September 06

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Omer Allen Miller 1865-1949

Omer Miller was the son of a prominent pioneer of Bangor, Michigan, Josiah G. Miller, and his wife Eveline Watkins Miller.

Photo: Josiah and Evaline Watkins Miller

Photo: Omer Allen and John James Miller, sons of Josiah G. Miller

Josiah Gregory Miller

Omer Miller married Alta Robinson

Photo: Alta Robinson Miller

Omer and Alta had at least one child that I know of: Max Josiah Miller.

Omer's brother John James Miller married Pearl A Snyder, and they had at least two children that I know of: Margaret Frances Miller and J. Duane Miller.

Photo: John J and Pearl Snyder Miller (left), daughter Margaret Frances (front). Don't know the other two people -- possibly Pearl's parents.

Photo: J. Duane Miller (left) and Max Josiah Miller (right)

These photos are from the Bangor [Michigan] Historical Society Museum website.

The Miller family is tangentially related to our family in that Alice Ford married Dale Miller, who was a brother of Josiah G. Miller. Alice Ford was a sister of Nancy Ford who married my great-grandfather Charles Thomas. The Ford and Miller families play a significant role in our Thomas family history. Another sister of Alice and Nancy -- Kate Ford -- married George Adams. Growing up, I heard 'Aunt Kate and Uncle George' mentioned in conversation frequently, although I don't believe I ever met them. The Ford family became more closely associated with the Hartford community than Bangor. I have a lot of very interesting historical information about both the Ford and Miller families, but I won't bore you with it today. (You're welcome.)

September 05

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

John Downing Herdman 1837-1916

The Herdman family is related to the Treat branch of our family tree. 

Photo: Front - John, Estle, Martha, Back - Belle and Marcus

Belle Treat married Ulysses Grant Herdman.

Ulysses' great-grandfather was a brother to John Downing Herdman's father. (That makes them 1st cousins twice removed... or some such [expletive deleted] as that. It's all too confusing for me.) Aunt Belle was a widow by the time I met her. I used to go to Ohio with my Thomas grandparents every summer to visit Grandma's relatives. Belle was Grandma's aunt.

John Downing Herdman married Margaret Johnson in 1864, and they had five children: 

William McClellan Herdman

Thomas Michael Herdman

Alvero Milton Herdman

Aggie Eska Herdman

Mary Anna Belle Herdman

I have photos of two of these

Alvero Milton Herdman

In this photo "Mack" is William McClellan Herdman, Laura Helterbrand is his wife, and I have yet to figure out just who Mabel is. Probably their daughter, I'm guessing. This is a photo I got from my dad's family history research. 

I've managed to track down a host of relatives on Find-a-Grave and Family Search websites, to identify the people in some of the family photos. I found LOTS of Herdmans, although most of them are only tangentially related to us. Still, we have photos of them, so...

September 04

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO...

Bernice and Dorothy Burford 1938

Bernice was a brother of my grandfather, Lester Morris Burford. They were two of ten children born to Alexander Oscar and Lora Gibson Burford.

Bernice and Dorothy married 04 September 1938 and had six children: Jerry, George, David, Sue, Mike, and Jeannie.

   

Photos: Jerry, George (and wife Josie), David, Sue and Jean, Mike

When I was putting together the book "When We Were Irish" -- family photos and stories about the Burford branch of the family tree -- I dedicated a special page to Dorothy, with some comments my mother had written about how helpful Aunt Dorothy was with sharing information about the Burford family:

Wathada's notes:

I have decided that Aunt Dorothy can't ever die! She knows everything about the Burford family but doesn't realize it.  When she dies, there won't be anybody else who knows all this stuff.  Jewels of information literally drop out of her mouth and she doesn't even know it...

Aunt Dorothy cleared that up for me without me even asking about it.  She does that - it just rolls off her tongue... 

I wouldn't believe just anybody about that, but my Aunt Dorothy is the one who really told me about that, and I believe every word she says. One of the others just sort of hinted at it, but Dorothy tells things plain out and just like they are…

Nothing shocks or rattles Dorothy.  She looks life square in the face and just deals with it...

September 03

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

Ora Val Cartee Blankenship 1894-1973 age 78

I only have one picture of Ora Val, and it is in this group photo. Ora Val is standing in the back, second from left.

Photo: Front: Amy Tamsett Carter, Adaline Carter Arnold, Margaret Carter Rhoades, Nancy Ellen Carter Cartee. Standing behind: Guy Cartee, Ora Cartee Blankenship (children of Isabel Matilda Carter Cartee), Arthur Dunn, Boston Dunn (sons of Mary Carter Dunn), John Martin Carter, Lewis Dunn (son of Mary), George Thomas Carter, Bert Dunn (son of Mary).

Adaline Carter Arnold is my great-great-grandmother (mother of Annie Arnold Hicks). In the group picture Adaline, Margaret, Nancy, John, and George are all siblings, children of Ned Jonas Carter. The rest are spouses and nieces and nephews. There are two or three unidentified people in the background.

Ora Val Cartee was the daughter of Isabel Matilda Carter and Thomas Ewing Cartee. 

Some of the other people in the group picture are children of Mary Elizabeth Carter Dunn

Isabel Matilda and Mary Elizabeth are sisters to Adaline, Margaret, Nancy, John, and George.

Ned Jonas Carter had 14 children altogether, with his first and second wives.

September 02

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ida Florence Deselem Treat 1890-1968

Ida was the wife of Jack Estle Treat

Jack Estle Treat was the son of John Treat and Martha Susan Walls

Photo: John A Treat and Martha Susan Walls Treat with their three children, Marcus, Belle, and Estle.

Marcus Treat was my great-grandfather, father of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas.

Estle and Ida Treat had five children: Marjorie Virginia, Helen Hope, Opel Ester, John, and William Rodney

Photo: William Rodney Treat

I don't have any pictures of the other four children of Estle and Ida Treat.

September 01

ANNIVERSARY...

Felix Hallmark Hicks married Ida Lenora Sandefur 01 September 1901

Felix Hicks was a brother of my great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks.

Photo: seated - John Henry Hicks, Malisa Hicks, David Hicks. standing - Felix, Ida holding Rosie, Ulysses

Felix and Ida had three children: Rosie, Odice, and Odelcie

Photo: Felix Hicks' blacksmith shop about 1908. Top: Marlie Arnold, John Arnold, Herbert Hicks. Bottom: John Henry Arnold, unknown, Felix Hicks, George Carter, George Arnold, David Hicks. Front: Odelcie Hicks, Rosie Hicks, Etta Arnold.

Ida's brother George married Felix' sister Nancy.

Photo: George and Nancy Hicks Sandefur with grandchildren

Photo: Rosie Hicks (left, seated) in 1976, at the Hicks family reunion. Seated: Cleffie (Hicks) and Lester Burford. Standing: Joann Wheetley (a cousin), Odelcie Hicks Williams.

Photos: Left - Odelcie Hicks. Right - Everett and Odelcie Hicks Williams. 

August 31

MEMORIAL TO...

Thomas Henry Williams 1909-1947

Tom was the son of Albert and Charlotte ('Aunt Tot') Williams.

Aunt Tot was the sister of my great-grandfather Ulysses Hicks.

Photo: Ulysses and Annie Hicks, Tot and Albert Williams

Albert and Tot had five children: Albert Earl, Dorothy, Tom, Dona, and Charlene. Dona and Charlene died in childhood. Dorothy died at age 4 from being struck by lightning. Albert Earl grew up and married, and died at age 55. Tom died at age 38, having never married (as far as I know).

Here is a picture of Tom Williams with his cousin Ruby Hicks and some friends, with Tom's new car.

Photo: Luther Sparcer, Violet Mobley, Tom Williams, Ruby Hicks. 1926.

August 30

MEMORIAL TO...

George Theodore Thomas 1856-1920

George Theodore Thomas was the son of Uriah Baker Thomas and Ellen McComber.

The following are excerpts from the book:

 History of Van Buren County, Portrait and Biographical Record.

George Theodore Thomas is the 11th George Thomas in the family history, which starts with John Thomas, born 1640 in Pembrokeshire, Wales. His son George was the first of our Thomas line to be born in the USA, in 1681.

1) George Thomas 1681-1740, married Alice Gorton

2) George Thomas born 1708, married Elizabeth Mauney

3) George Thomas born 1734, married Hannah Arnold

4) George Thomas 1743-1803, married Bathsheba Hull

5) George Hull Thomas 1767-1843, married Abigail Vaughn

6) George Thomas (son of George Hull Thomas and Abigail Vaughn) 

7) George H Thomas 1794-1882, married Adeline Baker (bought the Thomas farm in Bangor MI 1853)

8) George Thomas born 1817 (son of Charles Thomas and Freelove Segar)

9) George Thomas 1822-1882, married Sarah unknown

10) George Thomas born 1856, son of Sylvanus Thomas and Sarah unknown

11) George Theodore Thomas 1856-1920, married Emmaline Jane Miller

George Theodore Thomas was a judge, with a career that was quite impressive, according to his obituary:

This obit was followed by a rather lengthy resolution made in his memory by the Huron County [Ohio] Bar Association:

August 29

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Calvin Olan Jackson 1925-2003

Calvin Jackson was the son of Etta Arnold and Ben Jackson.

Etta Arnold was my great-grandmother's (Annie Arnold Hicks) sister.

Photo: Annie Arnold, Adaline Carter Arnold (their mother), Etta Arnold.

(Something about the embroidery makes me think those may be flour sack dresses.)

Photo: Ben and Etta Arnold Jackson with their first child, Alvis. Their other children were Wincel, Calvin, Dulcie, Coy, and Carol.

Photo: Calvin and Wincel Jackson (that's probably Ben on the left)

Calvin married Jerline Cooper in 1945, and they had four children: Johnny, Annetta, Rita, and Patricia.

Photo: Jerline and Calvin Jackson, Johnny and Annetta

Photo: Calvin and Jerline Jackson 1983.