DAR: Two Real Daughters Annie Knight Gregory & Caroline Hassam Randall Christmas 1940

Caroline Phoebe Hassam Randall

From Springfield Republican December 22. 1940

Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Volume 15

From When the cry "To Arms!" was heard in the days of the American Revolution, Richard Knight, a lad of but eleven summers, bravely stepped into ranks, as drummer boy, in the Sixth Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Josiah Harmer. (Photo below)

He appears as drummer and fifer in Captain Thomas Bull's company and as a private in the company of Captain Walter Finney of the above-named regiment; having been transferred to Captain Bull's company in October, 1778.

When Richard Knight entered the army he enlisted for the entire period of conflict, and was one of the youngest and bravest soldiers in the annals of the war. Having safely passed through the first great struggle of our country, he stands again in the forefront of the second conflict in 1812. His name now appears as captain in the First (Kennedy's) Regiment of Pennsylvania militia, and continues on the roll until December 5, 1814.

To-day this hero stands before the world as a man who always met the enemy bravely, and who helped to solve some of the most momentous problems of our Government.

Richard Knight was married three times, and at his death, January, 1850, in his eighty-third year, left a family of five— three sons and two daughters. Annie Knight, whose picture appears in this number, was born in Liverpool, Pennsylvania, March 23, 1843, and is therefore the youngest "original" Daughter in the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. On November 25, 1863, at Selins Grove, Pennsylvania, she was married to Mr. B. F. Gregory, of the First National Bank, of that place. Two sons have blest this union. The older, Harry Knight Gregory, born December 4, 1865, is now one of the most prominent lawyers in the New Castle, Pennsylvania, bar, and Forrest Ever Gregory, born April 27, 1868, now in business in Williamsport, Penn

Colby Family of Grand Rapids Michigan

Information furnished from Barbara Wilson, a descendant Also included records from and a little research of my own. If you would like a copy of this file please post or e-mail. Any contributions please e-mail.

Sarah Francis Colby Wood was born on 31 JUL 1839 in Haverhill, Grafton County, N H. She was the daughter of Luther Colby and Hannah Page. She married Arthur Wood on 6 DEC 1860 in Kent County, Michigan.

 

John Ball Line
From Ball Family History The Ball Family Lineage from their arrival from England to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1) Nathaniel (1618-1706) & Mary (Mousal) Ball
2) Nathaniel (1663–1725) & Mary (Brooks) Ball
3) Nathaniel (1692-1749) & Sarah (Baker) Ball
4) Ebenzer (1721-1790) & Sarah (Goodkin) Ball
5) Nathaniel (1751-1834) & Sarah (Nevins) Ball
6) John (1794-1884) & Mary (Webster) Ball

John Ball (1794–1884) photo circa late-1870s or early-1880s.

Joshua Ball son of Nathaniel

From Michigan Historical Collections, Volume 35

John Ball was born on Tenny Hill, Grafton county, New Hampshire, November 12, 1794. He was educated in country schools and at Salisbury academy. He worked his way through Dartmouth college and was graduated in 1820. During the next four years he studied law at Lansingburg, New York, and taught school. He was admitted in 1824. His brother-in-law, a business man of extensive interests, died soon after and John Ball settled his estate, which took several years. In 1832 John Ball crossed the continent by way of Pittsburg, St. Louis, Independence, the South Pass, and the Columbia river. He was gone two and a half years, during which time he visited much of the territory now composing Washington, Oregon, California, and also the Hawaiian islands.

For two years he practiced law at Lansingburg and then came to Grand Rapids as a land-broker for capitalists and investors in 1836. During the next few months he located much land in Kent county and in the spring of 1837 he opened a law office at Grand Rapids, where he practiced for nearly fifty years. He had at different times for partners, George Martin, S. L. Withey, Edward E. Sargeant, E. S. Eggleston, and James H. McKee. The partnership of Ball & McKee continued for thirty-two years, from 1852 to Mr. Ball's death. No law firm of the Kent county bar has had a longer existence. The firm was never active in litigation, but was engaged in money loaning, real estate and business matters and often acted as counselors. Mr. Ball died at Grand Rapids, February 5, 1884. He left a gift to the city of forty acres of land which now forms a beautiful park that bears his name. Mr. Ball traveled and saw much of life. He did not marry until late in life, but left a family of several children who have every reason to be proud of their father. He was a representative progressive citizen who won the confidence and esteem of all who knew him.
For a Complete Account of John Ball Publications of the Historical Society of Grand Rapids, Issue 1

 

The Page Line Hannah R. Page was born on 14 SEP 1805 in Dorchester, Grafton County, New Hampshire and died on 23 FEB 1870 at Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan.She was the daughter of Gov John Page and Hannah Merrill.

John Page moved with his parents to Rindge NH, helped build a log house, performed settler's duty and thus secured a lot of land there. He moved to the Coos meadow in September 1762, wintered on the Great Ox Bow, took charge of General Bailey's cattle, in company with one other man and a boy, worked for General Bailey, and thus paid for a right of land in Haverhill. He went to Lancaster, worked for his uncle David and paid for another right of land in Haverhill. He then came back to this town, built a log house on the meadows, and married Abigail Saunders, daughter of the first settler south of him, and who died twelve years after marriage, without issue. He married for his second wife, Abigail Hazeltine, of Concord NH, who died without surviving children, and then married, for his third wife, Mrs. Hannah Green, daughter of Samuel Rice of Landaff, who bore him four sons, namely, John, William G., Samuel and Stephen R. John, the eldest, was born in Haverhill, May 21, 1787, was fitted for college in his youth, but just as he was about to enter, his father became embarrassed through having become bondsman for another party, and was likely to lose his farm. His son therefore relinquished his high ambition, turned his attention to saving the homestead, which was done, and which afterwards came into his possession. When twenty-five years of age he married Hannah, daughter of Maj. Nathaniel Merrill, of North Haverhill, who bore him nine children, namely Frederick, William, John Alfred, Henry Harrison, Nathaniel Merrill, Stephen Rice, Sarah Hazen, George Washington, George Brackett and Edward Livingston. All of these, with the exception of George W., grew to adult age.

Rev John Merrill father of Nathaniel Merrill

See Havehill NH Historical Society

 

John Page was elected governor of New Hampshire in 1839 by a Democratic vote of 30,518, and re-elected in 1840 and 1841. Edward L. Page succeeded his father in the ownership of the homestead, was a successful farmer, and held various local offices. He served as selectman several years, during the civil war, when his patriotism and activity in securing recruits caused the burning of his buildings. He married Laura M. Batchelder, of Franklin in 1855. For seventeen years he suffered with consumption, and died November 4, 1878, aged forty-six years. His widow survives him.

Brother of Hannah Page John Page, JR

Burial:
Fulton Street Cemetery
Grand Rapids
Kent County
Michigan, USA

SOURCE: "A Genealogy of the Descendants of Abraham Colby and Elizabeth Blaisdell, his wife Who settled in Bow in 1768" By one of them, Concord, NH Printed by the Republican Press Association 1895
History of the city of Grand Rapids Michigan 

Francis Henry Phelps and Margaret Van Sickle

From Archives

Searching for more information on the family Francis Henry Phelps, brother of my grandmother Mildred Mabel Kingsbury Phelps Berry. Francis was born March 19, 1897.

Miss Francis Henry Phelps daughter of William Van Sickle Michigan manager of the Home Life. was married on the 13th to Francis Henry Phelps of Boston. The ceremony was given a touch of romance by being performed in the historic “little church around the corner" in New York and was witnessed by Mr. and Mrs. Van Sickle. Mr. and Mrs. George R. Robertson of New York, uncle and aunt of the bride, and by the groom's father. Frederick Winsor Phelps. The marriage is the culmination of a romance begun in 1917-18 when the bride and groom were in school. the former at Wellesley and the latter at Harvard. On their return to Detroit they will live at the Regent Court apartments. From The Indicator, Volume 45 Detroit Happenings

CHILDREN: 
William Van Sickle Phelps, Jan. 30, 1926
Francis Henry, Jr. Phelps, Nov. 3, 1928

PHELPS:

Frederick Winsor Phelps, SR (son of Francis Henry Phelps and Esther Antoinette Hall Phelps) and Melissa Cross Davenport (daughter of Eward Little Davenport and Sophronia Angelina Cross Davenport of Newburyport/Ipswich MA picture below)
Melissa C. Davenport of and Frederick W. Phelps of Wilmington, Mar. 28, 1896 MA Vital records
Annual Reports of the Town of Dublin, New Hampshire 1925  More info on my helps blog Children of Frederick Winsor Phelps and Melissa Cross Davenport Phelps

May 1 Frederick W. Phelps Peterborough Teamster Wilmington, Mass. Fred W. Phelps Sharon, Mass. T. C. Brockway Melissa Davenport Ipswich, Mass.

2nd wife Dublin Marion R.Richardson Dublin Dublin Luke H. Richardson Jennie M. Rose Dublin Marlboro  

 

VAN SICKLE: 
William Van Sickle: Well earned honors have come to William Van Sickle in business and fraternal circles. He is one of the leading representatives of the insurance business in the middle west and is also an eminent representative of Masonry in Michigan. The story of his life is the record of earnest endeavor and laudable ambition, intelligently directed. With no false sense of values he has placed his dependence upon the sure qualities of industry, adaptability and close application—qualities which any can cultivate and which lead to certainty of results.

Mr. Van Sickle was born in Onondaga, Ontario, June 1, 1873, his parents being Harvey H. and Hannah (Wood) Van Sickle. After attending the public schools he continued his education in the Detroit Business University and secured a position in the Detroit office of the Home Insurance Company on the 11th of March, 1887, being first employed as office boy at a weekly wage of a dollar and a half. He applied himself earnestly to the faithful performance of the duties that devolved upon him and it was not long before merited recognition of his fidelity came in a promotion. Since then he has been advanced from one position to a higher one until he was made general manager for the company in Michigan on the 16th of August, 1898. He has since filled that office, to which he was called from the position of cashier. In the first full year of his managership (1899) insurance to the amount of six hundred and eighteen thousand dollars was issued from his office. Twenty years later, or in 1918, the total amount of business paid for was one million, six hundred and sixty thousand, three hundred and twenty-five dollars, and in 1919 the Detroit agency exceeded the sum of two million dollars in its business. Mr. Van Sickle has long been an outstanding figure in insurance circles in the middle west and he has the distinction of being the first member from the agency force of the Home Life to be chosen in January, 1919, as one of the directors of the company. He is also a past president of the Detroit Underwriters, was twice elected to the vice presidency of the National Association of Life Underwriters and is one of the most popular representatives of life insurance in the middle west.

On the 17th of February, 1897, at Detroit, Mr. Van Sickle was married to Miss Margaret Robertson and they became the parents of a daughter, Margaret, who is now the wife of Francis H. Phelps of Detroit. Among the city's leading club men Mr. Van Sickle is a well known figure, having membership in the Detroit, Detroit Athletic, Detroit Golf, and Wolverine Automobile Clubs. Outside of insurance circles he is perhaps best known through his Masonic connections, for he is a Knights Templar and Consistory Mason, a member of the Mystic Shrine, and upon him has been conferred the honorary thirty-third degree. For six years he served as commander in chief of the Michigan Sovereign Consistory. His political support is given to the republican party and his religious faith is that of the Baptist church. He is at all times loyal to his honest convictions, a man whose position upon any vital question is never an equivocal one. From The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922  By Clarence Monroe Burton, William Stocking, Gordon K. Miller

Links:
Women's Voices: Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan 

Polish & Proud: Lost Son Search for Polish Ancestors

A Submit by Lawrence P Adams Extraordinary Story and book The Lost Son

 









THOMAS LUCZAK & FAMILY

THOMAS LUCZAK was but 17 years old when he sailed with my great grandparents, his sister Mary & the Chmeils to America. From all indications, I have been able to find he moved on with my great grandparents to East Tawas, Michigan once they entered the country. From old Polk City Directories it appears Thomas married Anastasia around 1889, at age 26, and moved to 2319 James Street...just a few blocks from my great grandparents. He resided there until he moved his family to WILLIAMS TOWNSHIP to begin his family homestead.



Thomas Luczak..date unknown


Anastasia Ratkowski Luczak..date unknown


Thomas & Anastasia together in front of their home in the 1920s


Anastasia with daughters & neighbors
Jerry Kalinowski, Thomas's grandson, shared stories about Thomas while I visited with him in his home during a visit in September, 2002. He remembers Thomas being known as quite the horseman and that he would talk to his horses. He recalls a time when before he hitched up his horses for cultivation and after putting on blinders and hanging the feedbag below its mouth...Thomas would "cold cock" the horse on the side of the head....Thomas said,"this was to let the horse know who was boss." Thomas was a hairy man, besides growing his mustache, he also had great amount of black hair on his chest and back. Jerry tells of once watching his grandfather shaving without his shirt on and mentioning how hairy his grandfather was. Thomas then reached down to his chest and pulled out a handful of hair, while Jerry shuddered at the thought.
Thomas was also a very prim and proper gentleman. Once he finished in the field he would dress up; coat, vest and tie. No matter if he was in the field or in his Sunday best Jerry remembers him always having a cigar hanging from his mouth and how Thomas kept a pair of cutters in his pocket to be able to "clip" the cigar before lighting it.
Anastasia is remembered as most women were at that time; a homemaker and grandmotherly appearing.



Jerry and his wife Della recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary


Thomas outside of home


Thomas escorting daughter Blanche for her wedding Thomas and Anastasia created a beautiful homestead for their family. It sat on 118 acres of land; considered large in those days. They built a two story house with 9 bedrooms on the top floor lining the hallway. Jerry's main memory about the house was the wood bathtub which was copper lined. In addition to the house, they built a large barn and other outdoor buildings. Unfortunately, all that remains of the homestead today is the barn...with its original "lightning rods" mounted on top. The house burned down in 1958 and the owners at the time put up a more modern home...I think I'd rather have the old one!


The House


Another view of the house


The Barn...with old car, anyone know make or year?


The Barn as of 9/30/02...100 years after it was built. Original lightning rods still work on top of it...if only the house were still there!

Anastasia passed away in February 13, 1932. Thomas survived her until his death on April 5, 1944. They are buried in their family plot along with some of their children and their spouses...the cemetery is but a few miles from the homestead. All nine of their children have now passed and as of 2002 only 4 of the next generation survive: Alice, 88, who is frail and in poor health; Clarence, 82, who is quite sharp and spends his winters in Florida, he may be able to privde further information from his Florida records; Jerry, mid-70's, who is sharp and in great shape; Robert, 62, whom I have not met. I very much enjoyed the time I spent with Jerry and his wife Della. I found them very open, warm and once we started our visit full of stories of which I have shared but a few here. The following is an assortment of pictures Jerry allowed Carol, my cousin from his branch of the family tree, and I take and scan for this web site.



Family pictures...unable to identify people except most of the family is in 2nd



3 of the Luczak sons: Morris, Wallace & Leon..easy to tell they are brothers!



Daughter Blanche, Son Morris & Uncle Ira, Son Oliver & Daughter Marie


Thomas, Ira Kalinowski & Matt Mauer


Son Leon marries Seraphine Mrozinski Standing L-R: Louis Mrozinski,Leon & Dorothy Skornia
Seated L-R: Victoria Luczak Clubb, Seraphine

During my last two visits to Bay City I have made the trip to St. Anthony's cemetery in Fisherville so I might pay respects to family and also photograph the tombstones for history's sake. I missed Victoria's stone, Blanche is buried in California; Barney is buried in Saginaw. Here are the family stones I did photograph...the main marker is for Thomas & Anastasia.