Frances Jane Coon: Secret Son

1852 - 1929

      Frances Jane Coon, aka 'Jenny', was born March 27, 1852, in Palmyra, Wisconsin, the daughter of Leander Coon and Harriet Potter.  She only had 1 sibling, Hiram Mark, who was born in 1843. She grew up in Palmyra, where her father worked as a speculator and kept horses. When she was 16, she joined the Episcopal Church. In 1876, when she was just 24, her father died.

Frances Jane Kaufman; Tintype; Kaufman Album, Page 2, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

      On April 22, 1878, she married Charles Kaufman in Palmyra, in a Methodist Episcopal ceremony.

Frances Jane Coon, Wedding Day (1878); Kaufman Album, Page 4, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

The back of the photo has writing that is a bit difficult to interpret! A reference is made to 'Terelman'. Then there appears to be a description of the photo. Eyes-Dark Brown. Hair-Brown. Dress-Brown. Nectie- Blue. Frame-Granite. 

      By the mid-1880's, they were homesteading in what is today South Dakota. In addition to her 4 children (Hattie, Winifred, Walter, Lillian), there was an additional child in her household named Frank Coon! According to Mom, Frank was born out of wedlock to Jennie, although Jenny's brother sometimes claimed him as a son! Gramie had always treated it as a secret. What became apparent, though, from a Palmyra newspaper article, is that her brother Hiram's wife, Helen, died when her youngest son was 6 days old. Since this exactly correlates with Frank's birth date (March 1876), Frank must indeed have been Hiram's third child, the other 2 being Ira and Loren. Hiram must not have felt up to the task of raising 3 young boys as a widower. So, in 1880, while he was trying to homestead in Nebraska, his 2 oldest boys, Ira and Loren, were living in Palmyra with Hiram's mother and her second husband. Frank is nowhere to be seen, unless he is living with his mother's family. At least by 1893, though, he is living with Charles and Jenny, and he is the young man standing in the back of the photo below.

Charles W. W. and Frances Jane Kaufman and Family; About 1893-1894.
Picture from Lillian Carroll, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.
Back:Hattie Kaufman, Frank Coon. Front: Walter Kaufman, Winifred Kaufman.
NOTE: Lillian Kaufman is not yet born. 

      After her husband died in 1907, Jenny lived for 22 more years! In 1910, she was living with 15-year old daughter Lillian in the family home and owned her home free of a mortgage. She received extra money by boarding the local school teacher. In addition, Gramie remembers her as an excellent seamstress, which may have provided an additional income source. After Gramie graduated from high school, they moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where Jenny's children Winifred and Walter lived. When Gramie married Ira in 1914, Jenny came to live with them. When Ira and Gramie moved to Garden City, South Dakota, Jenny moved with them.

Frances Jane Coon Kaufman; picture from Lillian Kaufman Carroll, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

      On May 4, 1929, age 77, Jenny died in Garden City, South Dakota. That evening, the family had company for dinner and Jenny had choked and cooked a chicken for the gathering! Mom slept with Jenny that night and went to get Gramie when Jenny requested help. Jenny was buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Armour, next to her husband Charles.

      Jenny's passing was sudden and it was a shock to her neighbors. Gramie always said that her mother had had a very difficult life, but was somewhat secretive. Certainly, Jenny faced a lot of challenges! She was disliked by her mother-in-law, raised her brother's son Frank and raised a family in a sod house in the harsh South Dakota environment. Probably her biggest heartache, though, was her beloved son Walter going to prison in the late 1920's!

      Gramie was very close to her mother, having lived with her until Jenny died. Mom said that Gramie 'saw' her mother shortly before Gramie passed away. Certainly, Jenny's presence persists. Sister Jane was named after Jenny and brother Mark was named after her brother Hiram Mark. Also, I still have the slate that Hiram Mark and Jenny took to school when they were kids!

Children of Charles W. W. Kaufman and Jenny Coon.

Walter Kaufman (with bow tie) with wife Kate Goheen Kaufman and daughter Marie (in arms) and Clair (in front).

Lillian Kaufman and Ed Goheen (Kate's brother). Lillian about age 16, so photo taken about 1911.

Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

Hattie Kaufman Erdman with husband John and son.
Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

Winifred Kaufman Jordan, 1915, age 27.
Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

Two daughters of Winifred Jordan; Frances Mary and Josephine Mattie.
Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. 

Winifred Kaufman Jordan (age 88) and Hattie Kaufman Erdman (age 95).
Picture taken about 1976.
Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. 

Written by Dorothy Crooks, Jennie's great-granddaughter.

Charles William Walter Kaufman: South Dakota Homesteader

 1855 - 1907

      Charles William Walter Kaufman was born September 1, 1855, in Merton, Wisconsin, the son of Charles Walter Kaufman and Martha Washington Marsh. He was the eldest of 8 children. His siblings were Mary Emily Sophia (1857), Caroline Amelia (1860), Samuel Sanford (1862), Violette Melissa (1865), Josephine Adela (1869), Eddie (1872) and Mattie Ann (1874). All reached adulthood except for Eddie, who died before he was a year old. Charles grew up in Merton where he attended school and helped his father with the farm labor. His father died in 1875 of injuries, when Charles was just 19 and his youngest sibling Mattie was not yet a year old!

Charles William Walter Kaufman, Wedding Day (1878); Kaufman Album, Page 5, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

The back of the photo has writing that is a bit difficult to interpret! A reference is made to 'Terelman'. Then there appears to be a description of the photo. Eyes-Blue. Hair-Dark Brown. Suit-Brown. Nectie- Blue. Frame-Granite.
   
      On April 22, 1878, Charles Kaufman married Frances Jane Coon in Palmyra, Wisconsin. Palmyra was about 30 miles to the southwest of Merton and I do not know how they met! Per Gramie, Charles' mother, Martha Marsh Kaufman, opposed his marriage to Jenny. This may have been because Jenny was several years older than Charles, or Jenny was raising a boy Frank Coon, or Martha may have just felt that she was superior... The young couple was farming in Merton in 1880, immediately adjacent to his widowed mother. That fall, their eldest child Hattie was born.

      Per obituaries of his daughters, the young family briefly resided in Nebraska in late 1880, but had moved to the Dakota Territory by March 1882, settling on a homestead by 1885. (South Dakota became a state in 1889.) Here, Charles applied for a homestead of 160 acres and a timber claim of 160 acres in Walnut Grove Township, Douglas County. In order to obtain the land, he paid a filing fee, resided on and farmed the land for 5 years, and then filed for the deeds. In addition, the timber claim required that he plant 10 acres of timber. Gramie said that cottonwood was the most popular tree... Several relatives applied for homesteads on nearby land! His mother-in-law, Harriet Coon Willson, had 110 acres. His brother-in-law, Hiram Coon, had 280 acres. And Ernst Erdmann, future father-in-law of his daughter Hattie, owned 320 acres. In 1890, he was granted the deed for the homestead claim, and in 1894, for the tree claim.

      Farming in South Dakota was very challenging due to fires and blizzards. The blizzard of 1888 was especially harsh. Gramie mentioned that school was held in a sod building 2-4 months each year. Later, a wooden building was used for school, church and general meetings. The initial family home was also a sod house.

      Three additional children were born in Walnut Township, near Corsica: Winifred (1888), Walter Charles (1891) and Lillian Blanche (1895).  In 1898, Hattie married John Erdman, the son of a neighbor, so Gramie did not live with Hattie very long!

Charles William Walter Kaufman.
Photo from Lillian Kaufman Carroll, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.

   

      In 1902, the Kaufman family moved to Armour, South Dakota, to give the younger children better schooling opportunities. While in Armour, Charles worked as a sheriff. He was also a charter member of the Masons. On May 21, 1907, age 51, Charles William Walter Kaufman died in Armour, South Dakota, of spinal meningitis, and was buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. Gramie was only 12 years old when he died.  Per Mom, his doctor was Ed Ward, who was a cousin of Buffalo Bill. 

Written by Dorothy Crooks, his great-granddaughter.

Charles Walter Kaufman: German Immigrant

1829-1875

      Karl Walter Kaufman was born October 22, 1829, in Prussia, possibly in Berlin. At this time, his parents and siblings have not been identified. He was likely part Jewish. In about May 1849, he came to the U. S., evidently to avoid military service. Initially, he came to New York. When he arrived, he changed his name from Karl to Charles. Gramie's notes say Charles took out naturalization papers on March 26, 1853, but I have not been able to find the documents to back this up. To become a citizen, one had to reside in the U. S. for 5 years and give 3 years notice of intention to apply for citizenship. We do know that he was a citizen by at least 1870.

      When he arrived in Wisconsin, he initially lived in Delafield. By early 1852, he bought 40 acres of land in Merton, about 10 miles away. Two years later, he bought 40 additional acres of land immediately adjacent to Daniel Marsh, his future father-in-law.  According to great-aunt Winifred, Charles built a flour mill in Merton and left a beautiful 2-story home there.

      On February 23, 1855, Charles Walter Kaufman married Martha Washington Marsh. They had 8 children together, all born in Merton, Wisconsin. Their children are: Charles William Walter (1855), Mary Emily Sophia (1857), Caroline Amelia (1860), Samuel Sanford (1862), Violette Melissa (1865), Josephine Adela (1869), Eddie (1872) and Mattie Ann (1874). Eddie died before he was a year old and was their only child not to reach adulthood.

      In 1860, Charles was farming in Merton. His real estate was worth $500 and his personal estate worth $200, so he did not own much land! In 1862, he sold the 60 acres for $1200, making a tidy profit.  By 1870, his real estate was worth $3800 and personal estate was worth $740.  In 1873, he bought 117 acres of land, just south of Lake Keesus, north of Merton. 

      Charles died on June 11, 1875, in Merton, Wisconsin, age 45, of injuries. But he lived long enough to make his will about two weeks before his death. He left his entire estate to his wife for her support and the support of his 7 children, aged 5 months to 19 years. When his wife died, all of his real and personal property was to be divided evenly among his 7 children. Charles named Martha as his executrix, but she declined, so another party was named administrator and inventoried the estate. The inventory mentioned his 117 acres, livestock (yoke of oxen, many sheep, 1 cow and steer, 1 pair of horses and harness), farming implements (one double wagon, 1 bob sleigh, 1 reaper, 1 seeder) and products sold (wool, wheat, oats, hay).

      Charles Kaufman is buried in the Lisbon-Merton Union cemetery, near Hartland, Wisconsin, next to his son Eddie, who had died about 2 years before. Hazel Meissner, Mom's second cousin, was the sexton for that cemetery when Mom and Dad and I went to visit. 

   

      Of Mom's 14 closest direct ancestors, Charles Walter Kaufman is the only one for whom we do not have a photograph. This may be attributed to his relatively early death, but it also seems that he may have wanted to fly below the radar! Charles left Germany shortly after the 1848 outbreak of revolution. Prussia was then ruled by King Frederick William IV who was anti-liberal and 190 Berliners died in the street fighting that ensued. 

Written by Dorothy Crooks, his great-great-granddaughter.

Martha Washington Marsh: Rich and Spoiled

1834-1922

Martha Washington Marsh Kaufman; Kaufman Album, Page 7, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks.
Back: Waukesha, Wisconsin; Tyler & Bugbee (photographers).

      Martha Washington Marsh was born February 22, 1834, in New York City, daughter of Daniel Cressy Marsh and Sophia Emily Pitcher. Per Gramie, Daniel and Sophia also had a son who died in infancy at the NYC family home.

      When Sophia died in 1839, Daniel married Rachel Purcell, and they had 6 children together: Charlotte Emily (1840), Maria Louise (1842), Sanford Samuel (1844), Henrietta Adelaide (1846), Anna Sophia (1850) and Henry. The first 3 children were born in New York, the last 3 children in Wisconsin. Those born in New York were probably born in Erie County, on the east shore of Lake Erie, to which Daniel returned in 1845 to fetch his family, after obtaining land and building a home near North Lake, Wisconsin. Martha's stepmother Rachel died in 1853 and Rachel's youngest child Henry died shortly thereafter. So Martha was just 5 when she lost her mother and then just 19 when she lost her stepmother! In June 1855, Daniel married his third wife, Isabelle Snyder, and had 5 more children: James Barney, Adeline, Frank D., Norman Eugene and Edith Estella. In addition, Isabelle brought 4 children from a previous marriage! So Daniel Marsh had 13 children and at least 4 stepchildren! One of the stepdaughters married a John B. Muir, the source of the 'story' that we were related to John Muir, the naturalist! I compared this John Muir with the naturalist and they do NOT match!

      Our earliest known Marsh ancestors are John Marsh and his wife, Grace Baldwin, 10-great grandparents. Their son, John, was born in England, but came to Massachusetts in 1633. He later moved  to Hartford CT,  where he was one of the original proprietors, and married the daughter of the Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony. In 1660, he moved to Hadley MA, where the Marsh family lived until Augustus Marsh came to St. Albans VT in about 1802. Augustus' wife, Hannah Cressey, had a brother Benjamin who lived in New York City. Thus, several of Hannah's sons moved to NYC to work as carters, who transported goods by wagon. Gramie was very proud of her Marsh ancestry and admired their 'fine manners'.

      On February 23, 1855, Martha Washington Marsh married Charles Walter Kaufman and they had 8 children together. Their children are: Charles William Walter (1855), Mary Emily Sophia (1857), Caroline Amelia (1860), Samuel Sanford (1862), Violette Melissa (1865), Josephine Adela (1869), Eddie (1872) and Mattie Ann (1874). Eddie died before he was a year old and was their only child not to reach adulthood.

      When Charles died in 1875. Martha lived 47 more years after her husband's death! Martha owned many acres of land, and was no doubt assisted by her sons and brothers. In 1880, she lived in Merton with her 5 youngest children, 4 daughters and 1 son. Her son Charles lived adjacent to her.  In 1900, Martha lived with her widowed half-brother, Frank, in Merton. In 1901, she sold her property, which had probably become too much work! Martha then moved to Milwaukee, where she lived with her eldest daughter, Mary Smith, also widowed, and her grandson Charles Smith.

      Martha Washington Marsh died on May 10, 1922, age 88, of 'cerebral softening/degeneration' and 'general arteriosclerosis of senility'. She died at her home and was buried at St. Peter's Episcopal Church Cemetery in North Lake WI, near family. 

      According to Gramie, Martha was very beautiful, rich and spoiled. She did not want her son, Charles William Walter Kaufman, to marry Jenny Coon (our great-grandparents). According to Mom, Gramie inherited $100 from her grandmother (Martha Washington Marsh Kaufman) and used the money to buy a fur cape.

Written by Dorothy Crooks, her great-great-granddaughter.

Charles Gilbert Stackhouse: Canadian Miller

 1814-1882

     

Charles Gilbert Stackhouse; Carroll Family Album, Page 5, in possession of Dorothy Crooks.

      Charles Gilbert Stackhouse was born June 7, 1814, in Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, the son of Stephen Stackhouse and Elizabeth Gilbert. (At the time of his birth, Montreal was not yet incorporated, but was part of the British colony of Lower Canada.) It is also possible, however, that he was born in Troy, New York, which is where his father lived in 1810. He was the 5th of six children, his siblings being: Alvira (1804), John Albertus (1806), Anna Mariah (1808), Elizabeth (1811) and Henry (1820). On April 21, 1816, Stephen and Elizabeth baptized their 5 oldest children at the Presbyterian St. Andrew's church in Montreal.

      Charles' father, Stephen Stackhouse, was a chairmaker, as was his grandfather Stacy and his 2  brothers. They were primarily makers of Windsor chairs and Stacy made chairs for the first courthouse in Hartford, Connecticut. The Stackhouse family may have been early Quakers, but this is speculation based on information from Mom. At this time, Stacy Stackhouse, born about 1750 in New York, is the earliest known Stackhouse ancestor. 

      Charles Stackhouse married Samantha Munson on March 7, 1842, in Vaudreuil, Province of Quebec, near Sainte-Justine-de-Newton. They had 6 children together: Charles Franklin (1842), George Henry (1845), Elizabeth (1848), Mary Jane (1849), Emily Ann (1851) and Emily Louise (1855).  Only 3 of the children (Charles, Mary Jane and Emily Louise) reached adulthood. George died before his second birthday, Elizabeth died before she was a week old and Emily Ann died at about 4 months of consumption. In addition, Charles raised 2 stepchildren, Samantha's children from her marriage to Eden Johnson... The Stackhouse family lived in a 1-story log house and were Presbyterians. Charles had constructed a custom carding and cloth dressing mill. He also constructed a grist mill and worked as a miller, grinding grain into flour.

      By 1881, Charles and Samantha were living in Charlottenburgh, Ontario, about 30 miles southwest of Newton. Charles was working as a cloth manufacturer. They probably moved there to be closer to their daughter, Mary Jane.

      Charles Gilbert Stackhouse died on August 3, 1882, age 68, probably in Charlottenburgh, or at least the Glengarry District in Ontario. He is buried in Dalhousie Mills Old Square Church cemetery.     

Written by Dorothy Crooks, his great-great-granddaughter.

Windsor chairs, possibly by Stacy Stackhouse.

Samantha Munson: New England Roots

1814-1897

Samantha Munson Stackhouse; Carroll Family Album, page 4, in possession of Dorothy Crooks.

      Samantha Munson was born July 22, 1814, in Duxbury, Vermont, the daughter of Loammi Ruhami Munson and Sophia Preston! She was the sixth of 7 children, her siblings being: Ira (1800), Orson H. (1803), Miranda Pamela (1806), Owen (1808), Alonzo (1812) and William Chandler (1816). (Alonzo died young.) Her father Loammi was born in Goshen, Connecticut, but came to Vermont as a boy. He later moved to Lachute, Canada, but returned to Duxbury, Vermont. Loammi fought in the War of 1812 and worked as a farmer. He also made and sold salve. The Munson family has deep roots in New England. Samantha's grandfather, Caleb Munson, fought in the Revolutionary War. Our earliest known Munson in this country is Captain Thomas Munson, our 8 great-grandfather. He was born in 1612 in Rattlesden, England, in County Suffolk. He came to Hartford, fought in the 1637 Pequot War against the Indians and was one of the founding fathers of New Haven, Connecticut. Thomas Munson was the grandson of Richard Munson of Rattlesden, who was a churchwarden's assistant and died in 1590.

      Samantha married Eden Johnson on January 5, 1834, either in Vermont or Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. They had 3 children together: Emily Munson (1835-1841), William E. (1836) and Louisa S. (1838-1852). Only William survived to marry. Eden Johnson died June 2, 1839, (or possibly 1837), and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Vankleek Hill, Ontario.  Samantha was left with 3 young children. It is curious that Samantha married a Canadian and lived her life in Canada because all her 5 surviving siblings lived in the States, primarily in Vermont and Pennsylvania. But there was a lot of movement in those days between Vermont and Canada! Samantha's father had gone to Canada for a short stint and her grandfather had died in Lachute, Canada. Likewise, both of Eden's parents had been born in Vermont, so they could have met in Vermont! 

      On March 7, 1842, Samantha married Charles Gilbert Stackhouse in Vaudreuil, Province of Quebec, near Sainte-Justine-de-Newton.  They had 6 children together: Charles Franklin (1842), George Henry (1845), Elizabeth (1848), Mary Jane (1849), Emily Ann (1851) and Emily Louise (1855).  Only 3 of the children (Charles, Mary Jane and Emily Louise) reached adulthood. They raised their family around Sainte-Justine-de-Newton and Peveril, later moving to Charlottenburg, Ontario, to be closer to their daughter Mary Jane Hemenway. There must have been some reunions in Vermont, because the Carroll Family Album includes pictures of Miranda, Samantha's only sister. 

      Charles died August 3, 1882. By at least 1891, Samantha was living with her son, Charles Franklin Stackhouse, in Sainte-Justine-de-Newton. Her son worked in manufacturing and was living with his wife and 4 of his daughters. 

      Samantha Munson Stackhouse died on March 4, 1897, age 82, and is buried in Dalhousie Mills Old Square Church cemetery, sharing a tombstone with her husband Charles.

Written by Dorothy Crooks, her great-great-granddaughter.

Emily Louise Stackhouse: Influential Mother

1855-1922

Emily Stackhouse Carroll; Carroll Family Album, page 40, in possession of Dorothy Crooks.
Photographer was L. O. Cantin, 175 McGill Street, Montreal. 

      Emily Louise Stackhouse was born November 24, 1855, in Sainte-Justine-de-Newton or Peveril, Quebec Province, Canada, the daughter of Charles Gilbert Stackhouse and Samantha Munson. (Canada did not become a country until 1867.) She was the youngest of six children, her siblings being: Charles Franklin (1842), George Henry (1845), Elizabeth (1848), Mary J. E. (1849) and Emily Ann (1851). In addition, her mother had 3 children with Eden Johnson, who died about 1839, in his early 20's. Those children were Emily Munson (1835), William E. (1836) and Louisa S. (1838). By the time Emily was born, 5 of her 8 siblings were deceased! Only William E. Johnson, Charles Stackhouse and Mary Stackhouse were still living.

      Emily grew up in Newton/Peveril, in Quebec Province, but within a few miles of the English-speaking Ontario Province.  On July 6, 1876, she married George Eden Carroll, in Peveril. The connection between the 2 families is interesting! Emily's mother, Samantha Munson, was married to Eden Johnson, George's uncle, before she married Charles Stackhouse! So Emily's mother Samantha and George's mother Susan were sisters-in-law. (Still, there was no biological relationship between George and Emily!)

       After her marriage, Emily lived in Waitsfield VT, Danbury IA, Sioux City IA and Chicago IL. Her first child was born in Waitsfield. In the late 1870's, the family moved to the village of Danbury, where George kept store. In about 1892, they moved to Sioux City, where George worked as a traveling salesman.  In about 1908, George and Emily moved to Chicago. 

      Even though censuses just list her as a housewife, I am certain that she was instrumental in the education of her 3 children. Both photos that I have of her show a reflective intelligent woman! Her children were Charles Eden (1877), Maude Emily (1881), Effie G. (1882, died young) and Ira Munson (1890).  Her daughter Maude never married, but worked as a stenographer for law firms and for Standard Oil. (Mom remembers Maude eating an apple in the midst of an opera, saying that "these people will never see me again.") Charles Eden was a Methodist minister with pastorates in Lincoln NE, Denver CO, Boston MA, Wilkes-Barre PA, Hastings FL, Miami FL and St. Petersburg FL. In addition, he was a professor of social sciences on the faculty of Boston University for almost 10 years and a professor of sociology at Stetson University. (Mom remembers checking the book 'Who's Who' in America whenever she wanted to find out what Uncle Charlie was up to!) Ira Munson, my grandfather, was a passionate man, who held a variety of jobs, including machinist, farmer, fireman, policeman, truck driver and business manager. (See blogpost,  006: Ira Munson Carroll: Passionate Rolling Stone.)

      There must have been some conflict between Ira and Charlie because the 2 families did not stay in touch. Although, I do have a silver cup given to me at birth by Charlie's son Donald! (They thought I had been named after Donald's sister Dorothy Carroll, and perhaps, in part, I was. Dorothy was one of the first women ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church and Mom admired her very much.) According to Mom, Donald was a judge-advocate with the Nuremberg trials.

      Emily was possibly a Christian Scientist. In 1898, Emily sent a letter to the Clarinda State Hospital superintendent, stating that the Christian Science people were going to effect a cure of her brother-in-law Herbert Carroll, who had been hospitalized for 18 years.

Emily Stackhouse Carroll, in Chicago; photo in possession of Dorothy Crooks.

     When her husband died on December 8, 1917, in Chicago, Emily continued to live with her daughter Maude, still single, who rented a house or apartment at 5417 Cottage Grove Avenue, and worked as a stenographer. On April 29, 1922, age 66, Emily died at her home on 119 E. 44th Street, where she was living with daughter Maude. Causes of death were chronic interstitial nephritis and arteriosclerosis. Emily is also buried in Oak Woods Cemetery, although not near George!  

Written by Dorothy Crooks, her great-granddaughter.