Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Mother's Mother's Patrilineal Line

It's time for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy over at GeneaMusings.

1) What was your mother's mother's name?  

My mother's mother was Violet Mae Currie. She was born 24 Oct 1930 in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan.

2) What is your mother's mother's patrilineal line? That is, her father's father's father's ... back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?  

Violet's patrilineal line is as follows:

·         Archie Currie (1889-1963) m. Jennie Grace Christina Plaine (1903-1937)

·         Alexander Currie (ca 1837-1909) m. Mary Raymond (1852-1920)

·         James Currie (ca 1816-aft 1881) m. Margaret McGill (ca 1816-1880)

3) Can you identify male sibling(s) of your mother's mother, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)? If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.  

Violet did not have any siblings that survived to adulthood. She had one brother, Howard Archibald Currie, but he died as a young child. Her father, Archie, had three known brothers: Alexander, William, and Ervin. Alexander had one son named Theodore Donald Currie, but he had no known children. Not much is known about what happened to William. Violet always said that he was a "hobo" that followed the trains. He left a trunk of stuff at her dad's house that he never returned to get (how I wish I had that trunk now!). Ervin had two sons, Robert J. Currie and Donald Eugene Currie. I have not tried to track down their descendants. I need to check the obituary index online at the Saginaw Public Library. I obtained Ervin's obit from there, and I think his son's obits are probably there as well.

My Maternal Grandmother in 1940

1940 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, Flynn Township, enumeration district (ED) 15, sheet 6B, family 119, Archie Currie household; digital images, 1940 Census (http://1940census.archives.gov : accessed 2 April 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 1818.

Last but not least, I found my maternal grandmother, Violet Mae Currie, in 1940. She was living on Aitken Road in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan, with her widowed father, Archie. Violet's mother, Jennie Grace Christina (Plaine) Currie, had died in 1937. This appears to be the same house that Archie lived in when he died. His death certificate from 1963 gives his address as 2301 Aitken Road. Archie was listed as a 49-year-old farmer, but according to his birth certificate he was born 2 Nov 1889. This would have made him 50. My grandma always said he was a little sensitive about his age. It appears that sometime in the 1920s or so, he started shaving at least a year off his age. In fact, his death certificate gives his birth date as 2 Nov 1891. His birthplace is correctly given as Michigan in the 1940 census. My grandma's age and birthplace are correct. She is listed as 9 years old and born in Michigan. She was born 24 Oct 1930. Other than two siblings who died in early childhood before 1930, Violet was an only child. Interestingly, Violet's name is spelled "Voilet," which is similar to her Aunt Voylet's spelling. I think that the "o" and "i" in her name were ordered interchangeably throughout her childhood. As an adult, she always spelled her name "Violet."

Census Sunday: My Great-Great-Grandparents in 1930

Three weeks ago, I started a Census Sunday series, in which I featured the census records showing my great-grandparents in 1930. I skipped the next two weeks because my mom was visiting from Louisiana two weeks ago, and last week I was in Louisiana visiting. Now that I am back on track, this post will feature my great-great-grandparents in 1930.

Oscar TRAHAN and Bertha DUHON

1930 U.S. census, Harris County, Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct 3, enumeration district (ED) 178, sheet 32A, dwelling 587, family 649, Oscar Trahan household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 2352.

This is my great-great-grandfather, Oscar, and his second wife, Bertha. He ran off to Texas to work for the oil refineries after he left his first wife. I cannot seem to find his first wife, Virginia PREJEAN, in 1930. They divorced around 1920. She had a child with a man named DOMINGUE in 1926, and then she married a SCHENKEL in 1932. I looked for Virginia and her son, Claude DOMINGUE, but I have not been able to find them in 1930. I also looked for her future husband, Louis SCHENKEL, but she was not with him either in 1930. I'm just going to have to order Claude's SS-5 application to see who his father was. Perhaps they were with his father in 1930. DOMINGUE is a very hard name to find in the census. It is pronounced like the word "domain," so you can imagine how it gets spelled. Oscar and Virginia's only chld, Bienvenue, was featured in my last Census Sunday post in the home of his father-in-law (see below).

Maurice BONEAUX and Marie Alice SONNIER

Maurice and Marie were the parents of my great-grandmother, Beatrice Marie BONEAUX. They were featured in the last Census Sunday post, since my great-grandparents, Beatrice and Bienvenue, were living with them.

John Henry MERTENA and Blanche WELDEN
John and Blanche were the parents of my great-grandfather, Merlen Paris MERTENA. They were featured in the last Census Sunday post, since my great-grandfather was still single and living at home with them.

William Harmon PROFFITT and Emmer Link BAKER

1930 U.S. census, Creek County, Oklahoma, population schedule, Mannford, enumeration district (ED) 24, sheet 3A, dwelling 49, family 51, William H. Proffitt household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1900.

William and Emmer were the parents of my great-grandmother, Hassie Cora PROFFITT. They were living in Mannford, Creek, Oklahoma, where William was a Methodist minister. Creek is just one county west of Tulsa County. They moved around Oklahoma a lot since William was a minister. I really need to dig into church history and find out where all his appointments were located. My great-grandmother, Hassie, was not living with them. Her younger sister, Bessie, was the only child living at home in 1930. Hassie was probably boarding with a family near where she was teaching, but I haven't been able to find her yet in the 1930 census. I'm not precisely sure where she was teaching. I know that at one time between 1925 and 1930, she was teaching in Pawnee County, just one county north of Creek County.

Lovell Hugh PEMBERTON and Alvina Mary LESPERANCE

1930 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, Kimball Township, enumeration district (ED) 20, sheets 17A-B, dwelling 391, family 394, Lovell H. Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 December 2005); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1024

Lovell and Alvina were the parents of my great-grandfather, John Vital "Jack" Pemberton, who was already married and living with his wife and two children in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan, in 1930. Lovell and Alvina were living on Ditty Road in Kimball Township, not too far from Port Huron. Every census year, they seem to migrate further north. Their youngest four children were still living at home in 1930. Lovell was a blacksmith, and the oldest of the four children at home, Madeline, was a laborer in the salt plant. Morton Salt Company had large operations in Marysville, Michigan, just a few miles from Kimball Township, so I presume she worked for them.

Ernest George CRYSLER

1930 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, Fremont Township, enumeration district (ED) 17, sheets 5B-6A, dwelling 114, family 116, Mary Crysler household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1028.

Ernest was the father of my great-grandmother, Mabel CRYSLER. Mabel was already married in 1930 and living with her husband, John Vital "Jack" Pemberton, and two children in Port Huron. Ernest was a farmer living with his mother, Mary (Molesworth) CRYSLER, in Fremont Township, Sanilac, Michigan, in 1930. Ernest's first wife and Mabel's mother, Nellie REYNOLDS, died in 1917. He remarried Minnie SIBLEY in 1919. I'm a little confused because this lists Ernest as a widower, and Minnie is also listed as a widower, living with her mother, Pauline CAMPBELL, in Port Huron in 1930. It seems Ernest and Minnie must have had an unhappy union. Interestingly, Minnie was 10 years older than Ernest. Ernest's sons, George and Harold, were living with him in 1930. George was working as a farm laborer.

Alexander CURRIE and Mary RAYMOND
Alexander and Mary are not found in the 1930 census because they both died prior to 1930. They were the parents of my great-grandfather, Archie CURRIE. Alexander died in 1909, and Mary died in 1920.

Robert PLAINE and Florence Minnie HILLMAN
Robert and Flora are not found in the 1930 census because they were living in Ontario, Canada in 1930. They never immigrated to the U.S. They were the parents of my great-grandmother, Jennie Grace Christina PLAINE, who immigrated in the 1920s.

Census Sunday: My Great-Grandparents in 1930

I got the idea for this post from Leah over at Leah's Family Tree. Like Leah, in order to get ready for the 1940 census release in 2012, I need to get my census records I already have in order. Each week, I intend to post the census records I have for a particular family generation or family group in a particular census year. This week I am posting on my great-grandparents that I have found in the 1930 census. As I post, I will make sure the source is properly cited in my RootsMagic database. This week I am starting with my great-grandparents in 1930.

1930 U.S. census, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, Police Jury Ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 3, sheet 3A, dwelling 45, family 45, Maurice Boneaux household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 797

This is the census record of my great-grandparents, Bienvenue and Beatrice (Boneaux) TRAHAN and my great-great-grandparents, Maurice and Marie Alice (Sonnier) BONEAUX. They were living in Police Jury Ward 1 in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. I believe this is the modern-day rural community of Ossun and the family property that my family still owns. Bienvenue and Beatrice had just gotten married 14 Sep 1929 and were living with Beatrice's parents. My paternal grandfather would not be born until 1935. I believe this census record has Maurice's father's birthplace incorrect. It says he was born in Louisiana, but all other records say he was born in France. It also has Maurice's age wrong by about five years. Church records say he was born in 1883, not 1877-1878, as suggested by his age here. Everyone else's age is also off by a year or two when compared with church baptismal records.

It's funny how this census record confirms a story that Bienvenue told me about two years before he died in 2006. He said that Beatrice actually asked him to marry her and he said that he couldn't marry her because he had no money to support her. She said that was okay because they could just live with her dad and he would support them. If you look at the census, Bienvenue's job is listed as laborer at odd jobs, but "laborer" is crossed out and "none" is written across it. He is given a number on the unemployment schedule.

1930 U.S. census, Logan County, Oklahoma, population schedule, Mulhall Township, enumeration district (ED) 23, sheet 5A, dwelling 73, family 80, John H. Mertena household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1912

This is the census record of my great-grandfather, Merlen Paris MERTENA, and my great-great-grandparents, John Henry and Blanche (Welden) MERTENA. Merlen is the father of my paternal grandmother. He was 19 and single, still living at home with his parents in Mulhall, Logan, Oklahoma, in April 1930. He and my great-grandmother, Hassie Cora PROFFITT, did not marry until 14 Feb 1931. My great-great-grandfather was listed as a farmer, which coincides with all the stories my grandmother has told me about him.

And speaking of Hassie, I have not been able to find her in the 1930 census. She was a teacher in 1930, so I believe the family she boarded with may not have included her in the enumeration. I need to dig into school records some more to find out exactly where she was teaching in 1930. I have checked her parents' household in 1930, but she was not included in their enumeration.

1930 U.S. census, St. Clair County, Michigan, population schedule, city of Port Huron, enumeration district (ED) 37, sheet 19B, dwelling 453, family 472, John V. Pemberton household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 December 2005); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1025.

This is the census record of my grandfather, John Peter PEMBERTON and my great-grandparents, John Vital "Jack" and Mabel Ellen (Crysler) PEMBERTON. John Peter is my maternal grandfather and the only grandparent who was born before 1930. They were living at 1650 McPherson Street in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. Jack and Mabel had married 2 1/2 years earlier on 7 Aug 1927 in Port Huron. John Peter was 2 years old (born 18 Nov 1928) and his little sister, Eva, was born just two months before the census in 1930. Jack was working as a laborer at the country club. From city directories, I have found that 1650 McPherson was at the intersection of 13th Avenue, not far from where McPherson dead-ends at the Black River.

1930 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan, population schedule, Flynn Township, enumeration district (ED) 15, sheet 3B, dwelling 67, family 67, Archie Curry household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2011); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1028.

This is the census record of my great-grandparents, Archie and Jennie (Plaine) CURRIE (spelled CURRY here). They were living on their farm in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. This is one county north of St. Clair County, where my maternal grandfather's family was located in 1930. Archie and Jennie married on 27 Aug 1924 in Jennie's hometown of Euphemia Township, Lambton, Ontario. They had two children before 1930, but both died very young. They likely died before the 1930 census because they are not enumerated. Their third child, my maternal grandmother, Violet Mae CURRIE, would not be born until October 1930.

I hope you have enjoyed my tour through the 1930 census. I now have all four of the census records featured here sourced in my database.

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: CURRIE

1. Jennifer Nicole TRAHAN (me)

3. Pamela Sue PEMBERTON (my mom)

7. Violet Mae CURRIE (my maternal grandmother) was born 24 Oct 1930 in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. She died 15 Dec 2008 in Vinton, Calcasieu, Louisiana, from lung cancer and was cremated. She was the daughter of 14. Archie CURRIE and 15. Jennie Grace Christina PLAINE. She married 6. John Peter PEMBERTON 9 Sep 1949 at First Methodist Church in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. He was born 18 Nov 1928 in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. He died 12 Oct 1970 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, from lung cancer. He was buried 15 Oct 1970 in Caswell Cemetery in Kimball Township, St. Clair, Michigan. He was the son of 12. John Vital "Jack" PEMBERTON and 13. Mabel Ellen CRYSLER. Violet then married Clifford Robert DROUILLARD 22 May 1972 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois (a destination wedding of sorts). He was born 10 Jan 1932 in Riverside, Essex, Ontario, Canada. He died 7 Sep 2009 in Windsor, Essex, Ontario, Canada, from lung cancer and was cremated. He was the son of Clifford Cleophas DROUILLARD and Eva Anna GENDRON.

14. Archie CURRIE was born 02 Nov 1889 in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan. He died 15 Mar 1963 in Port Huron, Saint Clair, Michigan, from heart disease. He was buried 19 Mar 1963 in Omard Cemetery in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. He was the son of 28. Alexander CURRIE and 29. Mary RAYMOND. He married 15. Jennie Grace Christina PLAINE 27 Aug 1924 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada. She was born 09 May 1903 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada. She died 24 Dec 1937 in Marlette, Sanilac, Michigan, from a heart attack incurred after an appendectomy. She was buried 4 Jan 1938 in Omard Cemetery in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. She was the daughter of 30. Robert PLAINE and 31. Florence Minnie HILLMAN.

28. Alexander CURRIE was born about Nov/Dec 1838 in Ontario, Canada. He died 28 Dec 1909 in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan. He was buried 30 Dec 1909 in Valley Center, Sanilac, Michigan. He was the son of 56. James CURRIE and 57. Margaret McGILL. He married 29. Mary RAYMOND about 1870-1872, probably in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. She was born about 1852 in Tillsonburg, Oxford, Ontario, Canada. She died 7 Dec 1920 in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. She was buried 9 Dec 1920 in Omard Cemetery in Flynn Township, Sanilac, Michigan. She was the daughter of 58. John RAYMOND and 59. Unknown.

56. James CURRIE was born about 1815-1817 in Scotland. He died after 1881, probably in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada. He married 57. Margaret McGILL 22 Feb 1838 in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. She was born about 1815-1817 in Argylshire, Scotland. She died 21 Nov 1880 in South Dorchester, Elgin, Ontario, Canada.

Saturday Night Fun: Where Were They in 1909? Part II (My Maternal Side)

This is a continuation of my Saturday Night Fun post from last night. See the first post about my paternal great-grandparents here. This post will cover my maternal great-grandparents.

My maternal grandfather's father was John Vital "Jack" PEMBERTON. He was born 19 Feb 1908 in Mount Clemens, Macomb, Michigan, so he was only a year old in 1909. In 1910, he was living in Mount Clemens at 208 Gratiot Avenue with his parents, Lovell Hugh PEMBERTON and Alvina Mary LESPERANCE. There were also two older siblings in the household: Gilbert, age 6, and Nellie, age 4. John was age 2. Lovell was working as a blacksmith.

My maternal grandfather's mother was Mabel Ellen CRYSLER. She was not born until 10 Jan 1910 in Peck, Sanilac, Michigan. She was the daughter of Ernest George CRYSLER and Nellie May REYNOLDS. In 1910, the family was living in Yale, St. Clair, Michigan. In the household were Earnest, age, 30; Nellie, age 21; George, age 3; and Mable, age 3 months. Ernest was working as a railroad laborer. Ironically, next door is Claude STANLAKE and his wife Lizzie DAWSON, with their two children. After Lizzie's death, Claude remarried to Mary TRAVIS. They had a daughter named Eleanor. Eleanor's son and Mabel's granddaughter married in 1978. In fact, the only reason I found the CRYSLER family in the 1910 census was because I was helping my first cousin trace her STANLAKE ancestors on her dad's side. Because CRYSLER looks like it is misspelled as CHRYSTER, I had a hard time finding them using the index at Ancestry.com. We easily found the STANLAKE's in the index, and there were the CRYSLER's conveniently living next door.

My maternal grandmother's father was Archie CURRIE, who has been the subject of many posts on this blog. Archie was born 2 Nov 1889 in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan. His parents were Alexander CURRIE and Mary RAYMOND. Thanks to the new Seeking Michigan site, I have now found Alexander's death record. He died in 1909 in Sanilac County. I have not been able to positively identify Mary yet in the 1910 census. Perhaps after Alex died, she returned to Canada to stay with one of her children. I have found Archibald CURRY, age 20, working as a farm laborer for John W. and Clara SCOTT in Flynn, Sanilac, Michigan, in 1910.

My maternal grandmother's mother was Jennie Grace Christina PLAINE. She was born 9 May 1903 in Euphemia, Lambton, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were Robert PLAINE and Florence Minnie "Flora" HILLMAN. Jennie was 6 years old in 1909. She was still living in Ontario with her parents at Willowdale Farm outside of Newbury. In the 1911 Census of Canada, Jennie, age 9 [wrong age - I have her birth record which states she was born in 1903], was living with her parents in Euphemia Township. All five of her siblings were there as well: Violet E., age 16; Mary E., age 15; William G., age 13; Robert H., age 6; and Walter L., age 4. Also in the household were Jennie's paternal grandparents, George PLAINE, age 82, and Mary Ann TRUMPASS. age 80. Robert was age 42, and Flora was age 39. The family was Presbyterian, and Robert was a farmer.

My Research on the Currie Family

I first began researching the Currie's when I was 13 years old in 1994, but not having the resources to travel to Michigan, a lack of online digitized resources at the time, and a lack of money to do long-distance research, my search did not go too far beyond asking my grandmother questions about her dad, Archie Currie, and any relatives she could remember. All she could remember in regards to Archie's siblings were two brothers, Alex and William, and a sister, possibly named Rose. She said that William had run off as a hobo with the railroad and left a trunk of his things at her dad's house. She did not know of William ever being married or having children. Alex had lived in Melvin in Sanilac County on a farm and had a wife named Minnie and a son named Donald. Alex was the only sibling my grandmother really knew very well. My grandmother had never met Rose, but she knew Rose's daughter lived somewhere near Detroit and was married to a Polish man. They visited Archie frequently when my grandmother was a child to use his land for hunting, but she couldn't quite remember the name of Rose's daughter, and she wasn't entirely sure about Rose's name. My grandmother had never known her grandparents.

My grandmother had a copy of Archie's birth, death, and marriage records, but that was about all we had pertaining to documentation of the family. All I knew about Archie's parents from the birth record was that they were Alexander and Mary Currie, with no maiden name for Mary, and that they were both born in Ontario. The marriage record was not helpful b/c it was not the official one from the Ontario Registrar General. It looked like it was from the minister who performed the marriage, and it did not list parents' names. The death record did not help because my grandmother was the informant, and she did not know the names of her grandparents. My grandmother did have a picture of Alexander and Mary Currie that she inherited from her dad. On the back it said "Grandma and Grandpa Currie - Taken in studio in Lapeer, Michigan." Here is the pic below:


So this is where my research stagnated for over 10 years.

In August 2005, a kind person with access to census records looked up Archie and his parents in the 1900 U.S. Census in Sanilac Co, Michigan. Of course, this still did not give me a maiden name for Mary, but it did give the name of a sibling of Archie's that my grandmother had never met nor heard of: Archie's older brother, Ervin Currie, born Oct 1883 in Michigan. It also gave me possible birth dates for Alexander (Nov 1837) and Mary (Sep 1852) and a possible year of immigration from Canada (1882). In addition, it stated that Alexander's parents were both born in Scotland, and that Mary's parents were born in Vermont and England. It confirmed both Alexander and Mary's birthplaces as Canada, and stated that Mary had given birth to 6 children, 4 of whom were still living.

Using this info, I decided to search the 1881 Canadian census at FamilySearch. I found an Alexander and Mary E. Currie living in South Dorchester, Elgin, Ontario, but wasn't sure if this was them. They were close to the same ages as my Alex and Mary from the 1900 U.S. census. Archie was not born until 1889, so he wouldn't have been in this 1881 census. Their children were May G. (8), William E. (6), Nancy A. (5), and Alexander (2). Hmmm...Alexander and William were the names of the brothers that my grandmother remembered, though I didn't have ages or birth dates yet to corroborate with. And my grandmother's middle name was Mae, so maybe she was named after her aunt. We knew her first name, Violet, was after her maternal aunt, so maybe her middle name, Mae, was after her paternal aunt.

Then came Christmas 2005 when my parents bought me a copy of FamilyTreeMaker, which came with a free 1-year subscription to Ancestry.com. This is when I found Archie in 1910 working as a farm laborer in Sanilac County, Michigan, as was his brother, Ervin. They were both boarding with other families, probably their employers. I also found Archie's brother, Alex, living with his wife, Minnie, and their son, Donald, in Sanilac County in 1910. I still did not find Archie's parents, Alexander and Mary, in 1910. In 1920, I found Archie living with his widowed mother, Mary, in Sanilac County, so at least I could now narrow down his father's death date. In April 1930, I found Archie and my great-grandmother, Jennie, living in Flynn, Sanilac, Michigan, which is where my grandmother was born 6 months later in October 1930. I also found brother Alex with Minnie and Donald in 1920 and 1930 in Sanilac County. Mother Mary was not found in 1930, giving me a possible range of dates for her death.

In July 2006, a lookup volunteer looked up Alex and Minnie's marriage record in Sanilac County and found that Alex's mother was listed as Mary Brown and his father as Sandy Currie. Great...a name like Mary Brown! Alexander Currie was already a common name in Ontario, so I had been hoping that Mary's name was a little more unusual. But nonetheless, I was so excited that I had found a maiden name for Mary...or so I thought! Also, Alex's age on the marriage record matched the age of the Alexander found in Elgin County, Ontario, on the 1881 Canadian census with Alexander and Mary E. Currie. Hmmm.....

A year later in July 2007, the Ontario Vital Statistics Project transcribed marriage records from 1924 onto their site. Lo and behold, there was Archie Currie and Jennie "Jean" Plaine's marriage record from Lambton County, Ontario!! Archie's parents were listed as Alex Currie, born in Middlesex County, and Mary Raymond!!! Soon after this, Ancestry.com uploaded the images of the marriage records from 1924 into their "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924" database, so I was able to confirm the transcription was correct. So now I had another possible maiden name for Mary. Which was correct? I also had a possible birth county for Alexander.

Between July 2007 and December 2008, I looked for a marriage record for Alexander Currie and Mary Brown and Mary Raymond on Ancestry.com's marriage database for Ontario but had no luck. I even searched in the Ontario births database at Ancestry.com to see if I could find anymore siblings of Archie's, but again I had no luck.

In the spring of 2008, I found a birth record and marriage record for Archie's brother, Ervin, on the new FamilySearchLabs site in their Michigan births and marriages databases. As I was focusing on the Pemberton family at the time, I took note of them and filed them away for later investigation.

Then my grandmother passed away in December 2008, which inspired me to keep looking for the origins of her grandparents, Alexander and Mary. I posted a tribute for her on this blog, which caught the attention of Dianne, a fellow genealogist who was doing research on Currie's in nearby Huron County, Michigan. Fueled by my grandmother's passing and by Dianne's interest, I decided to switch my focus to the Currie family for the time being.

The first thing I did was revisit all the records I had on Archie, searching for more clues. Inside the marriage record I had for Archie and Jennie was a list of wedding guests! The only Curries in attendance were Mr. and Mrs. James A. Currie of Dresden. I found that Dresden was in Kent County, Ontario. Could James have been an uncle or cousin or even a brother of Archie's?

I also revisited the "Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909" database at Ancestry.com in February 2009. This time I tried searching for all children named "Curry" (not just "Currie") with a mother named "Raymond." I was so shocked when I found four birth records, including one for Archie's brother, Alex! Here are transcriptions of the records I found below:

Record #: 4883
When born: 10 Oct 1872
Name: Geneva May
Sex: F
Father: Alex Curry
Mother: Mary Raymond
Occupation of father: Farmer
Informant: Mary Curry, Farmer's Wife, S. Dorchester
When registered: 4 Dec 1872
Physician: Oliver Smith
Registrar: Matthew Fullerton
Division: South Dorchester
County: Elgin

Record #: 4423
When born: 13 Apr 1876
Name: Nancy Alberta
Sex: F
Father: Alexeander Curry
Mother: Mary Ramond
Occupation of father: Farmer
Informant: M?? Margaret Curry, South Dorchester
When registered: 20 Apr 1876
Physician: No Doctor
Registrar: M. Fullerton
Remarks: Informant is Curry's sister
Division: South Dorchester
County: Elgin

Record #: 4710
When born: 11 Sep 1879
Name: Alexander
Sex: M
Father: Alexander Curry
Mother: Mary Raymond
Occupation of father: Farmer
Informant: Alexander Curry, Farmer, South Dorchester
When registered: 15 Oct 1879
Physician: Oliver Smith
Registrar: Matthew Fullerton
Division: South Dorchester
District: East Elgin

Record #: 5447
When born: 18 Sep 1881
Name: Mary Ellen
Sex: F
Father: Alexander Curry
Mother: Mary Raymond
Occupation of father: Farmer
Informant: James Curry, Farmer, South Dorchester
When registered: 8 Oct 1881
Physician: No Doctor
Registrar: M. Fullerton
Division: South Dorchester
District: East Elgin

I now had 3 previously unknown sisters and a a birth date of known brother Alex! I even had a new county (Elgin) for further research endeavors! There was even a sister or sister-in-law of Alexander's mentioned named Margaret Curry, as well as a probable relative named James Curry. To think I had missed these because I hadn't spelled "Curry/Currie" correctly. My fiance thinks it was my grandmother guiding me this time around, and maybe it was, but regardless, I was very excited for this find!!!! And now I could match the Alexander and Mary E. Currie on the 1881 Canadian census with my Alexander and Mary!

I then started doing in depth research on all of Archie's known siblings and posting individual posts about them on my blog throughout February and March. I did posts on Ervin, Alexander, and Bertha (formerly known as Rose). I am still looking for info on Nancy Alberta, Geneva May, Mary Ellen, and William. I suspect William will be the hardest since he ran away on the trains and never came back; not to mention that he has a very common name, and I have no birth date for him (just an approximate one based on the 1881 Canadian census).

Once I found the birth records and all the info I had on the siblings, I thought that was the most exciting part. But it wasn't! I found a message posted by a woman named Doris on an Elgin County message board looking for descendants of James Currie and Margaret McGill of South Dorchester, who had several children, including a son named Alexander, a daughter named Margaret, and a son named James. Could this Alexander be my great-great-grandfather Alexander and could James Currie and Margaret McGill be my great-great-great-grandparents?? As much as I had found on Alexander's other children besides Archie, I still had no clue who his parents were, only that they were possibly born in Scotland. Luckily, Doris' message was only about a year old, so I figured she would probably still have the same email address.

I did not have to wait very long. Doris emailed me back and said that the Mr. and Mrs. James A. Currie of Dresden who had attended my great-grandfather Archie's wedding in 1924 were her great-uncle James Alexander "Jim" Currie and his wife Maggie Estella Stevens. Jim was Archie's first cousin. Below is a picture of Jim Currie and Maggie Stevens.


James Alexander "Jim" Currie was the son of William Currie and Catherine Campbell. William and my great-great-grandfather, Alexander Currie, were brothers. Their parents were James Currie and Margaret McGill, both born in Scotland. This was definitely one of my most memorable genealogy happy dances of all time!! Of course, this does not signify an end to my research on the Curries, but rather a new beginning!

RAOGK Musings

I've recently become a volunteer for RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness) over at www.raogk.org. For those of you who don't know, RAOGK is a lookup service for which you can volunteer or from which you can find volunteers who will do one or two lookups for you if you live far away from your ancestal homelands. RAOGK suggests that you only ask for a lookup of one or two names in one or two records per month, considering that these people are volunteers and are not being paid for their time. As a volunteer, however, you can request reimbursement for copy fees, parking, mileage, and postage, and you are only obligated to do one lookup per month. In addition to becoming a volunteer, I also used RAOGK for the first time this month to request a lookup from other volunteers.

I helped Joyce in Texas find the death record of her ancestor, Stella Cuccia, at the Louisiana State Archives where I live in Baton Rouge. I also helped Clarence find three death records for his Jones ancestors at the archives. I tried to find an obituary for Stella in the special collections at Hill Memorial Library at LSU but was unsuccessful.

Joe in Muskegon, Michigan, helped me find the obituary and death record for my third great-grandaunt, Hannah Winters. Hannah's husband, William Thomas Pemberton, was the younger brother of my third great-grandfather, John Pemberton. Hannah died 9 Feb 1925 in Muskegon, Muskegon, Michigan, at age 72y, 10m, 15d. Her age suggests a birth date of 25 Mar 1852, and her birthplace was given as Canada in both the death record and obit. The death record provided the names of her parents, Isaac H. Winters and Mary Crisner, both born in Canada. This was very exciting news, as I did not have the names of her parents or their birthplaces. Below is her obituary and with a transcription.

Mrs. Hannah Jane Pemberton, aged 72 years, died at 11:59 a.m., Monday, at her home, 1??8 Washington avenue, after a lingering illness. She was born in Canada, March 25, 1852. She formerly resided at Sault Ste. Marie for fifteen years, coming from there to Muskegon three years ago. Her husband, William Thomas Pemberton, died about ten years ago.

Mrs. Pemberton is survived by seven sons, Walter S., Martin R., and William T. Pemberton, all of Sault Ste. Marie; Henry I., Leslie, and Albert W. Pemberton, of Muskegon; Brott Pemberton, of South Branch, Mich.; two daughters, Mrs. Irves Johnson, of Muskegon, and Mrs. David Barrus, of Sheldrich, Mich., one sister, Mrs. J.M. Robertson, Algonac, Mich., and a brother, Hiram Winters, of Algonac.

The funeral will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Clock funeral home. Rev. J.R. Estes, pastor of the First Baptist church, will officiate. The body will be taken to South Branch, Mich., for interment.

Here is her transcribed death record from the Muskegon County Clerk's office in Muskegon:

Death Record, Liber 5, Page 116, Record 2775

PEMBERTON, Hannah Jane

Date of Death: 9 February 1925

Place of Death: Muskegon, Michigan

Female

White

Widowed

Age: 72 years, 10 months, 15 days

Cause: Carcinoma of the Stomach

Birthplace: Canada

Occupation: Housewife

Father: Isaac H. Winters, birthplace is Canada

Mother: Mary Crisner, birthplace is Canada

Recorded in the Liber on 14 March 1925

Mark in Worthington, Ohio, found the obituary of my 2nd great-grandaunt, Elva M. (Pemberton) Harriman Lerch, at the Ohio Historical Society's archives in Columbus. Elva died 19 Feb 1941 in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio. I'm anxiously awaiting it in the mail.

Judy in Lansing, Michigan, found the obituary of my great-grandmother, Jennie Grace Christina (Plaine) Currie, wife of Archie Currie. Jennie died on 24 Dec 1937 in Marlette, Sanilac, Michigan. It was located in the Brown City Banner on 6 Jan 1938, p. 6, col. 2, "Neighborhood News - Omard." She found this at the Library of Michigan. Here is a transcription below:

Funeral services for Mrs. Archie Currie were held Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Elk Presbyterian Church with burial in the Omard Cemetery.

Jean Plane was born at Newberry, Ontario, May 9, 1902, the youngest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Plane. She spent her young life at Newbury. In August 1924 she was united in marriage to Archie Currie of Flynn township where she resided afterwards.

She was stricken with appendicitis on December 20th and taken to the Marlette hospital and operated on, and she was improving nicely when she suddenly passed away at 11:30 p.m. December 24th.

She leaves to mourn their loss: her husband, a daughter, Violet, 8 years old, a sister, Mrs. Russell Curtis of Windsor, Ont., two brothers: Wm. Plane of Mt. Brydges, Ontario, Howard Plane of Dresden, Ont. A son Howard and daughter Helena preceded her in death.

Rev. A.G. Howat, pastor of Presbyterian Church of which she was a member officiated. The floral offerings were beautiful and the family have the sympathy of the community.

I never knew about the appendicitis. I always thought she died of an aneurysm, though her death record, on second examination, says she died of a heart attack (coronary thrombosis).

I'm also eagerly awaiting the lookup of the death record of my 1st cousin 4 times removed, Martha (Pemberton) Day, by Alanna in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Martha was enumerated as a patient in the Traverse City State Hospital in the 1920 and 1930 census records, so I'm curious what her death record will reveal about her mental state.

Lesa in San Bernardino County, California has said she would look up the obit of my first cousin once removed, Walter Frederick Arnold. Walter died tragically at the age of 14 in 1964 in Fontana, San Bernardino, California, when his motorbike that he had had received for his birthday collided with a car.

That is all I have to report on RAOGK at the moment. I encourage all to use RAOGK as both a volunteer and as a resource for your research.

Archie's Siblings: Alexander Currie

This is a continuance in my series about my great-grandfather, Archie Currie, and his siblings. Previously, I have blogged about Ervin and Bertha, Archie's older brother and sister. This blog is about another older brother, Alexander Currie. Alexander is the only sibling of Archie that my grandmother, Violet Mae Currie, remembered. Violet was Archie's only surviving child. She told me that she remembered her Uncle Alex and Aunt Minnie, who lived on a farm in Melvin, Sanilac, Michigan. They had a son named Donald, who was signifcantly older than Violet. Alex died around 1940-1945. My grandmother remembered attending the funeral and that Donald had been drunk during the funeral. She said her dad had to leave the funeral home for a little while and told her and her friend to watch over things and make sure Donald didn't cause a scene.

The earliest evidence I have of Alexander is his birth record, which I found at Ancestry.com's "Ontario, Canada Births 1869-1909." Alexander Curry was born 11 Sep 1879 in South Dorchester, Elgin, Ontario, Canada to Alexander Curry, farmer, and his wife, Mary Raymond.

Ontario Registrar General, birth certificate 4710 (1879), Alexander Curry; digital image, "Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909," Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Mar 2009); citing microfilm publication MS 929, roll 37, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

I do not have any other record of Alexander until his marriage to Minnie Land in 1909. Alexander Curry and Minnie Land married on 24 May 1909 in Sandusky, Sanilac, Michigan. Alexander was a 29-year-old farmer from Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan. Minnie was 24 years old (born abt 1885) and also from Maple Valley. Alexander's age supports the birth date given in his birth record. Alexander's birth place was given as Canada, and his parents as Sandy Curry and Mary Brown (should have been Mary Raymond). Minnie's birth place was given as Romeo, Michigan, and her parents as Channcy Land and Blonney Van Schriber. Neither Alexander nor Minnie had been previously married.

Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1909, 5: 9, no. 630, Curry-Land; digital image, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 14 Mar 2009).

About a year after their marriage, Alex and Minnie Currie appear in the 1910 U.S. Census in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan, with son Theodore. They were living with the family of David E. Laidlaw, and Alexander was working as a farm laborer. Minnie was working as a servant, probably a housekeeper for the Laidlaw family. Alex was age 31 and Minnie was age 34, which seems in conflict with her age of 24 on her marriage record just one year prior. Alex's birth place was given as Canada, as were his parents' birth places. Minnie's birth place was given as Michigan, while her father's birth place is given only as U.S. and her mother's as Canada. Theodore's age was given as 0, so I'm assuming this means he was born in 1910. His birthplace is given as Michigan.

1910 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan population schedule, Maple Valley, enumeration district (ED) 146, sheet 3B, dwelling 61, family 66, Alex Currie; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Mar 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 674.

Alex is next found 8 years later on his WWI draft registration card. His name was given as Sandy Alexander Currie, but I know Sandy is a nickname for Alexander. He was now living in Melvin, Sanilac, Michigan, which is where my grandmother had remembered him living. His birthday was given as 11 Sep 1918 on the record, but obviously the year of birth is incorrect, as the draft card is dated 12 Sep 1918. The day and month match that found on his birth record. His age was also given incorrectly as age 45 because he was only 39 years old in 1918. He worked as a railroad section man for the Pere Marquette Railroad Company in Melvin. His nearest relative was Minnie Currie of Melvin.

"World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database and images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Mar 2009), Sandy Alexander Currie, Sandusky, Sanilac County, Michigan; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, NARA microfilm publication M1509, roll 1682814.

In January 1920, Elick and Minnie Curry were still living in Melvin with son, Donald. Elick was a 46-year-old farm laborer born in Canada. His age is again given incorrectly, as he was only 40 years old in January 1920. His father's birthplace was given as Canada and his mother tongue as Scotch, and his mother's birthplace was given as Canada and her mother tongue as English. Elick immigrated in 1885 and was naturalized in 1890. Minnie's age also seems incorrect at age 51, as she would have been about 34-44 years old. Her birthplace was given as Michigan, as were her parents' birthplaces. Donald was age 10 and was born in Michigan.

1920 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan population schedule, Melvin, enumeration district (ED) 164, sheet 11A, dwelling 33, family 33, Elick Curry; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Mar 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 797.

In April 1930, Alexander and Arminda A. Currie are found again in Melvin with son, T. Donald. Donald's first name must have been Theodore, the child's name enumerated with Alex and Minnie in 1910. Alexander was a 62-year-old laborer at odd jobs. Again, his age is given incorrectly, as he was only 50 years old in April 1930. His birthplace, as well as his parents' birthplaces, was given as Canada. Minnie's age was given as 51 years old and her birth place, as well as her parents' birthplaces, as Michigan. Alex's age at first marriage was given incorrectly as 41 and Minnie's incorrectly as 30. This time Alexander's immigration year was given as 1873 and his status as naturalized. However, he was not even born in 1873. T. Donald's age was given as 19 and his occupation as farm laborer.

1930 U.S. census, Sanilac County, Michigan population schedule, Melvin, enumeration district (ED) 33, sheet 1A, dwelling 5, family 5, Alexander Currie; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search : accessed 14 Mar 2009); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1028.

I have not yet found Alexander's death record, but I haven't tried very hard to find it. I need to search the index of deaths on the FHL microfilm from Sanilac County. His correct immigration year is probably 1885, as the last known sibling I can find born in Canada was Bertha, born about 1884 (according to her marriage and census records), and the first known sibling I can find born in Michigan is Ervin, born about 1885 (according to his birth record). Alex likely immigrated with his parents in 1885 as a young boy. I would also like to find Alex's obituary, which was probably published in the Brown City Banner, which is housed at the Library of Michigan in Lansing. But first I will have to find the death record before I can look for an obituary.

Seeking more information on Donald, I've found a death record and obituary for him in St. Clair County, Michigan, just south of Sanilac County. His death record is transcribed here (St. Clair County, Michigan, Death Book 14: 313, Theodore T. Currie; County Clerk, Port Huron):

Decedent: Theodore T. Currie
Date of death: 12 Aug 1980
Place of death: Port Huron
SS#: 383-10-6914
DOB: 13 Apr 1910
Birthplace: Michigan
Sex: M
Race: W
Marital Status: Widowed
Cause of death: Metastic carcinoma of prostate
Age: 70
Occupation: Sweeper
Father: Alex Currie
Mother: Minnie Lamb
Informant: Robert Benjamin of Marlette, Mi.

His obituary is also transcribed below ("Donald T. Currie," obituary, The Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan), 13 August 1980, p. 10C.):

Flynn Township -- Donald T. Currie, 70, of 4126 Montgomery Road, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 1980, in Mercy Hospital, Port Huron, after a short illness.

He was born April 13, 1910, in Melvin, and lived in Sanilac County all of his life.

Mr. Currie was a retired employee of the Yale Rubber Co.

He is survived by cousins.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Carman Funeral Home, Brown City. Elder John Murray, pastor of the Valley Center Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, will officiate. Burial will be in Melvin Cemetery.

Funeral home visiting hours are from 7 to 9 p.m. today and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

It seems somewhat sad to me that Donald had no survivors except some unnamed cousins. From the birth date given in the obituary, it appears that the 1910 census was taken only 9 days after Donald's birth, which must be why his age is listed as 0.

In summary:

11 Sep 1879 - Alexander Curry is born in South Dorchester, Elgin, Ontario, to Alexander Curry, a farmer, and his wife, Mary Raymond

24 May 1909 - Alexander Curry marries Minnie Land in Sandusky, Sanilac, Michigan. Alexander was a 29-year-old farmer living in Maple Valley, Sanilac, Michigan.

13 Apr 1910 - Alexander's son, Theodore Donald Currie, is born in Sanilac County, Michigan. Alexander is 30 years old.

Apr 1910 - Alex and Minnie Curry, with their son, Theodore, appear in the census in Maple Valley in the home of David E. Laidlaw. Alex is a 30-year-old farm laborer.

12 Sep 1918 - Alexander "Sandy" Currie registers for the WWI draft. He was a 39-year-old section man for the Pere Marquette Railroad living in Melvin, Sanilac, Michigan.

Jan 1920 - Elick and Minnie Curry appear in the census in Melvin, Sanilac, Michigan, with their son, Donald. Elick is a 40-year-old farm laborer.

Apr 1930 - Alexander and Arminda A. Currie appear in the census with their son, T. Donald Currie, in Melvin. Alexander is a 50-year-old laborer at odd jobs.

Abt 1940-1942 - Alexander dies. He is about 60-62 years old. My grandmother remembers the funeral being when she was about 10-12 years old. The funeral was in Sanilac County.

12 Aug 1980 - Alexander's son, Theodore "Donald" Currie, dies in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan.

Archie's Siblings: Bertha Currie

Previously, I had blogged about my great-grandfather, Archie Currie, and his older brother, Ervin Currie. To continue in the series, this entry is about Archie's older sister, Bertha, whom I recently discovered.

As mentioned in previous posts, my maternal grandmother, Violet, daughter of Archie, never knew much about her aunts and uncles. She knew that her dad had a niece from the Detroit area who always came up to Sanilac County, Michigan, with her Polish husband to hunt on Archie's farm land. She would usually bring my grandmother gifts, and she was significantly older than my grandmother. My grandmother thought the niece's mother's name was Rose and that Rose was Archie's sister, but she could not remember ever meeting Rose, so she was not too sure about the name. After all these years, she couldn't even remember the niece's name or the Polish husband's name, although she had met them several times as a young girl. At this point, I thought I was at a dead end because I did not even know Rose's husband's name, and I could not seem to find a marriage record for a Rose Currie near Detroit nor in Ontario, where the Currie's were before they moved to Michigan. I felt pretty hopeless.

With the rather recent release of Michigan marriage records by FamilySearch Labs, I searched for all Currie's who had married in Michigan with a mother whose surname was Raymond. From Archie's marriage record, I had found that his mother's maiden name was Mary Raymond. Lo and behold, a marriage record surfaced for Bertha Currie and Alton Dye who married on 22 Jun 1918 in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan. Bertha was age 34 (born about 1884), a resident of Pontiac, had a birthplace of Toronto, Ont., and had parents named Elick Currie and Mary Raymond. Archie's parents were Alexander "Alex" Currie and Mary Raymond, so I knew this had to be a sister! Alton was age 35, a resident of Pontiac, had a birthplace of Davisburg [Oakland County, Michigan], worked as an auto assembler, and was the son of Edward Dye and Florence Friday. Both Alton and Bertha had been married once before, but no married name was given for Bertha.

Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1918, 4 : 240, no. 278, Dye-Currie; digital images, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 3 Mar 2009)

I then looked for Alton and Bertha in the 1920 U.S. Census. I found them living in Pontiac at 346 Central Avenue. In the household is Alvin J. Dye, age 36, born in Michigan, father born in England, mother born in Michigan, and working as a machinist in a foundry. Wife, Bertha Dye, was age 35, born in Canada, both parents born in Canada. There was a daughter, Doris Dye, age 15, born in Michigan, father born in Michigan, mother born in Canada. Alton and Bertha had been married for less than 2 years. Was 15-year-old Doris the daughter of Alton from his previous marriage since they shared the same last name? Or was Doris Bertha's daughter from a previous marriage enumerated under the wrong last name? Or was Doris Bertha's daughter from a previous marriage but adopted by Alton or using Alton's last name? Or, since there was no married name for Bertha listed on the marriage record, were Alton and Bertha married once to each other, divorced, and then remarried?

1920 U.S. Census, Oakland County, Michigan, population schedule, Pontiac (Ward 2), ED 211, sheet 4A, dwelling 66, family 67, Alvin J. Dye household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Mar 2009); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 790.

I then looked for a marriage record for Doris Dye, on the slight hope that she married before 1926 (the FamilySearch Labs database cuts off at 1925). I found a marriage record for Adam Mazurek and Doris Dye who married on 26 Jan 1925 in Royal Oak, Pontiac, Michigan. Adam was born in Warsaw, Poland!!! I was literally doing a happy dance at this point because I had finally found the long lost cousin/niece from the Detroit area who had married the Polish man!!! In addition, the marriage record stated that Doris was age 19, was born and was resided in Pontiac, worded as a stenographer and bookkeeper, and was the daughter of Alton J. Dye and Bertha Currie. Adam was age 25, resided in Pontiac, worked as a bodymaker, and was the son of Joseph Mazurek and Mary Syrskie.

Michigan Department of Vital Records, Marriage Registrations, 1925, Oakland County, v. 8, no. 1111, Mazurek-Dye; digital images, "Michigan Marriages 1868-1925," FamilySearch Labs (http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch : accessed 3 Mar 2009)

I decided to look for Alton and Bertha and Adam and Doris in the 1930 U.S. Census. I found Bertha living alone at 52 Lafayette Street in Pontiac. Bertha was a renter, age 41, married, and was born in Canada. Both parents' birthplaces were given as Canada. She immigrated in 1892 and was naturalized. Her age at first marriage was given as 31. I found Bertha enumerated again living alone at 346 Central Street, in the same house from the 1920 U.S. Census. All other info matches the same as that at 52 Lafayette Street, except that she owned this house at 346 Central. The census taken at 346 Central was enumerated on 10 Apr 1930 and the one at 52 Lafayette was enumerated on 16-17 Apr 1930. Did Bertha move during those 6 or 7 days?

Alton J. Dye was living at 12 North Saginaw in Pontiac on 3 Apr 1930. He also rented, was age 45, married, age 34 at first marriage, was born in Michigan, had a father born in England, had a mother born in Michigan, and worked as a collector in his own office. This makes me wonder if Alton and Bertha were in the middle of a separation or divorce.

Adam and Doris were living at 114 W. Maryland in Royal Oak. Adam Mazurick was age 30, age 24 at his first marriage, was born in Warsaw, Poland, had both parents born in Poland, spoke Polish before coming to the United States, immigrated in 1910 and was in the middle of completing his naturalization papers, and worked as a machinist in an auto plant. Doris M. Mazurick was age 25, age 19 at first marriage, was born in Michigan, and had a father born in Michigan and a mother born in Canada. They had four children: Maxine M., age 5, Edwin A., age 3 11/12, Virginia M., age 2 11/12, and Marion T. (son), age 7/12.

Still wondering if Doris was actually Alton or Bertha's natural child (though she listed both as her parents on her marriage record to Adam Mazurek), I looked for all three in the 1910 U.S. Census. I figured from the ages on Doris's marriage record and on the 1920 U.S. Census that she was born sometime between 1904 and 1906. I could not find Bertha or Doris in 1910, though I did find Alton J. Dye and May E. Dye living at 58 Jackson Street in Pontiac. This must have been Alton's first marriage. Alton was age 26, married for 3 years, was born in Michigan, had a father born in England and mother born in Michigan, and worked as an assembler in an auto factory. No daughter named Doris was enumerated. Does this mean Doris was Bertha's natural child and not Alton's?

I then found a marriage record for Alton J. Dye and Mae E. Miller on 29 Jun 1906 in Fenton, Oakland, Michigan, at FamilySearch Labs. Alton was age 23, was born and resided in Davisburg, worked as a farmer, and was the son of E. J. Dye and Flora Friday. Alton and Mae must have divorced between 1910 and 1918, or Mae must have died.

I also found another peculiar marriage record at FamilySearch Labs. This one was for Bertha Currey and Otis J. Hicks who married 2 Feb 1898 in Mount Clements, Macomb, Michigan. Bertha was age 20 (born about 1878), born in Canada, resided in Pontiac, and was the daughter of Alex Currey. The age is not exactly the same as those suggested by the census records and the other marriage record, but the location of Pontiac does match. The father's name and birthplace also match. In 1898, Bertha would have been about 14, so maybe she lied about her age in order to marry without parental permission. I have not found Otis and Bertha in the 1910 U.S. Census either, so perhaps they divorced before 1910. I have not found them in the 1911 Canadian Census either or the 1900 U.S. Census either. Is it possible that Doris is the daughter of Otis and Bertha?

In summary:

Abt 1884 - Bertha is born in Ontario to Alexander Currie and Mary Raymond. Her marriage record said she was born in Toronto, but I have doubts about this because I have since found Alexander and Mary in Elgin County, which will be the topic of future posts.

Abt 1885 - Alexander and Mary immigrate from Ontario to Sanilac County, Michigan.

2 Feb 1898 - Bertha, residing in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan, possibly marries Otis J. Hicks in Mount Clemens, Macomb, Michigan. She is about age 14, but her age is given as 20 on the marriage record.

Abt 1904-1906 - Bertha gives birth to a daughter, Doris, at about age 20-22.

22 Jun 1918 - Bertha married for a second time to Alton J. Dye in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan, at the age of 34.

Jan 1920 - Bertha, Alton, and 15-year-old daughter Doris are living at 346 Central in Pontiac. Bertha's age is given as 35.

26 Jan 1925 - Bertha's daughter, Doris, marries Adam Mazurek in Royal Oak, Pontiac, Michigan. Doris is age 19.

Apr 1930 - Bertha is living alone at two different locations in Pontiac: a rental house at 52 Lafayette and her own house at 346 Central. Alton is living alone in a rental house at 12 North Saginaw in Pontiac. Both give marital status as married. Adam and Doris are living in Royal Oak, at 114 W. Maryland and have 4 children.

To-Do List for Bertha:

1) Look for a divorce record for Bertha and Alton in Oakland County, c. 1930.

2) Look for land records for Alton and Bertha in Oakland County to see when the house at 346 Central was sold.

3) Look for additional marriage records for Bertha in Oakland County after 1930.

4) Look for a death record and obituary for Bertha in Oakland County.

5) Continue to look for Bertha in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census records.