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Friday, July 19, 2013

Seabury Strong Brown

Seabury Strong Brown is the 2nd Great Grandfather of my wife.

What a great name!  Not a very common first name - the first that I have come by.  The middle name of Strong also, interesting choice.  I don't see the Strong surname in the lineage so I wonder if they just wanted little Seabury to grow up strong?

Seabury was the 10th child born to Odin Brown and Sally Stevens.  I do want to note that other researchers have noted that Sally's last name is Leonard not Stevens. The only paper proof is a death record in Washington for one of the children that listed Stevens as the surname.  The death of that child also took place in Stevens County, so it is possible that was the name of the county and not the surname.  Anyway - if any readers out there have paper proof of the surname of Sally, please share!  Seabury was born 3rd October, 1857 in Illinois.  It's is most likely that he was born in Boone County, IL, as that is where we find the first record for him.

The first record being the 1860 Federal Census.  This finds Seabury living at home with his parents and siblings.  The record if very hard to read.  The family is farming and living in Boone, Boone County, Illinois.

The following decade, Seabury's childhood, doesn't appear to have been a very pleasant one.  Several of his siblings all die young, as well as his mother, Sally.  In the 1870 Federal Census we find Seabury living still in Boone County, IL, with his father, Odin.  There is only one sibling living at home, a younger brother named Perry, and a new step mother, Helen Chamberlain.  His father's profession is listed as a shoemaker.

I'm unable to find Seabury in the 1880 Federal Census.  His father, along with his father's new wife, have moved to Sterling, Nebraska.  His eldest sibling, Hubbel Brown, is still living in Boone County.  I've looked in both of those area's censuses with no luck - no Seabury.  At some point after 1880 his eldest brother, Hubbel, moves his family to Sundance, Crook County, Wyoming.  It's in this location that we find the next record for Seabury.  So we can assume that Seabury either came with Hubbel or followed him there.  The record we find is the marriage record for Seabury.  On 22 April 1886 Seabury marries Stella Richardson in Crook County.  This record can be found in the Western States Marriage Record Index, as shown below.


The family resides in Kettle Falls, Stevens County, Washington in the 1900 Federal Census.  Seabury and Stella are the parents of four children at this time, all of which are living at home.  Seabury's profession is listed as a farmer.  A few farms down the road is Stella's younger brother, James Richardson, living with the parents of his wife, Jennie Gill.

The 1910 Federal Census finds the family in Green Acres, Spokane County, Washington.  Seabury owns his farm/house, it is not mortgaged.  Another child was born to family after 1900, Stella is noted as the mother of 5 children, all of which are still living.  The eldest son, Milton, resides in the family home with his wife, Minnie Rose.

I'm unable to locate Seabury in the 1920 Federal Census.  His wife, Stella, is found living in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington.  Her marital status is listed as divorced.  Their youngest, Gerald, is only 13 years old, yet, he shows he works at the railroad and has not attended school since September the previous year.  It appears Gerald is supporting his mother at this time. Sad.

In the 1930 Federal Census Seabury owns his own poultry farm in Aumsville, Marion County, Oregon. Less than two years later, in 1932, he is living with his granddaughter, Marjorie Bashaw Vorlicky, in Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon.  He passes away in this home 12 April 1932.  He is buried in the Milton Freewater IOOF Cemetary in Umatilla County, Oregon.  I wish I would have asked Marjorie about Seabury before she passed away, I hadn't realized that Seabury had lived in her home.

The children of Seabury Strong Brown and Stella S. Richardson were:

1. Ruby Alberta Brown - born September 1887 in Wyoming.  Married (1st) Fred Wallace Potter.  Married (2nd) Albert Plank.  Died 4 April 1946 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington.
2. Florence G Brown - born October 1888 in Nebraska.  Married Arthur Clarence Bashaw.  Died 15 January 1966 in Stevens County, Washington.
3. Milton George Brown - born 18 July 1890 in Lincoln County, Nebraska.  Married Minnie Rose.  Died January 1974 in Coeur D'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho.
4. Burton Strong Brown - born 10 December 1895 in Sundance, Crook County, Wyoming.  Never married.  Died 8 April 1934 in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington.
5. Gerald Wayne Brown - born 1 July 1906 in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington.  Married Evelyn, surname unknown.  Died 25 September 1993 in Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington.


Sunday, March 17, 2013

John Joseph Charles

Ahhh....finally the last of the Charles' children!  Big family!  John Joseph Charles is the youngest child born to Joseph Charles and Dorthea Abbott.  John was born 7 August 1823 in Wethersfield, Wyoming County, New York.

It is assumed he can be found in both the 1830 and 1840 Federal Census's, not by name, but by age and gender, living at home with his parents.  They resided in Wethersfield, New York.

John's whereabouts during the next two federal census's is unknown.  He eldest daughter, Clara, was born in the State of New York in 1856, so we know he remained in New York through that time period.  His second eldest child, Ida Lucy Charles, was born in Michigan in 1859.  So, like many of the Charles', John moved his family West to Michigan.

The first record with John's name on it is the 1870 Federal Census.  This record finds the family living in Antwerp, Van Buren County, Michigan.  John is a farm laborer.  His married to Maria (surname unknown), and has 5 children living at home.  They were Clara, Ida, Eleanor, Augustus and Eddie.  John is land owner, his property is valued at $400, and her personal property is valued at $150.  in the next census record of 1880, except for the addition of two more children, Louis and Willard, everything remains the same.

John Joseph Charles dies 23 September 1907 in Montcalm County, Michigan, of old age.  Copy of his death certificate is below.


John Joseph Charles and Maria (unknown) had the following children:

1. Clara Charles - born 1856 in New York.  Death unknown.  Marriage unknown.
2. Ida Lucy Charles - born 1858 in Michigan.  Died 1951 in Calhoun County, Michigan.  Married Jesse Milks.
3. Ellen Charles - born about 1862 in Michigan.  Death unknown.  Marriage unknown.
4. Augustus H Charles - born May 1864 in Michigan.  Died 1950 in Reynolds, Montcalm County, Michigan.  Married Minnie Engelman.
5. Eddie A Charles - born October 1866 in Michigan.  Died 1943 in Montcalm County, Michigan.  Married Millie Engelman.
6. Louis J Charles - born 14 August 1872 in Van Buren County, Michigan.  Died 1956 in Calhoun County, Michigan.  Married Wilma Trubey.
7. Willard J Charles - born about 1876 in Michigan.  Death unknown. Marriage unknown.


After creating this blog I can see that I have no real proof that John Joseph Charles is the son of Joseph Charles and Dorthea Abbott, at least no paper proof.  His age fits with the 1830 and 1840 census records for Joseph's household.  If anyone can provide any paper proof, please contact me!