Henry Jacobs: A War of 1812 Veteran Ancestor?

View of the Camp of Col Laight's Regiment of Militia
from the New York Public Library's Digital Collection

Back in January 2017, I made an accidental discovery about a man whom I believe is my ancestor. 

I was doing some research in old, out-of-copyright county histories for Tioga County, New York at the Internet Archive, searching for any and all of my many family lines who lived there in the second half of the nineteenth century, including my Strong, Curtis, Jacobs, Lane, Mead, Wright, Clark, Rockwell, and Partridge lines.

In the 1907 history, Owego: Some account of the early settlement of the Village in Tioga County, N.Y.... by LeRoy Wilson Kingman, I found a chapter of the military history of the village from the American Revolution through 1850. At the end of the chapter, it said that in March 1867, the Owego Gazette published a list of the survivors of the War of 1812 then living in Tioga County, with their ages. Henry Jacobs, age 83, was listed among them.1

My 4th-great-grandfather, Henry Jacobs, fits this bill. He was born about 1786 in Westchester County, New York,2 so he would have been more or less the right age in March of 1867. He resided in the Town of Spencer, Tioga County, New York when the 1810 Federal Census was taken,³ and was in the Town of Candor in 1820,⁴ so it was likely he was in New York during the war. 

I have looked at the pension records available for War of 1812 Veterans and their widows at Fold3. The only one for a man named Henry Jacobs was a soldier who died 29 June 1861 in Morristown, Pennsylvania.5 My Henry Jacobs lived until 11 November 18766 and died presumably in the Town of Candor, where he was last enumerated in the 1875 New York State Census with his daughter and son-in-law, Esther and James Cortwright.7 Pensions for veterans of this war were not offered until 1871,8 and if his daughter's family was able to support and care for him, there would have been no reason to apply for a pension.

A little digging into this to see if I can find some solid evidence that my Henry is the same man mentioned in the county history is warranted. If true, this would be my fifth identified ancestor who was a veteran of the War of 1812.

Sources:

    1. LeRoy Wilson Kingman, Owego: Some account of the early settlement of the village in Tioga County, N.Y., called Ah-wa-ga by the Indians, which name was corrupted by gradual evolution into Owago, Owego, Owegy and finally Owego (Owego, New York: Owego Gazette Office, 1907), pp. 391-2; imaged, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/owegosomeaccount00king/ : accessed 7 January 2017).

    2. 1855 census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor ED 2, p. 5, line 29, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7181/ : accessed 5 August 2016); citing Tioga County Clerk's Office, Owego.

    3. 1810 U.S. census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Spencer, p. 85 (stamped), line 20, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7613/ : accessed 18 June 2016.

    4. 1820 U.S. census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor, p. 38, line 22, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7734/ : accessed 18 June 2016.

    5. "U.S., War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, 1812-1815," database with images, Fold3.com (https://www.fold3.com/image/314331865/jacobs-henry-page-20-us-war-of-1812-pension-files-1812-1815 : accessed 3 September 2024) imaged untitled document: Henry Jacobs, Capt. John Huston's Co., Pa. Mil.; citing Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Applications Based on Service in the War of 1812; Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Washington, D.C.: National Archives).

    6. Daughters of the American Revolution, Beulah Patterson Brown Chapter, Tioga County, New York, cemetery records of the towns of Berkshire, Candor, Newark Valley, Owego, and Richford (New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1928), p. 114; imaged, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7S-S9S7-W : accessed 11 September 2024).

    7. 1875 census, Tioga County, New York, population schedule, Town of Candor ED 2, p. 18, line 44, Henry Jacobs; imaged, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7250/ : accessed 7 April 2014); citing Tioga County Clerk's Office, Owego.

    8. Stuart L. Butler, "Genealogical Records of the War of 1812," Prologue Magazine (Winter 1991, Vol. 23, No. 4); online article, Archives.gov (https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1991/winter/war-of-1812.html : accessed 11 September 2024).

Fold3 Opening War of 1812 Images for Free During June

I received the following message from Matthew Deighton of Ancestry/Fold3:

... Fold3 will be opening up all of their War of 1812 records to the public for free during June. This is in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the commencement of the war. The collection consists of more than 400,000 images including 233,000 images from the War of 1812 Pension Files never before available online. The following databases provided for free included:

• War of 1812 Pension Files
• War of 1812 Prize Cases, Southern District Court, NY
• Letters Received by The Adjutant General, 1805-1821
• War of 1812 Service Records

The Pension files that are included are only a small percentage of the entire collection that will eventually be available online. For more information on the War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files, visit http://go.fold3.com/1812pensions/.

75,000 New WWI Records Go Online at Findmypast.co.uk

Leading UK family history website findmypast.co.uk has today expanded its collection of British military records with the release of the Royal Marine Medal Roll 1914-1920. The record set provides a listing of all Royal Marines who received medals for their service in World War 1, including those awarded the 1914 Star, the Clasp to the 1914 Star, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Royal Marine Medal Roll 1914-1920

Containing records of over 75,000 Officers, NCOs and other ranks, the Royal Marine Medal Roll 1914-1920 comprises both transcripts and images of the original WW1 Campaign Medal Rolls for the Royal Marines. Aside from the medals awarded, the records detail the Marine’s name, rank, service branch, service number and also a description of where or to whom the medals were issued. In addition to this, many of the transcripts contain extra service details for the Royal Marine, often highlighting those that died of wounds or were killed in action during WW1. These details are available online for the very first time.

Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.co.uk, said: “We are delighted to be able to add the Royal Marine Medal Roll 1914-1920 to the collection of World War 1 records available at the findmypast.co.uk website. These records are a fantastic new resource, allowing family historians to uncover many more details about the lives of ancestors who fought for their country.”

John Marshall, author of the Royal Marine Medal Roll database, said: “Today sees the first of any WW1 Naval Medal Rolls to be made available online, providing a complete listing of all Royal Marine Officers and men who served in the Great War. This database is dedicated to the memory of CH/19403 Private John (Jack) Clegg RMLI, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was “wounded and missing” at the Battle of the Ancre in 1916.”

Last Canadian WWI Veteran Passes in Spokane

From the Spokesman-Review:

The last Canadian veteran of World War I died Thursday at the age of 109.

John Henry Foster Babcock, who went by Jack, died Thursday at his home in Spokane, his family confirmed.

Read the rest here.

Footnote Releases New Vietnam Records and Photos

FOOTNOTE.COM AND THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES RELEASE NEW VIETNAM WAR PHOTOS AND RECORDS ONLINE

-Over 27,000 Photos And Records Are Added To The Largest Online Vietnam War Collection

Lindon, UT – February 4, 2010 – Today Footnote.com announced a major addition to its Vietnam War Collection: Army Photos and Unit Service Awards.  Now totaling over 100,000 photos and documents, this collection helps visitors gain a better perspective and appreciation for this often misunderstood event in U.S. History.

“Our partnership with the National Archives has proven to be invaluable as we work to make these records more accessible,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “Previously you were required to travel to Washington, D.C. to see these records.  Now anyone can access the original records through the internet.”

Army Unit Service Awards include documents relating to Presidential Unit Citations, Valorous Unit Awards and Meritorious Unit Commendations.  These were usually awarded to units going above and beyond the call of duty, and in most cases, showing exceptional valor.  These documents contain:

·        Dates of service

·        Duties performed

·        Letters of recommendation

The Army Photos feature various activities of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.  In nearly every case there is a caption or description of what was happening and the names of the soldiers featured in the photos.  Everything ranging from daily duties to Bob Hope’s Christmas program is captured, providing a glimpse into what life was like for the soldiers.  

“My dad is a Vietnam War hero, but I rarely can get him to share his experiences from the war,” says Justin Schroepfer, Marketing Director at Footnote.com. “Going through these photos allowed me to visualize a little more what he went through and the sacrifices he made for his country.”

In addition to these new records, the Footnote Vietnam War Collection also includes:

·        The Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial – featuring service records for each name on the wall

·        Photos of the Marine Corps in Vietnam - color

·        Photos of the Marine Corps in Vietnam - black and white

Footnote.com will continue to work with the National Archives to add more Vietnam War content online.

“These documents and photos tell a part of the Vietnam War story that you just can’t find in textbooks,” explains Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com.  “It’s imperative that we preserve and share this side of history for future generations. We are encouraging everyone to come to Footnote.com and enhance these stories by adding their own comments, photos and documents.”

The Vietnam War Collection will be made free to the public during the month of February.  To view these documents, visit www.footnote.com/vietnam.

Additional Resources

Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote

Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480

About Footnote, Inc.

Footnote.com is a subscription website that features original historical documents, providing visitors with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.

Footnote.com Honors WWII Veterans with the First-Ever Interactive USS Arizona Memorial

-Footnote.com Opens Their WWII Collection Free To The Public During December-

Lindon, UT – December 7, 2009 – In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, Footnote.com announced today that they will make the largest interactive WWII collection on the web including the Interactive USS Arizona Memorial free to the public during December. Featuring over 10 million records, documents and photos from the National Archives, this collection helps family members and historians better understand the people and events of WWII.

Included in this exclusive collection is the Interactive USS Arizona Memorial. This online version allows people to view the actual wall of names and search for those they know. An interactive box for each name on the wall features additional information about each veteran and includes a place where anyone can contribute photos and stories. View the Captain of the USS Arizona, Franklin Van Valkenburgh, on the interactive wall.

It’s estimated that a little over 2 million WWII veterans are still alive in the United States today. However, thousands of veterans are passing away every month taking with them many of the stories from WWII. Footnote.com is making an effort to help preserve these stories by digitizing documents from the National Archives and providing interactive tools to help people connect with each other.

Christina Knoedler from Pennsylvania used the Missing Air Crew Reports on Footnote.com to discover information about her father-in-law, who is a WWII veteran. “The other night, I showed him what I had found,” explains Christina. “He couldn’t believe that these papers existed. They had not only his name but also his buddies’ names. He started to reminisce and it was quite an evening. This will allow me to go back and document many more events in our family’s history for the generations to come.”

The Missing Air Crew Reports are just one of the record collections found on Footnote.com. Other WWII collections on Footnote.com include:

· Pearl Harbor Muster Rolls

· U.S. Air Force Photos

· Submarine Patrol Reports

· Japanese Air Target Analysis

· Army JAG Case Files

· Navy JAG Case Files

· Naval Press Clippings

· Allied Military Conferences

· Holocaust Records

“People are making fascinating discoveries in these records,” says Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com. “Reading some of the first-hand accounts helps you develop a different view and appreciation of our WWII heroes and what they went through.”

To experience the Interactive USS Arizona Memorial and the World War II visit http://www.footnote.com/wwii/.

Additional Resources

Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/footnote

Join us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Footnotecom/52981708480

About Footnote, Inc.

Footnote.com is a subscription website that features original historical documents, providing visitors with an unaltered view of the events, places and people that shaped the American nation and the world. At Footnote.com, all are invited to come share, discuss, and collaborate on their discoveries with friends, family, and colleagues. For more information, visit http://www.footnote.com.

Click on the Image Above to Adopt a Needy Child or Senior in Your Community

DAR Databases Now Available Online

From the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution:

After nearly a decade of scanning, indexing, and other behind-the-scenes work by DAR members and employees, the Daughters of the American Revolution is pleased to announce the availability of the DAR Genealogical Research System on our public website. Here are the direct links:

http://www.dar.org/library/online_research.cfm or www.dar.org (and click on the Library button at the top, then the second tab in the left-hand column).

The GRS is a growing collection of databases that provide access to many materials collected by the DAR over the past 119 years. Included in this collection of databases is the GRC National Index which has been available to researchers for the past few years. There are still some kinks we’re working out here and there.

When you go to the link above, you will find several tabs that will enable searching in the various databases:

Ancestor – established DAR Revolutionary War Ancestors and basic information about them with listings of the applications submitted by descendants who joined the DAR [updated daily]

Member – limited access to information on deceased/former DAR members – not current members.

Descendants – index of generations in applications between the DAR member and the Revolutionary War ancestor. There is much eighteenth and nineteenth-century information here. [ongoing indexing project]

GRC – everyname index to 20,000 typescript volumes (some still being indexed) of genealogical records such as cemeteries, Bibles, etc. This index is not limited to the period of the American Revolution at all.

Resources [In particular, the digitized DAR Library Revolutionary Pension Extract Card Index and the Analytical Index Cards. Other information sources will be coming in the near future, mostly relating to Revolutionary War service, bibliographies, Forgotten Patriots (updates), etc. Read the introductions to these to learn why these are both important genealogical indexes. For example, the Rev. War pension index includes the names of people mentioned in those pensions that were abstracted (not just the pensioner or widow)!!!!]

Library Catalog – our book, periodical, and manuscript holdings

Each of these has interrelated content, and a description of each is given more fully on the website. You will notice restricted information in many search results. This is the result of a concerted effort to protect the identity of our members while providing historical genealogical information to researchers.

The national numbers of members (without the names of living members) given in the search results are needed to order copies of applications and supplemental applications. They do not lead online researchers to any other information about the member.

P.S. Randy Seaver has written a wonderful tutorial on using these databases on his genealogy blog, Genea-Musings.

Forgotten Remains Get Burial Rites

This story in my local paper, from North Idaho, reminds me of Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak's Unclaimed Persons Project. In this case, it's about forgotten remains of veterans or their spouses, and what the Missing In America project is doing about it. It's a national project, but it started in Idaho.

You'll want to read this as soon as possible, because The Spokesman-Review archives its articles behind a subscription wall after only a day or two.

Memorial Day Posts

This weekend, I planning to clean, decorate, and photograph the graves of my husband's and my family members buried in local cemeteries (there aren't many). I also take the extra flowers from the bouquet of roses I bring and place them on a few Civil War veterans' graves at Greenwood Memorial Terrace.

We'll probably visit the Amelia Earhart exhibit at Heritage Funeral Home, and then go home to have a barbecue and enjoy family time.

Last year, I wrote 43 posts--one a day for a month and a half--on each of the men who served during the Civil War in my husband's and my family trees. These men were either our direct ancestors, or brothers/sons of direct ancestors. To view their stories, photos, and some gravestone pictures, go here.

Here are some other archived posts featuring Memorial Day and things related:

A Poem for Memorial Day

Some Civil War Resources for Genealogy

Selected Military Resources on the Internet

Some Civil War Soldiers Buried in Spokane
(includes a link to the study Craig Manson did on Sgt. Walter Scott of the U.S. Colored Troops Infantry)

Confederate Pensions Databases

Revolutionary War Veteran Finally to Get Military Honors -- 160 Years After His Death

From the Flint (Michigan) Journal:

RICHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- As a 70-something-year-old man, Nathaniel Blackmer Sr. still was trying to prove that he served in the American Revolutionary War -- even traveling to Ohio for testimony from a fellow soldier.

But the soldier died before Blackmer could reach him.

Now, thanks to fresh research in the Internet age, Blackmer finally will be recognized for his service to the country -- nearly 160 years after the Flint veteran's death.

Read the rest of the article here.

"Confederate Pensions Databases" Post Updated

A year ago, I posted "Confederate Pensions Databases" on this blog. With the addition of Ancestry's new database, "Georgia, Confederate Pensions Applications, 1879 - 1960," I thought I would check to see if there was any additional information or corrections I needed to make to this list. There were, and I have updated the post. You can read it here.

Pathway to Hell: A Tragedy of the Civil War

The Battle of Fredericksburg, 13 December 1862. From an early draft of Pathway to Hell: A Tragedy of the Civil War:

Charlie Robbins [of the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves, the "Fighting Bucktails"] ran harder than he ever had in his life and tried to spring over one of those ditches. It was too wide, and he thumped hard into the ditch. Stunned and bruised, he looked back and saw the enemy swarming toward him. Running was useless now. He hunkered in the ditch and awaited inevitable capture. Others had beaten him to this exposed hiding place and more leaped in. To his amazement, some of them were Rebels he assumed were trying to desert. Charlie braved another glance over the top of the ditch, and saw Angelo [Crapsey] running toward him. "He was completely done out," Robbins recalled, "and could not run as the rest did to get away from the rebels." Miraculously, Robbins escaped capture to report Angelo's "wounding." Angelo must have been wounded, Charlie assumed. Angelo would never give up no matter how stacked the odds against him.

But he had. The lad who vowed never to compromise threw up his hands and shouted, "I surrender!" A bullet would have been more merciful. At least then Angelo Crapsey would have died gloriously.

Source: Crapsey, Angelo. Photograph. C. 1863. Digital copy from the Faces of the Pennsylvania Reserves website [http://www.pareserves.com/PRVCGALLERY/details.php?image_id=559]. Original photograph's whereabouts unknown. 2008.

Angelo M. CRAPSEY was the stepson of my 4th-great-grandmother, Lura Ann (JACKSON) PECK CRAPSEY. He was raised with Viola Gertrude (PECK) ROBBINS, my 3rd-great-grandmother, and served in Company I of the 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry, later the 13th Pennsylvania Reserves with his childhood friend, Charles H. ROBBINS, who would become my 3rd-great-grandfather. Known as the "Fighting Bucktails" because of their reputation as sharpshooters, the 13th Reserves were often attached to other regiments in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, including Gettysburg, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Angelo was interned in the infamous Libby Prison, and was released before the end of the war. His incarceration horribly affected him, and for the rest of his short life, he engaged in one suicide attempt after another, finally succeeding on 4 August 1864, at the age of 21.

While researching the the intriguing story of Angelo Crapsey, Dennis W. Brandt read the many letters Angelo wrote during his war days, along with educating himself about the 42nd Pennsylvania Infantry/13th Pennsylvania Reserves and the Pennsylvania communities of Roulette, Potter County and Smethport, McKean County. I am indebted to him for his research on the Robbins, Peck, and Jackson families, which he generously shared with me. He is also the author of From Home Guards to Heroes: The 87th Pennsylvania And Its Civil War Community (2006, University of Missouri Press; the Shades of Blue and Gray Series).

Pathway to Hell: A Tragedy of the Civil War has been recently published by Lehigh University Press and is available for pre-order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thank You for Serving Our Country

This is a repeated post, with some minor changes, of one I published a year ago. The words may be duplicated, but my gratitude is sincere. I can't say "thank you" enough to those who gave up so much so I could live not only in freedom, but in comfort.

3D Flags

Today is the 90th anniversary of the original Armistice (Veterans) Day--the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" here in the United States. I would like to say "thank you" to the veterans and active duty personnel in my life, who have guaranteed my freedoms and the freedoms of my family and millions of others:

First my family and the family of my husband:

• *My cousin Chuck, U.S. Army and U.S. Air National Guard, veteran
• *My cousin Matt, U.S. Air Force, active duty
• *My cousin Beth's husband, Bryan, U.S. Army, active duty
• *My children's paternal grandfather, Troy, U.S. Army, veteran
• *My children's granduncle Norm, U.S. Army, veteran
• *My children's granduncle Ray, U.S. Marine Corps, veteran
• *My children's cousin, David, U.S. Air Force, veteran
• *My children's cousin-in-law, Nathan, U.S. Air Force, veteran; and U.S. Air National Guard, active duty
• *My children's step-cousin, Laura, U.S. Army, veteran
• *My children's step-cousin-in-law, John, U.S. Army, active duty

Sadly, one name that was on last year's list of living veterans has since been removed: my grand-uncle Bill, U.S. Army Air Corps and U.S. Air Force, veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

My website contains a page with a list of military ancestors (and their brothers and sons) who have served from World War II back to the colonial wars. I also have a page with my children's paternal military ancestors and relatives, here. This past spring, I wrote a 43-post series on the Civil War veterans in my family, either direct ancestors of my children, or brothers of direct ancestors.

I live in Spokane, Washington which has a strong military history beginning with Ft. Spokane and Ft. George Wright (U.S. Army posts of the 1800's), continuing with Geiger Field and the Navy Depot Station in Spokane County and Farragut Naval Base in nearby North Idaho during World War II, and including Fairchild Air Force Base in the present. One cannot help but knowing active duty personnel and/or veterans in this area. I'd like to say "thank you" to the many friends and neighbors we have that are either currently serving or have served our country, including several of my children's teachers, and many of my colleagues at Spokane Public Schools. Thank you, too, to those military wives I work with, who teach all day, then go home to raise their families alone while their husbands are overseas.

And finally, although certainly not last in my thoughts, are some of my closest genea-blogging colleagues, who bring their military background and perspective to our community and to our research:

• *Family Matters and Moultrie Creek's Denise Olsen
• *GeneaBlogie's Craig Manson
• *Genealogy Reviews Online's Tim Agazio
• *Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi's Terry Thornton
• *kinnexions' Becky Wiseman

If I have forgotten anyone, I sincerely apologize (please send me a note if you notice anyone is missing).

Thank you!

"Voices of War" Series Ends

From time to time, I've linked to stories from the "Voices of War" series that my local newspaper, the Spokesman-Review has published both in print and online formats. They recently published an article announcing the end of the series. Originally, the editors had planned to do twelve articles--one a month--and figured they could find just enough material to publish stories for one year. Instead, they discovered there were so many World War II veterans and stories in the Inland Northwest that they could have published one a week for several years. The effort and time that went into interviewing, photographing, and writing up each story prevented them from doing so, however.

The twelve original stories can be found here, along with photographs and audio clips from the interviews. In addition, the reporters remind us that there are many veterans of other wars whose stories we need to capture. They list ideas of how to do good interviews and give online resources, including Footnote.com, to help with that process.

WWII Army Nurse Corps Veteran Tells Her Story

One of the things I enjoy about my local paper is that they have been featuring World War Two veterans over the past couple of years on a regular basis. Today's paper highlights a U.S. Army Nurse Corps captain who followed Patton onto the beaches of Normandy and through France and Germany. You can read 92-year-old May Alm's story here.

FamilySearch Update: New Records Added

FamilySearch added over 2 million new images or indexed records this week to its pilot Record Search databases this week. Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers who help bring these projects to the Web for public access. Patrons can search these databases for free online at FamilySearch.org or directly at http://pilot.familysearch.org.

Project Name: WWII Draft Reg. Cards
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 1,651,453
Type: Images
Comments: Updated - 1 new state (Ohio)

Project Name: 1930 Mexico Census
Indexed Records: 314,548
Digital Images: 104,849
Type: Index
Comments: Updated - 1 new state (Coahulia)

Project Name: West Virginia Vital Records (Marriages)
Indexed Records: 306,782
Digital Images: ---
Type: Index
Comments: Updated - 14 new counties

Project Name: Lima, Peru Civil Registration
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 134,664
Type: Waypt
Comments: Updated - User guidance added

Project Name: 1885 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 8,468
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

Project Name: 1935 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 36,019
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

Project Name: 1945 Florida State Census
Indexed Records: ---
Digital Images: 51,686
Type: Waypt
Comments: New collection

John William "Chet" VALK (1914 - 1944), Recipient of the Purple Heart

Source: John W. Valk Badge of Military Merit; owned by Miriam Robbins Midkiff, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Spokane, Washington, 2008.

Today is Purple Heart Day.

The official name of a Purple Heart is the Badge of Military Merit. According to Wikipedia, it "is considered to be the first official military combat badge of the United States Armed Forces. It is the second oldest United States military award in existence, the oldest being the Fidelity Medallion. The Badge of Military Merit was first announced in General George Washington's general orders to the Continental Army issued on 7 August 1782 at the Headquarters in Newburgh. Designed by Washington in the form of a purple heart, it was intended as a military order for soldiers who displayed unusual gallantry in battle, or extraordinary fidelity and essential service."

Currently, "the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died after being wounded." [Wikipedia]

Here in the State of Washington, living Purple Heart recipients can obtain specialized license plates with an image of the award decorating the plates. This may be possible in other states as well.

---

The story of the Purple Heart recipient in my family begins on a cold winter day in the City of Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan on 7 February 1914. Agnes (TUINSTRA) VALK had just given birth to her fourth son and child within four years. What Agnes and her husband, William James VALK, decided to name this son is open to speculation. According to their third son--and my maternal grandfather--William "Bill" VALK, his younger brother was supposed to have been named William Thomas VALK. I think my grandfather was mistaken...why would you have two sons named William? I think my great-grandparents meant to name the boy Thomas William VALK. This makes sense because Thomas was the name of a younger brother of William Sr., who had died young, and was another translation--in addition to James--of the Frisian name Tjamme, William Sr.'s father's name. Having William as a middle name (as so many of these sons did) was a leftover Dutch tradition, where one's middle name was a patronym ("Willems").

Somehow, either "William Thomas" or "Thomas William" didn't go over, and the parents decided upon John Chester VALK, and nicknamed him "Chet." Whatever happened, Chet was registered on his offical birth record as "John William VALK"--by the doctor, according to my grandfather--and no one was the wiser until nearly 30 years later.

Chet's birth was followed by two more sons and a set of twins, one of whom was stillborn. By now, the United States was in the midst of World War I. Soon after, the Spanish Influenza Pandemic hit. I've written before about how Agnes was institutionalized after succumbing to the effects of influenza or perhaps encephalitis lethargica. When she died shortly before her 36th birthday, William Sr. was left with six sons and daughter, all under the age of 12. These children were farmed out to relatives and the city orphanage. Chet was one who lived at Blodgett Home for Children during the 1920 Census. After William Sr. married Iva Eva (LAMBRECHT) SCHADLER, a widow with a 10-year-old son, the family was reunited, and eight more children--five of whom survived infancy--were added to the household.

Chet attended Walker Township schools and grew up playing on the streets of what is now west Grand Rapids. In 1937, his 24-year-old brother Bill (my grandfather) married 17-year-old German immigrant Elfriede "Freda" LOMKER in South Bend, Indiana, a "Gretna Green" marriage location. A year an a half later, a son, James Frederick VALK, was born. Besides the obvious age difference between the couple, the marriage appeared to be doomed from the start. One morning, Bill left a dollar bill on the table with a note, and simply walked out. Freda and little Jimmy moved into her parents' home. This was Efriede's version, according to the 1941 court records of their divorce. According to my grandmother (Bill's second wife), Elfriede "ran off with Chet" (before the divorce? soon after?). However, I must remember that my grandmother heard Bill's version, and he may have been justifying his actions. Those who know the whole truth are long gone.

Source: Valk, James Frederick and Elfriede (Lomker). Photograph. C. 1941. Original in the possession of Robert Upton [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Queen Creek, Arizona. 2008.

Whatever happened, Chet and Elfriede did fall in love and marry. She called him "Johnny" and he called her "Freda." Chet looked upon little Jimmy as his own, and was obviously devoted to both his own family and his in-laws. He had served in the regular U.S. Army from 1936 through 1939 and was recalled in February 1941. It was during his enlistment that the discovery was made that his legal name, according to his birth record, was John William VALK. According to my grandfather, Chet served with the 101st Airborne, but I am not sure as to the accuracy of that statement.

Source: Valk, John William "Johnny" (Fort Benning, Georgia) to "Dear Margaret" [possibly Margaret Lomker]. Letter. Undated. Privately held by Robert Upton [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Queen Creek, Arizona. 2008.
(click on any thumbnail to enlarge)

From Fort Benning, Georgia, in this undated letter, Chet writes to a friend, or perhaps his sister-in-law, Margaret:

Dear Margaret,

I received your card and letter both this morning and was glad to hear from you. After reading the card I thought I'd better not wait so long this time. That sure was a good thrashing you gave me. I had it coming I guess.

It is still hotter than blazes down here and not much breeze. The little breeze we do get sure feels good. We are all feeling fine inspite [sic] of the weather.

Freda has gone back up to Rockford [Michigan, near Grand Rapids] to dispose of some [of] the things we are not taking with us. We have all ready [sic] sold the house and got our down payment back out of it. She expects to be gone only a week then she's driving down in the car with Jimmy.

Gee, I really miss that kid something awful. I wonder if he'll still remember me after those long months. Bet he'll like our new house as there will be plenty of open space to play in.

Just before Freda left we went out to look how they were coming on the house and they hadn't hardly did anything to it except installing the plumbing and electrical fixtures. I can hardly wait to move in.

I think you should give Freda a calling down. I've been trying to get her to write for ages but she doesn't seem to find time. It's touch that Cliff is gone and wish him the best of everything wherever he goes and a hasty arrival back home. I think of you two a lot and sure miss seeing you every so often. Maybe after this war is over we'll be able to pay you a visit. Freda has already told me she'd like to move to Califonria, and you know Freda when she wants something. Well Margie I guess I'll close as there really isn't much news any way. So goodbye for now. We'll try to be more prompt hereafter.

Love
Johnny.

Source: Valk, John William "Johnny" (unknown location in Europe) to "Dear Folks" [Fred and Anna (Kirchdyke) Lomker]. Letter. 9 December 1944. Privately held by Robert Upton [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Queen Creek, Arizona. 2008.
(click on any thumbnail to enlarge)

Chet was sent overseas to serve. On Saturday, 9 December 1944, he wrote from Europe to Freda's parents, Fred LOMKER, Sr. and Anna KIRCHDYKE, who were probably living in Grand Rapids:

Saturday, Dec. 9th.

Dear Folks,

Just a few lines to say hell-o. I know you'll be surprised to hear from me as I haven't written before. I have been thinking of you though, often. How are all of you, anyway. I'm fine and hope this letter find you all in the best of health. I hear from Freda quite often but she seldom mentions you. Just finished writing Freda a few moments ago. I'd like it very much if she'd go home. I'm afraid she's working too hard. She says she [is] going home any day now. Just hope she makes it there before Christmas. It would be nice if she were home for Christmas. I sure would like to be there too. this is really a bad mess over here and I for one will be glad when it's over with.

[Censored] It was impossible [censored] Christmas, over here for [censored] anything. Hoping she gets home for Christmas [censored] this [censored] doesn't [illegible] if you can always [censored].

I received a letter from Margaret awhile back and it sure was nice hearing from her. I hear from home often too and naturally they generally write a few lines about you all. So I do hear about you occasionally. Dad Valk mentioned pa in his last letter saying you was over a short while ago.

The weather over here has been miserable but through it all we manage somehow. We have every thing we need, plenty of blankets, clothes, east, cigarettes and so forth. That's why I never ask Freda to send me anything. About the only thing I miss more than anything is my beer. Of course, I miss Freda and Jimmy the most.

Well, folks, I still have a few more letters to write besides this one so will close for now. Hoping you all the best. Give my regards to Fred [Jr.] and the kids. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours Truly,
Johnny

Johnny never saw the New Year, 1945. He was reported missing in Luxembourg on December 31st, and it was later determined he was killed in action on that date, another cold winter day like the one on which he had been born. At birth, he was welcomed by his loving parents and three older brothers. At death, he was surrounded by his Band of Brothers, some of whom may have joined him in crossing over.

Many years later, my grandfather later told me that he had heard his brother had been killed near Foy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, and that he may have been parachuting into the area at the time. His obituary was published nearly three months later in the Grand Rapids Press.

Source: Walsh, Roland, Brigadier General, USA, Commanding (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) to "Mrs. Elfriede Valk" [Elfriede (Lomker) Valk]. Letter. Undated. Privately held by Robert Upton [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Queen Creek, Arizona. 2008.

Let us remember on Purple Heart Day the sacrifices that our military men and women have made to preserve our freedoms.

Freda later moved to Louisiana and became the second female certified public accountant in that state. She married another war veteran, and had two more children, but according to her son, she was very sad about many things in her life. I suspect Chet's death affected her greatly. In addition, little Jimmy had to be institutionalized because he was--or became--disabled. He lived in the state institution at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and died at the age of 19. This must have been very grievous to bear. At that time in society, there was no physical, financial, medical or emotional support for families with disabled children, leaving them little choice but the anguish of basically abandoning them to the mercy of the state. Freda herself passed away in 1983 after a battle with melanoma.

It is through the great generosity of Freda's children that the Badge of Military Merit awarded to John William "Chet" VALK, as well as copies of his letters and the above photograph, have been returned to and shared with the descendants of the Valk family. We are exceedingly grateful.

Freebies and Special Offers

I sent out the following letter to my former Online Genealogy Class students, and thought I'd share these great freebies and special offers with my blog readers as well:

"I'm sorry I'm a little late with this news, but these offers apply through the end of the month, not just Memorial Day weekend. First of all Ancestry.com:

To commemorate the NARA-Ancestry.com agreement on the eve of Memorial Day, Ancestry.com is making its entire U.S. Military Collection -- the largest online collection of American military records -- available for free to the public. From May 20 through May 31, people can log on to http://www.ancestry.com/military to view more than 100 million names and 700 titles and databases of military records, the majority of which come from NARA, from all 50 U.S. states.

Ancestry is also offering a free download in .pdf format of the 79-page book Military Collections at Ancestry.com by Esther Yu Sumner. Not only does it discuss the various collections found on the website, but it gives a short, detailed history of each war or conflict in chronological order. Even if you don't have an Ancestry subscription, this book is well worth reading. Click here to download.
---------------------------------------

"Also, Footnote has a deal:

Lindon, UT May 22, 2008 - In commemoration of Memorial Day, Footnote.com today announced their entire collection of military photos will be made permanently free on the site. The collection features over 80,000 photos from WWII and Vietnam making it the largest collection of its kind on the web.

Through their partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Footnote.com has digitized and indexed the photos, which include images of downed aircraft, aerial photos of bombings, fighter groups and combat photos. What makes the photos unique are the short captions included with the photos, which provide interesting details about the events and people featured. To view these photos click here.

The announcement follows closely behind Footnote.com's recent release of an interactive version of the Vietnam War Memorial. The online memorial is one of the largest images on the web and features a full-size photo of the memorial in Washington, DC. Visitors to the interactive memorial can search for names of fallen veterans, connect with other people, and create tributes by adding their own photos and stories to the site. To view the Vietnam War Memorial, go to www.footnote.com/thewall/.

"Footnote has also added--or is starting to add--the following databases to its subscription area:

"City Directories for: Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. They have also added the 1860 Federal Census. "So what?" you say. "A lot of subscription websites have the 1860 Federal Census." This is different. This one is interactive. In other words, let's say you find your 3rd-great-grandfather on the 1860 census. You can leave an annotation on his record, and maybe another descendant of his will come along and find it when they search for his name. Voila! You've connected with another cousin and can exchange research! This is in the subscription area, only.

"Also, I saw some news that they are going to start adding the Civil War Pension Files (they already have the index cards online). You know, those records that cost $75 a piece to order from the National Archives? Isn't this exciting?

"Don't have a subscription to Footnote, yet? You can 1) go to your local Family History Center and use their free subscription, or 2) Footnote is offering a 20% discount to their annual subscription through affiliates (like myself) only. To take advantage of this offer, click on this link.

------------------------------------------------

"FamilySearchLabs (the LDS Church) has added a number of images and indexes to its Record search area. You no longer have to go through the (free) registration process to access this information, and can start immediately with your search. Please be aware that this is a Lab (Beta) site, so some databases are incomplete (they're still adding to them), some may be inaccessible temporarily, and some may not have complete images (I noticed this with the Michigan birth and death records...some have only the first page of a two-page record set. I e-mailed them and they replied saying they are still working on getting the second pages to load up). Here are the current databases they offer:

Censuses:

* 1850 U.S. Federal Census (population schedule), Mortality Schedule, and Slave Schedule
* 1855 Massachusetts State Census
* 1855 Wisconsin State Census
* 1860 U.S. Federal Census (population schedule)
* 1865 Massachusetts State Census
* 1870 Federal Census (population schedule)
* 1875 Wisconsin State Census
* 1880 U.S. Federal Census
* 1885 Wisconsin State Census
* 1895 Argentina National Census
* 1895 Wisconsin State Census
* 1900 U.S. Federal Census (population schedule)
* 1905 Wisconsin State Census
* 1930 Mexico National Census

Court Records:

* Maryland, Cecil County Probate Estate Files, 1851 - 1940
* England, Cheshire, Register of Electors 1842 - 1900
* Freedman Bank Records, 1865 - 1874

Land and Property:

* Vermont Land Records, Early to 1900

Migration:

* New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892 - 1924

Military:

* Civil War Pension Index Cards
* United States, WWII Draft Registration Cards, 1942

Vital Records:

* Cheshire, Church of England Burial Records, 1538 - 1907
* Cheshire, Church of England Christening Records, 1538 - 1907
* Cheshire, Church of England Marriage Records, 1538 - 1907
* Czech Republic, Litomerice Regional Archive Church Books, 1552 - 1905
* England, Diocese of Durham Bishops' Transcripts, c. 1700 - 1900
* France, Coutances Catholic Diocese, 1802 - 1907
* Freedman's Bureau, Virginia Marriages, c. 1815 - 1866
* Georgia Deaths, 1914 - 1947
* Germany Baptisms, 1700 - 1900
* Germany, Brandenburg and Posen, Civil Transcripts of Parish Registers, 1800 - 1875
* Germany Marriages, 1700 - 1900
* Illinois, Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Parish Records, 1729 - 1756
* Mexico Baptisms, 1700 - 1900
* Mexico Marriages, 1700 - 1900
* Michigan Births, 1867 - 1902
* Michigan Deaths, 1867 - 1897
* Michigan Marriages, 1867 - 1925
* Norway Baptisms, 1700 - 1900
* Norway Burials, 1700 - 1900
* Norway Marriages, 1700 - 1900
* Ohio Deaths, 1908 - 1953
* Ontario (Canada) Deaths, 1869 - 1947
* Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803 - 1915
* Spain, Albacete Diocese, Catholic Parish Records, 1550 - 1930
* Texas Death Index, 1964 - 1998
* Texas Deaths, 1890 - 1976
* United States Social Security Death Index (records start about 1965)
* Utah Death Certificates, 1904 - 1956
* Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1908 - 1949
* Virginia, Fluvanna County Colbert Funeral Home Records, 1929 - 1976
* Washington (State) Death Certificates, 1907 - 1960
* West Virginia Births, 1853 - 1930
* West Virginia Deaths, 1853 - 1970
* West Virginia Marriages, 1853 - 1970"

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. William R. KIMBALL (1837 - 1924)

How Related: Brother of my 3rd-great-grandfather, Benjamin Henry KIMBALL

Born: 8 April 1837 in Bedford, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio

Parents: William KIMBALL (c. 1806 - 1879) and Amanda WESTBROOK (1816 - c. 1882)

Siblings: William was second of eleven children and one of three brothers who served in the Union Army:

• John E. (1835 - 1910)
• Fanny C. (c. 1838 - bef. 1853)
• George Washington (1841 - 1918)
• Mary Jane (c. 1844 - 1925)
• Benjamin Henry (1845 - 1924) - my ancestor
• David P. (c. 1848 - 1903)
• Fanny Charlotte (b. c. 1853)
• Ella A. (b. c. 1858)
• Lydia P. (b. c. 1862)
• Lucinda May (b. c. 1866)

Married: Sarah Isabel HATHLEY (1839 - 1919) on 14 September 1856 in Newaygo Village, Brooks Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan

Children:

• Martha Amanda (1857 - 1875)
• Edward (dates unknown)
• Ida Jane (b. 1859)
• Alice M. (b. 1862)
• Ruey (b. 1865)
• Sarah L. (b. 1869)
• Jesse Malvina (b. 1871)
• Edwin "Eddie" (b. c. 1878)
  

---

Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of William Kimbell. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Drafted: 20 September 1864 at Newaygo Co., Michigan into Co. A, 13th Michigan Infantry; private

Side served: Union

Discharged: 8 June 1865 in Washington, D. C.

---

Biography or Information of Interest: From Portrait and Biographical Album of Newaygo County, Michigan, pp. 259 - 269:

William Kimbell, Sheriff of Newaygo County, resident at Newaygo, was born in Bedford, Cuyahoga Co., O., April 8. 1837. He is a son of William and Amanda (Westbrook) Kimbell, and was reared on a farm, obtaining his education at winter terms of school. From the age of 15 years he was variously engaged until he settled in Newaygo in 1853. In 1843 his parents transferred their family to Kalamazoo Co., Mich., where his father was a farmer. On coming to Newaygo, Mr. Kimbell interested himself in the pursuit which in some of its varied branches was that of nearly all men in active life in this portion of Michigan, namely, lumbering. Soon afterward he began taking contracts, engaging first with the Newaygo Lumber Company and successively with Kelly, Wood & Co., of Chicago, and Lyman T. Kinney of Grand Rapids. He commonly employed a working force of about 50 men.

In 1864 Mr. Kimbell was drafted and assigned to Co. A, 13th Reg't. Mich. Vol. Inf. He served nine months and participated in the battle of Bentonville, besides doing duty in a number of skirmishes. On receiving his discharge he returned to Newaygo and resumed lumbering. He continued his operations in that pursuit until February, 1881, when he rented the White Cloud House at White Cloud. The hotel was under his management until December, 1881, when he was elected to his present official position and transferred his residence to Newaygo.

Mr. Kimbell was married in Newaygo, Sept. 3, 1856, to Sarah B., daughter of John and Matilda Hathley, a native of Canada, born April 12, 1839. Of eight children born to them six are living: Ida J., Alice M., Ruey, Sarah, Jessie and Eddie. Martha A., eldest daughter, and Edward are deceased.

Mr. Kimbell came to Newaygo in its pioneer days and has been a witness to its varied steps of progress. Two or three shanties constituted its municipality and the adjacent woods were the delight of hunters and trappers. Mr. Kimbell was one to whom the abundance of wild game was a great source of satisfaction, and his exploits as one of the Nimrods of this reason are full of interest. Deer and bears abounded, and one of Mr. K's accounts records the slaughter, on one occasion, of four of the latter in the evening after supper!

Died: 1 December 1924 in Ladysmith, Iowa

Buried: Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Dayton Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan

A Civil War Soldier: Pvt. Benjamin Henry KIMBALL (1845 - 1924)

How Related: My 3rd-great-grandfather

Born: March 1845 in Michigan, probably in Pavilion Township, Kalamazoo County

Parents: William KIMBALL (c. 1806 - 1879) and Amanda WESTBROOK (1816 - c. 1882)

Siblings: Benjamin was sixth of eleven children and one of three brothers who served in the Union Army:

• John E. (1835 - 1910)
• William R. (1837 - 1924)
• Fanny C. (c. 1838 - bef. 1853)
• George Washington (1841 - 1918)
• Mary Jane (c. 1844 - 1925)
• David P. (c. 1848 - 1903)
  
• Fanny Charlotte (b. c. 1853)
• Ella A. (b. c. 1858)
• Lydia P. (b. c. 1862)
• Lucinda May (b. c. 1866)

Married: first, my ancestor, Lucy May DICKINSON (c. 1842 - 1873) on 5 September 1863 in Newaygo Co., Michigan. Second, Lydia L. (DAVID) DORWIN (1835 - 1906) on 3 July 1873 in Newaygo Co., Michigan

Children: With Lucy, Benjamin had four children: William Arthur (b. c. 1866), George Ezra (b. 1868), Leota Nellie (b. 1870), and my ancestor, Mary May KIMBALL (1873 - 1950). Benjamin did not have any known children with Lydia, but she had three children in their teens from her first husband at the time of her marriage to him, and he may have been responsible for their support until they married or became independent adults: Loarie (b. c. 1856; a daughter), Ernest W. (b. c. 1857), and Mary Jane DORWIN (b. 1859).

---

Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of Benjamin H. Kimball. National Archives and Records Administration. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line at http://www.ancestry.com]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288.

Source: Civil War Pension Index Card of Benjamin H. Kimball. Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. National Archives and Records Administration. Publication T289. Digital image purchased at Footnote [http://www.footnote.com/].

Enlisted: 29 March 1864 at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan in Co. D, 27th Michigan Infantry; private

Side served: Union

Mustered out: 26 July 1865 at Delaney House, Washington, D. C.

---

Biography or Information of Interest:

Henry and David Kimball and Orson David
By A.L. Spooner

In the spring of 1864, 3 young men from Fremont [Newaygo Co., Michigan] went to Grand Rapids [Kent Co., Michigan] to look for employment. They were Henry and David Kimball and Orson David. Not finding work, they decided to enlist in the army. In a few days they were sent to St. Johns [Clinton Co., Michigan] for training and then were assigned to Company D, 27th Regiment Michigan Volunteer Infantry.

The 27th Regiment took part in several of the hardest fought battles of the Civil War beginning with Vicksburg and ended with the capture of Petersburg, Virginia, April 3, 1865.

It has often been said that there were more casualties in the Civil War than the combined casualties of all the wars since. Some idea of the losses sustained by the 27th Regiment hen be gained from the following letter written by Orson David dated at Petersburg, Virgina, August 8, 1864 and addressed to: "Dear Brother and Sister," which reads as follows:

"I received your letter this morning and was glad to hear from you. We had a big fight here on the 30th of last month (Battle of the Crater) but did not accomplish much. My company went into the charge with 34 men and when we came outt, we had 14 left. We lost a great many officers. The ground is black with knapsacks and guns. The talk now is that the whole regiment is coming to Michigan this fad because there are only 84 men in the regiment fit for duty out of 6 companies that came out with me. When our regiment started out last spring, there were 1,180 men and now we have got only 84. I have not got much to write this time, only if there were ever a fellow that wanted to see home and friends, it is myself."

Source: David, Orson Otis. Photograph. C. 1864 or earlier. Original photograph in the possession of Archives of Michigan Digital Collection [http://haldigitalcollections.cdmhost.com/]. 2008.

Orson David never made it home. He was captured at the Battle of Weldon Railroad and confined to Andersonville Prison and later transferred to Wilmington Prison at Wilmington, North Carolina.

General Sherman reached Wilmington with its fort and prison in January, 1865. The records of the 27th Regiment show that Orson died March 3, 1865 and is buried in the National Cemetery at Wilmington.

After the war, Benjamin married my ancestor, Lucy May DICKINSON. She was the daughter and sister of Civil War soldiers Ezra, Philip Reuben and Wallace William DICKINSON. Together they had four children. At or shortly after the birth of their youngest child, Mary, Lucy died. Mary was raised by Lucy's sister and brother-in-law, Mary (DICKINSON) and Philip WEAVER. Within four months, Benjamin married Lydia L. (DAVID) DORWIN, widow of Amos DORWIN, and mother of three teens. Lydia was the sister of Benjamin's friend, Orson. Another David sibling, Able Artemus DAVID, married Benjamin's sister, Mary Jane KIMBALL. It was only natural that with the Kimball and David families so entwined that Benjamin would marry Lydia, both needing each other for economic support and the raising of young children.

Benjamin was one of two great-grandfathers of my paternal grandfather, Robert Lewis ROBBINS, who had served during the Civil War and were alive during his childhood. Although my grandfather met one of these great-grandfathers (Charles H. ROBBINS) and even attended Grand Army of the Republic reunions with him, he never remembers meeting Benjamin.

Died: 28 January 1924 in Alba, Antrim Co., Michigan (see the story of how I found his death location after many years of searching, here)

Source: Tombstone of Benjamin H. and Lydia L. Kimbell, Plot M-02-02A-026-02-1, Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Michigan. Photograph taken at the request of Miriam Robbins Midkiff by Find A Grave volunteer Jason Felton. Digital copy in the possession of Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Spokane, Washington. 2008.

Buried: Maple Grove Cemetery, Fremont, Dayton Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan. Lydia shares his monumental tombstone, which is marked "KIMBELL." Another alternate spelling is "Kimble."