Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line
Mary Jeanette Howard Odell (1844-1917)
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by Carolyn Ann Howard
This post was updated 15 Aug 2021
Jeanette Howard was the granddaughter of John Godfrey Howard, but she never knew her grandfather and perhaps not her grandmother, either. Jeanette was born 12 Jun 1844 most likely in Grafton, New York. John Godfrey left Grafton in or around 1831 with his wife, three of his sons, and their families. He died in 1834. Godfrey's wife, Susannah, remarried, was again widowed, and died in 1863. I don't know if Susannah ever returned to Grafton to visit with her other sons and daughters. Jeanette's parents were John Godfrey Howard II and Sybil Burdick. Jeanette was the youngest of at least 7 children.
Working through the 1850 United States census record, Jeanette was living with her family in Grafton, New York. Same for the 1855 New York state census. Its interesting, however, that in 1860 at the age of 17, she is not living with her parents but with her sister, Maria Howard Tilley and family. Wonder why? It could be that she was helping her sister and brother-in-law care for their children. Maria had just had a son, John W., who was 11 months old at the time of the census. We know he died young, so perhaps he was a sickly child. And it could just be that Jeanette was at her sister's house when the census enumerator visited, and he counted her there instead of at her parent's home.
What is striking, working through these census records, is how tight-knit these 1800 communities were. On the 1860 census of Grafton, we see the same names over and over. Howard, Tilley, Covey, Burdick, Sweet, and Odell. What is also striking is how tragedies could drive families to be even more united. Many families in the 1800s were large. This ensured safety, security, and care. This is what our forebear, Abraham Howard, forfeited when he left his Howard family in New York to bring his wife and children into southwestern Indiana. Abraham's son, Henry's antics further divided our Howard line, not to mention the effects of the Civil War with the death of Abraham II and the debilitation of Eleazar Howard.
Back to New York, however. In the 1860 census, Jeanette is listed as a seamstress, a noble profession. In the 1865 New York state census, Jeanette was listed as Mary Odell, living at home with her parents, John and Sybil. Interestingly, this census listed how many children someone had, and it stated Sybil had 12 children. I currently only have 7 of these on my Ancestry public tree. This census also showed that Mary Odell has been married once and was now a widow. She was 20. Click on photos to enlarge
Working through the 1850 United States census record, Jeanette was living with her family in Grafton, New York. Same for the 1855 New York state census. Its interesting, however, that in 1860 at the age of 17, she is not living with her parents but with her sister, Maria Howard Tilley and family. Wonder why? It could be that she was helping her sister and brother-in-law care for their children. Maria had just had a son, John W., who was 11 months old at the time of the census. We know he died young, so perhaps he was a sickly child. And it could just be that Jeanette was at her sister's house when the census enumerator visited, and he counted her there instead of at her parent's home.
What is striking, working through these census records, is how tight-knit these 1800 communities were. On the 1860 census of Grafton, we see the same names over and over. Howard, Tilley, Covey, Burdick, Sweet, and Odell. What is also striking is how tragedies could drive families to be even more united. Many families in the 1800s were large. This ensured safety, security, and care. This is what our forebear, Abraham Howard, forfeited when he left his Howard family in New York to bring his wife and children into southwestern Indiana. Abraham's son, Henry's antics further divided our Howard line, not to mention the effects of the Civil War with the death of Abraham II and the debilitation of Eleazar Howard.
Back to New York, however. In the 1860 census, Jeanette is listed as a seamstress, a noble profession. In the 1865 New York state census, Jeanette was listed as Mary Odell, living at home with her parents, John and Sybil. Interestingly, this census listed how many children someone had, and it stated Sybil had 12 children. I currently only have 7 of these on my Ancestry public tree. This census also showed that Mary Odell has been married once and was now a widow. She was 20. Click on photos to enlarge
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| Beautiful Mary Jeanette Howard with her husband, Lewis Odell Courtesy: Ancestry |
This story - maybe a love story, maybe not - might have begun with the death of Lewis Odell's parents before the census year of 1860. Lewis in 1860 lived with his brother, William Odell, and his wife, Eunice Howard Odell, Jeanette's older sister. Jeanette Howard and Lewis Odell were married in 1862. Shortly thereafter, Lewis left home to fight in the Civil War. He was 19. He would never come back, dying of pneumonia 16 Jan 1865. Another tragedy of this bloody war. How did the many widows of the Civil War feel being widowed at young ages? Or even old ages for that matter?
Jeanette had still not remarried by the 1870 census, living at home with her parents, but by the 1875 New York census, she was married to Harmon Snyder and lived together with Harmon's brother, Levi, Levi's wife, and their two sons. Harmon and his brother were listed as farmers within the city limits of Grafton. Interestingly, the census states they lived in a frame home that was worth $500.
In the 1880 United States census, Jeanette and her husband lived together, he as a farmer and she as "keeping house." One line down was Jeanette's father and mother. Both family's dwelling number was 42, so therefore, it appears John Godfrey II and Sybil lived with them and was likely being cared for by Jeanette. Also with them was a 16-year-old niece Ella Burdick. Her occupation was that of a shirtmaker. This was a common occupation for women at that time.
The next record we have is the 1900 US census. Jeanette's husband, Harmon, was dead already, so at the age of 50, Jeanette has now been widowed twice. In the 1900 census, she still lived with Ella Burdick. She was also the same household number as John Carringer, who had been a boarder of hers on a previous census. Interesting. John Carringer's wife was a shirtmaker. Neither Jeanette nor Ella have occupations listed. Neither women has had any children.
In the 1910 census, we come full circle, as Jeanette lived once again with her sister, Eunice, and her husband, Jeanette's brother-in-law, William Odell. Its so nice to see sisters who are close and taking care of one another. It feels Jeanette has always had family to care for or to care for her. Just on this fact alone, I believe Jeanette was a wonderful, caring individual.
Jeanette applied for a pension after her first husband died in the Civil War. I do not know how much she received for this pension, but probably somewhere around $8.00 a month.
Funeral of Jeanette M. Howard Snyder
As It Appears in The Semi-Weekly Times, Troy, NY
Friday Afternoon, June 15, 1917
© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC
