John Densmore was the son of John and Clarissa(Blake) Densmore born in Canada the second of six children. He was born on November 8, 1839 in Darlington, Ontario, Canada. In the 1851 Ontario census, John is found with his parents he is listed as 13 years old.

John married Sarah L Reynolds was married to Sarah Louise Reynolds on June 15,1856 in Durham, Ontario. In the 1861 Ontario census, John and Sarah remain in Ontario. with their two oldest children, Elizabeth (1857) and William(1859). By September 12^th 1861, John and Sarah had left Ontario and were now in Marine City Michigan where Sarah would give birth to George Elmer Densmore, the first of their children who were born in Michigan. John and Sarah had a daughter born in 1863, her name was Alice. She died in January of 1864.

John Densmore enlisted as a private in Company K , Michigan 11^th Infantry Regiment in Jackson Michigan on February 25, 1865. He served with his company until September 16^th when he was mustered out in Nashville Tennessee and returned home to Marine City, Michigan.

In the 1870 Federal Census, John and Sarah are living in Marine City Michigan. Directly across the river from Canada. They have six children; Elizabeth, William, George E (1861), Charles (1864), Effie Matilda1867, Norman(1869). John’s Occupation is listed as Laborer. John had been a carpenter in Ontario. By the 1880 Federal Census, John and Sarah are in China Township. John is farming. John and Sarah have seven children; William, George, Charles, Effie Matilda, Norman, Delbert(1871), Worthy(1873) . William and George E. are sailors. In the 1900 Federal Census, John and Sarah have one son living at home, Harvey was born in 1883. He is seventeen. They are once again living in Marine City, Michigan.

John Densmore died on February 15, 1906 of Addison Disease. He was first buried in small cemetery in Smith’s Creek, Michigan, a small farming settlement near Marine City and later moved to the Marine City Cemetery. This is an, as yet, unverified family story. The story goes that Sarah died twelve years after John and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Marine City probably because by then, their son Charles (my Great Grandfather) was the sexton of the Woodlawn Cemetery. For a few years the Densmore men express concern that their parents were not buried together in the same cemetery. So Charles and several of the other Densmore men got into the liquor one night and after having a few too many decided that they needed to move their Father from the Cemetery at Smith’s Creek up to the Woodlawn Cemetery to be buried next to his wife. They decided that this was the night. The attached horses to the wagon and made their way to Smith’s Creek and dug up their father. They reburied him next to his wife in Marine City. He had a Military stone which they brought with and placed it on his grave. It was a long night when they finally completed the task as the sun was rising. In their haste they set the stone up backwards.

In an effort to investigate this story, I called Smith’s Cemetery. They had no record of his burial in their cemetery. They said they had a fire in the township office and all the records were destroyed. They stated that if the Michigan State Burial record indicated that he was buried in Smiths Cemetery than he probably was but they have no way to prove it. Now the township just goes by the accuracy of tombstones transcriptions for burial information prior fire in the township office. They have records for those burials after the fire. It is an actively used cemetery.

The Michigan Burial record indicates that he was buried in Smiths Creek. I have searched for records of who ordered the Veteran’s Stone. I have not found the order so far. I called Woodlawn Cemetery in Marine City and asked if John Densmore was buried in their cemetery and was told that they had no record of him being buried there. He clearly is. I found his stone. Charles Densmore ironically remained the sexton of the Woodlawn Cemetery in Marine City until his death in 1943.

So I will keep trying to solve this family legend. It looks like it could be accurate. I’ll keep you posted.

Rest is peace John!

Love, Jan

John Densmore is my 2X Great Grandfather on my maternal side of my family.

Loydell Malone was born on May 17, 1923 in Fort Wayne Indiana. He was the son of Forrest Donald and Ruth Larue (Jackson) Malone.

This is a four generation photo likely taken in 1924 or 1925. Dora Smith Jackson is holding Loydell seated on the left and her mother Oella Denney Smith seated on the right. Ruth Jackson Malone Emerick is standing behind. In the 1930 Federal Census, a six year old Loydell is found living with his mother Ruth and stepfather, Ralph Emerick in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In the 1940 Federal Census, Loydell is found at the home of his Grandparents, Wm and Dora Jackson with his mother, Ruth and his brother, Walter and sister, Marlene. His mother, Ruth, works for a wholesale baking company. Ruth is divorced from her second husband, Ralph Emerick. In the census, Loydell states that was employed.

On June 30, 1942, Loydell Malone registered for the WWII draft. In his draft registration he further states that his employer is Vries Tulling Machine in Fort Wayne. He was nineteen years old and living at the home of his mother, Ruth Emerick at 611 West Dewalt Street in Fort Wayne. Five months later on November 27, 1942, Loydell enlisted at Camp Perry in Lacarne, Ohio into the Army Air Corps.

According to official declassified documents found on Fold3.com, Sergeant Loydell was a member of a ten man crew who departed AAF Station # 139 (London) on a bombing run whose destination was Berlin on March 4, 1944. Their mission was to bomb German factories near Berlin. He was deployed with the 100^th Bomb Group AAF, 350th Bomb Squad. Sergeant Loydell was the Left Wing Gunner. The aircraft was hit by a 20 MM shell at 1320 hours enroute to Berlin. The tail of the aircraft was badly damaged, according to the official report. All of the crew members bailed out except Sergeant Leming Hull. He was the tail gunner and was believed to have been injured or dead from the strike of the shell. The plane exploded and burned before impact. The parachuting crew landed near the village of Ahrweiler, Germany. All were captured within a two days. They were take to StaLag LUFT#6 in Heydekrug, East Prussia and StaLag LUFT #4 in Kiefheide, Germany and held prisoner. In early February 1945, all the prisoners from StaLag LUFT #4 were forced to march until April 26, 1945 when they were liberated by the US 1^st Army in Bitterfield, Germany.

After his return to Indiana, at the age of twenty- three, Loydell married Laura Geneva Kiser in Fort Wayne. They had three children two sons and a daughter.

Seventeen years ago today, Loydell Malone died in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne.

Rest in peace Loydell and thank you for your service. We owe you a debt of gratitude.

Love, Jan

Loydell is my second cousin once removed. I remember my Grandfather talking about his cousins, Ruth Jackson and her son, Loydell Malone and Oscar Jackson, Ruth’s brother, all of whom were from Fort Wayne. He admired them fondly.

Today’s blog is a perfect example of why do these blogs. I knew nothing of Loydell’s story until I began my research today. Thanks to Fold3.com, there was a large file of unclassified military document that described this event in detail.

Cecilia Hannah Anno was born on May 20,1824 in Wabash, Illinois. She was the daughter of John Hiram and Nancy (Hendryx) Anno. John and Nancy had six children; Steven T, Nancy J (1823) ,Cecilia H (1824), Lydia M (1837), Margaret L(1838), Elizabeth (1843) .

Cecilia married Daniel Leet on February 18, 1845 in Clay City, Illinois.

Cecilia and Daniel had nine children. They were Nancy, Henry (1846), Cordilla Ann(1846), John (1848), Louisa (1856), David E. (1859), Mary Frances (1862), Charles Russell, (1869) Allen (1869)

In the 1850 Federal Census, Cecilia and Daniel have three children, Nancy(1836), Henry(1845) and John L(1847). The daughter, Nancy, is listed as fourteen and Cecilia is listed as twenty six. If Cecilia was the mother of Nancy, Cecilia would have had Nancy at 12 years old and Nancy would have been born in 1836, nine years before Daniel and Cecilia were married. I suspect that Cecilia is not Nancy’s mother. Nancy was born in Michigan according to the 1860 Census records I find for her after she is married to John T Buchner. The Jonathan Leet family including Daniel, were in Michigan in between the Census from 1830 and 1840 before they continued on to Illinois.

In the 1860 Federal Census, Cecilia’s name is spelled wrong so it took a bit of hunting to find them. Daniel and Cecilia are living in Friendsville, Illinois. They have five children listed with them; Henry M, John L, Louisa, David Edward, Cordilla and a sixty-one year old Olive Corry who is Cecilia’s widowed sister.

In the 1870 Federal Census, Daniel and Cecilia are found in Mount Carmel, Illinois. They have five children: Louisa, (David)Eddie , Mary, and twins, Russell (1869) and Allen(1869).

One hundred and forty seven years ago, Cecilia Hannah Anno Leet died on February 1, 1875 at the age of fifty-one. She was buried in Day Cemetery in Wayne County, Illinois.

Rest in peace, Cecilia!

Love, Jan

Cecilia is the wife of my 4X Great Uncle. An interesting note here, Daniel’s mother was Deborah Hendryx and Cecilia’s mother was Nancy Hendryx. They were sisters. SO Cecilia and Daniel were cousins.