Granny Pam's Genealogical Trials and Triumphs
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This entry is part 21 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

Some members of the William W. Cowin family are memorialized on this lot, which was purchased on 1 September 1916 by W.W. Cowin, according to the cemetery printout at the Cadillac Library.

cowinold mainstone

Cowin Robert S.
robertSCowin

Cowin, Martha “Mattie” E. Stinson, wife of William W. Cowin
mattiecowin
Cowin, William W
williamwcowin
Cowin, Roxy E. 189-1987
RoxyCowin
Crandall, Gladys Cowin
gladysecowin
Crandall, William Tilden
williamcrandelloldcowinlot

This entry is part 22 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

More members of the Cowin family are resting peacefully in a newer area of the cemetery.

wmCowinMarker

W. Guy Cowin, son of William W. Cowin and Martha E. “Mattie” Stinson.
guycowin

Pearl A. (Garvin) Cowin, wife of William “Guy” Cowin. Pearl is my link to this family, she was the daughter of John Garvin and Mary Ann Kaiser.

pearlgarvincowin

Robert G. Cowin, son of Guy Cowin and Pearl Garvin.

robertgcowin

Amber J. (Garn) Cowin, wife of Robert G. Cowin. Amber was the daughter of Archie Garn and Eva D. Stewart.

ambergarncowin

Gordon K. and Barbara (Cowin) Nystrom, daughter of Guy Cowin and Pearl A. Garvin.
gordonbarbaracowinnystrom

This entry is part 23 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

Lot 10, Block B was purchased by William Garvin on 5 March 1883 according to the printout I consulted at the Cadillac Library. Interestingly, there is no record of a burial of William in this cemetery.

Here is an overview of the lot as it looked when I visited in 2002.
garvin overview maple hill

There are four markers on lot. Two larger matching ones are John and Mary Ann. The tall thin one, which is leaning forward is Anna. The tipped on that is nearly illegible is Inez.

Anna Garvin, died 29 January 1883, daughter of William Garvin and Ann ? was born 25 October 1856. She was a sister of John Garven, also buried here.

John Garvin, b ca 1853-1854, died 9 May 1904. A sibling of Ann listed above, and husband of Mary Ann, listed below.

Mary Ann Kaiser Garvin, John’s wife. Mary Ann Was born 14 March 1860 in Vaughan Township, York County, Ontario, Canada and died 29 December 1939 in Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan. Mary Ann was my great-grand aunt.

Inez Garvin, born perhaps in July 1891 died 15 Feb 1892. She was a child of Mary ann and John.

The cemetery printout list burial for Row W. Garvin, 1885-1950 on this lot, but there is no marker. There is also a record in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Cadillac, Michigan: Plot x-2, birth 1885 plot owner Mrs. Sarah J. Garvin, Death 1950. There are markers in Mt. Carmel for Roy and Sadie Garvin.

This entry is part 24 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

This lot is owned by James Johnston, and the printout at the Cadillac Library shows that he purchased it 27 August 1894. James was my great granduncle; he came to Cadillac with his sister Jane, my great-grandmother, sometime after the death of the other family members in Huron County, Ontario, Canada.

jamesjohnston

Elizabeth Kaiser Johnston, his wife. Elizabeth was a sibling of my great-grandfather, William Kaiser, who married James’ sister Jane.
elizabethkaiserjohnston

Katie Johnston. The death record for Katherine Johnston, daughter of Elizabeth and James, gives a death date of 10 June 1894, age 3 years, 26 days.
katiejohnstonmaplehill

There may be other interments on this lot, and the records are inconsistent or incomplete. I found a death record in Wexford County, Michigan for a still born male child of James and Elizabeth with a date of 11 October 1899 . That child may be interred without a marker on this lot, or somewhere else in the cemetery, but I have found no record of the burial.

The cemetery log, which I viewed at the city complex in Cadillac several years ago, shows an interment for a male infant of James Johnson on 3 August 1888, but does not give a lot number. The Johnston/Johnson error is common, and that date would be approximately one year after Elizabeth and James married, so that may have been their infant. The Johnstons may have arranged for burial in a single grave at another location, since this lot was purchased in 1894, after the death of their daughter, Katie.

The handwritten log is alphabetized similarly to other indices of the time, the interments are listed in an index under the beginning letter of the surname of the deceased person, by year. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a page or pages, but the records are listed as they occur, so the “J” surnames are listed in order if interment, and this one does appear in order with the 1888 records. There is no death record in Wexford County for any infant with a surname of Johnston or Johnson in 1888. I do believe the infant was buried in 1888, but more research is required, and I may never know if the child’s parents were James and Elizabeth Johnston.

This entry is part 25 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

The cemetery record printout shows a purchased date of 12 July 1894 for this lot. Since the first person buried here died on 27 September 1893 I wonder how the purchased dates were recorded, or how they were later keyed into the database that produced the printout.

The lot was owned by Hannah or Robert J. Smelser, it depends on which burial record you consult.

Robert J. and Hannah E. Smelser
Roberthannahsnidersmelserl

Rae E. and Roberta S. (Smelser) Johnston
raerobertasmelserjohnston

Rae Johnston was the only child of James and Elizabeth (Kaiser) Johnston who survived to adulthood. He was my first cousin, twice removed. The Smelser’s were his wife’s parents.

This entry is part 26 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

The ownership information for this lot was blank in the cemetery printout at the Cadillac Library, as was the purchase date.

Lucy (Kaiser) Johnston, was born 28 February 1876 in Canada and died in Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan on 2 October 1914. She was another of the siblings in the family of Elizabeth Long and husband William Kaiser. James and Jane Johnston married siblings of Lucy, Elizabeth and William Kaiser respectively.
lucykaiserjohnstonl

An old family history says her husband, George Johnston, was a cousin of James and Jane Johnston. Gorge’s death certificate says he was born in St. Louis, Michigan on 25 January 1871 and died in Moran Township, Mackinac County, Michigan on 7 June 1946. The death certificate has every genealogists least favorite words in the blank reserved for names and birthplaces of parents, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown. When George remarried after Lucy’s death, that marriage record film shows partial information, father Alexander Johnston, mother “__aria Thompon”. Hmmm, this may be the connection that I have long searched for between the Thompsons, Johnstons and Kaisers, but I have not researched the problem yet.
georgeajohnstonmaplehill

There is no marker on the lot for Lucy and Gorge’s daughter, Doris. “Cousin Doris”, my Dad always said. I remember her as a slight woman, perhaps eccentric, somewhat outspoken. Her physical appearance reminded me of two of my father’s siblings, who would have been her cousins, actually first cousins, once removed. Doris E. (Johnston) Leslie was born 19 October 1902 in Cadillac, Wexford County, Michigan and died 24 July 1971 in the same place.

Shortly after Doris died, my father (the undertaker) arranged for a graveside service. I remember Dad calling me on the phone and insisting that I attend. I must have left our little daughter with M-in-L, because I did respect my father’s wishes and attend. It was a small crowd, and as I recall, it included a male friend of Doris’ who was displeased about the fact that a minister was present. My undertaker father always followed his conscience in matters concerning last farewells, and he may have been the closest living relative childless Doris had. So, there was a minister, and a prayer, and a displeased gentleman. Years later I did remember the lot and the other markers on it when I revisited the site.

The final marker on the lot is one for Raoul E. Nadon. Raoul was one of Doris’ husbands, either the first one, or the second one. In the old history I mentioned, three husbands were listed. I have not researched the details.
raoulnadon

This entry is part 27 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

This lot is in an old part of the cemetery, and runs parallel to Mitchell Street. My dad showed me how to find it by walking southeast from the corner of a shed that is on the path closest to the graves.

This is the resting place of my Kaiser great grandparents. The three newer stones appear to have been purchased near the date of the death of William, or perhaps he purchased them before he died. They are not from the time Jane, my great-grandmother and his first wife died.
kaiserstone

William Kaiser, born 30 June 1862 in Ontario, probably in Vaughan Township, York County; and died 23 December 1940 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. He was staying with his daughter Bertha Kaiser Ballou at the time of his death.

“Cecelia” 1887. This marker is what sent me to the city offices to look at the original burial logs. There was no record on the cemetery printout for Cecelia Kaiser who died 1887. In the original logs I found an entry for the burial of a baby and Jane “Jennie”. The baby’s record reads, Nov 21 1887, Kysor (sic) wm. inf. 3 months, white, male American. The white and male are written in the column with ditto marks of the record above. The burial location is: “BR”.

Just two lines later, January 29, 1888, Kysor (sic), Mrs Wm, white female, American, buried in block B. The Kysor has Kaiser written in above it. I have found no death record in Wexford or any other county for these individuals, it must have gone unrecorded.  Jane “Jennie” (Johnston) Kaiser was William Kaiser’s first wife, and my great-grandmother.

williamjennieceliakaiser

No one in my family ever mentioned this baby to me. She would have been a full sister of my grandmother, who was born in 1885. Aunt Bertha, who I mentioned above, was my Grandma’s half-sister.

Daniel Kaiser, born 6 June 1844, probably in Vaughan Township, York County, Ontario and Died 12 December 1907 in Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan. Daniel’s death certificate states he was born in Pennsylvania, and that his parents were Daniel Kaiser and Sarah Fisher. Both of these statements are errors. Daniel’s marriage, recorded on 1 January 1868 in Kent County, Michigan shows his birth place as Canada, as do his census listings for 1870, 1880, and 1900. His parents, Daniel E. Kaiser (1806-1872) and Hannah Fisher were members of loyalist families who traveled to Canada in the late 1700′s or early 1800′s. Daniel was a brother of my 2nd great-grandfather, William Kaiser. He was an uncle of my great-grandfather who owned, and is buried on this lot.
danielkaiser

Also on this lot: Daniel Erlin Kaiser, a son of Daniel Kaiser and Amanda VanMeer. This little boy died on 22 April 1883, of scarlet fever. He was the only known natural child of Daniel and Amanda.
danielkaiserjr1

Gerald Catlin, 1885-1898. Gerald was visiting Daniel and Amanda when a horse kicked him and he subsequently died. Gerald was the son of Amanda’s sister Minnie VanMeer Catlin and her husband Sherman. The Catlins were residents of New York.
gerald catlin

This entry is part 28 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

This lot is close to the lot containing the burials of the George and Lucy (Kaiser) Johnston families, Block T, Lot 461. Interestingly, some of the grave markers are the same style. The southwest portion of this lot was purchased on either 13 or 11 October 1909 by Elizabeth Kaiser

Elizabeth (Long) Kaiser, 1834-1921,  was my second great-grandmother. I do not know the date of her marriage to William Kaiser, but they married in Canada. Since the first several children in their family claim a birth place of Vaughan, Ontario, it is likely they married somewhere near the Kaiser’s historic residences in Vaughan. The area was referred to as “Kaiserville”, and today, is the home to an authentic historic village.
elizabethlongkaiser

William Kaiser, 1837-1909, Elizabeth’s husband, my 2nd great-grandfather.
wmkaisersr

Elbert “Bert” G. Rice, 872-1945. Rice was the husband of another child of Elizabeth Long and William Kaiser, Amelia/Mildred.
elbert g rice maplehill

Mildred (Kaiser) Rice, 1878-1963. “Aunt Millie”, is what we called this lady, the youngest sibling in the family of William and Elizabeth (Long) Kaiser. Her name was “Amelia” on the 1881 census in Canada, when she was a 3-year old. She was Mildred in volume 2, page 120, record 1637 of Wexford County, Michigan, marriage records, where her 1 May 1900 marriage was recorded.
ameliamildredkaiserricel

This entry is part 29 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

Maple Hill is a larger city cemetery, located on the south side of Cadillac, Michigan. I have collected a number of photographs from this cemetery and will post my photographs by lot number.

The southeast portion of Block T, lot 459 was purchased by “Joseph Long” on 5 May 1909, according to the cemetery print-out in the local library. I found three gravestones on the lot.

Joseph Long, 1832-1909, was my second great-grand uncle, a sibling of Elizabeth Long. The parents of the Long siblings were (surprise!) Joseph Long and Mary. I have several last names for Mary, and I won’t bore you with that problem right now. Joseph was predeceased by his wife and five of his seven children according to his death certificate. Two of his children were living in Cadillac at the time of his death, Joseph Long, 1877-1944, and Henrietta Long Kelly, 1873-1949; so they may have been his only surviving children.
joseph long d 1909

Joseph and Alice (Gibbs) Long are also buried on this lot. This Joseph was a son of the Joseph who died in 1909. Joseph and Alice were married in Wexford County, Michigan on 26 June 1902. This Joseph, 1877-1944, was probably the purchaser of the lot, where he first buried his father.
joesph alice long

Alice (Gibbs) Long was born in 1875 and died in 1960.
alice long2

The Lilac

August 31st, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (1 Comments)
This entry is part 30 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

There are many surprising moments in life, and I had one this spring. M-in-L, Papa and I spend a day or so visiting cemeteries on Memorial Day weekend each year. Last year, Papa and I went back to Maple Hill Cemetery to water our flowers.

Since it was just the two of us, and we had a few minutes, I wanted to look at some family lots I hadn’t see in several years. One of those is block B lot 60, where my great-grandparents are buried.

I was amazed to find this.

lilac kaiser 2009

That knurly old lilac has been on the lot as long as I can remember, I have no idea who trimmed it the way is is. Most lilacs in the area are clumped bushes, not single larger trunks. I had never seen this one blooming before in the entire 35 or so years I have visited this cemetery. It is planted next to the marker for William, Jennie and Cecelia Kaiser, which you can just see in the foreground.