Susan Johnson: Melancholy Orphan

1820-1904
great-great-grandmother

3 sisters: Rhoda Johnson Green, Susan Johnson Carroll and Parthena Johnson Dike. Photo courtesy of Carol Hoefler of Alaska, wife of 4th cousin. 

       Susan Johnson was born October 12, 1820, in Hawkesbury, Canada, the daughter of William L. Johnson and Parthena Burch. (At the time of her birth, Hawkesbury was in Upper Canada, later Canada West and later southern Province of Ontario!) Susan was the fourth of 7 children, with siblings: Elizabeth (1810), Eden (1813), Nathaniel Reeder (about 1815), Rhoda S. (1825), William S. (about 1827) and Parthena (1830). Both parents were born in Vermont, but likely married in Canada. A magazine entitled “Earnest Christianity”, published in 1875, gave a description of her father William and compared him to his younger brother Abbott. “Abbott was larger than the average man, but William was almost gigantic. Abbott was constitutionally calm and moderate; William was vehement, ardent and demonstrative. William’s gifts and zeal were such as to qualify him for the class-leader’s, exhorter’s and local preacher’s offices early in his religious life… The elder brother grew the faster, but the younger, perhaps in the end, was the more matured Christian and preacher.” (Let’s all admit it… we know this man.) Our earliest known Johnson ancestor is Eden Johnson, Susan’s grandfather. 

      Susan’s father William died in January 1832 of consumption and her mother Parthena died in February 1835. So at the age of 14, Susan was an orphan. At the time, her 2 eldest siblings, Elizabeth and Eden, were married, so the younger children may have lived with them or with an aunt or uncle. Eden died in 1839 and Elizabeth died in 1840. Nathaniel married and remained in Canada. The four youngest children, Susan being the eldest, all moved to Washington and Chittenden counties in Vermont between 1837 and 1850, probably living with a Burch or Johnson aunt and uncle. Parthena, the youngest, came in 1847 and went to live with her married sister Susan.

      Susan Johnson married George B. Carroll in February 1846 in Williston, Vermont. In the Personal Notes section of a July 1879 Montpelier paper, comments are made about her fuchsia that stands 8 feet high, with 4-foot branches and numerous blossoms.

      After her husband George died in April, 1886, Susan continued to live with her brother-in-law, Pliny Carroll, and his family. In the spring of 1896, Susan and her sisters, Rhoda and Parthena, held a reunion in Waitsfield (or Warren), reflected in the photo above! The photo inspired additional research and I discovered that sister Rhoda had married Jacob Green, an undertaker, whose father had died in an insane asylum. When Jacob drowned himself in Lake Champlain, Rhoda won a $10,000 settlement from the insurance company, which increased her options! She worked as a nurse in Oakland, California, for almost 20 years, taking care of the 5 orphaned children of her son Warren, the only 1 of her 4 children to reach age 27. Sister Parthena married Alonzo Dike and lived most of her life in Stockholm, New York, not far from the St. Lawrence River. Local newspapers reported frequent visits to Susan from her sister, Rhoda, of Burlington, VT, and the daughter of her sister Parthena. When Parthena’s husband died in 1907, Rhoda appears to have moved in with her. Rhoda had no surviving children and Parthena’s one surviving son had moved west.

      Susan died on January 14, 1904, age 83, in Warren, Vermont, of capillary bronchitis and heart failure, and was buried in Irasville Cemetery, next to her husband. A short mention of her in a Montpelier paper said “she was much respected by a large circle of friends.”

      Susan Carroll seemed melancholy in both pictures that I had of her, so I explored what happened to her mysterious son Bert. Evidently, he went to the Black Hills in the Dakota Territory, in about 1879, to look for gold. In September 1880, Bert’s brother George brought him back to Iowa. Herbert was “almost without clothing when found at Rapid City, and considered by the people there insane.”  In Danbury, Iowa, Herbert thought he was a millionaire and thought he was in charge of his brother’s store. Herbert lived in 2 different mental hospitals, for a total of 53 years. When he was admitted to the second hospital, Clarinda Hospital, in 1888, the diagnosis was ‘melancholia – chronic delusional’. He appeared to have very good physical health, spent most of his time working as a gardener or at the dairy and appeared to be higher-functioning with more privileges than most residents. In June 2015, I visited Clarinda to put a rose on his grave and let him know he was understood and not forgotten.

Lillian Blanche Kaufman: Sweet Gramie

1895-1983
grandmother

Lillian Kaufman, age 17, Lawler IA. Photo by brother Walter.

Lillian Carroll, age 19 or 20

      Lillian Blanche Kaufman was born March 16, 1895, in Armour, South Dakota, the daughter of Charles William Walter Kaufman and Frances Jane “Jenny” Coon. She was the youngest of 4 children with siblings Hattie A. (1880), Winifred M. (1888) and Walter Charles (1891). In addition, she was raised with “the mysterious Francis Coon”. Mom thought that Francis might be Jenny’s son, born out of wedlock. An obituary, however, revealed that Francis was the son of Hiram Coon, Jenny’s brother. Hiram’s wife died within a week after delivering Francis and Hiram must have felt unable to raise a baby on his own!  

      Lillian grew up on the farm in Walnut Grove Township, Douglas County, South Dakota, which her parents had homesteaded. In about 1902, the family moved into Armour so the 3 younger children could attend high school. In 1907, when Gramie was just 12, her father died of spinal meningitis. In 1910, she was living with her mother, the other children having left home. After Gramie graduated from high school, she and her mother moved to Sioux City and lived with Gramie’s sister Winifred and her family. Her brother Walter lived immediately next door.  

      On April 8, 1914, Lillian Blanche Kaufman married Ira Munson Carroll in Sioux City, Iowa. They were married by a Methodist Episcopalian minister, but did not tell anyone of their marriage for 3 weeks, when they moved in together! From this point forward, Lillian’s mother Jenny lived with Ira and Lillian until Jenny’s death in 1929!

      During their years on a farm, Ira and Lillian lived near Toronto, Brookings and Garden City, South Dakota. In 1925, Gramie wrote a letter talking about threshing the grain, drying corn and making Pickle Lilly, a type of relish. She mentioned having to shoot Tillie, their grievously injured horse. She wrote “school started yesterday, Lois is the happiest kid you ever saw.” In 1929, she wrote another letter to her niece Josephine, signing it “The Farmerette”. “Can you beat it we have an all-white calf it’s only a week old but it’s a beauty. Do you still want a cow coat?” “I drove new car for first time Sat. the gear stuff gets my goat.” “Say Kiddo you better forget your week of whoopee and come out and rescue me.”

      No doubt, Ira’s volatility posed some dilemmas for Gramie. In the late 1920’s, Ira helped put Gramie’s brother Walter in jail for ‘family indiscretions’. So in 1930, Walter’s 2 children, Clair (aged 19) and Mary (aged 17) were living with Ira and his family, since Walter’s wife was deceased. Meanwhile, Walter lived in the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, working as a barber!    

      Shortly after her husband Ira died in November, 1956, Gramie came to live with us in Great Falls, Montana, where Jane was born on May 4, 1957. Jane was named after Gramie’s mother “Jenny” who had died on May 4, 28 years earlier, and Gramie always felt a special closeness to Jane. Gramie moved with us to Redwood City a few months later, but decided to move to Colorado Springs in 1961 to be near her son Bob and his family. Gramie kept the letters that George and Jane and I had written when she left. George reported on the status of Dad’s stock, helping Dad paint our bedroom and being able to press 130#. I reported on swimming lessons, watching the kittens and having mandatory ‘quiet times’. Mom wrote for Jane, “I am missing you so much. I feel like to cry, because you are gone. Is it all right if Aunt Dorothy uses your room? I been worrying about you.”

      In December 1961, Gramie graduated from the ‘Gray Lady’ program sponsored by the American Red Cross and did volunteer work in a local hospital. A few years later, she moved to her own apartment on San Miguel. In about 1969, she moved to Overland Park, Kansas, to live with son Bob and his wife Mary. In about 1970, she went to the Los Angeles area to spend 4-5 months with her sister Winifred. In 1971, she moved to Oklahoma City, where she lived the remainder of her years.   

      Gramie died on March 30, 1983, age 88, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she was living with Mom and Dad. Cause of death was listed as congestive heart failure. Mom and Dad and I erected a tombstone in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, where both of her parents were buried, and spread her ashes over the graves of her parents.   

      In February of 1983, Gramie had written a note to her 3 adult children. “I have had a good life, have loved and enjoyed my children grandchildren also great grands. I am ready to leave this life at any time… So many happy memories for us all, do not want them forgotten and only a vegetable to remember. My Love, Mother.” Cousin Kathy Kunkel came to visit Gramie in late March and said that the doctor came the day before she passed and said she would probably be able to live another good couple of years. The next day, Kathy read Gramie letters that had just arrived from her sister Winifred and niece Frances Mary and Gramie passed peacefully a few moments later.

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Silas Haines: Revolutionary War patriot, killed at Battle of Fairfield

Introduction

      I would like to start a tradition of writing a blogpost each July 4th for an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War. 

      This year, I am somewhat randomly selecting Silas Haines. Silas is one of my 5th great-grandfathers on my father's paternal side.

Early Life

      The Barbour Collection vital records for Weston, Connecticut, state that Silas was born November 22, 1745. His birth is recorded here because this is where his children were born. His parents, John Haines and Mary Curtis, were married September 6, 1739. Their marriage record is from the Congregational Church, formerly called "Unity, of North Stratford". (This area later became the town of Trumbull.) At the time, both were living in Stratford. So most evidence points to Silas Haines being born in Stratford, Connecticut.

      Silas married Amy Whitney on November 3, 1768. (Her name is also spelled Amey, Ama, and even Anna in different places.)  The  marriage took place at the church at Greenfield Hill, in Fairfield, Connecticut. At the time of the marriage, Silas was living in North Stratford and  Amy was living in Greenfield.

      On October 29, 1769, Amy and Silas were admitted to communion. This appears to be the same church in which the parents of Silas Haines were married. I have had a difficult time pinning down the expression, "admitted to communion", but it was certainly related to a level of membership in the church that enabled them to baptize their children in the church.

Their children, born in Weston, were:
          Molly, born Dec. 15, 1769.   

          Amy, born Nov. 12, 1771.

          Sarah, born Mar. 7, 1774, died Aug. 15, 1794.  (my 4th-great-grandmother)

          Ruth, born Feb. 25, 1776.

          Silas, born Dec. 8, 1779.
Even though the children were born in Weston, they were baptized in nearby Eaton. Given their marriage date, and the death date of Silas, and the normal birth rate of every 2-3 years, this is probably a complete list of their children! The delay between the birth of Ruth and Silas may have been due to Silas' involvement in the Revolutionary War.

Maps

   

https://www.chuckstraub.com/Letterboxing/ctmap.htm

This is a modern-day map of Fairfield County, that shows the towns of Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Easton and Ridgefield.

https://ctmirror.org/2020/05/21/ccm-chastises-lamont-for-not-sharing-federal-relief-funds-with-cities-and-towns/

This is a modern-day map that shows all the counties of Connecticut.

The History of Fairfield... from the Settlement of the Town in 1639; Elizabeth Hubbell Godfrey Schenck. Frontispiece.

This is a map of early Fairfield that shows Fairfield, Greenfield Hill, Stratford, etc.

Revolutionary War Service 

      There are references to 2 terms of service during the Revolutionary War for Silas Haines/Haynes.

      One is for The Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777.
      The second is for the battle at Fairfield on July 8, 1779.

      Silas Haines is listed in the DAR Ancestor Database for Patriots. Only 1 DAR application has been submitted for his service. I believe this application was submitted by one of the daughters of Helen (Crooks) McFarland. He is listed under Silas Haynes.

https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/default.cfm

Battle of Ridgefield

      The main battle in The Battle of Ridgefield was fought in the village of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. The British had landed between Fairfield and Norwalk two days earlier, marched to Danbury, and destroyed some Continental Army supplies. The main battle occurred as the British sought to return to the coast. According to some sources, 20 colonials were killed in the conflict and 40-80 were wounded.

     The Genealogy of the Redfield Family states that Sarah Haines Redfield's father was killed by a cannon ball in the action on Ridgefield Hill in 1777.    

      There is a plaque to commemorate the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. It was dedicated in 2002 by The Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America. It names the 13 colonial men who died in the conflict. One named person is Silas Haines!

   
      From the maps above, one can see that Ridgefield is diagonal to Weston, Connecticut, where Silas Haines lived. The problem, of course, is that Silas could not be killed in both 1777 and 1779! And there is much stronger evidence for his death during the Battle of Fairfield. One possibility is that this is NOT my Silas Haines. A second possibility is that Silas was injured, but not killed, in this battle.

      

Battle of Fairfield

      The Battle of Fairfield refers to the July 7-8, 1779, engagement, where British forces attacked Fairfield, defeated its militia forces and burned down most of Fairfield. It is estimated that 10 colonials were killed and 2 wounded. The British wanted to punish Fairfield, which was a Patriot stronghold.

      The Barbour Collection vital records for Weston, Connecticut, state that Silas Haines died July 8, 1779, and was "killed in battle at Fairfield". Based on the other entries for Silas in Weston, I know this is my Silas! This is also stated by Donald Jacobus, who wrote a history of Fairfield, but the vital records were probably his source.

      Silas Haynes is listed in the Daughters of the American Revolution lineage records as A109693. The person applying for membership under his name is one of my Dad's cousins. One of the main sources for his service is the Connecticut Historical Society Collection, which lists the men in Fairfield that belonged to the Continental Regiments, 1775, based on returns of service. These returns were made and signed by the selectman of each town. In this list, his name is given as 'Silas Hanes'. In addition, Silas was mentioned in at least 3 pension files of fellow soldiers.

      The pension file of Nathan Lyon provides additional information related to the battle and Silas. Nathan was formally a resident of Redding, but was residing and working in Weston, which is where Silas lived. Nathan joined Captain Benajah Bennet's Company and volunteered to go to Fairfield when it was burned in 1779. The company followed the British to McKenzies Point. Nathan stated that Peter Sunderland and Silas Hayins were killed. Nathan returned to Fairfield and was dismissed... Ruth Haines, daughter of Silas, married a Nehemiah Lyon, who was probably related to Nathan Lyon.

      McKenzies Point, referenced in the above pension file, is also known as Kenzie's Point and Kensie Point. This is where the British disembarked prior to the Battle of Fairfield. The map below  shows the relationship of McKenzies Point to Fairfield, and also shows the proximity of Long Island to Connecticut! The British had a base on Long Island and attacked Fairfield from that base.

https://mapcarta.com/22020120

      The pension file of Thomas Stratton also mentions Silas, but it is harder to put this information into context. Thomas enlisted in Stratford under David Lake. After this, "Silas Haines of Fairfield was drafted out of the militia for 3 months under Capt. Jabez Wheeler and Stratton went as his substitute to Fishkill". He then says Silas Haines was subsequently killed.

      The pension file of Diamond Wheeler states, that in April 1779, Diamond enlisted under Captain Joseph Sherwood and served 6 months. During this term of service, Fairfield and Norwalk, in Connecticut, were burned. His company responded to an alarm that the British were landing, and discovered that the town was burned. The engagement the next morning caused the British to retreat to their vessels. Lt. Seeley, Ensign Hoit and private Silas Haines were killed near the deponent... Amy Haines, daughter of Silas, married a Freeman Seeley, likely related to the Lt. Seeley that was killed.

After the death of Silas

      Silas Haines died at the age of 33, leaving a wife and four children behind. About five months after his death, his fifth child, Silas Haines, Jr., was born. Baby Silas was born December 8, 1779, most likely in Weston. Clearly, this is evidence for Silas dying in the Battle of Fairfield, and not in the Battle of Ridgefield!        

      In 1779, the estate of Silas Haines, late of Fairfield, was opened in the Fairfield Probate District. On September 6, 1779, Amy Haines was appointed administratrix. A bond was issued to Amy Haines and Aaron Whitney, most likely Amy's brother. Land was set aside for daughters Sarah and Molly and Ami. Other land was set off to Ami, his widow, his son Silas and his daughter Ruth. 

      In 1794, Silas Haines, Jr., at least 14 years old, selected Nathaniel Freeman Seelye as his guardian. In colonial America, one had to be at least 14 years of age to choose one's own guardian. Otherwise, a guardian was appointed for the child. His mother Amy was still living and Silas probably lived with her! The guardian was primarily responsible for looking after the child's inheritance... Silas's sister Amy married this Nathaniel in 1790, so Silas's guardian was actually his brother-in-law!

Sources

Ancestry.com.  Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) [on-line database]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. ORIGINAL DATA: White, Lorraine Cook, editor; The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records; 55 volumes; Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co.; 1994-2002.
- Weston Vital Records 1787-1850; p. 30; birth, marriage and death of Silas Haines.

Ancestry.com. "Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920". Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. ORIGINAL DATA: Connecticut, Church Record Index. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.
- Volume 115 (Trumbull), pgs. 79-80.

Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
- Probate Packets, Fairfield Connecticut, Case 2812, Silas Haines.

Ancestry.com. Early Connecticut Marriages [on-line database]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  ORIGINAL DATA: Bailey, Frederic W. Early Connecticut Marriages as Found on Ancient Church Records Prior to 1800. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.
- Book 7, p. 93, John Haines and Mary Curtiss.
- Book 7, p. 33, Silas Haynes and Anna [sic] Whitney.

Ancestry.com. The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 1847-2011. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. ORIGINAL DATA: New England Historic Genealogical Society. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston: The New England Historic Genealogical Society.
- Volume 070, page 36.

DAR Ancestor Database. https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/default.cfm; Silas Haynes (A109693).

Jacobus (compiler and editor), Donald Lines. History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield. 3 volumes. New Haven, Connecticut: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, 1930, 1932.
- Volume 2, p. 442. Family of Silas Haynes.
- Volume 3, p. 190. Pension file for Nathan Lyon.
- Volume 3, pgs. 316-317. Pension file for Thomas Stratton.
- Volume 3, pgs. 346-7. Pension file for Diamond Wheeler.
- Volume 3, pgs. 382-3. Service records for men in Fairfield.

Redfield, John Howard; Genealogical history of the Redfield family in the United States: being a revision and extension of the genealogical tables compiled in 1839 by William C. Redfield; Albany, New York: Munsell & Rowland, 1860; p. 94.
-https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00inredf

Schenck, Elizabeth Hubbell (Godfrey); The history of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the settlement of the town in 1639 to 1818; New York, The author, 1889-1905. (map)

Leander Coon: Wisconsin Settler

1814-1876
great-great-grandfather

Leander with his wife Harriet; from Kaufman Family Album.

 

      Leander Coon was born about 1814. Based on census data, he was born in New York state. However, according to Gramie, her mother Jennie Coon (Leander's daughter) said that Leander was born in Holland of English parents. Mom said that Leander's parents left England because of religious persecution and eventually came to America from Amsterdam! I currently suspect that he was born in New York, but it is not clear. At this time, I do not know who his parents or siblings are, although there are several candidates for brothers and cousins.

      Leander Coon married Harriet Potter in about 1842. Their eldest child, Hiram Mark, was born September 1843, in New York. We do not actually know where they married! They could have married in Hampton, New York, near the Vermont border, where Harriet grew up. On the other hand, they could have married in Genesee County, in western New York, where Leander appears to have lived. In 1843, Leander came to Palmyra, Wisconsin, from Genesee County.

      In 1849, Leander obtained the deed for 40 acres of land slightly southeast of the town of Palmyra from the federal government and worked as a farmer. In the 1850 census, he was living with his wife Harriet, son Hiram Mark, mother-in-law Orrilla Potter, brother-in-law Henry Potter and sister-in-law Frances Potter. His youngest child, Frances Jane, was born in 1852 in Palmyra and by 1860, all of the in-laws had departed! Leander's real estate was valued at $800, but his occupation in 1860 was speculator! In 1870, his occupation was keeping livery, so presumably he kept horses and let them out for hire. Jenny was still living at home, but son Hiram lived nearby working as a teamster.

      On December 20, 1876, age 62, Leander died in Palmyra. His daughter Jenny (Mom's grandmother) was still living at home, possibly to help take care of her father. There was a very brief obituary that identified Leander as one of the earliest settlers of Palmyra. His tombstone has not been found, but he most likely was buried in Hillside Cemetery in Palmyra.

      Leander Coon has remained a tantalizing mystery! It appears that he came from Genesee County, New York. The land in this area was purchased by the Holland Land Company in 1796. So I wonder if this was the basis for the story of Leander being born in Holland!... Even though Leander did purchase land in Palmyra, his primary occupation did not seem to be farming. Was his speculation related to buying and selling land?... In addition, one census stated that he was unable to read or write.

      The Coon family origins are a mystery as well! The Coon, Potter and Knapp surnames are very common in New York state and it quickly gets tangled. Orrilla Knapp's daughter, Harriet, married Leander Coon. But in addition, two of Orrilla's siblings married someone named Coon. Mom said that her grandmother Jenny was Scotch and French, so it is possible that Coon origins are in Scotland and Potter origins are in France. I think it likelier, though, that Potter origins are English.

Harriet Potter: Underground Railroad

1823-1901
great-great-grandmother

From Kaufman Family Album

      Harriet Potter was born April 20, 1823, in Hampton, New York, near the Vermont border. She was the daughter of Stacey Potter and Orrilla Knapp. She was the 5th of 12 children, her siblings being: William (1816), Eliza (1818), Mary (1820), Emery (1821), Caroline (1824), Henry (1827), Phoebe (1828), Esther (1830), Pliny (1831), Paulina (1835) and Frances (1837). Four of her siblings (William, Eliza, Esther and Paulina) died very young and were buried in Hampton Hill Cemetery. 

      Stacey Potter is our 3rd great-grandfather and earliest known Potter ancestor. He was born in Rhode Island and was possibly Quaker. Our earliest known Knapp ancestor is Nicholas Knapp, 9th great-grandfather. He came to Watertown MA, in the Boston area, in 1630, as part of the Winthrop Fleet. He later moved to Fairfield County CT, where the Knapps lived for several generations. (Dad's early ancestors were in the same county.)

      Her father Stacey died in the early 1840's. Her family then moved to Monroe County in western New York. They appeared, however, to move in waves, with brother Emery moving west first. It appears that they went to Monroe County because that was where Orrilla's siblings lived.

        In about 1843, Harriet and Leander moved to Palmyra, Wisconsin, with their young son, Hiram Mark. Most of her siblings moved to Palmyra in this same time frame. Two of Orrilla's brothers (Timothy and Reuben) and her brother-in-law (Ephraim Coon) also moved to Palmyra, although some moved several years earlier. Harriet remained in Palmyra until the death of her husband in December 1876.

      Two years later, Harriet married Captain Henry P. Willson, a man 13 years her senior. In the 1880 census, Henry (70) is listed as a farmer, unable to work due to blindness. In addition, Harriet's 2 grandsons, Ira (12) and Loren Mark (10), are living with her and attending school. Their mother had died in 1876 and their father, Hiram Mark, had gone to Nebraska looking for opportunities. Harriet's marriage to Henry must have been an uneasy one. According to Mom's cousin, Frances Mary, Henry Willson had been involved in the slave trade, whereas Harriet's family had been involved in the underground railroad for slaves going north for freedom! Harriet's daughter Jenny said that Henry had been a rascal! Harriet and Henry must have divorced because when Henry died in 1895, probate states that he left no widow.

      Harriet and her 2 grandsons joined her children, Hiram Mark and Jenny Coon, in Walnut Grove Township, Douglas County, Dakota Territory. Jenny was raising Hiram's third son, the mysterious Frank Coon! Harriet made a claim for her own 110 acres, based on the 1862 Homestead Act, although it appears that she lived with her son Hiram.

      Harriet died May 18, 1901, age 78, and is buried in Ebenezer Cemetery in Douglas County, South Dakota.

      The Potters remain a mystery! What are Stacey Potters origins? Was he Quaker? Did Orrilla leave him because he had died or did he by any chance desert his family? I did hire a genealogist from Palmyra, Wisconsin, for a brief period! Later, a 4th cousin, John Potter, sent me a 4-page letter, titled 'Family Record of Mr. Stacy Poter and Orrellia Potter', written by Elizabeth (Town) Tuttle, one of Harriet Potter's nieces, that helped fill in some of the gaps.

Lillian McConnell: Merry Survivor

1859 - 1929

Lillian, on her back porch.

      Lillian McConnell was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on September 28, 1859, the daughter of Lawrence McConnell and Mary Ann Moore. She was the 5th of 6 children and had siblings: Richard (1845), Juliette (1848), Margaret (1852), Mary Jane (1853) and Cary (1860). Her father was a habitual drunkard, was not supporting the family and had been jailed several times for beating his wife and eldest son. In 1864, Mary sought a divorce from Lawrence and 15-year old Juliette testified against her father.

      By 1870, the family was divorced. Mary Ann had married Edgar Hunt of Madison, who had 3 children of his own from an earlier marriage. Richard, Lillie and Cary were also living in the household. However, Lillie (age 11) is also listed as residing with her sister Maggie (age 19), who had married Isaac Taad/Teede. Her sister Julia, age 21, had married George Lyford and had a daughter. Her sister, Mary, age 16, was working in a Madison household as a domestic servant. It appears that the sons still lived with their mother, but maybe none of the daughters!
   
      In 1880, Lillian married Frank Williams in Madison, Wisconsin. They later lived in Olney, Illinois, and Waukegan, Illinois, where they raised their 2 biological children and their adopted daughter Maggie. Their son, George Allen Williams, was a baseball player in the minor leagues. He worked as a weaver in a fence factory and as a laborer for American Steel and Wire. His nickname was "Cinders", because he was a wire-thrower at a wire mill in North Chicago. George fought in World War I, as a corporal, in the Illinois 56th Infantry.  He married his wife Anna in 1919, although they never had children. After about 1930, he developed Parkinson's  disease and largely took to bed, according to Aunt Dorothy.
   
      Lillian was widowed in November 1922, when her husband Frank died. At the time, her son George was living next door to her and her daughter Nellie Crooks was living in Chicago with her husband Charlie, son Ray and daughter Dorothy! When Charlie died on December 22, 1926, in Chicago, Nellie and her 3 children moved in with Lillian at 728 Ash Street. Soon after, the upstairs was made into an apartment for daughter Maggie, whom we knew as Aunt Monie, and her husband, Ozzie Eide! (We visited Monie and Ozzie in Port Townsend, Washington. They had a wonderful lot backing up to Puget Sound!)

      Lillian died on December 19, 1929, age 70, in Waukegan, Illinois. She died in Victory Memorial Hospital the day after an operation to remove gallstones from the common bile duct. She had been in failing health for some time prior to the operation and the cause of death was listed as heart disease (myocarditis). She is buried in North Shore Garden of Memories next to her husband and our grandparents, Nellie Williams and Charles Crooks.

      Dad had memories of Lillie chasing the kids around the kitchen with a broom and cackling with merriment!     
 

Nellie Reed Williams: Gentle Humorous Teacher

1885 - 1959

      Nellie Reed Williams was born sometime between October 16 and October 19, in 1885, in Waukegan or North Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Frank Dunn Williams and Lillian McConnell. She had 1 sibling, George Allen Williams (1887), who married Anna Mead, but never had children. According to Aunt Dorothy, Annie did not get along with Nellie. Because Nellie just had the one sibling and he did not have children, Dad did not have any first cousins on his Mom's side.

      In 1904, Nellie was a senior at Waukegan High School, where she played right guard on the girls' basketball team. In the Senior Prophecy, they predicted "her horror of laughter and merriment will grow as the years slip by and she will devote herself to prayer and repentance". She was listed in the "Want Ads" as wanting lessons in boxing! Since all of her pictures show her with a gentle smile on her face, I am certain these comments were ironic.

      Nellie worked as a teacher at Dudley elementary school and lived with her parents in Waukegan until she married Charles Henry Crooks in February, 1920.

      According to Aunt Dorothy, Nellie dated a man named Jim Reardon before she married Charles. Her mother Lillian did not want her to marry Jim, however, because he was Catholic. Aunt Dorothy also said that Nellie was Methodist, but only went to church on holidays. Evidently, the family switched to the Episcopalian Church because Dad had tangled with another boy at the Methodist Sunday school! When Nellie was ill, she told Dad and Aunt Dorothy, "I hope you get back in the Methodist church before I die".

      When Nellie's husband, Charles, died in December, 1926, Nellie and her 3 children (Ray, Dorothy, George) moved in with Nellie's mother at 728 Ash Street in Waukegan. Nellie's brother George lived immediately next door at 724 Ash. (These 2 properties were both jointly purchased by Nellie and George about 1910-1916, although 728 Ash was transferred to Nellie's mother after Nellie married.) Even though George had health issues, he was the closest person to a father figure for Dad... Dad's grandmother, Lillian (McConnell) Williams, died in December, 1929, just 3 years after Nellie and her kids moved in.

      In 1930, Nellie was working as a bookkeeper at the Waukegan county courthouse. She was initially the only female there, found the work environment coarse and decided to return to teaching. She also received $40 per month as rent from Aunt Monie and Uncle Ozzie, who lived in the upstairs apartment. In 1940, Nellie had some additional income because Dad was working as an usher in a theater while attending college and Aunt Dorothy was working as a telephone operator!

    Nellie died November 25, 1959, age 74, in Waukegan, after having strokes and being in a nursing home. She is buried in North Shore Garden of Memories cemetery in North Chicago, next to her husband.

    Dad's McFarland cousins said that Nell really liked the dishes that Charlie brought back from the Philippines for his sister Helen's wedding. Charlie said she could have had them too if she had agreed to marry him before he left for the Philippines. (If so, they knew each other longer than I had realized!) When Charlie got back, Nellie visited him and his brother Ray asked if she was going to break his heart a second time and she said "no"... When Charlie died less than 7 years after their marriage, she dated Jim Reardon again and brought him to visit her sister-in-law, Helen Crooks McFarland. Dad's McFarland cousins said Jim was very nice and owned a plant that made women's clothing. Jim was Nellie's boyfriend, but the relationship was limited.

Frank Dunn Williams: Pioneer Railroad Man

1853 - 1922

      Frank Dunn Williams was born in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, on May 6, 1853, the eldest child of Josiah Williams and Ellen Shand. He had 5 siblings: Mary Jane (1858), George Burrell (1859), David C. (1862), Margaret (1870) and Nellie (1876). Nellie appears to have died as a child and David never married.

      When he was a very small boy, his family moved to a farm 12 miles from Dodgeville. At the age of 19, he left the farm to go railroading and devoted the rest of his life to railroads, both steam and electric. Frank was fascinated with railroads, building new lines, extending old lines and replacing temporary construction work with permanent structures.

      In 1880, Frank married Lillian McConnell at Madison, Wisconsin. In that same year, he is listed as working as a carpenter. In 1881, he was raised to the degree of Master Mason in the Madison Lodge. Frank and Lillian had 2 children together, Nellie Reed (1885) and George Allen (1887). George was born in Olney, Illinois, almost 300 miles south of Waukegan and Nellie was probably born in Waukegan.

      In 1889, Frank and Lillian came to Waukegan, where Frank built railroad sidings and yards for the Washburne and Moen company, later absorbed by the American (US) Steel and Wire Company. For almost 20 years, he was employed by the North Shore electric line. He served with the crew which built the new line from North Chicago to Milwaukee and was later made road master in charge of the line from Waukegan to Evanston. In 1919, a strike at the US Steel and Wire Company, led to a call for intervention from the state militia. This could likely have impacted either Frank or his son George.
   
      In 1895, Frank's brother David came to live with Frank and was a wire worker. But David was a rolling stone and by 1900, he was living with his cousin in Deer Creek, Nebraska, where he died 2 years later at age 39. In August 1901, Frank purchased a lot in the subdivision known as Waukegan Highlands, in North Chicago Village, from The American Steel and Wire Company. By 1907, he owned the lot free of a mortgage. By 1910, he was living at 553 Ash Street, later renumbered to 728 Ash Street, where Dad lived as a boy. In the 1920 census, Frank and Lillian still lived on Ash Street. Nellie was living with them and teaching in a public school. Their son George was living there with his wife Anna and was a laborer for American Steel and Wire Company. In addition, adopted daughter Margaret, age 12, was living with them. Margaret was a student of Nellie's who was quite poor.

      Frank Williams died on November 25, 1922, age 69, in Waukegan, of heart disease (listed as myocarditis). Funeral services, led by a Methodist minister, were held at the home, with Masons from Lodge #78 participating. Frank is buried in North Shore Garden of Memories in North Chicago.