cremated.

2) Merlene Golda MERTENA was born on 28 Jul 1935 in Mulhall, Logan, Oklahoma. She graduated from Sulphur High School in Sulphur, Calcasieu, Louisiana, in 1953 and attended McNeese State University in Lake Charles. She married Benford Maurice TRAHAN on 2 Feb 1955 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, in Vinton, Calcasieu, Louisiana. She is retired from being a travel counselor with the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. Benford and Merlene have four children and seven grandchildren.

3) Joseph Henry "Tony" MERTENA was born on 15 November 1941 in Guthrie, Logan, Oklahoma. He married Gloria Maxine CARLIN of Sulphur. They had one child. He worked at the Citgo oil refinery in Sulphur for over 20 years. Tony died 30 Jan 1998 in Lake Charles. He is buried at Niblett's Bluff Cemetery in Vinton.

4) Jill Darlene MERTENA was born 29 Sep 1946 in Ponca City, Kay, Oklahoma. She married Robert James "Bobby" ELLENDER on 2 Apr 1971 in Orange, Orange, Texas. She is retired from being a hairdresser.

Hassie and Zack moved from Mulhall, Oklahoma, to Ponca City, Oklahoma, around 1942. They then moved to Sulphur, Louisiana, around 1952, due to Zack's job transfer with Conoco, from where he retired as an operator. He was known as a great storyteller. He died on 7 May 1989 in Sulphur. Hassie died on 7 May 1986 in Lake Charles. They are both buried at Mimosa Pines Cemetery in Sulphur.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Happy Birthday - Feb 13

Happy birthday to Melvin Edward DISTELRATH. Melvin was the younger brother of the second husband of my great-grandaunt, Alvina Florence PEMBERTON. Melvin was born on 13 Feb 1925 in St. Clair, St. Clair, Michigan. Sadly, he died when struck by lightning at the age of 14. He died on his father's farm on Trumble Road in St. Clair on 27 May 1939. He had been working on an old automobile when it started raining. He ran into the woods and was found 18 hours later by his father and his older brother, Arnold, my great-grandaunt's husband. He attended school at St. Mary's in St. Clair and was an altar boy and member of the choir there. He is buried at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in St. Clair. See his obituary here.

Happy Birthday - Feb 12

I know this is a day late, but better late than never!


Happy Birthday to my first cousin Stacy! She is the oldest grandchild of John Peter Pemberton, Clifford Robert Drouillard, and Violet Mae Currie. She takes care of the family scrapbooking, and I take care of the genealogy. And she helps me take care of the genealogy too sometimes. And by the way, Stacy is fourth cousins with Madonna through her dad's side of the family! Stacy's paternal grandmother and Madonna's maternal grandmother had the same great-grandparents, Eustache Demers and Zoe Vezina.


Happy Birthday to Uncle Dennis! Gotta love this pic!

Another happy birthday shoutout goes to Ralph Allen HARTMAN. He is the great-grandfather of my sister's new husband. Ralph was born on 12 Feb 1890 in Eureka, Greenwood, Kansas, to Cyrus Thompson HARTMAN and Lola NICHOLS. He married Inez SEE, daughter of George Robert SEE and Frances Angeline ROSS, on 20 Apr 1914 in Shannon, Montier, Missouri. They had four children, including my brother-in-law's paternal grandmother, who is still alive today at age 91. Ralph died 6 Sep 1930 in Monroe County, Illinois. He is buried in Rolla, Phelps, Missouri in Rolla Cemetery.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Archie's Siblings: Ervin Currie

Earlier, I posted here about my great-grandfather, Archie Currie, in response to an email I received from Dianne in Michigan who thought we may be related. So far, Dianne has not found a connection, but she is going to pass on the info I've given her so far to some other Currie researchers in Michigan. In the meantime, I've decided to continue posts on Archie's siblings in the hope that one day, I will find someone with a connection.

I will start with Archie's older brother, Ervin. The first thing I did when I saw Ervin on the 1900 U.S. Census with Archie and their parents, Alex and Mary, was ask my grandmother if she ever knew him. My grandmother said she did not know him, so I was left to non-family sources in order to find him.

The earliest record I have of Ervin is his birth record from the "Michigan Births 1867-1902" database at FamilySearch Labs. Ervin Currie was born 18 Oct 1885 in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan, to Elexander Currie and Mary E. Currie, who were both born in Canada. Alexander was a farmer in Maple Valley.


Michigan Department of Vital Records, Birth Registrations, 1885, Sanilac County, p. 161, no. 255, Ervin Currie; digital image, "Michigan Births 1867-1902," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 11 Feb 2009).

Ervin was living with Alex and Mary and younger brother, Archie, in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan, in 1900, as mentioned earlier. His age was given as 16 years old and his birth date as Oct 1883, two years earlier than what his birth record stated. His birth place is correctly given as Michigan. Like his birth record, his parents' birthplaces are given as Canada.

In 1910, Ervin was living in the household of Donald Campbell in Flynn Township. According to older brother Archie's WWI draft registration, he also worked for Donald Campbell in 1917. Donald is also living two doors down from Archie and Jennie in 1930. Ervin's relationship to Donald is listed as hired man. Ervin is 23 (b. abt 1886-87), single, and a farm laborer. Ervin's birthplace is given as Michigan, and his parents' birthplaces are given as Scotland, though all other census records and his birth record gives his parents' birthplace as Canada.

1910 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, township of Flynn, enumeration district (ED) 139, sheet 2B, dwelling 31, family 32, Donald Campbell household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 9 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 674.

By June 1917, Ervin had moved to Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, about 90 miles northwest of Flynn Township. On his WWI draft registration card, his age is listed as 29 and his birthdate and place as 20 Oct 1887 in Maple Valley. This is a two year difference from is birth record. He lived at 634 No. Second in Saginaw and worked for the ironworks foundry there. The name of his supervisor is hard to make out. The card states that his mother was dependent on him, which is what Archie's card stated as well.

"World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database and images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 10 Feb 2009), Ervin Currie, Draft Board 1, Saginaw, Saginaw County, Michigan; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, NARA microfilm publication M1509, roll 1682808.

Six months later, Ervin married Elma Walhier in Saginaw. They married on Christmas Day in 1917. Ervin's age is given as 30 (b. abt 1887), again a two year difference from his birth record. The marriage record lists him as a laborer residing in Saginaw. His birthplace is given as Michigan, and his parents as Alexander Currie and Mary Raymond. Elma was listed as age 21 (b. abt 1896), born and residing in Saginaw, and the daughter of John and Sarah Walhier.

Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1917, 5: 71, no. 24600, Currie-Walhier; digital image, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs(http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 10 Feb 2009).

For the 1920 and 1930 U.S. census, Ervin and Elma seem to drop off the planet, like many of our ancestors did. Therefore, I decided to do some more research on Elma in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. census records. In 1900, at 219 Sixth Street in Saginaw, we find George (age 29) and Ida Walhier (age 25), with children Clarence, Alma, and Elta. Alma is age 4, born on 11 Jun 1895 in Michigan. Both George and Ida were born in Germany and immigrated in 1880. George's occupation is given as barkeeper. Clarence is age 5 and Elta is age 2. The parents' names do not match those given on the marriage record for Ervin and Elma, but everything else seems to match. In fact, it seems like whoever gave the info for the marriage record was not very knowledgeable about Elma's parents, as he/she gave no maiden name for Elma's mother. There appear to be no other Elma or Alma Walhier's born around 1896 living in Saginaw in 1900.

1900 U.S. census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw (Ward 4), enumeration district (ED) 49, sheet 14B, dwelling 308, family 312, George Walhier household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 12 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 739.

In 1910, we find George A. (age 39) and Ida (age 36) Walhier living at 112 North 10th Street in Saginaw. They still have three children, Clarence (age 15), Elma (age 13 - b. abt. 1896-97 in Michigan), and Elsie (age 11). George is a waiter in a restaurant.

1910 U.S. census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw (Ward 5), enumeration district (ED) 53, sheet 4A, dwelling 55, family 56, George A. Walhier household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 12 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 672.

In 1920, George A. (age 49) and Ida J. (age 45) Walhier were living at 424 10th Street in Saginaw. Children Clarence J. (age 25) and Elta L. (age 21) were living with them. Alma was not there, probably because she was living with Ervin, though I can't seem to find them. George was a fireman at the heating plant and Clarence was a machinist in a factory.

1920 U.S. census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw (Ward 5), enumeration district (ED) 181, sheet 5B, dwelling 119, family 126, George A. Walhier household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 12 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 793.

In 1930, George (age 58) and Ida (age 56) Walhier were still living at 424 10th Street in Saginaw with son, Clarence J. (age 35). This time, there was a granddaughter, Alice Curry, living with them! This must be Ervin and Alma's daughter. She was age 11, suggesting a birth date of 1918-19. She was born in Michigan, as were both of her parents. Again, where in the world were Ervin and Alma?

1930 U.S. census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw (Ward 6), enumeration district (ED) 32, sheet 19A, dwelling 448, family 481, George Walhier household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 12 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1022.

At this point, I thought that maybe Ervin and Alma had died prior to 1930, since Alice was living with Alma's parents. However, the Saginaw Public Libraries has a wonderful obituary and cemetery database at their website. In the obituary index, I found an entry for John E. Curry, married to Alma Walhier, born 20 Oct 1886 in Sanilac County, and died 19 Feb 1950 in Saginaw County. I also found Alma Margaret (Walhier) Curry, married to John E., born 11 Jun 1896 in Saginaw, and died 3 Jun 1966 in Saginaw. They were both buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, though the cemetery database said there was no marker for either of them. The library offers a free obituary lookup service, so now I am waiting for their obituaries. Perhaps their obituaries will provide clues to other children and where they lived in 1920 and 1930.

In summary:

18 Oct 1885 - Ervin is born in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan, to Alexander and Mary E. Currie, both of Canada.

Jun 1900 - Ervin, age 14, is living with his parents and younger brother, Archie, in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan.

Apr 1910 - Ervin, age 24, is living with Donald Campbell in Flynn Township. He is working as a farm laborer for Donald.

Jun 1917 - Ervin, age 31, is living at 634 N. Second in Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, where he registered for the WWI Draft. He is working as an ironworker at a foundry in Saginaw.

25 Dec 1917 - Ervin, age 32, marries Alma Walhier in Saginaw.

1918-1919 - Daughter, Alice Currie, is born.

Apr 1930 - Ervin's daughter, Alice, is living with Alma's parents, George and Ida Walhier, in Saginaw.

19 Feb 1950 - Ervin dies of chronic myocarditis in Saginaw County.

21 Feb 1950 - Ervin is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, with no marker.

TO-DO LIST FOR ERVIN:

1. Analyze obituaries of Ervin and Alma, as well as her parents, for clues about other children and relatives, as well as other places lived.

2. Order death records for Ervin and Alma from the Saginaw County Clerk.

3. Continue to search for Ervin and Alma in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. Census.

Monday, February 9, 2009

My Research on Archie Currie

I received an email this week from Dianne in Michigan who is also interested in my Currie line. She found my blog through Google Alert and wrote for more information on my Currie's. Therefore, I've decided to post a response here so that others are able to find answers as well. I believe that I will start backwards at the end of his life and move forward with the information I've found.

Omard Cemetery (Brown City, Sanilac County, Michigan; Peck Road, east of Sheperd Rd.), Archie Currie marker, personally read, 11 Aug 2007.

According to Archie's death record, he was born 2 Nov 1891 in Michigan and died 15 Mar 1963 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. He was a farmer and resided at 2301 Aitken Road in Brown City, Flynn Township, Sanilac County, Michigan. He was a widower, whose deceased spouse was Jennie Currie. The informant was my maternal grandmother, Archie's daughter, Mrs. John [Violet] Pemberton, of 1828 Stone Street in Port Huron. She did not know the names of his parents at the time, so they are listed as unknown. He was buried 19 Mar 1963 in Omard Cemetery in Flynn Township.

St. Clair County, Michigan, death certificate no. 164 (1963), Archie Currie; County Clerk, Port Huron, Pemberton/Currie/Drouillard Family Papers; supplied by Violet (Currie) Pemberton Drouillard, Vinton, Louisiana. Violet was the daughter of Archie.

I also have two obituaries for Archie. I'm not exactly sure which newspapers they are from because they were clippings that I inherited from my grandmother when she died. I think that one of them is probably from the Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan) and the other is from either the Marlette (Michigan) Leader or the Brown City (Michigan) Banner. They both state that Archie was born in 1891 in Maple Valley Township and died 15 Mar 1963 in Port Huron General Hospital. One gives Archie's exact birth date of 2 Nov 1891. Both state he and Jennie Plaine were married in 1920 in Flynn Township and that Jennie died in 1938. (According to Jennie's death record, she actually died in 1937). Both list survivors as one daughter, Mrs. John (Violet) Pemberton of Port Huron, eight grandchildren, and a niece. [Note: The niece is not named, but when my grandmother was living, she told me that her dad had a niece who always came to hunt with her husband on Archie's property in Sanilac County. The niece lived outside of Detroit and was married to a Polish man who was a photographer. My grandmother thought his niece's mother's name was Rose, who was Archie's sister. My grandmother could not remember the niece's name nor her husband's name, nor Rose's married name]. Both obits give Archie's burial date and place as 19 Mar 1963 in Omard Cemetery and the funeral home as Marsh Funeral Home in Marlette. One of the palbearers is given as Russell Hillman, who I believe is a first cousin of Jennie (Plaine) Currie, Archie's deceased wife. According to census and marriage records, Russell was the son of Jennie's maternal uncle, George Hillman, and his wife Christine Sinclair. This is the only palbearer that I have been able to identify as a relative.



"Mr. Archie Currie Passed Away March 15," and "Archie Currie," clippings from unidentified newspapers, c. March 1963, Pemberton/Currie/Drouillard Family Papers; inherited by Jennifer Trahan from her maternal grandmother, Violet (Currie) Pemberton Drouillard. Violet was the daughter of Archie.

I also have the funeral book of Archie Currie. No parents names are given, and the death date, burial date and place, funeral home, and birth date and place from the sources above are also in the funeral book. Unfortunately, I did not know this book existed until after my grandmother died, so I could not ask her about the names. The guest list is as follows:

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Eagle and Janice
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Fraleigh
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Powell
Mr. and Mrs. William P. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Irwin J. Mahaffy
Mr. and Mrs. Orville Stoliker
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Clark
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Hillman [first cousin of wife, Jennie Plaine]
Mr. and Mrs. John Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Vandewarker
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Mahaffy
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Cousins
Mr. and Mrs. Harlyn Henderson
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Reamer ("Store" is written above their names)
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Chisholm
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wilcox
Brent and Debery Wilcox
Mr. and Mrs. Renton Proctor
Carl and Lunetta Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Chisholm
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Wallis
Mr. and Mrs. Don Campbell
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pemberton [bro-in-law of daughter, Violet]
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Frank
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Redman
Lloyd Ramsey
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Potter
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mahaffy
Rev. C.C. Fulton
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Bell
Bill Mahaffy
Marena Mahaffy
John R. Davis
Clarence and Irene Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Harris
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Steinman
Kenneth Siple
Mrs. Irene Siple
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Steinman
Mr. and Mrs. Don Fraleigh
Russell Mahaffy
Carl Proctor
Barbara J. Proctor
H. Siple
Mr. and Mrs. Art Chisholm
Robert Beedon [stepfather-in-law of daughter, Violet]
James Storey
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bell
Mrs. Charles Wallis
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Proctor
Olive and Jim Edington [neighbors of daughter, Violet]
Mrs. Sarah Steinman
Elbridge Steinman
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Shepard
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Shepard

I have not identifed any of these as Currie relatives yet and have a lot of research to do on them in order to eliminate them as relatives.

I've found Archie and Jennie on the 1930 U.S. Census in Flynn Township. Archie Curry is age 39 and was born in Michigan. This makes his birthdate about 1890-1891. His age at first marriage is given as 34 years old, placing his first marriage about 1924-1925. This conficts with the marriage date of 1920 given in his obituary. His parents' birthplaces are both given as English-speaking Canada, and his occupation is listed as farmer. Jennie is listed as age 26 (b. abt. 1903-1904) and her birthplace as English-speaking Canada, with her first marriage taking place at age 21. Both of her parents are listed as being born in English-speaking Canada. They have no children. Violet was not born until Oct 1930, and the census was taken in Apr 1930. I notice a lot of neighbors with the names of some of the guests at Archie's funeral.


1930 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, township of Flynn, enumeration district (ED) 15, sheet 3B, dwelling 67, family 67, Archie Curry household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 30 Jan 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1028.

Between 1925 and 1930, Archie and Jennie had 3 children: Howard Archibald Currie in 1925, Helen Floretta Currie in 1927, and Violet Mae Currie in 1930. Read more about them in my tribute to my grandmother, Violet.

I found Archie and Jennie's marriage record on Ancestry.com. They were married 27 Aug 1924 in Euphemia Township, Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. This seems to agree with the suggested marriage year in the 1930 census. When my grandmother gave the marriage date and place of 1920 in Flynn Township in Archie's obituary, she was probably just trying her best to remember what her dad had told her. Witnesses were Howard Plaine (Jennie's brother) of Newbury and Maggie Bell Livingstone of Glencoe. Archie's parents are listed as Alex Currie and Mary Raymond. Jennie's parents are listed as Robt. Plaine and Florrie Hillman. Both give their religion as Presbyterian, and the wedding was performed by a Presbyterian minister. Archie is age 27 (b. abt. 1896-1897) and Jennie is age 22 (b. abt 1901-1902). Archie's suggested birth date conflicts by about 6-7 years with the birth date given on his death record and the birth date suggested by his 1930 census record. Archie gives his father's birthplace as Middlesex County, presumably Ontario. Jennie gives her father's birthplace as Ekfrid, which is also in Middlesex County. Archie's own birthplace is listed as St. Clair County, Michigan, while Jennie's is listed as Euphemia Township, Ontario. Archie's birthplace on the marriage record conflicts with that in his obituary of Maple Valley Township. Maple Valley Township is in Sanilac County.


Ontario Registrar General, marriage certificate 012383 (1924), Currie-Plaine; digital image, "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924,"Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 9 Feb 2009); citing microfilm publication MS 932, roll 681, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

I definitely did one of my most memorable genealogy happy dances when I found this record b/c it finally gave me the maiden name of Archie's mother. I also happened to find in my grandmother's things an unofficial marriage certificate given to Archie and Jennie with a fold-out to list wedding guests. Here are the guests below:





The guest list includes a Mr. and Mrs. Jas. A. Currie with Dresden written next to their names. Dresden is a town in Camden Township in Kent County, Ontario, but it was also a town in Dawn Township in Lambton County, Ontario, according to the Ontario Locator. This will obviously take some more research to find this James A. Currie's identity, but at least it is a clue. This is the only Currie on the guest list.

In 1920, Archie was living with his widowed mother, Mary, in Flynn Township. Archie is age 30 (b. abt. 1889) and was born in Michigan. His marital status is single. His parents' birthplace are given as English-speaking Canada again. His occupation is given as farm laborer. Mary is age 76 (b. abt 1843) and was born in English-speaking Canada. Her year of immigration is given as 1880 and her status is given as Alien. Her parents' birthplaces are given as English-speaking Canada. My grandmother always said that her dad took care of his mother until she died.

1920 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, township of Flynn, enumeration district (ED) 148, sheet 8B, dwelling 188, family 192, Archie Currie household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 9 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 796.

I've found Archie in the WWI Draft Registrations in 1917. He was living in Brown City in Sanilac County and working for Donald Campbell in Flynn Township as a farmer. His birth date is listed as December 1890 and his birthplace as Lynn, Michigan. There actually is a Lynn Township in neighboring St. Clair County, but it's likely he meant to write "Flynn." He is listed as single with a mother to support, which makes sense, as he was living with her in 1920. His age is given as 27 years old.


"World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database and images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 10 Feb 2009), Archie Currie, Draft Board, Flynn, Sanilac County, Michigan; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, NARA microfilm publication M1509, roll 1682814.


In 1910, Archie was living in the househeold of John W. Scott in Flynn Township. His relationship to Scott is listed as hired man on the census record. John Scott was a farmer, so it is likely Archie worked the farm with him. He is listed as Archibald Curry, age 20 (b. abt 1889-1890), single, born in Michigan. His parents' birthplaces are again given as English-speaking Canada. His occupation is farm laborer. John W. Scott is age 37 with parents also born in English-speaking Canada. His birthplace is given as Michigan. His wife's name is Clara M. Scott.


1910 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, township of Flynn, enumeration district (ED) 139, sheet 7A, dwelling 135, family 141, John W. Scott household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 9 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 674.

Finally, I've found Archie in the 1900 U.S. Census in the home of his parents, Alex and Mary, in Flynn Township. Alex Currie is age 62, born Nov. 1837 in English-speaking Canada. His parents' birthplaces are given as Scotland. Mary is age 47, born Sept 1852 in English-speaking Canada. Her parents' birthplaces are given as Vermont and England. The census says that Alex and Mary have been married 7 years, though Archie and his brother, Ervin, are older than this. Does this mean Mary may not be their mother? Perhaps Alex was married to two Mary's because Archie states his mother's name was Mary Raymond on his marriage record. Or perhaps Archie was just listing his stepmother on his marriage record. Or maybe Alex and Mary were not married when they had their children. Or, maybe the census record was just plain wrong about the marriage date. Something to ponder. Their immigration year is given as 1882 and citizenship status as alien for both Alex and Mary. Ervin is age 16, born Oct 1883 in Michigan. Both of his parents' birthplaces are given as English-speaking Canada. Archie is age 10, born Nov 1889 in Michigan. His parents' birthplaces are the same as Ervin's parents.

1900 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, township of Flynn, enumeration district (ED) 123, sheet 4A, dwelling 63, family 65, Alex Currie household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 9 Feb 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 743.

I obtained Archie's birth certificate from my grandmother's things after she died. It gives Archie's name as Archie Currey. He was born 2 Nov 1889 in Maple Valley, just as his obituary had said. His parents are listed as Alexander and Mary Currey, both born in Ontario and residing in Maple Valley. Alexander is listed as a laborer. No maiden name is given for Mary.

Sanilac County, Michigan, birth certificate no. 687 (1889), Archie Currey; County Clerk, Sandusky; privately held by Jennifer Trahan, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jennifer inherited the birth certificate from her maternal grandmother, Violet Mae Currie, daughter of Archie.

This is all the information I have amassed on Archie over the years. In summary:

2 Nov 1889 - Archie Currie is born in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan to Alexander "Alex" and Mary Currie

Jun 1900 - Alex, Mary, and Archie are living in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. A brother, Ervin, born Oct 1883 in Michigan, is also enumerated.

Apr 1910 - Archie is working as a farm laborer for John W. Scott in Flynn Township, while Ervin is working as a farm laborer for Donald Campbell in Flynn. Alex and Mary have not yet been found.

1917 - Archie is living in Brown City, Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan, working as a farm laborer for Donald Campbell in Flynn Township. He is caring for his mother.

Jan 1920 - Archie is living in Flynn Township with mother, Mary, who is widowed. He is working as a farm laborer.

27 Aug 1924 - Archie marries Jennie Grace Christina Plaine in Euphemia Township, Lambton, Ontario, Canada. Jennie is the daughter of Robert Plaine and Florence Minnie Hillman. Archie's parents are listed as Alex Currie, born in Middlesex County, Ontario, and Mary Raymond.

7 Jul 1925 - Howard Archibald Currie is born to Archie and Jennie in Flynn Township.

29 Mar 1927 - Helen Floretta Currie is born to Archie and Jennie in Sanilac County.

Apr 1930 - Archie and Jennie are living in Flynn Township. Howard and Helen are not enumerated, so they may have died before the enumeration. Archie is a farmer.

24 Oct 1930 - Violet Mae Currie is born to Archie and Jennie in Flynn Township.

24 Dec 1937 - Archie's wife, Jennie, dies from a brain aneurysm. Archie never remarries.

15 Mar 1963 - Archie dies from heart disease in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan.

19 Mar 1963 - Archie is buried in Omard Cemetery in Brown City.

MY TO-DO LIST FOR ARCHIE:

1. Archie's social security number is listed on his death record. Order his social security application. This may provide more clues about his parents' origins.

2. For some reason, although Archie was born in the United States, his name is in the index of the Sanilac County Naturalization Files at the Archives of Michigan. I have not seen any other Archie or Archibald Currie's in Sanilac County in the census records, so it seems that this is my great-grandfather. It may be because his wife, Jennie, had to apply for naturalization, since she was born in Canada. Order a copy of the FHL microfilm of naturalization records for Sanilac County.

3. Search the land records in Sanilac County for Archie. The Family History Library has the land records on microfilm from 1835-1942 and the index from 1835-1902. Search from 1942 onward at the Sanilac County Register of Deeds.

4. Search probate records for Sanilac County for Archie. Unfortunately, these do not appear to be availabe at the Archives of Michigan or through the Family History Library. Order them from the Sanilac County Probate Court.

Stay tuned for more postings on Archie's siblings.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

10th Edition Smile For The Camera - A Carnival Of Images

The word prompt for the 10th Edition of Smile For The Camera is Costume? No, not as in Halloween. Costume as in dress in general; especially the distinctive style of dress of a people, class, or period. Show us that picture that you found with your family collection or purchased that shows the costumes of the rich to the not so rich, from the civil war to the psychedelic sixties. I know you have them, so share. Admission is free with every photograph!



This is a picture of my maternal grandfather, John Peter Pemberton, taken while he was in the Air Force stationed in Japan as an automotive mechanic second echelon. This must have been taken around 1947-1949. According to his military separation record, he joined the Air Force in Sep 1946 and spent two months in basic training and two months in school in Colorado learning how to be a mechanic. Then he spent 24 months in Japan [1]. My grandmother said he got a kick out of the smaller clothes in Japan, so he purchased this jacket and took a picture to send it to her back in the States. What I also find interesting about this picture is the girls hanging up on the wall in the background!






This is another photo of John Peter Pemberton, probably taken in the 1950s, when he worked for the Grand Trunk Railroad in Port Huron, Michigan. He is the one in the window of the train. I thought this was a perfect picture to show the working uniforms of the railroad workers. I'm not sure who the other two co-workers are, but if anyone is able to identify them, please feel free. My grandmother told me that the young boy was a son of one of the co-workers, though she did not know his name.








This is one of the few pictures I have of John "Jack" Vital Pemberton. He was my great-grandfather, the father of John Peter Pemberton. This is him in a bathing suit. I just thought it was a good representation of what men's bathing suits used to look like. This must have been taken around 1935 because John Peter was born in 1928 [2], and he is the little boy in the back window of the car.










This is a picture of my great-grandfather, Archibald Currie, the father of my maternal grandmother, Violet Mae Currie. He was a farmer in Sanilac County, Michigan, and I thought this was a good representation of a farmer's "uniform." Considering Archibald was born in 1889 [3], this was probably taken in the 1940s on his farm outside Marlette, Michigan.


This is a picture of my mother and her siblings all dressed up for their Aunt Betty's wedding in 1964 [4]. My mother is the 4th from the left on the front row. She was actually the flower girl. My mom's twin brother, Mark, who is the second from the left on the front row, was the ring bearer. My mother and Mark were 4 1/2 years old in this picture. Betty, who is not in the picture, is the younger sister of the children's father, John Peter Pemberton.


Okay, I know we said that costume did not necessarily mean Halloween costume, but I couldn't resist. This is my first cousin once removed, Travis, dressed up as John McCain for Halloween 2008. Who would have ever thought of that as a Halloween costume?














Sources:

[1] Military separation qualification record, serial no. AF16 193 223, Sargeant, U.S. Army, John P. Pemberton, discharged 1949, Pemberton/Currie/Drouillard Family Papers; supplied by Violet (Currie) Pemberton Drouillard, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Vinton, Louisiana. Violet was the wife of John.

[2] St. Clair County, Michigan, birth certificate no. 14-142 (1928), John Peter Pemberton; County Clerk, Port Huron.

[3] Sanilac County, Michigan, birth certificate no. 687 (1889), Archie Currey; County Clerk, Sandusky.

[4] St. Clair County, Michigan, Marriage Book 10: 544, Hackett-Pemberton; County Clerk, Port Huron.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

More on Russell and Voylet and the Whole Plaine Family

As I posted my pic of Aunt Voylet and Uncle Russell on Wordless Wednesday, it reminded me that I had pics of them from their daughter-in-law. She found my Gedcom posted on Ancestry.com or Rootsweb.com about a year and a half ago and contacted me. I was so excited to have found her, as she had pictures of my grandmother, Violet, that we had never seen before. There were a couple of baby pictures, a school picture of my grandmother when she was about 8 or 9 years old with a note on the back she had written to her Aunt Voylet, and even one of my grandmother with her mom, Jennie, who was Aunt Voylet's sister. This was very exciting, as we had no pictures of my grandmother and her mom together, since her mom died when she was only 7 years old. The best thing was that most of the pictures actually had dates and places on them. Therefore, I've decided to share them here. Thanks, Donna!


Russell and Voylet (Plaine) Curtis
November 9, 1972
40th Wedding Anniversary

Plaine Siblings
L to R: Jennie Grace Christina Plaine (my great-grandmother), Mary Helen Plaine holding baby brother Walter Lloyd Plaine, Voylet Elymra Plaine
According to Lloyd's birth record, he was born in 1908, so this must have been taken around 1908-1909. I wonder where brothers William James Gladstone Plaine and Robert Howard Daniel Plaine were?

Back Row L to R: Mary Helen Plaine, William James Gladstone Plaine, Voylet Elmyra Plaine
Front Row L to R: Robert Howard Daniel Plaine, Robert Plaine, Jennie Grace Christina Plaine, Flora Minnie (Hillman) Plaine, Walter Lloyd Plaine
Considering Lloyd was born in 1908, and Jennie was born in 1903, this photo must have been taken around 1915.


Jean (Jennie's nickname) and Baby Voylet (aka Violet)
September 1931
Although my grandmother always spelled her own name "Violet," her aunt spelled it "Voylet," which is how she spelled my grandmother's name on the back of this picture. My grandmother was 11 months old in this photo. I love my grandmother's face here.

Voylet M. Curry
Sept. 7, 1931
at Uncle George's
She looks a lot happier here. From what I can remember, my grandmother always told me that her mother, Jennie, moved from Canada to Sanilac County, Michigan, to help take care of her maternal uncle, George Hillman. George was a brother to Jennie's mother, Florence. This is how Jennie met my great-grandfather, Archibald Currie, a local farmer in the area. I'm assuming this may be Uncle George Hillman's house.

Violet Mae Currie, about 8 or 9 years old (1938-39)
This is my favorite picture of all. Mostly because it looks exactly like my grandmother, and it includes a note she wrote to her Aunt Voylet on the back of the picture. Apparently, her Aunt Voylet lived in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and she did not always get to see her, considering it was about 80 miles or so from where my grandmother lived in Sanilac County, Michigan. She must have mailed this school picture to her. I asked my grandmother about this picture when Donna first sent it a year and a half ago, and she said she meant to write her "old school" instead of "own school." Francis and Edmund are Aunt Voylet's sons.


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Curtis-Plaine



This is a picture of Russell and Voylet (Plaine) Curtis. Voylet was the maternal aunt of my maternal grandmother, Violet Mae Currie. She was named after her Aunt Voylet. Luckily, I was able to ask her who these people were before she died a month ago. Considering Voylet was born in 1894, this photo was probably taken around 1944-1954.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

The 6th of the 6th: Cousins marrying cousins

I'm a little late at finding Randy Seaver's idea of choosing the 6th picture in the 6th folder of "My Pictures" or it's equivalent. But I figure better late than never, even though I told my fiance I would take a break from this new obsession with blogging. But this won't take long.



This is one of my best friends/wife of my first cousin/stepcousin, Amber Renee (Gautreaux) Pemberton, and my first cousin once removed, Makayla Grace Pemberton. This was taken at Amber's house in Port Huron, Michigan, just 3 weeks after Makayla was born on 1 February 2008. In fact, today is Makayla's first birthday, so maybe it's better than I waited to post this today. You may be wondering how Amber could be one of my best friends/wife of my first cousin/stepcousin, all in one. I first met Amber the summer after kindergarten, in 1987, at the community pool in Vinton, Louisiana. My dad was always taking my sister and I swimming there, and her mom was always taking her brother and her swimming there. Our mom's eventually became friends, and, naturally, we did too. Amber's dad had died very young of skin cancer just before we met them that summer at the pool. About two years later, my mother's brother, Uncle Brian, had just gotten divorced from his first wife. My mom set up him and and Amber's mom, Debbie, on a date. Well, they must have hit it off because they are still together today. This is why I also call Amber my stepcousin. Then, on 20 Jul 2002, Amber married the son, Stephen Jr., of my mom's other brother, Stephen Sr. Therefore, she's also the wife of my first cousin. Basically, she married her first stepcousin. Makayla is the daughter of Amber and Stephen, Jr.

Genealogy Happy Dance: Findng the parents of John Pemberton

The first time I encountered John Pemberton was when I was searching for my great-great-grandfather, Lovell Hugh Pemberton, in the 1880 U.S. Census. From my great-grandfather's death record, I knew his father was Lovell Pemberton [1].

In the 1880 U.S. Census, I found Lovel Pemberton, age 2, living with his parents, John and Mary Pemberton, in Armada, Macomb, Michigan. John was a blacksmith born in Canada. His father was born in New York and his mother was born in Ireland [2]. Woohoo! I could now add another generation to my family tree, and I even had possible birth places for an even earlier generation.

The 1900 U.S. Census gave John's parents' birthplaces as Canada, and the 1910 U.S. Census gave his parents' birthplaces as Pennsylvania and Ireland [3]. Therefore, it appeared that John's father was either born in New York , Pennsylvania, or Canada, and his mother was born in either Canada or Ireland. According to the 1880, 1900, and 1910 U.S. census records, John was born between 1835 and 1839, possibly in April 1839. As I was searching the 1880 U.S. Census on Ancestry.com, I noticed that there was a Jeremiah and Susanna Pemberton living in Clay Township, St. Clair, Michigan, only 30 miles from Armada, where John and Mary were livng in 1880 [4].
Jeremiah was also a blacksmith, like John. He was 68 years old, therefore old enough to be the father of the 44-year-old John in the 1880 U.S. census, and was born in New York. His wife, Susanna, was 60 years old and was born in England. She was also just old enough to be John's mother if he was born in 1835-1836, like the 1880 U.S. census suggested. She was definitely old enough to be his mother is he was born in 1838-1839, like the 1900 and 1910 U.S. census records suggested. This was the only Pemberton couple found in the surrounding area in the 1880 U.S. Census that could possibly be the parents of John, based on their ages. At least I now had a clue!

I decided to start looking for Jeremiah and Susanna in the 1870 and 1860 U.S. census records. I knew John would not be living with them in 1870 because I had already found him and Mary living in Washington, Macomb, Michigan. John was 31 years old (again suggesting a birth date of 1838-1839) and a blacksmith, and his birthplace was given as Canada [5]. A fellow researcher had told me John Pemberton and Mary Ann Coombs were married 30 Dec 1865 in Ashley Village (now New Baltimore), Macomb, Michigan [6]. Of course, the 1870 U.S. Census does not ask for parents' birthplaces, therefore it did not help me in connecting John with Jeremiah and Susanna, as the 1880, 1900, and 1910 census records had done.

I found Jeremiah and Susanna living in Algonac, St. Clair, Michigan, in 1870.

Jeremiah was 65 years old, worked as a blacksmith, and was born in New York. Susanna was 50 years old and was born in Ireland. There were what appeared to be at least 5 children living with them: Samuel, William, Sarah M., Ella, and Charles. There was also a David Finkle and Eliza J. Finkle with 3 Finkle children in the household of Jeremiah and Susanna. Based on her age, it appeared that Eliza may be a daughter and David a son-in-law [7]. Now I had potential siblings for John.

Since John had not married Mary Ann Coombs until 1865, it was likely I would find him living with his parents in 1860. Sure enough, I found a Jeremiah and Susan Pemberton living in Brownstown, Wayne, Michigan, in 1860. Jeremiah was 48 years old, a blacksmith, and was born in New York. Susan was 40 years old and was born in England. John, who appeared to be the oldest child in the household, was 21 years old and born in Canada. This suggested an approximate birth date of 1838-1839 again. The others in the household were Stephen, Eliza, Agnes, Samuel, William, Maria, Almira, and Charles [8]. More possible siblings for John! And further evidence that his parents were likely Jeremiah and Susanna!


A search of the 1860 U.S. Census records in Michigan did, however, reveal another close match for my John Pemberton. There was a John Pemberton, age 23 (b. abt 1836-1837), also born in Canada, living at the State Prison in Jackson, Jackson, Michigan [9]. This John Pemberton was not found again in the 1870 or 1880 U.S. Census records by doing a search of all John Pemberton's born in Canada on Ancestry.com. It is in the back of my mind that this could have been my John Pemberton, considering the census at the prison was taken in June 1860, while the census at Brownstown was taken in July 1860. Perhaps John got out of prison in June or July and returned home. This would be interesting research, considering a prison is involved, so it is on my to-do list to pursue this further at a later date.

Taking a break from John's parents, I decided to find the census records of John and Mary's children. I found two daughters, Elva and Myrtle, living in Cleveland, Ohio in the 1910 U.S. Census. They were living in the household of none other than Hayes Finkle, and Myrtle was the wife of Hayes [10]. Elva was listed as sister-in-law. Also in the household was Jerry Finkle and Roy Finkle, both listed as brothers of Hayes. All had been born in Michigan. Hayes was age 33, and Jerry was age 37.


I immediately recognized the Finkle name as the married name of John's possible sister, Eliza. Since examining that 1870 census record in which Eliza and David Finkle lived in Jeremiah Pemberton's household, I had found a marriage record for a David Fincle and Eliza Pemberton in 1865 [11]. While this record did not mention Eliza's parents, it at least confirmed my original theory that Eliza was a Pemberton. Was Hayes a son or a nephew of David Finkle? If he was a son of David and Eliza, and Myrtle was the daughter of John Pemberton, then wouldn't that make Myrtle and Hayes first cousins? I had to step back into time and realize that the marriage of first cousins was not as uncommon as it is today in the early 1900s, especially if they grew up in small, isolated communities.

Armed with this new theory that Hayes may be a son of Eliza's, I looked for David and Eliza in the 1880 U.S. Census. Given Jerry's and Hayes' ages in the 1910 census record, they should have been born by 1880. Sure enough, I found David and Eliza living in Clay Township, St. Clair, Michigan, in 1880, and their household included two sons, Jeremiah and Hays, ages 7 and 3, respectively [12].


While this find did make me do the genealogy happy dance, it still did not prove that John was necessarily a son of Jeremiah's, but at least it proved John's family and Eliza's family were at least connected through the marriage of their children, Hayes and Myrtle.

I continued on looking for John's daughter, Elva, in the 1930 U.S. Census. In Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, I found an Elva Harriman, closely matching my Elva's age, who was born in Michigan and was boarding with a widower named George P. Lerch, his mother, and his children [13]. At first, I assumed no connection between Elva and George, and was not entirely sure this was even my Elva. The only slight connection I noticed was that George's children's mother's birthplace was given as Michigan. But something in the back of my mind kept telling me to check out George Lerch and see who he was. I did a search on Rootsweb's "WorldConnect" database, and to my surprise, found an entry that stated George P. Lerch was married to Cordelia May Fink, who was born 22 May 1887 in Michigan. Prior to this, I had found a marriage record for Jacob E. Fink and Elmira Pemberton, stating that Elmira was the daughter of Jerimiah Pemberton [14]. I figured this must be the Almira and Ella Pemberton listed in Jeremiah's households in 1860 and 1870. (Srangely enough, the marriage did not take place until 1894, though Jacob and Elmira were found married in the 1880 U.S. Census and had 9 children before 1894).

To prove that Cordelia May Fink was the daughter of Jacob and Elmira, and the granddaughter of Jeremiah and Susanna, I looked for Jacob and Elmira in the 1900 U.S. Census. I found Jacob and Ella Fink in Toledo, with a daughter, Delia, age 13, born in May 1887 in Michigan [15].


Now I could connect John's family to Elmira's family as well! John's daughter, Elva, was living with the widowed husband and children of Cordelia May Fink, who was the daughter of Jacob Fink and Elmira Pemberton, making Cordelia the potential first cousin of Elva. I also later found a marriage record for George Lerch and Cordelia Fink, stating Cordelia was the daughter of Jacob and Ellen Fink [16]. Of course, I knew there was still some happy dancing to do, because I had not directly linked John Pemberton to Jeremiah and Susanna.

When I traveled to St. Clair County, Michigan, in the summer of 2007, I did some research at the county clerk's office, and found a death record for Eliza Finkle, stating her parents were John Pemberton and Susanna German [17]. This rang a bell because two years earlier, a fellow researcher had found an online transcription of a marriage record from Toronto in 1836 for a Jeremiah Pemberton and Susannah Jermyn [18]. Perhaps the informant on Eliza's death record confused her father's name, Jeremiah, with that of her older brother, John. Well, another happy dance for the maiden name of Susanna. Now I was still hoping that I would be able to directly connect John with Jeremiah and Susanna.

You may ask why I didn't just order the death record of John Pemberton, since death records often list the parents of the deceased. Well, years before, a distant cousin and fellow genealogist had told me that he had seen the death record and that it did not list John's parents. This was in my early years as a genealogist, and I took his word for it. I laugh at myself now. But, lucky for me, that cousin had also told me that John had fought in the Civil War on the Union side. I searched for John Pemberton in the Ancestry.com database, "Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," and found a John Pemberton, with a widow, Mary A. Pemberton, from Michigan who filed for a pension. I had read in a beginner's genealogy book that pension records often do not list parents, but that they do often list children and spouse information. However, the book also stated that you really never know what you are going to find in a pension record. There is always a chance, so I decided to take it. I ordered his pension records online through the National Archives and waited about two months.

The pension records came in around Labor Day in 2007. As I browsed through the file (over 100 pages), I realized that this was a gold mine of information. I was just about ready to do my happy dance and really delve into the papers when my fiance reminded me that we had friends comng over to visit. Darn! They stayed about 2 or 3 hours, and as soon as they left, I rushed back to the bedroom where the pension file awaited. My fiance came back there and laughed, saying, "You couldn't wait for them to leave, could you?" I just said "No comment," and gave him a look. The first thing that caught my eye in all those papers was a death record of John Pemberton, which Mary had to submit to prove she was widowed and therefore eligible to receive his pension, stating his parents as Jeremiah Pemberton and Susanna Jermyn [19]!!! Alas!!!! My direct connection. As I studied the files more, I realized there was a 20 page deposition by John stating his experiences in the military and much of his life story. He had to give the deposition in order to receive a pension based on injuries received during the War. He was rejected many times, which explains why there were over 100 pages in the file. The deposition mentioned his mother, Susanna, and his father, Jeremiah. There were also many short statements from many of John's sisters and brother-in-laws and his mother testifying to his character. WoW! The connection I had been looking for, and even the bonus of his 20-page deposition and all those statements from friends and family!!! I still do a genealogy happy dance just thinking about it!!!




Sources:

[1] Michigan Department of Community Health, death certificate 8103-16510 (1950), Jack V. Pemberton; Vital Records Office, Lansing.

[2] 1880 U.S. census, Macomb County, Michigan, population schedule, Armada, enumeration district (ED) 198, p. 8, dwelling 83, family 87, John Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 10 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 592.

[3] 1900 U.S. census, Macomb County, Michigan, population schedule, New Haven, enumeration district (ED) 57, sheet 11B, dwelling 286, family 288, John Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 10 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 727. See also 1910 U.S. census, Macomb County, Michigan, population schedule, New Haven, enumeration district (ED) 66, sheet 1A, dwelling 14, family 14, John Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 10 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 659.

[4] 1880 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Clay, enumeration district (ED) 370, p. 14, dwelling 84, family 84, Jeremiah Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 23 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 604.

[5] 1870 U.S. census, Macomb County, Michigan, population schedule, Washington, p. 12, dwelling 88, family 88, John Pemperton; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 12 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593, roll 688.

[6] David Carnahan II, to author, "RE: Lesperance genealogy," email, 16 September 2000.

[7] 1870 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Algonac, p. 12, dwelling 94, family 94, Jeremiah Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 23 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M593, roll 698.

[8] 1860 U.S. census, Wayne County, Michigan, population schedule, Brownstown, p. 115, dwelling 1017, family 947, Jeremiah Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 23 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 564.

[9] 1860 U.S. Census, Jackson County, Michigan, population schedule, Jackson (Ward 4), p. 121, State Prison, John Pemberton; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 23 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M653, roll 564.

[10] 1910 U.S. census, Cuyahoga County, Ohio population schedule, Cleveland (Ward 6), enumeration district (ED) 126, sheet 18A, dwelling 278, family 327, Hayes Finkle; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 1168.

[11] St. Clair County, Michigan, Marriage Book 2: 476, Fincle-Pemberton (1865); FHL microfilm 976,870.

[12] 1880 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Clay, enumeration district (ED) 370, p. 17, dwelling 98, family 98, David Finkle household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 27 Dec 2007); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T9, roll 604.

[13] 1930 U.S. census, Lucas County, Ohio, population schedule, Toledo (Ward 16), enumeration district (ED) 126, sheet 4A, dwelling 70, family 72, George P. Lerch household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 30 Jul 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1838.

[14] Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1894, 4: 18, no. 3318, Fink-Pemberton; digital image, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 26 Jul 2008).

[15] 1900 U.S. census, Lucas County, Ohio population schedule, Toledo (Ward 10), enumeration district (ED) 83, sheet 13A, dwelling 267, family 278, Jacob Fink household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 29 Jul 2008); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 1298.

[16] Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1905, Monroe County, p. 85, no. 886, Lerch-Fink; digital image, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 27 Jul 2008).

[17] St. Clair County, Michigan, Death Book 6: 195, Eliza Finkle; County Clerk, Port Huron.

[18] "Marriages at St. James Cathedral, Toronto Aug 1836-1841," Marriages in Ontario 1800-1925 (http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maryc/old4.htm: accessed 23 December 2007). Original data published John Ross Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto, 3: 395 ff.

[19] Michigan Department of State, death certificate (no number given), 1912, John Pemberton; Division of Vital Statistics, Lansing; widow's pension application no. 998,000, certificate no. 759,851; service of John Pemberton (Pvt., Co. C, 1st Michigan Vol. Cav., Civil War); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications..., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.