Teacher Appreciation

 In honor of Teacher Appreciation Day on May 4, 2021, I thought I'd write about a few ancestors who were teachers. I've found many relatives on both sides of the family tree who were teachers. The teaching profession seems to be well represented on the Strand branch of the tree.

Going back, Mildred Bellinger Strand worked as a teacher before marrying Carl Strand in July 1920. I haven't been able to find her in the 1920 census, but according to the marriage record, she lived in Otsego and worked as a school teacher. She didn't live with her parents as I found them separately. 

Everyone I've talked to about Mildred has always said she highly valued an education and learning. She loved to read and always kept learning about new things all her life.

Going back another generation we find Carl Strand's mother, Mary Pulispher. Mary also worked as a teacher before marrying William Strandt. Mary was also a lifelong learner. I found this article about her going back to college in her later years.

The article is dated July 21, 1941. I think it's very cool that Mary decided to take college classes at the age of 61.

Also mentioned in that article is Mary's daughter, Eva. Eva was the oldest child of William and Mary Strandt. She was also Carl Strand's older sister. She also worked as a teacher. She taught for many years. Her teaching career was mentioned in her obituary. 

These are just a few examples I've found of teachers in the family. Teaching, and a good education, seem to be a family trait. 

Mildred Bellinger Strand

Mary Pulsipher Strand

Eva Strandt Kiser, holding the horse.

Our Connection to Ireland

  For St. Patrick's Day I decided to write about one of our lesser known connections to the Emerald Isle. While most of our heritage is Swedish, German and English, we do have a bit of Irish in us. Our Irish heritage goes all the way back to my 4th great grandmother, Lavina Sadler. Lavina was born June 22, 1823 in New York to Mary McElroy and John Sadler. John Sadler was born in Northern Ireland and came to America sometime before 1820. Although John was born in Northern Ireland, he did not consider himself Irish. His family had originally come to Northern Ireland from Scotland. He and many other Scot-Irish considered themselves to still be Scottish. It was only when they came to America that they were referred to as Irish, which they took great offense to.  John is listed as a shoemaker in the 1850 census. He is living in Allegan, Michigan. In the 1860 census he's listed as a farmer.  

Mary McElroy, John's wife, is listed as being born in Dublin, Ireland. I haven't been able to go any further back than that. Mary came to New York sometime before 1820, when she met and married John. All of Mary and John's children are born in New York before they move to Michigan, sometime between 1840 and 1850.

Lavina marries John William Brownell in November 1839.  She is 16 years old and John is 27. They live in Ogden, Monroe County, New York. Their first son is born in February of 1840 in Allegan, Michigan. So, apparently they traveled from New York to Michigan in the winter. And while Lavina was pregnant. I need to research this some more. Especially their marriage date. 5 more children are born, including their youngest child Eva Brownell, my great, great, great grandmother. Mother to Mary Pulsipher, and grandmother to Carl Strandt. 

Lavina dies on September 10, 1873 of "brain congestion." She was 50 years old. I've looked up "brain congestion" and it means swelling of the brain. In Lavina's case it could mean she had some kind of stroke. It could also mean that she suffered some type of trauma or injury to her head. Without more information it's impossible to say. 

Here is a picture of Lavina. 

Here is the relationship:

John Sadler and Mary McElroy marry

(daughter) Lavina Sadler marries John Brownell

(their daughter) Eva Brownell marries Albert Pulsipher

(their daughter) Mary Pulsipher marries William Strandt

(their son) Carl Strand marries Mildred Bellinger

(their daughter) Viola Strand marries Ray Henrickson

Pulsipher Beginnings

This week we're going back on the Pulsipher family tree. "Pulsipher" was the maiden name of Carl Strand's mother, Mary Elizabeth Pulsipher. The Pulsiphers go back to the late 1600's in America. The first Pulsipher that I can find is Benedictus Pulsipher. Born about 1635 in Nottinghamshire, England. He came to the British colonies around 1660. Most of the information I've found on him is a little sketchy. It relies on the research of others I've found online so it may not be entirely accurate. He was married in England and had 2 or 3 children with his first wife. She passed away and in America he married a Susanna Waters. They lived in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts. Susanna and Benedictus were both Puritans. Susanna was once fined by the local parish/church for wearing too fine of clothes, adornments. The church elders thought she was vain. :) She was in her late teens/early 20s at the time. She married Benedictus and gave birth to 11 children. Benedictus was wealthy for the time and owned land around Massachusetts. He owned land on Plum Island, Castle Neck, and Hogg Island. He died in 1695, or 1710.

His son, David was born in 1685, Ipswich, Massachusetts. He married a woman also named Susanna. He was a sailor and his wife was licensed to sell strong drink. His date of death is given as June 17, 1775. The story goes that he went out to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill. He went out with his son, also named David, and was not seen again. The family assumed he was killed in the fighting. David, the son, was also killed at Bunker Hill. If this is true, than my 7th and 8th great grandfathers were killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

David, the son, was born in Boston in 1708 and married Elizabeth Stowell. They had a son named Ebenezer. Born in 1759. Around 1780 he moved to Vermont where he married Unity "Vully" Reed. Unity "may" be descended from Mayflower Pilgrims. If we have Mayflower heritage, it is through her.

Ebenezer also had a son named Ebenezer. Born in 1787 in Rockingham, Vermont. He married Charlotte Haydon and had many children in Vermont. In the 1840 census, though, he is living in Bainbridge, Ohio. He passes away in 1853. 

One of Ebenezer's sons was named Horace, and was born in Stowe, Vermont in 1824. He moved with his father to Ohio. In 1844 he married Maryetta Downey Stone. Sometime between 1853 and 1859 they move from Ohio to Allegan County, Michigan. Coming with them is their son Albert. Born in 1849.

Albert Eugene Pulsipher was born July 22, 1849 in Ohio. Before the age of 10 he moved to Allegan with his family. In 1874 he marries Eva Brownell. The Brownell family has a history in America as long as, if not longer, than the Pulisphers. 

On January 20, 1877 their second daughter, Mary Elizabeth is born. She marries William Strandt when she is 21 years old. The rest is history.

There is MUCH more to be written about the Pulsipher family. The Pulsiphers that stayed in Ohio were supporters of the abolitionist movement before the Civil War. One of Horace's cousins who fought in the Civil War was under the command of one of John Brown's sons. 

Here are some pictures of Albert and Eva and family and their house, provided to me by a Pulsipher cousin. Our grandmother Mary is on the top, 2nd from the left. Albert and Eva sitting in the middle.

This is a picture of where Albert and Eva lived.

The paper trail back to Ebenezer Pulsipher in Ohio is good. From there back is where it gets a bit sketchy.