Saturday, February 19, 2011

Surname Saturday: PLAINE

PLAINE is the surname of my great-grandmother and mother of my maternal grandmother. She died when my grandmother was only seven years old, and her ancestors lived in workhouses in England, so once again, there were some similarities between my family and the latest episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Rosie O'Donnell's mother died when she was ten years old, and her ancestors lived in workhouses in Ireland.

Jennie Grace Christina PLAINE
Born 9 May 1903 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Married Archie CURRIE 27 Aug 1924 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Died 24 Dec 1937 in Marlette, Sanilac, Michigan

Robert PLAINE
Born 20 Feb 1869/1870 in Caradoc, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada
Married Florence Minnie HILLMAN abt 1891 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Died 18 Dec 1936 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada

George PLAINE
Born 28 Jan 1828 in Thompson, Norfolk, England
Married Mary Ann TRUMPASS in 1850 in Wayland, Norfolk, England
Died 4 Aug 1913 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
In 1851, George and Mary Ann lived at the workhouse in the parish of Rockland All Saints in Norfolk. They arrived in New York on 17 Nov 1856 aboard the Margaret Evans, which sailed from London.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday: Pemberton-Currie Marriage Record

This is the marriage record of my maternal grandparents, John Peter PEMBERTON and Violet Mae CURRIE. I ordered it from the St. Clair County Clerk in 2006.

Record no. 8-99
Date of license: September 6, 1949
Full name of bridegroom: John P. Pemberton
Full name of bride: Violet M. Currie
Groom's age: 20
Bride's age: 18

GROOM
Residence: Port Huron, Mich.
Birthplace: Michigan
Occupation: Assembly Line Chryslers
Father's name: Jack V. Pemberton
Mother's maiden name: Mabel E. Chrisler
Times previously married: none

BRIDE
Residence: Brown City, Mich.
Birthplace: Michigan
Occupation: -----
Father's name: Archie Currie
Mother's maiden name: Jennie G.C. Plaine
Times previously married: none

Date of marriage: September 9, 1949
Place of marriage: Port Huron, Mich.
Name and official station by whom married: William C.s. Pellorne, Minister

Witnesses to Marriage
Name: Jean Louks
Residence: Port Huron, MI
Name: Rex Louks
Residence: Port Huron, MI

Date recorded: -----

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Surname Saturday: CRYSLER

Crysler is the surname of my great-grandmother, the mother of my maternal grandfather. Tim McGraw's Palatinate family history from the lastest episode of Who Do You Think You Are? inspired me to write about my own Palatinate family, who also have some celebrity ties.

Mabel Ellen CRYSLER
Born 10 Jan 1910 in Peck, Sanilac, Michigan
Married John Vital "Jack" PEMBERTON 7 Aug 1927 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan
Married Daniel Robert "Bob" BEEDON 16 Apr 1954 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan
Died 29 Dec 1989 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan

Ernest George CRYSLER
Born 21 Oct 1877 in Forest, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Married Nellie May REYNOLDS 18 Nov 1904 in Sandusky, Sanilac, Michigan
Married Minnie SIBLEY 11 Oct 1919 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan
Died 8 May 1942 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan

George Calvin CRYSLER
Born 15 Aug 1853 in Arkona, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Married Mary Ellen MOLESWORTH 30 Jun 1875 in Arkona, Lambton, Ontario, Canada
Died 2 Mar 1929 in Peck, Sanilac, Michigan

Daniel CRYSLER
Born 21 Jun 1809 in Johnstown, Fulton, New York
Married Catherine Jane SIPES abt 1830 in Ontario, Canada
Died 1870 in Arkona, Lambton, Ontario, Canada

Jacob CRYSLER
Born 1766 in East Camp (now Germantown), Columbia, New York
Married Sally DePUY abt 1786 in New York
Married Elizabeth YOUNG abt 1794 in Schenectady, Schenectady, New York
Death date unknown

Wilhelmus "William" CRYSLER
Born 26 Jul 1729 in East Camp, Columbia, New York
Married Catharina "Catherine" SCHAUER in 1754 in Claverack, Columbia, New York
Died 1808 in Echo Creek, Schoharie, New York

Johannes CRYSLER
Born 2 Dec 1703 in Guntersblum, Neiderneisen, Germany
Married Eva Catherina MONK (MANCK) in 1725 in Athens, Greene, New York
Died in Rhinebeck, Dutchess, New York
  • Johannes was also the fourth great-grandfather of auto baron, Walter P. CHRYSLER. He and my great-grandmother are fifth cousins.
Johann Phillip CRYSLER/KRUESSLER
Born abt 1670 in Guntersblum, Neiderneiesen, Germany
Married Anna Caterina BRAUN 26 Apr 1701 in Germany
Died in Athens, Greene, New York
  • Listed on "New York Subsistence List" as "Johann Philipp Kreuszler and Anna Catherine with three Chilldren"
  • Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration by Walter Allen Knittle, PhD and printed in Philadelphia by Dorrance and Company, shows the Crysler family as embarking in the Third Party from June 5 to June 10, 1709. In this book, they are listed as "Johannes Griesler, wife and three children."

Monday, February 7, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday: Mary Margaret "Maggie" PEMBERTON


Photographed by Don & Wendy McCallum (FindAGrave volunteers)

MARY MARGARET PEMBERTON
MAY 7, 1946-OCT. 27, 1969

My great-aunt
Kinney Cemetery
Wadhams, St. Clair, Michigan

My great-aunt, Maggie, died at only 23 years of age. She was born disabled and died of complications due to epilepsy (status epilepticus). Her older sister, Evelyn, died due to epilepsy as well in 1948, when Maggie was only a year old. There is some discrepancy in Maggie's date of birth. I believe the tombstone is correct, as it coincides with her birth certificate. Her death certificate and obituary give her birth date as 21 May 1946. This is my great-aunt Barb's birthday (though a different year), so I'm not sure if my great-grandma was confusing their birthdays when she gave the info for the death certificate and obit.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday: Backus-Pemberton Warranty Deed


This is the actual warranty deed that was signed on the property in the land contract from last week's Treasure Chest Thursday post. I obtained this copy from my maternal grandmother's personal papers a few years ago. Apparently, I made a bad scanned copy because some of the parts are blurry, and it seems like the bottom was cut off, but I believe that I have inherited the original as part of my grandmother's family paper collection when she died in 2008.

The warranty deed was recorded on 30 Jun 1964 at the St. Clair County Courthouse in Port Huron, Michigan. The liber number (886) and page numbers (252-253) are stamped on this copy. The deed was entered into on 29 Jun 1964 between the sellers, Thomas H. Backus, survivor of himself and Bertha E. Backus, now deceased, and Zella Backus, his wife, of Carsonville, Michigan, and the buyers, John P. Pemberton and Violet M. Pemberton, his wife, of 1828 Stone Street, Port Huron, Michigan. The buyers were my maternal grandparents, and the house they purchased is the one at 1828 Stone Street, where my mom and her siblings were raised for most of their childhood. They had been living in the house since at least 1956 (maybe earlier), when they entered into a land contract to purchase the house from Thomas and Bertha Backus.

This deed says the selling price was $1, but we know that they entered into a land contract in 1956 to purchase the home from Thomas and Bertha Backus. They presumably made monthly payments of $40 to Thomas and Bertha Backus until the principal of $4,000 was paid off, including interest at 6%. The timing seems a little early, because if they had paid all principal and no interest at $40/month, they would have paid it off in 8.33 years. The warranty deed was signed a little less than 8 years after the land contract was signed, so they must have made a few extra payments. Or, perhaps Thomas Backus was anxious to finally get rid of the property, since his wife had passed on, and he was living in another county and getting up there in age (I found him in the census records; he was born in the 1880s).

What is interesting about Thomas H. Backus is that he never seems to have lived in the house. I looked through the 1900-1930 U.S. census records, and he always lived in Sanilac County. I wonder if this was an investment property for him, or if he somehow inherited it. It would be interesting to find out the house history on this place.

Stay tuned next week for occupational records of John Peter Pemberton.