Tenth Generation8674. Cora Bell COWLES2516 was born in September 1865 in Ionia County, Michigan.716 [census record] She appeared in the census in 1870 in Otisco Township, Ionia, Michigan. [age 4] She appeared in the census in 1880 in Otisco Township, Ionia, Michigan. Age 14. She is listed as C. Bell. Cora appeared in the census in 1900 in Douglass, Montcalm, Michigan.2516 She appeared in the census in 1910 in Mason, Ingham, Michigan.2516 She appeared in the census in 1920 in Howell, Livingston, Michigan.2516 Cora Bell COWLES and Seward F. BLACKMER were married on 15 April 1881 in Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan.1856,2516 They1856,2516 filed for divorce on 31 December 1887 in Ionia County, Michigan.2516 They2516 were divorced on 29 October 1888 in Ionia County, Michigan.2516 Seward F. BLACKMER1856, son of John BLACKMER and Sarah LATHAM, was born on 4 August 1863 in Smyrna, Ionia, Michigan.2516 He appeared in the census in 1900 in Oakwood, Walsh, North Dakota.2516 He died on 27 March 1936 at the age of 72 in (near) Buntingville, Lassen, California.2517 Seward was buried at Lassen Cemetery in Susanville, Lassen, California.2517 His death notice was published in the Lassen Mail on 3 April 1936 in Lassen County, California2517 S. F. BLACKMER BURIED Funeral Services were held Tuesday afternoon in the Edenholm Chapel for Seward F. Blackmer with the Rev. E. L. Spaulding officiating. Interment was in the new cemetery. According to the Blackmer Family website : "Seward went to Dakota Territory shortly after Glen's birth. After two years Cora's father provided means for her to go to Dakota, where she remained for one year. Seward apparently returned to MI about October 1885 when he fell heir to $200 of his father's estate. He then sold everything and went back to Dakota. Ionia County, MI Divorce Records state that 'he commenced to drink intoxicating liquors and continued to drink habitually until he became and was and is a habitual drunkard.' A bill for divorce was filed in Ionia County, MI on December 31, 1887 by Cora with the grounds being nonsupport and extreme cruelty. The divorce was granted October 29, 1888. (Case #2350). History of Ionia County, MI (1916) states that Henry Witt was an area farmer who testified at Cora's divorce that she should have custody of the minor child. Cora subsequently married Henry's son Leroy and had 5 children by him. Seward and Catherine lived near Belding, MI on a rented farm and later at Lakeview, MI. On September 7, 1897 Catherine, with her daughter Fern moved in with her father James Hall. Lionel was already living with his Aunt Nett at that time. On June 27, 1900 Catherine filed for divorce on grounds of lack of support and extreme cruelty. The divorce was granted November 10, 1900 MI State divorce record, Department of Health (Docket #11563). Seward was described as '...a strong man able to work and make a good living but...he spent much of his time in idleness and when he did earn or make any money he used if for other purposes than for the benefit of his family...leaving his family poorly provided for and spending his time with disreputable women and persons of bad character...he would get angry and curse and demure her.' At the time of the divorce Catherine believed Seward to be in Chicago, IL; however the 1900 census has him living in Oakwood, Grand Forks County, ND. Catherine married Ulysses Edmonds on December 15, 1900 and had 3 children by him. Several years later, when Fern was finishing tenth grade, she wrote a letter to Seward, then in Chicago, IL, asking for help financing a study trip to Europe. His wife replied to the letter and when Catherine found out, she let it be known that Fern was never, under any circumstances to contact her father again. A 4"x6" card in possession of Keith Calkins reads: S. Blackmer, B. Aug. 4, 1863. 5 ft. 5 in tall - wt 160 lb small light blue eyes light curly hair. A postcard of flowers postmarked 10 AM APR 6 1910 in Jennings, MI, to Mr. Lionel Blackmer 818 Washington Traverse City Mich. reads: 'April 5 Dear Son Your Father was borne at Smyrna Ionia Co. tell Bernie I shall write to him I have been so busy I have neglected it with much Love your Mother.'" Cora Bell COWLES-22757 and Seward F. BLACKMER-57608 had the following children:
Cora Bell COWLES and Walter Leroy WITT were married on 29 November 1888 in Belding, Ionia, Michigan.716,2516 Walter Leroy WITT, son of Henry WITT and Julia ALGED, was born on 19 March 1865 in Otisco Township, Ionia, Michigan.716,2516 He appeared in the census in 1870 in Otisco Township, Ionia, Michigan.2516 He appeared in the census in 1880 in Otisco Township, Ionia, Michigan.2516 Walter appeared in the census in 1900 in Douglass, Montcalm, Michigan.2516 He died on 29 May 1908 at the age of 43.2516 He was buried at River Ridge Cemetery in Belding, Ionia, Michigan.2516 Cora Bell COWLES-22757 and Walter Leroy WITT-41865 had the following children:
Cora Bell COWLES and Benjamin "Ben" HAWKINS were married about 1904.1856,2516 Benjamin "Ben" HAWKINS1856 was born in 1861 in Canada.2516 He appeared in the census in 1910 in Mason, Ingham, Michigan.2516 He appeared in the census in 1920 in Howell, Livingston, Michigan.2516 |