Category Archives: LaPorte County

Mary Florence Condra

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Mary Florence Condra
b. 5 March 1860, Rolling Prairie, Wills Township, LaPorte County, Indiana, to Patrick and Eliza (Jackson) Condra
d. 16 October 1937, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

m. 14 October 1885, St. Peter’s, LaPorte County, Indiana
James Curran
b. 25 July 1852, Mishawaka, St. Joseph County, Indiana, to Patrick and Bridget (Smith) Curran
d. 16 November 1911, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Children with James Curran:

  • Irene (1886-1980) married Martin Reilly
  • Elsie (1888-1951) married Raymond Helfrick
  • Catherine Marie (1893-1940) married William Donahue
  • Helen Anna (1894-1976) married William Dewolf Cook
  • George Edward (1896-1988) married Jeanette Jacobs
  • Mary E. (1898-1968) married Fred Noel

Mary Florence’s family came to the United States in 1856 from Ireland. She moved with her children to Chicago after James died there in 1911. She worked briefly as a housekeeper at St. Felicitas Parish in Chicago.

Submitted by:
Ellen C. Courtney
San Francisco CA
E-mail: elleninsf@sbcglobal.net

Helen Anna Curran

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Helen Anna Curran
b. 25 November 1894, Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana, to James and Mary Florence (Condra) Curran
d. 11 September 1976, Arlington Heights, Illinois

m. 17 February 1917, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
William Dewolf Cook
b. 29 July 1890, Melrose, Clark County, Illinois, to Andrew and Mary (Thompson) Cook
d. 27 February 1945, Phoenix, Arizona

Children with William Dewolf Cook:

  • William Edward (b. 1919) married Shirley Ann Bauer
  • Ellen Irene (b. 1921) married Charles Robert Courtney

Helen moved to Chicago after the death of her father in 1911. After the death of her husband, she had several jobs, including being a cashier at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Helen and William are both buried in Pine Lake Cemetery, LaPorte, Indiana.

Submitted by:
Ellen C. Courtney
San Francisco CA
E-mail: elleninsf@sbcglobal.net

James Crozier

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James Crozier
b. Ireland
d. 20 April 1873, Bourbonnais, Kankakee County, Illinois

m. Ireland
Mary Woods
b. Ireland
d. 1858, Kankakee County, Illinois

Children with Mary Woods:

  • John (b. 1825) married Mary Jane Ritchie (b. 1830)
  • James
  • Margaret (d. 1876) married John McElroy
  • Mary I. married John Hood

James was a weaver and a farmer. James and Mary came to America around 1824, first settling in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They came to Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1835 and cleared their land. About 1853, they moved to LaPorte County, Indiana, where they rented land. In 1855, they moved to Kankakee County, Illinois, and settled near the town of Bourbonnais.

Submitted by:
Tammy Wilson
Newton NC
E-mail: tym50@bellsouth.net

Orrin Lemuel Chapman

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ORRIN LEMUEL CHAPMAN
b. 6 April 1841, Door Prairie, LaPorte County, Indiana, to Reuben Gates and Matilda (Bryant) Chapman
d. 21 October 1919, Liberty Township, Woodson County, Kansas

m/1. 4 June 1862
Josephine Anderson
b. 1839, Pennsylvania
d. 15 August 1893, Lake County, Indiana

m/2. 25 December 1862, Lake County, Indiana
Almeda Augusta Chapman
b. 19 July 1841, Lorain County, Ohio, to Orvis A. and Electra Minerva (Buck) Chapman
d. 22 February 1915, Athol, Smith County, Kansas

m/3. 14 November 1869, Greenwood County, Kansas
Sarah M. Casner
b. 15 February 1851, Richland Township,
Washington County, Arkansas
d. 25 March 1886, Bethany, Harrison County, Missouri

m/4. 15 June 1876, Bloomfield, Davis County, Iowa
Mary Jane Shelton
b. 10 January 1856, Davis County, Iowa, to John and Nancy Ann Hawkins (Bagby) Shelton
d. 17 January 1918, Iola, Allen County, Kansas

Children with Almeda Augusta Chapman:

  • Omer
  • Azel Vanrensler (1866-1932) married Mrs. Matilda Ann Styles
  • Charlotte Cecilia “Lottie” (1868-1966) married Andrew Jackson Highland

Children with Sarah M. Casner:

  • Reuben (1872-1872)
  • Minnie Josephine (1873-1934) married Carl Frederick Sorensen
  • Thomas Jefferson (1876-1967) married Sara Emma Chance

Children with Mary Jane Shelton:

  • William Josiah (1877-1943) married Mabelle Wilkerson
  • LeTracey Ettie (1878-1880)
  • Jeannettie Matilda (1880-1965) married Isaac Terrell
  • John Orin (1882-1964) married Stella May Butler
  • Perry Jesse (1887-1969) married Magdalen Catherine “Betty” Bright

Orrin lived in Door Prairie, LaPorte County, and West Creek, Lake County, before leaving Indiana between 1864 and 1866.

Submitted by:
Kathryn Cox
Liberty Hill TX

Melvin O Whitehead

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Melvin O Whitehead
b. 15 December 1854, Rolling Prairie, LaPorte County, Indiana, to Isaac and Lucinda (Salisbury) Whitehead
d. 21 January 1931, Denver, Colorado

m/1.
Adelaide L. McClintock

m/2. 14 July 1888, Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado
Clara Eta Joseph
b. 31 December 1864, Atlanta, Illinois, to Harvey and Mary (Ross) Joseph
d. 11 June 1916, Denver, Colorado

Children with Clara Eta Joseph:

  • Ralph Salisbury (1889-1970) married Rose Lennartz
  • Donald Ross (1896-1965) married Vera Wichman

Submitted by:
J. R. Whitehead
Cleveland OH

Josiah Bryant

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JOSIAH BRYANT
b. 9 March 1784, Montgomery County, Virginia, to Josiah and Lydia Bryant
d. 27 August 1871, Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa

m. 24 December 1809, Miami County, Ohio
Mary Turman
b. 2 December 1791, Montgomery County, Virginia
d. 23 March 1890, San Jose, California

Children with Mary Turman:

  • Matilda (1812-1891) married John Bailey
  • Benjamin Turman (1815-1899) married Affa Mariah Benedict
  • Sarah Ruann (1821-1914) married Charles M. Teeple
  • Martha Mallone (1830-1864) married Francis A. Nolan

The Bryants lived in Turman Township, Sullivan County, and in LaPorte County before leaving Indiana about 1863.

Submitted by:
Kathryn Cox
Liberty Hill TX

 

Ida Estella Rensch

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Ida Estella Rensch
b. 7 September 1860, DeKalb County, Indiana, to Conrad and Hannah (Robinette) Rensch
d. 12 March 1952, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

m. 20 Januray 1880, DeKalb County, Indiana
Henry Washington Brunner
b. 4 October 1854, Waseon, Fulton County, Ohio
d. 7 September 1915, Hattonford, Alberta, Canada

Children with Henry Washington Brunner:

  • Theodore
  • Raymond
  • Frederich
  • Josie
  • Nellie (b. 1891)
  • Jesse Lizetta

Ida lived at Eddy, DeKalb County, Indiana, and Michigan City, La Porte County, Indiana. She emigrated from Indiana to Phillipsburg, Phillips County, Kansas, in 1885 and returned to Indiana, where child Nellie was born at Mertz, DeKalb County, in 1891. She then went to Michigan City, La Porte County, Indiana, and finally to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Submitted by:
Marie B. Bruner
Evansburg, Alberta, Canada

Estella M. Bement

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ESTELLA M. BEMENT
b. 9 January 1858, South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana, to Samuel and Lydia Celesta (Waite) Bement
d. 15 April 1926, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska

m/1. about 1877
Seymour Charlie Layton
b. 23 February 1851, Pennsylvania, to Hiram and Julia Layton
d. 12 September 1880, Noble Township, LaPorte County, Indiana

m/2. about 1883
Gordon Martin
d. about 1893, Nebraska

m/3. about 1894
John Neu
b. 29 March 1867, Berlin, Otoe County, Nebraska
d. 10 October 1889, Berlin, Otoe County, Nebraska

m/4. about 1910
J. W. Smalley

Children with Seymour Charlie Layton:

  • Evline Lillian (1878-1929) married Jacob Martin Shelter

Children with Gordon Martin:

  • Kathryn “Kitty” (b. 1884) married Charles Kuss
  • Edith (b. ca. 1885)
  • Flossie (b. 1887)

Children with John Neu:

  • Ethel Rae (1895-1937) married Fred G. Powell

Estella lived in South Bend, St. Joseph County, and Union Mills, Noble Township, LaPorte County, before emigrating from Indiana. She then lived in Berlin, Otoe County, Nebraska.

Submitted By:
Hilda Hemmingson Meryhew
Auburn WA

 

Vickers Preston

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Vickers Preston
b. 29 September 1815, Campbell County, Virginia, to Zenas and Elizabeth (Stanton) Preston
d. about 1904, probably Jefferson County, Iowa

m. 13 March 1841, LaPorte County, Indiana
Charlotte E. Fouts

Vickers moved to Jefferson County, Iowa, about 1842. His occupation was that of farmer and his faith was Quaker.

Submitted by:
Barbara Taylor Szabo
Osceola IN

Francis Arnold and Hattie Kouts

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Francis Arnold
b. 1821, Bregen or Coblenz, Germany
d. 23 June 1906, LeSauk, Stearns County, Minnesota
m. 11 February 1855, possibly LaPorte County, Indiana

Hattie Kouts
b. 9 August 1828, Pennsylvania, to Bernhard and Salome (Berrier) Kouts
d. 16 December 1890, LeSauk, Stearns County, Minnesota

Children with Hattie Kouts:

  • Hettie Salome
  • Five or six other children

Francis emigrated from Indiana in 1857 to Minnesota.

Submitted by
Thomas F. Sartell
Minneapolis MN