Glen Wesley Spencer

Glen married Elvena May Maxine Stuart on 5 Oct 1945 in Mayville, Tuscola County, Michigan. Elvena was born on 14 Apr 1918 in Fremont Township, Mayville, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 19 Feb 1997; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Vassar, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

He married second a Lillian. They had two daughters. His daughter Linda married a Mr. White.

Joseph married Viola Ruse on 26 Oct 1919 in Bay City, Bay County, Michigan. Viola was born about 1901 in Michigan; died about 1928 in Michigan; was buried in Bentley, Bay County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Art Peck instead shows her last name as Rusch. She died in childbirth, and was buried in Bentley, Michigan.

Notes:

Married:
They were the parents of Glen, Leslie and Leonard SPENCER.

Notes:

Valerie Atkinson shows him as the son of Joseph SPENCER and Almanza HOPKINS. She notes that the family bible instead shows his date of birth as May 31, 1861, contradicting the 1880 census, with a May 1863 birthdate. That same census shows his with the middle initial E.

She indicates that in 1870 and 1880, he was listed on the census in Gilford, Tuscola County, Michigan. In 1900, he was in Clayton, Arenac County, and in 1910 in Moffat, Arenac County.

Hiram married Adeline "Addie" Krapf on 5 May 1892 in Caro, Tuscola County, Michigan. Adeline (daughter of Johann Friedrich "Frederick" Krapf and Maria Dorothea "Dorothy" Benkelman) was born on 28 Aug 1870 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan; died on 24 Oct 1940 in Belding, Ionia County, Michigan; was buried in River Ridge Cemetery, Belding, Ionia County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Cass City Chronicle
October 6, 1933
Local Happenings, Page Four

Mrs. Addie Cummings and son, Judson Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Sigmund Spencer and two children, all of Belding, spent Saturday and Sunday with Mrs. D.C. Elliott.

(Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, Summer 2007)

(Research):

Census Listings:

1920 Census
Michigan, Arenac County, Adams Township
Enumerated 23 and 24 Jan 1920
SD 10 ED 40 Sheet 2B
42-44
Cummings, Addie Head F W 49 Wd Mich Germany German Germany German Farmer
Spencer, Sagmon Son M W 12 S Mich Mich Mich
Cumming, Judson Son M W S 10 S Mich Mich Mich

Notes:

Tuscola County Advertiser, February 21, 1895

Joseph Spencer was found dead in his barn one day last week. It is supposed that heart disease was the cause. he was an old soldier having served three years in the Mexican War. he was past 90 years of age. The G.A. R. of Reese and Gilford turned out to administer the last rites to their deceased brother at the U.B. Church in Gilford, the Sixteenth and interred in the Gilford Cemetery. He was a native of Canada, but had been a resident of Gilford for a good many years. He leaves a wife and four children.

Saginaw Evening News, Saturday, February 16, 1895
Pioneer of Tuscola Found Dead at Gilford
Brother Died in the Same Way Four Years Ago, and Strange to Say the Same Barn

Joseph Spencer, age 76 years, one of the oldest pioneers of Tuscola County, a Veteran of the Mexican and late Civil War, was found dead in his barn, rear of resident, near Gilford last night at 8:00 by a neighbor named Gilbert Quipp. A coroner's inquest was held and a verdict of death from heart disease was rendered. A wife and four children survive him. His brother Manuel was found dead in the same barn four years from the same disease. Another brother, Moses, was shot at Bay City in the 60's by a rough character, dying afterwards from the effects of his wounds.

(Both obituaries courtesy of Valerie C. Atkinson, who also noted that his Military service included the Third Regiment of U.S. Infantry from May 1847 to Aug. 19, 1848, Mexican War, and the U.S. Army from Aug. 23, 1864 to Sept. 6, 1865)

Joseph married Almanza Hopkins on 8 Dec 1852 in Dryden, Lapeer County, Michigan. Almanza was born on 17 Feb 1833 in Cambridge Township, Washington County, New York; died on 1 Mar 1903 in Fairgrove, Tuscola County, Michigan; was buried in Brookside Cemetery, Fairgrove, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
They had six children... Janette in 1865, Homer in 1858, Lydia in 1861, Hiram (Arley Spencer's father) on 08/28/1890, Varnum J.W. in 1867 and Irene in 1870.

Notes:

John Frederick Krapf was on the same ship to America as Dorothea Benkelman. He had been orphaned as a boy, and bound out to others until he came of age. Truman Krapf, his great-grandson of Hornersville, Missouri has a picture of John and Dorothea taken upon their arrival in America. They were married shortly thereafter. They first lived in Wisconsin, and later moved to a farm in Cass City.

Fred and Louisa were charter members of the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Cass City.

Art Peck shows that Fred Krapf remarried after Dorothea, to Christiana Weinhardt, and that they were the parents of Christian Frederick, Mary Caroline, Daisy Theresa, Mary Magdeline and Louisa Roceny KRAPF.

Bonnie Petee abstracted the following regarding the Evangelical Association from "The History of Tuscola County, Biographical Sketches and Illustrations," H. R. Page Co., Chicago, 1883. "A class of this church which is commonly known as the German Methodist, was organized in the town of Elkland about the year 1866, by the Rev. Stephen Henne in connection with the Sebewaing mission. The class numbered about fifteen members. It has had regular services from that time to the present, and a regular succession of pastors. Services being held in the school-house, one mile north and one-half mile east of Cass City. In the latter part of 1882, a formal organization was effected at Cass City, and steps taken for the construction of a house of worship, which is now in course of construction. The earnest zeal of the members and their individual labors and contributions of material have reduced the estimated cost of the building to about $1,500. The pastor of the church at the present time is the Rev. B. F. Wade, who resides on his farm in the town of Elkland. The membership is about fifty. There is a preaching every second Sunday; prayer-meeting and Sunday-school every Sabbath. The trustees of the church are, John Benkelman, Fred Krapf, Oscar Sencner, Levi Muntz and Adam Benkelman."

(Research):
Census Information:

1860 Census
Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, Greenfield, Post Office Root Creek
Enumerated 18 Jun 1860
275-262
Frederick Krapf 32 M W Farmhand $300 $100 Wertenberg
Doretha Krapf 34 F W Wife Wertenberg
Maria Krapf 5 F W Wisc
Rosina Krapf 4 F W Wisc
William Krapf 2 M W Wisc

1870 Census
Michigan, Tuscola County, Elkland, P.O. Elkland
Enumerated 22 July 1870
Page 8
63-63
Krapf, Gottlieb & Caroline
64-64
Krapf, Frederick 42 M W Farmer $1200 $300 Ger Wirtemberg
Krapf, Doretha 44 F W Keeping House Ger Wirtemberg
Krapf, Roseanna 14 F At Home Wisc
Krapf, William 11 M W At School Wisc
Krapf, John 9 M W Wisc
Krapf, Matilda 7 F W Mich
Krapf, Louisa 5 F W Mich
Krapf, Emanuel 2 M Mich

1880 Census
Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace

Frederick KRAPF Self M Male W 51 WERTENBURG Farmer WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

Mary D. KRAPF Wife M Female W 53 WERTENBURG Keeping House WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

Rosa KRAPF Dau S Female W 24 WI Without Occupation WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

John KRAPF Son S Male W 19 WI Farmer WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

Emanuel KRAPF Son S Male W 12 MI At School WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

Adeline KRAPF Dau S Female W 9 MI At School WERTENBURG WERTENBURG

Source Information: Census Place Elkland, Tuscola, Michigan Family History Library Film 1254607
NA Film Number T9-0607
Page Number 93A

1900 Census
Nebraska, Phelps County, Rookfalls Twp
Enumerated 22 and 23 Jun 1900 by John R. Gainsforth
SD 5 ED 150 Sheet 8B (Bottom) and Sheet 9A, Stamped 109A (Bottom)
149-149
Krapf, Frederick Hd W M W M Dec 1839 (sic) 60 M 11 Germany Germany Germany 1870 30 N Farmer
Krapf, Christina Wf W F Feb 1859 41 M 11 5/5 Germany Germany Germany 1899 21
Krapf, Fredrick C Son W M Nov 1889 10 S Michigan Germany Germany Farm Laborer
Krapf, Mary C Dtr W F July 1891 8 S Nebraska Germany Germany At School
Krapf, Daisy Dtr W F Apr 1893 7 S Nebraska Germany Germany At School
Krapf, Mary M Dtr W F Jun 1895 4 S Neb Germany Germany
Krapf, Rosina L Dtr F July 1899 11/12 S Nebraska Germany Germany

Johann married Maria Dorothea "Dorothy" Benkelman about 1853. Maria (daughter of Johann Leonhard Benkelmann and Maria Dorothea St?hle) was born on 13 Jul 1826 in Schneiderhof, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany; died on 5 Jan 1888 in Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In her 1981 unpublished manuscript, BonnieMargaret Jacobs pointed out that as the eldest daughter Maria Dorothea would have been responsible for helping her mother with both the bulk of the household chores, as well as caring for her younger siblings. And with her father dying when she was just 22, she would have had to postpone any plans for marriage she might have had to continue to help her mother care for their large family. (p. 135).

BonnieMargaret noted that Dorothea, along with her mother and three of her sisters, were the last of the family to leave their family home. Eldest brother Friedrich was married, well established, and raising his own family in the area. All the other brothers and sisters had already emigrated to the United States. Only Leonhards widow and four of her daughters remained. German Parish records show that they "ausgewandert nach Amerika" (left for America) in 1853.

They left the parish in September, 1853, with just 300 florins to see them to New York; George St?hle warrented any unknown debts.

BonnieMargeret also noted a mystery she uncovered in examining the records: "in addition to the widowed mother and four daughters, there was a fifth member of the party, 'the child Johann Friedrich Benkelmann, born April 2, 1851, the son of the single Maria Dorothea.' However, if the child had actually been the son of the younger Dorothea, he would have been recorded on the familienregister page of the Benkelmann family, but he was not. We can only conclude that the women smuggled the two year old child out of Germany for friends or kin, and that if he survived, delivered him to relatives in America. Who that child may really have been, and what happened to him, are secrets the women kept to themselves." (p. 82)

On the Oberant Welzheim Emmigrants list, 1818-1891, She is listed as Maria Dorothea, g. d. 13t. Juli 1826 ledig, and travelling in a party headed by her mother, Maria Dorothea, the widow of Johann Leonhard Benkelmann, a farmer of Schneiderhof. The child accompanying her was listed as "sowid: deren Enkel Johann Friedrich Benkelmann g. d. 2t. April 1851 Sohn der ledigen Maria Dorothea, [blank line] s?mtl. eve. Conf."

BonnieMargaret's full source citation was: Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg, "Verzeichnis der Auswanderung aus dem Oberamt Welzheim 1818-1891" F 214 B?schel 91 Fortlaufende Number 42 [or possibly 47] ).

On board the ship to America was Johann Friedrich Krapf, from a village a few milies from the Schneiderhof. He and Dorothea married immediately after their arrival in th United States, taking her two youngest sisters to family in New York, and then setting off together for Wisconsin. Sister Catharine Benkelmann accompanied them. Dorothea and Friedrich farmed in Greenfield township, just west of Milwaukee. (p. 136).

Seometime in the early 1860s, after two of her sisters and her brother Adam moved to Cass City, Michigan, Dorothea and Friedrich moved there as well. (p. 137)