Henry W. Pelkey (abt. 1855 - 1930)

Born about Feb 1855 in Lewis, Essex County, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Lillie L. Pelkey — married 29 Oct 1889 in Morrison County, Minnesota, United States

Died 21 May 1930 at about age 75 in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Henry W. Pelkey was the son of Charles Pelkey and Ellen (Norman) Pelkey, born (according to his death record) 20 February 1860^[1] or in 1855 or 1856 (according to other records) in Lewis, Essex County, New York. His father was born in Canada and his mother was born in New York state.^[1]

The 1860 U.S. Census recorded him in the household of Chas. Pelkey, age 34, and Helley Pelkey, age 25, in Lewis, Essex County, New York. There are three children on the record: William H. Pelkey, 5, Mary Ann Pelkey, 3, and Hellen E. Pelkey, one month old. Henry probably is William H. Pelkey, age 5, but the date on his death record suggests that he was the infant and was mistakenly recorded as female. The family lived in the same house as Henry's maternal grandparents, Thomas and Ann Norman.^[2]

His mother died in 1863, followed by his maternal grandmother in 1867 and his maternal grandfather in 1871.

His father moved the family to Minnesota, where the 1875 Minnesota State Census recorded them in in Belle Prairie, Morrison County, Minnesota. The family consisted of Charles Pelkey, age 49, and Elizabeth Pelkey, age 29, both born in Canada to parents born in Canada, and eight Pelkey children. The four oldest children, Henry, age 20, Mary, age 17, Ellen, age 15, and Martha, age 9, were born in New York; and the younger children, Catherine, age 8, George, age 5, Adelia, age 3, and Lydianna, age 1, were born in Minnesota.^[3]

Henry Pelky married Lillie Pelky on 29 October 1889 in Morrison County, Minnesota.^[4]

The 1900 U.S. Census recorded Henry and Lilly Pelkey, ages 45 and 40, respectively, in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, in the household of her parents, William and Mary Pelkey. The record indicates that Henry was born in New York in February 1855, to a father born in Vermont^[5] and a mother born in New York. He and Lilly had been married 11 years, and Lilly had had no children. Henry had the occupation "laborer."^[6]

Henry W. Pelkey died in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, on 21 May 1930. According to the death record, he was a retired Street Dept. worker.^[1] He is memorialized on a family stone in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Joliet, identified as Henry W. Pelkey, 1856-1930.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQQ6-DVQ : 25 April 2022), Charles Pelkey in entry for Henry W. Pelkey, 1930.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSW-47G?cc=1473181&wc=7QPF-1DJ%3A1589422212%2C1589428712%2C1589424139 : 24 March 2017), New York > Essex > Lewis > image 30 of 47; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ Minnesota State Census, 1875. Enumeration sheet for Belle Prairie, Morrison County, page 29. Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 1977. Microfilm. Reels 1-47 and 107-164. Accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1058/images/mnsc_11-0581
4. ↑ Minnesota Official Marriage System, https://moms.mn.gov/, certificate D-176, indexed by Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1763910:70873
5. ↑ The Vermont birthplace is wrong; Lilly's father was born in Vermont and apparently the same information was added to Henry's entry.
6. ↑ United States Census, 1900. Enumeration sheet for Joliet Ward 6, Will, Illinois; Roll: 353; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0131; FHL microfilm: 1240353, accessed on Ancestry.com at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7602/images/4113812_00957
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86371479/henry-w-pelkey : accessed 14 May 2022), memorial page for Henry W Pelkey (1856–1930), Find a Grave Memorial ID 86371479, citing Mount Olivet Cemetery, Joliet, Will County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Kathi Flyte (contributor 46834784).