Tombstone Tuesday - February 25, 2014 - Charles Losee

Charles Losee was the first born son of Edwin and Julie Ann (Payne) Losee born on December 1, 1835.  He enlisted in the Civil War and served in the Michigan 24th Infantry.  And it appears that he died during service on February 20, 1863. At this time it is not known if he died in action or from illness.  I will investigate and see what I can learn. He is buried in the Thetford Cemetery, Genesee County, Michigan.

Tombstone Tuesday - February 18, 2014 - Gabriel Miller

Gabriel Miller was the son of John and Hannah (Smith) Miller, born in Darke County Ohio on June 7, 1829.  John Miller and his family immigrated west toward Fort Wayne Indiana with several other families from Darke County, Ohio.  These families included the James Smith Family, Benjamin Davis Family and the Thomas Overly Family.  Eventually these four families and their adult children settled near Nine Mile Indiana where they were instrumental in founding a church which still exist today. It is the Nine Mile United Methodist Church. Gabriel and his wife Anna (Hannah) were among the founding members of this church in 1853. In the same year they had their first daughter named Belle but according to the 1860 Federal Census their second daughter Catherine is born in Iowa in 1857. So they obviously continued their journey west to Iowa. They settled in the township of Hamilton, the county of Webster in Homer, Iowa according to the 1860 Federal Census. By 1870 they had moved to Knoxville, Iowa where they remained the rest of their lives. Gabriel was a carpenter. Gabriel died on February 21, 1918 and was buried in Gracelawn Cemetery in Knoxville, Iowa.

Tombstone Tuesday February 11, 2014 - Virgil J Sparks

Virgil J Sparks was born to William and Della (Smith) Sparks on November 3, 1903.  He is the third child born to William and Della (Smith) Sparks.  He married Iona Pace on October 19, 1939.  In the 1940 Federal Census, Virgil and Iona are renting a home in Fort Wayne Indiana where he works for a Motel as a Laundry Supervisor. In a 1942 directory Virgil is listed as working for Sunshine Laundry in New Haven, Indiana. Virgil died on February 8, 1975 in Blackford, Indiana.

I have not been able to find a family contact for the Sparks family so far.  It is unfortunate.  I would like to know more about this family.  I will keep searching and trying.

Happy Hunting,

Jan

John Densmore or John Dinsmore of Ireland

Last fall I revisited the website Olive Tree Genealogy; www.olivetreegenealogy.com. The woman who created and maintains this website is a distant cousin of mine, Lorine McGinnis Schulze. I have written about her and her site before when we discovered our family relationship a year or so ago. If any of your family has Canadian roots, this site is a great place to start. Thanks Lorriane for all they you have done!!!! The website is a wealth of genealogy information and best of all it is free.  I am revisiting my Irish research on John Densmore. He is my GGGGrandfather on my mother's side of the family. He was born in Ireland.  I have conflicting birth dates of 1814 1nd 1804 from Census records and arrived in St John's New Brunswick is 1838.

John Densmore left Ireland on May 22, 1838 and arrived to St John's New Bruswick on June 22/23 1838 at the age of 24. His occupation was listed as a clerk. He was passenger #28 on a schooner named the “Susan Jane” which sailed from the Port of Sligo in Ballyshannon and he sailed on.... The ship was registered in the County Donegal. The Ship Captain or Mate was Hugh Hughes.
I have yet to find a marriage record for John Densmore and Clarissa Blake. The first evidence of them as a family come in the 1851 Census for Canada West, Ontario County, Whitby. They are listed in this Census with the following children; Nancy(1836), John(1838), William(1842), Mary(1843), James (1850). A daughter , Caroline was born in 1852

I found a site in Ireland that has helped me with Irish records. It is located here ; http://www.rootsireland.ie/ I was able to find some records which may be the parents of John. They live in the County of Donegal, the Parish is Drumhome and the town of Ballintra. The surname is Dinsmore rather than Densmore but it would be that John's name was misspelled when he arrive in Canada. This family consisted of John Dinsmore born 1780 and his wife Margaret Ferall born in 1786. They had appeared to have three children; John (1802 or 1804), Elizabeth(1812) and Andrew (1813).

There is also a William Dinsmore living in the area who has a son named Henry Dinsmore. Henry also married a Ferral daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father is William Ferral. Henry and Elizabeth Dinsmore had a son name William Dinsmore born in 1803. There is a death record for William Dinsmore who died Feb 21, 1812. So which William died? The child or the adult? I can not help but wonder if William Dinsmore is John and Henry's father. Further investigation will be needed to sort this out. I can only confirm our connection to the Densmore's in Canada for now but we are hot on the trail to see if we can get back to Ireland.

Tombstone Tuesday - Leah Mae Anderson Smith

Leah Mae Anderson Smith born on February 3, 1928, the daughter of Andrew and Addie (Densmore) Anderson.  She married her high school sweetheart Harold A Smith on May 27, 1950 in Marine City, Michigan. She  live an active life raising 6 children whom she adored. She worked along side her husband after al her children were grown.  She was 80 years old when she died on January 4, 2009.


Just remembering my Mom today the day after her birthday!

Leah as a toddler about 1930.

Leah 1949

Leah Smith 1950

Harold, Leah, Sharon, Pam, Jan, Sue in front - 1960

Leah, Mark and Matt - 1964

Leah 1974

Matt, George Mark, Harold and Leah

Love, Jan