Simeon D Lillie, brother to my Great-grandmother, Melissa Jane Lillie Raeburn.

Simeon D Lillie was born in Lyndon Township, Washtenaw County in 1859 shortly after his parents Thomas and Anna Lillie settled there from Potter County, Pennsylvania. While growing up the family moved to Springport, Jackson county then on to Grand Traverse County.

Simeon continued to live in Grand Traverse County as an adult and farmed on 40 acres of land in section 8 of Blair Township, Grand Traverse County around his Youker relatives and mother Anna. By the time he was about 50 years in age and after his siblings had all moved on and his mother died, he moved on to Montana, first settling in Miles City c 1912. He was employed in carpentry work at that time. His brother John G Lillie was closest to him at that time geographically being in Alberta, Canada. While living in Miles City Simeon was engaged in the community socially. He engaged in various social engagements on committees etc. The locals all apparently knew him as he made the local about town breveties often. 

 Simeon applied for a Homestead in Powderville, Montana on May 16, 1916 and made his claim final after 3 years and finalized by 1920. He was witness to his neighbors claims when finalized. This is where he made his home from 1916 to the date of his death in 1941. He was the last of his siblings, and he had no wife or children. 

 Several years ago I obtained his death record. While it was tragic how he died and that he died all alone, I did not think much more of it because I thought Miles City was where he lived and died. 

Until recently….when I found out he lived in Powderville, Montana some 61+ miles southeast of Miles City.

What was he doing in Miles City on Friday January 17th 1941, 61+ miles away from his home at 82 years old? The recorded high temperature for the day was 17 degrees and the low was 8 degrees. How did he get there? Did he drive? He couldn’t have walked it could he? 

 I proceeded to do a name search in Newspapers . com. Nothing much turned up but that he died in a fire in a shack off Main Street in Miles City. I got so many hits with his name but nothing more and then…...... I searched the local paper, page.... by page for January 18th. And there it was -the answer to that question…why was he there. If you suspect something and are doing a name search and nothing comes up….you might want to go a bit further. I am not sure why this story did not turn up with a name search. He still owned his homestead in Powderville, Montana and it was auctioned off after he died. His burial location is unknown. 

Simeon D Lillie, I hope you found your family in the great beyond. To all of us….lets try to not abandon the elderly completely, ok.

Blogiversary 2014.

Well now this is downright embarrassing. Hmmmm....excuses? Hmmm....Life, work....distractions and walking down a different creative path. I have been writing still. My heart still longs to spend some time within my research, but with work and otherwise time consuming ventures, I have been neglectful of genealogy.

For my many genealogy friends that might happen to stumble upon my note here...thank you for taking a moment to read my silliness.

Perhaps you might take a moment to view my posts past, and suggest some inspiration to me...to get the genealogy bug flowing thru the veins again.

I am pretty sure I need to travel to the very few remaining relatives that may have something laying around to spark some interest...hail to spring as it is a better time for a scaredy cat to travel.

And please` say hello...and all suggestions are welcome!! REALLY! Love to you all and be good. :)

Blogiversary 2013

Gosh, it has been four years. Life has taken me a bit away from it all. working full time. I think I said the same thing last year.

I enjoy genealogy, I just need to have more time to be able to do it all. My main goal in the blog in the beginning was trying to connect to any Raeburns out there in the genealogy world. If I got lucky I would catch up with the Ireland Raeburn cousins. So far...they are all hiding. I think we are an obscure bunch. I have researched about everything I can get my hands on whether virtual or real in terms of documents and research to no avail. The trail still stops short of really finding ancestor relatives or a trail that leads to just exactly where. I can feel it in my bones where they came from. Just no'proof". Bummer. So I will keep writing from time to time, but maybe not about those elusive folks of mine. Maybe I should throw some of that poetry I write in as filler!lol. Just thought I should say Hi, and thank you to the couple of folks that stopped by to say Happy Blogiversary, Grant Davis of The Stephen Sherwood Letters and Jim of HiddenGenealogyNuggets

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ancestor Name Roulette; Playing Games

1) What year was one of your great-grandfathers born? Divide this number by 50 and round the number off to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."
2) Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel"). Who is that person, and what are his/her vital information?
3) Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."
4) Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.
5) If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then spin the wheel again - pick a great-grandmother, a grandparent, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, yourself, or even your children!

1) My Great-grandfather James Byard Wheeler was born in 1852. Divided by 50, it brings a number of 37.04 rounded to 37.
2) This brings up interestingly enough Susan Green(e) on my husband’s side as I have our entire lines on one program/file. (Does anyone else do it this way? I started it that way and have never separated them)
Her vital information is as follows: She was born on July 14, 1815, location unknown. She died March 1, 1883 in Jefferson County New York and is buried in Sherwin Bay Cemetery in Brownville. Interestingly enough her burial records do not jive with the birthdate I have which I probably got from a family member. (I have not spent enough time on this family) The cemetery records say she was age 73, 08 months and 17 days at death, placing her birthdate at June 14, 1809. Needs more research!
3) Three facts….Hmmm could be fantasy, noting how I got the information in the first place and NEED to do the research myself (once again because I have obsessed over my own line) 1: She is the wife of Martin Williams and together the had 2: four known daughters: Sarah, Julia, Anna and Vina.3: She may have or not come to Michigan with her husband where he purchased land in Ottawa County Michigan, but never apparently settling. Their daughter Julia at least did, she is the 2nd Great grandmother of my husband. She has been noted to be thedaughter of Samuel Greene and granddaughter of the Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene….but I only HEARD this, and until I see proof in document….just folklore!

Clearly embarrassing lol…how I have meandered away from my genealogy…coming back only to find there is so much more to do. How to divide the very little time after the boss lets me go home at the end of the day!

Williams first farm?

Williams first farm? C 1851

The agricultural census for Hamilton Twp, Northumberland Co Ontario lists William on page 135 #20.
He is listed next to land holder [Robert] R Weir who has 40 acres on con 2 lot 8. It appears as though the census taker was confused and started to list Wm as holder of the 40 acres....Could R. Weir have sold a small piece of his land to Wm to farm?

Wm Rayborn cons 2 lot 8. / 5 acres held & under cultivation / 1-1/4 a under crops & 3-1/4 a under pasture / 1 a of wheat & 6 bushels produce / 3/4 a of potatoes & 50 bushels produce

A very small farm, but a start. R Weir held the land next to Wm, but Edward Weir lived on the land and is recorded so in the personal census. Robert lived close by.

Ireland family connections; Edward Weir is brother to Margaret Weir Reburn, who married John Reburn and lived in Corvacken Townland, Aughnamullen Parish in Monaghan Ireland.

Quebec the first stop

Where in Quebec did the Raeburn's first go? William & Margaret Raeburn's daughter Mary was born in the "Montreal area" c 1844.
Their daughter Margaret Ann was baptised in Chatham, Argenteuil Co Quebec in 1846.

Then there is Margaret Raeburn Livingston b c1786 Ireland.
She married John Livingston in Carrickmacross, Magheross Parish, Monaghan in 1818, close to the proposed townlands of Ireland William & Margaret lived-
It appears that the Livingstons were in Quebec by 1826 per census recording daughter Mary Livingston as born Quebec.
They lived in Terrebonne Quebec 1851 per census, next door to Patrick Hamill.
Patrick Hamill was listed as joint tenant with Wm Reaburn in 1824- Drumcunnion townland, Monaghan Tithe record.

Are the Livingston/Hamill families related to William Raeburn? Did William first bring his family to the "Montreal area" of Terrebonne Quebec to be near the Livingston's?

Reflections of the Captain

Friday sadly was my daughter in law’s father’s funeral. She and her family lost their rock, a much loved and cherished man. Ray was a resident of our small community all of his life, and was well known all around by all. He was a good man, and raised a family of five with his wife JoAnn of forty years. I watched Ray’s grandson, Torin [also my grandson of course] on Friday while they paid their respects. As I looked after Torin now almost two years old, and watched him play, it reminded me…..

I was five years old when my Grandpa Raeburn died. Not old enough to form vivid lasting memories of my own. Very, very few cameo appearances flash within my mind of him. I must rely on family members to tell the story of our very interesting patriarch. Many of those folks that could tell the story have come and gone, and few remain that can still tell me about the Captain. Miscellaneous photographs, newspaper clippings and a little oral folklore are what remain. No scrapbook of his life, or written accounts of his tales on the lakes. I am, a witness in the third person to his life, but will try in any event to put together a recollection of who this man was. In time. Not all to be done in just a day…..

Ernest Ferrier Raeburn died April 6, 1965 at his home in Sault Saint Marie, he was 82 years old. A then retired Great Lakes captain, father of five grown children, and husband to Ethel for fifty-two years; he was also granddad to eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was a grand story teller and weaved stories of adventures on the lake when he came home in the winter to his children, perhaps the townsfolk when he took his daily winter strolls around town. Ernest was raised on a farm in Ontario near Collingwood, and came to the Michigan Soo with his parents at age 16. He may have developed a love for the water visiting relatives in Collingwood, near the shipyards. I have been told he left home and joined an academy for sailing in Ontario, and as we know now later became a captain after a few years as a shipmate.

As I am told a large funeral was attended by not just his family and local friends, but also old lake captains and shipmates he knew. Remembrances of lake tales, and events of old times. Someone told me that my father, who was 46 years old at the time, was pacing back and forth (for what reason I am not aware) baring a ‘striking resemblance’ to Ernie. In my mind I tried to picture my grandfather, at 46 years old, in his captain’s uniform. I really should have written down the stories I was told, but at the time never thought I would want to be recalling the details. I was young, and we all know the young are foolish. I need someone to wave their magic wand and make those stories reappear! I have some work to do…perhaps, more to come : )

My sister Kim, my Dad and I, and Grandpa Raeburn at grandpa's house in the Soo.

Ethel, Ernie & the Titanic

Ethel and Ernie were just a few months away from getting married. The anticipation and excitement was in the air, the dress, the church, the dream of a life beginning. This was certainly a consuming vision in any bride’s dreams. Ernie would have to take time away from his job for the wedding, as he worked a bit far from their soon to be home in the Soo. They were to be married in St. Luke’s Cathedral in Sault, Ontario on July 6, 1912.

As the couple both worked through the months to the wedding, they woke to news one morning that would rattle the nerves of many, and send them to despair and grief. The world was small, and this was the kind of news that would reach around it quickly and hard.

The biggest ship ever built, with a reputation as the ‘Unsinkable’ dove to an icy grave at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, on its virgin voyage. Just a few days after it set sail from Southampton, England, the Titanic did the unthinkable. It sank on April 15, 1912 and took over 1500 of its passengers with it, only some 700 managed to survive the horror. We can only imagine the terror that went through the minds of those fated people that night. The frightening knowledge of fate of those left on the ship. The grief and pity of those who had to leave their loved ones behind as the lifeboats floated them away in the frigid night air.

What was the sentiment of the people around the world? Outrage, most definitively, the builders of the ship never had enough life boats to accommodate all of its passengers. The wealthy lives were regarded higher than any other passengers. People beginning new lives had them preempted by way of arrogance.

What was the sentiment of my grandparents, I wondered. Ethel, was a feisty outspoken young suffragist about to marry…. a steamship captain of the Great Lakes. Ernie, who had been sailing on the Great Lakes since 1905 as a first mate took his first command in that ill-fated year of 1912. Captain Ernest Raeburn took the helm of the City of Chatham, a passenger ship that sailed between Sault Saint Marie and the Blind River. He went on to sail the Great Lakes from The Superior through to the St Lawrence Seaway to Montreal for 46 years. The Great Lakes may not have been the treacherous Atlantic Ocean, but the lakes could take the lives of those who rode the waves just as cruelly.

Did Ethel wish Ernie had picked a different profession? Did the fate of the Titanic spark conversations of prudence, safety and….arrogance of man? Would they weather this life with strength and courage? Absolutely! Did I say Ethel was feisty? Outspoken? A strong woman that was able to keep up with this salty ol’ character….who would have never given up this love of the water, it flowed through his veins. Observances were made and lessons were learned and taught. She kept any fears in check. She lived their married life on land and raised a family, and when the ice froze the path he came home to her, every winter. And they never sank.

Time Machine Poetry! (oh yea-I write poetry)

I want to see what you see…

My magic carpet goes back in time
As the future will be told
Our history books in libraries abound
The prime destinations to behold

Now if I was driving, I’d take the back roads
to all of the places that little is known

Maybe I’ll stick close to residence-
No wish to be stuck
In some- medieval dominance

But the roaring twenties,
Ultimately destination one
My kind of party, in the dawn of expression.

Now the Renaissance, cannot be missed
No matter the year
Enlightenment is on the list.
In Plato’s time, air tense with political power
To much like the present
It would make me glower! 
[I may as well stay home in my corner and cower]

But In the end my passion plan
Is to see my blood in another land
Your trails stops cold in Ireland
In the year of eighteen hundred and ten

Who is your da, dear William?
Is it John or Henry, shall I ask again?
Before the famine to ship you took
The future there on is on the books
So to Monaghan off I go
To see from whom my blood does flow.

SNGF- Write a Poem on "Where I'm From"

After a rather long leave of absence Randy @ genea-musings has prompted me to try writing a poem on 'where I come from' from a specific format, well here's a shot at it....

Where I'm From

I am from a small town life
From dolls to outdoors games
With Prang, Bazooka and Dairy Queen
Among some other names.
I lived within the sand from the bay
Climbed maples everyday
The smell of the lilacs along the drive
made me smile along the way
Around the kitchen table some smart-alecks did reside
From Dean to Uncle Jack all around there was a gibe
We are from yellers and the schmoozers, wouldn’t you know
The introverts and extroverts, sometimes it didn’t show
I am from the Traverse Bay and Ethel & Ernie’s clan
The stories of the Captain’s tales
Refresh me if you can
The Church of England, Episcopal now
The family friend and priest
Sunday school and coffee gatherings
The dark old wood and creaking floors
The painting on the wall
The colors in the old stained glass-
They were very, very tall
I am sure I was told a lot of things for now my memory fails
I guess I ‘ll make a phone call now, to hear the infamous tales.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Weeks 7, 6, 5 and 4

Week #4 – Home Week 4: The house I grew up in…..gave me many happy memories. It seems as though everyone was all together, even when we weren’t. My dad built the house on 17th Street on the base of the hill, with a friend just before I was born. It first had gray wood siding then later it was yellow. It will always be the home in my heart. It was I suppose a typical ranch house, with three bedrooms, a living room dining room open combination, and of course a bath and kitchen. We had a full basement used as living space, with an attached garage. Eventually my dad would add on to the end of the house, a room we called “the back room”, here we “lived”! It was a large room, my mother had a sewing area and in the rest of the room there was a sofa and chairs and the grand ‘suitcase’ stereo and console television. A large picture window faced north, and in the late fall and winter when the leaves left the trees, I could see far…to the bay. What a great place to sit and watch a thunderstorm, I did that a lot. Three bedrooms, a bath and laundry room and workshop filled the basement. My grandparents, uncle and brother slept there. I played in the basement for hours, pretending the workshop with shelves was a store…the huge, HUGE chalkboard served as a classroom prop…and we even played school…WHAT? Couldn’t get enough of the real thing?! So many things to do, our imaginations seemed endless….we even pretended to be Nancy Sinatra and (should have invented Karaoke) sang over and over to her album…remember These Boots Were Made for Walking! What made it unique was it was filled with my family and I loved it there. The house still stands today, at 113 W 17th Street, in Traverse City Michigan. I hope the residents there now have happy memories.

Week #5 – Favorite Food Week 5: By far my favorite foods were simply P B and J sandwiches and Ice Cream…hey I was a kid after all, what kid loves veggies? My brother taught me how to make Triple Decker PB&J sandwiches, awesome!

Week #6 – Radio & Television Week 6: Although yes we watched t.v. and bits and pieces of many programs from my childhood buzz through my head, not much of it was a real steady diet to remember. However my two absolute favs were The Wonderful World of Disney and The Flintstones...must watch shows as a kid! I really believed my dad did Fred Flintstone’s voice. I remember Willllllllllmmmmmma! It sound sooooo like, Roooooooobbbbbin!

Week #7 – Toys Week 7: Favorite toy? Hands down it was Barbie and friends! I was yes….spoiled rotten with Barbie dolls…Barbie(s), Ken, Alan, Francie, Skipper, Twiggy, Julia, good grief there were probably others I am sure as I recall a total of about 15 at one time….and all of the accessories, houses, furniture, car (there weren’t a lot to choose from back then) you name it. Don’t ask me where they are now I will cry. Beyond that, besides the games and toys galore….a simple coloring book and crayons would often be my best companion.

SNGF-Early Sunday Morning....

I receive Randy's emails in the Morning and well....I was out last night so-
GOOD MORNING ALL!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Date You Were Born-*Randy says-
It's Saturday Night - time for more Genealogy Fun!

Youir mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1) What day of the week were you born? Tell us how you found out.

2) What has happened in recorded history on your birth date (day and month)? Tell us how you found out, and list five events.

3) What famous people have been born on your birth date? Tell us how you found out, and list five of them.

4) Put your responses in your own blog post, in a comment on this blog post, or in a status or comment on Facebook.
*********************************

#1: My mom told me I was born on a Wednesday, and I double checked it through my PAF program....Looks like she was right! Gee...how'd she know that? haha. It was a day in September many, many moons ago!

#2: September 30 in history-
1939-1st televised college football game (Fordham vs Waynesburg at New York City)
1934-Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam)
1791-Mozart's opera "Magic Flute" premieres in Vienna
1452-1st book published, Johann Guttenberg's Bible
1399-King Richard II of England abdicates throne
found these on Brainy History

#3: Famous people born on that fatefull day;September 30-
Found on- Famous Birthday.com see the list, some were famiar to me some were not,good discription on the site, here are 5-
Eric Stoltz, Fran Drescher,Johnny Mathis, Angie Dickinson, Truman Capote.

#4: Published here on the blog, will opst to fb via Network blogs

52 WEEKS OF PERSONAL GENEALOGY AND HISTORY

I just spotted this exercise from Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog, I am three weeks behind so I have some catching up to do, lets see if I can keep up-

WEEK #1 NEW YEARS TRADITIONS: As a child the memories start with bringing in the new year. Not a lot of fanfare. We would watch the ball drop with Dick Clark for as long as I can remember…I don’t know who would have MC’d it before him….because nobody was more relevant than Dick Clark! We had horns and popcorn and pop I am sure and who knows what else…and I am sure we were swept off to bed shortly after. Of course the older you were the later you stayed up, and the more sophisticated the parties were….
New Year’s Day, early to rise as there were parades to watch! It would be a pretty quiet morning and mom had always made a ham and potato salad with various other stuff…I think there was eating all day as football fans were roaring in the house!
These were the relevant memories of childhood New Years Day.

WEEK#2 WINTER MEMORIES: Oh my…childhood memories of winter…that was when I liked winter! Living in Northern Michigan [Traverse City], we were guaranteed a lot of snow…a lot! And we got all the cold to go with it. I lived on the foot of a hill, called Boughey Hill. We would drag our sleds through our yard to the top of the hill of our neighbor’s yard…and sled from there. Down and around obstacles we went, reaching the back side of my house and off to the side of it. Barreling down yet more hills in the front of the house, we would end up to the street-17th Street. Usually there would be someone there to monitor traffic [ not that there was ever a lot] and let us know to bail out. If no traffic we continued across the street and on down the alley until the sleds ran out of steam. That was great fun!
We also often walked over to the ”sand pit” off of Rennie Hill and did some sledding there. We of course made snow forts…we called everything a fort not a house. There was a lot of snowmobiling done. My family did not have snowmobiles but the Fishers and Yokeums did. I went snowmobiling a lot with the Fishers whole family, and Lori Yokeum and I went by ourselves on her brothers sleds. Possibly the best of all was the ice skating. I miss that. When I moved downstate there didn’t seem to be a lot of that going on. We would skate for hours, pretending we just didn’t know what time it had become. Just three blocks from my house, we walked to the outdoor rink. It was a field on the block of Thirlby Field Football Stadium. They…whoever they were, flooded the field each winter and pulled in a shanty equipped with a wood stove and jute box tunes with a loud speaker. We would skate and freeze, warm up by the stove…oh and they had hot chocolate too…then right back out and back at it again…repeat several times.
My mom kept a large supply of winter gear…we constantly came in to get new warm dry clothes because we just couldn’t stay out of the snow!

WEEK # 3 FIRST CAR: I wish I had a picture of the beast. 1977-I was 17 years old and had graduated from high school and was working at my first job across town. I had been using my parent’s car while looking and saving. I WANTED A CAMARO. I looked at a couple too. Then one day my dad showed up at my workplace with what he said was my new car. WHAT? Wait a minute…did you find a Camaro? I went outside to look and felt like I was going to puke. [sorry-vivid memory] IT WAS NOT A CAMARO! It was a FOUR DOOR green bomb 1970 Pontiac Catalina! Ugh! Really? My heart sank. Dad said well It’s not written in stone, but take it for a ride I think you will like it. Well dad was a truck driver and started pointing out all of the ‘good points’ to the car vs a Camaro. “And I will throw in some brand new snow tires and a cassette player”-- the cd player of the day. OOOO…..KKKKKKKAAAAAAYYYYYY.-note:a little apprehnsion there-
And so began the story of the green bomb, turns out it was a great car for a lot of years. Did A LOT of driving in it. Around and around…you know the cruises, and it held a lot more friends than a Camaro-bonus! Trips to Detroit to see my brother on weekends and other weekends trips to Traverse City to see friends. Great winter car…except on ice, but that could have been driver error..(s) It did get old though, and I never did get that Camaro…but lucky for me when it gave up the ghost I was dating a mechanic. He had my next new car right in his back yard…a 1966 Chevy Caprice….I LOVED that car! LOVED that car! And I married the mechanic!

ON BLOGGING

My hat’s off to those who can keep up with all of the blogging. It is time consuming…and even when a joy, still a lot of work. I dropped off a couple of months ago, wondering why I didn’t get response, comments etc. It is hard to want to keep up if nobody is reading. The thing is, I just don’t have the time to devote as much as I would like. Then other new ventures have come into play…poetry, sketching etc, and the fact that I have to decide where to divide my time. If I am blogging I am not researching…I do need to get back at that. But I really like the blogging! My son recently got me a subscription to Ancestry.com and I have been digging….and I will try to blog a little more. I started this blog because I was inept in creating a website! The reason for the blog was to get out there where in my Raeburn ancestry I am stuck…that’s completed….now the wait for the magic response. I often wonder why my ancestors seemed to have just left behind Ireland and those they came from there. Or did they? Did the future generations at some point find it all irrelevant? That would be sad, at least that is how I see it.

So, this is just an update…I am still here and for those who do read this from time to time…what would YOU like to hear about? Let me know…sometimes a little shove is a good thing! Oh and I forgot my “Blogiversary”, it has been 2 years now…time flies.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun...Who's to Blame?

Good MORNING Sunday-
From Randy At Genea-Musings:
Hey geneaphiles - it's Saturday Night, time for more Genealogy Fun for all Genea-Musing readers.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (and we need more of you to do this, otherwise it may end...), is to:

1) Read Brenda Joyce Jerome's post Who or What Do You Blame? on the Western Kentucky Genealogy blog. She asks these questions:

* Can you identify person or event that started you on this search for family information?

* Did you pick up researching where a relative had left off?

* Did your interest stem from your child's school project on genealogy?

* If you have been researching many years, it may be hard to pinpoint one reason for this journey.

2) Write your responses on your own blog, in a comment to this blog post, or in a note or comment on Facebook.

Hmmm, Well It really all started with my now 29 year old - Eric’s 10th grade class project regarding a family history assignment. We started to gather Spencer & Raeburn information. The Spencer family history was pretty well documented already, but it did need some tweaking. We received some Raeburn family info from my Aunt Barbara-Dad’s sister. This really got me curious, suddenly there were names I had never heard of. She gave me a visual of many family members. This was awesome, I had been so much younger than the rest of the family I didn’t know them.....but it was put away after the class assignment....until.....

My sister was pretty much the sole care giver of our mother as they lived together. When Mom’s health started to decline- Kim needed a outlet, online where she could quietly do something or communicate quietly. So then two of us were IM-ing... a lot. I had to be doing something ‘productive’ so I started in on the genealogy and realized I really was very intrigued with it and haven’t been able to put it down since. I have learned a lot of Do’s and Don’t s, & How Tos. I have met a lot of people online, some of whom I have met in person and maintained a friendship with which I hold dearly.

All in all a pretty enriching hobby huh? ; )

This Week in Family History-

October 17-23

October 17 & 18 were uneventful days for my ancestors. Really? Nothing? It looks that way.

October 19- 358 years ago in 1652, John Carpenter was born in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. His parents; William Carpenter from England and Priscilla Bennett. John married Rebecca Readway.
He is my 7th great grandfather, on my father’s maternal side. I haven’t ventured this far back yet in getting more documentation.

October 20th is another quiet day.

October 21- Hannah B. Gorton is born in Lima, Livingston, New York in 1810, her parents are Thomas Gorton and Hannah Straight. She is my 3rd great grand aunt on my mother’s maternal side.

October 22- William Carpenter (another one?!) is born in 1786 in Keene, Cheshire, New Hampshire to parents Stephen Carpenter and Zilpha Wilbur. Getting closer now to my research leave off area. (Zilpha is an unusual to me re-occurring name in this family, my great grand mother Zilphie Elizabeth Carpenter shares the name...) So this makes this William my 3rd great grand uncle.

October 23- 1928 Ralph E Spencer and Josephine Hammerle are married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They are my husband’s grand parents.

Way back in history-
October 18- US control in Puerto Rico
October 20- Louisiana Purchase Treaty

This Week in Family History-

October 10-16

October 10 there seems to be no family activity brewing-a quiet day.

October 11- 113 years ago Ross Lynn Wheeler was born in Seney, Michigan to parents Ross Wheeler and Elizabeth McCarthy. Ross Lynn Wheeler is my first cousin, 2 times removed and our common ancestors are James and Matilda Wheeler on my dad’s maternal side. This family moved from Seney to Minnesota sometime after 1900.

October 12- In 1931 Marion Barbara Stafford was born to Carl Stafford and Dorothy Virginia Mathews. She lived only 2 years, 6 months and 6 days unfortunately, I do not know the cause of death. She is buried in the Pinegrove Cemetery in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. Her mother Dorothy is my dad’s cousin, his maternal side.

October 13- another quiet day in family history.

October 14- 1847 John S. Gorton and Emily H. Ketchum are married in Henrietta, New York. They later moved to Allegan, Michigan living next to John’s brother Quartus. In 1850 they lived next to a Reynolds family there and I have often wondered if they are a relevant family or not as John and Emily’s daughter later marries a Reynolds. Later they move on to Alma, Michigan. They are my 2nd great grandparents on my mothers maternal side.

October 15- Leslie Martin Spencer was born in 1905 to parents Leonard Spencer & Grace Hambleton. He lived in East Lansing Michigan. He is my husband’s grand uncle.

ALSO IN HISTORY-
October 10- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
October 13- Cornerstone of The White House

This Week in Family History-

October 3-9

October 3: Elizabeth Baxter, the wife of Enos Sylvester Carpenter- is born October 3, 1880. The couple was married in Parry Sound Ontario in 1896. Enos later moves to Saskatchewan and is buried there, in Prince Albert. It is not know (by me) at this time if Elizabeth is also buried there. Enos is the brother of my great grandmother [Zilphie Elizabeth].

My wonderful, beautiful mother Robinette was born October 3, 1922. Happy Birthday Mommy.

October 5: Stephen Hubert Cornell and Genevieve Dean are married in Wexford County, Michigan on October 5, 1904. Stephen was a widower when they married. He and his first wife, Alice Cunningham adopted my grandfather’s birth sister Myrtle.

October 6: Franklin Walter Scott was born in 1902 in Lincoln County, Ontario to parents John Franklin Scott and Effie Parnell [Parnall]. He is the grandson of Jane Raeburn.

October 7: Calvin Silas Wheeler is born in Tamworth, Ontario in 1852 to Luke Wheeler & Abigail Carscallen. He is my great grandfather’s cousin.

October 9: Dorothy Virginia Mathews is born October 9, 1907 in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan to parents Mae Matilda Wheeler and Charles Mathews. Dorothy is my dad’s cousin.

October 8 in history- The Midwest Fires!

This Week in Family History-

September 26- October 2

September 26 : Augusta Jane Scott was born on September 26, 1877 in Nottawasaga Twp., Simcoe County Ontario. She is the daughter of John Scott and Jane Raeburn. She lived 21 years. She is buried in Victoria Lawn Cemetery in St. Catharines, Lincoln Co. Ontario. Augusta Jane Scott is my 1st cousin twice removed.

September 27 : Julia Miranda Carpenter was born on September 27, 1875 in Parry Sound Ontario. She is the daughter of Amos Carpenter and Mary Ann Cliffe, and my great grandmother Zilphie Elizabeth’s sister. Julia came to the U.S. around 1895, living in Minnesota for quite some time. Later living in South Dakota. She married William Hickok.....oh but not “Wild Bill” !!


September 30 : Happy Birthday to ME!

October 1st : Warner Cornell and Josephine Derry are married in Port Huron Michigan on October 1, 1895. Warner and Josephine made Port Huron their home, where Warner was an ENT physician. Warner is my great grand uncle, brother of my great grand father Webster Cornell. Many members of the Cornell family came to Michigan from Wentworth County, Ontario.

October 2 : Violet Anna Partridge was born October 2, 1917 in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. She is my Aunt. Violet married Byard Raeburn, my Dad’s brother.


September 27, 1864 Jesse James is part of...

Also-in history on September 30th!

This Week, September 19-25

And for this week in the family history-

September 21, 1860: Eustalia Shier nee ??? is born. She is sooooo not related to me but is in my database as the wife of George Shier. George’s MOTHER is Mary Jane Wheeler-Shier who’s common ancestor to me is her parents; Calvin Wheeler and Elizabeth Carscallen. The family lived in Lennox and Addington County Ontario. This makes Mary Jane my “second great grand aunt”.

September 22, 1892: Willis Berkey is born in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Again another totally not related person in my database, however he is the husband of my great-grandmother’s sister...Nettie Alberta Carpenter. Willis and Nettie were married in Miles City, Montana in 1932 and have two know children; Donald Lee Berkey and Ruby Berkey. Nettie grew up in Parry Sound, Ontario with my great-grandmother Zilphie Elizabeth Carpenter-Wheeler. My Dad’s side.

September 23, 1853: James Allen McLean Wheeler is born in Sheffield Twp, Lennox and Addington County Ontario. His parents are John Edward Wheeler and Mary G. Berry. James married Emma G. Sommerville. Our common ancestors are Calvin Wheeler and Elizabeth Carscallen, making him my 1st cousin 3 times removed.....well at least he’s–RELATED!

September 25, 1880: William Raeburn Jr and Melissa Jane Lillie are married in Blair Twp, Grand Traverse County Michigan by Melissa Jane’s uncle, George Youker-Justice of the Peace. Witnesses were Esther Lillie, Melissa Jane’s sister and John George Youker her uncle.
William was a resident of Glen Huron in Simcoe County, Ontario- Jane lived in Grand Traverse County Michigan.
I picture them meeting in Ontario on a visit, where her brothers John G. and Frank Lillie lived on the property next to William’s residence. Such a chance meeting for a lifetime of love. (He spoke lovingly of ‘Jane’ to my Aunt Barbara who recorded it in her memoirs of the family.) William and Melissa Jane raised their family in Glen Huron, until 1899 when they moved to Sault Saint Marie Michigan. They are my great-grandparents.

Also in history- September 19th: 1876 1st carpet sweeper patented (Melville Bissell of Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Hey-thats my neck of the woods!