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.

NEW GENEALOGY INTERNET DISCOVERIES

Virginia Joslin Valencourt and 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.

GREAT NEW DISCOVERIES IN THE BOWERS LINEAGE

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.

BOWERS LINEAGE

Joab Bowers Sr /BD(6/2/1745 Killingly Turnpike, Windham CT—)

M. Elizabeth(1rst)(1746-1765)m 1764. 1 son (Born in Dublin, Ireland?

M.Jane Clark(2^nd)(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)

Lydia Hodge(1rst) BD(11/10/1769 Claryville, Sullivan, NY—DD4/10/1813 Neversink, NY)

M . 3/14/1787 Glastonbury, CT. 9 children.

Elizabeth Brewer(2^nd)(1793-1856 MI)

M 6/3/1843 Neversink NY [8 trees]

Records: :US Pensioners(1818-1872)—Michigan office, for widow Elizabeth.

NY Pensioners-a Joab Bowers was a fifer for the Ct line and had a pension starting 4/11/1818

US Revolutionary War Rolls has 2 Joab Bowers, both in CT-one a private and one a fifer

US War Bounty Land Warrants-one for Joab Bowers dated 4/19/1790

Early CT Marriages Seventh Book Glastonbury

Levi Burton Bowers, married Sofia Engrick

Children: James I, Alfred, William, Clarissa and Louisa Bowers.

Levi Burton Bowers(8/20/1813 NY-1893 Kingsley MI)

Sophia Ingrick(1rst)(11/21/1813 Fallsburgh-7/27/1845 Neversink, Sullivan) m 1834 NY

[[Sophia’s parents were George Ingrick(1783 Gerhausen, Germany—5/28/1829 NY) and Lucy(1773) 4 trees]

1James I/J(11/24/1834 Claryville, Sullivan, NY)

Martha Jane Hodge(11/24/1834— )[[[Abel Hodge 11/1/1771 Glastonbury,CT-3/4/1834 Neversink, NY/Submit Mitty 2/9/1773-7/14/1863 Neversink]] 5 kids?

Records:Hudson, Lenawee,MI[1870, 1880 Jas I Bowers]

2 Alfred(10/21/1836 Fallsburgh—3/14 or 3/16/ 1932 Kingsley,Grand Traverse)

M. Laura Jane Starr(7/29/1859 or 1860—8/5/1950 MI)

3.William Calvin(10/18/1838 Parksville,Sullivan,, NY)

Katherine/Catherine Jane Yorks(9/16/1843 NY—4/8/1908 Kingsley) [Katherine and Margaret S Yorks were cousins—both granddaughters of Hermanus 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

5.Lucy(10/9/1842 Neversink—8/20/1843 Neversink)[4 trees]

6.Louisa Albertine(10/9/1844 S.Fallsburg, NY—6/4/1940 Traverse City,MI)

George Newhall(1rst)(1842-1864)m 1859

James Straton Wheat(2^nd)(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]

Writing on this post is the copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

REVISIONIST GENEALOGY 2

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!

Writing is the ©Copyright of Ruth Zachary

REVISIONIST GENEALOGY

Revisionist Genealogy 2010

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Since the last entry of my

family history, I have learned

a lot of the family tree written down

by recent relatives now passed,

is inaccurate.

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This means I am honor bound

to correct the tree, to revise the

biographical pages.

This means I have

been living in the presumption of

a family heritage that did not exist,

at least as previously put forth.

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In a way, this feels like a reprieve.

There is new hope of the chance

to retrieve a better tradition,

a new theory of relativity.

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We did not descend from an

ancestor arriving on the Mayflower,

unless he came on a later voyage.

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Each documented truth removes

me one more step from the

family dysfunction where I grew up;

from the family where I never fit;

and from which I was exiled.

That family remains

in the perpetuated state

of false recollections of a pedigree

that did not exist. Ironically, it is they

who have been disenfranchised.

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I am freed by the truth by which

I have intuitively lived, and from this

new perspective, realize

I am the one with a legacy,

to pass on to the world.

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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.

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Writing on this post is the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary, Mistakes included.