Stephen Curtis (1850 - 1928)

Born Jul 1850 in Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Belle Willard — married 16 May 1878 in Pokagon, Cass County, Michigan, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Sep 1928 at age 78 in Niles, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

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This person was created through the import of My Michigan Ancestors 20 Oct 2010.ged on 25 October 2010. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.

Name

Name: Stephen /Curtis/

Given Name: Stephen

Surname: Curtis

Source: #S34

Birth

Birth:

Date: Jul 1850

Place: Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Source: #S216

Source: #S1498

Page: Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925." Curtis-Willard.

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Date: 11 Jun 2008

Death

Death:

Date: 23 Sep 1928

Place: Niles, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Source: #S356

Burial

Burial:

Place: Franklin Cemetery, Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan

Event

Event:

Type: Alt. Birth

Date: Mar 1850

Note: On the 1900 census of Clyde, Allegan County, he lists his birth date as March 1850.

Source: #S218

Event:

Type: Alt. Birth

Date: 11 Mar 1851

Place: Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Note:

In his obituary, his birthdate was stated as being 11 March 1851, but he is listed (3 months old) on the 1850 census.

Source: #S850

Page: Stephen Curtis obituary, 26 Sept 1928

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Event: Niles (MI) Daily Star

Type: Obituary

Date: 26 Sep 1928

Place: Niles, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Funeral Stephen Curtis

Funeral services for Stephen L. Curtis, of Pokagon, who died Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Steinbauer, near Pokagon were held this afternoon at Franklin chapel. Burial took place in the Franklin cemetery. Mr. Curtis was born March 11, 1851 in Berrien county, his parents having been Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Curtis.

He leaves a wife and daughter, who have been living in Kalamazoo for a number of years; a sister, Mrs. Josephine Wells, of Pokagon, and a brother, George Curtis, of Dowagiac.

Source: #S850

Page: Stephen Curtis obituary, 26 Sept. 1928

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Event: written by Maurice L. Reed

Type: Family Notes

Date: 1943

Place: Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Notes on the Benjamin Curtis Tree

(Written 1943 by Maurice L. Reed)

«tab»Benjamin Curtis, born in 1800, was married in New York. His wife was Lucretia Averil. He had several brothers, Delonson, Solomon, Ethan, Stephan and some others. A sister, first name unknown, became Mrs. Porter Tinkham upon marriage. Benjamin & Lucretia lived on a farm near Niles, Mich.

«tab»Menzo was their oldest son, and died childless.

«tab»Levander fought in the Civil War, on the Union side. He and most of the other children in the family, spent most of their lives on farms not far from the old home place.

«tab»Livingston, called "Leb", had one son who was a black sheep. Orin (never married) was a hard drinker, and finally died a suicide by drowning. His son John, a year younger than my father, Percy, as his (Percy's) bosom companion when they were boys, his closest friend. They were cousins, of course. Uncle Leb's daughter, Carrie, married Frank Dickinson and had two children, Clarence and Jane. Clarence died in an accident, by electrocution.

«tab»Sara's (m. Hamilton Moore) daughter Clara married Dave Johnson, who made a living weaving carpets in Fennville. I have sat and watched him weave for hours when I was a very small boy, under eight. Their daughter Ernell married William Hoxie and they now live on Wyoming Avenue in Grand Rapids. Will & Ernell adopted a daughter, after many years of childless marriage, and almost at once they had a daughter of their own. The adopted one was a Daneta, the other _______ married a man named Camp. Sara's son Orra was another close friend of Dad's when they were small boys around Pokagon, Silver Creek, Niles and Indian Lake. Ella, the other daughter, married Wilt Abrams. They had a daughter, Mildred, who died unmarried, and two sons both married and living near Lawrence, Mich. at present (1943). The sons: Merle & Morris. Orra married Etta Branch and they had a daughter, Myrtle and a son Francis who is said to be very stingy.

«tab»Stephen married Belle Willard and they were separated after many years of marriage during which they had the four children listed, Grace, Mavis, Doris and Wallace. Grace married William Weber and they had two children, Frederick and Reginald, after which, while she was still young, Weber shot and killed her. He was acquitted in court, but there is no doubt in the minds of those who knew about the circumstances, that it was a cold-blooded murder. He was a German, born in Germany, and regarded his wife more as a chattel than as a companion. He was hard and cruel, taught his little boys to endure without crying such torments as being lifted by the ears, was very cruel to his wife during the years she lived with him, and her life was a very unhappy one. They lived in Grand Rapids. Doris, the next daughter, has also a quite interesting story. She married an Armenian, and went to his native country, where she lived with him in Damascus. They had a boy and then Doris died, and the boy's father brought him back to Aunt Belle, his grandmother, to raise. Aunt Belle still lives in Kalamazoo, address unknown.

A further note on one of Levander Curtis's children, Herbert Percy. He is said to have been very smart, and was the designer of the Indian on the Beckwith Stoves which were sold all over the United States. Herbert moved to Seattle and had some daughters, is dead now.

Getting back to the Benjamin Curtis family, there was a child, Angelia, who died in infancy, who followed Mary Ellen.

«tab»Dora has little left to say. She was the one who married J.L. after he had divorced one wife and outlived two others, one of them Dora's older sister. She had previously married James Phillips and borne him two children as the outline shows.

Source: #S34

Census

Census:

Date: 1 Oct 1850

Place: Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Benjamin Curtis; age 50; male; farmer; value of real estate 900; b. NY

Sarah L. age 38; female; b.NY

Menzo; age 20; male; b.NY

Sarah; age 18; female; b.NY

Levander; age 16; male; b.NY

Livingston; age 14; male; b.NY

Dewit; age 10; male, b. MI

Josephine; age 8; female; b.MI

George W.; age 5; male; b.MI

Mary E.; age 3; female; b.MI

Stephen age 3/12; male; b.MI

Source: #S216

Census:

Date: 16 Jul 1860

Place: Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Benjamin Curtis; age 60; male; farmer; b.NY

Sarah L. Curtis; age 48; female; b.NY

Lavenda Curtis; age 25; male; farmer; b.NY

Dewitt Curtis; age 20; male; farmer; b.MI

George W. Curtis; age 15; male; b.MI

Mary E. Curtis; age 13; female; b.MI

Stephen Curtis; age 10; male; b.MI

Isadora L. Curtis; age 4; female; b.MI

Source: #S217

Census:

Date: 1 Jun 1880

Place: Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Curtis, Stephen C.; white; male; age 30; married; laborer;

b.Michigan; father b.New York; mother b.New York

----- Belle; white; female; age 21; wife; married; keeping house;

b.Michigan; father b.New York; mother b.Iowa

Source: #S1214

Census:

Date: 8 Jun 1900

Place: Clyde, Allegan County, Michigan, United States

Note:

Curtis, Stephen; head; white; male; b.March 1850; age 50; married 22 years;

b.Michigan; father b.New York; mother b.New York occupation: laborer

----- Belle; wife; white; female; b.Oct. 1858; age 41; married 22 years; 6 children/5 living;

b.Michigan; father b.New York; mother b.Iowa

----- Grace; daughter; white; female; b. Nov. 1881; age 18; single;

b.Michigan; father b.Michigan; mother b.Michigan occupation: laborer/housework

----- Doris; daughter; white; female; b.Jan. 1888; age 12; single;

b.Michigan; father b.Michigan; mother b.Michigan at school

----- Willard L.; son; white; male; b.Nov. 1892; age 8;

b.Michigan; father b.Michigan; mother b.Michigan at school

----- Mavis; daughter; white; female; b.Feb. 1895; age 5;

b.Michigan; father b.Michigan; mother b.Michigan

---- Not Named; son; white; male; b.Dec. 1898; age 1

Source: #S218

User ID

User ID: E21CB5B2A6B846B49EB639D039824E61842B

Object

Object:

Format: jpg

File: George and Stephen Curtis Berrien MI.jpg

Scrapbook: Y

Primary or Preferred: Y

Type: PHOTO

While processing relationships in the gedcom some additional information was found which may be relevant.

@F189@ FAM

Husband: @I203@

PREF Y

Wife: @I644@

PREF Y

Status: Separated

Marriage:

Date: 16 May 1878

Place: Pokagon, Cass County, Michigan, United States

Type: Separated

Source: #S1498

Page: Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925." 191 (stamped), 3158, Curtis-Willard.

Quality or Certainty of Data: 3

Date: 11 Jun 2008

Child: @I1958@

PREF Y

Child: @I1960@

Child: @I1962@

Child: @I1959@

Child: @I1961@

Data Changed:

Date: 11 Jun 2008

Time: 18:17

@F60@ FAM

Husband: @I195@

PREF Y

Wife: @I194@

PREF Y

Marriage:

Date: 23 Mar 1829

Place: , , New York

Source: #S34

Source: #S35

Child: @I196@

Child: @I200@

Child: @I197@

Child: @I198@

Child: @I201@

Child: @I199@

Child: @I202@

Child: @I46@

PREF Y

Child: @I203@

Child: @I2226@

Child: @I204@

Data Changed:

Date: 7 Jun 2008

Time: 13:39

Sources

Source S1214

Media: Census/Tax

Abbreviation: 1880 Census of Watervliet, Berrien Co., MI

Title: 1880 Census of Watervliet, Berrien Co., MI

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Source S1498

Abbreviation: Marriage record for Stephen Curtis and Belle Willard - 16 May 1878

Title: Marriage registers. Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925

Author: Michigan. Secretary of State. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Publication: http://pilot.familysearch.org :2008.

Text: date of marriage: May 16, 1878

place of marriage: Pokagon

Stephen L. Curtis

white, residence Pokagon, age 27

birthplace: Berrien

occupation: farmer

Belle Willard

white, residence Pokagon

birthplace: Howard

Wm. F. Hurd, Minister of the Gospel

witnesses: C.P. Wells, Josephine Wells, residence Pokagon

date of record: March 8, 1880

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Source S216

Media: Census/Tax

Abbreviation: 1850 Census of Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan

Title: 1850 Census of Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan

Repository: #R4

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Repository R4

Name: Ancestry.com

Address: Ancestry.com

Name: Ancestry.com

TAG

Source S217

Media: Census/Tax

Abbreviation: 1860 Census of Berrien, Berrien Co., MI

Title: 1860 Census of Berrien, Berrien Co., MI

Repository: #R4

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Source S218

Media: Census/Tax

Abbreviation: 1900 Census of Clyde, Allegan Co., MI

Title: 1900 Census of Clyde, Allegan Co., MI

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Source S34

Media: Family Memoirs

Abbreviation: Notes on the Benjamin Curtis Tree - by Maurice L. Reed, 1943

Title: Notes on the Benjamin Curtis Tree - by Maurice L. Reed, 1943

Repository: #R1

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Repository R1

Name: Claudia Breland

Address: Claudia Breland

27115 212th Pl. SE

Maple Valley, WA 98038 USA

Name: Claudia Breland

Address 1: 27115 212th Pl. SE

City: Maple Valley

State: WA

Postal Code: 98038

Country: USA

Phone Number: 425-443-2968

E-Mail Address: ccbreland@comcast.net

Source S35

Media: Book

Abbreviation: Family named Curtis, pp 104-107; 162-163.

Title: A family named Curtis: descendants of Thomas Curtis of Wethersfield, CT, 1598-1982.

Author: Goodwin, Rose Mary

Publication: Goodwin, Rose Mary. A family named Curtis: descendants of Thomas Curtis of Wethersfield, CT, 1598-1982. : Privately published, 1983.

Date: 30 Sep 2004

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Source S356

Media: Newspaper

Abbreviation: Obituary for Stephen L. Curtis; Niles (MI) Daily Star, 26 Sept. 1928

Title: Obituary for Stephen L. Curtis; Niles (MI) Daily Star, 26 Sept. 1928

Repository: #R10

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y

Repository R10

Name: Library of Michigan

Address: Library of Michigan

Lansing, MI

Name: Library of Michigan

City: Lansing

State: MI

Source S850

Media: Newspaper

Abbreviation: Obituary for Stephen Curtis, 26 Sept 1928

Title: Niles Daily Star

Publication: Niles, Michigan

Repository: #R10

Italicized: Y

Paranthetical: Y