Tressie's Trouble

Frank and Phoebe VanVleet had 7 children. One of these children was my grandmother Ozelma. This story is about Ozelma's sister Tressa Adiline VanVleet . She was born on July 24, 1901 in Oceana County, Michigan. Tressa got married twice, her first marriage to a man named Forest Weaver. At first glance this seems to be a good marriage. The Weavers were a pretty prominent family. Forest was the great grandson of Daniel Weaver, a New York native who established the towns of Fremont (first called Weaverville) and Hesperia, Michigan.


The VavVleet family, with Tressa and Forest to the right (CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

My aunt gave me the picture. I asked her who was who, and she identified Forest and said he was Tressa's husband. No other info on that note. When I decided to do more research on Tressa and her 1st husband I didn't find but a marriage record. They were married in Hart, Michigan on June 9, 1921. And next I located them living in Muskegon on Sanford Street in 1922. I learned that she had divorced Forest some time before 1930 and had remarried in 1931 to Rex Swietser and moved to San Diego, California. I was satisfied with that for a while and I left it. One day I became curious about what happened to Forest after the divorce, did he remarry? So I looked for him and found him in the 1930 census for Jackson, Michigan. He was listed as a prison inmate! Wow, what could he have done? Ancestry.com has newspaper images available in their search files and what I found about Forest was quite a shock. I found many papers carried this story, it made national news. My mouth opened in horror thinking, "Holy cow, that could have been Tressa!". 

The murder of Gladys Echardt

When the 1940 census was released last year I tried to find his location, expecting to find him in prison, but he was nowhere. So a search of newspapers again, my suspicion was right...suicide! He hung himself in his cell in October of 1939. Even though his crime was the worst anyone could imagine a person can't help feeling sorry for him because he was clearly ill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Revolution

In honor of Independence Day I thought it would be fitting to remember ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War. The first person who comes to mind is still a bit of a mystery. Not much is known about this individual other than he lived in Virginia, served in the war, got married to a lady called Peggy (maiden name unknown), had 5 children, and died in what is now the state of Kentucky. He is important to me because I bare his namesake " Golden". His name written was "Golding" and some way within the next generation the name evolved into "Golden". Perhaps the change was based on pronunciation or illiteracy, maybe they just thought it sounded better without the "ing", just a thought. Where William Golding, born in Scotland in April 1760, has no solid proof, only the date can be considered documentation even though nobody has found any birth or christening record at all it is stated by William in his pension application. The application mentions nothing about place of birth or the name of his parents. His place of birth was based on a finding that told of a diary belonging to William's great grandson that said that William was born in Scotland, I have yet to see this diary. He died in Boone, Kentucky on September 6, 1835...end of story, for now. 

    Next is another ancestor by the name of William Burke. Burke was born in Stafford, Virginia in 1752. He enlisted in the sixth regiment of the Continental Army in the spring of 1778 and served until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. He died on May 10, 1803 in Farquier, Virginia. 

Here is a link to Findagrave.com for his memorial: William Burke's Memorial . There is a picture there of when William was honored in 1991 for being a member of The Culpeper Minute Men. 

William married Susannah Sweeney in 1778, together they had 9 children.

 

Document For Susannah's Widow Pension

 Susannah collected a widow's pension until her death in 1843. She is buried in the Burke/Shaw Cemetery at Palmer's Crossroads, Farquier County, Virginia. 

The chart above starts with Jesse Lewis Golden and shows where William Golding and William Burke fit into the family line.    Both men mentioned in this blog are my 5th great grandfathers from my father's side.

Letitcia Pruden- VanVleet's Ancestors

Letitcia Pruden was the daughter of Boyce and Mary Jane (Hulse) Pruden. Letitcia is my grandma Golden's, grandmother and the wife of Harvey VanVleet. Letitcia's father Boyce was born in Seneca County, New York in October of 1792. He Married Mary Jane Hulse in 1816. The family came to Michigan around the late 1840's. This family line is one of the special ones in that the lineage goes quite a way back to the colonies. And not just inhabiting, but establishing the formation of the country I call home.

The Pruden (Prudden) family has it's beginnings in Kings Waldon, Hertfordshire,England. John Prudden  b. 1416 d.1501 starts the recorded accounts of this family and he is my direct ancestor (My 16th great grandfather). His descendants goes as follows: Thomas Prudden b. 1439. d. May 1506, Thomas  Prudden II b. 1464 d.1538, Thomas Prudden III b. 1487 d. 1559, Thomas Prudden IV b. 1510 d. 1558, Peter Prudden b. 1535 d. 1600, Robert Prudden b. abt. 1561, d. November 6, 1617,  Peter Prudden b. December 1601. Peter Prudden was an educated man and attended Merchant Taylor's School in London (1616~1617) and Emmanuel College in Cambridge, England (1620). He  preached in Hertfordshire, England until 1637 where he vacated his post due to persecution. Then he and his followers decided to leave England for the New World. The reasons are self explanatory, they wanted freedom from religious persecution and resented the high taxes established by Charles I, the king of England. Around May 20, 1637, two ships set sail for the New World. One was the  "Hector" the other the "Martin",  Peter and followers were boarded the "Martin" and were then  known as "The Herfordshire Group", named for their home Herfordshire, England. They arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on June 26, 1637. They most likely spent their first winter in Boston but eventually made their way to Quinnpiac (New Haven, CT.). A new church was established under a Rev. Davenport who had made the trip to Boston with Rev. Prudden. Rev. Prudden preached in the afternoons there and also in the nearby settlement of Wethersfield. It was not long before the Rev. Prudden wanted a church of his own.

With the help of his followers the Rev. Prudden purchased land that was to become Milford, New Haven, Connecticut from local tribes for six coats, ten blankets, one kettle , twelve hatchets, twelve hoes, two dozen knives, and a dozen small looking glasses (mirrors) and became the founder of what is today Milford, New Haven, Connecticut.







Milford Church

He was the first pastor of the Milford Church, and was ordained April 11, 1640 in New Haven, where he lived in the Hertfordshire quarters. Peter Prudden died in July of 1656. He had lot #40 which is present day Prospect Street. His garden served as the first burying ground established in 1642 and is today the Milford Cemetery. A memorial stands today at the foot of the Wapawaug River honoring him.

The Rev. Peter Prudden Memorial

More about Rev. Peter Prudden:
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/i/m/Karen-M-Simmons/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1040.html




First Church of Christ: http://www.firstchurchofmilford.org/website/publish/about/index.php?10


Descendants of the Rev. Prudden are: Rev. John Prudden b. 1645 Milford, CT. d. 1725 Essex, New Jersey, Joseph Pruden b. 1692 Newark, New Jersey, d. 1776 Morristown, New Jersey, Boyce J. Pruden I b. 1719 Morristown NJ, d. May 1751, Boyce J. Pruden II b. Oct. 1746 Morristown NJ, d. 1816 Morristown NJ, Boyce J. Pruden III b. 1764 Morristown NJ, d.  1819 Romulus, New York, and then back to Boyce Pruden IV who brought his family to Michigan and had a daughter named Letitcia, who married a young man by the name of Harvey VanVleet, who had a son named Frank Adelbert Vanvleet, who had a daughter named Ozelma, who had a son named Francis, who had a daughter named Colleen. :)

VanVleet & Pruden History

Letitcia Pruden was born in New York to Boyce John Pruden IV and Mary Jane Hulse in February of 1825 (family information-Pruden history). The Pruden family played a role in the development of the New World in that they (we) descended from Rev. Peter Prudden who founded Milford, New Haven, Connecticut in 1638 (I will write more about him in the next blog). Boyce and Jane had 10 children. Letitcia and her family moved from Romulus, Seneca, New York to Michigan some time after 1840. All of the Pruden children where born in New York except the youngest son, George W. who was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1842.

Harvey VanVleet was born in the state of New York on April 16, 1822 to Tunis and Mary VanVleet.  It appears that Harvey had 2 brothers, Dennison and Hiram. The VanVleets are first found in Michigan in the 1850 Federal Census and eventually made their way to Clinton County.

 Letitcia married Harvey VanVleet in Olive, Clinton Co., Michigan on February 15, 1845.  Harvey was a farmer and Letitcia was housewife, and mother to their 6 children, among them my great grandfather Frank VanVleet. They raised their family in Clinton County until about 1870,  in that census year they were found in Eaton County, Michigan.



Harvey VanVleet and family, Eaton Co. in 1870 (click to enlarge image)

 Some time before 1880 they moved to Greenwood Twp., Oceana Co., Michigan with Frank and his brother Emery on the old farm land on Loop Rd. that I am so familiar with.

Harvey VanVleet and family, Oceana Co., Michigan 1880

The farm passed hands from Harvey when Frank and Emery came of age. It appears the land was shared between the two brothers and their families. They are living side by side in 1900 caring for their aging parents.

Frank & Emery VanVleet/ 1900 Federal Census

Letitcia VanVleet died November 12, 1903 and is buried at the West Hesperia Cemetery in Hesperia, Michigan.


Letitcia's headstone



Harvey's resting place is known but I haven't made time to pay a visit to the site to find him. According to his death certificate he was buried at North Ensley Cemetery in Newago County. I'm not sure why he was buried so far away from his family.  



Harvey VanVleet death certificate

Frank Adelbert VanVleet was born in Clinton County, Michigan on February 16, 1866. He met Phoebe Jane Ward and in 1885 they were married at Ferry Twp.,Oceana, Michigan on July 5, 1885. Phoebe was the daughter of William Henry Ward and Lydia Keech. 

Phoebe Jane Ward-VanVleet



Together they had 7 children, among them my grandmother Ozelma Charlotte VanVleet, born June 24, 1903.

Frank VanVleet



Frank and Phoebe's headstone. West Hesperia Cemetery



Phoebe died in 1929 of Consumption (known today as Tuberculosis) Her obituary: 

VANVLEET, PHOEBE JANE MRS. (WARD) Obituary Muskegon Chronicle, Muskegon, Michigan, 13 May 1929, Page 11HESPERIA RESIDENT DIES IN NORTON HOME.  Mrs. Frank A. VanVleet, of Hesperia, 60 years old, died Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Clarence Baker, in Norton township, after a long illness.  She was born in Berlin, Mich., June 22, 1868.  The past two months she made her home here with her daughter.  Her maiden name was Phoebe Jane Ward and her marriage to Frank VanVleet took place June 28, 1885 at Ferry, Mich.  She was a member of the Presbyterian church of Hesperia.  Mrs. Van Vleet is survived by her husband; one son, Charles L. VanVleet, at home; six daughters, Mrs. W. S. Rowland, of Magnolia, Minn., Mrs. Clarence Baker, Mrs. Maurice Baker, Mrs. Tressa Winters, Mrs. Jesse Golden, all of Muskegon, and Mrs. Harrison Davis, of Whitehall; 12 grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. William Spencer, of Rockford, Mich.; two brothers, L. A. Ward, of Ferry, Mich., and W. A. Ward, of Jackson.Page 14VANVLEET – Mrs. Frank A. VanVleet, of Hesperia, passed away Sunday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Clarence Baker, Norton Township.  The funeral will be held at 1:30 p. m. Tuesday at the Presbyterian Church in Hesperia.  Interment will be made in West Cemetery at Hesperia.  Friends may view the remains at the Clock Funeral Home.


Frank VanVleet died on January 29, 1943 and is buried with his wife Phoebe and family at West Hesperia Cemetery.

This is the shortest blog I will write. Genetics is a facinating thing. The picture on the top is of my grandma Golden's Aunt Etta, the picture below that is of my grandma Golden's daughter Josephine "Jo".

Henrietta Ward



Josephine Golden

The Golden / Bigelow Connection

Dianah (Bigelow) Golden

My grandpa Jesse Golden's mother was Dianah Bigelow. She was born in Auglaize, Ohio in October of 1864, daughter of  David Bigelow and Charlotte Harris. So far I have no documentation that the two had actually been married. No marriage record or census report showing they lived together. All records find them in separate homes in the area, only the children bare the name 'Bigelow' and Charlotte is in custody of the children under the surname of  Harris. So far, it is found that Dianah had 2 sisters (with mother Charlotte) named Julia Etta born 1862 and Dora born in 1871. In 1876 Charlotte married John Fisher and they had 2 daughters Anna Elizabeth born 1878 and Rosa Atadel born 1880.

Julia Etta Bigelow

In October of 1881 Dianah Bigelow married Lewis Golden in Auglaize Co. Ohio, together they had 13 children, among them my grandfather Jesse Lewis Golden born in 1902. In 1917 the family made the move north to Newfield, Oceana Co., Michigan. This is where Lewis and Dianah called home for the rest of their days. Dianah died in 1938 and Lewis died a year later. They are in the West Hesperia Cemetery in Oceana Co., Michigan.

More about Dianah's father David. He was born in Franklin, Ohio about November 1836 to John and Polly Bigelow. By 1860 the family relocated to Auglaize Co., Ohio.  It was told to me that it was possible that David was a Civil War soldier. In searching for this information I came across 2 from Auglaize Ohio that served in that war. Rank differed from one another and the age of each was not available until recently. David had a cousin with the same first name and was a couple years younger than himself. The David I was looking for enlisted at age 27 on Sept. 22, 1864. He went in a Corporal and served on Company D, Ohio 180th Infantry Regiment. He was promoted to Sergeant on June 1, 1865 and mustered out on July 12, 1865 in Charlotte, NC. The fact that David wasn't around for Charlotte and Julia (about 3yrs.old) at the time that Dianah was to be born could have been a bit of a sore spot between the two. Dianah was born in October of 64' and David up and joined the damn army. Charlotte and Dave must have patched things up a bit because their daughter Dora was born in 1871. But not for long...by 1872 David split for Muncie, Indiana and in April of that year married Rebecca Redding who he remained married to until she died in 1890.They had 3 children named Elmer, Bertha, and Russel. Whether or not Dianah and her sisters knew about the were abouts of their father and his new family is unknown.  Muncie is where David stayed until his death in 1901.

close up of headstone from Beech Grove Cemetery in Muncie ,Indiana

This branch of the family goes back a long way. To my surprise there was a book written about the Bigelows in 1897 and it takes us back a long way. More later....

Jesse Golding (Golden) & Susannah Burke

Jesse Golden

Jesse Golding was born on September 19, 1804 in Faurquier, Virginia. He was the second born of nine children to Thornton and Margaret Elizabeth (Tharpe) Golding.
 Jesse married Susannah Burke in Warrenton, Faurquier, Virginia in October of 1826. Jesse's surname is spelled 'Golding' on the marriage bond.



Jesse and Margaret's marriage bond (click on image to enlarge)



  I have no documentation of the occupation of Jesse prior to his marriage to Susannah. I read in correspondence between distant cousins that Jesse was found on a tax record and his occupation was that of a plantation overseer. Shortly after Jesse and Susannah's marriage they left with the Burke family for Ohio territory. Not much is known about his path from Virginia, his first stop in Walnut Twp.,Fairfield Co., Ohio, and then to Allen Co. by 1833. In doing this they had become one of the early pioneers of Northwest Ohio. Having settled in what is now changed from Allen Co. to what is today Auglaize Co. before the removal of the natives from the forrest. And new information from distant cousins say that the family story is that even though he had bought the land from the U.S. government, Jesse also paid the natives 50 cents and acre for his land. They settled on a farm in Union Twp. where they spent the remainder of their days.


Ohio Migration Trails

 In later life Jesse was run over by a wagon loaded with corn, resulting in paralysis from the hips down. He died of his injuries shortly after on August 3, 1888. He is buried in Tam Cemetery in Auglaize Co. not far from the farm where he lived along with several other Golden family members. The inscription written on his headstone says "A precious one from us has gone. A voice we loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home. Which can never be filled."       

Jesse Golden 1804-1888

Susannah Burke was born November 14, 1809 in Warrenton, Faurquier, Virginia. Her parents were George Burke and Sarah Elizabeth Shaw. As in any housewife of this period, not much is known about Sarah's life. She married Jesse at the age of 16 and gave birth to 9 children.

Susannah's obituary

She died October 4, 1897 and written on her stone: "Tis hard to part with one so dear, Perhaps we'll cry, a sigh, a tear. But in the bright glorious dawning, She waits to hear a glad "Good Morning". She is laid to rest in Tam Cemetery.




Susannah's headstone