January 19, 2012

Seth Porter of Porter’s Hollow

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Seth Porter, Jr.Update: And now with picture!

Update: Picture will get added in tonight. For some reason I can’t get to at the moment. Thanks, Ariana!

Today is the Anniversary of the birth of my 4th Great Grandfather, Seth Porter. He was born January 19th in 1825 in Rutland County, Vermont to Seth and Rheumina Porter. He came to Michigan with of his brothers Dennis and Harvey in the 1840s and they settled in Kent County. In 1852 he married Rebecca Huntington and they had a family of seven children including my ancestor, George Erwin. Seth was a successful sawyer and miller settling in Edgerton at what became known as Porter’s Hollow. He was a lifelong Spiritualist. He died in 1911.

Happy Hunting,

Jess

 

January 11, 2012

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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Lizzie (Groner) and George BaileyMy step-Great-great-grandparents Lizzie Groner and George Bailey were married on this date in 1893 in Cannonsburg, Michigan. They were the parents of 7 children including two sets of twins (which run steadily through that line). They are also the reason I will never give twins cute matching names—no offense meant to Aunts Lydia and Lyndia or any of their line. My great grandfather, Harold, was their youngest child.

Happy Hunting!

Jess

 

January 4, 2012

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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Siblings: Katherine and David Johnson GilbertThis happy looking pair (I love old photographs!) is my 5th Great Grandmother Katherine (Gilbert) Lapham and her older brother the Reverend David Johnson Gilbert. The Gilbert and Lapham families moved across Michigan together settling first in Washtenaw County in the late 1820s and then moving on to Kent County in the 1840s. David and Katherine were two of eleven children born to Asa and Hannah (Johnson) Gilbert. The photograph is taken from a series of articles by Homer Birch run in the Rockford Register.

Happy Hunting!

Jess

 

December 28, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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Siblings: James Tyler, Ernest, and LevieTrotter and Irene Trotter Newton

Here’s a picture of my Grandpa Trotter (center) and three of his (14!) siblings: Uncle JT (James Tyler), Uncle Ernest, and Aunt Irene (who married John W. Newton).

Dad thinks this was taken sometime around 1971. It’s set in the living room of my grandparent’s home in Detroit and pulled from my Dad’s digital archive.

Happy Hunting,

Jess

 

December 21, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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‘Tis the Season…

Johnson Christmasn 1979

Christmas for me has always been a time to share with family. This is a shot of my Grandparents from Christmas in 1979—the last before my grandfather died in May of 1980. The two younger children facing away are my cousin and my brother. I’m in the center.

Happy Holidays!

Jess

 

December 14, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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The Family of Cornelius and Ellen Shea.

This is the family of Cornelius and Ellen (Cunningham) Shea. From left to right: George, my Great Grandfather Robert James (in back), Cornelius holding his youngest daughter Donna, Loretta, Ellen, Earl (in back), Glen and Richard. At the time of this photograph (based on Dick and Donna’s size) the family probably still lived in Leelanau County, Michigan.

We tend to refer in our family to a Shea sense of humor. One of the stories most often told about Cornelius is that when my Great-Grandmother Cora was pregnant with my Uncle Bob she somehow fell in a well. Cornelius couldn’t help her… he was laughing too hard. My Aunt June still sounds outraged when she tells the story… but Grandma can’t tell it or listen to it without laughing.

Happy Hunting!

Jess

 

December 7, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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My Grandpa Bailey would have turned 104 today.

Harold Edward Bailey, Sr.

Harold Edward Bailey born December 7, 1907 and died in July of 1996. He was my Great-Grandmother Crystal’s second husband and helped raise my Grandfather, Great Aunts and Uncle, along with their son, Harold Jr. He was a long time employee of Kirkhoff Manufacturing Corporation from which he retired in 1969. He will also always be known to a select few for helping to invent the recipe for the  secret sauce at The Corner Bar in Rockford, Michigan.

Happy hunting,

Jess

 

November 30, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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My Great-Aunt Rachel York Elliott has fascinated me ever since my father told me about her. He remembers going to Arkansas to live with his Aunt Rachel for a year when he was about 4 years old. Rachel was a teacher and he went to school each day with her and attended Miss. Alexander’s class learning his numbers and letters. This is the only picture I’ve seen of her. She was the second child of Philip Henry York and his first wife Mary Wilfong and lived from 1898 to 1971. She married Fred Elliott in 1925, in Warren, Bradley Co, Arkansas.

This photo is from my grandmother’s photo collection.

Happy Hunting,

Jess

 

November 23, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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Thanksgiving has always been a holiday I associate with my father’s family. So, that’s the direction I wanted to go with my Not-Quite-Wordless-Wednesday post this week.

 Herman, Sandy Napoleon, Mary, and Preston Garet York.

This picture shows four of my grandmother’s fourteen older siblings: Herman, Sandy Napoleon, Mary, and Preston Garet York. They are all the children of Philip Henry York and his three wives. Sandy was the second oldest and the son of Mary (Wilfong) York, Mary and Preston were two of Mattie (Phillips) York’s children, and Herman (like my Grandmother) was the child of Sally (Wheeler) York.

Happy Hunting & Happy Thanksgiving!

Jess

 

November 16, 2011

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

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It’s seems the natural progression to come another step forward with the Porter’s from last week’s Wordless Wednesday post—especially since I have grander plan for introducing the Holdens (coming soon!). So, this week meet my Great-Grandmother Crystal (Porter Johnson) Bailey and my Step-Great-Grandfather, Harold Bailey, Sr. Grandma Crystal died in 1968 so my stories about her came mostly from my mother and Grandpa Bailey. I credit Grandpa as one of the people who helped me get started on my genealogy when I had to work on a family tree for a Girl Scout badge back in elementary school.

 

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