EARLY STARR ANCESTORS

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.

Information and photographs are  for everyone, but specific wording on the Cuckoo's Child is the © of Ruth Zachary.

BIOGRAPHICAL PAGES

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.

Writing and layout is the copyright © of Ruth Zachary. Permission to copy photographs from this site is given to relatives. If corrections to the information are needed, please let me know. Thank you.

WISHING YOU A MERRY HOLIDAY

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!

Writing and images are the © copyright of Ruth Zachary.

Family Roots in Kingsley, MI

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.

Writing is the © of Ruth Zachary.

Weaver Family Photos

 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.  

The writing on this site is the © of Ruth Zachary. Photos and writings are the property of family members, and attribution of the images will be made when known.

  

LILLIAN AND GUY LISKUM PHOTOS

 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.

These photographs are the copy right ©of  the relatives and descendants of the Bowers family lineage.     

FEWLESS FAMILY PICTURES

 Emma Fewless

 Esther Fewless and Grand Daughter

 George Fewless, Roy, Glen and Esther Fewless

 

 The Fewless Family Home

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.

Written information is the copyright © of Ruth Zachary. Photographers of images are unknown but belong to members of the Fewless Family and their relatives.

Theories of Relativity

Cover of Ruth Zachary's New Book © 2012

Hello, Friends!

            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.

Writing and images on this site are the copyright ©of Ruth Zachary.

Another Great Great Grandmother

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.

LEONA VALENCOURT'S OBIT, 1934

Quoted from Leona Northrop Valencourt's obituary.

"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.