Cousin Fred's Sias & Whitney Ancestors

Cousin Fred, who died July 16, 2008, was the son of Helen White and Fred Whitney Sias. He was a small child when his father died (see obit below) and his brother was not yet born. His widowed mother, Helen (White) Sias, went to live with her parents (Fernando James & Cinderella Amelia (McFadyen) White), so Fred spent some of his formative years with his maternal grandparents. His mother married 2nd, Cleo Krantz, whose first wife was Thelma Sias, Cousin Fred's paternal aunt. Fred and his brother adopted the Krantz surname as a tribute to the man who raised them.

Detroit Free Press, Tuesday, June 22, 1937
FRED W. SIAS
Services for Mr. Sias at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the F.B. Hunter Funeral Home, 13903 Terry Ave. Burial in Grand Lawn Cemetery. Mr. Sias was killed Friday in an auto accident at Hartwell and Chalfonte Aves. He was born in Cheboygan 27 years ago and had lived in Detroit 20 years. His home was at 15039 Stansbury Ave. Surviving are his wife, Helen; a son, Fred W., Jr.; two brothers, Wortley and Charles, and two sisters, Mrs. Thelma Smith and Mrs. Lou Ella Nork.

The parents of Fred W. Sias (1909 - 1937) were Charles & Helen (Spooner) Sias; grandparents were Charles & Evelyn (Whitney) Sias.

Cousin Fred - R.I.P.

Fred W. Krantz, Sr., 75, Ormond Beach, passed away July 16, 2008. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2008, at 2 p.m. at Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach. Fred was born in Detroit, Mich., on February 2, 1933, and he and his wife moved to Florida in the 1960's and have been residents of the area for over 40 years. Fred loved his family, NASCAR and golfing and was a real "people person." He was a past officer and member of the Gold Wing Club and Newmar Country Club. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 56 years, Patricia; three children, DeeDee (Tim) O'Brien, Fred (Tracy) W. Krantz Jr., and Cindy (Flem) Whited. Also surviving are Fred's grandchildren, Sean and Michael O'Brien, Kanan and Whitney Whited, and Sabrina and Gina Krantz. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach. Condolences may be left at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. Donations may be made to Hospice of Volusia and Flagler Counties. [Obituary at the website here]

Fred and Pat spent their summers in Lapeer, Michigan, and were the founders of the Circle K RV business there. After the impromptu White family reunion at Higgins Lake, we were fortunate to spend more time with Jim's maternal cousins and especially with Fred and Pat since we now spend part of our summer in Lapeer.

See post(s) for the Sias and Whitney Families for additional details regarding Fred's life.

Some Ancestors of Cleo Abner Krantz

Cleo Abner Krantz, son of John & Alma (Babbitt) Krantz, was born in Michigan on 13 June 1902 and died in Florida in February 1973 . He married (2nd) Helen White as her second husband. Ancestry.com [free version] listed Cleo Krantz in the Shiawasee County census in 1930; in Wayne Co. in 1920; and Clare Co. in 1910 – all in Michigan. He was not born yet for the 1900 census.

1930 MI Shiawasee Co., Owosso
Sproule, Joseph head
KRANTZ, Alma, servant 47 Div MI Can
" , Cleo A., roomer m/w/27, single MI MI

1920 MI Wayne Detroit, 6th Ward, Fenelon Street
Krantz, John, 52, MI F: Canada M: Ireland, auto factory worker
“ , Alma, 42, b. MI Father b. England Mother b. Ohio
“ , Clio, son, 17, b. MI, MI MI, auto factory worker

1910 MI Census, Clare Co., 2nd Ward, Grant Twp.
Krantz, John, head, 29, m1, 9yrs, Can Ger Ger, 1885?, Na, cabinet maker, auto factory
“ , Alma, wife, 27, m1, 9yrs, 0children/0living, MI Can MI, milliner – own store
Babbitt, Orrington, father-in-law, 73, m2, 31 years, Can Can Can, 1861? Na, retired farmer
“ , Ella, mother-in-law, 53, m1, 31 years, MI MI MI
Krantz, Cleo, son, 7, MI Can MI
Hammel, Rena, boarder, 21, MI Norwary MI, milliner

John Krantz (Cleo’s father) was the son of William & M. Tina (Reed) Krantz [per IGI at familysearch.org]A search of familysearch.org ( Latter Day Saints site) showed that John Krantz married Alma Babbitt.

Alma Babbitt (Cleo’s mother) was the daughter of Orrington G. & Ella J. (Pratt) Babbitt. The Babbitt and Krantz families were living together in Clare County, Michigan, in 1910. The Babbitt family book [ Browne, William Bradford, The Babbitt family history, 1643-1900 ] at HeritageQuest online included the following information:

Alma S. Babbitt (Orrington, John, Asa, Nathaniel, Seth, Edward, Edward) b. February 1883
m: 1 January 1900 – John Kratz (sic)
Children: Charles A. (sic), b. 13 June 1901

Ella J. Pratt (Cleo’s grandmother) was probably the daughter of Warren & Amanda Pratt; Warren E. Pratt (Cleo’s great-grandfather) was the son of Lot & Philena Pratt