Off to Work: Mildred Strand

This week's prompt is "Off to work." Besides farming, the other profession that keeps repeating itself in our family is teaching. We have had a great many teachers over the years. Granted, women did not have many opportunities for other careers back in the day, but it is interesting how many women in our family have taught over the years. Carl Strand's mother, Mary Pulsipher, taught school before marrying William Strandt. Mary even taught school again in her later years. She attended Western Michigan College in the 1940's to add to her teaching credentials. Her daughter and Carl's older sister, Eva, also taught school. Eva's daughter, Ruth, grew up to be a schoolteacher in Florida.

June 1941

On the Henrickson side, George Henrickson's aunt, Sarah Lena Fahna, taught school in Sweden. She taught until she retired. 

Mildred Strand also came from a line of teachers. Her mother, Elnora Truman, taught in a one room school before marrying Charles Bellinger. 

After graduating from high school, Mildred earned a diploma from a Normal School and was allowed to teach. Normal schools were educational institutions dedicated to training teachers. Mildred attended one for one year and was then credentialed to teach school in the state of Michigan. 

It states that Mildred V. Bellingar has successfully completed the prescribed course of study and completed practice teaching at Allegan County Normal School. Dated June 12, 1919.

Mildred taught for one year before marrying Carl Strand on July 9, 1920. While Mildred gave up teaching to become a wife and mother, she never stopped learning. She read voraciously and loved to study and learn new things. Several of Mildred's grandchildren and great grandchildren work in education today. 

I haven't been able to locate where Mildred taught yet. I'm still working on that. Mildred's high school diploma has also been found. Here's a copy of that.

It says that Mildred Bellingar has completed the scientific course of study and is declared a graduate of the High School. Dated May 30, 1918.

Many thanks to Mildred's son, Fred, who recently found these diplomas. They are the only records at the moment of Mildred graduating high school and Normal school. I'm very thankful they were saved and shared.

Questions, comments, more info to add? Leave them down below in the comments or email me. 

Oldest Story: The Bellinger family

 This week's prompt is "oldest story." The oldest story I could think of was of the history of the Bellinger family in America. Mildred Bellinger Strand wrote down her family history. She wrote of how when she was 16, she asked her grandfather, David Bellinger, about his family and the Bellingers. She wrote down what he told her. Mainly, that the original Bellinger came to America around the time of the American Revolution and was one of three brothers. They all separated and never saw each other again. She also listed David's father and mother and his aunts and uncles. I used this information when I started building my family tree. Mildred was very accurate with names and places. My research seems to indicate that the first Bellinger came over in the early 1700's. The family was part of the Palatine Germans invited to the American colonies by Queen Anne. There were Bellinger brothers and fathers and sons. The Bellinger name is all over the Hudson and Mohawk Valley area.

Our particular Bellinger is Oliver. Mildred did a great job in listing Oliver's brothers and sisters. She wrote that while Oliver moved his family to Michigan, the rest of his family stayed in Ohio. This is only partially true.

While I was filling out the Bellinger branch of the tree, I noted how Oliver Bellinger had married Margaret "Almyra" Jones in Cuyahoga, Ohio. The Bellingers had moved there from New York. The Jones family had moved there from New York, and before that had lived in Massachusetts. Oliver then moved his family to Michigan and ended up in Allegan. After filling out Oliver's branch of the Bellinger tree I decided to see what happened to his brothers and sisters. This is where the story gets interesting.

I started with Oliver's older sister, Parmelia. She married a man named William Jones in Ohio, and then moved to Michigan also. Next, his older brother Adam married a Lydia Jones in Ohio. They, too, moved to Michigan. Then, his sister Laura married Jefferson Jones in Ohio. They, too, came to Michigan. I began to see a pattern.

First, yes, Oliver had other brothers and sisters come to Michigan. That wasn't a surprise. What really surprised me was the recurrance of the last name "Jones." Jones is a popular name, but what are the odds that 4 brothers and sisters would all marry people with the last name of "Jones"? I did some more research and it turns out that William, Lydia, Jefferson and Almyria were all brothers and sisters too. 4 brothers and sisters of one family married 4 brothers and sisters of another family. Cuyahoga, Ohio must've been one small area in the 1820's and 1830's. :)

I looked into the Jones family and the parents were William Jones and Chloe Sprague. Both parents came from Massachusetts and go back pretty far. At least to the early 1700's. In the Plymouth, Mass area. The Sprague line goes back to Ireland. I haven't researched the Jones line all the way back yet, but I would expect it to go back to England. This family definitely needs some further research. They must've been close neighbors or friends. Especially for 4 siblings from each family to marry each other. Unfortunately records from Cuyahoga in the 1830's are hard to come by.

There is one further twist to this story. While filling in the information for the children of these unions, all first cousins to our David Bellinger, I found something interesting, and weird. Parmelia and William had a daughter named Adline. When she was a widow at the age of 63 she remarried. She married a man named Philip Bellinger. THAT'S interesting I thought. She happened to meet a man with the same last name as her mother's family. Well, turns out Philip Bellinger was the son of Adam Bellinger and his wife Lydia Jones. Philip and Adline were double first cousins. All 4 of their parents were brothers and sisters. Genetically, they were about as close as half siblings. Adline was 63 and Philip was 66. This was in 1903, Mount Pleasant, Michigan. When the marriage application was filled out, Philip's parents were correctly listed. Adline's mother was listed as "unknown" and her father was listed as William Sprague, instead of William Jones. "Sprague" was her grandmother's maternal name. It looks like they were trying to hide their relationship. Maybe not. I would definitely love to have more information on this relationship. They both had children from their first marriages. I haven't researched them. I guess the Bellingers are just like the royal families of Europe. :)

Marriage application of Philip Bellinger and Adline Jones Hicks.

March Notables

 March has been a month filled with lots of activities. Lets get down to birthdays, anniversaries, and deaths in the month of March.

Birthdays:

March 2:

 1840, Joseph Bellegraph, my 3x great grandfather on my paternal side, born in Pomerania, Poland.

1873, Elnora Truman, my maternal 2x great grandmother. Born in Michigan.

March 10:

1883. Selma Anderson, my maternal great grandaunt. Born in Michigan.

1901. Carl Strand, my maternal great grandfather. Born in Michigan.

1921. Victor Henrickson, my maternal granduncle. Born in Michigan.

 Ilene Henrickson, my mother. Born in Michigan.

March 14:

 Paul Henrickson, my maternal uncle. Born in Michigan.

March 19:

1913. Catherine Ashley, my paternal grandaunt. Born in Michigan.

March 22:

1916. Carl Thompson, my paternal granduncle. Born in Michigan.

March 23:

1856. Eva Brownell, my maternal 3x great grandmother. Born in Michigan.

March 24:

1912. L. F. Thompson, my paternal grandfather. Born in Michigan.

March 27:

1834. Carl F. T. Strandt, my maternal 3x great grandfather. Born in Mecklinberg, Prussia, Germany.

1873. Charles Bellinger, my maternal 2x great grandfather. Born in Michigan.

March 28:

1862. Joannes "John" Knach Conors, my paternal 3x great grandfather. Born in Pomerania. Poland.

March 31:

1916. Esther M. Henrickson, my maternal grandaunt. Born in Michigan.

Anniversaries:

March 26, 1874. Albert Pulsipher and Eva Brownell.

Deaths:

March 9:

1965, Sidney Henrickson. Maternal granduncle.

March 12:

1989, Eulalia Henrickson. Maternal grandaunt.

March 21:

1951, Evald Henrickson. Maternal granduncle.

March 10 definitely stands out with 4 birthdays on it. Out of the 31 days of March, there are birthdays, anniversaries and deaths on 14 of them. 

Did I miss anyone? Let me know.

Carl Strand, upper left. Born on March 10, 1901.

Surprising

 This week the prompt is "surprising." There have been several surprises I've found out while researching my family history. Here are a few surprises that I've discovered.

• 7th great grandfather David Pulsipher fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill. First, I hadn't really thought about any of my ancestors fighting in the American Revolution. I thought almost all had come over after 1776. I was surprised when I found out that David and his son, John, had fought at Bunker Hill, one of the most infamous battles at the start of the war. 
• Another surprising thing about the Pulsipher line is that the Pulsiphers who stayed in Ohio were quite active in the abolitionist movement in Ohio prior to the start of the Civil War. A Pulsipher cousin who stayed in Ohio even served with a son of John Brown in the Civil War.
• Another surprise, once again through the Pulsipher line, is that we are connected to the Mayflower. David Pulsipher's son, Ebeneezer, my 6th great grandfather, married Unity Reed. Unity goes back to Isabell Chilton on her father's side. Isabell came to America on the second ship after the Mayflower's arrival. Isabell's father was James Chilton. James and his wife arrived on the Mayflower. James is known as being the first passenger who died after arriving in America. Sometime in the future when I have time and money, I'd like to properly research this and obtain membership in the Mayflower Society. 
• Finding out that the Bellingers were originally from Germany was surprising. I'd always thought that Mildred Strand was English and Scottish and Irish. She was, but she was also German too. Finding out that Mildred and Carl could both speak German was surprising.
• On the Henrickson side, finding out that 2x great grandmother Ingrid Fahna had had a child out of wedlock was a great surprise. In actuality she had two children out of wedlock. I'd already discovered that she and her future husband Johan had a child before getting married. What was a true surprise was finding out that she had a child out of wedlock in her early 20's. Long before Johan. She was counseled by the Church on the wrongness of her act. I guess she forgot later. The child died around 3 months old. The child she had out of wedlock with Johan died around 1 year old. I wonder how the deaths of her first two children affected her relationship with George and Amanda. If any? 
• One more surprise involving the Swedish relatives was finding out that Carl Anderson, Malvina's father, was born to parents who were not legally wed. Again, Carl and his sister were born out of wedlock to their parents. In Carl's case though, the Church seemed to make an exception and welcomed his mother back with the same rights afforded a married woman. His parents, even though not legally wed, seemed to be accepted by everyone as a couple. They definitely need some more researching and looking into. 
• As a longtime fan of "Gone with the Wind" book and movie, the burning of Atlanta scene always fascinated me. I wondered how it must've felt to the citizens in General Sherman's path, and I wondered how it affected the soldiers marching. So, finding out that 3x great grandfather David Bellinger not only served in the Civil War, but marched with Sherman through Georgia and on to Charleston and Washington, D.C. was a big surprise.

Those are a few of the surprises I've come across in the past few years while researching. Every time I think I know someone, or I've searched a line as far as I can and I've found everything out, something new pops up. Regarding the Bellinger line, there seems to be a line that went with John Smith and Bringham Young to Utah and were Mormon pioneers. That's definitely a surprise! What are some of the surprising things you've learned and discovered? Leave a comment down below or email me. 

Challenge

 This week the prompt is "challenge" so I am keeping up with my own challenge of recording the births, deaths, and marriages of each month. February is the shortest month and as a result I didn't find that many results for February.

Births in February include:

Marvin Henrickson, born on Feb. 11, 1944.

2x great grandfather William Strandt, born on Feb. 15, 1876. (Chicago, Illinois)

Gary Thompson, born on Feb. 20, 1949.

3x Great grandmother Wilhelmina Gley Strandt was born on Feb. 21, 1841, Prussia (Germany)

Paternal 2x great grandmother Mary Bellegraph born on Feb. 26, 1869 in Pomerania (Poland)

Marriages

Despite being the month of Valentine's Day, February only contains two marriages.

Great grandparents George Henrickson and Malvina Anderson were wed on February 21, 1900.

Paternal 2x great grandparents Mary Bellegraph and Joannes "John" Knach Conors were wed on February 7, 1888 in Indiana.

Deaths

Great granduncle Frank Anderson (older brother of Malvina Henrickson) died on February 5, 1939.

Paternal 3x Great grandmother Abigail Eldred died on Feb. 9, 1847.

Marvin Henrickson and 2x Great grandmother Elnora Truman Bellinger both died on Feb. 28. 2005, and 1953 respectively.

That's for this month. Not a lot happening in February. March will be completely different. Just the number of birthdays to keep up with. April, too! :)

Feel free to add additional birthdays, deaths, and marriages in the comments below. I try not to go back too many generations, or, go too much into extended family.

Mary Bellegraph and John Knach Conors Wedding day 1888.

George Henrickson and Malvina Anderson Wedding Day 1900.

Unless noted, births, deaths, and marriages occurred in Michigan. If they occurred in another state, or in "the Old Country" I tried to note it, if available. 

In the Beginning

 Happy New Year! 

The first prompt of 2025 is "In the beginning." I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a while, compile a list of all the birthdays, deaths, and anniversaries on a monthly basis. January is the first month so it's a good place to start. 

Let's start off on a happy note with some of the birthdays I've found in January.

My paternal Great aunt Fern Thompson was born on January 1, 1927.

January 3rd has 2 birthdays, Sidney Henrickson in 1902 and my Dad in 1941.

Frank Ashley, a paternal Great Uncle was born on January 4, 1915.

Paternal 3x Great Grandmother Abigail Eldred was born on January 9, 1804.

Paternal Great Grandmother Emilia Dobbratz Ashley was born on January 15, 1888.

Great Grandfather George Henrickson was born January 19, 1875.

2x Great Grandmother Mary Pulispher Strandt was born January 20, 1877.

January 23 was the birthday of paternal 2x Great Grandfather Andrew Thompson in 1859 and paternal Grand uncle Orville Ashley in 1919

Toni Thompson was born January 28,1945.

Next up we celebrate the marriages that occurred in January.

Paternal 2x Great Grandparents Orville Ashley and Kate Eldred were united in marriage on January 1, 1863.

2x Great Grandparents Ingrid Fahna and Johan Jonasson were also united in marriage in January, on the 10th, in 1874.

Our In Memoriam segment is sadly, the largest. 

January 1 was the day Grand Aunt Esther M. Henrickson and Grand Uncle Lynn Bellinger passed away. In 1995 and 1981.

3x Great Grandfather Madison Truman passed away on January 2, 1884.

3x Great Grandfather Sven Fahna passed away on January 3, 1881 and Victor Henrickson passed away on the same date in 1923.

Howard C. Strand passed away on January 8, 2017.

Paternal 3x Great Grandfather Riley Thompson passed away on January 9, 1908.

Grand Aunt Helen Bellinger passed away on January 10, 1980.

3x Great Grandfather Carl F. T. Strand passed away on January 18, 1914.

Paternal 2x Great Grandmother Mary Bellegraph Conors passed away on January 21, 1941.

Grandfather Lawrence F. Thompson, Sr, passed away on January 19, 2006.

3x Great Grandmother Loretta Foster Bellinger passed away on January 30, 1912.

This list is by no means inclusive. If you know of any other birthdays, anniversaries or deaths in January, please list them below in the comments or email me. 

Colonel Howard C. Strand. Passed away on January 8, 2017.

All Mixed Up: The Strange Tale of Lewis Bellinger's job

 The prompt for the upcoming week is "All Mixed Up." I found this strange news article about Lewis Bellinger and decided to write about it.

Lewis Bellinger, sometimes spelled "Louis" was born December 21, 1845 in Allegan, Michigan to Oliver and Margaret "Elmira" Jones. The family had recently moved from Ohio to Michigan to start a new life. He was the first child born in Michigan. Older brother, David, had been born in Ohio.

On August 11, 1862 David Bellinger enlisted in the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. Lewis was not quite 17 years old and not old enough to fight. After turning 18 years old, Lewis enlisted on February 25, 1864. He joined the Michigan 3rd Cavalry, which was organized in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After enlisting, the Michigan 3rd was based primarily in western Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and they mustered out in San Antonio, Texas. Lewis was not injured and survived the war to come home and marry Martha Burdick. They raised 3 children, 1 son and 2 daughters. Lewis is listed as a farmer and laborer on Federal Census Records. He also briefly worked as a nightwatchman for Allegan County. There is where the strange tale comes in.

In May 1889 the man who had been working as the nightwatchman at Allegan County buildings left for another job. Some of the influential men in Allegan suggested a Union veteran, John Kelly, who had fallen on hard times be given the job. He had been injured during the war and had a large family to take care of. This man was very appreciative and began telling friends that the job would be his. People he knew were going to tell the County Treasurer to hire him for the job. However, a couple of those men did no such thing. Instead of recommending John Kelly for the job, they recommended Lewis Bellinger. Lewis was described as a good hard worker, a Veteran, and of good character. The County Treasurer, not knowing either man, went with the recommendation of Lewis Bellinger, and Lewis was hired as the nightwatchman for Allegan County. 

Needless to say, the friends of John Kelly who had put him forth for the job were not happy. They argued that while Lewis was a fine choice, he didn't "need" the job the way Kelly did. I tried to research this a bit more and I'm not sure if Lewis kept the job or not. It received several inches of press in the Allegan Gazette. 

Questions, comments about Lewis Bellinger?

How Lewis Bellinger fits into the family:

Lewis Bellinger, younger brother of David Bellinger

David Bellinger, father of Charles Bellinger

Charles Bellinger, father of Mildred Bellinger

Mildred Bellinger Strand, mother of Viola Strand Henrickson

Lewis is my 3rd great, granduncle. He passed away on April 16, 1924, of angina pectoris, aka coronary artery disease. He was 78 years old.

PS. One of the men advocating for John Kelly was a Colonel Mix. Colonel Mix was in the "Mix up" over the job. :)

Health and the Strands and Bellingers

 Last time we looked at the health history of the Henrickson family. This time we're looking at the health history of the Strand and Bellinger families.

Viola Strand Henrickson passed away in 1999 at the age of 77 years old. It is thought she suffered a stroke, with diabetes as a contributing factor. She was the second of Carl and Mildred Strand's children to pass away. The first child of theirs to pass away was Yvonne who died when she was 11 years old in 1942. Yvonne suffered from Hirschsprung's disease. It's a genetic condition of the colon that leaves a person chronically constipated. It's genetic and sometimes occurs with other conditions, such as Down's syndrome. At the time of her death there was no cure or treatment. Today, surgery often brings relief of symptoms.

2 more of Carl and Mildred's children also suffered from a genetic disease. Marylane and Milton both suffered from Friedrich's Ataxia. Symptoms can start in a person's late teens or adult years. They lose motor coordination and loss of balance. There is no cure or treatment for it but there are drugs available to help alleviate some of the symptoms. The disease is carried by recessive genes and both parents have to pass along the gene. It is odd that 3 of Carl and Mildred's children, in a row, were all born with a genetic disease. After giving birth to Viola, Mildred suffered from post-partum depression and was hospitalized for a month. Could she have been given drugs that later affected her next 3 children? Carl and Mildred also lived in Kalamazoo which had high pollution levels in and near the river then. Could environmental pollution have played a part? Those are questions we'll never really know the answers to. Despite suffering from ataxia, Marylane lived to 78 and Milton lived to 87. Oldest Strand child, Howard, lived to 95 and died following complications from an ear infection. Youngest Strand children Joyce and Fred are still going strong. They have been VERY helpful in piecing together family history.

Going back a generation, we find that Carl Strand passed away at the age of 95. He was the longest lived of his siblings. His oldest sister, Eva, passed away at 81 of natural causes. His younger brother, Howard died at the age of 88. Carl had another sister, Ruth. Ruth's death is a bit of a mystery. The obituary in the newspaper said she died of an infection after a ruptured appendix and surgery. The death certificate says she died of a "ruptured tubal abscess" with "double salpingectomy(sp)" as a contributory factor. The ruptured tubal abscess was 2 days in length, but the double salpingectomy had been 5 months before. It almost sounds as if she had an ectopic pregnancy. Either way, it sounds as if she was in a lot of pain when she passed away. She was only 23. I believe there is a note in the family Bible about Ruth having had a miscarriage before her death too.

Carl's parents were William and Mary Strand. William passed away at 86 and Mary passed away at 84. William Strand's father, Carl F.T. Strand passed away at 79 from bronchial pneumonia and his mother, Minnie, passed away at 69 from chronic bronchitis.

Heading over to the Bellinger family, Mildred was the longest-lived sibling in her family too. Mildred passed away at the age of 90 after suffering a stroke and having surgery for colon cancer. Her parents were Charles and Elnora Bellinger. Elnora passed away at the age of 79, and Charles passed a few weeks later at the age of 82. Charles's cause of death was heart disease, but Joyce says the family thought it was really a broken heart. Mildred's oldest brother, Ray, died at age 87. Younger brother, Lynn, died at 74, and sister, Helen died at age 76. All appeared to suffer from heart disease. 

Charles's father, David, died at age 81. He survived the Civil War and growing up in a log cabin where he had snow blowing in on him through cracks in the winter. David's father, Oliver, though, passed away at the age of 50, from an "abscess". 

Charles had an older sister, Ellen, who died in 1928. Her death certificate says cause of death was probably a stroke, with diabetes listed as contributing. Very similar to Viola's passing.

On the Strand and Bellinger side, the major cause of death has been heart disease. Pneumonia is the second leading cause, followed by infection and disease. 

On a side note, I greatly simplified Hirschsprung's Disease and Friedrich's Ataxia. For more information on either disease follow these links

Hirschsprung's Disease 

Friedreich Ataxia

That concludes the health history I have access to. Our family pretty much is in line with the national statistics that place heart disease as the number 1 cause of death in the U.S. Cancer is number 2, and Covid-19 is number 3. Leading causes of death in the U.S.

Questions, comments, observations? Leave them below or email me: susanmichele83@gmail.com

Death certificate for Ruth Bessie Strand Carlisle

War: What was the Civil War like for David Bellinger?

This week's prompt is "War." Of course, that immediately makes me think of David Bellinger and his service in the Union army during the American Civil War. He served in the 19th Michigan Regiment, Company B. While researching David's service I came across 2 books for sale. One is "They Died to make Men Free: A history of the 19th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War," by William M. Anderson. Hardscrabble Books. Berrien Springs, Michigan 1980. The other book is, "I Hope to Do My Country Service" The Civil War letters of John Bennitt, MD, Surgeon, 19th Michigan Regiment. Wayne State University Press, 2005. I was able to order them off Amazon and eBay. I haven't had a chance to read them yet but I have skimmed through them. Here are a few snippets of information from They Died to Make Men Free.  

When David signed up he was given his first month's pay plus $25 of a $100 bonus upon enlistment. Money was a great motivator used to encourage men to sign up and fight.

After signing up, Company B, which was mostly from Allegan, took the train to Dowagiac, Michigan. They brought the Allegan brass band along with them. The band played while the company marched through the streets from the train station to where they were housed. 

For their first Thanksgiving in the army, the men enjoyed boiled salted beef, hard crackers, and coffee. 

For the first Christmas, the officers supplied the men with oysters and a half keg of beer for each company. 

The battle at Thompson's Station in Tennessee is where David Bellinger was wounded in his thigh and taken prisoner. The fighting was fierce on both sides and while it looked as if it would be a Union victory, the win ultimately went to the Confederates. The 19th Michigan went into the battle with 531 men. They suffered a 21% casualty rate. 20 men were killed, 92 wounded. The 19th suffered a greater casualty rate than any other regiment, including the Confederates. 

The 19th was marched 17 days to a prison camp 75 miles away in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The Rebel enlisted men were reported to have treated the 19th with compassion, even sharing their meager rations with the 19th, but only when the Confederate officers were not watching. The officers of the Confederacy did not share in the compassionate treatment.  After being housed in Tullahoma, the 19th was put on a train and moved to Libby prison in Richmond, Virginia. At Richmond their main meal mostly consisted of one food, mule meat. Sometimes they were given the water the mule meat was cooked in also. Mule meat was not a favorite of the men. After approximately 30 days from originally being taken prisoner, the 19th was released. 

Here is the daily schedule the men followed after first signing up and getting adjusted to Army life.

5 am            Reveille

6:30 am       Roll Call

7 am            Breakfast

8 am            Clean up tents

9-11 am       Drill

12 noon        Dinner

2-4 pm          Drill

4 pm             Half hour swim and supper

6:30 pm        Dress parade (as long as the Colonel likes)

9:30 pm        Tattoo and lights out

The 19th Michigan came under General Sherman's command and marched with him through Georgia and to the sea. The first picture shows the march. The second picture shows all the engagements and places visited by the 19th during the course of the war. 

I can't wait until I have more time to properly read these two books to find out what life was like for David and the men of the 19th. One thing is for sure, David Bellinger was very lucky he survived and lived to come back to Michigan and marry Loretta Foster. Lorett's first husband, David, died while being held prisoner at the infamous Andersonville POW camp in Georgia. 

How David Bellinger fits in:

David Bellinger, father of 

Charles Bellinger, father of

Mildred Bellinger Strand, mother of

Viola, Howard, Marylaine, Joyce, Yvonne, Milton, Fred 

Family Lore: Whatever happened to Uncle Judson?

 When I first started researching my family tree, one of the earliest questions I received was, "Can you find out what happened to Uncle Judson?" "Uncle Judson" was a maternal uncle to Mildred Bellinger Strand. He was the youngest brother of her mother, Elnora Truman Bellinger. According to family lore, Uncle Judson had traveled out west to Oregon and was never heard from again. What happened to him? Had he met with an unfortunate accident, or had he simply never found the time or willingness to sit down and send his family a letter or make a telephone call?   Let's investigate!

Judson Elwyn Truman was born May 28, 1880 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was the youngest of the 5 children born to Madison Truman and Harriet Mabbs. Judson was born in Arkansas shortly after the family moved there from Michigan. So far no evidence exists to explain why the family moved to Arkansas. They didn't remain long and by 1884 the family was back in Michigan, where Madison passed away. Harriet remarried and gave birth to 5 more children with her second husband. As the youngest son, Judson stayed on and lived with his mother and stepfather. On the 1900 Federal census Judson is listed as a boarder and working as a farm laborer with his mother and stepfather.

After this Judson decides to go out west. On May 29, 1904 he marries Mary Elizabeth 'Bessie' Malcolm in Columbia, Oregon. They were married by a Justice of the Peace at Bessie's father's house. Judson and Bessie quickly start their family. Daughter Mildred is born in 1905. Sadly, she dies of cholera in 1907. Only son Reuben is born next in 1907. He's followed by 5 sisters: Hazel, Mary Lou, Edith May, Dorothy, and Myra. The paperwork isn't clear, but I think Hazel may have had a twin sister named Sally. Sally would have died as an infant or child as no other record is found of her.

Judson and his family start off living in Goble, Oregon, but then buy a ranch and move to Astoria, Oregon around 1920. On a side note, while Ray Bellinger talks of finding Uncle Judson in the summer of 1915, he mentions looking for him in Seattle or Portland. Judson lived in Goble the whole time. It's no wonder Ray never found him. :)

Judson's occupation on the 1910 and 1920 Federal census records is listed as a farmer. By 1930 the country was in the midst of the Great Depression. Judson must've been affected by it as he and his family are now living in Lewis and Clark, Oregon and his occupation is as a laborer on public docks. He does own his home, valued at $2000, and has a radio. In 1940 Judson is now employed as a truck driver for a lumber company. He says he has other sources of income, and that the highest schooling he achieved was 2nd year of high school. In 1950 Judson is retired and has moved back to Astoria, Oregon. He and Bessie have 2 of their grandchildren living with them. 

Judson dies on August 29,1957, still living in Astoria, Oregon.

Judson's children all married and had children of their own. The granddaughter who lived with him in 1950 just recently passed away in December 2020. On a side note, I found a petition for divorce from Bessie, filed back in 1928. There was a note on it saying, "Error, withdrawn." 

Judson seemed to have a pretty good life in Oregon. Perhaps he just wasn't good at writing and keeping the family back home informed of what was going on with him. I wonder if his family in Oregon knew about their father's extensive family back in Michigan? I haven't found any pictures of Judson but I do have pictures of his children Reuben and Edith.

And that is the tale of what happened to Uncle Judson. 

Helen Lucille Bellingar

The prompt for this week is "Starts with a vowel." So, I'm writing about Mildred Bellingar Strand's younger sister, Helen Lucille Bellingar, who moved to Los Angeles. (Angeles begins with an "A".  It's a stretch. :) )

Helen Lucille Bellingar was born August 25, 1903 in Allegan, Michigan. She was the third child and second daughter born to Charles and Elnora Bellingar. Whereas Mildred is described as shy and reserved, Helen is described as vivacious and outgoing. Mildred is remembered as having said she was surprised Carl Strand asked her to marry him as she always thought he was more interested in the lively Helen. 

Here is a picture of Helen at age 3 in 1906.

Helen Bellingar 1906. Colorized photo.

On the 1920 Federal census, dated January 27, 1920, Helen is living with Thomas Young and his wife. Helen is 16 and listed as a servant in the household. She did not attend school but knew how to read and write. She was employed for wages and worked as an operator for the phone company. She lived a few houses down from Fred Germain, who would be such a big help to Carl and Mildred in later years. On August 14, 1920 she married Archie Keith Kent. 

Archie Keith Kent was born in Allegan, Michigan on April 3, 1899. He is also related to me through my paternal side. He's my cousin through my 3x great grandmother Hannah Kent Thompson. At sometime Archie left Michigan and moved to live with an older brother in Los Angeles, California. On his draft card for World War I he lists LA as his address and assistant tech switchboard operator as his job. However on the 1920 Federal census he is living back in Allegan as a boarder at a boarding house. His job is listed as laborer with an automotive company. On the marriage certificate he's listed as being in War Service Against Germany and his address is listed as Los Angeles. Helen's age is listed as 18. She was actually a few days shy of her 17th birthday. Witnesses to the marriage were Carl and Mildred Strand.

I believe that Archie and Helen move back to Los Angeles soon after getting married. I've found Archie registered to vote in California in 1924. He's registered as a Democrat. There is a Helen L. Kent listed in the city directory for Los Angeles who works as a telephone operator but I can't be sure it's her. LA is a big city. The next verified finding of either one occurs on April 23, 1926. Archie places an ad in the Los Angeles Times saying that he will no longer be responsible for any debts incurred by his wife Helen. 

The next is October 22, 1926 when Archie files for divorce from Helen. The divorce is granted on December 10, 1926. Archie stays in California and remarries at least one more time. He passes away in 1977, living in Apple Valley, San Bernardino County. He never had any children.

Meanwhile Helen remarried the very next year on December 17, 1927 to a Robert Earle Jodon. Robert was listed as a switchboard manager in the city directory and the 1930 Federal census. Robert was born and raised in California. His marriage to Helen was his first. His father was an electrical engineer with Edison Company. I've found newspaper articles in the social section talking about elaborate holiday dinner parties that Robert and Helen, along with Robert's parents were invited to.

Dec. 2, 1933.

In the 1940 Federal census Helen and Robert are still living in Glendale, California. Robert is now a district wire supervisor with the Southern California phone company. Their neighbors include public school teachers, radio singers, a claims attorney and even a playwright. Helen shows having a high school education through the 1st year.

The 1950 Federal census shows they have moved but are still in Glendale. Robert is a District Supervisor with the phone company. Helen does not work and is not seeking work. Helen used to send boxes of her unwanted clothes to Mildred, and Joyce would wear some of them. Howard would fly out to California and visit with Helen when he was earning his flying hours. Mildred always used to look forward to getting letters from Helen. I imagine living in Los Angeles in the 1920's and 30's was much more exciting than living in Allegan, Michigan. Joyce wrote that one time during the 1930's Charles and Elnora decided to drive out to California to visit Helen. They followed son Ray who drove on ahead. At some point Charles lost track of Ray and ended up getting lost in New Mexico. Charles wanted to turn back but Elnora said, "No." and they drove on to Albuquerque where they found Ray and continued their journey. Helen came back to Michigan once, in the 1950's. 

Helen passed away January 10, 1980 at the age of 76. She and Robert lived in San Bernardino County. During the 1960's Robert sold their Glendale home to the local library and the land was turned into additional parking for the library. I haven't been able to find an obituary but Helen died after having cancer. Robert passed away in 1989. They never had any children. 

Helen's life was definitely different than Mildred's. Helen married twice, never had children, lived a comfortable life and lived in Los Angeles, California. Mildred might have been envious of Helen and her lifestyle, but who can say for sure. I know I would definitely loved to read Helen's letters from LA.

 

 

Ray Bellingar Road Trip

 This week's theme for #52ancestors is #RoadTrip. Awhile back Ginger Strand shared with me transcriptions she made from Mildred Strand's post card collection. Many of the postcards were from her older brother, Raymond Bellingar (1895-1982) as he traveled around the country when he was younger. In 1912 he sent some postcards from his travels to Canada, looking for work. He was 17 years old at the time. In March of 1915 he set out again, this time traveling west. He was looking for work, and he also mentions finding "Uncle Judson". Uncle Judson must refer to his mother Elnora's younger brother, Judson. In 1904 Judson married his wife Mary Elizabeth in Columbia, Oregon. In looking for Judson, Ray can never remember where, exactly, Uncle Judson lives. Ray is also traveling with "Rex." I have no idea who, or what Rex is. A friend? A pet dog? Does anyone have any guesses?

Here are the transcribes, as transcribed by Ginger Strand.

"Kalamazoo River and Gull Street Bridge, Kalamazoo, Mich." (pm) Kalamazoo Mar 11, 1915 2 pm Dear Mother: Arrvd in Kalamazoo OK and am leaving on the 11:57. Will make good connections. Will get there on Sat. for ? 16.00 ? Good luck so far Your son Ray Got Rex OK too.

"Dearborn Street Depot, Chicago" (pm) Chicago IL Mar 11 5:30 pm Dear Mother: arrived here O.K. and will leave at 6:30 pm for St. Paul. Got here 4:00. Will try and rite from St. Paul. Love to all, Ray

"Hennepin Avenue, East from Sixth Street, Minneapolis, Minn." (pm) Milbank Mar 12 4:30 pm Friday Well we got in Minneapolis at 7:55 a.m. and got rite on the 8:00 to Milbank where I change for Wilmot. Will get there Sat. morning. Love from Ray

"E.S. Main Street Millbank, S.D." (pm) Milbank SD March 12 1915 4:30 pm Dear Mother: Am in Milbank S.D. Got so far O.K. am leaving for Wilmot at 5:20 pm, get there at 6:10 am. Sat. Will rite from there. Love to all, Ray

.

"Birdseye View of Wilmot, SD" (pm) Wilmot SD Mar 13 5 pm 1915 Dear mother and all, Well what do you think of my home to be? Am leaving for the farm this afternoon. Yours with lots of love, Ray

"Come to Wilmot While the Going's Good" (pm) Wilmot SD Mar 15 1 pm 1915 Dear Dad: See what it says on this card? Well take its meaning. The country is just great around here. The man I am going to owns the largest farm in these parts. Love to all from Ray

"The country around here is wild and mountainous." (pm) Wilmot SD Apr 19 1 pm 1915 Dear Mother: Am leaving for Mon. tonite, will rite along the line. How is everything? This leaves me in the best of health. Love to all, Ray

"Bird's eye view, Wilmot S.D." (pm) Wilmot SD Apr. 19 8 pm 1915 No. 1 Dear Mother: Am leaving for Three Forks Mon. Get out that old old Chi, Milwau, RR & St. Paul time table and you can follow me on the map. I presume I will be

"Bird's eye view, Wilmot S.D." (pm) Wilmot SD Apr. 19 8 pm 1915 No. 2 some time getting there. Am going by jumps and jerks. We are going to see the country. Will rite from different places when I can. I expressed our suit cases to Three Forks this afternoon. Will follow tonite. Love Ray.

"Main Street North, Summit, S.D." (pm) Summit SD Apr 20 7 pm 1915 Dear Mother: Arrived here O.K. and am still going. Am on the great divide now of So. Dak. between So & Nor Dakota. Big hills all around. How is everything? I am in the best of health. Love, Ray

"We work all day/ We're tired at night/ But friends like us/ Must try to write" Summit, SD Apr 20 7 pm 1915 My Dear Dad: Well I am on my way O.K. and if nothing happens I'll be in Butte, Mont. the last of the week. Am trying to see the country a little. Rex is still with me and we are both in the best of health. Yours, Ray

"A Bunch of Trail Cattle. In the Northwest." (pm) Miles City Mont. April 24 - 15 Dear Dad: Arrived in Miles City O.k. but had some time getting here. Will tell you the particulars when I get a chance to write a letter. We've only been 3 days coming, 6 divisions, U know what that means. Love, your Ray

"The Tetons" (pm) Roundup, MT. April 25, 10 am 1915 To Mildred Bellingar Sunday. Dear Sister: Well what do you think of this great nature? Am seeing lots of these. Will see Uncle Judson next week if nothing happens. Love from Ray

"C. M. & P.S. Depot, Roundup, Mont." (pm) Roundup, MT. April 25, 10 am 1915 Dear Dad: Well I am still on my way. Am headed for Seattle now. Wish I knew Uncle Judson add. but I think I can find him. This is the place where the C, M, & St. Paul get all their coal. Tell Ma to excuse me for not writing on that card but I rolled it up before I tho't. WIll rite later. With love to all, Ray

"Signal Butte near Miles City, Mont." (pm) Miles City, Mont. Apr 24 1915 Dear mother: Well here I am so far in Mont. am looking around for work but have got a little change under my belt yet. You can see these kind of rocks just as far as you can see. This place is a little larger than Allegan. Gee but it's great air here. Will write when I can. Love Ray

"Viaduct and Tunnel, Montana Canyon" (pm) Miles City & Butte Apr 26 1915 Dear Dad: Well we have just commenced to see the Rockies now, from now on to Seattle they are big Mts. Did you find the map? If you did you can follow me by the cards. Will rite every time I get a chance. Good bye. With love to all, Ray Wish you could see them.

"The Eagle Tunnel, Montana Canyon, Rocky Mts. Mont." (pm) Miles City, Mont. Apr 26 1915 Sunday nite at Harlowton Dear Mother: Got here O.K. and am leaving for these tunnels tonight. We just came in sight of snow on the Mts. at 4:00 p.m. today. Think I will see Uncle Judson next week but don't rite to him about it. Love + your Ray

"East Side Main Street Three Forks Mont" (pm) April 26, 6 am. Dear Mother: Well this is the town I shipped my suit cases to, but I ain't going to stay only till this afternoon. Am leaving for Butte, Mont. Gee but there is some pretty senery around here. How is everybody? Well good bye till next time. Love to all from Ray

"Mammoth Log Drive of 80,000,000 Feet, St. Joe River, Idaho" (pm) St. Marie S April 29 1915 9:30 am Dear Dad: Well I got out of that State Mont. into Idaho at 12:30 yesterday. I tho't we never would get out of that state. How is this for a log drive? We are only 60 miles from Spokane where John S. is. Will be 30 miles from there about noon. Love, Ray

"Fishing on the Shadowy St. Maries River, Idaho" (pm) St. Marie S April 29 1915 9:30 am Dear Mother: Well I got into this state OK. I have changed my mind, I am going to Portland, Ore. I have forgotten whether Uncle Judson is in Seattle or Portland + remember your saying he can go from Portland to the coast on the Columbia. But I think I can find him in either place. Will rite when I can. Yours with love to all, Ray

"Milwaukee Lumber Mill, St. Maries, Idaho" To Lynn Bellingar (pm) St. Marie S April 29 1915 9:30 am Dear Brother: Well what do you think of my trip? Rex and I was in this mill morning what do you think of the logs? Tell Helen + Mildred I said Hello. Love from brother, Ray

"Crossing the famous Kittitas Valley, Wash." (pm) Plummer & ? Apr 29 Walden, Wash. 4-29-15 Dear Mother: Well I am in Washington. Got into this state about 12:45. We will go through this valley tomorrow some time. Will rite when I can. Yours with love, Ray Gee but we are seeing some pretty scenery.

"Lake Keechelus, Cascade Mts., Wash." (pm) Plummer Apr 29 1915 Dear Dad: Well what do you think of this kind of country? I have changed my mind again. I am going to Seattle for I have got to thinking it over and it seems to me Uncle Judson is there. Wish you could only whisper in my ear. Well goodbye. With love to all, Ray

"C. M. & St. P RY. Bridge Across the Columbia River at Beverly Wash." (pm) South Cle Elum, Wash. May 3 2 pm 1915 Dear Mother: Well I am within a hundred miles of Seattle. Wish I knew if Uncle Judson was there or in Portland but if I don't find him in one place I will the other. Yours with love, Ray

"McCall's Peak, Cascade Mts., Wash." To Helen Bellingar (pm) South Cle Elum, Wash. Date indistinct but probably May 3, 1915 Dear Sister: Well what do you think of this? I will be in Seattle tomorrow morning. I have seen so much scenery I don't like only the very best. Love to all Ray

"See Washington First: Mt. Queets and the Elwha Basin, in the Olympic Range" (pm) Tacoma, Wash. May 3 1:30 pm 1915 Dear Mother: Well I am in Tacoma, the prettiest city on the map I believe. Am leaving for Portland tonight. Am seeing everything as I go to believe me. Wish you could see what I've seen. Well good by till later. Love your Ray

"The Battleship Oregon in the New Dry Dock at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington" (pm) Portland, Oregon May 7 9:30 am 1915 Dear Mother and all: Well I arrived in Portland O.K. but can't find anything of Uncle Judson. Have looked in all the directories and every place else. Am trying to find work here. So as soon as you get this write me a short letter directed to Portland P.O. city. With love to all, Ray

Ray must've liked where he was and stayed awhile as Ginger notes that there is a 6 month gap with no postcards. The postcards pick up again in November 1915.

"Pocatello Hospital, Pocatello Idaho" (pm) Pocatello ID, Nov 18 1915 Thurs. 18 Dear Mother: Well I have got this far. Have been riding since 6:15 Tue. I will be in Salt Lake 1:15 today. Hope this finds everybody ok? Love to all from Ray.

"Ruby Castle, Utah" (pm) Nov. 18 1915 Utah Dear mother + all: Well I am in S[alt] L[ake]. O.K. This will be my road out. What do you think of it? Am only sending one card as I want to write so many but have got my pockets full to bring home. Love from Ray.

"Orchard Scene near Grand Junction, Colo." (pm) Grand Junction: Nov 19 1915 Fri. 19 '15 Hello folks: Well I've only got 102 miles left. Am shure glad believe me. This is about all you can all rite around this place. Acres + acres mostly cherrys. Love from Ray

"Las Animas Canon, Colo." To Mildred Bellingar (pm) Olathe Colo. Nov 22 2 pm 1915 Dear Sister: Well what do you think of this? Don't forget to rite. Add. Delta Colorado. Ray

And one last postcard from Ray in June 1916. On Dec. 25, 1916 Ray would marry his first wife, Elizabeth Hill in Fruita, Mesa, Colorado.

"The Portals, Canon of the Grand River, Colo." To Mildred Bellingar (pm) Olathe, Colo. June 8, 2 pm 1916 My dear sister: Read your welcome letters a few days ago + was shure glad to hear from you. I can see this scene nearly every day. Now don't wait for a letter from me but write again soon. With love, Ray

Reading the postcards you can sense Ray's delight in traveling and seeing the country. You can also sense his love for his family too. He sends postcards to his mother and father. He sends postcards just to his siblings. He's living his best life traveling the country before settling down. 

He later takes up residence again in Michigan, lives in Arizona for awhile, and eventually settled down in Hillsborough County, Florida by 1950 where he lived until he passed away at the age of 87 in December 1982.

Ray Bellinger working in Saskatchewan, Canada. 9th from right.

Maps

 This week's theme is "Maps." While researching my Michigan ancestors I've found some land ownership maps. What I like about them is not only do I get to see where my ancestors lived, but I get to see their neighbors and other ancestors too. When you see how close families lived to each other you can see why people got married, or you had brothers and sisters from one family marrying brothers and sisters from another family. People tended not to stray too far from home then and married someone who lived close by.

This first map is the U.S. Indexed County Land Ownership Map of 1873. I specifically downloaded it because it shows where my 3x great grandfather Riley Thompson owned land in Allegan, Michigan in 1873. 

Riley's land is on the very bottom, right hand side. He owns 18 acres near the Ashley's. He also owns another 20 acres near John Ashley. Riley's land is very near O. Ashley, my 2x great grandfather. Orville Ashley is the grandfather of Lois Ashley, my paternal grandmother. Also, in the middle of the map, on the left side, you can find D. Bellinger's 40 acres of land. D. Bellinger stands for David Bellinger, my 3x great grandfather on my maternal side. He is Mildred Bellinger Strand's grandfather. So, in this one map I can see land owned by two 3x great grandfathers, and 1 2x great grandfather. There are also various other relations shown here too. Aunts and Uncles. In-laws. 

This is another map I found. Also from 1873. It shows the land that Riley Thompson owned in Heath, Michigan. 

On this map you can find Riley's land on the bottom left hand side. He owns 80 acres of land. His is third from the left, on the bottom. Under the Kalamazoo river. Other ancestors with land living nearby are J. Sadler, and C.R. Brownell. The Sadlers and Brownells were united in marriage in 1839 when John William Brownell married Lavinia Sadler in Ogden, New York. When they moved to Michigan, many of their family members came with them. C.R.Brownell most likely refers to their son Charles R. Brownell. He was into logging and owned a lot of land in Michigan. He is also the uncle who bought the Strandt family home for Mary and William to live in. John and Lavinia are my 4x great grandparents. They are Carl Strand's great grandparents. 

Maps are a great tool to use in researching. Hopefully I'll be able to find more as time goes on.

Lucy Collier Foster

 New year. New blog post!

January 6 was in the news a lot this week. For our family, January 6 has a different meaning. For on January 6, 1838 Lucy Collier married Archibald Foster in Lorrain, Ohio. Archibald Foster and Lucy Collier were the parents of Loretta Foster. Loretta married David Bellinger of Allegan, Michigan after he returned home from fighting in the Civil War. David and Loretta were the grandparents of Mildred Bellinger Strand. 

Lucy Collier was born in most likely New York to unknown parents. I've seen some names mentioned by others, but I don't have records yet to prove who her parents really were. She may also have been born in Vermont. Most records state her birth as New York, though. At some point, with her family I assume, she moved to Ohio. At the age of 20 she married Archibald Foster. Archibald was born in 1799 in New York and moved to Lorrain, Ohio. At the age of 29, in 1828 he married Eliza Mann and began his family. They had 4 children over the next 9 years. Eliza died in August of 1837. Just 3 months after giving birth to a daughter.  On January 6, 1838, Archibald married Lucy Collier, who was just 20 years old. 

A son was born next March, 1839. Loretta was born May 24, 1841. All together, 5 children were born to Archibald and Lucy in Ohio. The 1850 census finds the entire family living in Ohio. Archibald is listed as a shoemaker. With 9 children living with him and Lucy, it's probably a good thing he can make their own shoes. 

 

For some reason, new opportunity perhaps, the family moves to Michigan. In 1855 Son Franklin is born in Michigan. In 1857 the youngest child in the family, Eva, is born. The 1860 census finds them living in Trowbridge. Archibald is listed as a farmer with $50 personal estate. His son George is married and lives nearby.

 Most of the older children are living on their own, including Loretta. Loretta is working as the servant of a merchant in Allegan. A Mr. John Jones and his family. Jones has a personal estate worth $4000.

The 1870 census finds Archibald and Lucy living by themselves in Trowbridge. Archibald's real estate is estimated to be worth $200 and his personal wealth is listed as $150.

Archibald passes away September 11, 1872 from unknown causes. He was 73 years old. Lucy passes away on May 18, 1873. Just less than a year later, at the age of 55. Her cause of death was listed as spinal fever. I'm not sure but it's probably what we call spinal meningitis today. Spinal fever was listed quite a bit as a cause of death. 

As with most women, I haven't been able to find much on Lucy herself. All the stories and records are told through the men. I did recently come across a picture of Lucy though. Lucy and one of her sisters. Lucy is on the right.

Lucy and Archibald are my 4x great grandparents. One of my goals this year is to find more information on this branch of the family tree. Hopefully to trace Archibald and Lucy back to their immigrant ancestors.