Maybe you’ll have an experience this summer that you’d like to share with others. Do you like to write? We’re seeking a few people to periodically contribute short articles or stories for the WMGS Blog. News or events, books you’d recommend, historical or family information, research tips, or fun facts are all possible subjects. If you like to write, but aren’t sure how a blog works, we can show you how easy it is to publish online. An internet connection and browser are all that you need. If you are at all interested, please write to me (president@wmgs.org) and I will give you more information about how you can contribute to one of our resources.

Speaking of books to recommend, my wife surprised me last week with a new book published this year called Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice. It’s a great read. Jack Dempsey is the author and he is Chairman of Michigan’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. Jack connects important events and issues surrounding the Civil War with people and places from Michigan in very interesting ways. Did you know that Rienzi, Phil Sheridan’s famous horse was foaled in Grand Rapids? Or did you know that Rienzi, the most honored horse in America, is on display in the Hall of Armed Forces History at the Smithsonian? Or did you know that the Republican Party had its beginnings  in Jackson, Michigan? Those may qualifies as “fun facts,” but the book is full of great observations and concepts of why Michigan was very important in this pivotal historic period in the U.S.  I encourage you to check it out.

WMGS MONTHLY MEETING SATURDAY, JUNE 11

“There’s more in Indiana than the Allen County Public Library” is how our speaker this month describes his talk entitled HUNTING YOUR HOOSIER ANCESTORS: RESOURCES YOU MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED. Dave Eisner, Director of the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library, will describe some of the more useful, but largely unsung, genealogical resources in Indiana, from libraries to museums to personal collections. Like Michigan, Indiana is rich in genealogical history and resources as well as the dedicated people who know how to use the materials. He’ll explore some of these repositories to provide listeners ideas on new places to search for those elusive ancestors. For additional background, you can read more at www.wmgs.org/meetings_events.htm.

The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Ryerson Auditorium at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Parking is free on Saturday. Remember to get your parking slip validated at the machine located in the library lobby.

MINI CLASS
The title of Saturday’s Mini Class is entitled Protecting Your Data from Catastrophic Loss – Backing up Your Files. Come early on Saturday and learn about this important aspect of Family history research before the general meeting. Saturday’s Mini-Class will be held from 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. in the Adult Computer Center, GRPL lower level.

I hope to see many of you on Saturday!

SARAH MARIA (HARRISON) MEREDITH, 54,
GRANDDAUGHTER OF MICHIGAN PIONEER
-DAUGHTER OF CIVIL WAR VET-

Sarah (Harrison) Meredith

Mrs. Sarah Maria (Harrison) Meredith of Thompsonville, granddaughter of Michigan Pioneer Elias Harrison, died at Charlevoix Hospital on Tuesday, May 9, 1921, after a short illness. The cause of her death was determined to be Chronic Myocarditis. She was 54 years old.

She married Charles Wesley Meredith on September 14, 1880, in Elkland Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. The family worked in the woods during Michigan’s early lumber industry, moving with the company camps from the Thumb area to Houghton Lake, then to Thompsonville in Benzie County in 1894. For work, the family continued to move around northern Michigan living in lumber towns in Antrim, Charlevoix, and Roscommon counties.

Mrs. Meredith was born May 29, 1866, in Kinderhook, Branch County, the second daughter of Wells and Frances Jane (Ball) Harrison. Wells Harrison served in the Civil War with the 1^st Michigan Light Artillery, Company D, organized in Branch County in 1861. Mr. Harrison was wounded in Tennessee and was discharged in August 1865. Twelve years after the war ended, he succumbed to his injuries at the age of 42 in 1877. With six young children to care for, Mrs. Jane Harrison married Joseph Playford in Ottawa County in May 1879 and was his wife until he died just five months later in October. Jane met Alpheus Darling and they married at Cass City in 1888. They now reside in Montmorency County.

Sarah M. (Harrison) Meredith is the grand-daughter of Elias Harrison, a veteran of the War of 1812 and an early Michigan Pioneer. Elias was born in 1790 at Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and lived in Groveland, New York, for several years before settling in Lenawee County, Michigan, in 1833.

Besides her husband, Mrs. Meredith is survived by her daughters Mrs. Ada Belle (George) Coon of Roscommon County; and sons Alton (Mabel) Meredith and Verl (Grace) Meredith of Lansing; her mother Frances Jane (Ball) Darling of Montmorency County; her sisters Caroline E. (William) Jones of Montmorency County, Charlotte M. (William) Houghton of Cass City, Almira M. (Charles) Osterle of Ellington Township, and Esther A. (David S.) Culp of Grand Rapids; her brothers William H. (Nora) Harrison of Montmorency County, and James U. (Carrie) Playford of Sheffield, Pennsylvania; seven grandchildren; and a great granddaughter (Lolabelle Bryant) who was born in Wexford County the same day Mrs. Meredith died.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Louise E. (Rhome) Mooneyham of Roscommon Co.; children Clyde, Calvin, Roy and Claudia who died in childhood; and her father Wells Harrison, a veteran of the Civil War.

Funeral services will be held at 4:00 o’clock on Wednesday at the family home in Thompsonville. Private graveside services will be held at Thompsonville Cemetery.

Seven Awards were announced and/or presented:

AGO Organisation Award: Grand Rapids History and Special Collections Department of the Grand Rapids Public Library

AGO Individual Award: Dawn Kelly

Communication Award: Lisa Christensen

President’s Award: Janet Jensen

Volunteer of the Year Award: Patrick Rademaker (he will be presented with his award at the January meeting)

Shirley M DeBoer Education Award: Wanda Schottler

Ken Gackler Award: Marlene Fabbro

She’s one of five world-class speakers that have been lined up for the 6th Annual Genealogy Conference and Cruise starting tomorrow, September 18th. This week-long conference hosted by  Wholly Genes, Inc. (publishers of the computer program that I use - The Master Genealogist) has earned the reputation as the largest family history conference on the seas and is nearly always sold out. Someday I want to go!

Megan is presenting some lectures during the cruise that sound interesting: “Neglected History” and “Cold Cases: Genealogists, Coroners and the FBI”. For more information, you can read about the conference at the Wholly Genes website – www.whollygenes.com.

Good luck to Megan and we hope you rest well on your Caribbean cruise and don’t work too hard. We are looking forward to your visit in Michigan in November! www.gotancestors.com

And in downtown Kalamazoo!

Go to www.GotAncestors.com and see what the news is all about…

Find Burial Records Online

“If you are searching for loved ones who are buried at any of the City’s six cemeteries (Fairplains, Fulton, Greenwood, Oakgrove, Oakhill, or Woodlawn) you can now find information online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Simply go to the website http://cemetery.grcity.us to search by name. Information such as the date of birth, age, burial location, gender, place of death, date of death, spouse’s name, mother’s name, and father’s name (if available) can all be found with the click of a button. This new webpage is a great resource for families of loved ones and genealogists.”

Good news for those with Grand Rapids connections!

Timothy was married four times. His last marriage in 1827 made the news in at least three states, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. I’m so glad it was a newsworthy occasion!

This account appeared in the February 28, 1827, issue of the Auburn (NY) Free Press…
“Mr. Townsend was one of the first settlers in Canaan, having lived there about 70 years. He buried three wives and now has become the husband of the fourth in his second childhood. After the guests had assembled, nearly 3 hours were spent in settling the conditions of their union, when a compromise was made and they were joined in ‘Hymen’s bonds’. No goose so grey, but soon or late, may find a silly gander for a mate.”

Paper: National Gazette and Literary Register, Philadelphia, February 22, 1827; p.3…
“MARRIED, In Canaan, Columbia County, (N.Y.) on the 3rd inst. by the Rev. Mr. Hall, Mr. TIMOTHY TOWNSEND, aged eighty-nine, to Mrs. MARY OLMSTEAD, aged sixty-nine, both of that town.
[Mr. Townsend was one of the first settlers of Canaan, having lived there about 70 years. He has buried three wives, and has now become the husband of the fourth in his second childhood. After the guests had assembled, nearly three hours were spent in settling the conditions of their union, when a compromise was made, and they were joined in "Hymen's silken bands.]”

Paper: Middlesex Gazette, Date: 03-14-1827; Volume: XLII; Issue: 2141; Page: [1]; Location: Middletown, Connecticut…
“In Canaan, (N.Y.) Mr. Timothy Townsend, aged only 89 ! was married to Mrs. Mary Olmsted, aged 69. This event could not have been occasioned by Gen. McClure’s proposition, as that was calculated to embrace only bachelors; and this ancient Endymion had been noosed three several times, previous to this recent catastrophe.”