Mary Jane Robinson Houghton. Maybe

 My great-great-grandmother is Julia Kinney Hancock. We have a lot of documentation about her mother, Mary Elizabeth Houghton Hancock. Mary Elizabeth's parents have always been difficult to securely document. There are a number of family trees out there on the intertubes that make various claims for her parents, but actual proof is sparse. 

Here's what we know for certain:

• There is a marriage recorded for Mary Elizabeth Houghton, age 26, and Thomas F Kenney (we spell it Kinney), age 28, in Boston, MA, for March 20, 1858. This records her parents' names as William and Mary J. Houghton. Hopefully, this is true. I only express doubt because some of the information on the record is clearly false. Both Thomas and Mary Elizabeth claimed to be born in Boston and to be the children of parents born in Boston. In fact, both were born in Nova Scotia and all of their later census records list English Canada as the birthplace of their parents. [Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC6Q-MCX : accessed 15 February 2016), Thomas F. Kenney and Mary E. Houghton, 20 Mar 1858; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 818,099.]

These are the transcribed marriage records for the city of Boston in 1858. Thomas Kenney/Kinney and Mary Elizabeth Houghton are second from the bottom. I really wish she had included her mother's maiden name and/or that we had the original documents

• The obituary of Julia Kinney Hancock, daughter of Thomas Kinney and Mary Elizabeth Houghton, states that she was born in Hall's Harbor, Nova Scotia, in 1859. Since Thomas Kinney was a mariner, he was away from home frequently. He had grown up in Yarmouth, 150 miles away from Hall's Harbor. If Mary Elizabeth was in Hall's Harbor when her daughter was born, it suggests that her family may have been from the area. Also, Hall's Harbor is small. It's not likely she was there because it was a major hub. The 1861 Canada Census has Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Kinney in Kings County (where Hall's Harbor is located). ["Nova Scotia Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQD-MY2 : 8 November 2014), Thos F Kenny, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing line 17; Library and Archives Canada film number M-881, Public Archives, Halifax; FHL microfilm 865,126.]

My Great-Aunt Lilian, who is always proven right in the end, has Mary Elizabeth Houghton's mother's maiden name as Robinson. I don't know if that information was handed down in the family or if she found documentation. 

Finding a William and Mary J Houghton living in Kings County, Nova Scotia around the time of Mary Elizabeth's birth in 1831 has been a challenge. The names are quite common. I may have finally come up with a breakthrough, though, and it leads to an unexpected reason why we may know less about Mary Elizabeth's family than we do about the Kinney side, as well as why she and Thomas lied about their birthplaces: it looks like Mary Elizabeth was Catholic. Perhaps the couple eloped in order to avoid familial or religious barriers?

I base this on the most likely records I can find of her parents, a William and Mary Houghton living in Hall's Harbor around the time that Mary Elizabeth would have been living there with her newborn daughter:

• There is a William Howton in the Canadian census in Kings County, Nova Scotia, in 1861. ["Nova Scotia Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQQD-9K4 : accessed 18 November 2015), William Howton, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing line 10; Library and Archives Canada film number M-881, Public Archives, Halifax; FHL microfilm 865,126.]
• William Howton and his wife Mary J. are recorded in Kings County, Nova Scotia in the 1871 census, along with two daughters, Teressa and Louisa, ages 19 and 17. [http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/pdf/4396663_00061.pdf]. William is listed as 63, Roman Catholic, a farmer, and born in Ireland. Mary J is 60, Roman Catholic, and also listed as born in Ireland. However, when her daughter, Louisa Frances Murphy, died in 1934, her death certificate states that her mother was born in Canada. 
• In the 1891 census, William is recorded in Woodville, Kings, Nova Scotia, as an 87 year old widower. Woodville is about 10 miles from Halls Harbor. ["Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW23-4FX : accessed 18 November 2015), Wm Houghton, Woodville, Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148119.] 

Unfortunately, it's hard to tie this William Houghton and Mary J. to Mary Elizabeth Houghton Kinney. There are indications, however, that Mary J.'s maiden name was Robinson, which is the name in Aunt Lil's records. 

In the records of the Catholic church, St. John the Evangelist, in Windsor, Nova Scotia, I found the baptism of Patrick Houghton, son of William Houghton and Jane Houghton nee Robinson. It would not be at all surprising if Mary J went by her middle name. That's incredibly common in Catholic communities where every other woman is named Mary. Patrick's baptism was sponsored by Michael Donahue and Bridget Houghton. Patrick was baptized September 29, 1835. This would make him a perfect age to be the brother of Mary Elizabeth. Windsor, however, is about 30 miles from Hall's Harbor. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DQJQ-D4MM : 27 May 2021), Patrick Houghton, 1835.]

The baptismal record of Patrick Houghton from the 1835 records of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Windsor, Nova Scotia. The relevant record is in the upper right corner

The same church records have evidence for a likely sibling of Patrick's, Jane. Again, the parents names are listed as William Houghton and Jane Robinson. She was baptized August 27, 1837. Her sponsors were Patrick Lyons and Elizabeth Doye (or Dolyle?) ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DXMX-4SMM : 27 May 2021), William Hauton in entry for Jane or Janne Hauton, 1837.]

The record of Jane Houghton's baptism at St. John the Evangelist in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1837. Her record is on the bottom right of the page.

OK, but if these are siblings of Mary Elizabeth's, this begs two questions: 1) why isn't Mary Elizabeth's baptism in the records?; and 2) why are these records from a church so far from Hall's Harbor?

The answer to the first question is just depressing: the records don't go back far enough to catch Mary Elizabeth's birth. The answer to the second question, though, may be that Kings County didn't have a church of its own and relied on an itinerant priest. Another possible sibling of Mary Elizabeth's is listed in the baptismal records of the same church, St. John the Evangelist in Windsor, in 1840. This record book, however, actually lists the locations in which the weddings, funerals, and baptisms took place. They are from a variety of areas around Windsor, such as Kentville and Horton. The record for the baptism of Lavinia Houton [sic], daughter of William Houghton and Jane Robinson, specifically states it took place in Cornwallis. Cornwallis was one of the original townships of Kings County. She was sponsored by James Houghton and Mary Porter ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DWHV-8JMM : 27 May 2021), William Houton in entry for Lavinia Houton, 1840.]

Baptismal record of Lavinia Houghton, March 24, 1840, in Kings County, Nova Scotia. Her record is on the right near the center.

Other children baptized at the same church to William Houghton and Jane Robinson include:

• Henry, on July 1, 1849, at 10(?) months old, sponsored by James Lyons and Mary Sullivan ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DWHG-V6N2 : 27 May 2021), Wm Houghton in entry for Henry Houghton, 1849.] 
• Agnes (baptized at 5 months old on May 30, 1850), sponsored by Joseph Henderson and Bridget Thompson ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:D7BM-YY2M : 27 May 2021), William Haughton in entry for Agnes Haughton, 30 May.]
• Theresa, on October 17, 1851, sponsored by . In this record, the mother's name is listed as Mary Jane Robinson and the location is Cornwallis. Her sponsors names are hard to read, but I think it says Patt Sarsfield and Johanna Sulivan. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DW2P-9DMM : 27 May 2021), William Haughton in entry for Teresa Haughton, 1850.] 

Are Henry, Agnes, and Theresa from the same family? Are they all (or any of them) siblings of Mary Elizabeth? It's hard to tell. I suspect not, though, since they do not show up in the census with our "target" William and Mary J. Houghton in 1861. With such common last names, though, it's hard to tell. 

One last record that might be relevant:

The baptism of Anne Houghton, lawful daughter of William Houghton and Janet Robinson, on Oct 22, 1833. She was sponsored by Neil Kelly and Bridget Lyons. Note that Patrick had been sponsored by a Bridget Houghton and Jane Houghton was sponsored by a Patrick Lyons. Could these be relatives? Or just frustratingly common Irish names? Anne was not baptized in the same church as the others. She was baptized in St. Gregory, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, which is on the opposite side of the peninsula from Kings County. ["Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DH6S-SPMM : 27 May 2021), Wiliam Houton in entry for Anne Houton, 1833.]

Here's what I'd really like for Christmas: a baptismal record for Mary Elizabeth Houghton herself. Short of that, I'd at least like the baptismal records for the daughters listed in the 1861 census (Theresa and Louisa) so I can directly connect them to the same family. 

Killers of the King

I just finished an interesting book called Killers of the King by Charles Spencer. It follows the history of the men who were directly involved in the execution of Charles I and what happened to them afterward. (Spoiler alert: they were mostly killed in horrible ways. To quote the immortal Omar Little, "You come at the king, you best not miss.") 

The book is interesting in its own right but I kept thinking about the relationship this history had to our own genealogy. A large chunk of our ancestors -- the Kinney line but also some on the Manary side -- came to New England through the Great Puritan Migration. That migration took place in the context of the English Civil War, the Protectorate, and the Restoration. After the Restoration, some of the regicides fled to the Massachusetts colonies where they were protected by the authorities and population alike. The colonists were mostly not big fans of the Stuarts. 

Wikipedia has a list of all the regicides here. They were all major supporters of Parliament in the Civil War and many of them were Puritans, so I ran the names through Wikitree to see if we're related to any of them. Not surprisingly, we are, although mostly not in the ways I had expected. Many of our colonial ancestors were 2nd-5th cousins of these men, but in most cases it was our ancestors in colonial Virginia, not Massachusetts. My guess is that is because our colonial Virginian ancestors (the Hancock line, essentially) was more "aristocratic" and the leaders of the Parliamentarians were still fairly aristocratic/wealthy, despite their opposition to the king. By marriage, however, we're more likely to be related to these men through our Kinney or Manary connections, since their family members often ended up moving to the Massachusetts Puritan colonies.

We're distantly related to many of the regicides, but here are a few who have closer ties:

General Edmund Ludlow was my 12th great-uncle and one of Cromwell's great supporters. Cromwell named him military commander in Ireland until he objected when Cromwell declared himself Lord Protector. Ludlow was a member of the jury that convicted Charles I and he signed the death warrant. His brother Gabriel's grandchildren moved to Virginia and became our ancestors. Ludlow fled England after the restoration and lived the rest of his life in Switzerland. He was the only regicide who is known to have survived long enough to see the downfall of the Stuarts. He kept chronicles and letters and so his work is one of the main sources cited in the Killers of the King. He's the only regicide with anything like a direct relationship to us. Sara Ludlow Carter, my 10th great-grandmother, who moved with her brothers to the Virginia colony sometime around 1660, was the great niece of Edmund Ludlow. Her descendants married into the Hancock family.

Edmund Ludlow

Colonel Adrian Scrope is a 2nd cousin many times removed, again through our relationship to Edmund Ludlow, who was his uncle (or maybe great uncle?). Cromwell appointed Scrope head of security during the trial of Charles I, and he signed the death warrant. He was hanged, drawn, and quartered at Charing Cross in 1660. Parliament had originally just fined him for his role in the trial, but was executed after Richard Browne, Mayor of London, testified that he had confessed that he was unrepentant. Browne, incidentally, was a distant relative of ours by marriage. We're related to his uncle's wife. 

Adrian Scrope

Adrian Scrope in more difficult times (he's being disembowled in the lower picture)

Edward Wallop, another signatory, was found guilty but sentenced to life in prison and to a trip by sledge to the gallows at Tyburn. The sledge ride was the foreplay to execution at that time period, but Wallop was merely dragged through the city on the sledge and shown the gallows before being returned to prison. He was also some kind of 2nd or 3rd cousin of Edmund Ludlow, and therefore of ours, but it doesn't seem worth figuring out the details since he's even farther from us than Adrian Scrope. Spencer quotes a Dutch visitor's letter about January 27, 1662, "We walked with thousands of people to Tyburn and saw there Lord Monson, Sir Henry Mildmay and Mr. Wallop lying in their tabards on a little straw on a hurdle being dragged through under the gallows, where some articles were read to them and then torn up. After that they were again dragged through the streets back to the Tower." (p. 245)

My husband and children are first cousins (many times removed) of the wife of Colonel John Dixwell. Dixwell escaped by claiming to be unwell and asking Parliament for an extension before he handed himself into the court. He was granted the extension but he used it to liquidate some assets and flee to Europe. He was mistakenly reported as dead to the Royalists so he moved again to the Americas and managed to live a long and happy life in Connecticut under the assumed named of James Davids. Joe and the kids to are related to Dixwell through his third wife Bathsheba Howe.

They are also direct descendants of Augustine Garland's brother in law, William Newbold. Augustine Garland was a lawyer and the first committee chairman for Charles I's trial. Surprisingly, he was granted life in prison, perhaps because he pleaded he had no real choice. In his own trial he told the judge, "My Lord, I did not know which way to be safe in any thing, without doors was misery, within doors was mischief" (Spencer p.244). He forfeited his estate and was transported to a prison in Tangiers where he died.

We're not really related to the Big Cheese, Oliver Cromwell, but we do have connections through marriage. The Manary line is descended from Sarah Bucknam Dexter, who lived in the Massachusetts colony in the mid-1700's. Her brother Samuel was married to one of Cromwell's sister's descendants, Deborah Sprague. Through that same connection to Cromwell's sister, Frances, we are related by marriage to two other signatories of the death warrant: her husband Colonel Edward Whalley and their son-in-law, Lieutenant William Goffee. Both had been powerful members of Cromwell's inner circle. Whalley and Goffee fled to Connecticut after the Restoration and lived in hiding for the rest of their lives.

Death warrant of Charles I

Julia Kinney Hancock, painter

When she visits, my mother often brings a treasure-trove of genealogical materials from my grandmother's stored belongings. This week, she brought this oil painting. On the back it says "Painted by Julia Kinney as a girl". Julia, who was my great-great-grandmother, was born in 1859. I'd guess her "girlhood" to be anytime before 1880. Before she reached the age of 20, Julia had lived in Nova Scotia, Boston, San Francisco, and Whidbey Island, Washington. This landscape doesn't particularly remind me of any of those areas, but it's more "east coast-y" than west. On the other hand, she very well may have copied some other painting and not seen this landscape in real life.

If you look closely, you'll see that the human figures are a bit stiff but the animals and landscape are quite good. Joe wanted to know if she kept painting, and if the family has any of her other work. Honestly, I don't know. Maybe some of my cousins do?

Deans and the Whiskey Rebellion

I was reading Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton when I was struck by his description of the Whiskey Rebellion, specifically, of its epicenter as west-central Pennsylvania. The Whiskey Rebellion took place from 1791-1794, and guess who was living in west-central Pennsylvania at that time? The early Dean family! Specifically, my 6xgreat-grandfather, James Dean, who died around 1795 (his wife was probably already dead by this point), and his son and daughter-in-law, my 5xgreat-grandparents, Abraham and Sarah Stewart Dean.

The Whiskey Rebellion began in the Appalachian area, among the Scotch-Irish small farmers, who were enraged by a whiskey tax that was far more punitive and inconvenient to them than to the larger distilleries of the coast. Many small farmers made whiskey as a more efficient way of transporting their crops for sale across poor roads. The tax was detrimental to one of their primary money-making enterprises and the required inspections were problematic given their dispersed farmsteads and difficult traveling conditions.

The resistance to the tax had its most formal expression on July 27, 1791, when a group of community leaders gathered at Redstone Old Fort in Fayette County and signed a proclamation declaring their grievance. The most prominent politician present was Albert Gallatin, later Thomas Jefferson's secretary of treasury. Among those who signed the statement was one "John Canon", possibly from Washington County.

There is a John Canon (or Canan) who was the son-in-law of James Dean, husband of Abraham's sister, Margary.  Could he have been the signatory? We do know he was a civic leader, according to this biography of his son, also named John, who was a Pennsylvania representative:

John Canan, his father, was born in Ireland in 1746; his mother, Margery Dean, also born there, came to America before the Revolution, and they were married here. John Canan was second lieutenant in the 2d Pennsylvania Regiment in 1777. In 1786 and '87 he was a member of the general assembly from Bedford county. He was also a member of the supreme executive council from 1787 to 1790. Under the constitution of 1790 he was appointed an associate judge and he was again a member of the assembly from Huntingdon county from 1791 to '94, and senator from Huntingdon and Bedford from 1795 to 1799. He owned a large estate in land, and late in life entered the forge and furnace business, being unfortunate in his investment. He died in 1831, at the age of 85 years. Margery Dean Canan died in 1815, when she was 55 years old.

Neither this John Canan or his son were from Washington county, but they were definitely from the area.

I haven't had a lot of time to do genealogy this summer, but I hope to look into this more in the future. Regardless of which side of the Whiskey Rebellion our ancestors supported -- if we ever know -- they definitely lived through the heart of it.

A Little More Rooney Info

I have written previous blog posts (here and here) about John and Eliza Rooney, my 3xgreat-grandparents. When I first got interested in genealogy, I was surprised to find that they had died and were buried in Osakis, MN, which is only about 45 minutes from where I live now.

Today, I went to the Douglas County Historical Society, which has a lot of really lovely people who help do genealogical research. On their webpage, it said they had a family file on John and Eliza Rooney. It turned out they didn't have much, and they weren't able to find any obituaries. They did have a page from what is clearly one of those county history books that were so popular in the U.S. in the early 20th century. The page had an entry for A.A. Rooney, John and Eliza's youngest son. Here's what is says that's of interest to the wider family:

A.A. Rooney, one of the well-known and successful farmers of Osakis township, Douglas county, was born in Dodge county, Wisconsin, on September 17, 1870, the son of John and Elizabeth (Kelly) Rooney, who were born in Ireland and there received their education in the common schools, grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. In 1848 they decided that they would leave the land of their birth and seek a home in America, where so many of their countrymen had come. After landing in New York they decided to locate there, and for the next seven years that was their home. In the fall of 1854 they removed to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where they lived until 1887, when they became residents of Minneapolis, where they resided for the next two years. In 1889 they located in Austin, Minnesota, and lived there three years, after which they removed to Farmington, where they remained until 1901. They then removed to Osakis township, Douglas county, and there Mr. Rooney died in 1907. They were the parents of the following children: Patrick, Thomas, Isabelle, Lizzie [This is Elizabeth, who married a Cunningham and is my direct ancestor], Anna, Frank, Stephen, Margaret, Isabelle, Jennie, and A.A. [his name was Ambrose Aloysius]. The first-born Isabelle is now deceased. The family are devout members of the Catholic church.

A.A. Rooney received his education in the public schools of Dodge county, Wisconsin. As a young man he started farming for himself, at Austin, Minnesota. In 1901 he moved to Osakis township, Douglas county, where he is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, which is well developed and improved with good and substantial buildings.

The genealogy volunteer at the historical society asked me if I was related to the Rooney family that owned the hardware store in town. I had to say "I don't know!" Maybe I'll find out as I trace more of Ambrose's descendants.

The useful new information in this biographical sketch is the description of their movements, which were too frequent to be caught in the census. They moved to Minneapolis around the same time as their daughter, Elizabeth Rooney Cunningham. The Cunningham's stayed, but the Rooney's moved on. Perhaps I'll be able to find more information at the historical society.

Mystery solved!

I have written before about my great-great-grandparents, David Philip Dean and Sarah "Jennie" Brattain Dean. I had always wondered how they met. David Philip Dean was born in Iowa, and he lived there until he was an older adult, when most of the family moved to Washington. Jennie, however, was from Indiana. How did they come together? At first, I thought David may have been visiting his mother's brothers, who did have farms in Indiana, but the Dean family bible made it clear that they were married in Iowa.

Recently, my mother found the original marriage certificate for David and Jennie among my grandmother's documents. One of the witnesses listed is "Jackson Wisehart". Wisehart is Jennie's mother's maiden name. Indeed, her mother, Louisa Wisehart Brattain, had an older brother named Andrew Jackson Wisehart (yes, really). Jackson was married to Hiram Brattain's younger sister, Christena. Hiram Brattain was Louisa's husband and Jennie's father. So, Andrew Jackson Wisehart was Jennie's uncle by birth and by marriage.

So, why was Andrew Jackson Wisehart present at the wedding of David and Jennie? The documents I found for him suggested he was born and died in Indiana. So, I searched further and I found this copy of his obituary:

If you click on it, you'll be able to see it better. Basically, it turns out that Jackson Brattain spent a chunk of time in DesMoines, Iowa, building a business there from 1872-1894, before returning to Indiana. His niece must have visited him and her aunt there, met David, and married him in 1876. I wonder if she was there because her aunt, Christena, was ill and needed some help with her younger children.  Sadly, Christena died almost a year to the day after the wedding of her niece.

Mystery solved!

Wehner, Wiemer, Ruffertshofer, Manary Photographs

My mother gave me a box of photographs from my father's maternal line. She found it among my grandmother's things. It includes a number of travel photo albums from the middle of the 20th century, but also some family portraits I hadn't seen before. I'm posting them here to share with the rest of the family. I'll get around to the travel albums later, but most of them aren't of as much interest.

Oldest Generation (First Generation Immigrants):

Charlotte Friedericke Wehner, nee von Heinrich, born March 3, 1807, in Wielselthal, Prussia (now part of Poland). She was the matriarch of the family that moved to Sebewaing, MI, around 1860. Uncertain when this picture was taken. She lived until April 24, 1900, but she doesn't look to be in her 90s in the picture. Perhaps late 1800s? I do not have a photo of her husband, Johann Gotlieb Wehner.

Charlotte Friedericke Wehner, nee von Heinrich

Next Generation (Born in Prussia, spent most of their adult lives in MI): 

Augusta Wehner Wiemer, born November 26, 1837, somewhere in Prussia. She immigrated to Sebewaing, MI, with her parents and married Friedrich William Wiemer (sometimes spelled Weimer, I wish they'd decide which it was) in 1862. William was also from the area of Prussia that today is in Poland, so it is possible they knew each other before moving to Michigan. Augusta died in 1926. William died in 1911. Not certain when these photos were taken. Again, probably late 1800s.

Augusta Wehner Wiemer

Friedrich William Wiemer

Third Generation (First generation born in the U.S.):

Ernestina Wiemer Anderson, the third child of William and Augusta, was born in Sebewaing, MI, on Valentines Day in 1862. She died in 1929. This photograph looks like it was taken in the early 1900s.

Ernestina Wiemer Anderson

Christiana Wiemer Ruffertshofer, the fifth child of Augusta and William, was born May 27, 1871 and died November 6, 1957. She married Frederick Ruffertshofer in 1891. This picture was part of the same set of pictures that include her parents, so I'm guessing they were all taken in the late 1800s. I don't know why the picture is sideways and not cropped like the others. If I figure it out, I'll fix it.

Christiana WiemerRuffertshofer

Mary Wiemer Fitzgerald was the sixth child of William and Augusta. I didn't know her married name was Fitzgerald until I read it on the back of this picture. She was born around 1876, so I would guess this picture was taken in the 1890s. 

Mary Wiemer Fitzgerald

I believe this is a picture of Frederick H. Wiemer, the youngest son and seventh child of William and Augusta. The back of the photograph says "Herman Wiemer". I know nothing about him except that he was born around 1877.

Frederick Herman Wiemer

 Fourth Generation:

Christiana and Frederick Ruffertshofer had four sons and one daughter. John Frederick Ruffertshofer was the eldest son, born 1894. He married Myrtle (I don't know her last name). I believe this must be a wedding photograph of them. According to the note on the back, Fred stole from Dow and was fired, making him "a disgrace to the family".

Frank and Myrtle Ruffertshofer

Mabel Ruffertshofer, the only daughter, was born  October 5, 1892, on the farm in Monitor Township, Bay County, MI. She married Otto Manary in 1909. He was born October 22, 1878 on the adjacent farm.

Mabel and Otto Manary

Fifth generation:

These are mostly mixed pictures showing the fifth generation of children with their elders. I love this picture of four generations of Wehmer/Wiemer/Ruffertshofer/Manary women. The picture is dated May 7, 1911, and shows, clockwise, Mabel Ruffertshofer Manary, Viola Manary Drescher (as a baby), Christiana Wiemer Ruffertshofer, and Augusta Wehner Wiemer

Four generations of women

My grandmother, Ilau Manary Dean, I'd guess around 1940.

Ilau Manary Dean

This is a picture of Otto Manary and his first grandchild, Z. I don't know exactly when it was taken, but Z was born in December of 1937 and Otto died in 1941, so I'm guessing 1938-ish.

Otto Manary and Z Drescher Kripke

And a random Manary whose picture was in the box:

She doesn't fit into my direct ancestral line, but here's a picture of Otto Manary's sister, Eleanor Manary Johnson (at least, I think it says Johnson on the back of her photo. I didn't know her married name before seeing it.) Her children's names were Hazel and Ernie. Eleanor was born around 1881.