June 1, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, while grocery shopping on Senior Citizen’s day, my eye caught the attention of a lovely lady.  We smiled and nodded which we older folks often do.  Then it hit me that she looked familiar and I just had to know her name or it would have haunted me for days.  I turned around and confronted her with “ I’m sure that I know you, what is your name?”  She replied “Mildred Spencer”.  Bingo, she was married to my first cousin, Dwight Spencer.  We talked for a few minutes and she related that she would be speaking to Dwight’s sister, Leona, on her birthday.  I have not kept up with this branch of the family.  Leona lives in another state south of us here in Indiana.

Mildred is 92 years old and looks many years younger, is bright, and beautiful.  I asked her to remember me to Leona and we parted.  Also, I  told her that I had traced the family back to the 1600’s.  She showed interest and I decided that I would attempt to relate in story form the information that I had gleaned.  That was my original intent when I joined the writing class, which has turned into a Memoirs Group, which meets monthly.  So, here is my attempt to accomplish that goal.

Bennett Family Tale

by Lois C. Krone

Once upon a time…  in London, England…  it was 1629… a baby was born and he was called Henry Bennett.  He grew up to become one of the many, many young men who sailed the seas to the new land, America.   England had not provided this young man with an extensive education and thus he provided for himself and his family in the new world by tilling the land.  But he must have been a clever man since he actually acquired several pieces of property, which he later left to his several children.  Land sales and deeds and court records have shown this to be true.  Comments of that era stated that he was “shrewd, sagacious and energetic”.  (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Note: Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. Search performed using PAF Insight on 07 Feb 2006.  Text: HENRY BENNET; Male; Christening: 02 AUG 1629 Saint Clements, Hastings, Sussex, England; Father: HENRY BENNET.)

Henry married Lydia Perkins in Ipswich, MA in or around 1650 and she blessed him with seven sons.  Lydia was born in Boston before June 3, 1632 – perhaps we will discover more about her later..

At this point in our story we are concerned with their son, Benjamin, whose wife was named Abigail.  They married in Ipswich, MA in 1695 and were the parents of, among others, Moses Bennett, my ancestor, born around 1691, perhaps in Groton, MA.

In these modern times, it is possible to discover the ancestry of folks by testing for DNA, and it is this method that indicates Henry as the grandparent of Moses Bennett, who has been proven by old records to be my sixth great grandfather.  The early records of New England are very extensive as compared to other parts of the country and it has been delightful to learn of those who went before us.

Now we come to the marriage of Moses in Groton, MA, August 11, 1719, to Anna Blanchard, who came from an extensive family, whose history we have recorded elsewhere.  This marriage produced ten children, seven boys and three girls.  Of course, only one of these Bennett boys is my concern and he is Jonathan, born May 17, 1733 in Groton, MA.

Now, Jonathan, really ‘got around’.  He married Mary Going (Gowing), born May 9, 1731, in Reading, MA, daughter of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Eaton) Going.  Mr. Going’s grandparents hailed from England.  Jonathan and Mary’s marriage produced two girls and two boys; one of the boys, born in 1764 in Shirley, MA was named James, but I am getting ahead of my Tale…

We concentrate on Jonathan here.  In 1778 Jonathan is listed as the first Town Clerk of Hancock, Hillsborough County, NH.  (My daughter, Karen, and I journeyed to Hancock, NH and with the aid of a local historian, found Jonathan’s home that had been moved and combined with another home in the countryside near Hancock.)  He was still there in 1782 and a Selectman, which elected post was filled by local men to run the towns in early New England; similar to the town board of today..

Excerpt History of Hancock County, NH:

“The Hancock Town Charter granted November 5, 1779 authorized Jonathan Bennett to call a meeting of the inhabitants of the town to choose all necessary and customary town officers. No record of this call or of the first town meeting has been preserved, but the record of incorporation is made by Jonathan Bennett “Town Clark.” It is to be presumed that he called a meeting and that it was probably authentic, so notes W.W. Hayward in the History of Hancock. The town meeting of which we have no record was held at Bennett’s house. Asa Adams, Bennett’s son-in-law and John Moors were in attendance and it was said there were just enough there to fill the positions.

“The brief explanation Hayward gave for the poor attendance was that the snow was so deep the men had to wear snowshoes. W. R. Cochrane in the History of Antrim gives more detail. He wrote, the winter of 1779-80 has a place of note as the “Hard Winter.” For most of the winter snow was five feet deep on the level, storms of deep snows completely buried the small early houses and log cabins. The only means of communication was by men on snowshoes. Those who had no boots or shoes sewed rags on their feet, or used old stockings, either one soaked in neatsfoot oil which was said to provide warmth and keep the feet from freezing. People could not get to the mill for grain and after their supply was used up they lived on boiled corn and various broths.”

 

Therefore Bennett and Adams were elected Selectmen and Moors was elected Constable.

“The first Hancock recorded town meeting was held March 3, 1780.  Following this long and severe winter came the “Dark Day,” May 19, 1780. For several days the air was full of smoky vapors as if a fire had been burning in the forest. The sun and moon appeared red and somewhat obscured. The early morn of the 19th was cloudy, showery and cool with some thunder and lightning. About 10 A.M. it began to grow dark. The birds flew to their nests, chickens to their roosts and animals ran to shelters. The rain that followed was full of a substance that smelled like burned vegetable matter forming a scum that smelled of soot and covered over everything. At noon people had to light candles and many thought the end of the world had come. Anxiously people waited for the full moon to rise but to no avail. Townsfolk sat up all night to pray and to wait and see if the sun would rise. The 20th of May 1780 dawned bright and beautiful.
(Excerpted from the History of the Town of Antrim)

By the age of 52, in 1785, Jonathan located his family in Great Bend, Susquehanna County, PA and later in Oakland in the same county.  In 1788 he was a town developer in Conklin, Broome Co., NY near the PA state line.  It is possible that his home was still in Great Bend, since Conklin, NY is nearby.

Also the book shows evidence of their founding and membership in the local churches.

 

Also:  History of Susquehanna County Pennsylvania. BY EMILY C. BLACKMAN.
PHILADELPHIA: Claxton, Remsen, & Haffelfinger. 1873.

Daniel Buck, afterwards “Priest” Buck, with whom he boarded, His son David1 says:–

“He was to furnish the meat, and the major the breadstuff — frost-bitten corn — to be pounded in a mortar, as there were then no mills in the country. The first day he went into the woods, he brought home a deer. They shortly afterward moved down the river to Great Bend, which, as near as I can make out (there is no infallibility in the traditions of the elders), was in the fall of 1787, or thereabout.

“After exploring the country, and getting acquainted with the oldest settlers, viz., Moses Comstoke, Jonathan Bennett., Deacon Jedediah Adams, etc., he went back to Vermont, and married Elizabeth Lewis, sister of Nathaniel Lewis, who married about the same time Sarah Cole, whose sister, Lorasa Cole, afterwardss married Timothy Pickering, Jr.

“Well, now for the emigrant train. Isaac Hale and Nathaniel Lewis had a yoke of steers and a cart, on which to carry all their plunder (baggage), a distance of about two hundred and twenty miles from Wells, Rutland County, Vt., to Willingborough,2 Luzerne County, Pa. After writing those long names, please let me make a digression. Two hundred and twenty miles — a short distance in the present time — not so then — a small company, but void of fear. They had heard Ethan Allen swear, and so were not afraid of bears. They wnt through to Pennsylvania, as near as I can make it, in 1790.

“Isaac Hale bought an improvement of Jonathan Bennett. The land he aftereard bought of Robert H. Rose, the same place on which I was raised, and on which he lived when I left my native place, and where he was buried.”

This place is now occupied by James M. Tillman, in Oakland.

Sheriff’s Sale – To be held 14^th day of Feb. next at the house of Sylvanus HATCH, Willingborough Twp. Land situated in Willingborough, containing 450+ acres, seized and taken in execution as the property of Ozias STRONG. Mentions land borders on that of Stephen MURCH and Elisha LEONARD. Benj. DORRANCE, Sh’ff   Note:  Stephen Murch was married to Jonathan Bennett’s daughter,  Rebecca

Also:

CONKLIN^CN1–was formed from Chenango , March 29, 1824. A part of Windsor was taken off in 1831, and a part was annexed from Windsor in 1851. It lies upon the Susquehanna, S. of the center of the co. Its surface consists of the fine broad intervale of the river and high, broken uplands which rise upon each side. The summits of the hills are 400 to 600 feet above the valley. The declivities upon the W. side of the river are very steep, but upon the E. they are generally more gradual. Little Snake Creek flows in an easterly direction through the S. W. part. Its valley is narrow and is bordered by steep hills. The soil upon the summits of the hills is a hard clayey and gravelly loam largely intermixed with fragments of slate. In the valley the soil is a deep, rich alluvium and gravelly loam. Kirkwood (p. v.) is situated on the E. bank of the Susquehanna, in the S. part of the town. It is a station on the Erie R. R., and contains 25 houses. Conklin Center and Corbettsville are p. offices, and Millburn and Conklin are hamlets. At Millburn are extensive pyroligneous acid works. The settlement of the town was commenced in 1788, at the mouth of Snake Creek, by Jonathan Bennett, Ralph Lathrop, and Waples Hance. ^CN2 The first religious services were conducted by Revs. David Dunham and John Leach, Methodist missionaries. There are 4 churches in town; M. E., Presb., Bap., and Christian.

 

^CN1 Named from Judge John Conklin, one of the early settlers.

^CN2 Among the early settlers were Gerret Snedaker, David Bound, Daniel Chapman, Peter Wentz, Asa Rood, Nathaniel Tagot, Asa Squires, John Bell, Silas Bowker, Joel Lamoreaux, Abraham Sneden, David and Joseph Compton, Abraham Miller, Ebenezer Park, Noel Carr, and Thos. Cooper. The first birth was that of William Wentz, Feb 18, 1795; the first marriage that of Noel Carr and Sally Tousler in 1803; and the first death, that of Silas Bowker. The first gristmill was built at “Fitchs Creek: in 1790. The first school was Taught by George Lane, in 1801.

Jonathan and Asa Adams laid out roads in the area along with Isaac Hale who was involved with Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion.  In fact, Isaac’s daughter ran off and married Joseph despite her father’s disapproval.  The early history of Joseph Smith is covered in this book with all of the negative intonations as to the man’s character, etc., a story too long to include here.  Isaac Hale lived in the home previously owned by Jonathan Bennett, long after Jonathan removed to NY.

James Bennett, son of Jonathan, Sr., followed him to Milton, (now Genoa), Cayuga County, NY, by 1800, since they appear living side by side in the census of that year.  The other son, Jonathan, Jr. is written up in the PA history book mentioned above.  We neither know the names of his children nor the date nor place of his death, but there is no doubt that they played a large part in the development of the area.  There are many Bennetts who remained in this county after Jonathan and family moved to NY, since there are letters telling of their trips back for visits.  However, there is a Jonathan Bennett family living next to James Bennett in New York, in 1810 and another by the same name in 1820 (much younger), so this is a bit murky.  The Murch and Adams families remained in PA.  These history books and early records have not told us when Jonathan passed away nor where he is buried.

We turn now to James Bennett, son of Jonathan, born Sept. 25, 1764, in Shirley, Middlesex County, MA.  But, before we go further, I will endeavor to explain how we arrived at this point in our search.

My sister, Patricia Johnson Kane, became interested in genealogy, and even provided me with a computer to help with her search – back in the mid 1990’s.  Since I am 17 years older than Pat and live in the historical family county of Porter, in Indiana, and remember fairly current events and relatives, she rightly figured that I would give her a hand.  I immediately became interested and involved, traveling to the library in Valparaiso to search out the complete census records on microfilm.  It was eye straining, but addictive, so I ignored the eyestrain and gave Pat all the info that I found – a lot of typing, etc., but by involving a cousin by marriage here in Indiana, we discovered the maiden name of our great grandmother, Sarah Jane Coslet, a well known Porter town resident.   This cousin was the aforementioned Mildred Spencer.

Mildred had been the church secretary of the little yellow brick E.U.B. pre-Methodist church from which Sarah had been belatedly christened and laid to rest. (This fact was determined by The Chesterton Tribune Obituary records, and backed up by the Michigan City Dispatch).  Mildred kindly went into the church records and determined Sarah’s maiden name of Berry, along with her parents’ names of John and Lovesta.  With this information in hand, Pat searched the Internet and found information determined by distant related cousins.  Then the information exploded!  All of the above fell into place along with what will follow in this narrative, by much more searching and using the search engines of the Mormon Church, called Rootsweb, consisting of thousands of areas and surnames.

 

The following research is printed here as we received it over the Internet from distant cousins:

This is from the Book “Four Families” by Richard Jones:  (More information has been found on James, which is related in this Tale.)

James Bennett’s birth probably occurred before 1774, inasmuch as his oldest known child was born about 1792. His place of birth, and the names of his parents, have not yet been determined. “Lolliette” is a name provided by the Russell Narrative9 as the grandmother of Mary Adelia Bennett. No other information has yet been discovered regarding her.

The Russell Narrative also placed this family in Livingston County, New York. The many Bennetts who lived in the Livingston, Genesee, and Allegany County area of New York came from at least three separate and unrelated Bennett families and locations. While many other researchers have traced these Bennett ancestors to that area and documented their names and origins, none of these Bennetts seem to be related to our James and his children.

The records of our Bennett family center around the town of Mt. Morris and Nunda in Western New York. Changes in county boundaries have complicated the search. At the time of the 1820 census, Mt. Morris was in Genesee County, but later became a part of Livingston County. Nunda was in Allegany County until 1846, when it also joined Livingston County.

James Bennett and family moved to Nunda in 1813. They had previously lived elsewhere

in New York State because most of the children later reported their births as being in New York. It is probable that the family lived in Cayuga County just before moving to Nunda. It is also possible that our James Bennett is the James Bennett that operate4 a ferry across Cayuga Lake in 1798 (- not our James, that James was the son of Dr. John Bennett. lck). In 1820, James was living beside his son Truman in Mt. Morris.

James’ wife, presumed to be named Lolliette, died when Edwin was quite young, and Edwin’s older sister, Lovina, cared for and raised him. No firm information has been located as to the dates or location of the deaths of either James or Lolliette.

Child 1: Chester lived in Angelica, in Allegany County, in 1820; in Mt. Morris, in Livingston County in 1830; and in Groveland, in Livingston County in 1840. In 1865, Chester was living in Nunda. He was listed in the census as being 73 years old, which means he was born in late 1791 or early 1792. He wife was listed as “Ora.” (Chester and Orah were living with C.VanRiper and their daughter, Sarah, in the 1870 census in Nunda. note added by LCK)

During the intervening years, 1841 to 1864, Chester has not been found in any census or other records for New York State, but a Chester Bennett living in Jackson County, Michigan in 1850 is very likely our Chester. (He is not, LCK) The age is right (37, which would make his birth 1792-93) and there is a daughter named Lovina, which is the name of Chester’s sister. Also, there is a granddaughter named “Susan” living with Chester in 1865 who lists her place of birth as “Mison,” which could be the enumerator’s way of abbreviating Michigan. The only contrary indication is that the Michigan Chester is listed as having a wife named “Rachel.”

A biography of James’ family with the information apparently supplied by a descendant of Lovina, states that Chester moved to Oakland (very near Nunda) and implies that he remained there, but it seems that he did not. (We will relate more about Chester later – he moved his family west with his siblings to Illinois.  LCK)  Chester’s daughter, Mary Bennett Hall, was an editor and poetess, and published the book “Live Coals.” Another daughter, Susan, married Cornelius Van Riper “the Miller at Oakland.” The 1850 U.S. census for Livingston County, Portage Township (where Oakland is located) shows Susan and Cornelius, ages 30 and 29, living in the household of Garret Van Riper, and in 1865 they are shown living in their own home in that township.

Child 2: Truman C. is well documented. According to the 1850 census, he was born in 1797. He married in 1820, according to War of 1812 pension files, and the census for that year (1820) has him living with his wife in Mt. Morris. He was in Hornby, Steuben County New York in 1830, in Nunda in 1840, and in Jo Davies County Illinois in 1850. According to War of 1812 pension files, he died in Clinton County Iowa in 1870. The children of Truman and Betsy Ann are Alvarian, Eunace, Urlyhigh, Mary Donhika, Egbert, Edgar, and Truman F.

Child 3: Gaylord, born in 1799, was possibly married and living with his father in 1820; that would explain some of the persons listed in the 1820 census as living in James’ household. The U.S. census shows him as a separate household in 1830, with four children. He lived in Nunda in 1840, in Mt. Morris in 1843 (besides the census report, his daughter “America” states that she was born there in that year), and in Jo Davies County Illinois in 1850. The children of Gaylord and his wife, Roksanna, are William B., Jarvis L., George D., Theodore H., Lavina, and America.

Child 4: According to the Russell Narrative, Lovina “partly raised” the youngest child, Edwin, presumably because their mother had died. Lovina would have been age 12 when Edwin was born. She would have been 11 when the family moved to Nunda, and she was considered an authority on the number of Indian camps in and around Nunda in that year.

Lovina was married three times. She had one child from her marriage to Barak Tozer,

Barak Tozer, Jr., who was an artist. Her second marriage, to Richard Bowen, produced sons, Richard, James, Chester, and John. No children were born in her third marriage, to Hiram Bishop.

James and Chester Bowen were in Company I of the First New York Dragoons during the Civil War, and James later wrote a history of that unit. John J. Bowen was a musician with the 86th New York Volunteers.  (Chester Bowen received the Medal of Honor for his Civil War service.  I have a photo of his grave and certificate.  LCK)

Lovina is shown by census records as living in Nunda in 1850 with her husband Richard Bowen and their four sons; in 1855 in Nunda as a widow, with two of her sons still at home; and in Nunda in 1865 as the wife of Hiram Bishop with sons Barak Tozer (listed as a portrait painter) and John J. Bowen. James Bowen was also living in Nunda that year, but with his wife in the household of her parents.

Children 5 & 6: Alva (also written Alvah and Alvey) who was born in 1804, and James, who was born in 1807, seem to have migrated together. They each first appear in the census in 1830, in Mt. Morris, living near brothers Chester and Vincent. A history De Kalb County Illinois states that “among the persons living here in 1838 were . . . Alvah and James Bennett,” and both are shown by the 1840 U.S. census to be living in De Kalb County, Illinois.

Based on the birthplaces of their children, Alva moved from New York to Illinois between 1836 and 1839, and James between 1834 and 1839. These two moved on to Jo Davies County. It is quite possible that Truman, Gaylord, Vincent, and Edwin later traveled to De Kalb County where Vincent and Edwin took over the property of Alva and James, who went on with Truman and Gaylord to Jo Davies County. The children of Alva and Charlotte are Allen, Ellen, Hannah, Charlotte, Alvey, and Beniak. James and Zenith’s children are James, Jason, Rosy, Lucius, Elizabeth, and Melvin.

Child 8: No records have been found that relate to Levi. In fact the Russell Narrative contains the cryptic note, “lost track of Levi.” Perhaps he died young, or maybe he moved off by himself. The Narrative states that some of the brothers went to Galena, Illinois (which is in Jo Davies County) and some to Missouri. Maybe Levi is one that went to Missouri.  (Nope, that was Chester..  LCK)

Children 7 & 9: Vincent, born 1808, and Edwin, born 1814, also seem to have stuck together. Vincent was living in Mt. Morris in 1830. In 1840, both Vincent and Edwin were living in Almond in Allegany County (Edwin single), and in 1850, the two were living side-by-side in De Kalb County, Illinois. Vincent and Polly’s 5 children are Silvester, Miranda, Matilda, Charles, Julia, Edson, Edmund, and Helen.

Richard F. Jones
7608 Sandy Pt. Rd. NE, Olympia, WA 98516-9151

 

If you are still with me, I will continue with our fourth great grandfather, James Bennett.  He married Lola (Loliette) Pritchard before 1792 when their first child was born as testified here by a descendant, O. L. B.  (Sorry, I cannot locate his full name):

From Jonathan Bennett’s recollections (Jonathan was James’ father)

Record of the family of James Bennett and Lola Pritchard, his wife:

Olive Bennett b.1 Jan 1792
Chester Bennett b. 29 Nov 1793 (Our connection to this family)
Lyman Bennett b. 12 Dec 1795
Truman Bennett b. 28 Oct 1797
Gaylord Bennett b. 29 Jul 1799
Alva Bennett b. 19 Jul 1801
Lovina Bennett b. 28 Nov 1803
Lovesta Bennett b. 28 Nov 1803
James Bennett b. 15 Aug 1806
Vincant Bennett b. 2 Jun 1808
Levi Bennett b. 5 Jan 1811
Edwin Bennett b. 6 Nov 1812
Mary Bennett 3 Aug 1814

Jan. 9, 1805 moved from Locke and arrived at Deacon Adams the 11th day of the same month. ( I think this must be in Nunda. O.L.B.)  Wondering…. (Do you suppose they could have headed south to Great Bend, PA for the worst of the winter??? Two day trip… Bears a lot of looking into, I think.  Perhaps we can find a Deacon Adams there. – We did – it was mentioned that Jonathan and James helped found one of the churches there… I am posting these thoughts to S.A. Spencer, who originated the thread…  Pat)

Blessed be God for his great goodness to us. We pray God to preserve us from sin.

Mar 8, 1805 the river cleared of ice. It thundered and rained the same day, also the 9th.

Oct 16, 1819 This day Jonathan Bennett and his wife have lived together 72 years.( I notice this does not say “married” 72 years… Could that mean that they lived together before they were married, as was not unusual?  If this IS Moses’ son Jonathan, he would have been 14 at that time, but 14 was much ‘older’ than now..)

Bless God for his goodness to us.

Chester Bennett was born in Susquehanna, PA on 11/29/1792/3 to James and Orah (Engle) Bennett.  His parents were found in Milton (later, Genoa), Cayuga County, NY in 1800 when Chester was eight years old..  The 1810 census locates him with his family in Locke (later, Groton), Cayuga County, NY, at age 18.  In 1813 the family is listed in a Centennial booklet as living in Oakland, NY, one of the earliest settler families.  (See insert)

Chester Bennett, himself, is listed as an early settler in the town of West Almond as found in the Book, Allegany County and its People.  There was also listed a family by the name of Engle and although we cannot prove it, we believe that he chose his wife from that family being married to Orah Olive Engle about 1815.  Then they must have moved to Angelica, NY, a charming town a short distance NW of West Almond, for their daughter Lovesta Bennett, my great, great grandmother, was born there on November 20, 1823.  Little did she speculate that her gggrandaughter would be born in November one hundred years later, and be determined to delve into her life.

Chester and Orah had six daughters and one son.  All were born in New York, but we only have the exact date and place for Lovesta.  One of the daughters was named Alvesta and we have speculated that she and Lovesta could be twins, since almost every generation of this family produced them.  There is no record of Alvesta.  These children all grew up in New York State, but most of them traveled West to Illinois along with their parents and uncles in the mid 1850’s.

At age 38, in 1830, Chester’s family is in Mt. Morris, Livingston Co., NY, living down the road from his three brothers, Alvah, James and Vincent, but by the mid 1840’s the brothers, plus Edwin, have left NY and are in DeKalb, Illinois.  The Chester Bennett family is living in Groveland, Livingston, NY in 1840.  I transcribe what we found in various places about their life there as described to our daughter, Karen:

Hi, Karen

We had always wondered why there were so many young men living with Chester Bennett in Groveland (in the 1840 census), just south of Mt. Morris where he had lived in 1830.  There were two other ‘homes’ nearby on the census page, which also housed many young men, one of which was his wife’s relative, probably brother.

In one of my many Rootsweb List messages, I learned about a settlement of Shakers in Groveland in 1840 and said “Hmmmm.  Could some of these folks be from that Society?”

With my new fast server, it is easy to get around, so I went ahead to 1850 in Groveland Census (even though by then our folks were in Illinois) and sure enough there were almost two pages of folks listed as being part of the Shaker Society.  In the 1840 census only the name of the head of the house is listed, with just numbers representing the genders and approx. ages of those in the household.

After reading the Shaker info on this website:
http://www.crookedlakereview.com/articles/136_167/137fall2005/137martin.html ,
I realized that he must have rented space to these people.  His one neighbor with many young folks was named Lucius Southwait who is listed in the story above.  He got in trouble for falling in love with one of the young Sisters, etc..  He still was there ten years later – in the Society, I mean, but no Bennetts were around.  Perhaps they were movers, not Shakers!

Love, Mom

 

October 6, 2010 

Moving along with Chester we find ourselves in Crystal Lake, McHenry Co., IL. in 1850.  We assume they traveled west via Lake Erie into Lake Michigan on to the shores of Illinois, probably the Chicago area.  Chester would be age 58 in the 1850 census, and with them we find their son, James Miles, age 24, and daughter Mary, age 16.  Next door is their daughter, Lovesta (Bennett) Berry and her husband, John, and their daughters, Orah E. and Mary Amelia, who were born in New York before their trek to IL.  Their five subsequent daughters were all born in McHenry County, IL.

Now, Chester and his family were not content to remain in IL and journeyed to Saline County, MO in the mid 1850’s.  Of course, John and Lovesta and five young daughters moved along with them as well as did James and family.  Lovesta’s daughter, Sarah, five at the time, remembered the trip by covered wagon, as related to her granddaughter, Anna Kipper:  Note from Diane Sweitzer:

I found notes I took many years ago when I interviewed my grandmother, Anna Kipper.

She said she and “Grammy” (Sarah Berry Coslet) were quarantined together at one time due to diphtheria.  She said during that time they had plenty of time to talk a little bit about family history.  Here are a few notes:

“Granny said she was born in Woodstock, McHenry County, Illinois.  When we had diphtheria Granny would sit in her sewing rocker near the window.  I didn’t have sense enough to ask her about the family then.  She must have been about 70.  She said her first husband was killed by a falling tree.  She used to say, ‘who would want old Sarah Berry’?  She told of moving to Fort Dodge and riding in a covered wagon.  Her mother would bake pies and cakes for the soldiers.  She used to say when the Indians approached the fort they would run and hide.  She used to say, ‘dirty, stinking, thieving, redskin Indians.  They’d steal the hair right off your head.’  When her father died, the family moved back here.” 

The record of the 1860 census finds the Bennetts and Berrys in two places!  They must have moved in between two separate reports.  Initially they were found in Salt Pond Township and later in Pettis County near Sedalia.  James Miles and Ellen probably stayed in MO, as this obituary of their two children indicates:

Obit from the Nunda News, Sat., November 4th, 1865
At Caneseraga, Oct. 5th, Nealy. V. R. (Cornelius) Bennett, orphan son of James Miles and Ellen E.Bennett, aged eight years and five month.

At Nunda Station, Sept. 25th, Susie E. Bennett, orphan daughter of James Miles and Ellen E. Bennett, aged four years.

Our Nealy and baby, Susie, have gone from us. They now lay side by side in the “city of the dead.” We had learned to love the patter of their busy feet, and the music of their sweet young voices; and though they were orphans, there was no lack of loving arms to shield them from, all, save the hand that giveth and taketh away. Though no father or mother was there to see the fresh earth heaped above their child forms, there were those who will mourn and yearn in vain for the sound of the little orphan’s feet.

Away on the banks of the Mississippi, on one of those towering bluffs that overhang the great father of waters, lies the father and mother of the little orphans. The husband and wife, and their two babes, though divided here are now together, and we trust, all in the arms of one who is just and wise. 

MARY L. HALL, Canaseraga. (sister of Lovesta Berry)

Chester and Orah moved back east by 1870 to live with their daughter, Sara Van Riper, in Nunda, Livingston County, NY; we do not know just when they left MO.,but it was before March 9, 1863.

Our family line continues with Lovesta Bennett Berry, my gggrandmother.  We already have told that she and John moved with her mom and dad to Georgetown, Pettis Co., MO in the mid 1850’s.  We wonder why to that area – perhaps it was the army for John, or land grants – there were many of those for adventurous folks.  At any rate, John left the scene just as mysteriously as he entered it and Lovesta re-married in 1863 as related in the following letter from her sister, Mary Hall:

Copy of a letter from Mary L. Hall, 9th of March 1863 – sent from New York as presented/edited by George Garrison, a distant cousin, who provided the breakthrough on our Lovesta and John Berry history via the Internet.

Dear Sister Lovesta and Husband.   We received a letter from Sarah (sister?)and Alvestta (sister?) today.  We were very glad to hear from Georgetown (Illinois?) as we always are.(( More likely Georgetown, MO in Pettis County just below Saline Co., where they were enumerated in 1860.  They were also counted in the 1860 census in Georgetown, Pettis County, MO. ‘Must have moved in between!  Lois))

We also got a letter from Orah (probably her niece & daughter of Lovesta) and Susan  (sister?) by the same mail.

Then dear sister Lovesta you are married again?  We had heard the news by the way of Amelia (probably her niece & daughter of Lovesta) before we got the letter from Georgetown.  Well Lovesta all the friends here are glad you have got a companion to lean on if yourself are suited, which I supposed you are, as you are old enough to judge for yourself.  Father and Mother (Chester  and Ora) hope it is all for the best.  We all know how lonely and hard it is for a woman left with children to bear life’s burdens alone.

Dear Sister, we all wish you happiness in this your second marriage and do not blame you at all if you think it is for the best, which I suppose you do.

“This is George….by the tone of these several remarks she remarried sooner then they thought she should after his death?”  See note from my grandmother below.

We were pleased with the little locks of hair enclosed in the letter but I could not exactly understand which was Mr. Bowers.  Have I got the name spelt correctly?  I have not yet learned the first name.  I would like to hear it in the next letter.

“George again…Now she is apparently addressing her nieces & daughters of Lovesta-probably the twins Flora and Florence Berrey.”

Girls you may tell Mr. Bowers for me that I think if he is worthy of my sister Lovesta he is worthy of any woman in the world, because I think she is good enough for any man who ever lived.  This is my opinion you know girls and it is undoubtedly correct.

“George again…I do not understand why this letter now is directed to Sarah”

Sarah, has Hiram Peeler (Orah’s husband) got a discharge from the Army?  Then Orah and Susan and Hiram went away to live by themselves did they?  Does your Ma think she will go back to Illinois?  Perhaps she would enjoy herself better there than she can in Missouri.

“George again…now she seems back to the nieces”

Oh children I would be glad to see all of you and your dear Mother (sister) too. And it may be that we will all see each other some time.

I would like to see Mr. Bowers too.  I think he will have to send us his likeness.  I don’t like the idea of having a brother in law that I never have even seen his Daguerreotype (picture).

Girls, does any of your family have the ague (flu or fever) any now? Well dear children I hardly know what more to write to you.  I have no news of interest to you, only that we all think of you often, very often indeed but that you know is no news to you is it?  I guess I will write a little address to Sister Lovesta on the new life she has taken up.

To My Sister Lovesta, by Mary L. Hall:

The gift I have to offer, Is an earnest Soul felt prayer,
For Joy to fill thy future, Free from weariness and care.
Oh, may dewy roses gather in clusters round thy way,
Fresh blossoms met together to light thy joyous day.
May the dew from Heaven cherish,
The blossoms in thy heart,
May its petals never perish, may its nectar never part.
May the God in Heaven bless thee,
Is my earnest Soul felt prayer,
May his loving arms caress thee,
and cherish thee up there.

All of the friends send their love and well wishes.

To the Babies, by Mary L. Hall: (To the 9-year-old twins–note hair & eye colors)

Babies, babies don’t you know, I would love to see you so,
Don’t you know sweet little pets, that Aunt Mary never forgets,
Your sweet blue eyes and auburn hair, laughing faces away out there.
You must study very hard, you will get your true reward,
You little blue eyed roguish girls, With sweet red lips and
auburn curls,  I hope to see you some bright day,
Oh for that I’ll hope and pray:

Good by all of you, write soon. Your sister Mary

 

This, also from George Garrison:

This letter was copied by Mary Wood Cheeseman in 1949 at age 66. I though of her as an old battle axe when I met her in 1933 (she was 53 at the time) But to ten year olds, anyone over 30 seemed old except your parents.  (per George Garrison)

Grandma Thoms wrote this note for me:

“Lovesta Jane Bennett was born in Angelica, Allegheny County, NY in 1823. She was married to John Berry (Berrey) in 1843 (20 yrs old). They had seven daughters, four of which preceded her in death. Don’t know when my grandfather. John Berry, died. They had 36 grand and 26 great grand children. Her two living sisters were Susan Van Riper and Mary L. Hall. She died at the home of her daughter Susan (Mrs. Henry Andrus) on their farm northwest of Huntley, Ill and was buried at Crystal Lake, Ill in the old cemetery on 6 Nov 1895.

I don’t know what year grandpa Berry was buried, or where, but later Grandma moved to Crystal Lake with her seven daughters. Later she was married to John (Ferdinand) Bauer who had two sons named Ferdinand and Francis. Ferd always told us he was our Dutch uncle. We never knew Francis. Grandma & Mr. Bauer had a little son, Earl, who died in infancy. Don’t know if they were divorced or if he died before she did.  (Actually, Lovesta and Ferd were married in MO before they moved back to IL – Lois)

Yes, I have the marriage of Ferd/Lovesta as January 29, 1863 in Saline Co,

MO  (Marriage records, Saline County, Missouri Marriages, 1820-81, Vols. 1-4

Book B, page 191, Berry, Loveste to Ferdinand Bauer 29 Jan 1863.)  And they

were still in MO in March of that year – Mary Hall’s Letter…

 

 

From 1870 Census:  Lovesta (Bennett/Berry) and Ferdinand Bauer (Husband after John Berry)  appear in Nunda twp. in IL in 1870.

From 1880 Census:  Loverta (Lovesta) BERRAY (Berry) Mother F W W 56 NY   Fa: NY Mo: NY  Living in the household of her daughter, Florence and husband, Charles Wood in Union, Butler Co., Nebraska.

This pretty much winds up Lovesta’s part in this Tale.  Now on to that segment concerned with her daughter, Sarah F. Berry, my great grandmother….

 

Sarah F. Berry, the fourth of seven daughters of John and Lovesta Berry, was the second child born to them after their arrival in Crystal Lake, McHenry County, Illinois.   The date was January 30, 1849, so their trip West must have taken place between 1847 and 1849, since Sarah’s older sister was born in NY on March 12, 1847.  Most likely they began their trip on Lake Ontario and on into Lake Erie and Lake Michigan, although we have no verification of their method of transportation.  They lived in Steuben County, about 75 miles from Lake Ontario and there were many waterways leading north into the Great Lakes.

When Sarah was about five years old, her family packed up, along with her uncle James and family, and two neighbor lads (who later married two of Sarah’s sisters) and of course, Lovesta’s parents, Chester and Orah Bennett.  Sarah’s story about the covered wagon trip to Ft. Dodge is related earlier and still leaves some doubt whether it really took place since the fort was disbanded before their supposed arrival.  Perhaps the name of the Fort has been mis-represented over the years – we may never know.

At any rate we can place them in Sweet Springs, Saline County, MO in the 1860 census along with all of the fore mentioned folks.  They later moved to Georgetown, Pettis Co., MO.  While in MO, Orah Berry married Hiram Peeler and moved to Starke county, IN.

More information on the Peelers:

1908 Hiram belonged to the 35th Indiana (Inf?) listed in the Starke Co. Soldier’s Assoc.

1870 shows Hiram and Orah in Jackson Twsp, Porter co., IN

1880 shows Hiram and Orah in Stark Co., Indiana with oldest child, Elizabeth born in MO in 1864

1900 census shows Hiram and Orah in Stark Co., IN with William and his wife, Isabelle

1910 census shows Hiram 71 and Orah, 68 in Stark Co., IN alone.

1920 census shows Isabelle/Elizabeth ?  with three children, not listed as widow, but no man in the house??

Hiram and Orah are not present in Stark Co., nor anywhere else in the 1920 census.  William, son of Hiram and Orah is not listed in IN anywhere..

Mary Amelia Berry married Edgar Fox, moving on to Nevada. These are the lads who accompanied the Berry’s from McHenry County.

Pettis Co. Marriage Book B, p. 145

FOX – BERRY

I hereby certify that on the 31st July 1860 I united in marriage Edgar Fox and Mary A. Berry all of Pettis Co. Mo.  J.M. Newbill, J.P.  Recorded Oct. 15, 1860.

The newlyweds apparently moved back to IL:

Edgar enlisted in Illinois Volunteers Infantry at Crystal Lake, Illinois, August 2, 1862. During the Civil War he was promoted from Private to Corporal on May 20, 1864. His superior officers reported that he was a dependable and faithful soldier. He served in Company F, 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry fighting at Tallhouse and Vicksburg, Mississippi, in Missouri, and Nashville, Tennesse. He was honorably discharged at camp Butler, Illinois, August 17, 1865.

Note:
In the spring of 1866 the family moved from McHenry County, Illinois to Bremer County, Iowa with his brother Edwin Fox and family. For a short while they lived in Butler County, Iowa before moving by covered wagon to Butler County, Nebraska in June, 1871. Here they lived on a farm on section 6 in Union township and developed a fine farm from the unbroken prairie.

Supposedly, Sarah Berry moved back to Crystal Lake (Nunda Twsp.) Illinois between 1863 and 1870 with her mother, stepfather and four sisters.  In 1870, Sarah was 21 years old, and was married April 13, 1870 to Sylvestor Coslet in Valparaiso, Indiana.  This was her second marriage, her first being to George Freeland, who died in October of 1868, which marriage produced one daughter.  Therefore it seems unlikely that Sarah went back to IL with her mother.  In fact, I cannot find Lovesta Bauer in the Census of 1870, although my files tell me that someone else had done so.  Hmmm…

Why or how Sarah landed in Porter County is unknown.  George Freeland was in the same unit as Sylvester Coslet during the Civil War.  In fact, Sylvester’s brother, James, married Martha Freeland, possibly George’s sister, so that could be the connection to Sylvester through that marriage.  And her obituary tells us that Sarah lived in Starke County, Indiana the first ten years of her marriage.

Here are some newspaper items concerning Sarah Coslet:

The Chesterton Tribune, dated 1/8/1920

Coslet Family have Bad Automotive Accident

Coslet Reunion 8/17/1930, Newspaper Article Chesterton Tribune, 8/21/30

The Coslet Reunion was held Sunday, Aug. 17, at the home of Charles Weaver, two miles east of town.  At noon a sumptuous dinner was served on the lawn in picnic style.

There were 62 in attendance, as follows:  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kilmer, Mr and Mrs. Robert Reppert and daughter of Michigan City; Mr. and Mrs. William Reppert and family of Hammond, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Johnson and family (Earl, Belle, Donald and Lois) of Calumet City, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. Carl Sibbrell and baby of Westville, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Linderman and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Linderman and family of Route 2, Mrs. Sarah Coslet and Frank Coslet and son, Ray, of Porter, Mrs. Lulu Coslet and children, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Coslet and son and Mrs. James Brown and daughter and son of Chesterton, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cole, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Cole, Mrs. Earl Samilson and children and Mrs. Mattie Waugh and Mrs. Anna Pameter and Mrs.  Mary Otto and daughters of Chesterton, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Coslet and son of Chesterton, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Weaver and sons, residing at the home.  Visitors were:  Mrs. Charles Huhr of Porter and Harry Cheney of Liberty Center.

Mrs. Sarah Coslet, being the oldest at 81 years and Mrs. Earl Samilson’s son, Roger, the youngest, 16 months.  It was also Mrs. Earl Samilson’s birthday anniversary.  The afternoon was spent in visiting and all enjoyed meeting new acquaintances.

Dated 2/5/31

Mrs. Sarah Coslet Celebrates 82nd Birthday

A very pleasant surprise party was given for Mrs. Sarah Coslet of Porter last Friday in honor of her eighty-second birthday anniversary.  Thirty-four relatives gathered at her home with well filled baskets of good things to eat and at noon served a delicious dinner.  Those present were the honored guest, Mrs. Coslet; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kilmer; Mrs. Bertha Cohen and a lady friend of Chicago; Mrs. Edith Linderman and three children of Jackson Center; Mrs. Hattie Massey of Valparaiso; Mr. and Mrs. William Reppert and two children of Dunes highway; Mrs. Lula Coslet, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Fieffer and two children; Mrs. James Brown and baby, Mrs. Bert Brockway and baby, Mrs. Anna Coslet and son Leslie;  Roy Coslet, Mrs. Roy Zane of Porter; Mrs. Dan Cole, Mrs. Mary Otto, Charles Weaver of Chesterton.  A large birthday cake was presented to Mrs. Coslet by Victor Hokanson and Son.  The afternoon was spent socially and best wishes extended Mrs. Coslet for many more happy birthdays.

_____________________________________

The Chesterton Tribune, February 3, 1938

Mrs. Sarah F. Coslet, well known resident of Porter, died suddenly last Friday night, at six o’clock while eating supper two days before her eighty ninth birthday anniversary.

Sarah F. Coslet was born at Crystal Lake, Illinois, on Jan 30, 1849, and departed this life on Jan. 28, 1938, age 88 years 11 months and 28 days.

In the year 1871 she was married to Sylvester Coslet. She was mother to 10 children, 82 great grandchildren, and 4 great, great grandchildren.

After marriage she lived 10 years in Starke County and the remainder of her life was spent in Porter. For thirty-two years she lived in the home where she passed away.

Her husband, three daughters, and two sons preceded her in death.

She is survived by two sons and three daughters: Harry Coslet, Frank Coslet, Mrs. Roy Zane, Mrs. Charles Weaver, and Mrs. James Brown, 38 grandchildren, 73 great grandchildren  and a host of other relatives and friends. She was Grandma Coslet to practically every one in Porter.

Services were held Monday afternoon at 2 from the First Evangelical church of Porter, of which she was a member. Rev. P. F. Young officiated. She was laid to rest in Chesterton Cemetery.

‘Grandma Coslet’, as she was known throughout Porter to all, and Sylvester had nine children, one of which was Susan Mae, my grandmother.

 

Now that I am sitting here, contemplating my grandma, Susan Mae Weaver, I realize that I know very little about her.  It seems strange that there is so much to write about these unknown folks, but I am at a loss when it comes to someone whom I remember so well..

She was born in the town of Porter on January 25, 1877, the third child of Sarah and Sylvester Coslet, having two older sisters, and a half sister, born to Sarah Berry and her first husband, George Freeland.

Susan Mae Coslet married Charles Beauchamp Weaver on April 4, 1894.  Apparently they lived on various tenant farms after marriage, raising 10 children.  Charley excelled in raising race horses and at one time operated a Livery Barn in Chesterton.  He was well known in the area for his superior breeding of horses.  They lived in Pine Township in 1900 out along Route 6 near the Tratebas farm according to the  1910 census.  In the 1920’s they were farming the Morgan Farm which was the last farm on which they lived into the 30’s.  This Morgan Farm became the Sand Creek golf/country club in later years and is the only Farm that I remember.  Charles was killed while crossing route 20 on July 29^th 1937.  Susan and the three youngest boys moved into Chesterton and lived with their daughter Mildred Sibbrell on West Broadway until Susan died on October 14, 1939.

Notes from Mildred Weaver Sibbrell:  “Mom was of medium build and tended to be a little chubby.  She was a housewife and worked a lot in the field when necessary.  She had a sharp sense of humor and a lot of spunk.  She one time ran off a bunch of Gypsies, who were stealing from their farm, with a buggy whip.  They visited the World’s Fair in Chicago.”

Notes from Lois Johnson Krone:  “Grandma Weaver always seemed a bit gruff and grumpy to us kids, but we were a handful at family gatherings and now that I am older, I realize what a job it is to fix a big meal for a large crowd and still be cheerful.  The kids always got to eat at the first table – even then  – I guess so that the grown-ups could eat in peace.  Grandma was a very industrious person, who was quite generous and a very good cook, especially Chicken and homemade noodles and/or dumplings. She had a lot of people to cook for during thrashing time with no helpers once the girls were all married.”

From a Porter County “Coffee Table” book at the Valparaiso library – Charles Weaver is a liveryman in Porter, Indiana and has been ‘around’ since 1872.

Notes from Mildred Weaver Sibbrell:  ” Dad was of medium height and build.  He had dark hair and eyes.  He was a Fireman for the RR, grocery store clerk, and ran a Livery Stable.  He was a tenant farmer and raised beautiful racehorses.  He was of French Canadian descent and was also a hunter and trapper.  Dad had a very large sense of humor, was always laughing.  He died when crossing  Hwy 20 in Porter after leaving a Randler’s Barbecue restaurant, (now LeRoy’s) with his son Harvey.’

Notes from Lois Johnson Krone, granddaughter:  ” Grandpa was a lot of fun to be around, mostly because he loved little kids.  He made me keep reciting ‘Little Orphant Annie’ over and over when I was a 6 year old.  He did enjoy drinking alcohol and would cut back considerably on the amount when there was a new baby in the house.”

Grandma and Grandpa Weaver gave birth to five boys and five girls.  All were raised to adulthood excepting the 6th, a girl named ‘Maggie’, short for Margaret.  She did not survive a bout of Diptheria at age 11.  (Born in 1904 and died March 11, 1915).

The oldest child was Florence, born 1895, followed by Harvey in 1896.  Then came Ermel in 1898 and Elmer two years later.  Sarah Belle, my mother, was born in 1902 and then the hapless Maggie who was followed by Mildred in 1909, Charles, 1912, Fred in 1915 and Frank in 1917.  A pretty busy schedule those 22 years, but lots of hands were needed on the farm and they all worked hard and lived frugally, sharing shoes for school, going alternate days sometimes..

Here is an interesting (macabre) story that the grave digger/Cemetery manager for 67 years related.  Mr and Mrs. Brooks were legendary in Chesterton.  Mr. Brooks has passed on, but Mrs. Brooks is still interested in Chesterton.  She just this year, 2011, was honored at the Fourth of July memorial celebration, coming into town from her new home with her daughter.  This is Mr. Brooks story:  Grandpa Weaver, one evening – in his cups – came in with his drinking buddy to talk to Mr. Brooks -above mentioned Cemetery manager – and told Mr. Brooks that he wanted his gravesite opened and he would be in tomorrow to pay for it (it was already reserved in their name, etc.) That very night he walked in front of a car on Route 20 in Porter and was killed and did indeed have need for that gravesite to be ‘opened’.  Do you suppose he planned it all?  We will never know, for sure…. (Lois Krone)

 

And so, we come to the end of my rendition of the Bennet Family Tale.  Perhaps there are  errors, but I have stuck to the truth to the best of my knowledge and would be happy to learn of any corrections that are needed to make this more truthful.  So much of the early history was recorded back in New England as you must have noticed.  Perhaps those pioneers did more noticeable things than later generations, or the early historians were more thorough, having kept good records and many have searched those old records for their early family beginnings and brought them to light via the various Genealogy sites on the Internet.

Whatever is the case – here it is – my best effort; the result of my meeting with Mrs, E. Dwight  (Mildred) Spencer in the frozen vegetable aisle at Wiseway Foods..

Addendum:

After enticing our 13 year old granddaughter, Katelyn Crowe, to read all of the above, I asked her if it would be more meaningful to her if it included her generation.  Understandably, her answer was “Yes” – so here it is:

Sarah Belle Weaver was born in Porter County, Indiana on Jan 10, 1902.  Her life was full of hard work and hardship, but she was able to endure it all cheerfully and with a good sense of humor.  She never graduated from High School, but continued to learn and grow, ever improving – loving crossword puzzles and reading – even teaching herself to play the piano, modestly, but well enough to enjoy and later apply to the organ.

She married Earl Lawrence Johnson, who was born in Chesterton on Dec. 16, 1899, to Hilda (Lawrence) Johnson and Frank J. Johnson, a native of Rydaholm, Sweden.  Earl and Belle, as Mom was called, met at the Kingly (Kingsly) Shirt Factory on Park Avenue in Chesterton shortly after Dad completed his stint in the U. S. Army after WW2.

They were married at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Sept. 8, 1919, where Sarah Belle was baptized with her firstborn, Donald Earl Johnson.  Dad grew up a member of Bethlehem and had been confirmed as a youngster.

Don was born on Dec, 31, 1920 and I, Lois, came along on Nov. 8, 1923 also in Chesterton.  Then life changed for the family.  The shirt factory moved to Streator, IL and then back to Chesterton before finally settling in Hammond, Indiana.  We, as a family, followed along and during the late 1920’s and into the 30’s rented a home with option to buy in the country south of Calumet City.  We were there for ten years and the home owner reneged on his promise to sell to us.  You see, Mom and Dad had improved it so much that he wished it for himself – so we moved around for three years – first to Lansing, IL then back to Chesterton, then to Hammond and Cal City before finally finding a nice lot to build on in Markham, IL..  Dad had found a good investment for his Veteran’s benefit check from Indiana totaling $800.  Dad became the first Village President of this budding town.  They both continued to work in the shirt manufacturing business.

Don and I had attended six different schools in two years – not a lot of fun for either of us, but we made it through school OK, both maintaining honor role grades..  We finished High School in Harvey, IL, at Thornton Township High School, graduating in 1939 and 1941.  Don had a chance to apply to Westpoint Military Academy, but opted out and drove a laundry truck for a while, living at home until he married Gloria Cook, a classmate of mine.  He later enlisted in the Army and became a lieutenant in the Air Force as a navigator/bombardier.  He was shot at and injured, but did not crash in France.  After peace was declared, he came home and moved to California, which was his home until his death in 1992. Don was a successful Fuller Brush representative in California and Don and Gloria had two children, David and Donna.  David passed away many years ago and Donna lives with her family in California.

Immediately following HS, I worked at the Continental Illinois National Bank in downtown Chicago as a bookkeeper for five years.  I met my husband, Clifford A. Krone in HS bookkeeping class in 1941 and we married on Nov. 3, 1943 when he came home on his first leave after being drafted into the army that spring.  Cliff served in England as a Finance Officer for two years, coming home immediately after VE Day and the dropping of the atom bombs in Japan.  Had the Japs not surrendered he would have gone to that theater, but the course was changed and he came home, instead.

When I was in the middle of my senior year in HS, my little sister was born – on Christmas Eve, 1940.  What a Christmas present!  She was adorable and provided us with much enjoyment and fun.  While Cliff was in England Mom, Dad and Patricia Belle, my sister, moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina – Dad being offered a better paying job.  I stayed up North awaiting Cliff’s discharge, living with his parents and sister near Midlothian, IL and still working in the Loop…

By the time that Cliff returned home, my folks were back in Chesterton running their own dress making business.  They invited Cliff to join their company as their accountant, performing other tasks as well.  I was pregnant with our first child, so we moved in with my folks temporarily.  Karen was born on Sept. 6, 1946 and we found a house for sale down the street from my folks on Indiana avenue.  There quickly followed David, born Jan. 11, 1948 and Margaret (Peggy) on Jan 17, 1950.

My Mom, Dad and sister sold the business and moved to Arkansas in 1952, where Mom and Dad ran a dressmaking business in Mountain Home.  Pat finished High school and attended the University of Arkansas where she met her Husband, Gilbert Kane.  They had two girls; Terri, born March 22, 1962 and Kathy, born April 14, 1966.  Terri gave birth to twin girls, Bailey and Callie, born August 4, 1995.  Kathy has three boys, Alek, born May 17, 1990, Tyler, born June, 1994, and Hunter, born June 28, 2000.

Cliff went to work at Morgan Lumber in 1952.  We built a home in South Park Acres in 1955, doing most of the building ourselves with Cliff’s Dad and brother coming out to help.  After eight years and another baby, Kirsten, born on Sept 15, 1964, we were ready to build again and found ourselves on Morgan avenue in a larger house with four bedrooms.  Karen and Dave were off to college a couple years later and we turned our bi-level house into a duplex, moving into a smaller home on Park avenue, near the new grade school on Fifth Street.  Since home prices were rising every year, we were realizing a profit on each home, but managed to stay on Park Avenue through Kirsten’s school years, once more building a new home in Jackson Township in 1987 and doing much of the finishing work ourselves.

While still living on Morgan Avenue, Cliff was offered a job at the Chesterton State Bank after Morgan Lumber sold out.  He worked there for 21 years, as teller, branch manager and vice president until retirement.  I had worked at the bank part time for 8 years and then as secretary at Yost School for two – until Kirsten was born.  When Kirsten was old enough I took a job as receptionist at the Westchester Medical Group, moving on up to office manager by 1988 when I retired and moved with Cliff and our Lab, Pepper, out to Jackson Township.

Karen became a teacher and later school psychologist in WI; Dave became a computer engineer at US steel in Gary, and Kirsten got degrees in computer science, electrical engineering and later became a high school math teacher in Ft. Wayne area in Indiana.

Karen married Ben Sparks, III Feb, 14, 1970 and had Jane, born Nov 30, 1979 and Charles, born Aug. 9, 1982.  Jane and Andrew Ziegwied were married June 27, 2009 and have Darya, born Mar. 27, 2010, and Gustin, born May 18, 2011.  Karen and Ben now live in Brown County, IN; Jane and Andrew live in Oregon and Charles lives in WI.

Dave married Laura Byers on May 4, 1974 and they have one daughter, Sara, born Nov. 30, 1989.  Dave is retired.  They live in Valparaiso, IN.  Sara is now on her way to Italy to study Italian, hoping to become an International flight attendant.  She completed a course in Culinary Arts in Chicago.

Peggy married early and produced our first grandchild, Glenn, on Oct. 15, 1969.  Her first husband was Dave Peterson, who is a bank branch manager.  She later married Micky Bentley and is now married to James Lasky.  They live in Michigan City, IN.  Peggy has worked in several Doctors’ offices as office manager and is now employed at St. Anthony Hospital in Michigan City.  Glenn married Rebecca Galusha in Osceola, IN and they have Samantha, born May 29, 1994.

Kirsten married Michael Thomas Crowe Sept. 5, 1992, and have Jessica, born May 8, 1997 and Katelyn, born June 18, 1999.  They live in Leo, Indiana where Tom is a Forester and runs his own Forest management company and Kirsten teaches school.

So, there you have it, my final chapter of this Tale, full of boring dates, but realize that these are all real people and our dear ones, lovingly submitted by Lois C. Krone..