I found this theme, which may also be considered a meme, over on Facebook, and decided participating was a good idea.
This Friday’s card is from the funeral of Charles E. Tinker. Charlie or sometimes, Charley, Tinker was the second husband of Belle Lamunion; she was one of Papa’s great-grandmothers. The grandchildren, at least all that I ever met, called the couple, “Grandma and Charlie”.
The actual cemetery where Charlie is buried is Hillside, it is just south-east of Grant.
I recently outlined the land transactions of Belle Lamunion and Henry Fellows, Belle Lamunion and Charlie Tinker, and some of their descendents in Wexford County, Michigan. Belle and Henry, and later Belle and Charlie, lived a large portion of their lives in Wexford County, Michigan, but had previously lived in other locations.
In genealogical research, the best practice is to search from what is know to what is unknown, from the present into the past in successive steps. If this method is not used, it is possible to spend many years researching the wrong ancestor; I have heard painful accounts of researchers who inadvertently jumped to conclusions which lead them down the wrong path. With common names like John Johnston and (believe it or not) Henry and Erastus Fellows in our families, I make every attempt to avoid doing so.
Henry and Belle were Papa’s great grandparents, and had previously lived in Newaygo County, Michigan. In 2003, I traveled to Newaygo County to survey the records available there for the family. I have previously published a transcription of a deed which was central in settling the estate of Erastus G. Fellows, Henry’s father. Erastus G. Fellows died of disease at Lookout Mountain on 15 March 1865; he was a Union soldier. I wrote a little about Erastus and about our visit to his grave some time ago.
Reviewing that transcription provides information on a suspected relationship between these individuals:
A biography of Henry H. Fellows which is printed in an old county history gives his parents names as Erastus Fellows and Ruth Smith.1
I have since discovered a biography for Peter J. Fellows of Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan which lists his parents as Erastus and Ruth, and also states that Peter first came to Newaygo County, Michigan from Ohio, and then moved on to Ionia County. It also names other children in the family of Ruth and Erastus, but only the living ones. My Erastus is not named, darn it.2
These old biographies are not completely accurate, they tend to, “Put the best face on bad facts”, to quote Papa. More to the point, I have found inaccuracies and errors of omission, but have never found one with outright lies. So, with the biographies indicating that Peter J. and Henry H. Fellows had the same parents, one of which names Henry H. as Peter J.’s brother, and with both Henry H. and Peter involved in the affairs of the estate of Erastus G. Fellows, my search for the family of Erastus G. Fellows has a little more life. I also have Ohio census records which add the census locations of several Fellows siblings in Seneca County, Ohio in various homes, the cemetery clue, and other evidence which is beginning to stack up.
The older Henry H. Fellows, who I suspect is a brother of our ancestor’s father, was a well known, and perhaps a little better off than our more average ancestors. He was heavily involved in land transactions in Newaygo County, Michigan. There were actually so many deeds with the surname Fellows, that I gave up before I had abstracted the information from all of them.
However, I will examine and post those which I have over the next weeks, as I look for more clues about the Fellows family. I am following my instincts, and searching from what I know, into the unknown.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 16 January 1947 |
| Liber: | 139 |
| Page: | 479 |
| Location: | Wexford Co., MI |
| Grantor: | Mrs. Belle Tinker, widow of Colfax, Wexford, MI |
| Grantee: | Frank Fellows and Lila Fellows his wife of Colfax, Wexford, MI |
| Witnesses: | Gerald Bostick, William Paulson |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 21 January 1947 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Thomas Brown |
| Location of land: | Colfax |
| Consideration: | $1 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Sec 9 T23N R10W |
As far as I know, this is the last of the property owned by Belle in Wexford County. She deeded it to her youngest child and only surviving son, Frank A. Fellows with this instrument. Here it is, marked on a segment of the old 1914 atlas.1
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 7 May 1945 |
| Liber: | 139 |
| Page: | 509 |
| Location: | Wexford Co., MI |
| Grantor: | Charles E. Tinker AKA Charles Tinker and Belle Tinker his wife |
| Grantee: | Earl T. Colbert & Marie Colbert husband & wife of Manton, Wexford, MI |
| Witnesses: | Jno A. Muche, Harriet Muche |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 29 June 1947 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Brown |
| Location of land: | Colfax |
| Consideration: | $800.00 |
| Notes: | Belle signed with an X, although she has signed her name on previous deeds. |
| Description: | NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 and the N 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 and the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 all in Section 16, T23N R10W |
Under this deed, Belle and Charlie disposed of their remaining land in Section 16. I am not clear on where Belle and Charlie lived after they sold this land. Charlie died on 5 January 1946, and Belle on 27 Aug 1948. Unlike the deed I described yesterday, this one was filed in a more timely fashion. Here is the location of the land in Section 16 of Colfax township, using a page the old 1914 atlas 1 to illustrate.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 7 May 1945 |
| Liber: | 139 |
| Page: | 507 |
| Location: | Wexford Co., MI |
| Grantor: | Charles Tinker & Belle Tinker his wife |
| Grantee: | Earl T. Colbert & Marie Colbert Husband and Wife |
| Witnesses: | Jno A. Muche, Harriet Muche |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 24 Jan 1947 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Brown |
| Location of land: | Colfax |
| Consideration: | $1,000 |
| Notes: | Belle signed with an X, although She could write and had signed previous deeds. |
| Description: | The W 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 9 T23N R10W except a piece of land in the NW corner 10 rods N-S by 12 rods E-W and also a piece starting 12 rods E of the corner of the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 and running east 24 rods, south 10 rods, west 24 rods and north 10 rods to the point of beginning. |
Charlie Tinker died on 5 January 1946, less than a year after the this deed was executed. I cannot explain why Mr. & Mrs. Colbert did not file this deed until 24 January 1947, but since Charlie died on 5 January, maybe that prompted them to act. I have again used a portion of the Colfax Township map from the 19141 Atlas to show the location of the property.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 16 June 1936 |
| Liber: | 128 |
| Page: | 451 |
| Location: | Wexford County, MI |
| Grantor: | Charles Tinker & Belle Tinker his wife of Colfax, Wexford, MI |
| Grantee: | I. Fay Horton, C. Howard Horton |
| Witnesses: | Warranty |
| Type of deed: | 16 June 1936 |
| Rec’d and recording: | 6 June 1936 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Johnson |
| Location of land: | Colfax |
| Consideration: | $75.00 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | Start 12 rods east of the corner of the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 9, T23N R10W, then east 24 rods, south 10 rods, west 24 rods, then north 10 rods to the start. |
On this deed, Charlie and Belle sold a lot of about 1.5 acres to Clayton L. Babcock. I used the Colfax map from the 1914 atlas1 to show the position of the lot descried in this deed.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 15 July 1914 |
| Liber: | 87 |
| Page: | 383 |
| Location: | 383 |
| Grantor: | Lester E. Stone and Sarah E. Stone of Manton, MI |
| Grantee: | Charles E. Tinker & Belle Tinker of Manton, MI |
| Witnesses: | Addie Campbell, Guy W. Slack |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 15 July 1914 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Slack |
| Location of land: | Colfax, Wexford, MI |
| Consideration: | $1,800 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | N1/2 of SE1/4 of NW1/4 and NE1/4 of NW1/4 Sec 16 T23N R10W abt 60 ac |
Belle and Charlie lived on this piece of of land when M-in-L was a child. This deed shows why I believe it is important to leave no STONE unturned while researching your family. If you look back at the post I wrote about Charlie Tinker, you can see that Charlie and Belle married on 15 July 1914. Interesting this deed was recorded the same day Charlie and Belle married, apparently in a judge’s chambers at the courthouse. A closer look shows that Lester and Sarah Stone were the witnesses. Oh. Although Charlie Tinker’s obituary gave an earlier year for their marriage, I am convinced that the actual date was 15 July 1914.
One little postcard shows how valuable various fragments of evidence can become. In the collection from Belle’s box, I wrote about a postcard from Mrs. Stone, which was postmarked 31 July 1914. Looks like Belle and Charlie got a dog with the house and property!
The location is marked in red from the 1914 atlas of Wexford County1 which is online on a University of Michigan site. The blue outlined property was owned at various times by people associated with Belle. The northern most property was owned by Alfred Fenton, a brother-in-law of Belle’s daughter, Edna. Edna’s mother-in-law, Susie M. Burdick Fenton Longstreet and her husband Harmon H. Longstreet owned the remaining property outlined in blue.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 27 August 1913 |
| Liber: | 86 |
| Page: | 212 |
| Location: | Wexford County, MI |
| Grantor: | Mrs. Belle Fellows of Cedar Creek, Wexford Co., MI |
| Grantee: | Herbert Doolittle of Ann Arbor, MI |
| Witnesses: | Charley Tinker, Isaac C. Wheeler, Notary Public |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 28 August 1913 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Slack |
| Location of land: | Cedar Creek, Wexford, MI |
| Consideration: | $1,300 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 Sect 5 T23N R10W |
Belle’s tenure on this property in Cedar Creek was short-lived. She purchased on 21 March 1907 and sold on 27 Aug 1913. Comparing amounts on the deeds shows that she “earned” $200 for that period. It does not seem like a lot of money, until you think of it as 18.18 % of the beginning sale price of the property. I made a calculation at my favorite site for figuring value, Measuring Worth. According to the site, $1,100 in 1907 is equivalent to the following values in 1913:
| $1,159.17 | using the Consumer Price Index |
| $1,171.18 | using the GDP deflator |
| $1,262.96 | using the value of consumer bundle |
| $1,144.77 | using the unskilled wage |
| $1,138.20 | using the nominal GDP per capita |
| $1,271.86 | using the relative share of GDP |
We don’t know what improvements may have been made to the property between 1907 and 1913, so we can not really tell if Belle profited from the sale, or lost money after making considerable improvement.
The property didn’t move, but apparently Belle moved on. If you want to see the location of this land, you may view the map with the description of the purchase transaction.
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 21 March 1907 |
| Liber: | 63 |
| Page: | 22 |
| Location: | Wexford County, Michigan |
| Grantor: | Harry Taylor & Olive Taylor, his wife of Cedar Creek, Wexford, MI |
| Grantee: | Mrs. Bell Fellows, widow, of Liberty, Wexford, MI |
| Witnesses: | Lillian Kotts, Isaac Cw. Culer |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 6 April 1907 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Elon A Losie |
| Location of land: | Cedar Creek Twp, Wexford Co., MI |
| Consideration: | $1,100 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 Sec 5 T23N R9W 40 acres |
Henry Fellows died on 19 Sept 1905. I am not sure where in Liberty Township Belle was living, but Cedar Creek Township lies just south of Liberty and the property Belle purchased is on the township line. This thumbnail illustrates the property’s location, and is taken from the old 1908 on-line atlas.1
I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fellows ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.
| Date: | 26 October 1903 |
| Liber: | 54 |
| Page: | 359 |
| Location: | Wexford County, MI |
| Grantor: | Henry Fellows & wife Belle Fellows of Colfax, Wexford, Michigan |
| Grantee: | Elizabeth McClain of the same place |
| Witnesses: | Wm Jones, Isaac C. Wheeler |
| Type of deed: | Warranty |
| Rec’d and recording: | 30 Oct 1903 |
| Clerk/registrar: | Henry Hanson |
| Location of land: | Antioch Twp, Wexford Co., MI |
| Consideration: | $256 |
| Notes: | |
| Description: | W 1/2 of the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 Sec 15 T23NR11 W 20 Acres |
I do not know how Belle and Henry acquired this land. I obviously have some work to do at the Wexford County Court House. I am planning two genealogy trips this sprint, and one is up to Wexford County. My list is getting longer. I do see the name Jones on the deed as a witness, a surname associated with Belle’s family. Belle’s mother was Miranda Jones, daughter of Robert and Savilla. It remains to be see if William Jones of Antioch Township, Michigan was related, or the name is a coincidence.
This map is taken from the old 1908 atlas of Wexford County1. Elizabeth McClain is not listed as an owner in 1908. You can enlarge to see the detail, with the family of Geo Jones owning 40 acres which would encompass the 20 referred to in this deed.
