ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Richard Lindsay to become Grand Patriarch of the Odd Fellows organization - 1914

Another in my series of news articles about my paternal great granduncle, Richard Lindsay (1862-1927).

Here are the other blog posts written about Richard Lindsay, so far.  My blogging has taken a hit during this Covid-19 situation.  It’s been difficult to focus and do any research or writing.  Instead, I’ve been cleaning and organizing various areas in my house. Have any of you found it difficult to conduct your research as well?  Or, have you been able to do more?

ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ Will a sprig of heather from South Africa bring victory to Richard Lindsay at the polls?

FOLLOW UP FRIDAY ~ Did my great granduncle, Richard Lindsay, win that election I wrote about last month?

This particular news article is about a meeting of the Odd Fellows organization.  The meeting took place in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in May 1914.

I wondered what exactly was the Odd Fellows?  Are they similar to Masons?  I know that Richard Lindsay belonged to both organizations, as mentioned in other articles about him and his obituary.

I used our friend Goggle and found this Wikipedia explanation of the Odd Fellow organization.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_Fellows  The answer to my question about them being the same as the Masons would be, they are similar organizations.

Here is the full page of the article which includes photos.  Richard Lindsay being second from the left.

Here is a transcription of the portion of the article about Richard Lindsay.  He was slated to become the Grand Patriarch.

“Reward Detroit Man – There is but little doubt of the re-election of Richard Lindsay, of Detroit to the highest office in the state organization, that of grand patriarch, to succeed Thomas Conlin of Crystal Falls, the present incumbent.  The election of the grand high priest to grand patriarch follows in the natural order of advancement of officers, this being the system adopted by the Grand Encampment in the election of its officers.  Mr. Lindsay is the present grand high priest.  He is a member of Western Lodge of Detroit, one of the strongest in the state.  He is a past grand of that lodge and past chief patriarch of Enterprise Encampment of Detroit.”

Did you have ancestors who belonged to organizations such as these?  I have many in my family who were members of Masonic Lodges and one family involved in Canadian Order of Foresters and Companions of Foresters, among others.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2020   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

MILITARY MONDAY ~ Honoring Pfc Robert Dean Thornton–killed in action in World War II - 1945

PLEASE CLICK ON THE TRIANGLE TO PLAY ROBERT'S MEMORIAL VIDEO

Robert Dean Thornton is my 2nd cousin once removed. Meaning we share a common ancestor – my 3rd great grandparents,  Charles Milne (1822-1877) and Margaret Ritchie (1820-1902).

BACKGROUND: Robert was the son of George Thornton (1881-1951) and Goldie Downing (1883-1962) of Muskegon, Michigan.  Robert was their youngest child.  He had older siblings, Lottie Mae, Goldie M., Marjorie and George “Williard.”

According to his headstone and military records, Robert was born 29 Aug 1919 in Michigan. NOTE: There is one record that gives his birthdate as 29 Sep 1919.

I first find Robert as a 4 month old in the 1920 census, in Muskegon, Michigan.  He again appears in the 1930 and 1940 census records with his parents, living in Muskegon, Michigan.
On 16 Oct 1940 Robert reported to the Local Board No. 2 in Muskegon, Michigan to register for the draft.  He is listed as 5’ 7 1/2”, 150 pounds, with brown hair, blue eyes and a light complexion.  He was working for Hercules Motor and he was 21 years old.

WORLD WAR II DRAFT REGISTRATION - 1940

On 6 Mar 1941 Robert married Jacklyn M. Ritersdorf, in Definance, Defiance Co., Ohio.

Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993
Name:    Jacklyn M Ritersdorf
Gender:    Female
Age:    21
Birth Date:    abt 1920
Marriage Date:    6 Mar 1941
Marriage Place:    Defiance, Ohio, USA
Father:    William Ritersdorf
Mother:    Mary Edgerly
Spouse:    Robert D Thornton
Film Number:    001977645

Just 9 months after their marriage on 7 Dec 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed. This as we all know, began the U.S. entry into World War II.

On 25 May 1943 Robert D. Thornton enlisted in the Army.  Less than 2 months later he and his wife, Jackie divorced. That means the divorce would have begun prior to his enlistment.  Did the divorce proceedings have anything to do with his enlistment?  I have no way of knowing.
 
However, just 18 days after the divorce was final, Robert married Paula Evelyn Johnson on 27 Jul 1943 in Comanche, Stephens, Oklahoma.
 
Oklahoma, County Marriage Records, 1890-1995
Name:    Robert Dean Thornton
Gender: Male
Age:    24
Birth Date: abt 1919
Marriage Date:    27 Jul 1943
Marriage Place: Comanche, Oklahoma, USA
Spouse: Paula Evelyn Johnson
Film Number:    001869740

Robert was a Private First Class in the 378 Infantry Division, 95th Division, Company G.  According to military records Robert was killed in action, at age 25 on 6 Apr 1945 in Germany.  That means that Robert was killed just 32 days prior to the war’s end.  He made it for two years and then sadly, died just a month before he could have come home.

Robert's body was returned home for burial in October 1948, along with others from Muskegon, who had died in the war.  The local high school that Robert attended displayed a bronze tablet honoring those who had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

They also mentioned them and shared photos of them in the 1945 yearbook.

Robert is buried at Mona View Cemetery in Muskegon, Michigan. His headstone memorializes his service to our country.  You may visit his memorial here #46411967.

I am honored to be related to this military hero.  May he rest in peace.

If you are related to anyone mentioned in this post, or have additions or corrections, please contact me.

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2019   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

SEPIA SATURDAY ~ My Grandparents, Marie & Harry Gould enjoying their Lake Huron cottage home in Michigan–early 1950’s

WHAT IS SEPIA SATURDAY?

“Launched by Alan Burnett and Kat Mortensen in 2009, Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs.  Historical photographs of any age or kind (they don’t have to be sepia) become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history, in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images.”

This weeks theme for Sepia Saturday is Rooms, Tables, Chairs and Wood. 

My paternal grandparents, Harry Gould and Marie Lindsay Gould owned a cottage right on Lake Huron in Michigan.  I remember going there as a young girl.  My grandmother loved to swim.  Even in her later years when they lived in Florida, we would go to the beach and she would get right into the ocean to swim.  She always wore her bathing cap.

Here are two pictures that feature my grandparents relaxing in their cottage.  They would have been in their mid to late 60’s when these photos were taken.

I wonder what my grandmother is thinking as she sits there?  She seems to be staring out the window and in deep thought.   Their cottage was small, as cottages tend to be.  This is looking from the sitting area/living room into the dining area and kitchen.  My grandma also loved to cook and she was very good at it.  I wish I had some of her recipes.  I do have recipes from my other grandmother (the thing is, she wasn’t a very good cook).  Isn’t that just how it goes?

Here is my grandpa sitting on the couch that would be in basically the same area that my grandma was sitting in, only on the other side of that room. In fact, he could have taken the picture of her from where he is sitting. He looks to be browsing a newspaper or magazine.  I see a book sitting on the end table atop what looks like a box.  The book looks very much like a Bible to me, but I can’t tell for sure.

I was just telling my friend and fellow blogger, Debby Warner Anderson, that looking at these pictures makes me very nostalgic.  I want to go back in time and hug my grandparents.

Here’s a map of the exact lot that the cottage was located on.  And following that a screenshot of a street view via Google maps of what it looks like now.  The red arrow is pointing to the water you can just barely see in the photo.  I don’t have an exact street address of the property.  However, I obtained a plat map at the courthouse during one of my trips to Michigan.

 

I mentioned earlier that my grandma loved to swim.  Here she is with my Dad (her only child) on the beach in Pompano Beach, Florida.  My Dad worked as a lifeguard at the time.  This would have been 1960-1965.  Since there is a wooden beach chair in the background of this photo, it fits in with today’s theme quite well.

That’s all for Sepia Saturday this week.  It’s been a sweet walk down memory lane for me.  I hope your family photos can bring back fond memories for you too.

TO READ OTHER SEPIA SATURDAY POSTS PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK..Sepia Saturday.  Enjoy!

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FRIDAY FINDS of a Different Kind

Normally, when I write about Friday Finds, they include various documents I have located, or perhaps even a photo of a particular ancestor.
 
This week my find was located on the Detroit Historical Society’s Facebook page. I happened to be scrolling through my FB news feed and came across an item that related to my birthday.

What I saw was a photo taken on my birthday, March 13th, in the year 1903 in Detroit, where I was born.  I remember Gratiot Ave. as a place my parents and grandparents talked about, along with Woodward Ave., Grand River and all the Mile roads in Detroit.
  
Here’s the image, used with the gracious permission of the Detroit Historical Society.  I’ve darkened it just a little so it would show up better.



The caption for the image reads as follows:

On March 13, 1903, this scene was captured on McDougall Avenue, just north of Gratiot Avenue and looking north. St. Philip's Mission Church is visible adjacent to a plank sidewalk along with many residences.

Have you found items like this from your place of birth or where you grew up?

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HAPPY 179th BIRTHDAY TO MICHIGAN ~ The 26th state in our United States

My home state!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN 50 FACTS ABOUT MICHIGAN

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2016   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

DETROIT TURNS 314 YEARS OLD TODAY

A quick shout out to my home city.  I still have many family members in and around Detroit.  Grandparents, cousins, uncles & aunts, nieces and nephews are buried in Detroit.  Many spent their whole lives there.

Detroit was first settled in 1701.  To read about it, please click on this link History of Detroit 
 
I ran a search in my Legacy program and there are 196 people in my database that are associated with Detroit by birth, death or event.

Here are those people, both living and dead.  No dates have been included in order to protect those that are still living.

MY DETROIT FAMILY MEMBERS

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

This isn’t a huge percentage of the 4665 people in my database, but many of these people are very closely related to me.

PLEASE contact me if you think you might be related, even remotely, to anyone mentioned in this blog.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST (All these posts have links to Detroit)

MYSTERY MONDAY-Who's Your Daddy? Brick Wall Post #1 - John C. Gould

AN EXACT DATE OF DEATH IN A DETROIT CITY DIRECTORY

BIRTH RECORDS WITH INCORRECT NAMES - What Would You Think?

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2015   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

CENSUS SUNDAY–WHO WAS LIVING NEXT TO WHOM? AND WHAT DOES THIS RECORD TELL ME?

I know you’ve all seen it.  You find a census record for someone you are researching and lo and behold, on the same page is another familiar family. 
This has happened to me more than once during my research.  Sometimes, I don’t see it the first time I view the census. 

• Maybe because I didn’t know about the other family?
• Maybe I learned later on who that one daughter married?
• Maybe because I was careless and didn’t take the time to look at other entries?

Whatever the reason, it’s fun when you do find them.  Here’s one that I found early in my research.

1860 census – Armada, Macomb, Michigan
 


Here is a close up of my two families.  Henry Hart and John Gould



Who are these ancestors to me?

Henry Hart & his wife Olive are my 3rd great grandparents

John Gould and his wife Sally are my 2nd great grandparents. Sally is Henry Hart’s daughter.  She and John were married in 1858.  And now have a young son, Vivaldo.

1860 census – Town of Armada, County of Macomb, State of Michigan
Enumerated on 13 day of July 1860.
Lines 3-12, dwelling number 1111, family number 1128

• Henry Hart, age 65, male, farmer, value of real estate $6700, personal estate $570, born in New York
• Olive Hart, age 55, female, born in Vermont
• Noble Hart, age 21, male, farm laborer, born in New York
• Betsy Hart, age 20, female, domestic, born in New York
• Arminda Hart, age 18, female, born in New York
• Simeon Hart, age 16, male, farm laborer, born in New York
• Olive Hart, age 14, female, born in New York
• Leonard Hart, age 12, male, born in New York
• Monroe Knapp, age 2, male, born in ?
• Hannah Burrell, age 69, female, born in Massachusetts

QUESTIONS:  Who are Monroe Knapp and Hannah Burrell?  Are they family?  Are they boarders?  I have yet to figure this out and I’ve tried many times over the past 10 years.

Lines 13-15, dwelling number 1111, family number 1129

• John Gool [should be Gould], age 28, male, day laborer, value of real estate $500, personal estate $100, born in Michigan
• Sally Gould, age 23, female, born in New York
• Vivaldo Gould, age 8 months, male, born in Michigan

OBSERVATIONS: 
1.  Because the dwelling number for both families is the same, it appears they were living in the same house or on the same property. 
2.  Both Henry Hart and John Gould own real estate.  They should then be listed on the agricultural census for 1860.  Are they? 
3.  There is a family directly next door named Stone.  I know that John Gould, bought land from Hannibal Stone in 1863.  Is this Stone family related to Hannibal?
4.  The enumerator lists New York as the birthplace for Henry Hart and his children.  However, this conflicts with other records I have for this family.
5.  Can I locate the land records for the real estate owned by Henry Hart and John Gould in 1860?

Reviewing this census, that I have looked at so many times, has given me some new ideas.  It never hurts to take another look at even the most common of records, such as our wonderful census records. 

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

HOW TO FIND PROBATE RECORDS ONLINE

ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES THAT WE CAN ACCESS AS GENEALOGISTS, ARE THE PROBATE RECORDS OF OUR ANCESTORS

HERE IS THE PROBATE INDEX CARD FOR THE ELIZABETH BURGESS ESTATE.  YOU CAN SEE THE FILE NUMBER IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER AND THAT IT NAMES HER GRANDDAUGHTER, SUSAN MILNE AND THE PARTICULAR COURT WHERE THE RECORD WAS FILED, ALONG WITH THE YEAR - 1884.

Here is just a sample of what they can tell us:

• They can contain some solid family connections
• Solve brick walls
• Give us clues as to the financial status of our ancestor
• Tell us if a particular child was “out of favor”
• Give us dates, names & places
• Indicate who were trusted friends based on the executor or witnesses

So, when was the last time you located a probate record for your ancestor?

Have you ever located one?

During my recent research, I was on the Facebook page for Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

They had two recent articles/posts regarding finding probate records.  One article was posted on October 31 and the next on November 1.  While these particular posts are about Michigan, this information can be used with probate records for any state for which Family Search has records available.  Here is the link:  United_States_Probate_Records

One thing about having a lot of records online is that some of us may not be as well versed in “browsing” through records as we used to be.  Prior to the internet, microfilm and microfiche had to be used to find records.  This involved a LOT of scrolling through record after record.  It’s much easier, in my opinion, to scroll through online records, than to use the microfilm readers.
 
How many of you don’t look at records on familysearch when you see “browse records” rather than the little camera icon?

I have to admit, I was guilty of that, until recently.

Here are the links I referred to from the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research.

Probate Records on Family Search - Part 1



Probate Records on Family Search - Part 2



WHAT’S NEXT?
I located a probate number for my 3rd great grandmother, Elizabeth BURGESS, while searching under the name MILNE.  Why?  Because her granddaughter, Susan married into my MILNE family.  The record shown at the top of this post is the one I located.

I was SO excited.  I went from the index to the actual records and began my search.  I couldn’t wait to find out who she might mention in her probate record.

BUT, AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT….
One of the years that IS NOT in this group of scanned images is 1884.  Yup, no record.  I was very disappointed.  However, I didn’t let that stop me from trying to obtain this record.  I live in California.  No trip to Detroit is in my near future. 
How was I going to obtain a copy of this probate record?

HERE'S HOW
I have friends and family in Detroit.  I contacted a Facebook friend from the group Detroit Genealogy and she has offered to go to the courthouse and get this record for me.  She hopes to have it by the end of the week.  Once I get it, you can bet I’ll be writing about it.
 
TIP:  It’s because of situations like this that I so highly recommend that every genealogist use social media as a source for contacts.  I can’t tell you the wealth of information I have gained and the records I have obtained because of Facebook contacts. 
Please see this post I wrote about the value of Facebook for your genealogy research.

FACEBOOK - HOW IT CAN BE VERY USEFUL IN YOUR RESEARCH

OTHER POSTS THAT YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY
EVERNOTE - A VERY USEFUL AND FREE TOOL
SEMINARS, WEBINARS, SOCIETIES - WILL THEY HELP YOUR RESEARCH?

Happy Hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

FUNERAL CARD FRIDAY– Everett Pierre Roe

 

I have to be honest.  I haven’t written anything for this particular topic because I don’t have many funeral cards.  However, much to my surprise I actually had more than the two or three I thought.  

I’m going to start today and go through the list over the next few Fridays.  I will talk about who this person was to me and about their history and family.





Relationship to me:  Husband of my Grand Aunt
Born 12 Aug 1893 in Cornwall on the Hudson, New York to William & Matilda (Kempton) Roe
Married Irene “Peggy” Marie Milne on 19 Jun 1926 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
One child born to this couple, a daughter, who is still living
Died 14 May 1959 in Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan
Burial at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan

Everett Pierre Roe was married to my maternal grandfather’s sister.  Sadly, I never knew either Everett or his wife, Irene.  We moved away from Detroit, Michigan when I was only 7 years old.  Most of the rest of my family, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles etc., all stayed in Detroit.  And many are still there.  

Here is a picture of Everett wearing his Navy hat, I’m told this was about 1919.  And one of his wife, Irene, the year not known.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)
    
The one daughter born to Everett & Irene is a first cousin to my mother.  I do remember meeting her when I was a little girl.  Fortunately, after decades, I was able to locate her in Michigan and got to meet and talk with her on my visits in 2007 and 2010.  I’ve even spent time with her oldest daughter.  It was during one of those visits that I was able to get copies of photos and documents.

NOTE:  I took my digital camera with me during the visit.  I photographed documents and took pictures of photos.  Doing this allowed me to capture these items, without asking Everett’s elderly daughter to part with them while I took them some place to scan them.  This was before the days of wand scanners and Flip Pal.  Always be prepared when you visit with family.  

Everett served in the Navy during World War I.  He enlisted on 21 Apr 1917 and was discharged on 15 Jul 1919.  Here is the military service card, recording his service.



Everett’s obituary states that he was associated with the R. L. Pope Furniture Company at 14751 Seven Mile Rd. West from 1946 to the time of his death.  He lived in Detroit for 36 years.   
 
Everett was 65 years old when he died and he and Irene had been married for 32 years.  I don’t have a cause of death for him or a death certificate.  I do know he is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit.  I have personally photographed his headstone.  His wife, Irene, is also buried with him. Here is a link to the findagrave memorial I created for him: 
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=49427451



It seems to me that I could learn more about Everett’s life.  There should be more records I can obtain.  I can also talk to his daughter and granddaughter and learn more about him.  It’s when we begin to write a story about one of our ancestors that we truly have a picture of their lives.  If all we have are names and dates, then we have missed so much.  For many, that is all we will ever have.  But, for Everett, I know I can do better.  It seems I better make a phone call or two.

HAVE YOU READ THESE POSTS?
FAMILY RECIPE FRIDAY - HOW TO KEEP HAIR CURLED BACK IN 1906 

CEMETERY RECORDS - WHAT CAN THEY TELL YOU? HOW DO YOU USE THEM?

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2014   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION