Ardennes Geer Tillotson

abt 1900

Ardennes was born in 1849 to Samuel and Margaret (Allen) Geer.  She married Oscar Tillotson in 1869.  They had 6 children together: Asahel, Ada, John, Nelson, Oscar and Sabra. Almost everyone in the family lived into their 80's.  The youngest daughter died when she was only 64 but the oldest son lived until he was 93!  I would like to know how she got such a unique name.  It wasn't passed to any of their children but I also don't see it in the parts of the family tree I already have.  The other thing I would like to know is if this picture is a copy from a different picture.  The quality isn't great and it looks like there is part of a dark sleeve on her right side.

Shingle Mill Workers

Beemer Hefferman Mill Shingles and Ties

As noted in a previous post about Clark V. Green, the family worked in the shingle mills in Michigan.  (The discoloration in the lower corner is caused by the bend in the photo which is glued to a cardboard piece.)  There are no markings on this photo or the others that identify anyone, including Clark and Jennie, my husband's ancestors.  But based on other photos, I am guessing Jennie is the woman in the center sitting down with a child in her lap who is shielding her eyes.  With only 1 photo of Clark it is even more difficult to hazard a guess about him but just guessing, my husband & I agree that the most likely Clark is the man on the ladder with his hat on an angle!  I tried to get a better look at the man's hand since we know Clark was missing some fingers but only 1 hand is visible and the other is bent so it is hard to tell.

More research is needed to date this photo.  I will need to determine when they were working in the mills using the census records.  Clark died in 1930 at the age of 71 but he most have stopped working in the mills years before that so guessing the late 1800's for this photo.

Sarah Jane Case Burnett Case

1913

Great-Great Grandmother of my husband, Sarah Jane Case.  She was born in 1840 to Ira Case & Phebe Bagley Case in New York and married Charles Frank Burnett in 1860.  They had two children, Frank Charles & Nellie May.  Charles died in 1876 in New York.  At some point she moved to Michigan with her family.  She married Truman Case in 1880.  I am not sure if he was a relative but he could have been a cousin.  Truman died in 1907.  The last husband I have listed is Charles Ramsey, 1910.  The reason I am starting to question this one is because she is named as Grandma Case in the above photo.  This might have just been out of habit but maybe not.  Sarah died in 1915 in Bay Shore, Michigan.

Possible 4 Generation

1956

I'm in the process of finishing up the Philmore and Margaret Leita photos.  I came across an interesting photo where I can pretty solidly identify three of the people.  They are all labeled on the back but I haven't done much research on this family.  So the woman on the arm of the chair is my husband's grandmother, Leita Green.  This picture was in her stuff so it was probably her camera.  The woman on the opposite side with the pearls is her sister Florence.  The older woman is their mother Ida Cook Livingston Johnston.  On her lap is the baby Susan and the other woman is probably the baby's mother.  She is called Gerry.  Which is a nickname, most likely.  My best guess is that Gerry is short for Geraldine which is the name of Florence's oldest daughter.  But I have no dates or marriage or any other information other than her name.  So that is why this is only a possible four generation picture!

The Project Has Begun!

1960's Grace & Harold

My mother-in-law divided up all the old family photos by family group.  So the first set I pulled out was her own parents, Grace & Harold Vorce.  This is one of the photos I scanned.  Grace was born in 1901, Bay Shore Michigan.  Harold was born in 1903, Cross Village Michigan.  They were married in 1927 and had three children.  Duane Edwin was born in 1928, Harold Gale in 1931 and then Leah Grace in 1941.  Grace died at the age of 75 in 1976.  Harold died at the age of 90 in 1994.  (He did remarry in 1978.)  Leah died at the age of 64 in 2006 and Gale died at the age of 78 in 2010.

Winter Is Finally Here!

January 2012

Snow has finally arrived in Michigan!  It was a weird December without any of the white stuff but now that has changed.  Although I hate driving in it, I am glad it has arrived.  It is very beautiful and hardly winter in Michigan without any!