lived on a farm

Jonathan Cable b. 1807

/ Kirstin Miller

Jonathan Cable, my 2nd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Jonathan Cable was born in Pennsylvania around 1807 and married Eliza Frey around 1840 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. By 1850 Jonathan, Eliza and their sons John and Chancey lived in southeast Wisconsin. Jonathan was a millwright. He and Eliza had another son, William and 2 daughters Sarah and Violet. When Eliza died in 1857, Jonathan married Charlotte Knapp.

By 1865 the Cable family lived and farmed in Pleasant Grove, Iowa where records show Jonathan paid taxes on a watch and a melodeon- like an accordion. In 1867 Jonathan and his family were part of the first Methodist congregation in Pleasant Grove, with a pastor visiting the town every 2 weeks or so. Jonathan built the second blacksmith shop in Pleasant Grove, still standing but not used in 1882.

Jonathan and son William’s land is in the 1895 Floyd County Plat Book: Jonathan owned 80 acres and William owned 160 acres of farmland. The 1870 agricultural census shows Jonathan’s farm with 69 acres of improved land, 16 acres of woodland, 2 horses, 5 milch cows, 4 working oxen, 12 swine. The farm produced 436 bushels of spring wheat, 200 bushels of Indian corn 354 bushels of oats, 20 bushels of Irish potatoes, 700 pounds of butter, and 17 tons of hay.

In 1885 Jonathan, Charlotte and William Cable lived on their Pleasant Grove farm with Charlotte’s dad William Knapp, a soldier in the Civil War. Jonathan’s death date and place are unknown. 

Sources:

  • Volume 2 pages 840 and 843, History of Floyd County, Iowa: Chicago: Inter-state publishing co., 1882, at HathiTrust.
  • 1870 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa, Iowa Non-Population Census Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch.
  • 1885 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa State Census at Ancestry
  • 1895 Pleasant Grove Township in Plat Book of Floyd County, Iowa at Iowa Digital Library, U of I Libraries.

Lena Wisbar b. 1871

/ Kirstin Miller

Lena Wisbar, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Lena Wisbar was born in Germany on May 27, 1871, the 2nd daughter of Martin and Mary Walters Wisbar. In 1872 her family sailed from Bremen, Germany to New York, USA. They were in NY on August 17, 1872, then went on to Ela, Lake County, Illinois where on the 1880 census Lena was 9 years old and lived on a farm. By 1885 Lena and family farmed in Parkersburg, Iowa.

On March 14, 1888 Lena married John Roose. Lena and John farmed in Butler County, Iowa. They had seven children and many grandchildren. After farming for 37 years, Lena and John moved to town in 1925. They lived in Allison, Iowa with their youngest daughter Lela, age 18. John died in 1926.

In 1938 and probably other years too, Lena entered her crochet in the Butler County Fair and won ribbons for dining room and bedroom linens. 

Lena died on January 19, 1948, she was 76. Her funeral was at St James Lutheran Church in Allison. She is buried in the Allison cemetery.

Sources

  • 1938 Sep 14 Iowa Recorder, Greene Public Library Digital Resources
  • 1948 Feb 16 Lena’s obituary, Waterloo Daily Courier at Ancestry.com
  • US census at FamilySearch
  • New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 at FamilySearch.org

Thomas Tracy b. 1610

/ Kirstin Miller

Thomas Tracy 10th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

Thomas Tracy was born in 1610 in England.  Thomas sailed for New England and arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1636.  Thomas was a carpenter and ship builder. He held many community posts including leader of the Train Band (militia company of early America), member of the Colonial Assembly and Lieutenant of the New London County Dragoons.

The Tracy family was one of the first to settle in Norwich CT where Thomas died Nov. 7, 1685, age 76. His estate included 5000 acres of Norwich land, he left this to his children. 

Some Tracy family history books state that “No family can claim armorial bearings more ancient than the Tracys, for they were handed down from the middle of the twelfth century”. This may or may not be proven.  Thomas Tracy has a memorial at Find A Grave with more information and a huge headstone erected by ancestors after his death. Find a Grave is generally completely unverified but still has good information.  Thomas Tracy Find a grave memorial 21945755

John Henrichs b. 1864

/ Kirstin Miller

John G. Henrichs on RootsMagic tree

John Gerhard Henrichs was born October 9, 1864 in Germany. He sailed to America in 1882 at age 18. His sister Annie married Enno Frerichs, John married Enno’s sister Entje. John and Entje had a family and farmed. In 1917 John owned about 125 acres of farm land in Butler County, Iowa. On the 1930 US Census he was 65 and living on Main Street in Allison, Butler County, Iowa. He owned his home but didn’t have a radio set.

Henrich, John 1930On March 26, 1930 John celebrated Entje’s birthday with a party at their home for family and friends. This is in the Iowa Recorder, April 2, 1930 and directly below is grandniece Viola Roose entertaining 16 high school friends on March 29.

John was a widow in 1936 and lived with his daughter Flora and her family on the 1940 US Census. John’s obituary is in the Mason City Globe Gazette of December 22, 1943. John and Entje are buried in the Butler Center Cemetery. There are 21 Henrichs and 12 Frerichs memorials in this cemetery.

Sources

Violetta Cable b. 1857

/ Kirstin Miller

Cable, Violet obituary 1942Violetta Cable, great grand aunt on RootsMagic tree

Violetta was born April 11, 1857 in Wisconsin to Jonathan Cable, her mom was probably Eliza Frey. Violetta was the youngest of 5 kids with 3 brothers and a sister. By 1870 Violetta was 13 and living with her family in Pleasant Grove, Iowa. She lived on a farm in Pleasant Grove until about 1884 when she was a postmaster in Cable, Minnesota. This is noted on Wikipedia and also in a book: Minnesota Place Names by Upham.

Violetta took in her niece and nephews: Ethel Towslee, Chauncey and Leonard Cable all lived with her at different times in Chicago, Minnesota and Seattle. Violetta married Charles Anderson in 1908 in Seattle. She was 51 he was 39, Charles died in 1927, they didn’t have children. As a widow Violetta lived with her brother William’s widow, Mary Fries Cable in Des Moines, Iowa. Violetta died in Des Moines April 6, 1942 and is buried in the Pleasant Grove, Iowa cemetery, headstone not yet located, probably near her brother William.

Sources

Esther Young b. 1830

/ Kirstin Miller

Esther Miller 3rd great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Esther Young was probably born in Stark County, Ohio January 20, 1830. No info on her parents. Her parents were Michael and Mary Young both born in Pennsylvania. Esther married Peter Miller around 1851 on June 3, 1849 and they had their first child William L Miller in August, 1852. Esther had 5 more sons and her 7th child, a daughter: Lillie May Miller.

By 1860 the family was living in Bremer County, Iowa. They farmed and the children attended school. In 1880 Esther and Peter were neighbors to their son William and his wife Fiana Druckenbrod. In 1885 their neighbors were the Baileys, future in laws, their daughter Lillie would marry the youngest Bailey son, George. Imagine Esther’s day to day life in 1860: infants and toddlers, diapers, clothes, winter coats, laundry, food, baking, toothaches, crops, horses, livestock, snow, summer heat, having a bath; how in the world. There is very little info on Esther. Esther was in the local Waverly newspaper at different times for events including relatives visiting in Waverly, Iowa, Esther visiting Stark County, Ohio and winning a ‘medal for the first spring chickens this season having had a clutch of ten hatched Feb 9th” 1891. 

Esther died on February 10, 1898, about at age 68 and is buried at Andrews Cemetery near Waverly, Iowa.

Sources

Eunice Walker b. 1728

/ Kirstin Miller

Eunice Walker 6th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Eunice Walker was born September 4, 1728 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and probably grew up in the Walker House (still standing in Rhode Island) built by her father Timothy, on the land her great grandfather Philip Walker originally owned. Eunice married James Hill(s) on May 11, 1749. She and her husband lived in Massachusetts, had a family and farmed. James was a Captain in the early years of the American Revolution so Eunice kept their home and farm going while he was away. She was named in her dad Timothy’s 1745 will: give unto my Daughter Unis one hundred pounds in Bill of Credit. Eunice died at age 44 on December 31, 1772, her husband survived her and most likely did not remarry. Whether by coincidence or as a namesake Eunice’s great granddaughter Delia Angel Flood would name her daughter Eunice in 1872 Shell Rock, Iowa.

Sources

Eunice Walker (1728 – 1772) Cynthia Hill (1763 – 1830) Dexter Angell (1794 – 1854) Delia Viola Angell (1839 – 1916) Matilda Elizabeth Flood (1858 – 1940) Philippa Flood Mockford (1891 – 1979) Elizabeth Matilda Speedy (1917 – 2005) m. Stanley Joseph Roose (1915 – 2004)

Oscar Speedy b. 1867

/ Kirstin Miller

Oscar Alexander Speedy 2nd great uncle on RootsMagic tree.

Speedy, Oscar in Stockton California

Oscar’s parents were Manford and first wife Ann Coats Speedy. Ann died of typhoid fever in 1869, Oscar was 2. His 2nd mom was Elizabeth Stewart Speedy. Oscar grew up in Butler County, Iowa. He attended school and lived on a farm. By 1888 at age 21 he was out west in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. He was first a miner then an engineer at the Stockton Jackson Baths, mineral baths. “The facility included twelve bath houses for private parties, a clubhouse for entertaining and a grand stand for musical concerts. The thirteen acre resort destination also featured lawn areas with picnic tables and barbecue pits, and even a small zoo and a scenic railway.” Article by Alice Van Ommeren, 2014 . The baths ended in the 1940s.

Speedy, Oscar Stockton, CA

Jackson Baths in Stockton California

Oscar is on the California Voter Lists in 1888 and 1892, not yet found on a census in California. ON voter lists Oscar is described “5′ 10″ dark complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair”.

He is not mentioned in his dad Manford’s 1914 obituary so may have died before 1914, not sure. Update Fall 2019, Oscar Speedy has a Find a Grave memorial with details. At Find a Grave: Oscar A. Speedy is buried in Block 27N, Row G, Lot 164. He died in 1895, he was 28 years old. There’s no grave marker or death certificate, details. Burial information was provided by Cathleen Boccia, an employee of the Stockton Rural Cemetery, memorial created by “lawman on 29 Jun 2019”.

Sources

Michael Metcalfe b. 1587

/ Kirstin Miller

Michael Metcalfe 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Michael Metcalfe was b.1587 into a long line of Metcalfs. He lived in Tatterford and Norwich, England, was a weaver and married Sarah Ellwyn. Michael was a Puritan in England which led to trouble in the 1630s when he felt persecuted by Archbishop Laud and Bishop Wren. Both bishops were eventually charged with various crimes and locked in the Tower of London. Wren was let go and Laud was executed.

Michael wrote a letter, “I was persecuted in the land of my fathers’ sepulchres for not bowing at the name of Jesus and observing the ceremonies inforced upon me at the instance of Bishop Wren of Norwich, and his Chancellor Dr. Corbet, whose violent measures troubled me in the Bishop’s court, and returned me into the High Commissioner’s Court. Suffering many times for the cause of religion, I was forced for the sake of the liberty of my conscience to flee from my wife and children to go into New England; taking ship for the voyage at London, 17th Sept., 1636, and being by tempests tossed up and down the seas till the Christmas following; and then veering about to Plymouth in Old England. Leaving the ship I went down to Yarmouth, in Co. Norfolk, whence I finally shipped myself and family to come to New England; sailed April 15, 1637, and arrived three days before Midsummer with my wife, nine children, and a servant, Thomas Comberbach, aged 16.”

In April 1637 the Metcalf family got ready to sail to America: The examinacion of Michill Metcalfe of Norwich, Dornix weauer, aged 45 yeares and Sarrah his wife, aged 39 yeares, with 8 Children, Michill: Thomas: Marey: Sarrah: Elizabeth: Martha: Joane: and Rebeca: and his Saruant Thomas Comberbach, aged 16 yeares, are desirous to passe to boston in New England to inhabit. 

The family with Michael, Sarah, 9 kids and a servant landed in Boston on or about June 24, 1637. The Metcalfs settled in Dedham, Connecticut. Michael was a townsmen, a selectman and on the committee to create the meeting house. His will left various possessions and money amounts to his 2nd wife Mary, children and grandchildren with one grandchild getting the ‘Largest gray Horsmann’s coate’ and son John getting all the books.

Michael Metcalfe (1587 – 1664)
Jane Metcalfe (1632 – 1701)
Samuel Walker (1655 – 1712)
Timothy Walker (1687 – 1745)
Eunice Walker (1728 – 1772)
Cynthia Hill (1763 – 1830)
Dexter Angell (1794 – 1854)
Delia Viola Angell (1839 – 1916)
Matilda Flood (1858 – 1940)
Philippa Flood Mockford (1891 – 1979)
Elizabeth Speedy (1917 – 2005) m. Stanley Roose (1915 – 2004)

Sources

  • Excerpts from a letter written in Plymouth England January 13, 1636 the New England Historical and Genealogical Register NEHGR Volume 6 page 171 at Archive.org
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register NEHGR Volume 14 page 325 at Archive.org

Jeremy Adams b. 1605

/ Kirstin Miller

Jeremy Adams 11th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Jeremy Adams was born in England, parents unknown. He sailed to America on the Griffin, maybe he was associated with Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. Jeremy married twice, both his wives were widows named Rebecca. Jeremy’s jobs included: minister, farmer, innkeeper and liquor distributor. As an official innkeeper for the Colony he was famous and his inn was the main meeting site in the area. At Jeremy’s funeral the colony paid for 3 gallons of wine.

In the early days of Connecticut Jeremy was also a scout: “On 5 April, 1638, it was ordered that six men be sent to the Warranock Indians to trade; and moreover to knoe the reasons why they saide they are affraide of us, and if they will not come to us willingly then to compell them to come by violence, and they may leave 2 of the English as pledges in the meane time. Jeremy Adams was one of the six.” 

Jeremy Adams (1605 – 1683) John Adams (1637 – 1670) Rebecca Adams (1658 – 1716) Samuel Risley (1679 – 1756) Richard Risley (1709 – 1792) Prudence Risley (1735 – 1816) Joseph Gaines (1756 – 1841) Obed Gaines (1793 – 1877) William Newcomb Gaines (1825 – 1907) Mary Ella Gaines (1855 – 1917) William Earl Miller (1879 – 1949) Faber W Miller (1905 – 1957) m. Gladys Mae Cable (1913 – 1991)

Sources: