Elihu Sutton

Elihu Sutton

Elihu Sutton my 3rd Great Grandfather was born in New York about 1820. Not much is known about his early life until we find him in Indiana in 1842 where he marries Caroline Elizabeth Call born in 1821 in Vermont. 

They are married in Steuben County Indiana on

 July 3rd of that year. 

 Marriage certificate from Steuben County Indiana

I mentioned in an earlier post that I believe Elihu might be living in Kendall County Illinois in 1860. 
While the ages are wrong, the names seem to fit. And I can't find Elihu anywhere else at this time. 

 1860 Census Kendall County Illinois

In 1870 Elihu and Caroline are in Jo Daviess County Illinois
near their daughter Harriet and her husband George Heath. These are my Great Great-grandparents. 

 1870 census Jo Daviess County Illinois

After their daughter Harriets death in 1873, Elihu and Caroline moved to Iowa. They are living in South Fork , Jackson County Iowa in 1880.  Their son in law George  Heath and Grand Children are living with them.

 1880 census Jackson County Iowa

In 1885 we find Elihu and his family still living in 
Jackson County Iowa. 

1885 census Jackson County Iowa

After 1885 I have no idea what happens to Elihu. Caroline died in 1900 and it seems as though Elihu has already passed away.

Caroline Sutton, February 4, 1900

Caroline Call was born in the state of Vermont, March 2, 1821; was married to Elihu Sutton, July 3, 1842; and to this union was born seven children, two boys and five girls. Two children survive, one boy and one girl, to mourn the death of this loving mother. Mrs. Sutton died at the home of Mr. Wynkoop February 4, 1900. Words of comfort were given by Elder John W. Said from St. John 3-17.

George Heath

Well, I thought that I wold elaborate more on George Heath. As stated in my previous post most people who are doing research on George believed him to be the son of Uriah Heath. 

But I know now that this is not the case. He is in fact the son of John H. Heath.

This is how I came to that conclusion. As most people know Genealogist work backward in time. 

So...

I knew the name of my Great Grandfather Charles Heath, and the name of his Sisters, Bertha, and Caroline. So, I look for them in the 1880 Census

 page 1

 page 2

So we know now, Charles Father's Name, George Heath. Georges lists his place of birth as New York here. But I've learned with the census, that these mistakes were easily made. 

Maybe George wasn't home when the enumerator came to call, and someone (who ever was answering the questions ) believed that George was born in New York. Or perhaps when the census was being taken the other years, a  mistake was made. 

So now we go to 1870 ( we are still traveling back in time ). 

In 1870 George is living with his wife and children in Woodbine Township, Jo Daviess  County IL. 

Now we know that sometime between 1870 and 1880 Harriet dies. 

I went to the research library in Galena Illinois, and with the help of a wonderful volunteer, I found out when Harriet died, and where she was buried. 

 Harriet E. Wife of George Heath

Still traveling back in time....
George in the 1860 census

Now we have a name for George's Father, John H. Heath. 

How do we know this is our George Heath? We try to find some other record. 

Thanks to Ancestry.com a quick search one day turned up what I had been looking a while for. 

A  marriage record for George and Harriet.  Wisconsin Marriages, 1835-1900. 

That's where the Wisconsin Historical Society comes in!

I did a genealogy search, ordered the record and waited. A few weeks later, there is was:

While I am not legally allowed to make it available to the public, and can report what is said.

Name of Husband ~ George H. Heath

Name of Father of Husband ~ John H. Heath

Name of Mother of Husband ~ (Very hard to read) looks to be Aoaline Heath

Residence of Husband ~ Shabbona 

Birthplace of Husband ~ Vermont

Full name of the wife previous to marriage ~ Harriet E. Savage

Time when the marriage was consummated ~ February 4th 1865

The place, town or township, and county, where the marriage was consummated ~ Boscobel

The color ~ White

By what ceremony was consummated ~ Justice of the Peace

Name of the person pronouncing marriage ~ Peter Rar

Residence of the person last named ~ Boscobel

Name of the person signing the certificate ~ Peter Rar

Date of certificate ~ February 6th 1865

Date of registration ~ February 21st 1865

So there you have it, George is the son of John H. Heath living in Shabbona, DeKalb county IL in 1860.

And this same family is living in Beekmantown New York in 1850.

George died at the home of his daughter, Bertha (Joseph) Bentley in Maquoketa Iowa, on February 18th 1896. 

Kermitt Ivan Schaffner




Kermitt Ivan Schaffner "At the old place"

 Born in Wisconsin January 19, 1926. He was my Father's half-brother. His Mother was my Grandmother Clara Heath Crosley and his Father was John (Jack) Schaffner who I never met, and know nothing about. Uncle Kermitt was in the Army during WWII.

In 1963 he married Iva B. Chambers. They never had children.
Uncle Kermitt loved his C.B. Radio and went by the handle "Casper". When we were on our way over, he would be upstairs in his bedroom talking to us while we were blocks away. Pretty silly now, but fun in the 1970's!

He worked at Switchcraft in Chicago for many years. He came home at exactly 4:30 everyday, and had supper. He used to mix all his food together before he ate it, and when we would comment he would always say the same thing "it all ends up the same place anyway". He also LOVED model trains, that was what we got him every year for Christmas. He had them all set up in his basement. If he wasn't upstairs on the radio he was downstairs with his trains! He was sweet and funny.

Uncle Kermitt died in 1979. He was buried on Christmas Eve at Clark's Grove Cemetery in Tennessee.

Alta Violet Clinger Heath

Alta Violet Clinger was my Great Grandmother. She was born on April 17, 1882 in Wisconsin. She was the daughter of John Alexander Clinger and Elma J."Ella" McCartney.

She married Charles Henry Heath on March 11, 1897 in Grant County Wisconsin. Her marriage license says her birthplace was Lancaster Wisconsin. It also has her Mother's name as Alma, although I'm pretty sure is was Elma. Other information on the marriage license includes the witness as Dora Oates. And the "person pronouncing marriage" as T.J. Baldwin of Lancaster Wisconsin. 

By the 1900 they were living in Iowa.

I believe that Alta and Charley had 5 children total. The 1900 census lists a child named George. By 1907 there is no record of George. 

The other children were : Archie Ray Heath born in 1899, Clara born in 1902, Albert born in 1905. And Roy, birth year unknown.

December 30, 1907 Alta died. She was only 25. My Aunt Myrtle who was married to Archie "Ray" Heath said that they were living in a house with no windows and she caught cold. I assume she heard this from her husband or his father Charles.

I found this article in the paper that seems to corroborate her story.

I don't have any KNOWN photos of Alta Clinger Heath. I do however have pictures that are unknown, so there is always hope. Two of those photos are on the right.

This is a picture of 3 of Alta and Charley's sons with their wives taken in 1953. On the left is Archie "Ray" Heath and next to him is his wife Myrtle Sprague Heath.  I cannot say for certain who is who with the others

 


 

 Alta is buried in Bellevue Iowa. Some where along the Mississippi River.

Charles Henry Heath

Charles Henry Heath was my Grandmother's Father. He was born in Woodbine Township, JoDaviess County IL in March 1873.
His Mother died shortly after. 
He is the son of George Heath And Harriet Sutton
He and his siblings, along with their father are in the 1880 census living in Iowa with his Maternal Grandparents, Elihu Sutton and Carline Call Sutton.


 Bertha Heath Bentley, Charles Henry Heath, Caroline Heath LaFayette

Charles had an older half-sister Arminda Savage Putman. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of Arminda.


In 1897 he married my Great Grandmother Alta Clinger in Grant County Wisconsin, and they had 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl, my Grandmother.


In 1907 his wife, my Great Grandmother passed at only 25 years old, leaving him with his 4 surviving children. By this time there is no mention of their son George, I am hoping to find out what happened to him.

From the Bellevue Herald Leader

Their Children were: Albert, Roy, Archie (Ray), and Clara.
After their Mothers death the children were separated,  Albert and Roy went to live with James Clinger their Uncle and Roy and Clara went to live with their Grandparents John and Alma Clinger.



 Archie Ray Heath Clara Heath Crosley, Albert or Roy Heath & Charles Henry Heath



Sometime before 1918 he remarried to Rosa Handy. 

Eugene Walter Crosley, Charles Heath, Bertha Bentley Heath,
Clara Heath Crosley, Archie Ray Heath, Myrtle Sprague Heath

According to my Mother he was a grounds keeper at a cemetery in Mt. Hope Wisconsin. And she also says that he is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Lancaster. She says that she had been to the grave site with my Grandmother, and that near the south east fence, but there is no grave marker. I have searched and not found any sign of his grave. Charley died in 1949.

Reuben Thompson Crosley III

I never knew my Grandpa Crosley, he died when I was 9 months old.

I have always been interested in what his life was like.

He was born in Colorado on April 2, 1896. His parents, my Great Grandparents Jesse Walker Crosley and Elizabeth Wire Atkinson seemed to go back and forth from Colorado to Wisconsin. I'm not sure why this was.

At times the family was also in Nebraska.

Grandpa Crosley fought in WWI. After his death, my Grandma Crosley received this document signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

 

                   My Grandparents did not marry until the early 1930's
              They had 2 sons. My Uncle, George Fay born July 11, 1934.

George Fay Crosley

                    And my Dad, Eugene Walter born February 7, 1936


Eugene Walter Crosley

   I don't have too many pictures of my Grandpa Crosley. I think this may have been one of the last ones taken before his death in September 1964.

This is a picture from a family gathering on my Dads side.

I think it was taken in Wisconsin around 1940.

I still haven't been able to find out who everyone is in this picture, but here's what I know. From left to right around the table.. Reuben Thompson Crosley III, he is holding Eugene Walter Crosley, Unknown female (perhaps a Clinger, McCartney or Cook?) Unknown female (same names), Unknown man standing (Same names), Clara Heath Crosley, Charles Henry Heath, Unknown Man standing. Children seated, Kermitt Schaffner, Elinor (Tyke) Heath, George Crosley, Milda Knebel Heath (standing), Delores Heath, Archie Ray Heath, and Myrtle Sprague Heath (sitting). So it seems to be a Heath family gathering. Just a note, if you look closely people are likely to be looking at 2 separate cameras. Half the people are looking one way, and half are looking the other way. Any help would be great.

A love of Genealogy, Photos, and Grandma

Well, here it is. My first post.
My obsession to learn my about my family's history began almost at birth. I used to sit on my Grandmas floor and look through her old photo albums and wonder who everyone was. Now, am lucky enough to be the owner of most of those same photos.
Thus begins my second obsession, sharing them.

While I can identify most of people in my photos. Alas, some I cannot. I hope that someone will come along, and figure it out. Not just for me, but for all of the people who have never seen a picture of their Great Grandparents.

I am looking forward to sharing some of the fun stuff I've learned, and uploading photos as I identify them. I'm also hoping to write what I know about someone along with their photo. Here's the first.

My Grandma
Clara Belle Heath Crosley
Born in Iowa in 1902
Died in Chicago in 1979 Buried in Lancaster Wisconsin.

Grandma lost her mother Alta Clinger Heath when she was only 5. She was then raised by her Maternal Grandparents Ella McCartney Clinger and John Alexander Clinger.

She never said much about this to me, but did mention her Grandmother in conversation. I didn't know about her loss until I started working on my family tree. Grandma always wore cool cotton dresses, and was "soft" when you hugged her. Just how Grandmas should be.

She always had dinner on the table at 4:30 exactly, and held the phone to her chest when she talked because of her hearing aid. Its funny the stuff you remember. She loved dogs (especially her dog Tiny), and to sew.

She was married twice. The first time to Jack Schaffner, with whom she had 2 sons. And the second to my Grandfather Reuben Thompson Crosley III, to which 2 more sons were born. The youngest being my Dad.