Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Etta Thomas

Etta Thomas was born 08 September 1898 in Michigan, and died 05 December 1989.

Etta was the daughter of William G. Thomas and Jeanette 'Nettie' Durren.

Etta Thomas married Frank Edward Sheler 19 March 1915, son of George Benjamin Sheler and Mabel Akin. He was born 24 January 1893 in Michigan and died 15 June 1953 in Benton Harbor, Berrien County, Michigan.

As far as I know, Etta and Frank had no children.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Etta or Frank.

* * *

Etta Thomas died 05 December 1989, age 92.

Frank Sheler died 15 June 1953, age 60.

Etta and Frank are buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor, Berrien County, Michigan.

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Luttie Thomas

Luttie Thomas was born 31 March 1892 in Harrietta, Wexford County, Michigan, and died 10 October 1968 in Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan. 

PHOTO: Luttie and her twin sister Lottie

Luttie was the daughter of William G. Thomas and Jeanette 'Nettie' Durren.

Luttie Thomas married Fred Frazee 19 November 1914 at Benton Harbor, Berrien County, Michigan.

This is the only picture I have of Fred Frazee (left) - with his father-in-law William G Thomas

Children of Luttie Thomas and Fred Frazee are:

i. Juanita Frazee 1920-2007 (married Donald Baldwin)

PHOTO: Juanita holding her great-granddaughter, 2003

ii. Claudine Frazee 1923-2009 (married Joseph Dombrowski)

PHOTO: Claudine and Joseph Dombrowski with their son Rick

iii. Mary Lou Frazee 1933-2018 (married Roy Lamb, Robert Stimson, Robert Sykes)

iv. Barbara Jean Frazee 1931-2016 (married Richard Hiler)

* * *

Luttie Thomas Frazee died 10 October 1968, age 76, in Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan

Fred Frazee died 06 February 1959, age 66, St. Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan

They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Lottie Thomas

Lottie L Thomas was born 31 March 1892 in Wexford County, Michigan, and died 16 March 1960 in Benton Harbor, Berrien County, Michigan. 

Lottie was the daughter of William G. Thomas and Jeanette 'Nettie' Durren.

PHOTO: Lottie (right) and her twin sister Luttie

Lottie Thomas married Samuel Stephens, son of Thomas Stephens and Mary Ann Woolcock. He was born 1889 in Cornwall, England, and died 27 August 1947 in Lansing, Michigan.

I don't have any pictures of Sam Stephens.

I don't have any records that indicate Lottie and Sam had any children.

I have a picture that I think might include Lottie and Luttie, but it's purely speculation on my part --

In this photo, the couple in back on the left are Charles and Effie Ford. (Charles was a brother of Nancy Ford Thomas). I believe the couple in front are their grandson Otho Simeon Ford and his wife Fiina. The two women in back on the right appear to be dressed alike, so it makes me wonder if they might be Lottie and Luttie. This picture was taken in 1942, when Lottie and Luttie would have been 50 years old. (Otho and Fiina would have been 35 and 37.)

* * *

Lottie Thomas Stephens died 16 March 1960 in St. Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan.

Samuel Stephens died 27 August 1947 in Lansing, Michigan.

They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Don R. Thomas

Don R. Thomas was born 15 October 1890 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, and died 03 March 1929 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Don was the son of William G. Thomas and Jeanette 'Nettie' Durren.

Don was a veteran of the U.S. Navy

Don Thomas married Neva Tyler 29 October 1911, daughter of Orpheus P. Tyler and Mary Elizabeth McKee. She was born 09 April 1893 in Benton Charter Township, Berrien County, Michigan, and died 28 April 1976 in South Haven, Van Buren County, Michigan.

I have found no records to indicate that they had any children.

After Don's death Neva married Wakeman Leland Ryno.

Don R. Thomas died 03 March 1929, age 38, in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Neva Tyler Thomas Ryno died 28 April 1976 in South Haven, Van Buren County, Michigan.

They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Let me just start out

Let me just start out by saying this -- 

It has come to my attention that the computer program my parents used when they were researching their family histories (Family Tree Maker) did not include all the members of each generation. It took me a long time to notice this, and it has kind of messed me up in my efforts to document all the ancestors. The problem is, if a person didn't have any children, they were mentioned in the listing with their parents and siblings, but then they were omitted from the listings in the next generation. Since I am using my parents' research as the starting point, I have sometimes left people out of their own generation. For example, of the six children of William George Thomas and Nettie Durren, only three of them carried over into the next generation -- because the other three had no children on record. So....

Now I am going to go back through all my documents and try to rectify that problem (which will be a pretty big task). Meanwhile, I apologize for all the folks who have been inadvertently left out of these blog posts. Ugh...

William George Thomas and Jeanette 'Nettie' Durren Thomas' six children were: Don, Lottie, Luttie, Etta, Thelma, and Ralph. I only have information on Luttie, Thelma, and Ralph. So now I'm going to dig around on the internet and see what I can find out about Don, Lottie, and Etta.

* * *

Don R Thomas was born 15 October 1889, and died in 1928. He married Neva Thomas Ryno. She was born 1893 and died 1976. They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Lottie L Thomas was born 31 March 1892, and died 24 March 1960. She married Samuel Stephens. He was born 1889 and died 29 August 1947. They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Luttie Thomas was born 31 March 1892 (Lottie and Luttie were twins), and died 10 October 1968. She married Fred Frazee. He was born in 1892 and died in 1959. They are buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Etta Thomas was born 08 September 1897, and died about 1960. She married Frank Sheler. He was born 1893, and died 1953. They are buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor, Berrien county, Michigan.

Thelma Thomas was born 01 October 1900, and died about 1965. She married Gustave Treichel. He was born 1902 and died 1958. They are buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor, Berrien County, Michigan.

Ralph William Thomas was born 28 June 1903, and died 29 November 1941. He married Frances Anna Kibler. She was born 30 July 1907, and died 04 June 1987. Ralph is buried in Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan. Frances is buried in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan. (She evidently married Frank Dykas after Ralph died.)

That's all I can tell you for today. I'll look for more information and post what I find starting tomorrow.

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - William Charles Thomas

William Charles Thomas was born 05 July 1899 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, and died 18 April 1980 in Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

William (Bill) was the son of Charles and Nancy Ford Thomas.

William Thomas married Christie Beatrice Treat 19 April 1924 in Paw Paw, Van Buren County, Michigan, daughter of Marcus Treat and Massie Parker. She was born 25 December 1903 in Ohio, and died 11 November 1978 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan.

Children of William and Christie Thomas are:

i. Bernarde William Thomas 1929-1999

ii. Richard Melvin Thomas 1934-2011

* * *

William Charles Thomas died 18 April 1980, age 80, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan.

Christie Treat Thomas died 11 November 1978, age 74, Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan.

They are buried in Arlington Hill Cemetery, Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan.

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Renue L. Thomas

Renue L. Thomas was born 28 August 1893 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, and died 27 January 1958 in Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan.

Renue was the daughter of Charles and Nancy Ford Thomas.

Renue Thomas married Erwin Leslie Wells 22 November 1920 in Paw Paw, Van Buren County, Michigan, son of Charles Wells and Mary Tucker. He was born 21 August 1890 in Silver Creek, Cass County, Michigan, and died 16 June 1957 in Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan. 

Child of Renue Thomas and Erwin Wells:

Melvin T. Wells, born/died 21 October 1921

* * *

Renue Thomas Wells died 27 January 1958, age 64, Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan 

Erwin Leslie Wells died 16 June 1957, age 66, in Hartford, Van Buren County, Michigan

They are buried in Arlington Hill Cemetery Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan

Thomas Ancestors - Generation 9 - Effie Camella Thomas

Effie Camella Thomas was born 11 April 1890 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, and died 17 May 1965 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

PHOTO: Aunt Effie holding me. 1955.

Effie was the daughter of Charles and Nancy Ford Thomas (sister of my grandfather Bill Thomas).

PHOTO: Bill Thomas and Effie Thomas Wieland

Effie married Harry L Wieland 17 April 1910 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, son of Preston Wieland and Ella Schaefer. He was born 14 June 1881, and died 01 November 1951.

PHOTO from Bangor Historical Society website

PHOTO: Effie and Harry

Effie and Harry had no children of their own, but they raised Effie's nephew Allan Miller, whose mother died shortly after he was born. (Allan's grandmother, Alice Ford Miller, was a sister of Effie's mother Nancy Ford Thomas. So he wasn't exactly a nephew, but... close enough.)

PHOTO: Effie and Harry with Allan Miller

* * *

Effie Camella Thomas Wieland died 17 May 1965, age 75 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

Harry Wieland died 01 November 1951, age 70, in Bangor, Michigan.

They are buried in Arlington Hill Cemetery, Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan.