I grew up in Michigan,graduating from WMU with a degree in Art Education.
In Michigan I attended many writing workshops and was part of several writing groups. I also was a news reporter for seven years in a community south of Grand Rapids until 2004 when I moved to Colorado.
I also was a full time artist earning a living from the sale of visual art from 1977 through 1997.
Since here, I have joined two Art Organizations, two Writing groups and also the Unitarian Universalist Church.
I have chosen the venue of montage and poetry for sharing the many unique family stories, pictures, and artifacts placed in my charge by my parents.
These Photographs of Alfred Bowers were made available by Kathleen Firestone, another descendant of Alfred Bowers. These images show him in uniform, when he served as a Private in the 143rd Regiment of the Volunteer Infantry of the Union Army during the Civil War. He enlisted in August of 1862, and was released in 1865. He would have been around 26 years of age, leaving his wife Mary to manage as she could. A son, Elmer died during his absence, and his wife and daughter Carrie died of Scarlet fever not many years after the war was over.
I have many wonderful images of Alfred as an elderly man, and was extremely grateful to have these depictions of him as a younger fellow, as well. Alfred was Kathleen's and my own great-grandfather. Thank you, Kathy!
Kathleen is the author of two books of family history, They Came to South Fox Island, and Swift as aVanishing Dream. She is presently working on yet another book, which will expand upon the lives of the Bowers and Starr ancestors, including Alfred and Laura Starr Bowers, and their children. Kathleen is a thorough and accurate researcher, and her books are a great addition to the history of Michigan, and very interesting to read.
Several years ago I began to search for the family history of several branches of ancestors. With hand written family trees from both my mother and father, a great many photographs, some of which were identified, and some not, I tried to get an idea of what the life of these people may have been like. Even if I had a place where they lived, who they married, what they did for a living, and the names of their children, it was a start. With only brief fragments, I tried to record a biographical sketch of their lives. These are the accounts entered on this blog, under the label Biographical Pages, so that my grandchildren and relatives might have this information as a part of their own background.
I feel extremely fortunate to have photographs of many of my great great grandparents, but not all. Seeing what they looked like for the first time has seemed like a great gift! That is why it is so important for all to share such histories if we have a way to do it. It can mean so much. This Blog gives other branches of my family, who share our common ancestry to have access to this information, as much theirs, as mine.
To contact me, please leave a message on this blog.
I hope that other people with such pictures or information will likewise share what they have with all who might benefit. Happy New Year! From Ruth Zachary.
When trying to organize information about family history a few years ago, I started with both a family tree and some biographical information. To present a general picture of different family members, I thought placing pictures, some "cliff notes" with the family information and descendency
would help others to get an idea about the lives of different ancestors, and who these people were.
Biographical Pages about people with photographs and information was the first project. There turned out to be about 100 pages, including people from different branches of my family. I didn't intend to publish the Pages, in the beginning, but just to offer it to my grandchildren. The information on each person included is very brief and incomplete. I have added to it or corrected it when I found bits and pieces. But to make what I have available here, should help anyone else involved in a similar project to add to what I have compiled. I hope what others have done will in turn be made available to other relatives.... and to me.
Upon reviewing the Pages I have previously included on this blog, it appeared this would make what I have gathered on the Bowers Family complete.
There are different kinds of gifts one may be given than the usual kinds we often think of on the holidays.
Above was the unusual occasion of a snowfall on bright red apples, which occurred on October 31 of 2011. I took several photographs of this apple tree in my own back yard, thinking it would make a lovely holiday greeting. So, here it is.
The violin above was made by Alfred Bowers around 1921. I inherited it from my mother. I cherished the violin but in the humid environment of lower Michigan, over the years, it became unglued. I didn't know what to do about it, but could not bear to part with the pieces in the case.
In 2003, I learned my grandson was very serious about playing the violin. And amazingly, his teacher was also a man skilled in restoring violins. My daughter contacted him, and I paid to have the violin reconstructed. Certain that my grandson will appreciate the historic value of the instrument, I gave it to him. Before letting it go, I took many photographs of the violin.
I thought that the photos were lost, with many files that disappeared when an old computer broke down. The gift to me was that suddenly out of the blue, my new computer became able to open the original format of these digital camera files, when it had not been able to open previously. So now I have all of the violin pictures I took almost ten years ago!
Lower left, Lillian Liskum, daughter of Alfred and Laura Bowers, who at different times, occupied the Cottage Street house at right from 1893 until 1984.
Much of a family's character and memories become attached to the buildings in which they lived their lives. The Bowers and Starrs were founders of the Free Methodist Church in Sullivan County, New York, and Laura and Alfted Bowers were involved in founding the denomination in Kingsley. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the Kingsley F.M. church. Daughter Pearl Weaver lived on Cottage Street about a half block west of the house shown above. Pearl attended the Baptist Church, and Esther Fewless attended the Methodist Church in Kingsley. Neighbors shown above lived close by and also were familiar people in their daily lives.
Laura Bowers with Alfred Bowers, Parents of Pearl Bowers Weaver.
Pearl with George Weaver, when they were young.
Pearl as a young woman.
George Weaver with a successful catch. George was known for his interest in hunting and fishing.
I have been gathering photographs and recording them for this site to make them available to various family branches. I do not know for certain who were the photographers. I have many photos from different sources, and will gradually get them all posted.
Guy Liskum age 24 and Lillian Bowers Liskum, age 21
Lillian Bowers Graduation Picture 1904.
The Liskums lived on this farm property in the 1920s.
Lillian Liskum with her chickens at the Middleville Farm on Yankee Springs Rd. in 1929
These photos appear larger than the space on the page. To view the entire image, click on the lower right corner of the picture. I do not know if these can be printed in full format size. Let me know if you have trouble. The Liskums lived south of Grand Rapids Michigan in the 1920s. Both of them worked in Grand Rapids to help them to make payments on their property. Guy worked at Luce Furniture Factory,
and Lillian worked as a janitoress near there for a time. They lost their farm around 1930 after the
stock market crash of '29. They rented a house at Pleasant Lake north of Kingsley in the 1930s.
Some of these photographs came from Lillian's collection and some from Ava Babcock's scrapbooks
like the one above. The two of them often collaborated on collecting family tree information. None of these mentioned the name of the photographer.
There are many family photographs in my collection. I would like these to be available to family members who share our common ancestry. Some photos are not named as they may still be living persons. None are dated. I do not know the photographers who recorded them. They must be placed on this site as jpg files, from my computer. I have had good luck printing them out with a good printer and good paper, and hope relatives will also. Please try to navigate this site, as there are many useful bits of information under the Labels of old posts, and also in the Pages.
It has been
months since I have posted information on this blog, and I apologize, but
failing computer equipment has been one reason. Another reason was that I was
finishing a family history, which has been published and is now available.
This new
book, Theories of Relativity, with about
300 pages with twenty black and white photographs plus 50 pages of Appendices
is described as follows:
Theories of Relativity
Based upon
real life, Ava, a young woman born in 1903, was raised by grand parents in a
home that was quite religious and strict. Growing up, she learned she had
unusual perceptions of reality, where her senses were often comingled, so she
felt sounds on her skin, music was associated with colors or scents, and so on.
Ava was synesthetic in a time when the condition was unknown. This informed her
early experience of the world. Ava struggled to become an accomplished student,
musician, teacher, and eventually married Forrest, just after the 1929 crash.
Her previous isolation and Forrest’s earlier childhood abuse and their
different religious outlooks seemed to bring a surprising balance to their
lives during the hardships of the Great Depression. Eventually the couple
started a family in spite of unresolved issues. Their story is told with
thoughtful candor and compassion.
Other characters in this drama
include Ava’s father who related to her through correspondence, a dominating
grandmother, Forrest’s determined and gentle mother, Alice, and many aunts and
cousins who endeavored to work to maintain family relationships in the face of
a dynamically changing social climate.
These
people are unique and yet have much in common with the nationwide experience of
that period. In these unfolding events, many changes in history, from the Civil
War, WW1, Women’s Suffrage, the Great Depression, and its aftermath, to just
before World War II are reflected. It describes the changing social climate
from an agricultural era to a more industrial economic world, that affected so
many lives.
People
interested in history, in genealogy, poetry, and in biography should find this
account interesting. Relatives may find clues to their own family histories as
well.
Ruth Zachary
was a news reporter in a suburb of Grand Rapids MI for seven years. She has
attended numerous creative writing classes, workshops and seminars. She is also
the author of The Woman Who Named Herself, her first book.
Autographed books may also be obtained from the author at rzacharyart@gmail.com. Each book is
$23.50 including shipping.
Ira Babcock, Rebecca Dillon Babcock, and Beulah Blake Dillon. Unknown Photographer.
This beautiful photograph a friend sent me of a picture found on the internet was such a gift! Thank you to my friend, Kristina Bain, and also the person who posted it. I have other photos of Ira and Rebecca, but had never seen one of Beulah. Ira and Rebecca were my great grand parents, and Beulah would have been my great great grandmother.
I must apologize for abandoning this blog for so long. I have worked at a job at my church that was taking most of my time, and have reduced my part in that activity. I have also been working on a book that is a sort of history/biography of various family branches, closely related to the content of this blog. This book will be published soon, and I will announce its launching on this site when it is available. I still intend to go on writing blog posts to share the wealth of background materials I have. This photograph has meant so much to me, and if so, how also might my photos and materials mean a great deal to others! It deserves to be shared, and should belong to many, and not only a few!
Readers will notice that I also removed the post about John Stiles Newton. I suspected that information might be incorrect. Since then, I have concluded, at least for now, that John Stiles and Richard A. Newton, the man my grandmother identified as her grandfather were probably the same person. The reasons for this are explained in the Family Tree Section of this blog.
I have replaced the previous Lineage information with all I have uncovered during the time I did not enter posts on this blog. The format is very different from the previous Family Tree information. I wish to reassert the importance of collecting several information sources when researching a lineage, to verify that the information is correct.
"Mrs. Henry Valencourt, daughter of Charity and Spafford Northrop, was born in Calvin Township, Cass County, Michigan, June 26, 1867, and departed this life at her home south of Harlan May 5, 1934, at the age of 66 years, 10 months and nine days.
At the age of 16 Leona moved with her parents to Cleon Township, Manistee County, coming by train to Manton which was at that time the nearest railway station, then by stagecoach to Sherman and there hiring a team to finish the journey to their farm north of Harlan, where she lived until her marriage to Henry Valencourt on March 15, 1888. They immediately went to housekeeping on a farm southwest of Harlan and here to this union were born eleven children.
In 1919 they bought and moved to a farm just south of Harlan, leaving the old home for one of the children. They remained here until her death which came as a result of a lingering illness. She has lived her life well as a patient, loving wife and mother. Her sweet cheerful disposition has won her many kind friends.
She leaves to mourn her loss: Her husband Henry; six sons: Fred, Perry, Herman, Lawrence, Walter, all of Harlan, and Joe of Kingsley, Mich.; five daughters; Mrs. Charles Spencer of Big Rapids, Mrs. Ward Mallison of Bear Lake, Mrs. Glen Shelton of Mehama, Oregon, and Mrs. Elmer Carpenter and Mrs. Ira Mack of Harlan; two brothers: Arthur of Danville, Washington, and Perry of Vandalia, Mich., besides a number of grandchildren and a community of friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 8, 1934, with a song and prayer at the home at 1:30 o'clock followed by service at the Church of the Brethren at 2:00. Rev. Shumaker of Copemish officiating and taking his text from the Psalms. Singing was furnished by Mrs. J. H. Robinson, Mrs. B. M. Myers, Floyd Hatch and Arthur Stiver. They sang four beautiful numbers: "The Old Rugged Cross" which was sung at the home, and "No Night There:, "Abide With Me", and "Above the Bright Blue" at the church. Miss Alice Marie Robinson accompanied them at the piano. Those acting as escorts were Mr. North, Mr. Wagner, Mr. Read, Mr. Rackow, Mr. Dawkins and Mr. Tretchler. Internment was made in Cleon Cemetery."
Note: Spelling of parents was shown as "Northrop" not "Northrup."
Phil Leffel stated in a letter dated 1 March 2002, that he believed that the Mr. Dawkins mentioned in the obituary as an escort was Grandmother Ella Dawkins Valencourt's Uncle Ernie Dawkins.
Facts about this person:
Burial May 08, 1934
Cleon Cmty, Manistee Co, Michigan
Information provided by Kristina Bain from Internet Research.
Virginia Joslin Valencourtand Joseph Valencourt (born Vaillencourt)
New Revisions to the Valencourt Family Tree
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Many new additions to information on the Valencourt history may be found in the Valencourt section of my family tree. Much of this information came to me by a friend of mine, Kristina Bain, of Greeley CO, who provided this research. She also located the two photos above from the internet, which I had never seen before. (I retouched the photos) Virginia's maiden name was apparently Joslin, or in one early source, Gosselin. They both were from Quebec, but immigrated to the US
at different times.
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The different font styles used below indicate both the original family information inTimes italic font, Arial font for newly entered information and documentation, and bold Arial font indicates comments about discrepancies.
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PLEASE, Be patient with the strange formatting that sometimes occurs, which is caused by a conflict in Html codes as written on my computer, which is transferred to Blogger, and which I do not know how to correct. For instance, I wrote this paragraph in the same size font, but it is smaller in the posted version, and numerous automatic indentations occur which I cannot correct. Some fonts were the same when I copied the document, but were mysteriously converted to a new font which will not change when I put in the correction.
Levi Burton Bowers, Alfred Bowers' father. Undated.Photographer Unknown.
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REVISIONS IN THE BOWERS LINEAGE!
Note: US Pensioners (1818-1872, Michigan Offic, for widow Eliszabeth,
wife of Joab Bowers may point to documentation of Joab’s service in the Revolutionary War. Revisions in the Bowers Family Tree have been entered.
For the complete changes, look under Pages; Family Tree, Bowers section.
The different font styles used below indicate both the original family information inTimes italic font, Arial font for newly entered information and documentation, and bold Arial font indicates comments about discrepencies.
PLEASE, Be patient with the strange formatting that sometimes occurs, which is caused by a conflict in Html codes as written on my computer, which is transferred to Blogger, and which I do not know how to correct. For instance, I wrote this paragraph in the same size font, but it is smaller in the posted version, and numerous automatic indentations occur which I cannot correct. Some fonts were the same when I copied the document, but were mysteriously converted to a new font which will not change when I put in the correction.
M. Elizabeth(1rst)(1746-1765)m 1764. 1 son (Born in Dublin, Ireland?
M.Jane Clark(2nd)(1746-1787) m 6/5/1766 Cromwell,Middlesex, CT. 1 son
[5 trees]
( Joab is listed as Jane’s son and that does not make sense as he’s born over a year before Jane married his father—an out of wedlock birth?a mistake in one of the dates?)More likely, Joab is Elizabeth’s son -BD 1765? Did she die in childbirth?
Joab was said to have been born in Dublin, came here with father Joab
who married Jane in Connecticut?
Records:Neversink—just listed as Joab so could be either father or son[1810, 1840 “veteran”] The elder Joab would have been 90.
Early Ct Marriages Second Book Cromwell
Joab Bowers (Irish Welch) Married Lydia Hodge(Ger)
Joab Bowers Jr BD (5/25/1765 Dublin, IRE—DD 1/8/1849 NY) (84)
Katherine/Catherine Jane Yorks(9/16/1843 NY—4/8/1908 Kingsley) [Katherine and Margaret S Yorks were cousins—both granddaughters ofHermanus and Sarah Yorks] are at least 3 sons
Records:Fallsburg,NY[1870],Liberty ,Sullivan[1880-he’s listed as a stone mason] Paradise, MI[1910]
4.Clarissa Sophie (7/8/1840 Claryville or Hurleyville—9/25/1938 Fife Lake,MI)
Herman Yorks(1835 Claryville—8/31/1912 Fife Lake) Katherine’s older brother
4,maybe 5 children
Records:Denning,Ulster,NY[1860- with Clarissa’s sister Louisa],Fife Lake[1900 with Herman’s brother Benjamin E 6/1828 NY] Traverse City[1910 with Benjamin] 1890 Veterans Schedules(Grand Traverse,MI)Herman was Civil War vet
James Straton Wheat(2nd)(1/9/1844 Cochecton ,Sullivan, NY—7/19/1910 Traverse City,MI)[[his parents:Edrick Homer Wheat and Hannah Dunning b 1824]] m 1864. 6 kids. [7 trees]
Records: Wawarsing,Ulster,NU=Y[1870], Callicoon,Sullivan,NY[1880] Paradise[1900], Mayfield, Grand Traverse,MI[1910]
Additions to the Starr Family Tree Information If one is trying to research genealogy, you don't dare throw the baby out with the bathwater, because often a thread of actual events remains. I have just entered corrections in the records of the Starr lineage, errors are noted, and some things are crossed out, but most is not removed. I will not delete anything unless contradicted in several other official sources, which will also be recorded in the hope that I or others can follow these clues in the future.
Many family trees are inaccurate, mine included. The only way to verify some information is to go back to original documents held by official sources, like county registered births, marriages and deaths, cemetery records, land records, various census records, etc.
I have found many obituaries to be in error. In a crisis, who ever was available tried to do the best they knew how.
I believe I may now know ancestors names, maternal family names, where they lived, and dates, when I had no information about this before. Ancestors living in England before coming to this continent are probably my own lineage as well, and I have been given this legacy by the generosity shared openly by other branches.
One really exciting thing that has developed from this search is that several photographs have emerged of ancestors that I never saw, and am lucky to have because they go back to a day when photography had just begun. Most are part of Valencourt and Babcock lineages, so I will not include them here.
I too have so many family photos, like the one above, of Martha Starr, Laura Bower's sister, that I could also share with others in other branches. I find this to be quite wonderful, and much of it is possible because of this digital era we have entered into!
To Those who read this blog, I apologize for misleading anyone by the mistaken information I posted here. I am profoundly sorry for my part in perpetuating these errors. I have, however asked others who found the discrepancies to let me know and I would correct them. And slowly, I will do so. My poem above reflects the humor I see in this situation.
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The picture of the model of the Mayflower, and the writing about its history came from the 1957 Collier's Encyclopedia.
Genealogical Research can result in needing to revise a family tree. It is important to go back to actual historical records if you can find them, to be sure. My goal is to offer information that is as accurate as possible.
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My other major goal for this blog is to make the wealth of information that I have, including family stories and accounts, to be accessible to other family branches. It is a heritage held in common, and should be shared. This blog is the easiest means for me to make this material public. I do wish to be credited for my work, my time, for technical expertise in photo-enhancement and for my writing. Posting on this blog is a statement of copyright.
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Revision is not easily achieved in a blog post. I will revise the Pages containing the Family Tree, (which is easier in Pages than changing Posts.) Eventually I will replace parts of Family Biographies if revision is needed, and delete the earlier version. This means the order of posts will not correspond to the sequential order of the Biographies, and the information must be sequenced by date by the reader. To make the updates available, I will also organize posts pertaining to changes in information under the Label, “Revisions.”
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I would appreciate input from other relatives who may refer to this site about the need for revisions, and will credit that person with their contribution, and name resources for information as well.
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Why Are Personal Records Wrong?
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They aren't always wrong, but people writing family trees and writing obituaries frequently make mistakes, misremember, may purposely omit information, and sometimes purposely misrepresent certain details. Unfortunately, close relatives may even secede from your branch if you revise the party line in favor of documented truth.
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This gets worse when a person disagrees with the experiences of different members and their personal stories. Often in a family gathering two people present may have different experiences at the time, and their recollections will also differ. Sometimes the person himself or herself doesn’t want a particular fact of their own life to be told, and has a vested interest in keeping secrets.
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In the Valencourt branch of my family, a great grandmother Virginia is named differently in some other parallel family lineages. But because that grandmother lived with her son Charles in Oregon, and died in his care, I believe my mother’s records are probably correct. Until I find historic documents, such as a census, birth records, marriage records, death records and other documents, that indicate differently, I will assume the version here is accurate.
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In the Bowers Lineage there are discrepancies.
Afriend of mine, Kristina Bain, explained that “before the 1850 census, the households just listed the male head (without a birth date) and put everyone else in numerical categories (i.e. 1 male age 50-60, 1 female aged 50—60, two females age 30-40 etc…) so sorting out, the Joab Bowers family may require further inquiries at the genealogical /historical societies in the places they lived & died for wills, property records etc.”
My friend said the Babcock Lineage conformed with another source, and is probably trustworthy material.
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The Starr Lineage: I was quite amazed to hear that there may be two more unrecorded generations in the Starr Lineage, and that some of the recorded names may be different than originally thought. I have included that part of the Starr Lineage where changes may be indicated, and need more research. See bold black entries below, which suggest changes are needed.
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MATERNAL FAMILY TREE - STARR LINEAGE
1 Dr. Comfort Starrcame to this country on the Mayflower from Ashire England in 1620.
2 Thomas Starr. was put in prison for being sympathetic with the Indians.
He was later released and given a tract of land in Connecticut as compensation. He raised his family in Thompsonville, CN.
3. Elias Starr(The One World Tree on Ancestry.com names this ancestor as Josiah)
(The One World Tree on Ancestry.com names two more generations, Benjamin Starr and another David Starr)
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4. David Starr
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5. Johnathon Starr was married to Sally. The couple had three children, Sara and William J. (third unknown.) (The One World Tree on Ancestry.com names this ancestor as Elnathan)
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6 William J Starr,was born Nov. 8, 1843.He died Mar. 19, 1907.
He married Eliza Jane Reynolds (Dutch) in Fallsburg NY. She was born Jan 20, 18-- and died Oct. 7, 1886. Her parents were Andrew Reynolds and Catherine Vanbenscoten (Dutch)
They were one of the first Free Methodist families in the country.
They had 13 children in all, in New York State, including Martha Starr Strong, Sarah Starr Paul, Emma Starr Van Inwegen, Margaret Starr Main, George Starr, Willard Starr, Laura Starr Bowers, Andrew Starr, Flora Starr Wheat, Louella Starr Case, Ava Starr Frazier, Herman Starr, and Arthur Starr.
Two additional sisters are also named in the One World Tree on Ancestrry.com. but I suspect these may be cases where a second name was used, or they died as babies, as my great grandmother Laura personally told me there were thirteen children in all, and she had twelve brothers and sisters. Also I believe her middle name was Jane, but have no documentation.(I was about eleven. Ruth Zachary.)
