Grand Traverse County native many webpages/blogs on this area. Google search my name and Grand Traverse Michigan. ;) Will add links to my home page soon.

I live in Jackson, Mi. I research mostly at the Library of Michigan

My dad's family is from Flint. His father and aunts & uncles were born in Hoxeyville, which is (was?) in Wexford county. His mother's mother was also from that area.

My boys were born in Flint and we lived there for 17 years. Hard to believe its been almost 19 years ago since we left there. I am both a U of M and MSU alumni. Come basketball and football season, I feel like I have a split personality. ;o)

My children's paternal ancestors were pioneers in the Huron area communities such as Colfax and Bad Axe as well as Paris and Lake Township. One particular ancestor was their gg grandmother, Ethel (Hogan) Gotts, a Canadian who immigrated to Michigan in 1885 at the age of five and can be traced up until 1920. She supposedly died as a result of the Flu Epidemic that year but can find no other record of her. She left twelve children. Have been trying to find her death information for about 7 years.

I have been searching for my ancestor, Edwin Harris who says he was born in Bellevue Michigan in 1841. I have traced a possible lead back to Jackson County Michigan, and currently am getting the records for that lead. Edwin worked on the Railroads and ended up in Atchison, Kansas. According to the census, Edwin's parents were born in New York.

If you are researching family in Michigan you need to take a look at www.seekingmichigan.org. Several months before the site was put up I spent $25 for a death certificate through the state because I could not find the county where this ancestor died. His death certificate is now available for free on seekingmichigan.org. They have death certs from 1897-1920.

I live in Barry county, MI but I have several family members that live in Bellevue, MI. Lisa, the Eaton County Genealogical society might be able to help you with your Edwin Harris research: http://www.miegs.org/

Thanks, Kerri, for letting us know about the Seeking Michigan site! I have already found some death certificates for one branch of my family. I haven't found a way to save the images as jpg files, however, other than by printing them off and then scanning them. Does anyone know if the site allows us to save the images?

Debra, I just right click on the image and select save picture as...
I'm glad you were able to find some death certs for your family.

I made a note on seekingmichigan here: http://www.genealogywise.com/forum/topics/michigan-death-records

I have not seen a way to save vs printing other then scanning the printed image.

I had tried to right-click on seekingmichigan and it would not let me in FF but the other day I dl google-chrome and that does allow me to save them on my computer with a right-click.

Also, whenever you join a group... go back and read the old messages you may find just what you were after... or not ! ;) grin

Thanks to Brenda and Kerri for your help. I had been using Firefox as a browser and for some reason it wouldn't allow me to right click to save the image. But when I used another browser, it was fine. What a valuable resource this Seeking Michigan website is!

Brenda,
Thanks for mentioning GENDIS in the MI Death Records information you posted. I was going to mention that too. It can be very helpful.

seekingmichigan.org is a great site. I was able to find many of the death certificates I needed and verified several pieces of information. Does anyone know when it will be updated?

I am looking for information about my father, Carl David Weiner (nee Kalman Vainerovich), who came to this country in 1922 thru Ellis Island accompanied by his grandparents, Yankel and Sora Riva Weinerovitz (Vainerovich). They initially traveled to Benton Harbor, Michigan to live with Charles Weiner, one of the Weinerovitz's sons and Carl's uncle. According to the ship's manifest and HIAS records, Charles and his family lived on Boston Street.

According to his birth record from Vilna, my father would have been 13 y/o when he arrived, althought the ship's manifest lists him as 10 y/o. I would like to know if my father attended any schools while he was staying with his uncle and, if so, which schools and whether or not he graduated from high school. I would also like to know how long he lived with Charles and where he went from there. I also know my father was married probably some time between 1926 and 1938, and that this marriage may have occurred in Michigan. I would like to know the name of this woman.

Any help is appreciated.

Have lots of people that I am researching in Oakland County, particularly the surname Webster.

Julie, I have several Oakland county gen books; naturalizations, marriages I think.. I would have to look but I have about 8-9 or so.. if you want something looked up.

Thanks Kerri - I know about the latter half of Edwin's life, but the beginning is what is still illusive to me. I have him from about 1865 on starting in Missiouri and then moving to Kansas. He was a member of the IOOF and a Railroad Engineer. I have found a couple of great resources like this one on History of Kansas by Cutler. You need to scroll down to Edwin S Harris. (http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/atchison/atchison-co-p17.html#BIOGRAPHICAL_SKETCHES_GLANCY-HINKEL)

That is where I got the Bellevue Michigan from. Although I don't know how long his family was there, since my research has shown that there wasn't railroads through that area until about 10 years after he was supposedly starting working.

Has anybody heard of the town of Ozark?? It no longer exists but it's apperantly where my grandfather, Woitto/Voitto Lehto was born. I have found his parents Marriage records (they were married in Detroit) and the last name is spelled Lehta (Letho on a couple sensus records). The Seeking Michigan site is neat but I can't seem to find my grandfather's birth record on there. Is that only for death records??

Caren, there are no birth records on seeking michigan.

The town of Ozark, MI is in the upper peninsula just to the west of highway 123 which goes north. the town still exists, but the mining part does not. Go to google.com and put in where is Ozark, MI and a map will come up. Good luck.

Kerri, there is ONLY death no marriage or birth but http://labs.familysearch.org has _some_ not all inclusive at all.

I am very active as a volunteer in Macomb County for the Macomb County Genealogy Group and the Mount Clemens Public Library and would be glad to advise anyone concerning research there. In addition to a number of the databases on the Library's website http://www.libcoop.net/mountclemens/genealog.htm -- I have many databases & transcriptions "in process" on my PC. For instance, I can tell you the date any person died in Macomb Co, and answer many other questions. However, if you want an actual copy of an obituary, death record (to 1949), probate record etc I would like you to use the Research Assistance link from the Library website. There is a very minimal charge (for instance 4 obits for $5) - but any funds generated go directly back to support & expand the resources in the Local History Room at the Library. My personal research in Michigan lies in the counties of Cass, St. Joseph, Mecosta and a few others.

my father although born in Canada attended early school in Detriot area... how do I find out which school? thanks

I've hit a brick wall researching my grandmother and great uncle. They were left at an orphanage in Grand Rapids by their parents Mate and Benjamin Donahue in 1895, and foster later that same year. Apparently, from family letters, the parents visited them a couple times, but disappeared and I can't find a trace of either one in any census, anywhere. According to the children's birth certificates, their parents were born in Vermont. I can't find anything about them there, either.

I've read almost everything on the WMGS site, and several other sites, but seem to have exhausted everything. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for anything you can offer.

Wow Micki, it sounds like a problem that will not be solved only on the internet. Sounds like you have the parents located in at least 2 places: the children's births, Grand Rapids MI in 1895, and maybe particular locations in Vermont at their own births. Who are they associated with at any of these locations? Where do those people go? Do you know any siblings of either parent? Where do they go? Do they appear in property records or court records in these places? (Court records are rarely on line, sometimes microfilmed, but almost never have every-name indexes -- they have to be read.) Are they on city/county directories, tax lists, or welfare lists if any? Do they have church connections? Any sort of distinctive occupations? Every microscopic detail counts. And of course the obvious: are the orphanage records still extant? I'm wondering why they had to give up the kids -- that in itself might be a clue. Good luck! -- Harold

Hi Harold,
My biggest obstacles are that I can't get to Michigan, and can't afford to pay someone to research this for me. I have to KNOW that I've found the right documents before I order them.

The parent's names were Benjamin Donahue and Mate nee Cashell (possibly Cashel).

I have records from the orphanage (just got those), and birth certificates, school records, marriage license, and they all confirm the parents names and births in Vermont, where they are named. I don't know anything about their father except that he was a steam fitter and the company he worked for (Leitit--spelling?) doesn't have employee records that old.

I'm working on getting baptismal records for the children and there might be something on the parents. I don't know how old they were when they arrived in Michigan, if they were married before or after leaving Vermont, but my records indicate they were legally married.

I don't know whom to contact in the Michigan/Kent County court system to access the records you mention. I haven't found them in any directories, but am still searching for directories for townships outside Grand Rapids. My hunch is that they were city-folk (lived in Grand Rapids).

I have absolutely no Vermont locations noted anywhere to give me a starting point for that state. The woman at Catholic Charities said there were no adoption records for the kids through the social services office that handles those, so they must have been fostered. That correlates with both children using their original family surname throughout their adult lives on official records. Oddly, the family recorded as their legal guardians during school has a different name than the ones (there were two) noted by the orphanage.

Since those names are new to me, I can start researching those families, as there's an eight year gap between 1895-1903 when the school records begin. I believe the family was intact from 1889 through May 1895, so I don't know what happened. What I do know doesn't correlate with the story handed down, so there might have been something scandalous going on.

But the parents had to have gone somewhere. I can't find death records, census records, birth records or anything. They just had to be people, so there has to be records. And with a name like Donahue, there has to be thousands to choose from, but I'm not finding much at all.

And your last question... why they gave up the kids? That's the point of doing this search. We'd like to know that, too.

I also can't find anything on my grandfather's side about his mother, Elizabeth Tansey. I even have photos of her with her name on them. But with so many little townships, I don't know where to start with the court system and other agencies.

Does anyone know of a site that identifies which contacts have records of which documents?

Micki -- County court records would be in either the county clerk or circuit court clerk's office. Federal district court records are in Chicago at the Great Lakes region of the National Archives, and I believe they would have bankruptcy cases too. You may have already seen what the Grand Rapids Public Library and the archives and regional history collections at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo) can do to help. Sounds like you are doing the right things -- it's hard when you're far away. -- Harold

Thank you Harold. That's at least a starting point, as I wouldn't have thought of a circuit court or Federal district court. But the other agencies are confusing as they're different from state to state and often from county to county (adoption records, social service records from 100 years ago, newspapers-whom to contact for copies). If the parents separated, they could have gone anywhere, and died before the next census.

My g-g aunt's husband died in Big Rapids MI on 18 Sep 1894. His name was John STILLWELL and he was th owner of a furniture business in Big Rapids, according to the Michigan Western 1884 directory, called J. Stillwell and Sons. After John's death, the rest of the family, most of whom were born in Canada, moved to CA including my aunt. How can I find out what cemetery John is buried?

Dawn, if he were in Big Rapids at the time of his death, there is a good chance that he was buried at Highland View Cemetery, which is a very large beautiful cemetery, referred to also as City Cemetery or Maple Ridge Cemetery in earlier days. However, confirming it will be a problem, unless you find someone living in that area to do the search for you. I do have a copy of the Highland View Cemetery book published by the Mecosta County Genealogy Society in 2007 and John Stillwell does not appear. It states that the compilation of burials comes from cemetery records (which would probably be the card index in the Office-af), obituaries and other various sources found within the Mecosta County Genealogical Society. HOWEVER, I suspect that the stones in the cemetery have not been read. I have several family members buried there and have photos of their tombstones that I took about 8 years ago. Several of the older ones who died prior to 1900 are not included in this compilation. The easiest route would be to obtain a copy of his obituary, which is likely to include his place of burial. Microfilms of the Big Rapids papers are available at Ferris State University in Big Rapids and at the Library of Michigan (now in danger of being closed - see Merryann's comment).

Thanks for responding Ann. I believe I have contacted the Library before but no results. I also visited a site some time back that gave info on the town and its settlers etc. I thought it strange that if he had a furniture business and employed at least three of his sons and who knows who else, that there might be some record of the business included in the site. I will give the library a try again and thanks for the name of the Cemetery. Perhaps someone on Find a Grave can help me.
The three sons who worked in the Furniture business were Thomas, William and Charles. Son John Edward graduated from U of M in 1888 and was admittied to Ann Arbour in Law, but further info re practicing in Kansas a year later makes me think the dates are off.
Thanks again. I saw that about the library.

My family is located in two separate areas in Michigan that include Van Buren and Lenawee counties. I have been doing research on my own family for over thirty years. Professionally conduct research and also speak on a variety of topics related to Michigan genealogical research. Genealogy Wise offers a wonderful possibility for people to connect on the topic of Genealogy.

Some of my early French-Canadian ancestors came to Michigan in the 1700's and founded Bay City, named after Baie St. Paul, quebec, where they originated from.
Still more of my Scottish and Irish ancestors came to the Detroit area in the 1800's, most crossing the river to Sandwich, Ontario the rest remaining in the Detroit area.

For Micki,
Have you looked at
http://pilot.familysearch.org
The Michigan births, marriages and deaths are on line with original images . I did find several references to Benjamins childrens' births
Kay

I'm not sure whether I'm searching on the pilot site or the older site. Seems to me I tried the pilot site many months ago and needed an access ID and password, which I wasn't qualified to get. I've been searching something on FamilySearch but can't be sure which site. Obviously everyone else is able to search there, so I don't know where the ID and password came in.

I'll look up the pilot site specifically and see if I have better results than last time. I've got Ben and Margaret's info (name on bc was Maud), and Ben Jr's info but just can't find proof that their parents existed under the names they gave on the birth certificates, anywhere.

Thanks for the reminder, as I'd forgotten they had two sites and didn't know if they had finished whatever they were doing with them or not.

Oh thanks so much for reminding me us about PILOT.familysearch.org. I had a geat genealogy discovery this morning thanks to you :)

I believe both sites have the same information but the searching is more efficient or "smarter" right?

Pleased to be able to help. Micki, you dont need need a password or ID to access http://pilot.familysearch.org.
After selecting your region, scroll down to Michigan and choose the one you want. Type in the name and then select the one you want to get the image.
However I cannot do this in Firefox and have to use Explorer.
Can you give us the names of the children and dates you have
cheers
Kay

Hi Kay,
Well, Firefox may be the reason it came up the way it did. I have Safari and can try that, and can also use Netscape. Microsoft got competitive against Mac and stopped writing code for Explorer for Mac some time back.

I can give you the names and dates of the children, but I already have tons of information about them ... they were my grandmother and great uncle. Almost everything I have I got from them except the orphanage info about two other families that wanted to adopt them.

It's their parents and beyond that I can't get past. All I know is the Father was Benjamin (Henry? middle name) Donahue, Sr. I know Ben Jr's mid name was Henry.

Mother was Mate Cashell (Cashel). They claimed to be married and both born in Vermont.

Some Census records that may be theirs suggest she was born in Massachusetts. But, that could also be info for the foster parents, or misinformation that they gave as their best recall.

Thanks.

I just searched and found many records on other family. It was successful using both on Safari and FireFox. Still not much on the Donehues, though.

Thanks for the reminder, as I'd forgotten they had two sites and didn't know if they had finished whatever they were doing with them or not.

Hi Micki,
I had a quick look for the Ben and Mate in the census but couldn't find anything which matched.
You would think that if they had been both born in Michigan that they would have married there too.
I will keep an eye out for them

Hi Kay,
According to their children's birth certs, the parents were both born in Vermont. Don't know where they married, but could have been before they left VT. There are no records of either in VT, and just some B.D.'s that don't fit his description.

Also on both BCs the mother's name was given as Mate, probably by one of the parents.

I found some Mary Cashell's whose fathers were born in Ireland. Now, take a strong Iresh accent and say "Mary" and it might just sound like "Mattie" or "Mahty" if you only slightly roll that "R".

Less reliable is that my grandmother (who hadn't seen her mother since she was 3) gave her mother's name as Mary on the marriage register I found at Family Search's Pilot site. So, her name could be Mary.

I'm wondering if he did die as our family legend says. Or if they divorced, and if so, if she took her maiden name back. I know the legend of the way he might have died probably isn't true. He was a steam fitter at Leitelt, so there may have been an accident at work. But the kids were put in the orphanage while both parents were alive, as family letters indicate that he visited them occasionally, without any mention of whether or not Mate (Mary?) did. Maybe she's the one that died.

Where are the death certs? Where is the divorce record? Did they leave the state?

I am researching the Weitenhagen, Retter and Bangerter families of Lenawee County, Michigan. Carl Weitenhagen, Minnie Retter and Matilda Bangerter were brother and sisters. I want to know how they connect to the Frederick Weitenhagen - Frank Weitenhagen families also of Lenawee County.

Hi, my name is Amy, I live in Northern Michigan. I have most of my family in East Jordan, Michigan and Boyne City, Michigan. My line is: Persons and Weislers/Wieslers. If anyone has these in there line and we connect. I would love to share.
Thanks,
Amy-Michigan

Hi everyone,
I haven't figured this system out just yet,but I'm beginning to think that posting here, on the "wall" is for general discussion, introductions, etc.

Should I start a discussion forum re my Donahue line and adoptions instead of keeping it on this wall? It seems this has taken up a lot of room on the wall where other people's posts are getting buried and maybe not read.

Micki,
I have began to notice on other groups here on genealogywise that most of the creator's are recommending just that. I would think it is better to have a discussion forum for the family. It took me a little bit to piece all your info together going through the comments and many new people are not going to bother going through a lot of old comments. Another suggestion would have been to start a forum for just listing family names in Michigan being researched.

Important, in regards to the Library of Michigan! No matter where you live, please vote in the poll being conducted by the Lansing State Journal. It is in the middle of the home page, and it closes today July 30th at 7pm. http://www.lansingstatejournalcom

Ann, I went there (via Google) and could find no poll whatsoever anywhere on the home page. Ideas?

YES>> the poll is there.. http://www.lansingstatejournal.com and scroll down the page about 1/2 way just under the weather it says Your Take I think!! just click yes or no to vote.. thanks Ann

Thanks, Brenda. There it was -- "lost" in plain sight! Sorry it didn't ask specifically about the Library of Michigan, though.