Rosa's Cousins - James Lester Shipman

James Lester Shipman was another one of Rosa's 1/2 1st cousins, so he was also my 1/2 1st cousin 3 times removed. James was the oldest child of William Lester and Elizabeth (Stewart) Shipman, born 9 Apr 1893 in Michigan. On his World War I registration James reported he was born as Vassar Michigan and on his World War II registration he reported he was born at Caro Michigan. Both of these were in Tuscola County, about 10 miles apart. Maybe he was born on a farm somewhere between them.

At the time of the 1900 census James appeared in the household of his parents as a 7 year old who had attended school. Also in the household was his one sister Gladys, spelled there as Gladdis, and his 65 year old grandmother Hulda Shipman. They were living at Metamora in Lapeer County Michigan. Lapeer was the next county south of Tuscola. His father was working as a farm laborer. By 1910 the family had moved back to Tuscola County, and 17 year old James was shown with his parents and sister in Wells Township. His occupation was farmer, working out. This entry was dated 15 Apr 1910, but he was probably the same 17 year old James Shipman listed in the entry dated 11 May 1910 in Tuscola Township in Tuscola County. There he was 1 of 2 hired men in the household of William Boardman, a dairy farmer. Then it was the next month, 4 Jun 1910 when James L. Shipman married Laura P. Frisbie. James listed his age as 18, (he probably was just 17) and Laura was 17 and had her father's consent. He listed his place of residence as Wilmot, working on a farm.

When he registered for the draft for World War I in 1917, he claimed exemption because he had a wife and 3 children to support. They were living at 779 Coplin in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Jame was working in real estate for Higgins Real Estate Company. For the 1920 census they appear to have moved down the street for their address was 671 Coplin Ave. James and Laura then had 4 children, 3 daughters: Maxine, Donna and Geraldine and 1 son, Lester James who was 11/12 years old. By now James was working as a mechanic for a motor company.

I have not yet found James in the 1930 census, however I did find Laura as the head of a household living at 14811 Lozier Ave in Detroit. She was marked as divorced. There were now 5 children, with the youngest, Wayne at age 5. The two oldest girls were working, Maxine as a telephone operator and Donna as a cashier for a theater box office. In 1940 Laura was still in Detroit at a different address, working as a hospital maid, with only her youngest son, 15 year old Walter W in the household. On 6 Aug 1942, Laura remarried to Leon W. Livermore. She died in Florida 22 Jan 1986.

James was on the 1940 census in Cortland, DeKalb County, Illinois working as a farm operator. Cortland was a small town as Wikipedia gives the 1940 population as 230. James had remarried to Alice Katherine Klemm 2 Feb 1928 at Oregon, Illinois. They had 2 children, Katherine in 1932 and Alice Marie in 1934. Alice Marie died in 1935 before her 1st birthday. Katherine was in the household in 1940 age 7, along with her 21 year old half-brother, Lester. When James registered for the World War II Draft in 1942, he was living at Maple Park in DeKalb County, but was working at Hammond Indiana for the Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company.

It was just a few more years before James died, 10 Jun 1945, at Tinley Park, Cook County, Illinois. He was buried at Saint Marys Catholic Cemetery, Maple Park, DeKalb County, Illinois. His widow Alice, who died in 1969, was also buried there.

Rosa's Cousins - Wendel D. Spaulding

If you have been reading this series about Rosa's Cousins, you may have noticed all those I have already done have been female. So for the next two, which are 1/2 1st cousins to Rosa, I plan to write about some males.

According to the Social Security Death Index, Wendel Spaulding was born 29 May 1903 and died Dec 1965. So he would have died at age 62. He was the son of John and Mary Jane (Shipman) Spaulding. Mary Jane was a half-sister to Rosa's father, Joshua Rodney Shipman. They shared the same father, but different mothers.

Wendel first appeared on a U.S. census in 1910 as a 6 year old with his parents and an uncle (Henry F. Spaulding) in Indianfields Township, Tuscola County, Michigan. Wendel seems to have been a late in life baby as his two older sisters, Nellie and Jennie, were over 20 years older than he was. When Wendel was 16 the 1920 census taken in January showed the family living at 243 East Grant Street in Caro in Tuscola County. Then Caro had a population of about 2700. I find it interesting that I was able to visit the Tuscola County Courthouse which was located in Caro. Wendel's father was working as a driver for a creamery and Wendal's occupation was listed as manager for a creamery station.

Apparently it was the same year, 20 Oct 1920, when Wendel was married for the 1st time to a woman named Ethel. This was shown on a divorce record which was granted 25 Oct 1928 in Saginaw Michigan where Wendel was living then. Saginaw was about 30 miles west of Caro in the next county. There had been no children from this marriage. It was a little over a month later, 1 Dec 1928 when Wendel married Lula E. Miers. The 1930 census showed them living in Saginaw at 2411 Deindorfer Street with one child, Donna M. age 4/12. Here Wendel's occupation was projectionist for the movies. It appears there were more children born to Wendel and Lulu, but it seems that this marriage didn't last because Wendel married again in Steuben County, Indiana 8 Jun 1937 to Irene Bush. Wendel and Irene were on the 1940 census in Saginaw at 1815 State Street, with 2 children in the household, Donna age 10 and Shirley age 7. Then Wendel was working on his own account as an operator of a gas station [and] parking lot. In the 1939 Saginaw city directory he was listed as an auto mechanic and in 1941 it showed filling station. But Wendel and Irene did not stay together either as their divorce was granted 9 Nov 1945.

It was just a little over 20 years later when Wendel died in Dec 1965. He was buried in Pleasanton Township Cemetery in Manistee County, Michigan.

Rosa's Cousins - Jennie Is a Mystery

The Shipman Family History listed one of Rosa's Cousins as Jennie Shipman (Conroy) Kelley. It listed her as a child of Lucy Ann Shipman Conroy who had married Patrick Conroy. Jennie was shown with a birth date of 1864 and a death date of 26 Dec 1926 and a marriage to William H. Kelley 22 May 1880.

I found a digital image of Jennie's death certificate from Michigan. The informant was her husband of 46 years, William Kelly. This certificate showed her parents as John Peters and Helen (unknown). What did this mean? Was Lucy not her mother? In Jennie's obituary, it stated that she died at the home of her uncle, William Shipman. William was Lucy's half-brother. In Lucy's obituary from 1914, it stated that one of her survivors was one daughter, Mrs. Jennie Kelley of Jefferson, Ohio.

What could the census tell me?

Looking at Jennie:

• In 1920 in Gladwin County Michigan Jennie and William had their son Waldo's family and a 92 year old man named John R Peters in their household. The relationship listed for John Peters was none.
• In 1910 in Ashtabula County Ohio the head of the household was their son Willie with his wife, Jennie and William and John P. Peters. Here John (age 82) was listed by Jennie's son as his grandfather.
• In 1900 in Crawford County Pennsylvania the Kelley household was Jennie and William and their 2 children: Wallie and Mabel.
• In 1880 in Ashtabula County Ohio there was a William H. Kelley age 26, single in the household of his parents.
• In 1880 in Ashtabula County Ohio there was a Jennie Peters age 16 in the household of John and Marion H. Peters. She was listed as adopted daughter.
• In 1870 in Ashtabula County Ohio there was a Jane Peters age 6 in the household of John and Helen Peters. The 1870 census did not list relationships.

Looking at Lucy:

• In 1910 in Clare County Michigan Patrick and Lucy were working in a household with their 13 year old son. Lucy was married 19 years, had had 3 children, 2 living. This would make her marriage to Patrick about 1891.
• In 1900 in Clare County Michigan Lucy was Lucy Conroy with Patrick Conroy and a 3 year old son Harry. Lucy was married 14 years and had 1 child. This would change the marriage date to about 1896. I haven't yet found a marriage record.
• In 1880, I haven't found Lucy. I not sure what name to search for.
• In 1870 in Tuscola County Michigan in the household of Joseph Shipman, Lucy's father, was a Lucy Bunsen, age 23. Some family trees have listed a marriage to a Bronson.
• In 1860 in Ashtabula County Ohio in Joseph Shipman's household was Lucy Shipman, age 13 and in 1850 Lucy was 3.

On August 23rd I wrote a post about Rosa's cousin Irene Chase who wrote her a letter in 1877 from Ashtabula County Ohio. In that letter (which I transcribed) Irene mentions visiting Jennie Peters. This very well may be the same Jennie.

Currently my conclusion is that Jennie was Rosa's 1st cousin and my 1st cousin 3 times removed. From the 2 obituaries, she was the daughter of Lucy and an unknown father. Patrick Conroy does not seem probable. Jennie was adopted by John and Helen Peters, whether this was a legal adoption I am not sure. As an old man, John was living with her family.

If anyone has more information I would love to hear about it.

Ancestor Birthday - January 25th - Joseph L. Shipman 1807-1893

Today I am writing about my 3rd great-grandfather, Joseph Lester Shipman, in relation to my 2017 genealogy goals (as posted on 2 Jan 2017).

Review. In checking him on my website, I found it told of his birth on 25 Jan 1807 in Old Lyme, New London County, Connecticut, the son of Elisha and Catherine Shipman. There was his marriage to Mary Carey (or McCreary) on 16 Feb 1837 in Ashtabula County, Ohio. The information from the 1850 census was there as well as his death on 30 Sep 1893 in Tuscola County, Michigan with burial in Moreland Cemetery. Only my 2nd great-grandfather, Joshua Rodney Shipman, was shown as his child. I believe this information was basically correct, but so much was lacking. There were more censuses to be entered. I remembered that his first wife had died and he had a second wife and a number of other children.

Organize. I had collected a fair amount of information on the Shipman family, particularly with help from other researchers. But, it was pretty much all in one big pile. So I divided most of it into four sections: (1) Joseph Lester, (2) his son Joshua Rodney, (3) Joseph's father Elisha and (4) Joseph's grandfather Abner, with the other children of each in their section. This led me to do more research on the family.

Write. Well, since you are reading this, I have done that.

Enter. This is the step that still has much to be done. I have found the census entries for Joseph in Ohio in 1860 and in Michigan in 1870 and 1880. There is his 2nd marriage to Huldah Jane (with a very difficult to read surname on the marriage record) and 8 more children.

Digitize. So far I have saved digital copies of his two marriage records from the Ashtabula County marriage books as found on familysearch.org. Again much more needs to be done on this goal also.

But that's what goals are for, to help us see what needs to be done and give us the incentive to do it.

Posted 25 Jan 2017