See Ancestry.com for an adult pic, a married pic, and a Navy pic.
The content of this post is entirely a gift from my cousin and genealogy buddy, Kevin Hackett. Thank you, Kevin!
My Munson (therefore, also Woodington) Cousins,
I have referenced our cousin, Lori Hahn, and her family history blog, Me. Here. Right Now. Lori is doing some great research and expanding our collective knowledge. I encourage you to subscribe to her blogs here. She doesn’t dump your Inbox with daily nuisances. She writes occasionally and it’s always fascinating.
But that isn’t why I’m writing tonight. Check out this post she just uploaded that shows, among her other family lines, the Munson family migration. Just scroll down to find the Smith-Munson map. It’s a clean visual way to see our ancestors movement from the east coast to the Midwest.
Today we celebrate the birth of Sophie “Vivian” Helene Anna Adermann Yocum. Vivian was born 11 May 1902 in Illinois to Ferdinand and Mary (Heiden) Adermann, the tenth of their twelve children.
She married Leonard Yocum on Christmas Eve, 1924 when she was 22 years old. Viv and Leonard had two children, Harley Eugene and Maxine Leigh. I owe access to the recipes below to Maxine’s son and my genealogy buddy, Kevin Hackett. These are his Grandma Yocum’s recipes.
Here are her recipes for Raisin Applesauce Cookies, Peanut Blossoms, and Chocolate Icebox Cake.
They look awfully good! Enjoy.
Exploring the 1910 US Census, I was fascinated to find six more people in the home than there were family members. The Boerners brought in several boarders, I’m sure to help pay the bills. I’ve written about them previously and noted my grandparents met when Grandpa was a boarder in their home in the late 1920s.
This census took place almost 20 years prior to their meeting and marriage.
Take a look . . .
Henry and Marth (Scott) Fralick > Mary Ellen Fralick m. Michael Hope > Monroe Hope m. Ethel (Woodington) Hope > Billie Hope > Carmala
Today is the birthday of my great grandmother, Mary Ellen Fralick. Much of her biography was shared earlier with some history of her parents, but today is dedicated to Mary Ellen.
Mary Ellen (Fralick) Hope
Mary Ellen was born in Cassville, Grant County, Wisconsin on 11 Jan 1852. Her family owned several acres of farmland and made a comfortable 19th-century living. Tragedy struck the family early in Mary Ellen’s life when she was just shy of her second birthday. Her older brother, three-year old Jeremiah, died on 27 Dec 1853. Just three weeks later, on Mary Ellen’s second birthday, her older brother Jerome also died. He would have celebrated his sixth birthday two weeks later on 25 Jan 1854.
When Mary Ellen was 16 years old, she married a Civil War veteran on the Fourth of July, 1868. ThomasLeander Gordon, born 1 Oct 1843, had served in the Iowa Infantry. The young couple had one daughter, Allene Edith. Leander suffered disability from his time in the war and died at the young age of 29 (14 Feb. 1873).
The following year, on 30 Sept 1874, Mary Ellen married Michael William Hope. Mary Ellen and Michael had four children: Olive Meach, Florence C., Agnes J., and a son, Monroe (my grandfather).
As an aside: Michael had been previously married to Sarah Abigail Parker and they had two children, John Giles Hope and Angeline E. Hope. I have not found a death certificate for Sarah nor a record of a divorce, but the census information suggests Sarah may have died at a young age. In 1870, Michael, Sarah, John, and Angeline lived together in Little Grant. In 1880, Michael lived with John and Angeline and his second wife, Mary Ellen, and their biological daughter, Olive, in Little Grant. That Michael had the children with him suggests Sarah’s death rather than a divorce. In the rare case of a divorce, the children usually went with the mother in the 19th century.
But, back to Mary Ellen. She married Michael and took in his two children, John and Angeline. The family continued to live in Little Grant. Michael died first on 8 May 1919 and was buried in the Providence Cemetery in neighboring Bloomington, Grant County, WI. Mary Ellen lived another 16 years after Michael’s death, mostly in Grant County. There was a stretch of time, including during the 1930 US Census, when Mary Ellen lived with her oldest daughter, Olive, in Kenosha, WI, Mary Ellen died 22 Apr 1935 back in Bloomington, Grant County, WI and was laid to rest next to Michael in the Providence Cemetery.
I had a question from one of my Woodington cousins, Amy, asking if we had the correct date for Jonathan Woodington’s death. She and I both had his life span from 13 April 1812 to 12 April 1876. But, Amy caught something I had not.
In the 1 June 1905 Wisconsin Census, my 2nd great-grandfather, Moses Woodington, was living in Cassville, Grant County, Wisconsin with his half-brother, Charles Boyt [sic]. They rented a house; Moses worked as a stone mason, Charles was a bartender. Moses’ father was born in Pennsylvania and Charles’ father was born in Canada. Moses was widowed (Henrietta died in 1882) and Charles was single, “never married” as we say now. Moses had been employed the previous 8 months, Charles the previous 10.
The 1905 Wisconsin Census:
So, Moses had a “half bro” as the census-taker wrote it. This was new information to me and it really messed up the straight-forward history I thought I had. I’m pretty sure it also brings me closer to the truth, even while it leaves me with many questions. Having done several hours of research through the records, I have learned a little bit, but am left with too much missing data.
This is my working theory as of today:
I think I have the wrong death date for our Jonathan Woodington. There were two boys, both named Jonathan Woodington, born on 13 April 1812 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This we know. I am thinking the death date I have been using probably isn’t for our Jonathan, but for the other Jonathan Woodington.
I checked the 1850 US Census and Sarah Ann had married Joseph Boyd by then and lived in Grant County, Wisconsin (District 24) with her youngest son, Jonathan. This is conjecture based on the surrounding information. I do not have a marriage certificate for Joseph Boyd and Sara Ann Woodington. Their son, Jonathan, was born in 1842 and was recorded as being 8 years old in the 1850 census. Both Sarah Ann and son Jonathan (called “Boyd” in the census) were born in Pennsylvania (see image below).
This census also tells us Sarah did not know how to read in Column 12 and that young Jonathan was attending school (Column 11).
Moses and his older brothers would have been teenagers in 1850, so I do not know why they were not living in the same household. This is a problem. I do not find Moses anywhere in the 1850 census. Although, he married Henrietta Munson in 1859 in Cassville, Grant County, Wisconsin, so he obviously moved “west” with his family at some time.
Another point of interest is we know from the notarized family Bible that Jonathan and Sarah Woodington had a son, Charles, born on 29 Aug 1840. I would expect him to be living with his mother and younger brother in Grant County in 1850 if he was still alive at 10 years old. Maybe he died as a child? According to the 1860 US Census, Sarah Ann had a son with Joseph Boyd and she also named him Charles. He was born about 1854. I do not find a death record for a Charles Woodington, born in 1840, in either PA or WI, so this, too, is conjecture. And who is 10-year old Sarah Parsons? I do not know.
So, what am I left with?
- I have changed my data for the father Jonathan Woodington’s death date to be questionable, likely in the 1840s. Jonathan’s youngest son, Jonathan Alton, was born in 1842. The evidence suggests his wife, Sarah Ann, had moved to Grant County, Wisconsin and married Joseph Boyd by 1850. I would like to find their marriage license, though, to confirm this. It is the 1905 Wisconsin census calling Charles Boyd a “half brother” to Moses Woodington that opens up this whole conversation.
- It is possible Jonathan and Sarah divorced in the 1840s, but less likely.
- What brought Sarah Ann Woodington to Grant County, Wisconsin with her sons?
- I had not noticed Sarah Ann moved to Grant County except for Amy pointing out the 1905 Wisconsin Census showing Moses living with his step-brother, Charles Boyd.
- Where is 13-year old Moses Woodington in 1850?
- Did Charles Woodington, born in 1840, die as a child?
- What relationship is young Sarah Parsons to the family? The US Censuses ask different questions each time. Sometimes, they ask what the relationships are to the head of house of all those living in that house. Unfortunately, the 1860 census didn’t have a column for this question.
- How long did Joseph Boyd live? I do not know this either.
There is much more to discover about Sarah Ann’s life!
My Munson/Woodington Cousins:
I have been exploring our cousin Lori Hahn’s site again at Me. Here. Right Now. My generation shares with Lori common 3rd great-grandparents, Amos and Mary Ann (Kearney) Munson. Amos and Mary Ann had eight children; six daughters followed by two sons. I have written of their 5th daughter, our 2nd great grandmother, Henrietta Munson who married Moses Isaack Woodington, a veteran of the Civil War. Lori has done superb research on Amos and Mary Ann and their seven other children. She is a descendent of Henrietta’s older sister, Mary Ann, their mother’s namesake. Here are links to the stories of the eight children of Amos and Mary Ann. Enjoy browsing!
My Munson (therefore, also Woodington) Cousins,
I have referenced our cousin, Lori Hahn, and her family history blog, Me. Here. Right Now. She had a series of articles last month on the Munsons. You can check out her August posts, including several about Those Munsons right here. Scroll down a bit to find several great stories. Enjoy! Lori is doing some great research and expanding our collective knowledge.
Today I am remembering my second great grandfather, Robert Josiah Bates. He was born 28 June 1853, the first born of Seymour and Elizabeth Ann “Betsy” (Blue) Bates. [For the Blue Family genealogists, Robert is identified as 1.1.3.2.1.4.1.1] His parents had eight more children after Robert.
Robert’s father, Seymore was born in St. Lawrence County, New York and moved to Illinois. There he met Betsy Blue, a life-long resident of Illinois, and they married in Menard County, IL on 8 July 1852. From what I have been able to find, the couple farmed and raised their family in Illinois.
Robert was also a farmer, according to his death certificate. He and Marga Anna “Margie” Radley, who had been born in Ohio in 1857, married in Menard County, Illinois on 25 Nov 1873. The couple had five children–four daughters named Rose, Effie, Floy (my great grandmother) and Oda, and one son, Alonzo. I have heard Floy’s grandsons refer to their great-uncle as “Uncle Lonnie” and he was a favorite whenever he came for a visit.
Margie died in 1911 when Robert was 58 years old and their youngest, Oda, was about 11 years old. I have not found a record of Robert remarrying, so he and the older daughters (my great-grandma Floy was ten years older than Oda and was the closest in line to her) likely had responsibility to raise Oda.
I wonder if Floy had quite a bit of that responsibility since she and Oda were so close. Floy married Carl Adermann when she was 17, but they lived in Illinois for ten year after that. When Floy’s first child was born, they named him Oscar Dearl Aderman so his initials would be ODA in honor of her younger sister.
Robert lived another 15 years after his wife, Margie, died. He died on 18 May 1926 in Corwin, Logan County, Illinos and was buried next to Margie at the Lucas Chapel Cemetery in Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois.
Today is the anniversary of the marriage of my paternal grandparents, Oscar Dearyl Aderman (1907 – 1989) and Anna Marie Boerner (1910 – 1981). Oscar and Ann met when Oscar and his father, Carl, and brother Virgil “Red”, were boarders in the home of Martin Boerner, Ann’s father.
All three men worked at Kimberly-Clark paper mill in Niagara, Wisconsin. Martin Boerner, Sr. had immigrated to the United States, to Wisconsin, in 1897 from Gaulsheim, Germany. His wife had died when Anna was only six years old and he had quite poor eyesight. Boarding men from the paper mill became an added source of income.
After their wedding, Oscar and Ann continued to live in the house. Eventually they bought it from Martin on the condition he would live with them. The couple chose to take the upstairs to raise their family and insisted Martin stay on the main floor of their home.
The couple was married in Daggett, Menominee County, Michigan by Rev. Henry Hopp of the Evangelical Lutheran Church on June 9, 1930. Oscar’s sister, Leonilla, and his friend, Victor Toberg, were witnesses to the vows.
Here is their marriage license from Menominee County, Michigan.
Today we celebrate the marriage of my 3rd great-grandparents, Anna Mariae Faeser and Johannes Janz. The joined in the Roman Catholic Church in Ockenheim, Rheinhessen, Hesse-Darmstadt on 16 April 1815.
Maybe:
Phillip Jacob Faeser m. Anna Mariae Reckertin(?) > Anna Mariae Faeser
With More Certainty:
Anna Mariae Faeser m. Johannes Janz > Anna Mariae Janz (1827 – 1907)
Anna Mariae Janz m. Adam Boerner (1823 – 1895) > Martin Boerner (1866 – 1944)
Martin Boerner m. Catharina Storch (1871 – 1916) > Anna Maria Boerner (1910 – 1981)
Anna Maria Boerner m. Oscar Dearl Aderman (1907 – 1989) > Oscar Darrell Aderman (1931 – 2014)
As you can see, there was a long string of Anna Maria in this branch of the family tree. Oscar Aderman and Anna Maria Boerner Aderman’s four sons continued that tradition by having a daughter in each of those four families with a middle name of Ann.
Ferdinand Adermann > Carl Aderman m. Floy Bates > Loren Marcel Aderman
Biz and his wife, Anna
On May 8, 1909, Loren M. Aderman was born in Lincoln (Logan County) Illinois to Carl and Floy (Bates) Aderman, the second born of their eight children. He died in Bark River (Delta County) Michigan on 11 Jan 2003 at the age of 93.
When he was seven years old, Loren moved to Holmes Township, Menominee County, Michigan with his parents and older brother, Oscar. Even though it was 1916, the land in the Upper Peninsula of MI was still rugged. The young family is remembered by their descendants as pioneers in that forest who had to count on their stringent German work ethic to survive.
Read how the youngest child of Carl and Floy, Ede Aderman Adams remembered her older brother in an Aderman Family Memories book:
Biz was a hard worker, a very hard worker. That is literally how he got his name. My second oldest brother was christened Loren, but he was rarely referred to by that handle. He was always Biz. He earned that title as an over active little boy who was constantly busy. Family members shortened “busy” to “Biz” and by the time I came along [Ede was born in 1925] I didn’t realize he had another name. . . .
Biz, Oscar, and my two sisters, Nell and Izzy, came to the Upper Peninsula with Mom and Dad from Illinois in 1916. The six of them were true pioneers. With sheer grit and determination, they cleared undeveloped land and established an eighty acre homestead in Holmes Township, Menominee County, Michigan. In an age before tractors and chain saws, Dad and Oscar and Biz poured muscle and sweat into that farm while Mom and the two girls did endless work in the house, barn, garden, and fields.
As a little girl, the only times I’d see Biz was when there was hard work to be done. He had left home at an early age, but would help Dad with farm work when needed. Even though the four youngest kids had chores assigned to us, Budge [Virgil] and the twins were too little just then to help in the fields or do heavy work in the woods. That left Oscar and Biz to pick up the slack until the three younger boys could take over. Those two guys were always willing to come home and assist the family with the sweat off their brows.
A job at the Niagara paper mill did not suit Biz. Despite moments of regret in later years for leaving the mill, Biz wasn’t cut out for factory work. He loved being outdoors and the freedom that comes with it. He was at his best working in the woods, harvesting in the fields, or creating something with his hands. A succession of jobs followed. He was a carpenter, lumberjack, roofer, farmer, and drove a milk route among other assorted occupations.
Lest you think he was all work and no play, he wasn’t. As a young man he played on the Daggett baseball team and enjoyed it very much. For personal amusement he played tunes on a harmonica. Early on, he developed a lifetime interest in hunting and fishing. That was a good thing for us because he would drop in at home with hares he had snared or game birds that he shot. And he was always a sure bet to bring us some bass or trout from his fishing trips to grace our table with. In the wintertime, when he worked in the lumber camps, he had access to bananas, oranges, and other foodstuffs. Biz would bring the family a big box of good things that we normally would never get. Every now and then he’d surprise his little brother and and sister with a Mr. Goodbar candy bar.
He was always a sharp-eyed outdoorsman. On one particular occasion Biz and I were walking down the lane when we spotted a partridge. Biz asked me, “Do you want me to get him?” I didn’t know how he was going to do that because he didn’t have a shotgun with him. But Biz being Biz, picked up a rock, flung it at the bird, and killed it. I don’t know what portion of luck to skill was involved, but Biz, I think, tilted heavily toward the skill side of the ledger.
As a young man Biz had a wild streak in him. He had a motorcycle that he’d operate while standing on the seat! One time, Biz and a few of his partners disassembled an iron wagon and then reassembled it on top of the cheese house. Everyone suspected that gang, including his embarrassed mother, but they never ‘fessed up to it.
Connie and Marcel were Biz’s first two boys from a failed marriage. . . . While on the milk route, Biz met his future wife. Ann Larson married him during a leap year that was probably the coldest winter ever recorded in the history of the world. [Biz and Ann married on 17 Jan 1940 in Escanaba, Michigan.] . . . Afterwards, Biz and Ann contributed to the family roster with the addition of Gary.
. . . A popular figure around town, it seemed everyone in Bark River (and Delta County for that matter) knew my affable brother. He was an ethical, wise, hard-working, friendly man. If a script-writer were to portray a stereotypical small-town nice guy, he’d use Biz as the model.
Ferdinand Adermann > Carl Aderman m. Floy Bates Aderman > Oscar Aderman > Roger Aderman
I was reading through a booklet of family stories which included this from my Uncle Roger. It got me imagining him as a boy playing piano for his Grandma, Floy (Bates) Aderman. Here is what he wrote:
Grandma’s favorite hymn was Whispering Hope. When I was a boy I took piano lessons. Whenever Grandma and Grandpa came to Niagara I’d play that song several times for Grandma.
The song, written by Septimus Winner in 1868 is now in the Public Domain. Here is a link to a YouTube video with Jim Reeves singing this gospel classic.
Groom: Michael William Hope married Mary Ellen Fralick > Monroe Hope
Bride: Furman Woodington married Clara Barbara “Dolly” Sturmer > Ethel Woodington
Witnesses: Elizabeth S. Sturmer (Dolly’s sister) married George Merry Bishop > Ruth M. Bishop.
Today is the anniversary of Monroe Hope and Ethel Woodington, my maternal grandparents. They married in Dubuque, Iowa on Wednesday, 28 May 1919 with Rev. Henry F. Milligan presiding at their ceremony. Witnesses to the vows were Ruth Bishop, Ethel’s cousin, and Mrs. George Bishop, Ethel’s aunt.
From the Iowa State Board of Health Marriage Record Book, ending the fiscal year of June 30, 1919:
Robert Blue>Elizabeth Blue Bates>Robert Bates>Floy Bates Aderman> Oscar Aderman>Darrell Aderman>Carmala Aderman
Robert Blue served nine days in the short-lived Black Hawk War. The war lasted about two months (May 1832 – July 1832) and was fought primarily in Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The United States government bought the land from the Sauks some years earlier, but Black Hawk thought it was an unjust bargain. The disagreement became a series of battles and raids on the disputed land.
Robert Blue had been born in Greene County, Ohio in 1811 to Robert and Ann (McNary) Blue. Robert’s grandfather and father and their families moved to Indiana by 1830 where they were found in the US Census
The younger Robert mustered into the Indiana Militia on 26 May 1832, in Captain John Roberts company when it appeared the Black Hawk War was moving far enough east in Illinois to threaten the Indiana border. By 3 June 1832, it was determined Indiana was not being threatened so Robert’s company, and the other five which had been formed for this specific purpose, were disbanded.
Whence We Come 