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

                                                                                                                                             

Tharpe, Tharp, Thorpe, Thorp.... ?

One of the first realizations researchers come to is that there are Tharpe/Thorp families in and around the Northern Neck area of Virginia during the Revolutionary period that just don't seem to connect. There are at least three, possibly more, unconnected Tharpe families in the same vicinity during the late colonial period. All seem to have expanded into the interior as well as points south.Such is the case with the family of Jesse Tharp of Fauquier.

Jesse Tharp was born about 1750, Virginia. From tax records, Jesse Tharp entered Fauquier as early as 1782. He is believed to have lived on Lot No. 2 in Leeds Manor in Fauquier. At the age of 60, in the 1810 census of Faurquier Co., he is found living next to his brother John.He died there about 1812.

The major questions to be answered now are the identity of Lucy, and the origins of Jesse and Lucy. Are they associated with the ancient Tharp/Thorp families of early Northumberland and Surry? Are they associated with the Tharp/Thorp families which found their way into Virginia via New Jersey and Maryland? Are they associated with the Tharps/Thorps who settled in the area directly from England prior to the Revolution?

Thornton 'Golding' Golden

Thornton Golding, born in to William and Peggy Golding around 1773 in Virginia. He was a farmer. He and his wife Elizabeth had 9 children. Their names are Lucy, Jesse, Frances, George, Jane, William, Lewis, Atha, and Mariah (Jesse is my 3rd great grandfather).In the 1810 Federal Census, Thornton is found living next door to his brother Vincent in Faurquier,Virginia  (the surname spelled Golding). He is found in Faurquier until the census year of 1850, there he is found in Harrison,West Virginia living with his daughter Frances and her son Burrel. Thornton's death record states that he died on May 8, 1855, cause of death listed as 'old age' and he was found by a neighbor.

Thornton Golden's headstone

Thornton's wife Elizabeth, who's maiden name was Margaret Elizabeth Tharpe was born about the year 1780 and  the daughter of  Jesse Tharpe and his wife Lucy. Elizabeth died in Harrison, West Virginia in 1841. Her resting place is in Center Branch Cemetery next to Thornton.



Margaret Elizabeth Tharpe-Golden's headstone



William Golding And His Decendants

William Golding was from Scotland. Not able to figure how old he actually was. An estimated guess is that he was born around April of 1750 and and died about 1835.  A Revolutionary War pension claim dated September 2, 1833 had his hand written declaration to the state of Kentucky, county of Boone, stating his age as " 74 years next April". That would make his birth year 1759, which makes him too young to be a father of his oldest children, perhaps he didn't know his exact age? A page from the diary of  Thomas Golden ( a great grandson of William) states that 'Great grandfather of Scotland emigrated to Virginia, Shanadon County. And that his first name was William.  William married a lady named Peggy (maiden name or age not known) and had sons named Vincent born 1770, Warren born 1771, Thornton born 1773, Joseph born 1774, and Enoch born 1775. Of these children Thornton is my paternal 4th great grandfather. Born Thornton Golding in 1773 in Virginia. He married a young lady by the name of Margaret Elizabeth Tharpe , the daughter of Jesse and Lucinda  on January 19, 1801 in Faurquier, Virginia. In the marriage bond below, it incorrectly states that 'Elizabeth Tharpe' is the daughter of John and Lucy Tharpe. However, a check of the actual registration shows  she is the daughter of "Jessy and Lucy".
           

Marriage Bond of Thornton Golden and Elizabeth Tharpe

Also not known is the reason why or when the name changed from 'Golding' to ' Golden' gradually  between the years of 1800 to 1833.