Monday Madness, Just Another Roadblock- Thomas Darwin Lillie

This is an old post that I am bringing to the front for MONDAY MADNESS. Thomas Darwin Lillie has truly driven ME to madness! I have searched high and low, all over the place and just can not figure out what happened to him, here is his story as I know it;

Thomas Lillie is the father of my great-grandmother, Melissa Jane Lillie Raeburn.

Thomas disappeared sometime after the 1870 Michigan census recording. Here’s a little history:

Thomas b abt 1826 in New York, possibly in Cortland County his father is found on census[s] there during this time frame. The first census I found Thomas on was the 1850 census next door to his parents Joseph & Esther Lillie in Harrison Twp, Potter County Pennsylvania. Thomas was listed with his wife Anna [Youker] and son John G. Lillie.

Thomas has 5 known siblings William, Elizabeth, James, Charles and Emily.
Elizabeth married Rhodes Wilkinson and stayed in the area.
William married Thankful [nee Rice I believe] and later moved to Wetzel County West Virginia and is found [only] on the 1880 census.
Charles and Emily “disappear” after the 1850 census as do parents Joseph & Esther, and are not found in area cemeteries.

Thomas and his brother James take their families to Lynden twp, Washtenaw County, Michigan and are listed on the 1860 census there as one household. Thomas now has 6 children John, Esther, Frank, Melissa, Nelson and Simeon. By 1870 both families are listed in the Springport Twp, Jackson County Michigan census as neighbors. Both men are farmers. After this census Thomas disappears. Death records have been searched at the Library of Michigan for Thomas.

James Lille [Thomas's brother] along with Thomas’s son John are found in the 1872 Gazetteer & Directory of Nottawasaga Twp, Simcoe County ONTARIO as joint owners of Cons 9 Lot 13, land adjoining the Raeburn’s. No death record or other record for Thomas was found in Ontario. He is still MIA....

Thomas’s wife Anna is found with her children on the 1880 census in Blair Twp, Grand Traverse County, Michigan near her brother[s] families. Anna is listed as MARRIED, and son John is the head of the household-apparently back from Ontario. Thomas is not found in the Grand Traverse County death records, cemetery lists or census.

James is found on the 1880 census in Fontanelle, Adair, Iowa with his family. No sign of Thomas. Perhaps there may be another mad story on Thomas..providing I ever find him.

There is no family folklore on him...we didn't even have his name correct-it was written as John [which is really his son's name]

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO THOMAS????

Smile For The Camera, 11th Edition~~brothers & sisters

Byard, Barbara, Lee, Dean & Beth Raeburn~brothers & sisters
My dad and his siblings were definitely a one for all and all for one clan. Aunt Beth isn't in this photo for some reason...perhaps because she was the baby of the family like me and was 7 years younger than my dad [the two youngest of 5] The Raeburn clan grew up in Sault Saint Marie Michigan. This photo was taken sometime just before WWII.

Left to right top row: Marjorie Lee Raeburn Bates, Byard Raeburn, my cousin Michael Craig Durwin~Barbara's son, my dad Dean Raeburn
Middle row: Barbara Raeburn Durwin, Mae Wheeler Mathews my grandma's sister, my grandma Ethel Wheeler Raeburn, Ida Wheeler Panter~sister of g'ma,Ida~a friend
Bottom row: Esther Dittman Raeburn [my dad's 1st wife], Violet Raeburn~Byard's wife, Barbara's husband Oscar Thomas Durwin, Marjorie Wheeler Wilms ~g'ma's sister, 'Fuzz'O.N. Wilms

Dorothy Elizabeth Raeburn, 'Beth'

Who is #21 on the ahnentafel... better late than never, Matilda Smith

I just stumbled onto this exercise by Randy Seaver at Gena-Musings, and thought I would give it a try even though it will be nearly a week late by the time I post. Wouldn’t you know it, its great greatgrandma Matilda Smith.

Matilda Smith was born August 29, 1825 in Lennox and Addington County Ontario. Her parents are Nicholas Smith and Margaret Johnson. I do not yet know much on her parents but believe her father may have been a UEL. Matilda married James McLean Wheeler son of Calvin Wheeler on March 16, 1840 in Camden East, Lennox and Addington County.

Matilda and husband James raised 10 children in Tamworth, Sheffield Township in L & A Co. James was a merchant & millwright in the lumber business with his father. Their family was well established in Tamworth.

Matilda’s children: Elizabeth, Richard, Clarissa, Margaret, John [died], James my great grandfather, Alonzo, Charles, Calvin, Archibald and Ross.

I have certainly learned a lot about this family, much of the family folklore was wayyyyy off course. As history has it you don’t always get to learn much on the women in the family. I do not know much on Matilda’s life. By the 1880's she and her husband, and sons ventured into the upper peninsula of Michigan where lumbering was booming. Where exactly she and her husband ended up is unclear. I have searched high and low for the two of them in the U.P. I know her sons were in the Seney area, but she doesn’t show up. Another descendant thought they were in the Minnesota area with another son....not found there either. Right now the only clues I have are a naturalization into the U.S. of James M Wheeler in 1886, in Marquette. A photograph of their grandchildren taken in Marquette. I believe this documentation is ‘my James’ the signature is very similiar to that signed on his fathers will. The folklore has been quite interesting, stating that the Wheelers were all born in New York, and even England...well it was Canada, daddy was a British Supporter and left the U.S. by the war of 1812 when he became an adult.

I would love to know more about Matilda, put a picture with her name, and find out where she is laid to rest. Folklore has her death date as December 13, 1893... is it so and where is she?

How does Matilda tie into the Raeburns? Matilda's granddaugher Ethel Wheeler married my grandfather Ernest Raeburn.

Tombstone Tuesday

Jesus Said "Watch, Pray thy soul shall be required--"
RAEBURN
The Raeburn family stone in Pinegrove Cemetery in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. The William Raeburn Jr family plot.

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt #7 Easter memories

I don’t know that we had ‘traditions’ rather than memories of those holidays. My memories were great, but may seem oh, silly and plain to others. We were basically always together during the holidays.

Easter- Memories of Easter as a very young girl started with shopping for that pretty Easter dress, affirmation that spring was here and I couldn’t wait to wear the dress. Palm Sunday was a memorable day at church always and bringing home that palm was a big deal for some reason. My mom was one of the ladies that set up the after service coffee and cookies, and I got to help this also was a big deal to me, we would get to church early and stay late. Grace Episcopal Church itself was a great memory, a whole other story!

Coloring Easter eggs, making baskets to put them in was great fun and was part of the anticipation of Easter. We had the ‘traditional’ Easter egg hunt at the Country Club, which was at the top of the hill from where I lived. The eggs were hidden on the greens near the club and in the woods down the hill. I was a great hunter! You had to be fast, there were a lot of kids! I had a slight advantage as I played in those woods and knew every crook, nook and cranny in there. However I wasn’t allowed in the woods when it came time to hide the eggs, banished until the hunt was over.

There was a great big Easter Rabbit in town during Easter time but I really didn’t visit him....I swear one night (around Easter) I saw him standing in my bedroom doorway. Talk about a heart attack! Freaked me right out! Musta been dreaming....but I stilllllll remember!

Easter morning and I couldn’t hunt for my basket!!! The birds were singing and it was time to get ready for church. I was anxious for the day to begin. We finally got to wear those new dresses, my sister mom and I. My brother (wayyy older than me...sorry bro) had moved out by then and I didn’t pay attention to what dad was wearing, it wasn’t a dress. Easter services were always beautiful, very ceremonial services and I actually loved them. Every one would linger after service, it looked like soooo many people. Everything is larger when you are a child. I remember it just always seemed like a great spring morning. There were a lot of children and of course we would play, and run if we could get away with it. I was secretly in love with one of the boys at the church....but of course never said a word...you heard it first, right here! His name stays with me ; ) Had to throw that one in.

We would get home and the basket search was on! Found in short order and sorted, as a voice from the kitchen sang out “Don’t eat all that candy now you will spoil your dinner.” Sound familiar? Big dressed table in the dining room, and the special dishes were ready. My grandparents and uncle would join us, sometimes my brother was there. I loved the holiday meals, even washing the dishes after because they were the ‘special dishes’. Mom would always get this great Easter cake that looked like a big round bunny and little bunny cupcakes all covered in coconut and was great tasting, I couldn’t wait to have that! After the meal, the Easter dress was traded in for play clothes and probably all sugared up, off I went to play with all the kids in our very noisy neighborhood. It was always a great day, spring had officially arrived.


Looked for Easter photos, not much. One is Dad with my siblings, before my time I suspect somewhere around 1954. The other is me, see the gloves in hand? What ever happened to that fashion? Notice the hill behind me? Great stuff for sledding...the hill kept going beyond the photogragher.

Mystery photo

This photo was given to me by my cousin in a pile of Raeburn and Wheeler photos. It absolutely drives me crazy that I do not know who these folks are! I have tried to enlarge it to see what is on the mailbox, but can only see U.S. Mail. The rest of what is written I just can't make out. I don't know what year this is either.

I need someone with some great skill at 'pulling a rabbit out of their hat'. Could this be digitally enhanced to be able to view what is on the mailbox? Might be my ancestor and that would be a great find. Could be someone elses and it would be great for them.

Does anyone else have a mystery photo that drives them crazy...?

10th Edition Smile For The Camera-Costume, Ida Wheeler Panter

I love the dresses of the early 1900's, the women dressed so elegant. This photo is labeled Christmas 1911, Ida Wheeler Panter, she is my Grandma(Ethel Wheeler)Raeburn's sister. A couple of things seem odd on this labeling. One is; Ida was born in 1896, making her 15 in this photo, ok...but she was married in 1925. Was it truely 1911 at age 15, or was she Mrs William Panter in the 1920's, living in Chicago. I am not sure this was the dress for the 1920's, so quite the dress for a 15 year old.

William Stewart and Family, Queries and Theories

William Stewart the son of Samuel Stewart was born abt 1800 and lived in County Monaghan Ireland. Susan McCormack was born abt 1800 in Ireland and the two married sometime about 1818, the year their first son was born, Samuel born 1818 County Monaghan Ireland. The couple had a total of 8 children born in County Monaghan Ireland; Samuel, John, William, George, Mary, Alexander, Margaret and Richard.

William took his family to Canada around 1850, and first lived in Toronto area near a Stewart relative. He later moved the family to Grey County, Ontario in the Maple Valley region of Osprey Township. Here they were members of the Presbyterian church and were neighbors of William Raeburn and family.

Williams son Richard married Mary Raeburn the daughter of William Raeburn & Margaret McCormack. They lived on the farm that Richards father established in Maple Valley. Richard and Mary had 7 children; Two twin sons that died after birth, Margaret, William, James, George and William all grew to adulthood.

William Stewart died in 1876, his wife Susan died in 1860 and they are buried in the Badjeros Cemetery in Osprey Twp.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Theory ~ William Stewart and William Raeburn knew each other in County Monaghan. Perhaps attended the same Presbyterian church, along with the McCormack families. If so there are quite a few Stewarts listed in the
Tithe Applotment Book for 1829/30 in Monaghan:

Ematris Parish ~ Samuel and William Stuarts as well as McCormacks.
Aughnamullen Parish ~ Samuel and other Stuarts and one [McCormack in Cordevlis townland] near Ematris.

Query ~ Were Susan McCormack and Margaret McCormack related? HOW?

What churches might these folks have attended when living in Monaghan?
[William Raeburn in Aughnamullen Parish - Corvacken to Drumcunnion townlands]

Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompt #4, The House on Stafford Street

The House On Stafford Street.

Well, I didn’t take a day trip so to speak. I did take the day to learn who the owners of my house were. My husband found glass negatives some time ago in the attic. Photos were taken of the house pre 1907 and possibly as old as the 1880's. We were told the house was built around 1880, but we didn’t know who the original owners were. Venturing into the frigid out of doors, I drove into the city to the county courthouse and the library. I did run out of time on that venture. Today I walked across the street to the local museum for more digging. I need to do more digging, but here is what I found-

Well yours truly and hubby are the current owners, we have lived and raised our three boys here for some 20 years. We moved into the house in January during a blizzard. We bought the house from “Mr & Mrs Johnson” who raised their family here for about 15 years.

The Johnson’s bought the house c 1973 from Ms. Nutt, who inherited the home from her mother Ida Nutt. Ida and her husband Frank were married in 1915 and bought the home shortly after. They are first listed on the tax rolls in 1916. Frank bought the house from Carl A. Stauffer and additional lots from others to total 20 acres. They raised four children in the house, Bernadine, Donald, Jean and Larry. In 1920 they started a grocery & meat market business in town. They also bought and sold work horses. Frank’s father August and his sister Anna are living next door per the 1920 census. Frank was a member of the Knights of the Maccabees, as well as the Village Council and the school board. Son Don interested in cattle, had the help of his father to build a barn in the yard and start a dairy farm. They bottled, sold and delivered milk to the area. Don later moved his dairy to a larger farm and continued the business from there.

Carl A. Stauffer at about age 32 bought the house and 3 lots in 1905 from Mahlon B. Averill. He married Florence Lymburner on June 20, 1900 in * Michigan. Carl ran his barber business out of the Stauffer and Haas Building built in 1902, also on Stafford Street. He and Florence had a daughter Pauline born about 1905. In 1907 Carl replaced the wood porch with a larger block porch. It was told to me that Carl drowned in the flood of 1905 ferrying people across Crockery Creek. It was actually Charles Stauffer who was this unfortunate soul. Carl later moved his family to the city of Muskegon.

Mahlon Bruce Averill may have been the original owner. The deed books that far back do not have dates. On the 1877 plat map of the village, there was no owner indicated. The earliest tax roll available listed Mahlon on the property with additional property totaling 40 acres was in 1888. The 1880 census lists Mahlon age 46 and wife Margaret Shimmel with 3 children Flora 14, Wesley 4, and Guy age 2. One daughter Mary b 1859 was not living with them at the time. Two of their children died, Nettie in 1876 and Sammy in 1873 and are buried in the local Cemetery. Margaret died in 1881 and is also buried in the Cemetery. Where Mahlon went after he sold the house is unclear, but there is a Bruce M Averill age 86 b NY listed on the 1920 census at the Traverse City State Hospital in Traverse City, Michigan. This Bruce Maylord Averill died in Traverse City on April 25, 1920.

Right photo: The "downtown" view of Stafford Street is looking west toward my house which is beyond the horizon line by 2 blocks.
Bottom photo: Don Nutt with dairy cow, unknown date-he is a teenager.
Left photo: I believe now that the house pictures are of Carl A.Stauffer holding daughter Pauline in about 1905-1906. The man in the picture looks to be younger than what Mahlon Averill would have been when living there- Mahlon was in his 40's. However, I could be wrong........do you see any indications of an earlier time?

Are We Cousins?

Imagine a Raeburn family moving from Monaghan Ireland into Quebec , through Ontario into Sault Saint Marie, Michigan and at last settling into Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan. The Wm Raeburn family.

Now imagine another Reburn family moving from Monaghan Ireland to New York, USA, and later settling in Sparta, Kent County, Michigan. The Edward Reburn family.

We never met. My line is from Ontario...when my family moved to * my new friends asked me “Are you related to the * Reyburns? “ NO, I said, besides they spell their name different. I was 14 years old. They were only 12 miles away. Some [untold] years later the ancestor hunt begins. I met Edward Reburn’s descendant Rick Reyburn through this hunt only to find out the * Reyburns may indeed be related.

John Reburn b abt 1805 Corvacken, Monaghan, Ireland m Margaret Weir.
Edward Reburn b 1838 their son [8 total siblings]

William Raeburn b abt 1810 Monaghan, Ireland m Margaret McCormack
William Raeburn b 1853 their son [7 total siblings]


ARE THEY COUSINS?
Edward Reburn William Raeburn Jr


Thank you Rick Reyburn for Edward Reburn photo

William Raeburn & family

William RAEBURN b.1810-Ireland;d.1897-Nottawasaga Twp.,Simcoe Co,Ontario
sp: Margaret MCCORMICK b.1810 Ireland;d.1891-Nottawasaga Twp.,Simcoe Co,Ontario
2. Eliza RAEBURN b.Abt 1834-Ireland;1900-Nottawasaga Twp.,Simcoe Co.,Ontario
sp: James CREIGHTON b.1832-Cobourg Ontario;m.1857;d.1916 Creemore,Ontario
2. James RAEBURN b.Abt 1839-Ireland;d.1881-Nottawasaga Twp,Simcoe Co,Ontario Canada
2. Jane RAEBURN b.1840-Ireland;d.1915-Grantham Twp,Lincoln Co,Ontario
sp: John SCOTT b.1841-Quebec;m.1866;d.1927-Grantham Twp,LC,Ontario
2. Mary RAEBURN b.1844-Montreal area,Quebec;d.1925-Maple Valley,Grey Co.,Ontario
sp: Richard STEWART b.1840-County Monaghan Ireland;m.1871;d.1935-Osprey Twp.Grey Co,Ontario
2. Margaret Ann RAEBURN b.1846-Quebec;d.1914-St. Catherines,GT,Lincoln Co,Ontario
2. Susannah RAEBURN b.1848-Northumberland Co.,Ontario;d.1937-St.Catharines,L,Ontario
sp: Albert SINCLAIR b.1850-Haldimand Twp.,NCO;m.1876;d.1929-St.Catherines,LC,Ontario
2. William RAEBURN jr b.1853-Northumberland Co.,Ontario;d.1935-Sault Saint Marie,Michigan
sp: Melissa Jane LILLIE b.1855-Harrison Twp. Potter Co,Penn;m.1880;d.1927-Collingwood,SC,Ontario

Who are William Raeburn's siblings?

Is John Reburn b c1805 of Corvacken townland - Williams brother?
Is Mary Rayburn b c1803 m John Fleming and lived in Derrygooney townland - Williams sister?
Is William Reaburn listed in the Monaghan Tithe of 1824 Drumcunnion townland related?
George Reburn is listed in the 1848-64 Griffith's Valuation in Drumcunnion - are they also related?

Corvacken, Derrygooney, and Drumcunnion townlands are neighboring townlands in Aughnamullen Parish, Co Monaghan.

The Raeburn Story

Here is the story of the Raeburn's as I have learned and researched through the years. My goal here is to reach out to others in the hunt for our ancestors, and hoping that someone may be able to add family information to the quest.

William Raeburn was born c 1810 in Ireland, as was his wife Margaret McCormack b c 1810.

They have connections to Reburns of Aughnamullen Parish, County Monaghan. Three townlands there in particular are of interest to me; Corvacken, Derrygooney and Drumcunnion. I will never rule out other locations! There are many Reburns concentrated in three parishes of Monaghan; Aughnamullen, Magheross, and Magheracloone. The surname Reburn is recorded in Monaghan as early as the early 1700's. The name is spelled in various ways.

William and Margaret had three children in Ireland- Eliza, Jane and James. The family emigrated to Quebec by 1844 at the latest, when another daughter Mary was born. Another daughter, Margaret was born in Quebec in 1846.

The family moved on to Northumberland Co. in Ontario by 1848 and lived next door to Edward Weir the brother in law of John Reburn of Corvacken, Monaghan. Daughter Eliza married James Creighton and lived in the neighboorhood near her parents in Northumberland County. Son James worked as a harness maker, Jane, Mary and Margaret were schoolgirls. Two more children were born in Northumberland; Susannah and William. By 1863 the family had moved to Nottawasaga Twp of Simcoe County Ontario, again near a Monaghan family of interest- the William Stewart family in Badjeros, Osprey, Grey County.

Daughter Jane married John Scott and lived in Simcoe, later moving to the St.Catherines area, Margaret never married and later moved in with the Scott's. James never married as far as we know and lived with his parents and farmed and worked as a harness maker. Mary married Richart Stewart son of William Stewart & Susan McCormack (formerly of Co Monaghan), and lived in Osprey Twp, Grey County. Susannah married Albert Sinclair, and they later moved to the St. Catherines area also. William married Melissa Jane Lillie and remained on the Raeburn farm in Nottawasaga of Simcoe County until c 1899 when the family moved to Sault Saint Marie, Michigan.