Tombstone Tuesday--Omar Allen

 Yup, another one from my family.  GGrandpa Omar was the father of Delva, featured last week.  His stone is in Alton cemetery, in Vergennes township, Kent county, Michigan.  It is a beautiful old rolling cemetery.  The original church is in the corner of the cemetery and many family members names are listed in their rolls.

Luckily, on my trips there I have been accompanied by my aunt, who knew right where to find GGrandpa Omar and his second wife, Carrie Ford Cross Allen.
The stone is a simple granite, rather weathered with just the years 1857-1945. 

Interestingly he passed away just a week after his son died.

Obituary: Delva Carol Allen

 I shared the stone and some pictures of Grandpa Delva on Tuesday.  This is his obituary that appeared in the local paper.  Dying at the end of World War II, two of his sons were still in the service.  Uncle Howard chose not to return for the service, wanting to remember his father as he had left him.  My father, although living in Grand Rapids, had been wounded in 1943 and was discharged and home for his fathers last days. 

From the 13 September 1945 Fremont Times Indicator:

Delva C Allen, 52, Passes Friday in Ann Arbor

Funeral Services Were Held Tuesday with Interment in Clark Cemetery
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the Boven Funeral Home for Delva C Allen, 52 years old, who died Friday in Ann Arbor. 
The services were in charge of the Rev. E. D. Jeffries, pastor of the Dayton Center Wesleyan Methodist church and burial took place in Clark Cemetery.
Mr Allen is survived by his parents, Mr and Mrs O D Allen of Grand Rapids, his widow, Edna, four sons, Floyd of Fremont, S/Sgt Donald of Camp Morey, Texas, S/Sgt Howard in France, and Robert of Grand Rapids; four daughters Mrs Florence Burton of Grand Rapids, Mrs Elizabeth Zuwerink of Fremont, Mrs Glenna DePlonty of Fremont, and Joyce at home; a step-brother Clayton Cross of Grand Rapids; two sisters, Mrs Darrell Cross of Napoleon and Mrs Claud Wilson of Terrence California.

I also find amusing that Uncle Clayton is referred to as a step-brother.  He was also a brother-in-law.  What was the reason for not calling him brother-in-law?  Was step-brother considered closer? In one of those examples of the family tree being more of a tangled bush, Grandpa's widowed father Omar, had married Grandma's divorced (Horrors!) mother Carrie.  Thus Grandma's mother was both mother-in-law and step-mother to Grandpa.  
Genealogy can be so confusing.

Obituary--Henry John Borgman

When I saw this obituary while leafing through some to pick for this blog.  It caught my attention because I believe he was my sister-in-law's great or great-great-grandfather (Hi Patti!).  At the least he is an ancestor of hers.  So for your information as well as her's, here is his storyl
From the 9 January 1936 Fremont TimesIndicator:

HENRY BORGMAN PASSES SUNDAY
Aged Pioneer Claimed by Death at Home of Daughter

Henry John Borgman, one of the pioneer residents of this community, passed away Sunday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Stroven, corner of Merchant Ave and Maple St., with whome he had made his home for the past nine years.  He was 82 years of age.
Mr. Borgman was born July 3, 1853, in Bentheim, Germany, just across the border from the Netherlands, He came to America in 1880 and worked in Drenthe, Grand Rapids and Spring Lake before coming to Fremont in 1887.  Shortly after his arrival he bought the farm west of town where his son Albert Borgman now lives.  At the time he purchased this land he was employed at the Gibson saw mill.
In 1889 he was united in marriage to Gertie Brower who passed away on Oct. 18, 1910.
He was one of the oldest members of the First Christian Reformed church and was one of a group of the aged men of that church whose picture appeared in the state press a few years ago.  He was the youngest of six children and the last survivor.
He is survived by the following children: John , George, Herman and Albert Borgman, Mrs. John Stroven, Mrs. Hattie Karnemaat, and Mrs. Gerrit VanEmst, and a number of grand children.  The late Mrs. Steven Timmer was a sister of the deceased.
The funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the First Christian Reformed church and were in charge of the pastor, Rev. L. J. Lamberts.  Interment took place in Maple Grove  cemetery.

As I went through this obituary more carefully I was surprised to discover several things.  First, he was not from the Netherlands.  Most area people are proud of their Dutch heritage.  But, also like many of them, Mr Borgman did not come from the Netherlands, but across the border.  I have since discovered that many of our so-called Dutch, are really from Bentheim, Germany, "just across the border." Not Dutch at all but from Deutschland.
And the other item that really surprised me was that my sister-in-law's great (or great-great-) grandfather died at nearly the same time as my own great-great-grandfather, Armenus, my civil war ancestor.  GGGranddad Armenus died on the same day. 9 January 1936, that the paper that carried Henry Borgman's obituary.  Small world.

Thank You Veterans

Happy Veterans Day to all veterans, whether they served in war or peace time.
For Dad (center) and his two brothers, Uncle Don and Uncle Howard, who served in World War II.  This picture sits proudly above my desk at the history center.  Dad and the Unc's as I call it. 

For my nephew, who served in Afghanistan more recently.
For my first cousins, once removed.  These two brothers both served in the Marine Corp, one of whom was there when the barracks in Beirut was bombed.
For all my brave family members, living and dead who put their life aside to fight for our country.
And for all those who have worn the uniform of one of the branches of the armed services of the United States.
Thank you all. 

Tombstone Tuesday--Walsworth Discovered.

One of the "funnest" things about genealogy, for me at least, is when you stumble across information and or family graves when you weren't even looking.
In researching Hubby's family, I often wondered where the early Walsworths were buried.  I knew they lived in this area but was not able to find their graves.  One May, I was visiting the graves of my grandparents at Clark cemetery, a nearby private cemetery.  It is a fairly small, tree filled cemetery on the corner of Oceana and Muskegon counties and along the west side of Newaygo county.  I talked about it here.  Just as I was pulling out of the U shaped drive, I happened to glance to my side and saw this.

Hey!  Hubby's family.  Of course I had to get out and check it out.   The names on the front were those of my husbands Great-grandfather and Great grand mother.   The stone was intact, although a bit weathered and getting hard to read.  On a later trip I got the picture below.

Artemas Walswarth (1849-1915) was the son of the original Michigan family member.  The stone is easily readable, both his information and that of his wife Amanda Rogers (1855-1891). I was so surprised to find them here, as all the later members of this family were in Holton cemetery, a nearby cemetery in Muskegon county. 

On another side was the information for his father Elijah Walsworth, (1825-1878)and mother Lucina Henry (1823-1908).  Elijah was the original Walsworth to come to Michigan.  And he was the generation who added the "s" to the name.  Prior generations in New York went by Walworth.

Everyone mentioned on the stone, which included two children,  are also recognized by individual stones.  One of the children was the son of Artemas: James F. Walsworth, (1874-1881).  The other child was Frank (1881-1881) , who was probably the son of Artemas's brother James.
The stone below was a newer stone that lies just behind the tall obelisk stone. All the names are listed here, along with the additional information of the father's names for the children.

Important lesson learned.  Don't just assume because most of the family is in one cemetery that everyone will be there.   After all, some of the family did live in Oceana county, as well as in Muskegon and Newaygo counties.  Check them all out.

A Thoughtful Child

From page 11 of the 17 February 1916 Fremont Times Indicator.
A little boy whose grandmother had just died wrote the following letter that he duly posted: Dear Angels--We have just sent you grandma. Please give her a harp to play, as she is short-winded and cannot blow a trumpet. "

The Thrill of the Hunt

One of the best things about genealogy has got to be the excitement of finding an unknown ancestor. I know when I made my first discovery that gave me the name of my Great-grandpa’s father I was thrilled. Before this, none of my family members could tell me anything. The oldest family members on that branch were an uncle and aunt. The aunt had Alzheimers and would say anything I wanted to hear. My uncle, the oldest sibling, was unable to do much better.

However, once I came up with a name, the uncle opened up with pictures of his own. Although he only knew this ancestor as “the Old Gent,” which was what my great-grandfather called him, he was able to tell me a little, including where he was buried.

Now GGGrandpa Armenus is my pride and joy. He was not only my first discovery, but also my first confirmed Civil War vet. Through his name I was able to contact distant cousins who generously shared more information and pictures.

It was exciting to make this first step and start learning about this whole branch of ancestors and put names, and occasionally faces to them. A young girl captured by Indians and later ransomed, who married and then ran off with another man—who was my ancestor. A young man who bravely served in the Spanish-American war and later was killed in France at the end of World War I. The 3 successive generations who lived to be 90, and the families who lost small children.

My family.

Intro to Me Too

I'm Sandy the opinionated one and occasionally outspoken. I have been doing genealogy since I was 14, trying to settle an argument between my Grandma and her step-brother as to where their father was born.

Thirty Seven years later her I am, still doing genealogy. My search has taken me to the Eastern states researching the Colbys, Tillinghasts and Herricks. To New York researching Ackermans and New Hampshire Researching the Georges. And always finding myself in a cemetery.
My husband and family have realized, that traveling with me, all roads lead to a cemetery.