lenawee county michigan
-
Helen, You’ve Been Called Out – 1907 Edition
While searching old ephemera connected to my genealogy research, I stumbled across this 1907 postcard from Tecumseh, Michigan. It has absolutely nothing to do with my family – but after 119 years, I feel morally obligated to share it. The sender “E. B. W.” aka “E. B. Whaley” apparently had not heard from Helen in… Continue reading
-
A Boy Named George: Slavery in My Manley Family
Genealogy has a way of taking us places we never expected to go. I’ve spent years researching my Manley ancestors, tracing them from the early Massachusetts colonies through their migrations to New York and eventually, Lenawee County, Michigan. Along the way I’ve uncovered the details that bring a family history to life – where they… Continue reading
-
Historical Photo of the Day: The Gurins of North McKenzie Street
In genealogy research, one of the side benefits is discovering that a place I’ve seen in an old family photograph still exists. My 2X great grandmother, Melissa (Walker, Fuller) Gurin (1849-1920) came to Adrian, Michigan, after the death of her first husband, Dr. George Fuller. She arrived from Erie County, Ohio with her widowed mother,… Continue reading
-
Nineteen Years Old and Far From Home: The Short Life of James N. Jordan
In the fall of 1862, eighteen-year old James N. Jordan of Tecumseh, Michigan, enlisted in Company B of the 7th Michigan Cavalry. His older brother, William Cairns Jordan, was already serving with Company I of the 18th Michigan Infantry. Two sons from the same Tecumseh family had gone off to war. James would never come… Continue reading
-
My Grandfather, the Runaway Boxcar, and a Quiet Act of Courage
My paternal grandfather, Charles Judson “Charlie” Manley (1899-1974) was one of those quiet, unassuming men who never seemed to have a bad word to say about anybody. I remember him as a genuinely good man. Apparently, he was also considerably more of a badass than I ever realized. In 1959, Charlie was 60 years old… Continue reading
-
The Pioneer’s Son: Nathan Manly’s Life In Michigan
Yesterday I shared the remarkable recollections of my 4X great grand uncle, Adin Manly, who wrote in his own words about the hardships he and his wife, Miriam, endured as early settlers of western New York. Among the details of his long life, Adin wrote proudly that he and Miriam had raised ten children, all… Continue reading
-
Soldier Boys at Twelve: The Civil War Story of My Seekell Cousins
Some family stories are discovered one record at a time. Others practically leap off the page and demand to be told. That was the case when I stumbled across the story of my distant cousins, twin brothers Charles Leslie Seekell (1849-1925) and James Wesley Seekell (1849-1914). In 1861 when most twelve-year old boys are still… Continue reading
-
The Handy Family of Tecumseh: It’s Complicated
For the sake of genealogy research I am very fortunate that many of my paternal lines after the mid-1800s resided in Lenawee County, Michigan, the county adjacent to where I live. Logistically, I am easily able to visit the local libraries, historical museums, and cemeteries to gather information and build family stories. Where it gets… Continue reading
-
Lottie Packard: Twice Widowed, Mother of Ten, and a Birth Certificate That Raised More Questions Than it Answered
When I first came across Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Packard (1870-1952), she wasn’t my ancestor. She wasn’t even related to me by blood or marriage. In fact, I almost skipped past her entirely. Then I started reading the records. One document lead to another until the outline of an extraordinary life slowly emerged – a young wife,… Continue reading
