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.

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: -----

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."

Treasure Chest Thursday: John Peter Pemberton Occupational Records

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.

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.