Some Irish Roots

Meant to get this posted on St Patrick's day but it just did not happen. So a day late

John C Densmore, Jr

John C Densmore, Jr - 1839 - 1906

 
John Densmore was the son of John and Clarissa(Blake) Densmore born in Canada the second of six children. He was born on November 8, 1839 in Darlington, Ontario, Canada. In the 1851 Ontario census, John is found with his parents he is listed as 13 years old. In the 1861 census, John is still in Ontario with his wife Sarah Louise (Reynolds) Densmore whom he married on June 16, 1856 in Canada. Two of the oldest children, Elizabeth (1857) and William(1859) are listed in the census with them. By September 12^th 1861, John and Sarah had left Ontario and were now in Marine City Michigan where Sarah would give birth to George Elmer Densmore, the first of their children who were born in Michigan. John Densmore enlisted as a private in Company K , Michigan 11^th Infantry Regiment in Jackson Michigan on February 25, 1865. He served until September 16^th when he was mustered out in Nashville Tennessee.

 
John and Sarah would have 10 children in all. Elizabeth(1857), William(1859), George(1861), Alice (1863), Charles(1864), Effie(1867), Norman(1869), Delbert (1871), Worthy(1873) and Harvey (1882).


There appears to be some confusions as to when John came to the US. In the 1900 Federal Michigan census, it states that John came to Michigan in 1855 and became a naturalized citizen. His marriage is recorded in Canada in 1856 to Sarah Louise Reynolds. Sarah is listed as born in Canada and in Michigan in different Census records. It is known that her father spent a lot of time traveling between, Michigan, Ontario, New York and Ohio. He had brothers and their families who lived in each of these states. George Reynolds settled in the Paw Paw, Michigan. Which is in the south west corner of the lower peninsula. So I am still wondering how John Densmore met and married Sarah Louise Reynolds in Canada. John and Sarah settled in Marine City, Michigan which is just across the border in Michigan. They had a clear view of Canada across the river from Marine City.

John's occupations change from census to census. His occupations were listed as a carpenter in the early 1861 Canadian census. In 1870 Federal Michigan Census he is listed as a Laborer. By the 1880 Michigan Federal Census, he is listed as a farmer. By the 1900 Census, he is listed as a ship carpenter.


John Densmore died on February 16, 1906 of Addison Disease. He was first buried in small cemetery in Smith's Creek, Michigan, a small farming settlement near Marine City and later moved to the Marine City Cemetery. This is an unverified family story. But his sons reportedly reburied him there after his wife died and was buried in Marine City. It is said that they moved his tombstone also and set it up backwards. His grave is marked with a Civil War Military stone provided to veterans by the US Government.