Fronica Meinzer b. 1763

/ Kirstin Miller

Fronica Meinzer, my 5th great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Fronica -her name could have been Verona, Veronica or Fronica, all appear on records- was born about 1763 to Conrad and Elizabeth Hibshman Meinzer. The Meinzer family lived in Pennsylvania, in the Lancaster area, on a farm, part of the Pennsylvania Dutch or Deutsch community. Fronica’s dad Conrad died in 1781 and mentions his children in his will “All my lands shall be divided into six plots the share that I live on at present shall be appointed to my son John and the other five shares to Catharina, Anna Maria, Verona, Frederick and Conrad until all of my heirs are made equal.”

Fronica and Mathias marriage

General Washington in New York

Fronica married Mathias Druckenbrod on November 25, 1783. They married on the exact day the British troops left New York, called Evacuation Day, there were parades, monuments and more. Part of the 1783 celebration was General Washington arriving in New York then during the next weeks riding on through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and then Maryland where he met with the Confederation Congress and formally retired as Commander in Chief and finally returned to his home.

News traveled very slowly in 1783 so Mathias and Fronica may not have known what was happening 160 miles to the east as they exchanged wedding vows.

Sources

Benjamin Child b. 1658

/ Kirstin Miller

Benjamin Child 8th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Benjamin was born in 1658 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, the second son. On March 7, 1683 he married Grace Morris and they may have had 12 children. Benjamin farmed and his family stayed in the Roxbury area. Grace died in December of 1723, Benjamin in January of 1724. They share a headstone, still standing and worn but readable.

The Childs are buried in Walter Street “Berrying” Ground also known as Peter’s Hill, now part of the Harvard Arnold Arboretum. There are 55 burials in this very old cemetery 14 of the Child family.

“One of the earliest markers is a double headstone for Grace and Benjamin Child, husband and wife. Nearby is the stone marking Benjamin’s brother, Joshua, whose wife Elizabeth is also buried in the area. Joshua and Benjamin were brothers, born a year apart and baptized the same day, and Elizabeth and Grace were sisters. Each couple had 12 children.”

“Each July 4, as night falls, the Roslindale neighbors who live near Peters Hill in Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum walk to the top. Someone brings a radio, and they listen to the Boston Pops Orchestra play the “1812 Overture” while they watch the fireworks burst brilliantly over the Charles River. Near the base of the hill, among tall trees and along narrow dirt paths, lies a little-known cemetery containing the remains of veterans of the American Revolution and early settlers — an ideal place for pondering the meaning of the nation’s birthday.”

From the Harvard Gazette’s Hidden Spaces, The tiny cemetery.

Headstone Benjamin and Grace

Headstone photo at Find a Grave

inscriptionsHere lies the body of Grace child the Wife of Benjamin Child Died Dec ye 10 1723 in the 63d year of her age. (directly below) Here lyes ye body of Benjamin Childe who died the 24 day of Jan 1723-4 in the 66 year of his age.

The New England historical and genealogical register 1854, Volume 8 page 243, West Roxbury Inscriptions Central Burial Ground Peters Hill Copied by Mr. Wm B Trask of Dorchester

Garbrand Roos b. 1820

/ Kirstin Miller

Garbrand Roos 3rd great grandfather.

Garbrand Roos b. 1820 in Germany, the Aurich district, also East Frisia, Osteel, names changed several times but always right on the Wadden Sea– a one of a kind habitat that changes twice a day when the tides go in and out and involves mudflats and hiking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat_hiking.

Garbrand was 26 when he married Catharina Renistra in Harlingen, Netherlands in 1846. The family sailed to America in 1862. From NY they went to Freeport, Illinois where Garbrand registers for the Civil War in the summer of 1863. In 1880 the Roos family was in Pleasant Valley Township, Grundy County, Iowa they owned and farmed at least 80 acres of land. On the 1885 Iowa census the family along with a housekeeper live on their farm and on this single census page the majority of residents are from Germany, a few from Denmark, and a few from America’s eastern states. Garbrand was one founder of the German Baptist Church in Aplington, Iowa, along with the Dreyer and Lubberts families whose daughters married into the Roos family. Garbrand also went by George and lived to see his children married with families and starting farms of their own. Garbrand died in September of 1888 at the age of 68 and is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery in Aplington Iowa.
Screen Shot 2018-09-28 at 6.19.03 PM

Garbrand Roos and New German Baptist Church. Volume 1 page 353, Chapter 26 Monroe Township and Town of Aplington.
https://is.gd/q3Mb9P

At Ancestry . com Illinois 3rd Vol 5 of 7 image 285 of 632. Freeport Garbrand is 46, a farmer assigned. U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865

William Knapp b. 1809

/ Kirstin Miller

Update Winter 2020 William Knapp is most likely NOT the grandfather of William Cable. A marriage record for Violetta Cable lists Eliza Frey as mom. Violetta was the youngest child of Jonathan Cable, so Eliza Frey Cable is probably the mother of all the Cable kids. Census records show Charlotte Knapp and Eliza Frey about evenly as he mom, but the 1908 marriage record is most likely correct with Eliza Frey, first wife of Jonathan Cable as mom of the William Cable and siblings.

William Knapp b. 1809, dad of Charlotte Cable, 2nd wife of Jonathan Cable.

William is the father of Charlotte Knapp who is probably  NOT the mother of William Cable. William Knapp was born in New York and married Rhoda Bower at age 20. William and Rhoda lived in Orange County, New York until about 1849, when they left for Dane County, Wisconsin where Rhoda’s brothers and sisters had settled. Rhoda died soon after arriving in Dane, Wisconsin in 1850. The Knapp children were in their teens and 20s when their mom died. William may have drifted or may have stayed in Wisconsin with the Bowers.

In 1864 William enlisted as a private in the 129th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K. The 129th was right there in Atlanta September of 1864 when the city was burned then occupied by the troops. William was a Union soldier until June, 1865 and fought battles in Kentucky, Tennessee, Atlanta and Raleigh, North Carolina.

William’s next residence record is the 1880 US census, he’s in Charles City, Iowa a gardener living on his own. Five years later the Iowa 1885 census shows him living with his daughter Charlotte Knapp Cable and family including grandson William Cable. William’s final home was in Marshalltown, Iowa in what was then the Iowa Soldiers Home. He may have lived in one of the small cottages. William died at age 79 on January 1, 1889 and is buried at the Iowa Veterans Home Cemetery.

Sources: Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903 at Ancestry; Civil War soldiers and sailors system (CWSS) at National Parks Service.

Charlotte Knapp b.1831

/ Kirstin Miller

Charlotte Knapp was probably the mother of William Cable so probably 2nd great grandmother.

Charlotte’s husband Jonathan Cable was definitely the father of William Cable, who was father of Gladys Cable. Jonathan was married first to Eliza, after her death he married Charlotte. Jonathan and Eliza were definitely the parents of John Cable, John’s death certificate proves this. The mother of the younger Cable children Chancey, William, Sarah and Violetta is not definite. Most likely Chancey’s mom was Eliza and Charlotte Knapp was the mom of William, Violetta and Sarah. No records prove this, on some records William’s mother is Eliza, on others his mother is Charlotte.

If Charlotte Knapp is the mother of William Cable, his ancestors go all the way back to the 1630s Winthrop Fleet, 11 ships that sailed from England to America.

For sure Charlotte was born in New York around 1831 and married a first husband. Then as a single woman (widowed, divorced) she joined her brothers and sisters in Dane County, Wisconsin where around 1850 she married William Cable, there is no marriage source. In 1870 Jonathan age 60, Charlotte age 36, Chancey age 20, William age 18, Sarah age 15 and Violetta age 13 live in Pleasant Grove, Floyd County, Iowa.

Charlotte and Jonathan were Methodists and helped get a church started in Pleasant Grove in the summer of 1867. “A gentleman named Swan … was the first preacher during the summer of 1867. The next summer Methodists of Charles City sent one of their local preachers … at the first meeting there were about fifteen present, including Jonathan Cable’s family. Link to History of Floyd County, Iowa on HathiTrust

In 1885 Charlotte’s dad William Knapp lived with the Cable family. Cable, Jonathan, Charlotte, William and William Knapp screenshot1885 Floyd, Pleasant Grove, Iowa the Iowa census, Cable, Jonathan, Charlotte, William and William Knapp screenshot.

Charlotte most likely died in Chicago on June 2, 1899 and is buried in Dane, Wisconsin near her brothers, sisters and mom, Rhoda Bowers in a tiny, very rural cemetery in the middle of cornfields, link to Google maps location. Her husband Jonathan Cable’s death and burial info are unknown.

 

Catharina Renistra b. 1820

/ Kirstin Miller

Catharina Renistra 3rd great grandmother on RootsMagic tree
Catharina was born the 20th of September 1820 in Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands.

In 1846 Garbrand Roos crossed the Wadden Sea and married Catharina in Harlingen where their oldest son Jan was born in 1847. The family sailed to New York arriving on August 18, 1862 then went on to Freeport, Illinois where youngest son Johann was born: Johann, father of George Roose, father of Stanley Roose. By 1870 the family was in Iowa, first Grundy then Butler County. They owned land and farmed. Catharina was a widow in 1888 and on the 1900 census she is 78, head of household, living in Butler County. Her occupation was a capitalist: Persons living on income from land, stocks, etc., were to be reported as “Capitalist.” Her income was from farm land.  Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS).

Renistra, Catherina headstone snapshot

This summer, I searched for Catharina’s headstone at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Aplington, Iowa. Catharina’s husband, sons, a daughter, grandchildren all were buried in the cemetery but there was no record or photo of Catharina’s headstone. It turned out Catharina shared a headstone with her husband, her hame, birth and death dates on the alternate side, just not photographed or documented.

Sources

  • Netherlands marriages 1565-1892 database at Family Search

  • New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 at Ancestry

  • Iowa deaths and burials 1850-1990 database at Family Search

  • 1900 United States Federal Census at Ancestry

Lulu Stewart b. 1870

/ Kirstin Miller

Lulu Stewart 1st cousin 3 times removed or 3 generations away on RootsMagic tree

Lulu was born in Shell Rock Iowa in 1870 the youngest child of John and Martha Graham Stewart who were both born in Pennsylvania. In 1894 Lulu married Daniel Zahniser, also of Pennsylvania. They married in Shell Rock and were living in Mercer, Pennsylvania by 1900 and had at least one child. Daniel was a a bank teller, Lulu managed the home.

 

Lulu Stewart
The Overlook, a Historical Postcard

In her later years or months Lulu lived at The Overlook in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The Overlook Sanitarium was founded by Dr. Elizabeth McLaughry in 1911. Dr. McLaughry signed Lulu’s death certificate and the Dr. stayed active in her hospital from 1911 to about 1946. “The vast grounds of the sanitarium featured a scenic view and the staff made sure the patients enjoyed the outdoors as a sort of mental therapy.” Read more about The Overlook and Dr McLaughry at Lawrence County Memoirs

Lulu died in 1944, her husband Daniel lived for another 7 years, they’re both buried in the historic Easton Cemetery, in Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania.

Allen Preston Gaines b. 1900

/ Kirstin Miller

Allen Preston Gaines 1st cousin 1x removed (1 generation back) from Faber Miller who married Gladys Cable. Allen’s aunt Mary Ella Gaines Miller was grandmother to Faber Sr.

Allen Preston Gaines was born September 25, 1900 in Wadena, Minnesota, the oldest child of Charles and Mary Trewie Gaines. Allen and his family were in Lane, Oregon when Allen was 10 years old, then in Everett, Washington by 1920 when Allen was 20. Allen married Mary Ingram April 4, 1925, they settled in Boise Idaho, raised a family then in later years moved back to the Everett, Washington area where both are buried.

Allen was an apprentice mariner on the SS Emergency Fleet Corporation at the Port of Seattle and has a record: Applications for Seaman’s Protection Certificates, which includes a photo, thumbprint, physical description and identifying details, including tattoos if any. This application was a passport and provided protection on sea voyages from -forced recruitment by navies of other nations-. The Protection Certificates began in the American Revolution, disappeared for a while, returned around WW 1 then were obsolete by the 1940s, more at Wikipedia: Protection papers

Gaines, Allen 1919 page 2 application for Seaman's protection

Allen Preston Gaines March 7 1919

James Davis Miller b. 1845

/ Kirstin Miller

James Davis Miller, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

James Miller was born June 27, 1845 in Elkhart, Indiana to Jacob and Sarah Davis Miler. The 1850 US census shows James with his parents and 7 siblings, living on a farm. In 1854 after James’ dad died, his family trekked from Indiana to Nashua, Iowa about 400 miles. In 1870 James was 25, his family farmed near Janesville, Iowa.

Miller, James and Ella snapshot
James Miller and Ella Gaines marriage certificate.

In 1878, James, or JD, married Mary Ella Gaines in Waverly, Iowa on November 13. JD and Mary Ella lived near Greene, Iowa where they farmed and had 2 sons William and James. Later in life they visited the west coast where Mary Ella’s two sisters lived. In 1905 JD and Mary Ella travelled to the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. The Expo lasted 4 months with 1.6 million visitors- it was a big deal. From the local newspaper September 20, 1905, ” Mr and Mrs James Miller living west of town have been enjoying the wonders of the Portland fair for the past week and Mr Miller’s brother Jake has been helping care for things on the farm during their absence”.

Agricultural Palace Lewis and Clark Expo 1905
Agricultural Palace 1905 Lewis and Clark Expo in Portland.

JD was a widow in 1917. In 1925 he lived with his son William and family including grandson Faber b. 1905. JD lived to age 84, he died in 1929. From his obituary, “He has been industrious and has prospered through the years. He was honorable in his dealings with his fellows and is highly respected by those who knew him.” James Davis Miller is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Greene, Iowa.

Sources

Johan Roose b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Johann Roose b. 1865 my 2nd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Johann was born April 19, 1865 in Freeport, Illinois, USA the 5th child of Garbrand and Catharina Renistra Roose. Garbrand and Catharina with their 4 kids left East Friesland, Germany and sailed to America, and arrived in New York on August 12, 1862. 

Johann and family are on the 1870 census, they lived in Ogle, Illinois. On the census page at least half of their neighbors are from Germany. Johann and family moved west to Grundy Center, Iowa where they’re on the 1880 census and lived on a farm. Johann owned 80 acres of farmland in 1884 in Pleasant Valley, a township of Grundy County, Iowa.

On March 14, 1888 Johann, now John, married Lena Wisbar in Parkersburg, Iowa then he and Lena moved to Jefferson Township a few miles north. John kept farming, and buying land in Iowa and Nobles, Minnesota. In 1912 John sold his Minnesota land, saying “Iowa land is good enough”.  In 1917 John farmed near Bristow. By 1925 at age 60 he lived in Allison with Lena and their youngest daughter Lela. John died at age 61 on October 18, 1926. A newspaper story tells he visited with friends in Clarksville that morning, returned home and died, suddenly, of a heart attack. He is buried at Allison Cemetery in Allison, Iowa.

Roose, Johan and Lena marry snapshot

Sources