Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso, Indiana

Growing Up with a Preacher Man

Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)

Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso, Indiana
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

I've had some pretty big life changes in the last month, and so I have been seeking comfort through Lutheran hymns. Looking through You Tube, I stumbled onto a channel called "Lutheran Summer Music" and a beautiful video entitled "LSM 2019 Hymn Festival with the National Lutheran Choir." If you love choral music and the organ, I invite you to check out this 90-minute spectacular. It is quite the experience.

So, I'm watching and then suddenly wondering... where is this gorgeous building located? I was both devastated and jubilated all at the same time. The building, it turned out, was The Chapel of the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Valparaiso, Indiana. I have been in this building several times in my young life, accompanying my piano teacher to her organ lessons at the university, where this church is located.

I didn't find Lutheranism; it found me. In 2011, I began working as choir director and organist of an Evangelical Lutheran Church here in Evansville. After I left that church, I decided to become a member of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, because that is where my husband went. I love being Lutheran. It is perfect for me. I've been so close to Lutheran things my whole life, but it never occurred to me until that job fell into my lap that I should become Lutheran.

I was reared with so many inconsistencies and struggles. My father always thought that a church building should be beautiful, and they certainly built a nice Baptist one there in Monticello. However, the Chapel of the Resurrection is not just a building, it's a work of art, and I'm not sure my legalistic father would have approved. I don't remember how I felt being there but probably quite out of my comfort zone. I wasn't even twelve years old and had experienced so little, pretty sheltered there in my little childhood town. I'm quite sure I would've been intimidated by the elevated pulpit, not realizing it wasn't for pastors to lord over us but that so we can see them when they preach.

The chapel was dedicated in 1959, so as a visitor in the 1960s and 70s, the church would have been incredibly new. I'm sure Mrs. Kovatch fawned all over it, and boy, do I get it now! The Munderloh windows and the crucifix itself would be enough, but oh that organ and breathtaking loft. Click on photos to enlarge

Munderloh Windows and Crucifix
Photo credit given below

The choir loft and Redell organ
Photo credit given below

The Munderloh Windows from the outside
Photo credit given below

I don't know how many times I went to Valparaiso with my piano teacher with mom in tow, but it feels like it was only when I was very young. How I wish I could remember more!

When I got to high school, my mom decided I needed to take piano lessons at Valparaiso. She was wrong. What I needed was someone to prepare me for college, not this man. He was rude and crude and crass, and I was a 15-year-old teen with absolutely no sense of self-worth. Taking lessons from him didn't last very long.

Later, after I had gone back to taking lessons from Mrs. Kovatch in Monticello, I had learned Cornish Rhapsody by Hubert Bath and insisted on playing it for contest that year. She refused at first, stating the piece wasn't a classic and was beneath me somehow. But finally, she consented. The contest was at Valparaiso University, and the man judging me? You guessed it. Small world. He wrote all over my score using a RED PEN. Maybe it was fun for him, tormenting this teenage girl who couldn't cut it with him as a teacher. Maybe he thought he was "helping." I took that score home, sat down with a bottle of white-out, and carefully whited out all his red marks, which were many. I still have the score to this day. And in case you're wondering, judges were supposed to use a certain form they had been given and were not supposed to write on the contestant's score. And that might be why I washed my hands of that college. I never even considered it when it was time to chose, unfortunately.

And now, at the age of 61, I kind of wish I would have. Although the Lutheran Summer Music program didn't kick off until 1981 - that would have been my junior year of college - it looks like this school has a lot to offer a musician, such as myself, who has loved Lutheran hymns from girlhood and just didn't know that's what they were. They were, after all, in our hymnal there at the Baptist church.

In her dementia, my mother loved recounting the story of how she took me to Valparaiso for piano lessons every week. She remembered the drive fondly. The drive, yes, but she was excluded from being present during my lessons. However, now in even more hindsight, maybe I should've taken organ lessons like Mrs. Kovatch did instead of piano. For one thing, I could've played Bach to my heart's content, and maybe the two of us could have learned a duet, which would have been nice.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

1. Photo Credit: By Runner1928 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33343860

2. Photo Credit: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Photo Credit: By Runner1928 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33343858

George Washington Howard (1833-1908) A Runaway Boy Who Never Went Back, Except Once

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

George Washington Howard (1833-1908)
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

George Washington Howard was born 25 Aug 1833 in Middlebury, New York. His mother, Joanna, then died, so his father, Elias, married Katy Vader. Elias, Katy, and their families went to church together at the Dale Freewill Baptist Church. After their marriage, they continued to have children.

George did not like his stepmother, Katy, though, and he put up with what he thought was maltreatment until the age of 14 before he had had enough. This is according to Dorothy Banister, a historian in New York. I would love to know how he successfully accomplished being a runaway, but he did, landing in Michigan.

George's first marriage was to someone perhaps with the name of Angie Pettis. Other people on Ancestry have her name as Angis Bettie, but since the historian at Middlebury used the name Angie Pettis, I will, too, until I know for sure otherwise. The historian stated that George left her, but we have no proof of this. She also said that an index available at the Michigan State Library has it that he deserted the army 11 Dec 1862. I don't have a muster in date for George, though, until 25 Mar 1863. At any rate, the historian said that George found out that Angie was ill, and he went to take care of her. She died 01 Mar 1863. Since this woman lives in no algorithms online whatsoever, it may be that it fell to George to take care of her estate, if any, after her passing.

When he reenlisted or listed in the Civil War, it was with the Michigan Cavalry, Co. K, 9th regiment. He was mustered in as a Quartermaster Sergeant. As part of this regiment, his first battle was The Battle of Buffington Island that took place in Ohio and also in West Virginia. This battle occurred 19 Jul 1863 and was a win for the Union.

According to my late father's records, on 27 Jan 1864, a piece of shell struck George in the left arm between the shoulder and elbow. The Wikipedia article on the 9th Michigan Calvary states that they were not involved in any skirmishes or battles at this time. Perhaps the accident happened during a training exercise.

George's next battle was Sherman's March to the Sea in the state of Georgia, 15 Nov through 21 Dec 1864.  Union General William Sherman's policy was a "scorched earth" one, where anything useful to the enemy was destroyed, including civilian sites, food stores, railways, telegraph lines, and even civilians themselves. Sherman's forces ravaged this area, destroyed Savannah, Georgia, and helped break the Confederacy. Click on photos to enlarge

Sherman's March to the Sea
by L. Stebbins
Public Domain via Wikipedia
In a copyrighted colorized version, you can see how much fire

George's last battle was 19 Mar - 21 Mar 1865. This was the Battle of Bentonville, fought in Johnston County, North Carolina. The Confederacy suffered severe losses, causing their General, Joseph Johnston, to surrender. This surrender is said to have been the end of the war, a victory for the Union.

George was promoted to Second Lieutenant 09 Jun 1865, just in time to be mustered out 21 Jul 1865 at Lexington, Kentucky.

George married his second wife, Helen Strickland, 01 Jan 1867. He apparently took it to his grave that he had been married before. When Helen later applied for George's Civil War widow's pension, she stated that she had been his only wife. I have documented nine children for the couple: Frank, Minnie, Harry, Angie, Mabel, Gertrude, Adeline, Rena, and Clara. I wonder if Angie was named in honor George's secret first wife. This Angie died at the age of 4. Kathleen Peirce believed there to be two more children, who also died young.

The couple eventually settled down in Coldwater, Michigan at 36 Orchard Street. The picture below is what I get when I put 36 Orchard Street into Google Maps. It's pretty rundown, but in it's day, it would've been nice. It's a little saltbox! George by trade was a carpenter. One of the ancestry trees I looked at for George says that helped to build the staircase for Michigan's capitol building in Lansing. This information, however, was unsourced, but he did live in Lansing for a time.

36 Orchard Street, Coldwater, MI
Courtesy Google Maps with proper attribution given

Look at this happy family! He looks like he was an absolute hoot, doesn't he? Some kind soul on Ancestry has them labeled. Front row L to R: George, May, Helen. Back row L to R: Minnie, Clara, Gertrude, and Rena.

I found in my late father's records a copy of a letter written by Kathleen Pierce in 1979. It stated that a relative - she suspected it was George's uncle, Simeon Howard - was asked by George's father, Elias, to contact another cousin by the name of Leisure Howard, to see if anyone knew where George was. Elias, it was stated in the letter, knew he was in his last days, and he wanted to see his son before he died. The question was answered and so Simeon went to Coldwater to ask George if he would return with him to Middlebury to see his father. George agreed. I don't know if he made it to Middlebury before Elias's death, but boy, what a time to be the fly on a wall if he did! Elias died 22 Jun 1888. He was somewhere around 81 at the time of his death.

This tribute is on George's Find-A-Grave site, and it was written by Kathleen Pierce:

George Washington Howard was born in Albany County, New York, on 25 August 1833, the son of Elias Howard. He came to Branch County when he was twenty-four years old, working at the carpenter trade until the outbreak of the Civil War. 

On 25 March 1863, he enlisted at Coldwater for three years as a Sergeant in Company K, Ninth Regiment of Michigan Cavalry Volunteers, commanded by Captain Gillem and under the command of Colonel Acker. He was mustered in 14 April 1863 as Quartermaster Sergeant, commissioned Second Lieutenant on 9 June 1865 and mustered out at Lexington, North Carolina, on 21 July 1865.

Mrs. Howard, the former Helen Strickland, was born 7 October 1841 at Utica, New York. In October 1842, she came to Michigan with her folks, Jonathan and Parnel Strickland, who first settled at Adrian, Michigan, where they resided until April 1844, after which they came to Coldwater, locating on a farm northeast of the city. This farm was an unbroken wilderness. It was here Miss Strickland grew to womanhood and on 1 January 1867, at Bronson, Michigan, was married to a young lieutenant of the Civil War, George W. Howard, who lived at Lansing, Michigan.

They lived in that city for about four years before returning to Coldwater Township. Later Mr. Howard, with the help of his children, farmed and continued with his carpenter work. In later years they moved to Coldwater, living on Orchard Street, until their deaths. Mr. Howard died 23 November 1908 and Mrs. Howard on 4 October 1924.

This blog posting would not be as informative without my late father's research and his acquisition of records that are now in my possession.

In memory of my parents, Rev. William "Lester" and Mary McLean Howard.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Sophia Marion Vianco (1856-1941) Escaped the Poor Farm, Thanks to a Widow's Civil War Pension

Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Sophia Marion Vianco (1856-1941)
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Studying these wonderful people who come into our family tree by marriage are sometimes the most gratifying. I don't know how the Vader family, the Viancos, the Pecks, and the Howards all knew each other exactly, but they did, and their lines were so linked together in New York.

Sophia Vianco was born 19 Jan 1856 to William Jerome Vianco and Anna Maria Van Houghton in Rochester, New York. I can't find a death certificate for her mother, Anna Maria, but she died in September that same year. 

William next married Anna Maria's sister, Julia Van Houghton. I can't find records for either of these marriages. With Julia, William would go on to have 6 children: George, Helen, Carrie, Julia, William, and Grace. Shortly after the birth of Grace, the mom Julia died in 1874. Sophia was around 17 when this occurred, and it fell to her to take care of her brothers and sisters.

In the 1850 census, William Vianco was listed as a teamster, which, at that time, was a person who drove a team of animals. This could be compared to the modern day truck driver.  By the time of the 1870 census, though, William was a railroad engineer. As such, it would be his job to drive the train engine and to make sure all his equipment was in tip-top shape at all times. Along with the engineer, a fireman also rode in the engine, whose job it was to handle the fire that made the steam. The conductor rode in the caboose. His job was to manage the day-to-day operations. This was important, because this is how William died at the age of 52. He was involved in a serious accident that crushed the engine, and both he and the fireman were killed instantly. This occurred in 1875 when Sophia was 19. All the children at the time of their dad's death lived with him in the same house, all seven of them. And now, it landed squarely onto Sophia and her brother, George, to be the caregivers for their siblings. Then Carrie, aged 15, died in 1878. Three important deaths occurred in the family in just a short amount of time. There were now only the six children left.

In the 1880 census, the children all lived together at 104 Hudson Street in Rochester, New York. I feel like this has to be their parent's home, but I have no documentation that it was. George was listed first on the census, even though at 21, he was younger than Sophia, who was 24. George was a railroad engineer! Good for George following in his father's footsteps! Sophia's occupation was "keep house." Helen, aged 19, was "at home." The three youngest, Julia, Willie, and Grace were "at school."

Sophia stayed single until she was 27, marrying Henry Morton Sweet 08 May 1883. He was also an engineer with the railroad, who lived nearby, and he probably made many visits to the Vianco home at 104 Hudson Street. He himself lived at 83 Hudson Street. The wedding announcement stated that the couple were married at her mother's house, but her mother had passed many years now, and her stepmother also was gone. It is known that Sophia's father had a third wife, Louise Gibson, who lived close to the children, but this woman is a mystery to me, to Ancestry, and to Newspapers.com. I wonder if the couple were married in the home on Hudson, and the newspapers, thinking it had to be her parent's home and just printed it like that. Who knows. It stated in the announcement that the couple were departing on an eastern wedding tour. I wonder what that meant exactly.

Sophia and Henry had a daughter together, born 31 Jan 1884, Annie or Emma or Amy or Mortina Sweet. Find-a-Grave says Mortina. Her wedding announcement said Anna, and the census record of 1900 said Emma.

Unfortunately, Henry died of typhoid fever 21 May 1884. This was according to his death announcement found on Newspapers.com. Sophia must have felt utterly lost. Henry was 22. Sophia was 28 and with a newborn. In the 1885 city directory, she was listed as a widow, and a boarder at 16 Woodbury, not far from Hudson Street.

Now here's where things get a little unusual. Eleazer Howard, who was 51 years old and recently widowed, somehow got 31-year-old Sophia and her daughter to come to him in Sherwood, Michigan, and marry him. Eleazer was a Civil War vet who suffered with a debilitating hip injury that worsened over time. This is how we know, though, without a doubt that the Michigan Howards kept their ties close to the New York families. Another indicator was that he had given his youngest son with first wife Julia Vader, "Vianco" as a middle name. I really doubt he did this in honor of Sophia. It was probably more to honor one of the male members of the Vianco family, but I don't know that for sure. After his wife Julia Vader's death, Eleazer was married to Sophia in just a few month's time, 04 Jul 1887. Two years later, Sophia and Eleazer had a little girl together, Florence M. Howard.

I wasn't going to get my late father's records down from the closet, because I thought it would be a difficult task. However, due to a discrepancy on Find-A-Grave, and we needed proof to clarify a particular fact, I got the box down from my closet's top shelf. This was an excellent decision, because I learned from those records that in 1890, Eleazer filed for an invalid pension from his time in the Civil War. The pension stated he could no longer earn a living from manual labor, and that he had "catarrh, injury of hip, disease of head, throat and back and general debility." He was granted the pension.

In 1891, Elias's eldest son with Julia Vader, Fremont Howard, was killed in a train accident. The train he was working in hit a passenger train. Fremont, who was the brakeman, was killed that day along with the fireman and the engineer. The passenger train had been a new addition to the rails that day, and the engineer failed to make enough time and room for it to pass.

Thirteen years after their marriage, Sophia and Eleazer, on the 1900 census record, were still in Sherwood, Michigan. Sophia's daughter, Mortina, listed as "Emma Sweet" was 16. Sophia's daughter with Eleazer, Florence Howard, was 11. In this census, Eleazer was listed as a farmer, who owned his own farm, free and clear of any mortgage. And that's another reason I'm so glad I pulled the records. Eleazer didn't do any labor on this farm. He rented it out. We would not have known that just from the census.

In the 1905 New York State Census, Sophia and Eleazer were listed in Clarkson, New York! What a change in just 5 years. Sophia was 49 and Eleazer was 69. Their daughter, Florence, was listed with them, aged 15, but Sophia's other daughter, Mortina, was not with them, and I can't find her, either. She didn't get married until 1911, but she was 21 by this time, so it's possible she was at college or away teaching school. Or it could be that she was still in Michigan, which had no 1905 state census. (The 1904 Michigan State Census was statistical only.) In the 1910 census, Mortina was with two of Sophia's sisters, her aunts, and was a schoolteacher in Rochester, New York. Florence's occupation in 1905 was "at school."

On 09 Mar 1906, Eleazer died, leaving Sophia a widow for the second time. According to the death certificate, his cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage. He died in Clarkson, New York, but he was buried in Michigan. According to my father's papers, Sophia got Eleazer's Civil War pension, so she was going to be okay financially. After reading through all these pension documents, though, I learned that she wasn't as well off as I had once thought she was. The important thing was that she got the pension. And not only that, I believe Sophia was a caring individual. I'm sure she took very good care of Eleazer as his disabilities became more and more severe.

Sophia lastly married George Webster, who went by his middle name of Henry. He was a widower himself.  They were married 12 Jan 1910, and, of course, she lost Eleazer's pension after their marriage. In the 1910 census, Henry was a farmer in Clarkson, New York, who owned his own farm, free and clear of a mortgage. Eleazer and Sophia's daughter, Florence, lived with them. She was 20 now and her occupation was "none." That's a bit of a red flag.

In the 1915 New York State Census, Sophia and Henry are listed by themselves and still in Clarkson. He, at the age of 65, was still listed as a farmer. Sophia was 59. Sophia's daughter with Eleazer is also in Clarkson, living with her husband Percival Walsh and their newborn, Howard. I wonder if this was in memory of her father, Eleazer Howard. Sophia’s daughter, Mortina, who in this census went by Amy, was with her husband, Harry Duryea, along with their daughter. They lived in Pittsford, New York.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, everything is the same, except Sophia and Henry are both five years older. Everything *seems* okay with daughter Florence. She and her husband were in Hamlin, New York, with their children. He was listed as a farm laborer. Mortina was back to using the name Mortina again and was with her husband still in Pittsford, along with their daughter. Her husband, Henry, was a lawyer. She was a schoolteacher in a public school.

On 27 Apr 1923, Henry died and Sophia was widowed for a third time. She moved in with her sister, Grace, and her husband, Warren Johnson, on Stone Road in Charlotte, New York. My late father's records contains a letter written to "The Commissioner of Pensions at Washing, [sic] D.C." It reads:

Dear Sir, I have been told by persons who should know, that I am entitled [to] receive a pension. So I am writing to you asking you to send me suitable blanks to fill out.

My Husband Eleazer B. Howard died on the 6th day of March in the year 1906. Previous to his death he had been drawing a pension from the government having served for a time in the Civil War. After his death, I drew a pension until the time of my marriage to Mr. G.H. Webster, which occurred on January 12th, 1910.

Mr. Webster died on the 27th day of April 1923.

Mr. Howard served with a regimens from Detroit.

Was living in the town of Clarkson, N.Y. at the time of his death. I have been informed that I am entitled to receive the pension. Will you please send the blanks to me.

Address to: Sophia M. Webster, Stone Road, Charlotte, N.Y., care of W. E. Johnson. 

She must have been stewing and who can blame her? The penalty for not having a home to live in at that time was to be sentenced to life at a poor farm. This was not an individual's choice. It was a movement sweeping through the United States to try to force out poverty. It was a gruesome sentence for anyone. Fortunately, the government did send her the proper forms, and she was able to resume her pension from Eleazer for $40/month until the time of her death. 

In a 1929 Rochester City Directory, Sophia was living at 144 Ravine. In the 1930 United States Federal Census, Sophia rented a home and her daughter, Florence, was also there, at 85 Kay Terrace in Rochester. This may have been a duplex situation, as it also showed a woman at the same address by the name of Eileen Pockett. Eileen and Sophia were both listed as "head."

Why was Florence there, though, and why wasn't she with her husband and children? Because her husband had been placed in the State Hospital for the Insane there in Rochester. Florence and Percival's eldest son was with another family.  Their eldest daughter was in a state run school; she was still there in the 1950 census. Their other daughter was with an aunt, and their youngest son was in an orphanage, the Hillside Home for Children. That's some heavy stuff there. Click on photos to enlarge

Sophia's final home
28 Portsmouth Terrace, Rochester, NY
Courtesy Google Maps with proper attribution given

In the 1940 census, it listed daughter Florence's 1935 address as "Rural Monroe." No matter. By the 1940 census, she was at the poor farm in Brighton, New York. Sophia lived in a home that's sort of a precursor to the modern-day nursing home, living with other older folks and having a caregiver. I think she did well to get placed there, and it certainly was because she had that pension. Otherwise, she would have probably landed in the same place Florence did. Another document in my father's records stated that by 1940, poor Sophia was nearly blind and was afflicted by "impaired locomotion."

Florence died 25 Jul 1941 at the poor farm. Sophia died 30 Sep 1941 at 28 Portsmouth Terrace at the age of 85. She had just received her pension check for the month that same day and was actually still alive when it came in the mail. Her daughter, Mortina, who was with her, dutifully sent it back, but then requested that the money be sent back to her. It was, after all, legally hers, and she did get it back, in the end.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Julius Vader (1830-1918) Store Owner, Postmaster, Farmer

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Julius Vader (1830-1918) Store Owner, Postmaster, Farmer
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

Julius Vader was born 31 Mar 1830 in Dale, New York, the son of Tobias Vader and Anna Sutphen. Unfortunately, he is not related to me by blood that I can find, as he was the brother-in-law of my 3rd great-granduncle. Our forebear, John Godfrey Howard, had a son, Elias, who married Katie Vader, Julius' sister. Interestingly, these two children, Katie and Julius, were 12 years apart in age; Katie was born in 1817 and Julius in 1830. Katie and Julius had two other siblings, Cornelius, born 1819, and one other that I have yet to find, which might be Louisa, who is with Tobias on the 1850 census.

The first record to mention Julius by name was the 1850 United States Federal Census. Interestingly, he had already, at the age of 20, started out on his own, living in Stafford, New York, with the Hoag family. He was listed as a peddler, which would be correct, and it may be how he got his start with the general store. His recently widowed father, Tobias, lived in nearby Bethany, New York. Both of these towns are just south of Lake Ontario. The 1850 census was done in October. Julius married Julia Ann Nichols in December that same year.  On the census, Julius was on page 7; Julia, along with her family, were on page 8.

Julius and Julia had three children: Cyrus, who died in childhood; Allie, who was born in 1858; and Frank, who was born in 1860.

In the U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, 1860, Julius Vader was listed. He had 29 acres of improved land, and his farm was valued at $1,160 with $50 in equipment. He had 3 horses, 2 cows, and 3 pigs. In the 1860 Federal Census, he was listed as a farm laborer, not yet a store owner. Perhaps contradicting what the Non-Population Schedule had stated, his farm was valued at $450, and his personal worth $300. Listed with him on this census was his wife, Julia, and daughter, Allie. Their son, Cornelius, had already died, and Frank had not yet been born. They were in Bethany at this time, but they would soon move to nearby Middlebury, New York. Although Julius was enrolled in the draft June 1863, we have no records of him fighting on the side of the Union.

In the U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedule, 1870, Julius was still in Middlebury. He had 41 acres of improved land, valued at $1500 with $90 in equipment.  He had 2 horses, 1 cow, 23 sheep, and 2 pigs. In the 1870 Federal Census, Julius was a farmer with a farm valued at $1500. His wife, Julia, was listed as "keeping house," and his father, Tobias, was living with them. That's nice to see, and it's also nice that the census enumerator put his occupation as "retired farmer" instead of "none." Allie, aged 12, and Frank, aged 9, are there with the family, too, both attending school.

Julius Vader appeared in the 1874 New York State Business Directory under "country store" for Dale and Middlebury. I don't know exactly when Julius was appointed postmaster, but it makes sense in that he had the store. His father, Tobias, died in 1875.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Julius was listed as a grocer and Julia as "keeping house." Allie was gone from the household, having married James Loren Smith. Their son, Frank, however, was still with them, married to Flora Loomis. Frank was listed as a grocer. Flora as "keeping house."

In 1897, Julius's sister, Katy, died. Apparently the funeral was pretty large, according to her obituary, and all of her children, save for one, came to the funeral. Julius and the fam were at her funeral as well.

In the 1900 census, Julius was still listed as a grocer, and that is correct. He did not retire until 1910, according to a wedding anniversary announcement in the newspaper in 1913. In 1900, Julius and Julia were empty nesters. He was 70, and she was 69. This census shows that they had 3 children with 2 living. That is correct. Allie and Frank were both out of the home by this time. Ten years later, in the 1910 census, they were still pretty much the same. The enumerator listed him as a "retired merchant," which is nice. It shows value and worth in the eyes of the enumerator and of Julius, that his occupation wasn't listed as "none." Unlike his wife, Julia. Her occupation was listed as "none," and we know that's a bunch of hooey. Click on photos to enlarge

Buffalo Sunday News
28 Dec 1913
Fair Use/Public Domain

I'm sure it was a very sad day when Julia passed at the age of 84. Her date of death was 29 Sep 1914.  I imagine she was at her daughter's house when she died. In the 1915 census, Julius was living with his daughter and her husband, which is why I came to that conclusion. The only "old folks home" in Wyoming County was the poor farm and Julius and family were far from poor.

Julius wasn't exactly having it, though. He married the widow Chloe Vanderheyden in 1916 at the age of 86. She was 77. They may have continued living with daughter Allie, though, but I don't know. I do know that, according to his obit, he died at his daughter's home. The year was 1918. Spanish influenza pandemic. I'm guessing that's what finally took the old man out. The obit states that "on account of the influenza, the funeral was held at the home of his daughter." Having lived through a pandemic myself, the article really doesn't make it clear, does it? Were they not gathering because of the influenza, or did he die from it? I suspect both, but I don't know for sure. Pre-pandemic, I admit that I would've read that much differently.

Julius died 26 Nov 1918 at the age of 88. His second wife, Chloe, died 14 Aug 1921. They are both buried in the Dale Cemetery in Dale, New York. Julius was buried with his first wife, Julia. Chloe was buried with her first husband, Daniel.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Rainie Edwin Howard (1884-1957) Son of the Poor Orphan Boy

 Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Rainie Edwin Howard  (1884-1957) Son of the Poor Orphan Boy
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

I wonder if Rainie knew that he was named for his grandmother's maiden name, Raney. I'm guessing he probably did, because in the 1900 census, Rainie's father, Abraham Frank, listed his mother, Eliza Raney, as being born in Iowa. She wasn't; she was born in Indiana, but Abraham Frank was born in Iowa. His mother died shortly after that and just a few years later, his dad. He was then adopted and reared by his grandmother.

Many people give their children their mother's middle name. For example, our former Indiana governor, the late Robert Dunkerson Orr, was given his middle name, because that was his mom's maiden name. This is good news for us who work in genealogy, because it's very helpful in finding people.

In my father's research, he had reached a dead end when it came to "Frank Howard." That Frank was our Abraham Frank, Rainie's dad. I was only able to continue the family line because of the on-line tools we now have. My father had to do all his genealogical research without the use of the internet, so it's no wonder he got stuck where he did.

When I found Abraham Frank, I wasn't sure he was our guy. I try to be careful, although I still screw it up sometimes, but I didn't want to claim him until I was sure. When I saw, however, that he had named his son "Rainie," I let my guard down and added him to my tree. It makes sense that Frank's first name would be the same as his father, Abraham. And it would also make sense that Mary Ann would have taught her grandson about his mother, Eliza Jane Raney, so much so that he named his son Rainie.

Rainie Edwin Howard (Edwin is a family name as well) was born 24 Jun 1884 in Gaylor, Michigan, the third child for Abraham "Frank" and Nora Jane Moulton. That he was born in Gaylor makes no sense, as they lived in Clio, more than a 2-hour drive today. The place of birth is documented in his marriage registration, though, so I'm taking it as fact. Maybe they were passing through when Nora went into labor.

The first record I have of Rainie is the 1900 census. This census tells us that his mom, Nora, and his father, Abraham, had lost a child prior to that census, as it documented three births but only two living children. Abraham was a merchant. Rainie and his older sister, Maybelle, were "at school."

In 1901, the family got a scare as Abraham went out deer hunting and didn't come back. This is according to the Detroit Free Press dated 17 Nov 1901. Apparently a storm had come up quickly; he sought shelter inside a barn, got comfortable, and fell asleep. A huge rescue attempt was made, and he was found. In the article, he is branded as a "prominent merchant." Pretty cool.

In one of the gossip columns, it stated that A. F. Howard's wife and daughters (plural) were visiting Alma, Michigan. He only had one daughter, but so many times, the newspapers get it wrong. I looked at Maybelle's ancestry page. On further investigation, I found out that she was an accomplished musician. She was a graduate of Alma College, and she taught music in the public schools in Munising, Michigan. Many of the Howards were musically inclined, and Maybelle must have been an exceptional vocalist and pianist. After her marriage to Hugh McMillan in 1908, she gave piano lessons in her home.

Also occurring in 1908, Abraham, Nora, and Rainie moved from Munising to Owosso, Michigan. As far as I can tell, even though Maybelle was married in Owosso, she went back with her husband to Munising after the wedding. I'm unsure as to why the family moved to Owosso, but once there, they opened their business "Howard & Son, Undertakers." Rainie was 24. Their company was located inside the F. W. Pearce Furniture Store, 106 N. Washington Street.

Mortuary Science was in its infancy in 1908, but, according to the Gordon Funeral Residence web site, their founder, Glenn Gordon, in 1908, took special training and passed state boards in order to become an undertaker. Interestingly, this site also informed me that furniture stores at that time dealt with caskets. Click on photos to enlarge

From a 1908 Edition of the Owosso Times

Pearce's store at 106 N. Washington Street
Downtown Owosso, MI

Same sight, present day
Courtesy Google Maps, proper attribution given

In a 21 Apr 1908 newspaper, an unfortunate event for the family occurred. Rainie's sister Maybelle had just returned from her honeymoon, and a diamond starburst that her husband had given her for a wedding gift was stolen. I guarantee he paid good money for that piece. Other pieces stolen included a watch, chain, bracelet, and an undisclosed amount of money.

In a 24 Apr 1908 newspaper, The Owosso Times, it stated that Rainie and his father had secured the rights to to manufacture "national vaults." These vaults were air-proof and waterproof. The article listed not only Abraham as an "undertaker," but also Rainie. The vaults weighed 1,000 pounds, and they manufactured them in Owosso.

On 18 Nov 1908, Rainie married Lillian Grant, who went by "Lily." Lily was born 28 Sep 1885 to Peter Grant and Frances Josephine Britton. I was unable to find out how they met, but together, they had four children: Frances "Jane," Loraine, Rainie "Grant," and Frank Edwin.

In 1909, Rainie helped to organize the National Cooperative Burial Association in Owosso, a forerunner of today's preplanning insurance. The fee for members was to be less than ten cents per year. The average funeral at that time cost $100.

According to the Owosso Times, 12 May 1911, R. H. Howard was now Dr. Rainie Howard, as he had become one of those newfangled chiropractors, having studied at the Grand Rapids Chiropractic School. The profession was so new that Abraham himself lobbied the state lawmakers to allow it to be practiced in the state of Michigan. In this little newspaper article, we are told that Abraham and Rainie were in Mount Clements, Michigan looking for office space. Why Mount Clements? It is located about 30 miles northeast of Detroit and is today about 1-1/2 hour drive from Owosso. Rainie and family made the move in June of that year. It doesn't look like there was any "bad blood" in the family with this move. The newspapers sing of how many times they all visited each other. There may have been more opportunities for patients being closer to Detroit.

Rainie was registered as a "drugless practitioner," according to the Owosso Times, 21 Nov 1913. On his WWI draft card, he wrote in his own hand that his occupation was "registered drugless practitioner." As for his employer, and I love this, he wrote MYSELF. All caps. This draft card tells us that he was tall and stout with blue eyes and light hair. Of course he was.

Once in Mount Clements, Rainie purchased a home at 58 S. Highland. Pretty nice home. Someone has put a lot of work into it over the years.

The Rainie Howard home as is looks today
The blue one
Courtesy Google Maps with proper attribution given

Funnily enough, in the 1920 Federal Census for Mount Clements, Michigan, Rainie is listed as an agent for a steel company. I tried to find something out about that but with no luck as of now. Newspapers.com have no information on our Michigan Howards after around 1920. In the 1920 census, Lillian and the four kids were all there. The children were in school, with the exception of the youngest. Also in the 1920 census, Rainie's father, Abraham, was listed as a real estate agent in Owosso.

In 1925, Rainie's dad died. I couldn't find an obituary but Ancestry does provide the death certificate. He died of heart failure. On the death certificate, Rainie is the informant. He spelled his grandmother's last name the same as his first name, Rainie. That makes sense. Eliza Jane Raney's own husband probably didn't know how to spell Raney. Abraham's death certificate says "Detroit." However, on his Find-A-Grave Memorial, it is stated that Abraham died at Mount Chimbu, Papua, New Guinea. Was he trying to climb a mountain? I'm doubtful. I reached out to the person who posted this but have not heard back. On his death certificate, the doctor stated he had been suffering with this condition for 10 days, and that he had been attending him for several years. I'm not sure someone in the midst of heart failure would be a good candidate for a trip to New Guinea. And, because he died in Detroit and not at home in Owosso, it makes me believe he was staying with Rainie in nearby Mount Clemens, who took him to the hospital in Detroit.

In the 1930 United States Federal Census, Rainie, Nora and the kids were all still together at 58 S. Highland. Their oldest, Jane, is 20 and teaching in the public schools. Rainie is employed as a real estate agent. I wonder what happened to all the undertaking and chiropractic stuff. Maybe the undertaking was just something he did with his dad. Abraham was also a real estate agent in the end, and both men made good livings from this profession.

Rainie lost his mom 22 Sep 1937 in their home, actually. She had moved back to Munising from Owosso after Abraham died. I imagine her health started failing, and her son moved her into his home in Mount Clemens. Rainie's sister, Maybelle, died the next year in April, having been ill for about one year. She was only 54.

In the 1940 census, nothing has changed, except all the children are gone now save for the oldest, Jane. We see here that Rainie completed four years of college.

By the time we get to the 1950 census records, I feel like I know very little about Rainie. What colleges did he go to? We know Grand Rapids, but what else? Why did he move with his family to Mount Clemens, away from his parents? Did chiropractic work not suit him? He's 66 at the time of the census and still working 40 hours a week in the real estate office. I don't know much more than that. He died 15 Apr 1957 at the age of 72. Rainie's wife, Lily, lived all the way to 97. She died 13 Dec 1982 in Long Beach, California. I haven't done the research, but I have a feeling her daughter, Jane, was involved in her move to California.

I was thrilled to find Abraham Frank Howard and also thrilled that he lived a prosperous life. I wish, though, I knew more. My cousin, Greg, and I were talking about a trip to Michigan to do genealogical research. I want to. That's one reason I wanted an RV. And now I have one, a nice one, but I have nothing yet to pull it with so...

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