Cleora Mae Payne was born on July 16/17, 1874. She was the daughter of Silas Huntington and Ophelia (Butler) Payne. Cleora lived a very short life. Her tombstone seems to indicate that she lived just short of 6 months to be exact. She was born in Clio in Thetford Township, Genesee County, Michigan. She died and was buried there too. The records are conflicting. There is a death record for a Clara M Payne whose parents are Silas and Orpha Payne and it states that she died on January 17, 1879 at the age of 4 years and a few days shy of six months. This record comes from a Michigan Mortality Record which is a record that is kept to record deaths for the year preceding a census year. Cleora did not live long enough to be recorded in a federal census. The Mortality record seemed to indicate that she had Bronchitis /Croup. So there is little to tell about this little girl . Michigan does not have Official birth records yet at this time period. My first thought was that Silas and Ophelia may have had twins, Cleora and Clara in 1874 and Cleora died in 1875 and Clara died in 1879 but I can not find any records to indicate this. There is no Clara buried in the Thetford Payne cemetery plot. So I really had no luck clearing this up. The death entry for Clara is the third entry from the top.

Mortality Record for Genesee County, Michigan – 1880

Silas and Ophelia lost several children at a young age. They had a daughter whose name was Mary who was born in July 26, 1851 and died two months later on October 2, 1851. Ida Jane was born on August 6, 1862 and died on August 28, 1862 at the age of 22 days. A daughter, Julie Ann, was born on December 23,1860 and died in January 16, 1869. On July 29, 1858, their son, Nathan was born and he died unmarried at the age of 35 on March 5, 1894 when a tree fell on him.

May all the Payne family members buried in Thetford Cemetery “ rest in peace “ !

Love , Jan

Cleora, Mary, Julie Ann, Ida and Nathan are all first cousins four time removed.

Hattie Louise Griffin was born on June 13, 1865 in Jackson County, Iowa to Hiram and Sybil Elizabeth (Tubbs) Griffin. Hiram and Sybil had six children; Meritt (1857), Melissa (1859), Senaca (1861), Mord (1863), Hattie Louise (1865), Harry (1869). In the 1870 Federal Census, Hattie is found with her family in Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa. Her father, Hiram, is a farmer.

Hattie likely at about the time she was married. Thanks to Hainer descendant who made this publicly available on Ancestry.

In 1887 Hattie married Charles Edward Hainer in Maquoketa township, Jackson County. Iowa. They had seven children; Zora Meryl (1888), Verna Irene (1890), Madge Louise (1894), Helen Hannah (1899), Ford Albert (1902), Sybil Elizabeth (1904), Maxine Claire (1908).

In the 1900 Federal Census, Charles and Hattie are found in Fairfield, Iowa. Charles is a farmer . They have four daughters; Zora, Verna, Madge and Helen. They also have Allen Fowler living with them . He is listed as a servant.

In the 1910 Federal Census, Charles and Hattie are living in Waterford, Clinton County, Iowa. They have six children : Verna, Madge, Helen, Ford, Sybil and Maxine. They also have a boarder living with them, Henry Lockey. Charles is a farmer. They own their own farm.

In the 1920 Federal Census, Charles and Hattie remain in Waterford, Iowa. Charles is still farming and they have four children who still live at home; Helen, Ford, Sybil and Maxine. Helen who is 21 years old , listed Theater as her occupation and that she works for the school.

By the 1930 Federal census, Charles and Hattie have moved to Jackson , Maquoketa County, Iowa. They live two houses away from their daughter Madge and her husband Gale. Charles appears to have retired. They have Sybil Griffin living with them, She is a widow who is 94 years old. They have two daughters who remain at home, Helen and Maxine. Helen is a teacher in the public school system and Maxine is a bookkeeper for a Creamery. Both remain single.

Charles Edward Hainer Family 1934 – Back row L to R : Ford , Helen, Madge, Verna Front Row L to R: Sybil, Charles, Maxine, Hattie, Zora This was also made publicly available on Ancestry by a Hainer descendant.

By the 1940 Federal Census, Charles and Hattie are living in Rural Jackson County, Iowa. They are both 74 years of age. Maxine is 31 years old and still lives with them. No one in the household appears to be employed at the time of the Census.

Seventy seven years ago today, January 10, 1946, Hattie Louise Hainer died in Maquoketa, Iowa at the age of 80. She was buried next to her husband in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Maquoketa, Iowa.

Rest in peace, Hattie!

Love Jan

Hattie is the wife of my second cousin e times removed, Charles Edward Hainer.

Vada was the daughter of August and Hattie (Harriet Blim) Schultz. She was born on March 4, 1895 in New York. In the 1900 Federal Census, Vada is listed as a six year old. She is found with her parents, August and Hattie with her siblings, Grace (1883), Nellie (1886) and Lester(1890). They live in Dryden, Michigan. August is a Day Laborer.

Vada married Lloyd Stechow on November 22, 1813 in Flint, Michigan. They lived in Oxford, Michigan at the time of their marriage. In 1917, Lloyd and Vada had a son whom they named Donald Lloyd. He died a few week short weeks later due to an infection in his umbilical cord according to his death certificate. I find no other birth certificates or records of births for Vada and Lloyd.

In the 1920 Federal Census, Vada and Lloyd are found in Pontiac on Poplar Street. They rent a home and Lloyd works for a Coal and Ice Company. By the 1930 Federal Census, Lloyd and Vada now own their own home on Orion Road. Lloyd is a fireman at the Fisher Body Plant.

Eighty five years ago on January 3, 1938, Vada died at the age of 42 in her home of a cerebral hemorrhage with contributing factor of Malignant hypertension according to her death certificate. She was buried at the Perry Mount Memorial Park in Pontiac, Michigan.

Rest in Peace, Vada!

Love, Jan

Vada is the first wife of Lloyd Stechow, we are not related but Sarah E Densmore became the second wife of Lloyd Stechow after the death of Vada. I have several confirmed DNA matches to children of Sarah and Lloyd who are my second cousins.

Wow, 2022 is a wrap ! I can say that one year ago I never would have guessed that the year would have turned out as it did….

Bought a house…..

Trip to Arizona……

Renovated a house…..

Packed up a house…..

Moved our belongings……

Unpack our belongings ( not completed yet) ….

Prepared the old house to sell…..

Sell it……

Re-landscape the new yard……

Vacation…….

Dog Bite……

Arrival of a new Great Granddaughter……

A two month Illness……

Arrival of another new Great Granddaughter……

A trip to Central Illinois for a special 50th Birthday……

A Christmas trip to Southern Ohio……

and a Christmas trip to Chicago…….

It is no wonder that I had a hard time getting any blogs written. I have taken a small amount of time for research ….Mostly verifying DNA matches on Ancestry and My Heritage…I plan to get back at my blogs on a regular basis in 2023. Happy New Year and Happy Hunting! My 2023 goal is to verify James Smith’s Parentage and to keep blogging about those who came before us!

Jan