Tombstone Tuesday, Richard M Wheeler

What’s wrong with this picture?

Richard Wheeler is the brother of my grandma Ethel Wheeler Raeburn, children of James B. and Elizabeth Z. Wheeler. Their first child Mae Matilda was born in Parry Sound, Ontario in 1879. They later moved to Schoolcraft County Michigan, the rest of the children as far as I know were all born in Seney, Schoolcraft Co Michigan. They haven’t been found on an 1880 U.S. or 1881 Canadian census, and of course forget 1890.

RICHARD M. WHEELER

Son of J.B. & E.Z. WHEELER

DIED Sept. 10 1888

AGED 5ys 5ms 21 days

This would put his birth date at March 20, 1883. No birth or death record found for him yet. The ‘family folklore’ is the middle name is McLean, named after his grandfather James McLean Wheeler. It has also been noted the [male] child died from choking on a peach pit- family lore again.

HOWEVER, there is a little bit of a problem for me here. We also have:

MAXWELL WHEELER BORN 1880, to James and Elizabeth. This actually is the child name given as the one that died choking. Death record from the LDS family search record search lists:

MAXWELL WHEELER died SEPTEMBER 18, 1888 in Seney, Schoolcraft Co Michigan, of intermittent fever at age 8, son of James B. & Elizabeth Z. Wheeler. This was recorded April 22, 1889.

Maxwell born 1880 died Sept 18, 1888, Richard born 1883 died September 10, 1888. Only one death record-Maxwell, one stone- Richard M.


Family Search Record Search-Maxwell Wheeler

Oh lets not forget the icing on the cake, the stone for Richard is in Chippewa County Michigan, and they hadn’t moved there at that time. Well now, one son or two? Five years old or eight? Maxwell or McLean?!

What’s wrong with this picture ?!!

Wordless Wednesday

Dean Raeburn- Sault Saint Marie, Michigan c1928---shhhhhh

Surname Saturday, LIVINGSTON

Am I crazy?

Livingston [e]: Origin- Ireland

How does it fit into my surname of Raeburn? Well this is what I intend to find out.

Searching the lateral lines, it’ll either be the deciding factor in my insanity or my ‘oh happy day’ when it connects.

A little background refreshing; my Raeburn line is elusive and goes back to Ireland and disappears there. No known records so far in Ireland. However...the only way I have found anything resembling a relative or location is by researching the lateral lines. Case in point- finding Edward Weir next door in Ontario, turns out he is the brother in law of John Reburn of Aghnamullen Parish Monaghan Ireland. [Many other neighbor/relatives along the way]
I will bypass a lot here.....

A little more background-
Margaret Raeburn b abt 1786 marries John Livingston b abt 1789, in 1818 Carrickmacross Monaghan Ireland. 1851-They live in Quebec next door to Patrick Hamill of Ireland who marries their daughter (a winter spring marriage indeed).

Patrick Hamill was a co-tenant with a William Reaburn in Aughnamullen Parish Monaghan c 1820-30.
Livingston's also leasing land c 1820-30 here.
MY RAEBURNS were in this area of QUEBEC SAME TIME. This Margaret is 24 yrs older than my William, an aunt?

Ok- follow me with this one-

1860's +: Nottawasaga twp, Simcoe co Ontario, MY William Raeburn family is neighbor to James Livingston b abt 1801-11 Ireland. James is buried Singhampton Union Cemetery, Nottawasaga Simcoe County.

This, in and of itself may not necessarily peak my curiosity, however James Livingston[e]’s son George is buried in Plot 42, next to my William Raeburn Plot 43 in Batteau Hill Cemetery, Nottawasaga. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or IS IT?

Questions:
1. Where exactly did James Livingston[e] come from in Ireland?
2. What is the surname of his wife Jane?
3. What does the death certificate say?
4. Is there an obit?
5. Oh come on.....are they related????!!!

BLOGOVERSARY #1

Blogoversary January 11, 2010

“You Say Its Your” ... Blogoversary....Happy ... Blogoversary To You ...

One Year into the blog. I started out like gangbusters and then the blog trickled to a near stop. Why? Well I will review-

1. Initial intention of the blog; was the hope of connecting to someone within the family line, in hopes of unlocking mysteries that have me at a halt.

Has this happened yet? Well no, but I have connected with one person earlier in the year that is a descendant of a lateral line. He was looking for maps to Derrygooney townland in Monaghan Ireland and found it in one of my posts, and he discovered our lines were connected. He [Steve] traveled to Ireland shortly after on business, visited the area and took photos which he graciously shared with me. We didn’t discover any thing ‘new’ about our lines....but it was nice to correspond with him.

2. Pitfalls; Well...sometimes I have creative BLOCK! I wonder if posts are being read, if they are of interest. So then I tend to slow way down.
I have one pet peeve, I have shared a lot of my own research with a few, only to find it was re-posted by a couple of folks on the internet as their own work. I had a long conversation with another researcher once, and we had both agreed..that’s just wrong. Give credit to the ones who did the work, if you know, at least a brief acknowledgment. Two reasons- credit for work...but also, if you are taking credit for others work and someone comes along asking you questions or for more info and you HAVEN’T A CLUE AT ALL, that is of no help to others. Post the researchers name to the work, so THEY can be contacted. [I did ask that my name be connected to the work]
So with that thought.....I had slowed down on content exposure.
I guess an example of what I mean is: so someone lists in their gedcom my: great grand mother's siblings. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP TO THAT OTHER PERSON? my great grand mother is married to a man WHOSE SISTER is married to someone else totally not related and THAT PERSON has a brother, who is the ancestor of the person who added my great grandmothers siblings. that is just a really huge stretch and absolutely no relation. Some one else called this "name collecting".

3. Time- Sometimes life just gets in the way...so be it.........can’t change that one!

New Goals for Blog:

1. Community and correspondence...It has been nice to read others posts, for interest of their own content and ideas. I would like comments on my blog, it helps me...so I will try to leave comments also when I read others posts. The correspondence has been nice, I like it. I left a ‘check off’ at the end of each post if one doesn’t feel like commenting. It actually is helpful, but NOT mandatory!

2. Practice- blogging helps get the creative process moving again.

3. Get over it- Some people "collect names". You know what work YOU [I] have done!

Lets see if I do better this year! Happy New Year every one!!

Photos taken by Steven Ellingson
old John Reburn homestead, Corvacken townland, Aughnamullen, Monaghan
below:Landscapes in Ireland

Veterans Day: Merchant Marine WWII Dean E Raeburn

In Honor of Veteran's Day I would like to re-run this post, originally posted for Memorial Day-


Several years ago I tried to search information regarding the Merchant Marines, there was virtually nothing online. I have recently found a few websites devoted to the service of the Merchant Marines, and there is valuable and appreciated information on the sites, I will provide links at the end of this post. Recognition by the U.S. government to the Merchant Marines of WWII comes finally and for some to late. No Pensions or veteran benefits were ever received by the Merchant Mariners of WWII...a grave site memorial plaque was received without a U.S. flag for my dad.

My father, Dean Raeburn was a Merchant Marine during WWII, his United States Coast Guard card listing him as Fireman,Oiler, Watertender, Ordinary Seaman, his passport lists him as an oiler. He did sail the Great Lakes prior to and after WWII, I am guessing an inherited passion growing up in Sault Saint Marie the son of a Great Lakes Steamship Captain.

I have a lot to learn and research about the Merchant Marines. Some thought they saw “no action”, I heard of someone saying this to my father and his response was to the contrary. I never did hear my father talk about the war or being a Merchant Marine. Their missions over the Atlantic must have been anything but an easy task, with German U-boats after them. One of the ships Dad sailed on was the Thomas U Walter. A log shows them departing from Alexandria Egypt in September of 1943. The Gus 17 convoy list(slow convoy-Gibraltar-U.S.) shows 90 merchants and 13 escorts.

**Ninety merchant ships sailing in convoy and thirteen escorts by the U.S. Navy**

Dad sailed to many ports, Egypt, Algeria, France and England perhaps more I am unaware of. I found only three documents showing three ships through Ancestry.com. Some of his duties as an oiler in the engine crew on the merchant ships were making sure the bearing were always kept regularly oiled. Maintaining and keeping piston rods, valve stems, etc oiled and keeping seawater off. The duty list is is a long and responsible one, with the duties also of fireman watertender....

I wish to learn more and write a more fitting tribute, I will spend much more time on this. I can now write for records which I will, and I can request for ship records if I decide to do so. I wish I had more to write on right now.

I wasn’t going to even post this due to lack of info...but decided to anyway a bit late.

dad is #25 on list
Click on all photos for larger viewing

LINKS~

Song and Video by Celtae A must see!!

Duties of the engine crew
U.S.Merchant Marine
Arnold Hague Convoy Database
The Convoy System at UBoat.net
Ancestry.com Immigration & Emigration

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Trading Cards

Well ok.....

Here's my trading card



See Genea-Musings for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun...

What do I know about the fifth generation?

Not too long ago Randy at Genea-Musing’s had an exercise in finding out about our 2nd great-grandparents. I haven’t been too good at blogging this summer just reading and off I go.

So Today, I decided well what do I know about them? Do I have all there is to have? The answer is very simply, NO!

So this give me a direction when ADD sets in, to focus on. I will go right on down the line and see what I do know and goals to set for research....

What do I know about:

William Raeburn and wife Margaret McCormack? I know they were born in Ireland, and three of their children were born in Ireland. They are connected to County Monaghan Reburns, Reyburns, etc., but to date I have not found records in Monaghan with them recorded. I can follow them from Quebec their first known destination from Ireland, with one baptism record of a daughter in 1846. So I have one area of Quebec to search from, some possibilities of relatives in the area but nothing yet conclusive, no census for them. They arrived c1840 and left Quebec by 1848 at the latest.

William and family are found in Northumberland Co Ontario c 1848 with a baptism of another daughter. They are next door to family (Weir of Monaghan) and another Reburn temporarily lived with Weirs next door c1850. (Family folklore) Several other recorded documents put them in this area to c1863.

William and family finally arrive in Simcoe Co Ontario, were they live the rest fo their lives. Several documents to support this.

What I know about their nationality is they are Scot-Irish.

I obviously need more research done in Ireland which I have recently contracted for again(specific records). More investigating needs to be done in Quebec, but there are limited records there as well. I am not sure what records are available there, that I haven’t already searched.
**********************

Thomas Darwin Lillie and Anna Youker both lived in New York and moved to Pennsylvania. I have census in Pennsylvania. They moved to Michigan c1860, with two census’s to support this- 1860 and 1870. Anna and the rest fo the family move to Grand Traverse County and from there many records trace their movements to their death dates.

More research on the Lillie and Youker families need to be done in New York. I have traced the Lillie’s to Cortland Co NY, need more there. The Youkers are traced by descendants to 1700's with the first emigration.

Nationality? The Youkers came from an area near Germany, this is all I know to date. The Lillies...it is only a guess. Irish? German? Likely German, but no proven.
**********************************
James McLean Wheeler and Matilda Smith both grew up in the Lennox and Addington County of Ontario. Their families are well documented here from late 1700's and early 1800's. Documentation is found until the mid 1880's when James and Matilda fall off the grid. The general location to consider at this time is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were James signs a Naturalization paper in 1886, Marquette, Mi.

Nationality? Matilda’s family states often they are German. James? ?????, all I know is his father Calvin was a British Loyalist that left the U.S. c 1812.
[and this fact was re-written by later generations!!]
I haven’t been able to find Calvin in the U.S. yet. So far, the NY / Vermont border seems a possible location to continue searching.
*********************************
Amos Carpenter and Mary Ann Cliffe; Amos was born in Quebec c 1837, Mary Anne in Lansdowne, Leeds Co Ontario c1841. No real elbow grease has been put into this team. Mary Anne’s parents came from Ireland. Amos’s lineage has been traced by descendants back to England c1605 with William of England coming to Rehoboth, Massettchutsetts. I know where they moved on to via census’s etc, and where they ended up...as for documentation, there is more to see...

Nationality? Well the Carpenters despite family insistance believing it is French, seems English....unless traced further. At this point...Cliffe...Irish
*****************************
This is dad’s side....mom’s later.

Any suggestions? ; )

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

From Randy @ Genea-Musings

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- My Genealogical Threes
It's Saturday Night - time for some Genealogy Fun!

Over on Facebook, some people have been posting their "3s of Me" with information about themselves providing three responses in different categories like "Three names I go by," "Three jobs I've had," "Three favorite drinks," etc. You get the idea.

So here is your assignment, if you decide to accept it (this is not Mission Impossible, of course):

1) Tell us your three responses to the questions:

* Three genealogical libraries I frequent
* Three places I've visited on genealogy trips
* Three genealogy societies I belong to (or want to)
* Three websites that help my research
* Three ancestral graves that I've visited
* Three ancestral places I want to visit
* Three brickwall ancestors I want to research more
2) Post your responses as comments to this blog post, in your own blog, or in a Facebook comment.


* Three genealogical libraries I frequent
Hackley Library Genealogy Department: mainly used
Latter Day Saints FHL-Grand Rapids
Herrick Public Library Genealogy Dept-Holland Mi

* Three places I've visited on genealogy trips
Traverse City, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Lansing, Michigan

* Three genealogy societies I want to belong to
Muskegon County Genealogical Society
Ontario Genealogical Society- Simcoe Co & Northumberland Co
Irish Gelealogical Society or Clogher Historical Society

* Three websites that help my research
www.Ancestry.com Library edition used @ library
www.familysearch.org
www.ogs.on.ca

* Three ancestral graves that I've visited
Anna Youker Lillie 1824-1899 bur Traverse City, Mi
wow, I haven’t been to 3, my grown children have however!!-
William Raeburn 1853-1835 & Melissa Jane Lillie 1855-1927 bur Sault Saint
Marie, Mi
James Byard Wheeler 1852-1924 & Zilphie Elizabeth Carpenter 1859-1949 bur Sault Saint Marie, Mi

* Three ancestral places I want to visit
County Monaghan Ireland
Argenteuil County Quebec
Ontario-Simcoe County

* Three brickwall ancestors I want to research more
William Raeburn b 1810 Ireland- who are his parents
Thomas Darwin Lillie b abt 1826 NY, MIA after 1870 census Jackson Co Mi
Calvin Wheeler b 1789-90 U.S. died Sheffield Twp L&A Co Ontario
THERE ARE MORE!

I have concluded that I don’t get out much....I should fix that!

Saturday Night Genealogy fun- Time Travel

Randy at Genea-Musings has this for us:

It's Saturday Night, time for some Genealogy Fun after your frustrating week of finding phantom ancestors in online family trees and trying to keep up with everybody on Twitter, Facebook and Genealogy Wise.

Here is your assignment for this Saturday Night (if you decide to accept it, of course - you can't have fun if you don't try):

1) Let's go time travelling: Decide what year and what place you would love to visit as a time traveller. Who would you like to see in their environment? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

2) Tell us about it. Write a blog post, or make a comment to this post, or on Facebook, or in Genealogy Wise.

*******MY TIME TRAVEL********

It is the Twentith day of July in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Six in Argenteuil County, Quebec.
I see my 2nd great grandparents, William Raeburn and Margaret McCormick standing in St. Mungo’s Presbyterian Church with their daughter Margaret Ann in hand to be baptized. Their witnesses today are William and Sarah Wilson, and their minister William Mair will baptize little Margaret.
The Raeburn’s have been in Quebec approximetly five years and another daughter was already baptized somewhere in Quebec in 1844. Three children left Ireland with them, and they now have five.

Dearest Grandparents,
This much I know, you are connected to the Reburns of Corvacken & Derrygooney Townlands, County Monaghan Ireland.....

But what I long to know is, who are yours parents? Who are your siblings? What was your life like in Ireland? Did you mean to leave it all behind, to never speak of it again and of the family you had in Ireland? Tell me dear grandparents is there a written word of all that you knew, of your ancestry somewhere yet for me to find? Please...guide me to it!!
Oops..I exceeded one question and I have so many more!

photo of St. Mungo's church from Matthew Farfan Laurentian Heritage Web Magazine

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy's calling for some Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -
Birthday Fun Facts Calculator:
"Every genealogy researcher has to have a little fun, so climb onboard the Saturday Night Genealogy Fun express and enjoy the ride.

For this week's SNGF, please do this:

1. Go to the www.PaulSadowski.com web site.

2. Read his Bad Jokes page. What was the first one that popped up?

3. Click on his Birthday Calculator link. What are five Fun Facts you didn't know about your birthday?

4. Click on the "what your name means" link. What are your Number, your Soul Urge number and your Inner Dream number? Do the descriptions of your numbers match your perception of yourself? Note - females need to enter their birth name, not married name.

5. Tell the world your answers (with as much privacy protection as you wish) in a blog post or in comments to this post."


---------OK, heres it goes!!

1. & 2. Bad joke that first appeared-
An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.
2. Your fortune cookie reads: You will spend old age in comfort and material wealth
REALLY? ; )
3. As of 5/30/2009 11:08:10 PM EDT You are 435,383 hours old, and 18,140 days old.
4. Celebrities who share your birthday: Angie Dickinson (1931)Johnny Mathis (1935)Deborah Kerr (1921)Truman Capote (1924)
5. Your ruling planet is Venus, and Your birth tree is Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary


4. what your name means-

French Female Shrub.
English Female From the plant name. Holy

Your number is: 9; Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression;
The expression that you exhibit is represented by the number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the 'big brother or big sister' type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire.

This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel.[WELL I REALLY DONT KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE]

BUT THIS ONE.. YUPPER-
Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It's possible that you're not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent.



Your Soul Urge number is: 7; With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don't know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extend that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don't easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.

Your Inner Dream number is: 11; You dream of casting the light of illumination; of being the true idealist. You secretly believe there is more to life than we can know or prove, and you would like to be provider of the 'word' from on high.

5. Well this is all very interesting indeed.
Alot of the 'Expression #9 is spot on, weird. Soul urge #7 freakily knows me a bit, Inner dream #9 believing there is more to life...but yes its true.


But how can it be!

Somber Sunday, Emma Carpenter Walsh

Emma Carpenter Walsh

Over the years of researching, my Carpenter cousins and I debated over another Carpenter sibling of our great grandparents. I had found this sibling, living in Sault Saint Marie living on the same street as my grandparents, only to find tragedy. Emma died from burns in a fire in her home, in 1918. I will have to go to the FHC to view death records to obtain an actual death date. I received the obituary after paying a hefty ransom from a RAOGK volunteer who failed to mention I would have to pay it...only to find she didn’t record the newspaper and date of the obituary. Below is the transcribed obituary of Emma....I don’t think the writing style is quite the same these days, maybe that is a good thing. They were rather descriptive.

From an unknown newspaper in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan 1918.

DIES IN HOSPITAL AFTER HOURS OF INTENSE PAIN.

Following almost twelve hours of the most intense suffering from burns sustained yesterday morning, Mrs Emma Walsh, age 46, died at the city hospital last night about 8:30 o’clock. The pain of her burns was relieved during the last moments by a kind unconsciousness. The body was removed to the Haist [?] undertaking parlors and this evening will be taken to the grief-stricken home of 251 Arlington street.

From broken phrases spoken by Mrs. Walsh yesterday as her relatives sat by her bedside. It was made known that she had lain down for a nap after her husband, P.H. Walsh, and son, Roy, had gone to their work. She was partly dressed. She was awakened by the sputtering of the oil stove and she arose and attempted to carry it to the door. The stove broke in two at the hinge and dumped the accumulated oil and flame onto the floor. Her kimono took fire instantly. This flame spread to her underclothing and ran upward to her hair and face.

Mrs. Walsh was born in Parry Sound, Ont., on April 9, 1871. She had earned a large circle of friends by her beautiful nature and the tragedy is sincerely mourned throughout the Soo. Mrs. Walsh is survived by her husband, by one daughter and one son, as well as her father, two brothers and five sisters. The daughter is Mrs. W.J. Oremus, the son is Roy, of this city. The father and brothers are in Canada. The sisters are Mrs. J.B.Wheeler of this city, Mrs William Seeley of Munising, Mrs.W.A. Hickok of Garretson, S.D.; Mrs L. Stoner and Miss Janette Carpenter of Montana.

The funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the Central Methodist church. Rev. S. Arthur Cook will officiate. Interment will be in Pine Grove cemetery.

------------------------------

When I was oh.. about 17ish, my mother came home from a visit in the Soo with dad. She had given me two tapestries that she explained were from my grandmother who got then out of a neighboring Victorian home on Arlington Street that had a fire, and I can’t recall if she said it was a relatives house. Could these be Emma’s tapestries?

Saturday Night Genealogy fun, calculating dates

Randy's mission at Genea-Musings for us tonight...find that date using your date calculator.
Randy said-
This week, let's do something quick and easy in your genealogy software program. Are you able to calculate an age at death from a birth date and a death date? I usually can. Are you able to calculate a birth date from a death date and an age at death (in years, months, days)? I usually cannot.

Here's the challenge:
1) Open your genealogy software program and search for a "Date Calculator." You could go exploring in your Tools or Options menu, or you could use the Help menu to find it.

2) Open the "Date Calculator" and put in a death date for one of your ancestors and put in an age at death (use the one you know, or just make one up - we're just testing this feature today). Do the same thing by entering a birth date and a death date in the "Date Calculator" and see how old someone was when they died.

3) Tell us what software you're using and where you found the "Date Calculator." Tell us the information you found out from using the "Date Calculator."

Ok, Randy my turn,

I use LDS Personal Ancestry Program. The date calculator is a tool I use ALL the time! So, here is 'age at death'...

Margaret Ann Raeburn: I have learned from her baptism record, Margaret was born 20 July 1846, death record states she died 31 May 1914 [in Ontario], HOWEVER the death record did not give the usual yrs months days.
Using the date calculator with a start & end date, I find she was 67 yrs 10 months 11 days old when she died. Death record simply states she was 67 years old, if I didn't already have her birth recorded, I would be in the dark. Unfortunately this is the case for my 2nd greatgrandparents, so no way to calculate their birthdays.

Next how old would John George Youker, my 3rd gr grandfather & first generation Youker to Grand Traverse County be? Using his birthdate as the start date and today as end date, John, Johann George Youker would be......220 years, 2 months and 22 days old.

Tombstone Tuesday, Wm Jr & Melissa Jane

I wonder....were thse stones once standing?





William Raeburn & Melissa Jane Lillie Raeburn
Pine Grove Cemetery in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, Poetic genealogy

Randy invites us back to school to write a poem....about genealogy. Poetry was NOT something I was good at!! Not back in the day...and probably no better today. So here is mine in short so as not to pull me hair out on a lenghty one! te he

William hailed from the Emerald Isle
Perhaps he struggled all the while
Told life is better across the sea
He left an Irish mystery for me!

Lame I am sure........ ; ) but it actully was fun

Do I at least get a C+ ??

Smile for the Camera, 12th Edition- A Noble Life: Melissa Jane Lillie Raeburn

A Noble Life, Melissa Jane Lillie Raeburn, 25 Jan 1855 - 2 July 1927

Noble (Adjective) having high moral qualities; a solid citizen; an upstanding person.....

Can you love someone you have never met? Silly girl! Perhaps just simple admiration.

I may not know all about my great grandmothers life but from what I have learned so far she will be the subject of this story. When I read my *aunt Barbara’s memories of her, I can see her in her home, around town and in church, with her husband and children, grandchildren, family and friends. I am there, and I have gotten to know her....I love my great grandmother.


Melissa Jane Lillie is the daughter of Thomas Lillie and Anna Youker. She was born in Harrison Twp., Potter County, Pennsylvania in 1855. Her siblings were John G., Frank, Esther, Nelson and Simeon. Her parents took the family to Michigan when she was just a wee little one. Many of the Potter County families and friends joined them in each of the Michigan counties and eventually made Grand Traverse County their home.

Melissa Jane was married at age 25 in Blair Township, Grand Traverse County to William Raeburn of Ontario. Melissa Jane's uncle George W. Youker, local Justice of the Peace and a minister, performed the marriage ceremony. Jane and William lived on the Raeburn family farm in Glen Huron, Simcoe County Ontario. Her brother Frank and his wife were their neighbors in Glen Huron. Jane and William had four children, Ernest, William, Margaret and Anna. By 1899 Melissa Jane and William moved to Sault Saint Marie, Michigan with their children.

Aunt Barbara’s Memoirs-

Grandma Raeburn was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on January 21, 1855. Her mothers name was Anna Youker and her fathers name was John Lillie. They moved from Harrisburg to Traverse City, Michigan. She had four brothers (John O Lillie, Frank, Simeon and Nelson)and one sister, Esther Sackett who lived in Battle Creek, Michigan. Frank had a daughter, Anna, born 1879 and died 1897. Esther had a son, William. Anna Youker Lillie had three brothers in Traverse City- G.W., J.P. and John G. Youker.

My Grandmother was a very quiet woman. I never heard her raise her voice. She was rather stern looking. When my Grandfather would get riled up about something, I can still hear her say, “Now Will, it’s all right.” She was very kind and never gossiped or said unkind things about others. She was a small, slim woman. She wore her hair on top of her head in a flat bun. Her dresses were long. She baked her own bread in the old wood range. I used to love the hot heels of bread with butter. For breakfast, I always had shredded wheat with hot milk. We always had baked potatoes for dinner. They always had goose for Christmas.

She was a faithful churchgoer- Methodist Church. I remember her washing Grandpa’s white hair when he would come home from firing the furnaces. We always ate in the dining room at night. She used to knit socks and mittens. I never could learn because I was left-handed.

Grandma had cancer of the breast. By the time she went to the doctor it was too late to operate. Grandpa heard of some “quack” in Ontario who claimed he could remove it. Grandma and aunt Ann went to Canada and they were being tortured, I am sure. This “quack” used something to draw out the cancer. She died there in June. I was twelve. She is buried at Pine Grove Cemetery.

I remember Mrs Mac rocking me in the entry off the kitchen when they brought my grandma’s body home. I was twelve years old and could not understand why God had taken my wonderful Grandma! Grandpa was broken-hearted. After she died, he always said “your Grandma” or your ‘mother” never calling her by name. But when he was dying, he kept calling for Jane (Grandma’s real name).

Grandma and I took a trip to several places in Ontario the summer I was five years old. We went by train- I remember the same seats that reversed. We traveled all night and I slept on the opposite seat from Grandma. We visited one farm where two sisters lived. I burned my hand on an oil lamp. It was something I had never seen before. I remember visiting the Millers in Collingwood, I believe. My Grandmother was going to Niagara Falls with some relatives and I was to stay at home, but I made such a fuss they had to take me. On the way I was stung by a bee and they all said it was because I didn’t stay home and I was being punished. They stopped the car and made a mud poultice to put on the sting. Mama made Grandma a beautiful taupe dress and me a white linen dress with scalloped edges on the jacket. I had my pictures taken on a cannon wearing it.

While in Canada we stayed on a farm owned by Pearl Lillie Bradley and her husband. It was a large farm and had a lovely white house. They had two adopted children- a boy and a girl. The boy had been seriously ill and he had a huge cabinet full of trucks and other toys, all given to him when he was ill. He wold not let his sister or me touch them. He kept them locked in a cabinet. The girl did not even have a doll. My Grandma went shopping and bought both of us a doll and some sugar wafers for a tea party. I was so disgusted with the boy that I wouldn’t let him come to the tea party. My Grandma took me down this hilly front lawn and made me sit down and told me how bad I was behaving. It didn’t change my mind about this little beast!

Another thing I remember about Grandma was that she never spoke ill of anyone. One day a woman and a girl moved in with a man across the street. I did not know it but the woman had been a member of the red light district. The girl was my age and we played together. One day we were playing-making a house out of blankets in Grandpa’s yard. He came home for lunch. Grandpa was so upset that Grandma would let me play with her. I remember him saying “Heaven knows what diseases she can get!” Grandma said, “Now Will, the Bible says not to visit the sins of the Fathers on the children”. I piped up and said, “But Grandfather, you always talk to her father!”.

Grandma Raeburn’s brother, Nelson Lillie, never married. HE lived in New Orleans and was a house painter. He used to come to the Soo for several weeks in the summer. One summer he painted Grandpa’s house. I always looked forward to his visits. We used to visit Beatrice Dean and her mother and Emma Ladd and her mother when he was in the Soo.
Esther Lillie Sackett, Grandma’s sister, visited too. I remember when Grandma died (I was 12 years old). When I walked in, it was a shock to see her sitting in Grandma’s chair-she looked so much like Grandma!
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I would love to see the photograph of my aunt Barbara in her white dress sitting on the cannon at age five circa 1920!

Aunt Barbara also added that aunt Anna played the piano for friends and the family in the Raeburn's home and everyone sang songs like, I Want a Girl, Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad, and The old Grey Mare, Old Black Joe and alot of hymns.

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.