Cemeteries along the way...

Cemeteries on the way...

Labor Day weekend, my husband and I went camping for the weekend.  Our destination was Bluffton, Indiana so we could do genealogy research in the surrounding area.  We would wander through some cemeteries and spend a few hours at Allen County Public Library going through books and records.  We were also hoping to enjoy our travel trailer for one last time for the season.  Maybe we would have a bonfire or two, eat the usual camping food and drink a beer or two. Little did we know that there would be several surprise discoveries which I'll share with you here on the blog.

On Friday, while we drove to the Fort Wayne area, I had planned for stops at several cemeteries that were along the route.  I had gone out to findagrave.com and found what I thought was their exact locations so we would have no trouble find them. 

The first one was in Columbia City, Indiana, Green Hill Cemetery.  The grave that I was looking for was for Sarah E (Smith) Hood.  She is the daughter of James and Susanna (Overly) Smith.  She married Robert F. Hood on March 26, 1861.  They had three sons;  Robert F (b. 1862), James A. (b. 1863 , d. 1863) and John W (b. 1869). 

On one side of this stone is the inscription for Sarah E Smith Hood.  She was born in Darke County on October 25, 1834.   She died on January 13, 1875 at the age of  41 years old. At the base of this face of the stone is the inscription for James A Hood the infant son who died on August 20, 1863.

Robert F remarry Mary Jane Hilderbrand on January 2, 1876.  She died a few short years later sometime after the 1880 Federal Census.   Robert was remarried  a third time to Mollie Cate on April 9, 1884.   In the 1900 Census, Robert and Mollie are in Columbia City, Indiana but by the 1910 Census, Robert and Mollie are in Chicago living at  John W Hood home with his family.  Robert Hood died on Sept 4, 1914 in Chicago at the home of his son, John W. He was returned to Green Hill Cemetery for his burial.   I have not found where Mary Jane  (Hilderbrand) Hood is buried or Mollie (Cates) Hood. 

 

 Happy Hunting until next time!

Jan

Seeing the Smith Family Stone.....

Labor Day weekend, my husband and I planned a short camping trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana. OK, I hear you...Fort Wayne, Indiana??????  Not exactly a location with a huge tourist draw, like Disney World or Universal Studios... BUT if you are a family history buff than you know all about Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Allen County Public Library which has an awesome Genealogy Collection. And if you are even slightly interested in Family history, you owe it to yourself to check it out!  Sometimes I wish I lived closer but if I did...I would be in trouble because I would be there too much!!! We were only there for part of Saturday and that was too short.  The week prior, I had been very busy with work so I was not very well organized.  I usually try to go there with a specific plan for what I want to research but not this time.....

I have been trying to plan a trip to Fort Wayne for over a year.  Last year around Labor Day, Mark Davis reset a grave stone which he had repaired for me. He sent me an email to let me know that the stone had been put back in place.  The stone had a brace on it...He promised he would return in a week or so to remove it.   The stone was broken into several pieces.  As it turned out a piece was missing but he put it all together with what he had and did an amazing job.  A year ago, I wrote a blog about it and Mark Davis.  I meant to get over to Fort Wayne as soon as I could but life and work kept me from getting there to see the finished work.  

The stone is for James and Susanna Smith, and three of their children.  Kisiah age 19, Charles age 23, and Barbary who died as an infant.  James and these three children were fairly early burial in the Nine Mile Cemetery.   Susanna does not appear in burial records from the church and the church has good records so I continue to search for her.

There is so much more to share about our weekend trip to Fort Wayne but that will need to be a different blog so until then...Happy Hunting!

Love,

Jan 

Everett A. Smith - his early years of service to God

I wish I had asked my Grandfather how and when he came to his decision to become a member of the Methodist clergy but I did not.  He was always my Grandfather, the minister.  A strong man of faith who was the smartest person in the world who I knew. He seemed interested in everything which was current... current events, the state of religion, people.  He was a prolific reader about the government, news, business and religion.  He spoke with a strong clear voice and there was no doubt that he knew what he was talking about.

Everett 's father, Alvin died in 1925 when Everett was a mere 21 years old.  Certainly not enough time to have learned a life time of lessons from him.

This photo is of Everett and a coworker at an Automotive plant on Dort Highway in Flint in the late 1920's or early 1930. It appears that Everett worked in the Auto industry as his father did until shortly after Lucille died in January of 1931.

Everett and Lillian Losee had been married on August 28, 1923. Lucile was born on October of 1924.  This is of Everett, Lillian and Lucile was taken at 761 Whitherbee Street in Flint.  I would guess that it was taken in the spring of 1925.  I am not familiar with this address so I assume that it was a rental that they lived in in the early days of their marriage.  It might be interesting to see if I could find this house some day. They would later have a small home built on Term Street near the home built by Alvin and Cora and Uncle Frank.

Lucile died on March 21, 1931 at Hurley Hospital of strep before the days of penicillin.

 These two events were devastating to Everett. It was at this time that he decided to go to Albion College Seminary program to become a minister. He attended school for about a year. He lived in Albion while Grandma and Dad remained in Flint on Term Street.  I remember seeing notes which Grandpa sent to his wife and son while he was at school.  He spoke of his studies and how he missed his family reminding them that it was only for a short time and then they would be back together again. The notes were written on cards the size of postcards but looked more like recipe cards.  

After completed his training, he began his ministry at a Methodist church in Flint.

Everett's temporary license to administer communion, baptisms marriages and preach the gospel.

Everett's permanent License

Everett's second church was the Genesee Methodist church located in Genesee, Michigan.  He began to serve as pastor in September 1933 shortly before receiving his final credentials. 

This photo was taken of the Smith family while Everett was at the Genesee Church.  It is the church  was Harold's childhood church where he attended Sunday School and made many friends.

Genesee Church

Everett served the Genesee Methodist church for several years.  My Grandmother saved many items related to Grandpa ministry including a program from the Genesee Re-Dedication service in 1940. She also saved many newspaper articles. In one such article it states " The beautiful church and parsonage located in the quiet and thriving community of Genesee was built by the local citizens  in 1903 and dedicated to the Methodist Protestant Church.  This edifice which has served the community for 37 years underwent  an extensive redecorating and renovating program this summer and was rededicated in the name of the Methodist Church.  The work consisted of remodeling of the auditorium, redecorating of the church parlors, paint for the exterior of the church and parsonage and installation of a new heating system which included air conditioning."

 I did not realize that you could get air condition in 1940.  And in the days of internet and computers, it is sometimes hard to believe that these little news clipping she saved were the best vehicle of communicating in that day and age!  Everett was a very well liked minister and served the Genesee church and the surrounding community well.  

Bulletin saved from the Re-dedication Service - 1940

In 1936, Everett took on the pastoral responsibilities for the Richfield Center church while still serving the Genesee church. At the Richfield church like the Genesee church, Everett over saw major renovation projects while he was the pastor. The chancel renovation on the Richfield church was completed in the winter of 1940-1941. Renovations updates included new chancel chairs, drapery, pulpit lamp, flags, a cross and new candle holders for the alter. The Re-dedication services in Richfield was in 1941. The church was 60 years old. It was originally built in 1879.

Everett would be reassigned to the Marine City Church  on January 22, 1943.

This photo is of the Smith Family as they prepare to leave the area to go to Marine City.  Harold is now a teenager.

Happy Hunting,

Jan