"Great" David Bellinger

 The prompt for this week is "Great." I chose to write about my Great, Great, Great Grandfather David Bellinger. 

David Bellinger was the grandfather of Mildred Bellinger Strand. When she was 16 or 17 she interviewed him and asked him about the Bellinger family. Notes from that interview, and records found online helped me write up this entry.

David Bellinger was born August 31, 1840 near Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Oliver Bellinger and Margaret "Elmira" Jones. When David was just 2 years old his father was given land by the government in Michigan. Oliver, Elmira and David and his baby sister Clarissa walked from Ohio to Michigan. When they arrived Oliver found the land swampy and marshy and not suitable for farming. Oliver traded it to another man for an overcoat. That land is now part of South Division Street in Grand Rapids. Oliver moved south and took some land on the Kalamazoo River, north of Allegan. After settling there, 4 more children were born.

David went to school in Allegan where he sat on wooden benches and wrote on slates with slate pencils. David knew of his aunts and uncles in Ohio but was never acquainted with any of them. After school, he started farming.

On August 11, 1862 David enrolled to fight for the Union Army in the Civil War. He was in Company B, 19th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Rank was Private. On March 5, 1863 he was wounded at the Battle of Thompson's Station in Tennessee. He was wounded in his left hip, knee, and hand. He was also taken prisoner the same day. He was held for 5 days and then returned to the Union side in a prisoner exchange. It took him 6 months to recuperate from his injuries. After recuperating he rejoined his unit. His unit joined up under the leadership of General William T. Sherman and marched through Georgia. David participated in the siege of Atlanta, and then marched on to Savannah and Charleston. The unit eventually marched on to Washington, D.C. were he was mustered out on June 10, 1865. 

After making his way back home to Michigan, David married Loretta Foster on August 10, 1865. David was Loretta's second husband. Her first husband had also served in the Civil War. He had been taken prisoner and held at Andersonville. Andersonville had the reputation as the worst prison. Severely overcrowded with very little food or medical supplies for the prisoners. Her husband died after being there 3 months.

David and Loretta had 6 children. Charles Bellinger, father of Mildred, was the second child born, and the first son. Charles remembered growing up in a log cabin and sleeping on the second floor with his brother. In the winter, snow would drift in through the logs. 

In the 1870 Census David's occupation is listed as Laborer. His personal worth was $300 and a real estate worth of $600. In 1880 David's occupation is now Farmer. He's in the 1890 Veteran's census. He collected $30 a month for being a Union Veteran. His occupation is listed as farmer in the 1900, 1910 census records. In 1900 he owned his own home, but it was mortgaged. By 1910 he owned it free and clear.

In the winter of 1911 David and Loretta both contracted pneumonia. Only David survived. David went on to live another 10 years, passing away on October 26, 1921. Cause of death was listed as organic heart failure and the infirmities of old age. Before he died, though, he had lived long enough to see his great grandchildren. He held Howard Strand, Mildred and Carl's oldest son, when Howard was 6 weeks old. There was also a picture taken of David, Charles, Ray (Charles' son) and Ray's oldest son, Elwin. 

David attended every Memorial Day celebration in Allegan, and never forgot his service to his country. He was "great" in many ways.