Eureka!

At long last I discovered the parents of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1855-1916) of Beal City, Michigan. Here I describe my initial findings about his birth, childhood and teenage years in Welland County, Ontario.

Family
Joseph Voisin, wife Mary, and children, c. 1907

The childhood of my great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin (1855-1916), remained a stubborn mystery after many years of genealogy research. In other essays I described the known facts and many hypotheses. I explored genetic genealogy and used DNA testing to identify numerous distant cousins. However the lack of traditional genealogical evidence like birth, marriage, and census records did not shed light on Joseph’s birth or who his parents were.

Until now. While analyzing my DNA test results, I noticed several distant matches who did not fit my known family tree. I had to determine their lineages based on scant information. Next I found matches we shared in common and I determined their lineages too. I began to identify more and more distant cousins who descend from one man, Theobald Koebel.1

Signature
Signature of Theobald Köbel, 1830
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Dating a Postcard

Several clues determine when a hand-colored photograph of Sacred Heart Academy in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan was originally taken.

Postcard

Here are two postcards from the early twentieth century showing Sacred Heart Academy in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. 2 The first can be dated accurately. I evaluate several clues to estimate the date of the second postcard.

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Netherby, Ontario

My great-grandfather Joseph Voisin wrote in his journal from Netherby, Ontario in 1875. I investigate the former village for clues about his parents and childhood.

When my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) was 17 he wrote a whimsical poem in his journal. He signed his name and indicated he was at Netherby, Ontario on November 19, 1875. I’ve yet to discover who his parents were so here I explore the former village of Netherby for clues.

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Exploring the Odds

This is a status report on my progress to discover the parents of my great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin (1858-1916). I explore DNA probabilities using the What Are the Odds tool for clues about where Joseph might fit in a hypothetical family tree.

Joseph Voisin
Joseph Voisin

The parents of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) remain a mystery. Evidence indicates he was born in Ontario, Canada. He was related to Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892) of Saint Clements, Ontario. That was proven by a Y-chromosome DNA test with a known descendant. And by traditional genealogy, Joseph is related to Peter Joseph’s brother Henry Joseph Voisin (1801-1884) of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Both of the Ontario brothers went by their middle names, Joseph.

No birth, census or land records have yet uncovered Joseph Voisin’s birth or his parents, except for entries in his personal journal that show he was near both Saint Clements and Niagara Falls when he was young.

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Future History

Capitol

As a history buff I’ve seen hundreds of photos of death and destruction and often thought how people at the time could let that happen. This photo is almost as overwhelmingly visceral to me and I fear it will define my era. On the right is a portrait of Charles Sumner, an abolitionist nearly killed on the Senate floor after making an anti-slavery speech. On the left is a portrait of John Calhoun, a staunch advocate of slavery who helped craft the South’s insurrection. In the middle is Kevin Seefried, 51 years old, of Laurel, Delaware. After 156 years, he succeeded in flying this symbol of racist rebellion in the Capitol of the United States of America. More than 430,000 men died to help prevent what Kevin Seefried did in one afternoon, with little effort.

In another 156 years, if there is an America, will they see this photo and say how could I let that happen? To the future I say, I’m sorry. When my fellow citizens made innocuous comments about rigged elections and conspiracy theories, I remained silent, because after all they are entitled to their opinion. But my silence perpetuated the lies, and they snowballed to the point they became their truth. What becomes the truth about an era may not have started as the truth.

But what can one person do to change the course of history as it is happening? Nothing but a thousand little things said and done, here and there. None, or maybe one of these, may ever effect change. I guarantee there were people back then who said, how can this be happening. I cannot hear their voices now, but the truth they thought nobody heard eventually prevailed, at least in some form. And certain of those who will see this photo in a dusty old archive will understand that too. So to the future I also say, thank you. Thank you for not judging me too harshly. If not truth, then the spirit of truth, will survive eventually.

Horse Thief

I found the proverbial horse thief in my family tree. My great great-grandfather, James Stewart, had a brother John Stewart, who was actually a horse thief and all-around very bad guy.

Colt

Is there a proverbial horse thief in your family tree? If you’re related to John Stewart (1821-1908), the answer is yes. John’s father was Major James Stewart, a well-respected member of the community, who served in the militia over forty years and was an elder of his church. He was also school director, tax collector, assessor, overseer of the poor, and justice of the peace. 3, 4

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Russell Thomas Stewart: A Retrospective

This is a biography of my granduncle, Russell Thomas Stewart, who was killed in action during World War I. It summarizes my earlier articles, which provide more details.

Russell Thomas Stewart was born September 16, 1889 in Buffington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. He was a son of John Galbreath Stewart and Mary (McKee) Stewart. He was probably born on, or near, the Stewart homestead, a farm originally settled by his great great-grandparents, John and Margaret (McFarland) Stewart about 1796. When Russell was five years old his father died, and his mother moved the family to Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

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Zeelandia

The USS Zeelandia was a Dutch commercial passenger ship converted for use by the United States Navy as a troop transport during World War I. She carried my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, to France in 1918.

Zeelandia
USS Zelandia

The Zeelandia was a passenger ship converted for use as a troop transport by the United States Navy during World War I. My granduncle Russell T. Stewart sailed on the USS Zeelandia on her first voyage to France in 1918. While researching his experiences, I discovered some interesting facts about this ship.

Shown here at New York harbor on May 10, 1918, the ship had been newly outfitted. She sports a new coat of paint known as dazzle camouflage, also called razzle dazzle. Rather than conceal the ship, it was intended to make it difficult for enemy submarines to determine the ship’s range and speed.

The Zeelandia was a Dutch commercial passenger ship named after Zeeland, the westernmost province of the Netherlands. She was built in 1910 in Scotland, and owned and operated by Koninklijke Hollandsche Lloyd (Royal Holland Lloyd) based in Amsterdam. How she became a US Navy transport is interesting.

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Intersection at Imécourt

A newspaper article brings new details of Imécourt, France, where my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, was killed in action during World War I. Another rare photograph depicts a remarkable intersection of family history with world history.

Russell T. Stewart

A Pittsburgh newspaper article published three months after the end of World War I highlights the battle at Imécourt, France. 5 It was of particular interest to Pittsburgh readers because most of the men who fought there were from Pittsburgh. It was the final battle for the 319th Infantry Regiment, part of the 80th Division. Several men were killed in action there, including my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart. 6

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A Grim Task: Reburial

Exhuming, identifying and reburying our fallen troops in World War I was a grim task. This is what happened to the remains of my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart.

Survey

There are new details to report about my granduncle, Russell T. Stewart, who was killed in action during World War I. It was common to bury fallen soldiers near where they died. For several years after the war, their remains were subsequently exhumed and their identity confirmed. They were then reburied in France, or returned to their families in the United States for funerals here.

It is somewhat fortunate that Russell was first buried at a relatively nice place, rather than in an open field or dense forest. He died during a battle just northwest of Imécourt, France on November 2, 1918. His body was returned to the town of Imécourt and buried by a regimental burial detail on the grounds of the Chateau d’Imécourt. There were eighteen altogether. In fact he was buried next to Grover D. Selvey and Aaron Carter, and all three were in Company M.

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Memorial Day Tribute

Russell T. Stewart

This is a Memorial Day tribute to Pfc. Russell T. Stewart, my mother’s uncle, who was killed in action in the woods northwest of Imécourt, France early on the morning of November 2, 1918. He served in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 319th Infantry, 160th Brigade, 80th Division. The Division earned the motto, “Only Moves Forward,” having fought in all three phases of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, from September through November, 1918.

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Adding Perspective to History

Although a picture captures only a moment in time, several pictures can give perspective.

Gone With the WindA motion picture is a series of still photographs displayed in rapid succession. You probably know the line spoken just before the photograph at left was taken. That’s because you already saw Gone With the Wind. If you hadn’t, I could show you more and more still photos until eventually the scene came to life.

A historical photograph is an instant in time. Like a single frame from a movie, it provides limited information. When you can add additional photographs taken about the same time, you get a better perspective and therefore a greater appreciation.

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Someone Will Remember For You

I set out to discover what happened to my granduncle, my mother’s uncle, Russell T. Stewart. He was killed in action during World War I. Divisional and regimental histories tell only part of the story. It was a letter to the editor after the war that set the record straight.

Russell Stewart at Camp Lee, Virginia

Russell Thomas Stewart was my maternal granduncle. He served in the 80th Infantry Division during World War I and was killed in action November 2, 1918. I wanted to know exactly what happened to him, but I doubt anyone ever knew, or could know, precisely what happened that fateful day. In the confusion of battle, most details are never reported or recorded. 1  (Refer also to my earlier posts:  Russell Stewart: Only Moves Forward and Corporal Pollock’s Account.)

I used Divisional, Regimental and Company histories to piece together his story. I can only estimate where Russell was based on the unit to which he was assigned. It is possible he was separated from his unit and temporarily attached to another unit. It is also possible he died the day before and he was not found until the next day.

Russell served in Company M, one of four companies in the 3rd Battalion of the 319th Infantry. 7 The 319th was part of the 160th Brigade in the 80th Infantry Division.

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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Henry Joseph Voisin and Anne Marie (Ditner) Voisin are not listed in the 1871 census of Willoughby Township, Welland County, Ontario. They do appear in the census for 1842, 1851, and 1861. Joseph also appears with his second wife, Elizabeth (Ellesworth) Voisin, in the 1881 census. The fact they are listed at the same place both before and after 1871 implies they were skipped by the census taker in 1871.

They owned 55 acres of land in Concession 2, Lot 14. It so happens the 1871 census has additional schedules that detail agricultural data. The entry for Concession 2, Lot 14 indicates the Voisins should appear on census page 18, line 1. However the family listed there is Thomas and June Hill, both 25, with their son William G., age 3.

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Glimpse of Pioneer Life

The family farm of Peter Joseph Voisin and Catherine (Meyer) Voisin is detailed in the 1871 census of Wellesley Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. They had 1 dwelling house and 1 barn. They owned 3 carriages or sleighs, 3 cars, wagons or sleds, 3 plows or cultivators, 1 reaper or mower, 1 horse rake, 1 thrashing machine and 1 fanning mill to winnow grain.

They owned 143 acres situated in Concession 8, Lot 1. Of that, 120 acres were improved, 14 acres were pasture, and 3 acres were gardens or orchards. They planted wheat on 30 acres and harvested 150 bushels of spring wheat and 250 bushels of fall wheat. They produced 400 bushels of oats, 100 bushels of peas, and 300 bushels of turnips. They had 5 acres devoted to potatoes and produced 100 bushels. They had 14 acres of hay that yielded 18 tons. They also produced 6 ½ bushels of grass or clover seed, 70 bushels of apples, 2 bushels of pears, plums or other fruit, 200 pounds of maple sugar, and 15 cords of fire wood.

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Making Sense of my Ethnicity

My autosomal DNA test results indicate I’m 98% European, which is further broken down to 49% British Isles, 36% East Europe, 9% Iberia and 4% Scandinavia. The remaining trace 2% is either Southeast Europe or simply “noise,” which is unexplained variations in the data.

Ethnicity predictions depend on many factors and are only approximate. They represent similarities of my DNA, my past really, with representative samples from modern populations. The ethnicity map does agree strikingly with my mother’s lineage. Her father’s side was likely from Scotland and her mother’s side is proven to be from Hungary and Slovakia. However, I inherited roughly 50% of my autosomal DNA from my father. That means my father’s side is also some combination of this very same ethnic mix, with a little Spanish (9%) and Scandinavian (4%) thrown in somewhere.

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Voisins at New York

A tattered ship’s passenger list from 1832 shows a mysterious Voisin family. The vague reference was not enough to identify my ancestors—until now.

I am related to Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892), the patriarch of the Voisin families of Waterloo County, Ontario, near Kitchener. This was proven by a Y-chromosome DNA match between me and a known descendant of the Kitchener Voisins, Clifton Voisin. I also determined Peter Joseph’s sister Maria Anne Voisin (1798-1879) immigrated to Waterloo county. The next piece of the puzzle was a family connection to Buffalo, New York. That’s where I found a third sibling, Henry Joseph Voisin (1801-?) and his family, in Welland County, Ontario, just across the Niagara River from Buffalo.

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Thank You Magdalena Voisin

Thanks to my cousin Magdalena Voisin, I found more Voisin ancestors. I may be closer to identifying the parents of my great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin, of Beal City, Michigan.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Magdalena Voisin. She helped me find Joseph and Anne Voisin, who were my ancestors, and quite possibly my great great-grandparents. She provided such a big clue for a little girl only eleven years old. You see, she was born about 1841.

The Buffalo Connection

Magdalena was listed in the 1851 Canadian census 9 for Waterloo County in the household of Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892), the patriarch of all the Voisin families near Kitchener, Ontario.  (The family is listed as “Wisong” in that census.)  She was probably not his daughter however. Instead her usual residence was “Buffalo.” She was probably visiting the family and was from Buffalo, New York. This fits with another clue from the obituary of one of Peter Joseph’s sons, Anthony. It indicates his parents walked to Buffalo annually to visit relatives. 10

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Maria Voisin with Her Son August Voisin

The lady in the book turns out to be my ancestor, but with a surprising twist. Her story is one of hard work, hardships and perseverance.

Madame Voisin

To find the ancestors of my great-grandfather Joseph Voisin (1858-1916) in connection with the Ontario patriarch, Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892), it helps to research other families in the area that may be related. They can help me “triangulate” in on my direct-line ancestors. With a little detective work, one such family proved to be a surprising discovery.

An early settler in Waterloo County, Ontario was Maria Voisin, and her son August Voisin, who was a tailor. A reference to her and her son is found in a history of the Catholic Church in Waterloo County. 11 The reference indicates she was present in or before 1850 and it includes a picture of Madame Voisin herself. I suspected she was related by marriage to Peter Joseph Voisin (1807-1892), and was perhaps his sister-in-law.

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A Case for Genetic Genealogy

Great-grandfather Joseph Voisin: A case for genetic genealogy.

Joseph Voisin (1858-1916)
Joseph Voisin (1858-1916)

My paternal great-grandfather, Joseph Voisin was probably born January 10, 1858. For twenty-five years I’ve tried unsuccessfully to discover where he was born and who his parents were. I turn now to genetic genealogy, to both autosomal DNA and Y-DNA testing. Hopefully it will provide the additional clues needed to solve this mystery once and for all.

I have written about my “brick wall” (Brick by Brick Part 1, Brick by Brick Part 2).  Here is a quick summary.

The names of Joseph Voisin’s parents are unknown, but his father’s name could also be Joseph Voisin. 12 He perhaps lived for a time near St. Clements, which is near Kitchener, Ontario. There are several Voisin families in this area today. They are descendants of the patriarch Joseph Voisin (1805/7-1892). However there is no evidence yet that links our Joseph to these families.

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Father of Immigration

Families of emigrants camped at the port of Le Havre, 1843 [efn_note]New York Public Library Digital Gallery, Digital Image ID #833602 (http://digitalgallery.nypl.org).[/efn_note]

Johann Fuchs (1777-1847) and his wife Anna Maria (Schüller) Fuchs (1788-1860) immigrated to America from Langenfeld, Germany in the fall of 1840.  They probably made their way via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, New York, where they spent the winter of 1840/1841.  Johann wrote several letters home to his grown children, and his relatives and neighbors.  In these glowing letters he espoused the abundance and virtues of America in hopes of persuading them to make the same journey.

In the 1930s, researcher Joseph Scheben solicited letters received by families in Germany from their relatives in America.  He studied several hundred such letters to trace the origin and final destination of German emigrants in America.  One community he studied was Westphalia, in Clinton County, Michigan just west of St. Johns.  It so happens Johann and Anna Maria Fuchs settled in Westphalia in the spring of 1841.  Scheben studied at least one letter by Johann Fuchs and found it so endearing that he transcribed it in his book about the community.  He calls Johann Fuchs the Father of Immigration.

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Was Grandpa a Northern Secessionist?

In a previous essay I explored whether my great great-grandfather, Jacob P. Yuncker (1837-1905), served in the Civil War. Apparently he was drafted in August 1863, but I could find no record of him actually serving. I concluded he was probably granted an exemption to care for his sick wife Rosa. Or perhaps he had already left the area either coincidentally or to avoid the controversial draft. I have since discovered more of his story.

An 1855 plat map of Erie County, New York shows the house where Jacob’s parents lived, and no doubt where Jacob and his siblings grew up. 13  It is a nondescript community half way between Lancaster and Alden, just east of Buffalo, New York. The map indicates it is “Town Line” post office and it does straddle the boundary of both Lancaster and Alden townships.

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When Sacred Heart was St. Charles

Bird’s eye view of St. Charles

Sacred Heart Catholic parish has been a fixture of the Mount Pleasant, Michigan community for generations. You may not know that it began as St. Charles parish. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, a priest would come from a neighboring town like Saginaw, and several families celebrated mass held at various homes. About 1872 they decided to build a church. After obtaining the land and raising the money, construction started on January 25, 1875. The church was a wooden structure that measured 38 by 60 feet and was 24 feet high. 14

My great-grandparents, Joseph and Mary Ann (Yuncker) Voisin were married in this church on February 16, 1885. This was a few years after the church was completed about 1877. They were married by the first resident priest of the parish, Reverend James J. McCarthy. Joe and Mary lived near Beal City. Although the first St. Philomena church was completed there in 1882, Fr. McCarthy traveled from Mount Pleasant to say Mass there only once every three months.

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Glück Auf!

Three Generations
Mary (Bittner) Pohl, her daughter Ida Stewart, and her daughter Ruth Voisin (standing)

“Glück Auf” has been the traditional greeting used by miners. No doubt my ancestors, who were coal miners, used this expression daily. In German, it means “good luck.” Not only did miners wish each other luck in finding and extracting the minerals they sought, but it was a wish that they also come back alive.

Pécsbánya is a coal-mining district about three miles northeast of Pécs, Hungary. The area was also called Pécsbányatelep. Literally translated they mean Pécs-mine and Pécs-mine-settlement. Pécs was known as Fünfkirchen by the Germans. For 250 years, more than 35 different coal mines operated at one time or another and 40 million tons of coal were produced here.

The Danube Steamship Company (Dunai Gőzhajó Társaság, or DGT) was a large consumer of coal. In 1852 it expanded into ownership of coal mines. To house workers for its growing operations, DGT started a “colony” in 1855, named Colonia. It was located on Gesztenyés hill ridge near the András (Andrew) mine. The first settlers there were Hungarians, Germans, Czech-Moravians, Slovakians, Bosnians and Slovenians.

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