Granny's Genealogy

Maple Hill Cemetery, Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan – Block B Lot 60

August 27th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (1 Comments)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Catlin, Johnston, Kaiser, Maple Hill Cemetery Cadillac MI, VanMeer

Maple Hill Cemetery, Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan – Block T Lot 461

August 26th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (5 Comments)

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.

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.

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.

Johnston, Kaiser, Leslie, Maple Hill Cemetery Cadillac MI, Nadon

Maple Hill Cemetery, Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan – Block O Lot 344

August 25th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (0 Comments)

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

Rae E. and Roberta S. (Smelser) Johnston

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.

Johnston, Maple Hill Cemetery Cadillac MI, Smelser

Maple Hill Cemetery, Cadillac, Wexford, Michigan – Block H Lot 199

August 24th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (0 Comments)

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.

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

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.

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.

Johnston, Kaiser, Maple Hill Cemetery Cadillac MI

Knox Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Huron County, Ontario — Johnston

August 12th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Cemeteries | Granny's Ancestors - (2 Comments)

This entry is part 14 of 60 in the series Cemeteries

knoxpresbyteriancranbrook-2 small Knox presbyterian cranbrook overview-2 small

The members of the my great-grandmother’s family who died in or near Grey Township are also buried at Knox Presbyterian cemetery.

John Johnston was a taxable resident of Grey Township by 1866; I do not know the exact date he arrived there. Just two members of John’s family survived and migrated to Michigan, his children, James and Jane. Jane was my great-grandmother.

A cousin related to me that her father, Rae Johnston, son of James Johnston and grandson of John Johnston, traveled to Canada with a friend and visited the cemeteries. It seems that either James or Rae Johnston purchased the Johnston gravestones. The appearance and style of the markers is not consistent with the death years of the family.

Johnstonplotcranbrook

My second great-grandfather, John Johnston, 1829-1881

Catherine Raper Johnston, 1834-1880

Margaret “Maggie” Johnston, 1863-1880

Barbara Winnie Johnston, 1876-1881

I stood at this grave for a long time. As a reminder, I didn’t crop my foot off the photo. In my mind, this grave connected and cemented my relationship to this family forever. My grandmother, Winnie Alice Kaiser, must have been named for this aunt, her mother’s sister. Just seeing the name made me shiver. I had absolutely no doubt, these Johnstons were my family.

After this trek, I drove back to Goderich and began to search the marriage, death and birth indices for the time. Funny, a marriage record I found said this:

#004614-81: William HARBOTTLE, 23, farmer, born Granville, Ontario, residing Grey twp., son of John HARBOTTLE & Sarah CHISHOLM, married Kate JOHNSTON, 23, born Perth County, Ontario., residing Grey township, d/o John JOHNSTON & Catherine RAPER, witnesses were Earnest HARBOTTLE & Mary Ann KAISER, both of Grey Township, date April 20, 1881 at Grey twp.

Hmmm. Back to the cemetery records; then, another, sadder drive back to the cemetery.

Katherine “Kate” Johnston Harbottle, 1857-1881

I remember years ago, when Papa and I located the grave of his g-grandmother I said, great! Now, who else is around here, it is important to look at the neighbors. That day we did find some neighboring graves with names that seemed significant to us. On this day in May, 1991, in Grey, Ontario, I had missed it. I would not have realized, even had I seen the grave before I left the cemetery the first time. I am glad I had planned a several day trip, in order to view all the records I could find in the area.

After locating Kate’s marker, I took this overview of the Johnston markers and her marker, to show the relationship.

The taller, older marker for Kate is just behind the Johnston lot, in the next row.

Harbottle, Huron Ontario Canada, Johnston, Knox Presbyterian Cranbrook

Jane “Jennie” Johnston

November 8th, 2008 | Posted by Granny Pam in Granny's Ancestors - (0 Comments)

Jane Johnston is a “mystery” woman, information about her is hard to come by. She was the original owner of a locket in my possession, and my great-grandmother. Jane’s daughter, Winnie Alice Kaiser, was my Dad’s mother.

Jane Johnston was born about 1867, using calculations from early census records and her marriage record. It is likely she was born in Grey Township, Huron County, Ontario on lot 34 concession 12 where her parents John Johnston and his wife Catherine Raper lived.

Jane had 3 older siblings, Catherine “Kate”, Margaret “Maggie”, and James. Her younger sister Barbara Winnie was born in 1876. The Johnstons were of Scotch heritage, both John and his wife Catherine reported their birthplace as Scotland on the 1871 census.

Life in Grey Township* from 1860-1880 was similar to early pioneering life in the US. The original homes were log cabins. Huron County was and is a rural farming community. Tax records between 1866 and 1879 show that the Johnston family owned between 7 and 10 cattle, 0 and 8 sheep, and a hog or two. They consistently had 2 horses, and there was sometimes a dog. Of the 100 acre lot that Johnston owned, 30 acres were cleared.

The Canadian Census of 1871 showed that the family lived on lot 34, concession 12, that John Johnston owned the lot of 100 acres. There was 1 house; 1 barn; 1 car, wagon or sled; 1 plow or cultivator. Of the 30 cleared acres, 16 were pasture, 1/2 acre was garden, 6 acres were wheat which produced 30 bushels, 14 acres were hay with 13 tons harvested. The other crops harvested were: 55 bushels of barley, 100 bushels of oats, 110 bushels of peas for 1/3 acre, 60 bushels of potatoes, 400 bushels of turnips, 100 bushels of carrots and other roots, 2 bushels of grass and clover seed, 2 pounds of hops, 5 bushels of apples and 30 pounds of maple sugar. In 1871 the family had 6 members, Barbara was not yet born.

The William Kaiser family were neighbors, residing on various rental and purchased properties in Grey Township.

The Johnston family was protestant and at one time attended Knox Presbyterian Church, Cranbrook. The Church and its graveyard remain and it is an active congregation today. Knox Presbyterian is located in Cranbrook, which was surveyed from farm lots 11 to 15, concession 11, Grey Township.

In 1880, the lives of the Johnstons changed course. Catherine Raper Johnston died 9 June 1880, Ontario death registration number 006430-80, cause of death “change of life”. We are left to imagine what that may mean.

Maggie died 14 December 1880, Ontario death registration number 006411-80, cause of death was (illegible) & inflammation.

Barbara Winnie died 29 December 1880, Ontario death registration number 006413-80, cause of death, diphtheria. Since diphtheria causes inflammation and swelling of the throat, perhaps Maggie had it also.

Finally, on 19 January 1881, John Johnston died of diphtheria, Ontario death registration number 006979-81.

This left Katie age 23, James age 16, and Jane age 13, alone.

On 20 April 1881 in Grey Township, Catherine “Kate” Johnston married William Harbottle, age 23, farmer of Granville, Grey Township, son of John Harbottle and Sarah Chisholm. The witnesses were Mary Ann Kaiser and Earnest Harbottle, Ontario marriage registration number 004614-81. Mary Ann Kaiser was the sister of Jane’s future husband, William Kaiser. Interestingly, the marriage record reports Kate’s birth place as “County Perth Ontario”.

The 1881 Census of Grey Township, district 174, south Grey, page 67 line 18, enumerated the family of James Johnston, age 16, born Ontario, religion Canadian Presbyterian, Scotch origin, farmer. The family included Jane, age 13, going to school, William Harbottle age 25, born Ontario, religion Canadian Presbyterian, English origin, blacksmith, and Catherine Harbottle, age 23, born Ontario, religion Canadian Presbyterian, Scotch origin.

Then, tragically, 31 October, 1881 Catherine Harbottle died of diphtheria, Ontario death registration number 007011-81.

Sometime between the 1881 census and 10 October 1884, when Jane married William Kaiser, James and Jane immigrated to Cadillac, Michigan where Jane’s marriage took place.

According to the obituary of James Johnston, published 18 December 1944 in the Cadillac Evening News, the year of his immigration was 1883 and he was 18 years old at the time. It is almost certain that Jane accompanied her brother.

The marriage record of Jennie Johnston was recorded in Liber 2, page 53, record number 682, of Wexford County, Michigan marriages, Jennie Johnston age 17 and William Kaiser age 22, occupation miller, both born Canada, married by Pastor James Lamb in Cadillac on 10 October 1884, witnesses Mary Garvin and James Johnston. Mary Garvin was the married name of William Kaiser’s sister, Mary Ann. According to the 1884 Polk’s Directory of the towns and Villages in the west side of the State of Michigan, North of Grand Rapids, James Lamb was a Baptist minister.

That marriage record is one of only three records have found in Michigan for Jennie/Jane Johnston that reveal her name.

The other is the death record for Winnie Alice Kaiser who was my grandmother and Jane’s daughter, which states that Winnie Alice was born July 19, 1885, in Michigan, the daughter of Wm Kaiser and Jane Johnston.

And, on her marriage record Winnie Alice Kaiser was age 22, born in Cadillac, Michigan daughter of Wm. Kaiser and Jane Johnston.

According to the Maple Hill Cemetery (Cadillac) burial logs, on 21 November, 1887, a burial occurred for “Kysor, Wm inf of”, male, age 3 months. The “male” is indicated by ditto marks from the row above. Then, on 29 January 1888, Kysor (crossed out and “Kaiser” written), Mrs. Wm was buried. No cause of death was listed in the logs for either, and no age for Mrs. Wm Kaiser.

There is no death record in Wexford County for either the infant or Jennie. There is no birth record for my grandmother, Winnie Alice Kaiser, or for the infant in Wexford County records.

A newer stone, possibly purchased upon the death of William Kaiser, on the Kaiser lot in Maple Hill cemetery reads: Kaiser, William 1862-1940, Cecelia 1887, Jennie 1867-1888. There is a matching stone which marks the grave of Daniel E. Kaiser, William’s uncle.

There are 2 older stones on the lot. One is that of George Catlin a nephew of William Kaiser’s uncle Daniel E. Kaiser.

The other marks the grave of Daniel Kaiser, 1878-1883. That Daniel was the son of William Kaiser’s uncle, Daniel E. Kaiser, and his wife Amanda VanMeer.

Cecelia is a family name. William Kaiser’s mother’s surname was Long, and several children in the Long family were named Cecelia. Also, William Kaiser had a sister Cecelia who died quite young in Canada.

My great-grandmother, Jane “Jennie” Johnston met an untimely death at a young age, and I have so far found no record of that death. Jane and William suffered the loss of a child just before her death. Whether the infant was a girl named Cecelia, or an boy as the cemetery records say cannot be proven. The reason for the death of Jane and her baby also remain a secret.

Tragically, of the family John and Catherine Johnston, of Grey Township, Huron County Ontario, Canada, and Cadillac, Wexford County, Michigan the only member who survived past youth was James, 1865-1944.

Here is the photo which shows the origin of the curls I’ve fought off all my life, check out my great grandmother, the little girl in the front. In fact, John, and all his girls have the curls.

Back: Catherine “Kate”, Margaret “Maggie”. Seated, John Johnston, Catherine Raper Johnston holding Barbara “Winnie”. Front: James and Jane “Jennie”.

Photo in the possession of Ted Servis, Cadillac, Michigan. On the back, “The family of John and Catherine Johnston”.

*More details on life in rural Grey Township can be found in Grey Township And Its People by Marilyn Engel, ISBN 0-9691293-0-0.

Cadillac MI, Huron Ontario Canada, Johnston

Winnie A. (Kaiser) Yearnd Scrapbook, Page 14

May 7th, 2008 | Posted by Granny Pam in Granny's Ancestors - (0 Comments)

Pages 6-13 contain photographs of living people, so I’ve kept them private.

Page 14 again shows photos of my Dad, James Austin Yearnd. Dad was named for two uncles James Johnston, 1862-1940, was one of those uncles. James Johnston and Jane (Jennie) Johnston were the only siblings in a family of five known children who survived to adulthood; they migrated to Michigan from Huron County Ontario about 1884.

Austin Kaiser, 1872-1962, was one of two brothers of Sweetie’s father. The William Kaiser, Sr. family also migrated to Michigan from Huron County Ontario probably between 1884 and 1886. In his case, his parents and seven of their ten known children survived to make the trip.

William Kaiser, 1862-1940 and Jennie Johnston, 1867-1888, married in Wexford County, Michigan on 10 October 1884. Sweetie (Winnie Alice Kaiser) was born 9 July 1885. The families had many business and social ties, and James Johnston also married a daughter of William Kaiser, Sr., Elizabeth. James and Elizabeth Johnston helped care for Sweetie after her mother died, and the family maintained close ties.

Here are a sample of the photographs on page 14 of James A. Yearnd, Sr.:

James A Yearnd, Sr.