By Pamela Pattison Lash
This is an example of how an old newspaper may give some
clues but also gives some mistakes to be discovered.
Tri-State Alliance, 20 June 1946 p1 c4
Edward Owen, Farmer Takes Own Life
Edward E Owen, 72, well known farmer near Camden in
Woodbridge Township, despondent of poor health took his own life by hanging
himself in his barn Monday morning.
He seemed in good spirits when he left the house for the barn to do the
chores and when not returning at the usual time, search was started by the
family.
Born in Williams Co, OH 14 July 1873, but most of his life
spent in Hillsdale County.
Surviving are his wife, 3 sons – Merle of Addison, Keith and Kenneth of
Hillsdale, 2 daughters – Mrs Hazel Roose of Hillsdale and Mrs Doris Fish of Burlington,
2 brothers – Heman of Pioneer and Frank of Hillsdale, and 2 sisters – Mrs Cora
Franks and Mrs Myrtle Hawkins of North Adams.
Funeral services today, Thursday at Camden with burial in
Lakeview in Hillsdale.
If one takes this at face value, the data looks
promising. If one digs a bit
deeper, however, there are a few incorrect bits.
1. If one were
looking for Edward E Owen, using nothing but census for Hillsdale Co, MI, one
would be disappointed. He is found
in a variety of geographical locations that need further investigation.
2. His death date says he’s 72 but if you do the math, this
appears to be not the case; it also gives a birth year of 1873, but the birth
records and his marriage license state the year of birth is 1872 not 1873.
Here is a brief account of Edward E Owen’s stats; much more
could be done.
Edward E Owen (24 July 1872, Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co,
OH - 17 June 1946, Camden, Hillsdale Co, MI; buried at Lakeview Cem, Hillsdale
Co, MI); son of James Owen and his third wife, Sarah Ann Strayer, married 25
Dec 1870, Williams Co, OH; both buried in Pease Cmetery, Bridgewater Twp,
Williams Co, OH
Married Myrta Wineland, 6 Dec 1899, Williams Co, OH by Rev J
W Clark (Marriage V8 p90)
Myrtie Wineland (4 May 1881 Jefferson Twp, Williams Co, OH -
) daughter of Henry Wineland and Lucinda Everhart
Children:
Hazel (1901 OH)
Merle (21 May 1903 Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH)
Doris L (4 June 1905 Hillsdale Co, MI)
Keith (1913 MI)
Kenneth D (1914 MI)
1880 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1077; Family
History Film: 1255077; Page: 457D; Enumeration District: 002; Image: 0549.
h/h Owen, J M 55 NY-NY-PA farmer
Sarah wife 44 OH-PA-PA
Adelaide dau 28 OH-NY-NY
Charles son 25 OH-NY-NY
James D son 22 NY-NY-NY
Robert V son 20 NY-NY-NY
Henry son 17 OH-NY-OH
Franklin son 15 OH-NY-OH
Cora dau 11 OH-NY-OH
Edward son 8 OH-NY-OH
Phebe dau 6 OH-NY-OH
Heman son 4 OH-NY-OH
1900 Bridgewater, Williams, Ohio; Roll: 1332; Page: 2B;
Enumeration District: 102; FHL microfilm: 1241332.
h/h 41/41 Owen, Edward 27 (July 1873) OH-NY-OH
Myrtie wife 18
(May 1882) mar 0Y 0/0 ch OH-OH-PA
Note the incorrect birthdate
Note the couple is living next door to Myrtie’s mother,
Lucinda Wineland
1910 Woodbridge, Hillsdale, Michigan; Roll: T624_649;
Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0119; Image: 587; FHL microfilm: 1374662.
h/h 292/292 Owen, Edward 37 mar 10Y OH-NY-OH farmer
Myrtie E 27 wife 3/3 ch OH-OH-PA
Hasel dau 9
Merl son 7
Doris dau 4
1920 Rollin, Lenawee, Michigan; Roll: T625_781; Page: 1B;
Enumeration District: 88; Image: 397.
h/h Owen, Edward 46 OH-NY-NY farmer
Myrtie E wife 36 OH-OH-PA
Hazel 19
Merel J 16
Doris L 14
Keith W 7
Kenneth D 5
1930 Butler, Branch, Michigan; Roll: 977; Page: 1A;
Enumeration District: 6; Image: 659.0; FHL microfilm: 2340712.
1940 Woodbridge, Hillsdale, Michigan; Roll: T627_1755;
Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 30-27.
This should give someone a few helpful bits to further the
research on this family.
