Piecing Together A Family From A Newspaper Announcement In Cheboygan, Michigan

While researching the WHITNEY surname in northern Michigan, I found the following entry in a fairly comprehensive Cheboygan Co., Michigan, Index at the GenWeb site:

Whitney Margaret Miss Aug 28, 1924
Cheboygan Daily Tribune

On a trip to the Library of Michigan in Lansing, MI, I used the date from the indexed item above and found the following article relating to "Miss" Margaret Whitney.


Once I found the Cheboygan newspaper article, Margaret appeared to be unrelated to any Whitney I was researching, but thought that a move to West Virginia from northern Michigan was interesting. I shelved the article several months ago and while searching through my files today, thought that with the Michigan marriages and West Virginia records online here, I might have a little luck finding "the rest of the story" behind Margaret Whitney.

Since Margaret Whitney married Wilbur Jones, his name was checked first and found this record (the categories left blank were erased):

Groom name: Wilbur L. Jones

Groom age: 21 years

Groom birth year: 1903

Groom birth place: Wolverine, Michigan

Bride name: Marguerite T. Gill Whitney

Bride age: 28 years

Bride birth year: 1896

Bride birth place: New York

Marriage date: 24 Aug 1924

Marriage place: Levering, Emmet, Michigan

Father of groom name: A. W. Jones

Mother of groom name: Vina Ryckman

Father of bride name: E. B. Gill

Mother of bride name: Nellie

Film number: 2342761

Digital GS number: 4210097

Image number: 434

Reference number: v 2 rn 3630

Collection: Michigan Marriages 1868-1925

This record told me that "Miss" Margaret Whitney's maiden name was GILL not Whitney.

Using the same database, a marriage record for Marguerite Gill was found:

Groom name: Joseph R. Whitney

Groom age: 23 years

Groom birth year: 1894

Groom birth place: Merrill

Bride name: Marguerite Gill

Bride age: 21 years

Bride birth year: 1896

Bride birth place: New York

Marriage date: 07 Apr 1917

Marriage place: Central Lake, Antrim, Michigan

Father of groom name: J. H.

Mother of groom name: Minnie Thomas

Father of bride name: Emmons

Mother of bride name: Bush

Film number: 2342722

Digital GS number: 4209964

Image number: 581

Reference number: v 5 p 15 rn 23864

Collection: Michigan Marriages 1868-1925

Between the two marriage records, her parents were identified as Emmons & Nellie (Bush) Gill, and that she was born in New York, ca 1896.

1900 PA Susquehanna, Montrose

Gill, Emmons, Oct 1864, NY NY NY

", Nellie, Jan/June 1867, NY NY NY

", Allina, daughter, Oct 1890, NY NY NY

", Marguerite, May 1895, NY NY NY

1920 MI Antrim, Central Lake

Gill, E.B., 56, b. NY, manager of a canning factory

", Helen, wife, 53

", Myrta (Merla?), 16

", Elwood, son, 6

Whitney, Marguerite, daughter, 24, widowed, b. NY

", Joseph, son 1/12, b. MI

The Jones family was found living in Cheboygan, Michigan:

1900 MI Cheboygan

Jones, Almon, head, Jan/June 1871, MI Canada England

", Lavina Mrs., June 1869

Ryckman, Archie, Jany 1873

", Levi, Oct 1876

[Info on the Internet indicated that the Ryckmans were Lavina Ryckman's cousins]

[Wilbur, Marguerite Gill Whitney's husband, wasn't born yet]

1920 MI Cheboygan, Nunda Twp

Jones, Alman W., 48, MI

", Levina, wife, 50, MI

", Wilbur L., son, 16, MI

Did Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Jones ever move to West Virginia? From what I gathered, Wilbur died in Jackson, MI.

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.