Le Montage de Famille

1900-1909

The decade beginning 1900 finds all of the known vector families living in the USA, including Hanna Snellman, future wife of Andrew West, who arrived at Ellis Island mid-year. (A Hanna Snellman, Finn by ethnicity, arrived at Ellis Island July 9, 1900. Her ship was the Cymric and port of departure was Liverpool.)

Castner: Edward and Franky were renting a house in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, but soon moved to Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, after which Ed and Franky obtained a divorce. Ed remained permanently in the Detroit area, and for a while boarded at 360 Grand River Avenue in Detroit’s 4th Ward, at the same address as several other people, mostly divorced/single, and one family, the Nutters. He was divorced and working as a house painter.

“Franc” M. Castner was living at 345 Michigan Avenue in Detroit’s 6th Ward by decade’s end, where she housed a roomer by the name of Harry J. Witherell. Franc was a divorced dressmaker and Harry a married barber. Another barber and wife, James and Ruth S. C. Yenx (sic), also lived at that address.

Maud Castner married Charles Orlando Page in Lansing early in the decade, just before Ed and Franky moved to Detroit. They were married by Samuel B. Chase, minister, and witnesses were Frank Cline and Mrs. E. Castner, both of Lansing. Maud’s parents were listed as E. P. Castner and Franc Gargett. Charles’ parents were listed as R. P. Page and Sarah “Keye.”

As to Maud’s siblings: Almon Edward married Celia J. Harrison, and Yula L. married, first, Horace N. Mead, and second, William Wigand. [Additional material about Maud and Charles Page may be found below under Page.

Bliss: Early in the decade Sidney and Helen moved back to their farm three miles south of Albion, Calhoun County, Michigan, where they remained for nearly a year before returning to Elm Street in town just a few days before Helen died of pneumonia. Her sudden death was especially hard on daughter Nellie, who was expecting the birth of her firstborn child in a few months. Nellie later claimed that all the crying she did because of her mother’s loss was the reason Charles Aaron was born with such bad eyesight.
Shaw: James Watts and Carrie May were living in Ithaca, Richland County, Wisconsin, and had the last of their children during this decade: Lev and Russell Hale. For a short while, probably beginning near the end of this decade, son Vernon would be married to Pearl (Van)Dyke, a daughter of the late William and wife Martha “Mattie” (Owens) VanDyke. Pearl often spelled her last name “Dyke.”
Rice: Silas and Ella lived in Birch Run Township, Saginaw County, Michigan, during part or all of this decade and had the last of their children: Howard B. and Lucille A. Silas was a merchant in a general store.
Barnes: William Hood and Nellie Mae started the decade still renting an apartment at 4348 State Street in Chicaco’s Ward 29, Lake Township. Later they purchased a house at 10943 Wabash Avenue, which was located in Chicago’s 33^rd Ward—part of tract A.G. 17. During this decade Will left working for the railroad and was employed as an engineer at Chicago’s Palmer Park. He and Nellie were taking in boarders, something they would often do for extra income. They had all four of their children: Charles Aaron, Helen Mary, Thomas Sidney, and Jennie Louise. Jennie Louise would be the future wife of Howard Oswald Page/Paige, a son of Charles Orlando and Maud Annabell (Castner) Page. Howard, also, was born during this decade.
Tuttle: John Daniel, son of Moses Smith and Rebecca E. Tuttle, married Bertha M. (Gavett) Allen in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan at decade’s beginning. She was a daughter of James Madison and Wealthy A. (Wade) Gavett of Delhi, Ingham County, Michigan, and later, of Tompkins Township, Jackson County, Michigan. The new family settled in Jackson, Jackson County, and had their first four children: Jennie, Theodora, and M. Smith (short for Moses Smith). Also joining the family was Bertha’s daughter Esther V. Allen by Bertha’s first husband William E. Allen of Tompkins Township.

As to John Daniel’s siblings: Christopher S. married Minna B. Potter; Julia Anna married Herman Stugalnarer; Sophia M. married James Leathers; Rebecca Eliza married James Berry Foote; Elizabeth M. married Sydney M. Thurston, Jennie Dell married Herbert D. Haynes, and Bert E. married Daisy H. Evans.

Page: Riley Preston a.k.a. R.P. was living on West Main Street at Webster, Monroe County, New York, in the house he had bought from his half sister Chloe Ann (Robinson) Smith. A branch office of the Singer Sewing Machine company became located in R. P. Page's shoe shop at the beginning of the decade, and two years later L. J. VanAlstyne also moved in with R. P.’s shop, where the additional tenant attended “to all kinds of bicycle repairing.” Mid-decade R. Preston Page married Emma (Conant) Finkle Wright. She was a daughter of Cornelius B. and Sarah “Sally” (McFarlin) Conant, and was born at Perinton, Monroe County, New York. Two years later Riley and Emma bought what was known as the George Brown house and lot at Ontario Center in Wayne County, New York, and moved there in the spring. The last year of the decade a local newspaper ran the following announcement: “Ontario Center will soon have a trolley station again. We understand it is to be located at R. P. Page’s.” Riley continued to be a shoemaker with his own shop.

Riley had left all of his family in Michigan, but with his remarriage he got a whole new crop. Emma had been married twice before, first to George W. Finkle by whom she had son Myron C., and second to Frederick B. Wright by whom she had daughter Elizabeth P. Myron C. had married first to Hanna “Fannie” Natt by whom he had three children: Myra Catherine, Georgia, and Victor M. Elizabeth and her first husband Frank O. McMillan were divorced during this decade after having lost their son Victor at its beginning. The McMillans also had a daughter Alice E.

Charles Orlando Page married Maud Annabell Castner in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, early in the decade and just before her parents moved to Detroit. They were married by Samuel B. Chase, minister, and witnesses were Frank Cline, H.O.’s son, and Mrs. E. Castner, Maud’s mother, both of Lansing. Maud’s parents were listed as E. P. Castner and Franc Gargett. Charles’ parents were listed as R. P. Page and Sarah “Keye.” The newlyweds stayed for a short while with Charles’ mother and stepfather Sarah and Harvey Cline, who, with Charles, had recently returned to Michigan from Indiana. The Pages had their first child in Lansing, Margaret Frances. Later the Clines moved to the county seat at Mason after Harvey’s election as Sheriff of Ingham County. Their place on East Maple Street also housed the deputy sheriff, a cook, another servant, and several prisoners. The Pages also moved to Mason, but to Lansing Street, and Charles became the proprietor of a cigar store. The couple had their second child at Mason, Howard Oswald Page. Howard would be the future husband of Jennie Louise Barnes and second husband of Marilee Lawrence and Rosalie Virginia Baker.

As to Charles’ surviving siblings, his half-sister Carrie Bell and her family will be discussed in the next decade’s narrative. Charles’ half-brother George Hudson married Mary A. Reed and they first settled on the farm of Abram G. and Mallisa (Keys) Powers in Climax Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Abram was a younger brother of the husband of George’s former stepmother Sarah (Keyes) Page Cline’s sister Irena. Abram’s farm was near the original Keyes farm that was then owned by Sarah’s brother Wilbur a.k.a. “Web.” George and Mary’s family later moved to Battle Creek in Calhoun County, sometime thereafter residing in Charlotte, Eaton County. Their daughter and only descendant Elsie May married Jesse Strange Harrison during this decade. George farmed and Jesse was a mechanic and garage owner. Mary became an invalid and for a long time suffered with cancer of the spine, yet she outlived her daughter by a few years. The Pages and Harrisons were interred at the Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte.

Garrett: Hugh III and Mary F. were living at Ingersoll Township, Midland County, Michigan, where Hugh was farming. They had their second child at the beginning of the decade, Russell John, who would be the future husband of Verla Bell Lindstrom, daughter of Charles Albert and Rose Edna (Hill) Lindstrom. Verla would also be born during this decade, at Twining, Arenac County, Michigan.
West: Andrew West was still a boarder at Ironwood, Gogebic County, Michigan, in the household of Finnish immigrants Andrew and Lydia Hegglund at decade’s beginning. Both Andrews were iron miners. There were other boarders who were also miners. Andrew Hegglund had immigrated in 1888 and Lydia in 1892. Their first two children were born in Wisconsin and their third in Michigan. The following year Andrew West married Hannah Snellman, daughter of John Snellman. She was employed as a domestic and had arrived from Finland in 1900. They were united in marriage at Ironwood by N. Gibson, Pastor. Witnesses were Axel Jacobson and Maria Matson of Ironwood. The newlyweds settled in the Ironwood suburb of Norrie and had their first four children by decade’s end: Elvira A., Hildegarde O., Alphonse Anders, and Alvar L.. Alvar L. would be the future husband of Marie Tuttle of Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan.
Lindstrom: Charles Albert and Rose Edna were living with Rose’s parents at Au Gres, Arenac County, Michigan, at the beginning of the decade, along with some of the other Hill children, including Roland, an assistant postman. Charles and Rose’s daughter Verla Bell Lindstrom was born toward the middle of this decade at Twining, Arenac County. She would be the future wife of Russell John Garrett, son of Hugh III and Mary F. (Tilden) Garrett of Ingersoll Township, Midland County, Michigan. Verla’s older brother Fred Lloyd would later marry Harriet Margaret Coon. It is said that Rose’s father William Hill left a huge assortment of carpentry tools at his death. [The Lindstrom surname will now cease to be included as a separate subtitle in this narrative.]

Last updated: Tuesday August 12, 2014

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