The decade beginning 1890 finds the Westurlunds living in Europe. However, by decade’s end Andrew Westurlund—now Andrew West—had immigrated to the USA.
In USA:
The referenced case between Edward P. Castner and Lewis G. (or Q) Darby sheds light on the background of, and a possible causative factor for, the dissolution of the marriage between Edward and Frankie Castner. From September 26, 1894, until sometime prior to the turn of the 20th century, the Castners leased and ran a hotel in Lansing, Michigan, called the Butler House, owned by Lewis Darby and formerly known as the Tivola House. As part of the bargain, the Castners purchased the hotel’s existing kitchen, dining room, office, sleeping room, and other furniture and fixtures valued at $1,200 through an exchange of property and a chattel mortgage for $230.46. However, the enterprise failed, mortgage payments fell behind, and Darby foreclosed, taking back possession of the mortgaged property and having a foreclosure sale without first notifying the Castners. To add insult to injury, Darby was the only bidder and purchased the foreclosed goods at a fraction of their original, agreed-upon value. Castner sued Darby, but after the justice court ruled in favor of the plaintiff to void the sale, the defendant appealed to the circuit court, which upheld the original verdict. Finally, Darby claimed that an error had been made in the case, and it was referred to the Michigan Supreme Court. Associate Justice Joseph B. Moore wrote the final verdict, once again in favor of Castner. It can only be imagined how costly, consuming, and traumatic the ongoing case must have been for the Castner family, as Maude never referred to it in her memoirs—even to the fact that her parents ever ran a hotel.
Edward Potter Castner’s future second wife Catherine E. Yates, her parents Richard and Anne Maria (Hurst) Yates of Ireland and Canada, and her siblings emigrated from Canada early this decade.
Miss Bliss had almost encyclopedic information on so many subjects that she was a mine of information to her pupils. When asked where she acquired the facts, she frequently said, “I reckon I always knew that,” probably not meaning to be taken literally, but that she had learned it casually and had forgotten when and where. Having a remarkable memory, she picked up miscellaneous information almost without effort.
While still keeping their farm, early in the decade Sidney and Helen moved to the house on Elm Street in Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan, that Sidney had recently built. Near the end of the decade’s last year their daughter Nellie Mae Bliss married William Hood Barnes, son of David and Mary (Hood) Barnes of Horton, Jackson County, Michigan. Will and Nellie were married in Albion by Rev. W(illiam). F. Kendrick, husband of Nellie's sister Etta Marie.
Of Nellie’s other siblings: Mary Seraph married first to Sennet Elmore Ferguson and second to George T. Buckman. Charles Sidney married Ida Marie Stancroff. William Harvey married May. And Susan Ella “Susie” married Martin A. Barnes, older brother of Nellie’s husband.
[Additional material about Nellie and William Barnes may be found below under Barnes.]
William Hood Barnes followed his eldest brother and sister-in-law Martin and Birdella (Johnson) Barnes to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, soon after David’s death. Near the end of the decade’s/century’s last year William married Nellie Mae Bliss, daughter of Sidney E. and Helen M. (Hubbard) Bliss of Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan. Will and Nellie were married in Albion by Rev. W(illiam). F. Kendrick, husband of Nellie's sister Etta Marie. William Barnes was said to be a [railroad] signal man from Chicago. Witnesses were Will’s brother Thomas Barnes of Horton and Hattie Pugsley of Albion. It was to Chicago that William took his new bride, where they rented an apartment at 4348 State Street in Ward 29, Lake Township.
Martin A. Barnes lost his wife Birdella a.k.a. Bird/Birdie during this decade. In the first year of the next decade he married Susan Ella Bliss, one of Nellie’s sisters. Martin and Susan were also married in Albion by W. F. Kendrick. Witnesses were Wm H. Barnes of Chicago and Mrs. W. F. Kendrick of Ganges, Allegan County, Michigan. The new Barnes family initially settled in Chicago but would go on to other cities and states, perhaps required by Martin’s job as railroad foreman—such towns as: Sumner, Bremer Co., IA; Byron, Ogle Co., IL; St. Paul, Ramsey Co., MN; Duluth, St. Louis Co., MN. After Martin died at Duluth, Susan returned to Albion with her and Martin’s son George Sidney, where she would serve more than a quarter century as the Sigma Nu fraternity housemother.
Of Martin and Birdella’s three sons, Lee David married and remained in Minnesota; Kenneth A. went to sea as a merchant seaman, married two sisters—one-at-a-time—and spent his last years in Flushing, Queens County, New York; and Earl Allen became a good friend of Walter P. Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Corporation. He became a high executive in that corporation and went to Australia in about the 1930s to open an auto-manufacturing plant. He returned afterwards because his wife Cassie Pearl (Robinson) wouldn't join him there. She was afraid of the long sea travel, even though Walter Chrysler promised her a whole new wardrobe if she would go. They ultimately settled in Montgomery County, Ohio.*
* Earl was unable to obtain an official birth record when he applied for a passport. Fortunately his uncle, Will Barnes, had written his birth date in a record book that Will kept of family births and deaths. This record, though informal, was sufficient for Earl to obtain his passport. En route to Australia Earl stopped in Orange County, California, to visit his double cousins (related through both the Barnes and Johnson sides) and his grandmother Frances Adelaide (Johnson) Cady.
Other marriages of William’s siblings: Fredrick D. married Lillian M. Snyder; Jennie married Fredrick Fales, and years later, Lee McGonegal as his second wife; Thomas Hood married Pearl Florence Russell; and David “June” married Edith Ann Hobbins. Edith was a daughter of Frederick and Mary Ellen “Polly” (West) Hobbins of Concord, Jackson County, Michigan. Both parents had been born in England—Frederick, who arrived in America in 1870, had been born at North Somercotes in Lincolnshire to parents James and Hannah (Putsey) Hobbins. James was a shepherd by occupation. [One of David June and Edith’s daughters, Lillian Bereniece, lived nearly 7 months beyond her 100th birthday and, after consulting my extensive records, is presumed the longest‑living Barnes descendant. /C.W. Paige]
Now without wife or son, Riley Preston Page returned to Coldwater, Branch County, Michigan—part of the area where he had spent more than a decade earlier in life. His brother William Henry Page, Jr. and family were still living there. His niece Chloe B. Page was living with her parents and was involved in the profession of shoe stitching. It appears she taught Riley her trade. Mid-decade Riley returned to Webster, Monroe County, New York, where he purchased the house on West Main Street belonging to his half sister Chloe Ann (Robinson) Smith, widow of Henry Smith. A local newspaper blurb announced, “R. P. Page of Coldwater, Mich., formerly of this place, will soon open a boot and shoe store in Robert Corey's harness shop. He will make his home with his sister, Mrs. Chloe Smith.” He set up a shoe repair shop, also on West Main Street, and placed the following newspaper ad: “R. P. PAGE Repairs Harnesses of all kinds and Boots and Shoes on short notice, in first-class shape. Women's and Children's a specialty. Also deals in all kinds of Harnesses. Prices as cheap as the cheapest. Hotel Block, Webster, N.Y.”
Hugh and Mary (Thurlow) Garrett’s son Hugh III married Mary F. Tilden at Freeland, Saginaw County, Michigan, near the middle of the decade. She was a daughter of John Blangle and Margaret Jane (Ireland) Tilden of Richland, Saginaw County. They settled in Ingersoll Township and had Earnest C., the first of their children.
As to the marriages of Hugh and Mary Elizabeth (Thurlow) Garrett’s other children: Jane married Thomas Mcculloch, a Scotsman. John married Theressa. Anna Elizabeth married Frank Townsend. Margaret Ann married William Gibberd Gould, son of Cruth and Eliza Ann (Hawes) Gould of Canada and Michigan. Margaret’s youngest sister Cora Esther married Charles Goold, brother of William. {The surname was variously spelled Gold, Gould, and Goold.} Samuel Garrett married Annie Thurlow, daughter of Hugh Knatchbull and his first wife Ann (Christlow) Thurlow. Samuel’s younger brother George married Janet B. Thurlow, daughter of Hugh Knatchbull and his second wife Jane (McInness) Thurlow. Hugh Knatchbull Thurlow was Mary Elizabeth (Thurlow) Garrett’s brother, making Annie and Janet nieces and daughters-in-law of Mary and first cousins of their husbands.
Andrew took up iron mining and settled in Ironwood, Gogebic County, Michigan, where he initially boarded in the house of Finnish immigrants Andrew and Lydia Hegglund. Andrew Hegglund was also an iron miner. Andrew West’s mother’s maiden name was Maria Anderson, and his father’s given names, difficult to read from the source at hand, were Chris Rico or Chris Russo or Chris Russell or Chas….
© 2014 Charles W. Paige.
Last updated: Tuesday August 12, 2014
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