Samuel B. Chapman

Notes:

He is shown on the Murray-Snead-Barbee-Jones-Bishop-Mastroni-Raddeman-Kirtley-Workman tree on Ancestry.com as a son of Peter Chapman and Mercy Keeler.

Benjamin Dwight--in Volume II (p. 1005) of "The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong of Northampton, Mass."--described him as, "a farmer at Odessa, Mich (since 1851)...he is a supervisor of the town."

According the "History of Ionia and Montcalm Counties Michigan with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of their Prominent Men and Pioneers" by John S. Schenck, Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & Co. 1881, the first framed house in Odessa was built by Emory Russell after 1842. Other early settlers in and near the Russell neighborhood were Nelson Merrill, Emanuel Cramer, S.B. CHAPMAN, A.A. Haskins, A.J. Clark, P.S. Lapham, David Crapo, John D. Hight, Reuben Haight, George E. Kelly, James N. Galloway, and Asa Houghton. For some years the settlements in Odessa concentrated about the Russell neighborhood. In the year 1852 there were but four settlers in the western half of the town. These four were Solomon Foght, S.B. CHAPMAN, Joseph Houseman and Eber Rush, located respectively on sections 21 and 33 (p. 315).

Jurors for 1847 included Samuel Chapman

Voters in Odessa in 1848 and 1849 included Samuel B. Chapman

Samuel B. Chapman was elected Supervisor of Odessa Township in 1852; Treasurer in 1855; and Supervisor in 1856-1857

LaVonne Bennett, a Ionia county genealogist, kindly provided the following information relating to the probate of the Chapman estate.

Ionia County Probate Court, Probated Will #611 (New Series), Samuel B. Chapman: The first item in the file was an unsigned 8-26-1925 letter to W. C. McCartney, giving him license to sell real estate of Samuel B. Chapman.

The seconnd item was an 8-21-1925 letter from Lake Odessa State Savings Bank to Judge of Probate, Ionia County, stating lots 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 in block 21 of village of Lake Odessa owned by Samuel B. Chapman were sold 4-3-1877.

Samuel B. Chapman died on Sunday, 1-31-1875, leaving no will. Widow was Mary A. Chapman, petitioner for appointment of adminstrator of estate. It was a $7,500 valued estate. Other heirs were: Emma June Chapman, daughter of deceased (dodc); Theressa T. Partello, dodc, of Barry County; Martin Chapman, son; Ella Chapman, dodc; Eva Chapman, dodc; Samuel D. (sic s/b L.), son. Residence of all but Theressa was Ionia County. [Note, Mary was still pregnant with his youngest son, Marcus, who was born in September 1875].

Publication in Lake Odessa Wave-Times 2-12-1875. James Leek, Administrator. Inventory of goods, properties, crops, $150 of household furniture. Among the list of creditors: Mary Ward, $3.65; Jas. J. Brown, $22.05; Martin Chapman, $35.00.

10-7-1871 document: Dower rights to Mary A. Chapman for east 3/4 of north east 1/4 of Section 33, and north east 1/4 of south east 1/4 of Section 32, all in Twp 5N, Range 7W.

In James Leak's 3-23-1875 petition to be named the administrator of Samuel's will, he states: ".....for the following among other reasons the widow is not able to work or take charge of her interest in said estate and the heirs are of them three minors and under Guardianship and those who are of age are not in circumstances to carry on to advantage of the whole of said real estate and further the estate has a large part of said land under a crop of wheat down by said deceased in his lifetime which will require the same care and attention necessary to protect crops on the whole of said lands."

11-14-1876: List of above children, with addition of Marchus B. Chapman. Paid to Mary A. Chapman: $550 for support of minor heirs under age 7 years, $145 distribution of shares, from Samuel Chapman estate, for Samuel Lee and Marcus B. Chapman, minor heirs.

11-15-1876: $150 to Mary A. Chapman. 11-28-1876: Martin Chapman petitioned to sell real estate; heirs Maria T. Partello, Emma Chapman, Ella L. Chapman, Martin Chapman, all residing in Odessa, Evelyn D. Chapman residing in Saranac, Ionia Co, MI; Marcus B. and Samuel L. Chapman, both in Odessa.

$3375 was paid by Abe Bywater for the Dower rights of Mary A. Chapman. $487.50 was paid to Martin L. Chapman."

It seems an assessment of real estate was made, with the recommendation that sale, and subsequent division of the property, would devalue it. The file was very hard to read and I couldn't decipher all that took place, regarding the real estate, but it did appear Martin forced the sale.

Oh, when I looked up Samuel B. Chapman's property in my plat book here, it turned out to be the whole west side of Lake Odessa's main street. I'm snail-mailing you copies showing location of his---and also B. Franklin Smith's---property. I also made copies of Ida and Mary's obituaries, which I'll send along, too.

I (LaVonne) don't know why the first 2 items dated 1925 were in this file, unless someone filed quit claim deeds on property that was once owned by Samuel B., or something technical like that. Maybe they were cleaning up Mary Ann's 1921 estate yet.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1860 Census
Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan
#188-185
Chapman Samuel 39 M NY
Elisa 38 F NY
Marris C? 10 F NY
Martin 8 M Mich
Ella 18/12 F Mich
Emma ?? F Mich


1870 Census
Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan
#67-66
Chapman Sm P 49 M W Farmer 5000 13
" Eliza 47 F W Keeping House
E??? 22 F W at home MI
Theresia 20 F W at home NY
Martin 18 M W Farm laborer MI attended school
Ella 11 F W MI attended scho
Evaline 9 F W MI attended school

Samuel married Eliza J. Dwinell on 31 Dec 1845. Eliza (daughter of Justin Dwinell and Desire Strong) was born on 16 Jul 1822 in New York; died on 23 Aug 1870 in Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
"Eliza J. DWINELL b. July 16, 1822, m. Samuel B. Chapman of Webster." Benjamin Dwight, "The History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Mass." (Gateway Press, Inc. Baltimore, MD 2000), Vol. II, Pages 1004 and 1005.

1. Emma June Chapman was born on 27 Sep 1847 in New York; died on 2 May 1895 in Nashville, Barry County, Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan.
2. Maria Theresa Chapman was born on 3 Feb 1850 in Webster, Monroe County, New York; and died.
3. Martin L. Chapman was born on 14 Sep 1851 in Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan; died on 21 Jul 1910 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan.
4. Ella L. Chapman was born on 17 Nov 1858 in Michigan; and died.
5. Evelyn D. "Eva" Chapman was born on 23 Nov 1860 in Ionia County, Michigan; died about 1938 in Portland, Ionia County, Michigan; was buried in Portland Cemetery, Portland, Ionia County, Michigan.

Samuel married Mary Ann Welch on 7 Oct 1871 in Ionia County, Michigan. Mary (daughter of William Welch and Anna Brown) was born on 28 Dec 1840 in Michigan; died on 19 Jul 1921 in Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Samuel B. Chapman and Mary Ann Smith [nee Welch, the widow of Franklin Smith] were married 10-7-1871 (IOCOC72#1071). (Courtesy LaVonne Bennett)

1. Samuel Lee Chapman was born on 6 Jul 1873 in Michigan; died on 22 Mar 1903 in Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan.
2. Marcus B. Chapman was born on 6 Sep 1875 in Odessa Township, Ionia County, Michigan; died on 4 May 1959 in Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan; was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Lake Odessa, Ionia County, Michigan.