Miller, Faber b. 1905

Samuel Newcomb b. 1794

/ Kirstin Miller

Samuel Newcomb 1st cousin 6 generations away or 6 times removed on RootsMagic tree. Samuel was also the adoptive dad of William Newcomb Gaines, great grandpa of Faber Miller.

Samuel was born January 8, 1794 in Bernardston, Massachusetts to William and Elizabeth Connable Newcomb. The Connable and Newcomb families were pioneers, long time residents of Berndardston. At age 18 Samuel fought in the War of 1812 and received a pension and 160 acres of land as payment. After the war he had a farm next to his brother Obadiah. Samuel married Jemima Hunting on Oct 13, 1822. Samuel and Jemima had a son William, who died before age one.

In 1826 Samuel adopted William N Gaines, son of Samuel’s cousin Leydia Connable Gaines. Samuel joined the Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), even though ‘he believed Brigham Young was an imposter’. In 1832 in Onondaga, NY Orson Pratt, an early LDS Church leader baptized Samuel and Jemima. Samuel, his wife and adopted son William moved to Kirtland, Ohio the early home of the Latter Day Saints and home of the first Mormon temple.

A sketch of Salt Lake city in 1860By 1850 Samuel and his family were in Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory. Samuel was a widow in 1851. He wrote his will in 1855 leaving all to “William Newcomb Gaines my adopted son”. Samuel lived to age 85, he died in Janesville, Iowa and was living with William and family in his later years. “He was treated kindly in his old age by Mr. and Mrs. Gaines, and he died at their home”. Samuel is buried in Oakland Cemetery near Janesville, Iowa with William Gaines and his family.

Sources

  • “History of Orson Pratt,” Deseret News, 9 June 1858, 65. John Tanner or the Bolton Branch mentioned in December 20, 1832 and February 2, 1833 entries shared on FamilySearch
  • Will in Iowa, Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry
  • Early members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Volume 4 page 592 image 594 of 920
  • At Wikipedia ‘Utah’ page, may be from Richard F. Burton’s City of the Saints, Public Domain
  • Bernardston Births, Marriages and Death image 40 of 233 handwritten, right page Samuel and Jemima 2nd on list. “Samuel Newcomb Gaines and Jemima Hunting both of this town October 13, 1822”

Henry Wolcott b. 1578

/ Kirstin Miller

Henry Wolcott 12th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Henry was born in December 1578 in Lydeard St Lawrence, Somerset, England and baptized there on December 6 at Lydeard St. Lawrence Church. In 1606 he married Elizabeth Saunders in the same church. The Wolcott family left for America in 1630 on the The Mary and John. They lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts for a year or so, then moved to 100 miles west to Windsor, Connecticut.
In Dorchester Humphrey was an assessor, fenceviewer and selectman. He was a deputy of the Court, constable and tax collector in Windsor. Henry’s brother John was living in Lydeard in April 1636 and wrote a letter to Henry. John wrote Henry of their brother Christopher’s death, King Charles at war with Scotland, how times had changed and prayers for Henry’s safety in the new country.

Henry and his wife died within a couple months, “Mr Henry Wolcot dyed may 30th 1655. The wife if Henry Wolcot dyed July 5 1655”. They’re buried in Palisado Cemetery in Windsor, CT. They share a tombstone added years after their deaths, Henry’s inscription on one side, Elizabeth’s on the other.

Henry made his will o the day he died, “The thirtieth of May (1655), I HENRY WOLCOTT, sick of body, but of perfect memory, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, in manner and form following. First I commend my soul to God my maker, hoping assuredly through the only merit of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be a partaker of life everlasting; and I commend my body to the earth, whereof it was made. I will that my wife shall have all my house lot, orchard, garden, hopyard and my lot in Plymouth meadow, during the term of her natural life. Also, I give unto my wife two of my cows, and half the household goods in my dwelling house”. Henry mentions each child and gifts them specific items.

Sources

Sarah Witter b. 1743

/ Kirstin Miller

Sarah Witter 6th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Sarah was born in 1743 to John and Amey Davis Witter. In Westerly, Rhode Island on January 12, 1768 she married David Dewey. Sarah was 26 David was 29. Both the Dewey and Witter family have published genealogies that show the family’s arrival from England and the generations that settled in America. Sarah was the 5th generation of her family in America. Both the Witter and Dewey books have typos in the marriage of Sarah and David, first or last names incorrect, A Crandall family history book and the Daughters of the American Revolution DAR book show Sarah Witter and David Dewey’s marriage, no typos. Sarah and David had 7 kids. David Dewey fought in the the American Revolution from 1776-1777. Sarah would have kept up the family home, probably a farm, and visited the town for supplies and church.

John Witter 1640 will

Sarah in her dad’s will

Sarah’s dad John Witter mentions her family in his will, “His will was made on March 5, 1790, and proved November 7, 1793. In it he mentioned his beloved wife Anne Witter, beloved son Samuel Witter, beloved daughter Sarah Dewy, beloved Grand Children,”.

Sarah died in 1804, her husbanding 1839, both their burial places are unknown.

Sources

  • North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000, Lineage Book NSDAR Volume 099, 1913 p 144 98456 at Ancestry.
  • Marriage in Vital record of Rhode Island 1636-1850, a family register for the people at FamilySearch.
  • Witter genealogy; descendants of William Witter at HAthiTrust. Sarah Witter page 49 . John Witter’s will page 33
  • Life of George Dewey, Rear Admiral, U.S.N. Page 738  .

Fianna Druckenbrod b. 1854

/ Kirstin Miller

Fianna Druckenbrod, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Fianna Druckenbrod photo

Fianna Druckenbrod photo

Fianna was born in Stark County, Ohio the 2nd of 12 kids of Samuel and Elizabeth Bair Druckenbrod. Fianna grew up in Stark, where her parents’ families were pioneers, and well known: Bair, Harter, Druckenbrod, Malone. At age 16 in 1870 Fiana lived with her grandparents George and Margaret Malone Bair, she’s listed as a ‘servant’ on the census.

On September 5, 1857 Fianna married William Miller, also from a family of pioneers and well known in Stark, Ohio but recently moved to Bremer County, Iowa. William and Fianna were married in Stark, then moved to Bremer County. They farmed and had 7 kids. Fianna and her father in law Peter Miller would travel to Stark, Ohio in the summers for their family reunions. By 1905 Fianna and William moved to Amery, Wisconsin near their grown sons Frank and Sam. Fianna died in 1923 and is buried in Andrews Cemetery outside Waverly about 3 miles east of Cedar Bend County Park and the Cedar River, right in between Horton and Waverly, Iowa.

Druckenbrods visit GreeneFianna had a brother Ivy Druckenbrod who married Elta and they had a son Faber Druckenbrod. Elta and Faber Druckenbrod, with Faber’s finance Grace, all from Stark, Ohio visited Greene, Iowa on September 29, 1939. In Greene, the Druckenbrods stayed with Fianna’s daughter Lola and her husband Willam Miller. Lola and William’s son Faber and his wife Gladys Cable Miller would have visited with their Druckenbrod relatives, probably a dinner on Friday night.

Sources

Sarah Ann Davis b. 1819

/ Kirstin Miller

Sarah Davis, my 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Sarah Davis was born in Virginia, probably to Pleasant and Sarah Horton Davis, the 6th of 7 kids. On April 18, 1833 in Jackson, Ohio Sarah married Jacob Miller. Sarah’s siblings were in Jackson, Ohio too, and possibly her mom. Sarah and Jacob had one child Mary, in Ohio, then moved to Elkhart, Indiana. They farmed and had 9 more kids.

Miller, Jacob and Sarah Ann Davis
Jacob and Sarah Davis Miller, public photo on Ancestry

Sarah’s husband Jacob died in 1854, the same year their 9th child was born. On the 1860 Sarah lived and farmed in Elkhart, Indiana, a widowed mom, 46 years old with 5 younger kids at home. Jake was the oldest, he farmed, the younger kids, aged 14 to 8 years old attended school.

On the 1870 census Sarah and children lived in Black Hawk County, Iowa, near Janesville and the Cedar River, closer to older daughter Mary and her family in Nashua, Iowa. On the 1880 census Sarah had real estate, a farm, valued at $1700, her son William and granddaughter Ellen Mitchell lived with her. Sarah’s neighbors were farmers, carpenters, a physician, a teacher and day laborers; born in New York, California, England, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Sarah died April 8, 1888 at age 74 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Janesville, Iowa.

Sarah Horton Davis, Sarah’s mom has a published family history, A tabulation of the descendants of Joseph Horton : a soldier of the American Revolution. Sarah is not mentioned in this book, her siblings are. The book was published in 1873 then updated in 1929. It’s a leap, but I think probable that this Sarah and her sons named Pleasant and Horton in the same locations, same time, is a daughter of Pleasant and Sarah Horton Davis. I think it’s not a proven fact, but probable.

Sources

Elizabeth b. 1614

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Elizabeth was born in about 1614, her last name isn’t known. In 1630 she married Thomas Judd. The birth and marriage places of Elizabeth and Thomas aren’t known. The Judds were part of the 1620-1640 ’Great Migration’ documented by genealogist Robert Charles Anderson, he’s written volumes. Elizabeth and family left England for America in 1634, this is shown in a land grant in Cambridge on August 4, 1634, “lots granted in Westend, To Tho: Judd 4 Ackrs”. Elizabeth and family stayed in the Massachusetts colony for awhile, then with Reverend Thomas Hooker, left to start a new settlement in the Connecticut Colony, fort called New Towne then called Hartford. Elizabeth and Thomas had 9 children, 3 daughters and 6 sons. Two daughters married Loomis brothers. two sons and one daughter married a Steele sibling, one son married Mary Howkins. One son, Benjamin married Mary Lewis, their 7th great grandson was Faber Miller.

1636 Hartford map

At Kenyon Street AngelFire website, an annotated map.

The single available record with Elizabeth’s name is Dr John Winthrop’s medical notebook, “8 July 1669, John Winthrop Jr. treated -Jud Elis[abeth] above 60 years wife of [blank] Jud Senior of Farmington-“. Elizabeth lived until about 1678. Her burial place is unknown.

Sources

Obed Gaines b. 1820

/ Kirstin Miller

Obed Gaines 4th great uncle on RootsMagic Tree 

Obed was the son of of Obed and Leydia Connable Gaines. He was a triplet with Abigail and Leydia Gaines, they were all born in 1820 in northern New York. This Gaines family moved west steadily and by 1840 they were in Lagrange, Indiana. In 1856 on the Iowa census Obed, siblings William and Leydia, with their dad are in Bremer County, Iowa where Obed married Lucretia Cross on February 16, 1859. Obed and Lucretia stayed in Iowa for awhile. Both Obed and his younger brother William were postmasters in Bremer County. “Along about 1857, during the Buchanan administration, a postoffice had been established in the township, called Polk. Aug. 13, 1861 … succeeded by W. N. Gaines, who distributed the mail from his residence on section 18. At this time the name was changed to Syracuse. Gaines retained the office of postmaster until succeeded by his brother, Obed Gaines, who lived on the same section and kept the office at his home” from History of Bremer County, Iowa. Obed registered for the Civil War on July 1, 1863, he was not drafted. On the 1880 census Obed and his family were in Wadena, Minnesota near nephew William Gaines Jr, son of Obed’s brother William.

Obed and Lucretia moved out to Salem Oregon in March 1903, a daughter Minnie was already living there along with Obed’s brother William and 2 of William’s daughters. Obed was a widow in 1904. On the 1910 census he was living with his daughter Minnie and grandson also named Obed. Obed died in May 11 1910, both he and Lucretia are buried in City View Cemetery in Salem, Marion County, Oregon.

Gaines, Obed obituary newspaper clipping

Sources

  • Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49904426
  • 1860 Us Census Polk, Bremer County Iowa
  • U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865, Iowa 3rd Vol 3 of 3 page 149 penciled in image 300 of 935
  • History of Bremer County, Iowa: a record, Page 203 Post Office
  • Salem, Marion County, Oregon US Historical Postcard screenshot, source on Ancestry, undated probably 1910 or so.
  • A shared source on Ancestry, Statesman Journal newspaper snapshot, Salem, Oregon, 13 May 1910, Fri, Page 5

Mary Louisa Swain b. 1841

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Louisa Swain 4th great aunt on RootsMagic tree

Mary Swain was born December 5, 1841 in Lake, Illinois. She was the third child of Benjamin and Polly Howard Swain. When Mary’s dad Benjamin died her mom Polly remarried and the family moved to Chickasaw, Iowa. In Chickasaw on March 10, 1858 Mary married John Butler of New York.

Butler, John public photo on Ancestry

John Butler shared photo

On August 12, 1862 Mary’s husband enlisted in the Civil War. On September 9, he joined the 27th Iowa Infantry Company G. On February 27, 1864 Mary’s brother William enlisted and March 21, William joined the 27th Iowa Infantry with his brother in law. William died in September of 1864 in Memphis, Tennessee at Fort Pickering. He is buried in the military cemetery that General Sherman established in 1862. Mary’s husband went on to become a Captain of the 27th Iowa Infantry Company G and mustered out August 8, 1865 four months after the end of the war.

Swain, Mary Louise photo shared on Ancestry

Mary Louise Swain shared photo

After the war Mary, John and their children were living in Pleasant Grove Iowa in 1870, Mary kept house, John farmed. In 1880 the family was in Wadena, Minnesota near Mary half brothers, the Montgomerys. In 1900 Mary and family were in Lane, Oregon living on a farm in Richardson Township on the east edge of Oregon, near Siuslaw National Forest. Some of Mary’s Gaines family cousins were already in the area. Mary died in 1905, John in 1923 both are buried in Franklin Cemetery in Franklin, Lane County, Oregon.
Sources

Will Miller b. 1850

/ Kirstin Miller

Will Miller 3rd great uncle on RootsMagic tree

Miller, William

Will Miller, a public photo shared on Ancestry

Will was born February 2, 1850 in Elkhart, Indiana, the 8th of 10 children of Jacob and Sarah Davis Miller. On the 1850 census, the Miller family was living on a farm, Will was just born. The 1860 census shows Sarah as a widow with her youngest 6 children living with her, an older daughter has married and moved to Iowa. By 1870 William was in Black Hawk County, Iowa with his mom and siblings. Will worked on a farm, was 20 years old and attended school sometime during the year. In 1880 Will lived with his mom age 66 and his niece Ellen Mitchell age 21. The next record for Will is not until 1920 when he was in Seattle Washington, 70 years old, a night watchman.

This move across the country seems a stretch but a residence source and then a death record in Seattle in 1930 confirm his move to the west coast. Will was born during the creation of the western states. When he lived in Iowa in 1870 the state was 20 years old. When he was in Seattle, Washington the state was about 20 years old with a population of 300,000. If his missing years 30 from 1890 to 1920 were spent moving west, he saw the country created and maybe lived in new states and kept moving further west.

Will didn’t marry and lived to age 80, he died in 1930. He died of heart disease his parent’s names are on his death record and he was cremated.

Sources

Rebecca Gaines b. 1688

/ Kirstin Miller

Rebecca Gaines 8th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Rebecca was born in Connecticut in 1688 or so, one of 10 children of Samuel and Anna Burnham Gaines. On August 1, 1704 Rebecca married Samuel Risley in Hartford, Connecticut where they set up a home. Around 1710 Rebecca’s mom deeded land to Rebecca’s husband, “Anna Gaines of Hartford, widow, for 30 shillings, conveys to her son-in-law, Samuel Risley of Hartford, all her right and interest in land formerly sold to her father, Thomas Burnham, late of Hartford, by the Indian sachem Totonimo, which lands are undivided among the children of Thomas Burnham, [Signed] Anna Gaines, her mark..

Rebecca was a widow in 1752. In her husband’s will, “I give and bequeath to my Beloved Wife Rebecca one hundred and fifty pounds out of my moveable Estate old Tennor and also ye free use and improvement of ye one half of my dwelling house and cellar and three acres of land by said house as long as she shall Remain my widow.”

There’s no date, no record for Rebecca’s death and her burial place is unknown. She was a widow at 68, probably died fairly soon after her husband. He has a headstone at Old Eastbury Cemetery in Glastonbury. Rebecca is probably right by him.

Sources