Arrival of Certs!!

I must hand it to the Calhoun Count Clerk's office in Marshall, MI!  I sent them a fax request last week, and the documents arrived in my mail box today!  I ordered a birth certificate for my grand mother Mary J Ewer, and death certificates for my father's parents and a great grandmother, Norma Bates.

The Quest to Qualify for my Kent County Pioneer Certificate

While looking up information on the Western Michigan Genealogical Society website tying to find information on my Blakeslee relatives in Lowell, Michigan, I found a section discussing the Kent County Pioneer Project. 

This project's purpose is to "recognize pioneers and early residents who otherwise would go unnoticed in our county's history. Each builder and craftsperson brought us one step closer to the county we know today."

To qualify:

an applicant must be directly descended from an ancestor who settled in Kent County as follows:

Pioneers (Prior to 1841) Gold Seal
Settlers (Prior to 1881) Silver Seal
Early Family (Prior to 1921) Blue Seal

All of the above being said, I believe that I qualify on my Blakeslee line!

My great grandfather Floyd C Blakeslee was born in Lowell, Kent, Michigan on 22 Sep 1891.  Floyd was not the first child born to his father Charles D. Blakeslee and mother Mary Harriett Furkey in Lowell.  Floyd's sister Minnie B Blakeslee was born in Lowell on 17 Jun 1874.  Charles D. Blakeslee's mother and father, Enos Blakeslee and Deborah Rouse, are accounted for on the census of Lowell, Michigan in 1870 and 1880.  This would put me at the silver seal level.

The one roadblock that I have ran into is trying to find the death certificates for Enos and Deborah.  I sent away to Kent County, and they came back to me saying that they do not have a death record for them.  Both Enos and Deborah are buried Oakwood Cemetery in Lowell, MI.  I believe my next step will be to write to Montcalm county and see if they have a record for them.  Some family trees that I have found on-line have Enos as dying in Carson City, Montcalm, MI.  I believe that will be my next step.

Searching for The Millers of Kalamazoo County

The second thing that I did when I got in the door, after checking the mail, was to log on to my computer and start researching.  Today I have focused on Miller part of my Family.  Specifically the family of Rose Miller, daughter of Samuel Miller and Lovern/Lavern Frost.  Miller being a common surname, I do not have much hope of being able to break down the wall to the next generation.

Samuel Miller according to the 1870 and 1880 United States Federal Census was born in Massachusetts about 1838.  Lovern Frost was born in Ohio about 1842, according to the 1870 and 1880 United States Federal Census.  They had five Children:

Arthur J. Miller
b: abt 1866 in Michigan

Samuel Miller
b: abt 1869 in Michigan
d: 26 Oct 1890 in Climax, Kalamazoo, Michigan from an Accidental Gun Shot

Rosa M. Miller
b: 16 Sep 1869 in Michigan
m: 3 Jul 1888 in Galesburg, Kalamazoo, Michigan to Marvin W. Bates
d: 23 Mar 1916 in Battle Creek, Calhoun, Michigan

Noria E. Miller
b: abt 1872 in Michigan

Elida S. Miller
b: abt 1874 in Michigan
m: 6 Apr 1895 in Fulton, Kalamazoo, Michigan to Charles D. Conrad
d: 26 Apr 1935 in Parchment, Kalamazoo, Michigan

The family shows up in Jackson Michigan in the 1870 Census.  By the time of the 1880 Census, the family has made their way further west to Climax Michigan, in Kalamazoo County.  Given the common family surname and the common first name of Samuel, tracking backward in time is proving to be difficult.  There is a lso difficulty proving the death dates for Samuel and Lovern.  While investigating, a grave for a Samuel Miller and a Lovern Miller, both died on  20 Oct 1890 and both are buried in Gibson Cemetery in Climax, Michigan.  The birth date for Samuel is 1807, so that makes it less likely to be the Samuel Miller that belongs to this family.  The birth date for Lovern, is 1840, which is within the range of posibility.

New Beginning

Today I started reentering information into a genealogy program. Given the fact the familytree maker will be discontinued in the year I have decided to move to RootsMagic 7.

I spent taking a new look at my work and how I sourced things. I am attempting to integrate Evernote into my process. It is been time-consuming but hopefully worth it.

My goal is to trace my family back to a qualifying ancestor for the Daughters of the American Revolution.  I think I have it, I now just need to gather up the paperwork.