Elmer Francis Smith

Notes:

The following obituary was emailed to me by LaVonne Bennett "LAKE ODESSA (MI) WAVE, Thursday, May 2, 1946, front page "ELMER SMITH DIED MONDAY---Funeral services were held at the Pickens chapel here Wednesday afternoon for the late Elmer Smith, 80, who died Monday Morning at his home in Charlotte. He was a half brother of Marcus Chapman who survives. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. Mr. Smith, a former resident here, was born in Odessa township. The Rev. William B. Patterson officiated at the services, and burial was in Lakeside cemetery." His death certificate showed that he had spent 5 yrs in the Eaton Co. Infirmary.

LaVonne later emailed the following news item to me:

"While at the Saranac Library doing research today, I found: SARANAC ADVERTISER, MI, 9-19-1912: "Local News - Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Smith were in Ionia Monday."

It ain't much but it's evidence they lived a real life. Saranac's a very small town north of Lake Odessa, 5 mi west of city of Ionia, so I hope this is your Elmer..."

This might be another Elmer Smith, however, as no marriage record has yet been found. Additionally, it is noted on his death certificate that he was single, not widowed.

(Medical):arterio-sclerosis, senility A.M. Weber, D.O. Attending Physician

Notes:

Avis (Smith) Benkelman said that her paternal grandparents were William Bert Smith, Sr. and Mary Chatman. However it appears that they were actually Benjamin Franklin Smith and the former Mary Ann Welch--Chapman being the name of her second husband.

Avis also indicated that her maternal grandmother, Sarah Cramer, "was a widow with two small children." However, there is no evidence that Sarah Cramer had been married more than once. Perhaps Avis was confusing Sarah Ann Cramer with Mary Ann Chapman. It was as the widow of Benjamin Smith, with two young sons, that she married Samuel Chapman.

A 28 year old Benjamin Smith, single and born in New York, can be found in Ionia County at the time of the 1860 census. He was living with the Knisel? or Knodsel? family. As the rest of his family is still listed in Riga, New York, it appears he moved to Michigan early, with his brother Morris, and later his mother Marian,following him to Michigan, probably sometime after his father died in 1864.

Even if this is not the same Benjamin Franklin Smith, we do know that he moved to Ionia County sometime before 1866, as his oldest son Elmer was born in Ionia County in January of that year. When he died of typhoid in the summer of 1869, his son Elmer was not quite four, and son Bert was just over a year old.

LaVonne Bennett, an extraordinarily competent and generous researcher from Ionia County, Michigan found the following records:

Ionia County Probate Court Record #187: The estate was valued at $4000. IONIA COUNTY SENTINEL publication of Probate of Will of B. Frank Smith August 2, 1869 and for three consecutive weeks thereon.

Partial listing of amounts paid out of estate: 1)$12.50 to Samuel B. Chapman 1-25-1870 in Odessa, due him from late Frank Smith 2)$100.00 to John El?l?et (Elvert? Elliott?) 3)$17.00 to Libbie ELVART 4)$9.15 to James J. Brown 1-30-1871, from Mrs. Frank Smith 5)$50.00, payment of 9-8-1866 loan from Betsey Johnson 6)$7.00, payment signed by Mary Ann Smith, of 8-8-1870 loan from J. G. Meyers 7)$6.75, payment by Franklin Smith of 5-1-1868 loan from James Wright 8)$2.50, paid by Mary A. Smith, in full account of savings of Frank Smith, to Martin J. Cox 9)$2.25 paid by Mrs. Samuel Chapman, in full account of all demands of R. B. (Rainson?) 10)$3.00 received from Samuel Chapman for Mrs. Mary Ann Smith, in full account of all demands up to date, Odessa, 6-5-1872, by HENRY SMITH 11)$11.92 real estate taxes paid 1-3-1870 by Mrs. Frank Smith, property west 1/2 of southeast 1/4, Section 22, Twp 5N, Range 7W, 80 acres. 12)$23.00, on11-4-1869, received from Mrs. Franklin Smith in balance account to date, L. D. & M. C. SMITH S(tore?) 13)$17.50 for B. F. Smith coffin purchased 7-7-1869, paid by A. A. SMITH 12-20-1870 to S. Merritt & Co. 14)$174.13 paid by Samuel B. Chapman 9-28-1872 and received by Mary A. Chapman 15)$43.00 + interest to S. A. Houghton, as payment for B. F. Smith note made 2-3-1869

Petition in file stating Mary A. Smith was lawfully married to Frank Smith and did love and cohabite with him until his death. Mary A. Chapman makes selection from estate inventory: 1 oxen $130, 1 cow, 2 heifers $35; (wheat $10?), household furniture $75.

Per petition for appointment of administrator, 7-6-1869, heirs listed were widow, Mary Ann Smith; Elmer Smith and Burtis Smith, sons of said deceased. All reside in County of Ionia, MI.

Another petition with date unreadable: Land assigned to Elmer and Burtis subject to dower rights of Mary A. Chapman.

LaVonne Bennett added "from (the) land description of B. Franklin's farm, it was on land on Musgrove Highway and has now (according to 1987 plat book) been subdivided into smaller parcels and some of my Carter relatives lived on the east side of his 80 acres."

(Research):

OTHER LEADS TO FOLLOW UP ON/POSSIBLE FAMILY CONNECTIONS

LaVonne Bennett noted that some of the names found on the above list are significant to future research---i.e. JAMES BROWN was found as both a creditor and a witness at Samuel and Mary A's marriage. Mary's mother's maiden name was given as Brown on Mary A.'s death record. HENRY and L.D. SMITH, also creditors, might they be related as well?

LaVonne also found, in her discarded Smith files (her mother being a Smith): HENRY SMITH b 1830, d 1-14-1885, age 54, 11, 10, marr Catherine Clark (1835-1915), dau Hattie b 1867, d 1925. There's a Lewis R. SMITH, Carpenter b 1843 in US, d 1-30-1914, father Thomas. Louis D. Smith was a merchant, b 182- in NY, marr Eliza A. Grosvenor, had son Kimball Robert Smith b 1849.

Benjamin married Mary Ann Welch before 1866. 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:

The death certificates of Mary's two oldest sons have seemingly conflicting information as to the name of their mother. LaVonne Bennett, an Ionia County researcher, emailed me that while at the Eaton County Courthouse, she "learned from death records of Wm Bert and Elmer that papa's name was Frank/Franklin Smith, and that mama's was either Mary (Ann?) ELVERT b in Ionia or (Mary?) Ann WELCH b Canada!" However, although William Bert Smith's death certificate shows his mother as Mary Elvert, his marriage license lists his mother as Mary Welch. Additionally, Marcus's marriage certificate list his mother as Mary Ann Welch. Samuel Lee Chapman's death certificate, a son by Mary Ann's second marriage, also lists his mother as Mary Ann WELCH. Only Marcus Chapman's death certificate shows his mother's maiden name as unknown. It was filed by the "Bureau Social Aid Records, Ionia," however, and not a relative.

In looking at a transcription of the Ionia, MI 1850 Federal Census, I discovered that a Mary Ann WELCH and William WELCH were living with the ELEVERT family. It appears likely that 30 year old Ann Elvert is their mother, the former Anna BROWN. Anna Brown appears to have first married William WELCH, and later remarried William ELVERT. It is also possible that Mary Ann and William may have been orphaned or otherwise abandoned, and were living with the Elvert family at the time of that census.

Mary did not have an easy life. At 38, she had been twice widowed, and had charge of four young sons: Elmer Smith, Bert Smith, Samuel Lee Chapman, and Marcus Chapman. Marcus was a newborn. Additionally, she had five older stepchildren, who may not have been particularly happy to have both lost their father and gained a stepmother in a relatively brief period of time.



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."

LaVonne Bennett also located the following obituaries and will for Mary Ann:

(There was) only this very brief mention in the Grand Ledge (newspaper): "THE GRAND LEDGE INDEPENDENT, MI, Friday, July 22, 1921, front page: MRS. MARY CHAPMAN, mother of W. B, Smith of this city, who has been ill with paralysis since the latter part of May, passed away at her home near Lake Odessa, July 16, at the age of 84 years. She also leaves two other sons, Elmer Smith and Marcus Chapman, at home."

In THE WAVE-TIMES, Lake Odessa, MI, pg 5, July 22, 1921: "Woodland (News items) - FRANK SMITH and his sister Miss GERTIE SMITH were in Odessa Tuesday afternoon attending the funeral of their aunt Mrs. Mary Chapman who died Saturday from a paralytic stroke."

Probated Will #8880, Ionia County, MI, filed 8-15-1921. Mary Ann Chapman's real estate was valued at $6500; personal estate at $100. Administrator Marcus B. Chapman of Lake Odessa was also one of the heirs, along with: Elmer Smith, son, age 5(6?), of Lake Odessa; W. B. Smith, 53, Grand Ledge; Clair Chapman, nephew, 19, Grand Ledge; Herbert Chapman, nephew, 21, of Montana [in another section of the papers, they were referred to as grandchildren]; and Marcus, 46, Lake Odessa.

From her will (barely readable) made 11-14-1906: ".....to Francis Elmer Smith, son, she wanted him to have property of the east 1/2 of the south east 1/4 of Section 22, Tpw 5N, Range 7W. If he predeceased her and had no heirs, the land was to go to Marcus B., Herbert and Clare, and ______ (all the preceding were Chapmans. To William B. Smith, son, she willed the west 1/2 of the above property.

Marcus was to receive his choice of her household furniture, as was Francis Elmer. She bequeathed $100 to (Daniel or Samuel) Lee Chapman, son of Herbert.

Addendum: W. B. Smith of Grand Ledge was appointed Guardian of Clare Chapman, minor. Herbert Chapman (legalee?) NR (no record?)

Detail of Death Certificate: Mary A. Chapman, Female, White, Widdow, Date of Birth Dec 28, Age 84 Yrs, 6 Mos, 16 Days, Birthplace Canada, Name of Father Wm. Welch born England, Name of Mother Anna Brown born England Informant Marcus Chapman Lake Odessa (son) Date of Death 16 July 1921 Filed 19 July 1921

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Federal Census, Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township

33 65 68 Elvert William 49 M Farmer 300 Ireland
34 65 68 Elvert Ann 30 F Ireland
35 65 68 Helch (sic) William 11 M Upper Canada
36 65 68 Helch (sic) Mary A. 10 M (sic) Mich
37 65 68 Elvert James 8 M Mich
38 65 68 Elvert Cornelius 5 M Mich
39 65 68 Elvert Julia 3 F Mich
40 65 68 Elvert Emily 1 F Mich

This Census was transcribed by Beth Wills and proofread by Pat Billings, Hope Farris, Kathy Laux for the USGenWeb Census Project, http://www.usgenweb.org/census

1860 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township (21 Sept 1860)
#2718-2616
Wm. ELVERT 63 M Farmer 1000 500 Ireland
Ann ELVERT 48 F Ireland
Cornelius 15 M Michigan
Julia 13 F Michigan
Harry 11 M Michigan
John 9 M Michigan
Elizabeth 6 F Michigan
Ellen 4 F Michigan
James 18 M Michigan
Mary WELCH 21 F Teacher

Furthermore, it appears that Ann and William Elvert divorced in 1869. Maybe this accounts for the 16 year old Elizabeth Elvert living, Mary's half sister, living with Mary in 1870?

1869 Elvert Ann vs. William 673

Ionia County Divorce Index http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~camprowl/divorce%20index.txt

1870 Ionia County, Odessa Township
129-128
Smith, Mary 30 F W Farming and Keeping House 2500 475 Mich Father/Mother Foreign Birth
Smith, Elmer F 4 M W Michigan
Smith, William B 1 M W
Elvert**, Elizabeth 16 F W Michigan Attended School Father and Mother of Foreign Birth

1880 Ionia County, Odessa Township (1 June 1880) #21-23
Chapman, Mary A W F 40 Widow Keeping House Mich Ireland Ireland
" Elmer WM 14 Son School Mich Mich US? (last name SMITH)
" Burtis WM 11 Son School Mich Mich " (last name SMITH)
" Lee WM 7 Son Mich Mich "
" Marquis WM 5 Son Mich Mich "


1900 Ionia County, Odessa Township
ED #21
39-40
Chapman, Mary A Head Dec 1840 58 Mich Ireland Ireland Farmer
Smith, Elmer Son Mar 1866 Mich NY NY Laborer
Chapman, Marcus Son Sep 1878 Mich NY Mich Laborer 39-41
Chapman, Lee Head July 1875 Mich NY Mich Teaching School
Chapman, Marion Wife Mar 1876 Mich Mich Mich
Chapman, Lee Son May 1900 Mich Mich Mich

Notes:

Spencer Smith was the witness of the following will ca. 1832:

Harmon Whipple of Riga Will book 1; p. 349 Dated Dec. 28, 1832 Probated April 17, 1833 Mentions brother: Milton Executor brother: Milton Witnesses Phinebas Smith of Riga George Refield of Riga Spencer Smith of Riga

1850 Federal Census, New York, Monroe County, Riga (enumerated 26 Aug 1850)
#314-314
Spencer SMITH 54 M Farmer $3500 Mass.(?)
Mary SMITH 44 F New Hampshire
Benjamin F.SMITH 19 M New York
Morris M. SMITH 17 M New York
Mary A. SMITH 10 F New York
Sarah E. SMITH 6 F New York
Julia SMITH 3 F New York
Emeline TRUMBELL 17 F New York

1860 Federal Census, New York, Monroe County, Riga, North Chile N.Y. (enumerated 19 Jun 1860)
#23-25
Spencer SMITH 63 M Farmer $4000 $841 Mass.
Marian SMITH 52 F New Hampshire
Morris M. SMITH age 24 Farm Laborer $150 P/P New York
Mary Ann SMITH age 18 New York
Sarah E. SMITH age 14 New York
Julie T. SMITH age 12 New York

Spencer married Marian Trumbull before 1833 in New York. Marian was born about 1807 in New Hampshire; died after 1880. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In 1870 and 1880, she was living in the home of her son Morris Smith in Ionia County, Michigan.

Notes:

Married:
Marriage noted in the book by Myron Andrews Munson, "1637-1887. The Munson Record: A Genealogical and Biographical Account of Captain Thomas Munson, a Pioneer of Hartford and New Haven And His Descendants, Volume 1; New Haven, Conn, Printed for the Munson Association, Copyright 1896 "

[Son of Lovina Munson and Bezaleel Smith of Whately, Conway, Ms.]

Spencer b. 24 Nov. 1796; m. Zelina Ellis; m. (2nd) Marian Trumbull; res. Riga, N.Y.

Notes:

It was reported by Marcus Chapman, on the death certificate of his mother, Mary Ann Welch, that her parents were William Welch and Anna Brown, born in England. It appears that Mary Ann's parents were actually both born in Ireland.

At the time of the 1850 Ionia County, Michigan census, a 9 year old Mary Ann Welch and 11 year old William Welch were living in the home of William and Ann Elvert of Berlin Township, both born in Ireland. Based on circumstantial evidence, it appears that Ann Elvert may have been the widowed mother of Mary Ann and William, the former Ann (Brown) Welch. If so, she was born circa 1820 in Ireland, and married and gave birth to her son William prior to age 19. And as 11 year old William was listed as being born in U(pper) Canada, and 9 year old Mary Ann as being born in Michigan, the Welch's appear to have immigrated to Michigan circa 1840 via Canada. In reading the section devoted to Berlin Township in the 1881 HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES MICHIGAN, no listing is found for William Welch. There is a Simeon Welch that is listed as voting in an election in 1846. At the time of the 1850 census, there was a Simpson Welch, age 45 and born in Kentucky, living in Berlin Township (#43-45). A Simon Welch, age 39, is listed in the 1850 Ionia County census in Easton Township (#275-283) as well. He and his wife Nancy were both born in New York.

Neighbors of the Elvert's at the time of the 1850 census were the McLaughlin's and the Humphries. Both of these men were born in Ireland, and both their wives in Novia Scotia. Perhaps Ann and William Welch came to Ionia via the same route. In 1860, Mary Welch, age 21, was still listed as a member of the Elvert household.

On the 1870 census, Mary Ann Welch reported that both her parents were "foreign born." On the 1880 census, she reports that they were both born in Ireland. Mary Ann herself reports in both 1870 and 1880 that she was born in Michigan. However, when he filed her death certificate, her son Marcus Chapman reports her as being born in Canada. This is incorrect, as Mary appears to have been born in Michigan very shortly after they immigrated from Canada.

Another possiblity are the following families listed in the Montreal Emigrant Society Passage Book of 1832 (Reel H-962, Vol 46) has two seperate references to a William Welch. The passage book is a record of poor and destitute immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, forwarded and relieved by the Montreal Emigrant Society from 12 May to 5 November 183

(Line 604) On July 13th, 1832 a Wm. Welch and his wife were listed as being from Kerry (?). One of them was over the age of 40, and the other between the age of 20 and 40. They had three children, one an infant with the other two being under the age of 7. They were sent to Prescott.

(Line 994) On July 28, 1832 a Wm. Welch and his wife, both over between the ages of 40 and 60, were listed as the parents of five children, three over the ages of 14, one between 7 and 14, and the youngest under the age of 7. The location where they were from was left blank. Others arriving that day all appeared to be from various counties in Ireland. They also were sent to Prescott.

At the present time, it is not known if the two Wm. Welch's listed above are related to each other, or if either or both are related to the Wm. Welch who is the father of Mary Ann Welch. It appears, however, that if Ann Elvert, born ca 1820 in Ireland, was the widow of William Welch, then she is too young to be the wife shown in either family. These could be the parents of her husband, however.

I Found a Wm. Welch in Lyons Township, Ionia County in 1870, at #362-360, 49 years old, born MD. Also in household, Richard E. 30 born PA and Sarah J 73 born MD, widow. I also looked at Lyons Township on the 1860 film, and Wm. Welch was listed as 35, Sarah as 62? Richard 25, with Ida Green age 4, Mary age 2. Birthplaces of the Green girls was MI, the birthplaces for all the others the same as was listed on the 1860 census. This does not appear to be a good match for the Wm. Welch who was the father or the brother of Mary Ann Welch, for she quite clearly notes that both of her parents were born outside of the United States, both on the 1870 and 1880 census. In 1880, she shows that her parents were both born in Irelan

William married Anna Brown before 1837. Anna was born about 1816 in Ireland; died on 12 Oct 1888 in Ionia County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Anna Brown appears to have married (1) William Welch and (2) William Elvert.

This appears to be her cemetery record?

SAINTS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CEMETERY (also known at Mt. Olivet Cemetery) Fourth Street - Ionia Township - Ionia County, Michigan

Copyright ? 1997 by Beth Ellen Wills. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~camprowl/peter.txt

Elvert, Anna 72 yrs. 10-12-1888

And this appears to be the youngest daughter?

Elvert, Margaret 53 yrs. 06-21-1913

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township
65 68
Elvert William 49 M Farmer 300 Ireland
Elvert Ann 30 F Ireland
Helch (sic) William 11 M U Canada
Helch (sic) Mary A. 10 M (sic) Mich
Elvert James 8 M Mich
Elvert Cornelius 5 M Mich
Elvert Julia 3 F Mich
Elvert Emily 1 F Mich

This Census was transcribed by Beth Wills and proofread by Pat Billings, Hope Farris, Kathy Laux for the USGenWeb Census Project, http://www.usgenweb.org/census

1860 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township
21 Sept 1860
#2718-2616
Wm. Elvert 63 M Farmer 1000 500 Ireland
Ann Elvert 48 F Ireland
Cornelius 15 M Michigan
Julia 13 F Michigan
Harry 11 M Michigan
John 9 M Michigan
Elizabeth 6 F Michigan
Ellen 4 F Michigan
James 18 M Michigan
Mary Welch 21 F Teacher

At the time of the 1870 Ionia County census, Wm. Elvert was listed as a 71 year old farm laborer, born in Ireland, living in the home of Charles and Henrietta Fullington (both born in New York). They lived in Berlin Township (#127-127). The next household in the census was that of his ex-wife, Ann Elvert.

1870 Federal Census
Michigan, Ionia County, Berlin Township Berlin Township
#128-128
Elvert, Ann 55 Keeping House Ireland
Elvert, Julia 22 Works on Farm Michigan
Humphreys, Francis 72 Farmer Ireland
Humphreys, Susan 65 Keeping House Novia Scotia
Humphreys, Francis 23 Farm Laborer Michigan
Cain, Edward 29 Wagon Maker Isle of Man
Cain, Susan 23 Keeping House Michigan
Cain, Anna 1 F Michigan

(Note: The Humphreys and Elvert's were also neighbors at the time of the 1850 census)

1880 Federal Census
Michigan
Ann ELVERT Self W Female W 68 IRE Keeping House IRE IRE
Julia ELVERT Dau S Female W 33 MI IRE IRE
Source Information:
Census Place Berlin, Ionia, Michigan
Family History Library Film 1254584
NA Film Number T9-0584
Page Number 264A

Notes:

His name, Bezaleel, is biblical. Bezaleel means "Is the Shadow of God," and he was the son of Uri, of the tribe of Judah, and one of the architects of the tabernacle. His charge was chiefly in all works of metal, wood and stone.

Said to have been married first to Lydia ALLIS.

Bezaleel married Lovinia Munson on 13 Aug 1787 in Whately, Franklin County, Massachusetts. Lovinia (daughter of Moses Munson and Abigail Munson) was born in Mar 1769 in Connecticut; died on 9 Mar 1837 in Conway, Franklin County, Massachusetts; was buried in East Whately Cemetery, Franklin County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]