Altha A (Potter) Comstock (1854 - 1944)

Born 20 May 1854 in Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Flavius J Comstock — married 27 Oct 1880 in Van Buren Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States

Died 7 Mar 1944 at age 89 in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nancy Freeman [send private message]

Biography

Altha was born in 1854. She was the daughter of Cyril (aka Ceryl, Searl, Charles) Potter and Clarrinda Unknown who had come to Michigan from New York.

In 1870 at the age of 16 she was already a schoolteacher. In June of 1880 she had been teaching school in Vernon Township, Isobella, Michigan, while lodging with the Owen family at their farm. By June 15th she was back at home with her family in Van Buren, Wayne, Michigan.

She married Flavius J Comstock (1851-1895) on 27 Oct 1880 and moved with him to the Comstock farm in Salem Township, Washtenaw (now part of Ypsilanti). They had no known children.

Flavius passed away in 1895 of unknown causes.

After the death of her husband, Altha ran a boarding house for young women students on Cross Street opposite what is now Eastern Michigan University.

In 1903 she moved out west to stay with her sister Carrie Vida (Potter) Parker (1856-1906) and brother-in-law Adoniram Judson Parker (1853-1934) in Tacoma, Washington, where she worked for many years as a "tailoress" or dressmaker at Mary J Ball Suits and Cloaks on 904 South C Street. Carrie passed away in 1906, and A. J. remarried the following year, moving to another house with his new family.

Altha's adult nephew Harry Milton Freeman Sr. (1885-1946) moved out to Tacoma in 1908 and lodged with her until 1917 when he married Abbie Ruth (Fitch) Freeman (1897-1988) - another schoolteacher. Altha remained involved with her nephew's family.

She passed away in 1944.

Research Notes

p. 310 of the Freeman/Breining book says she moved to Tacoma in 1903 to stay with a sister.

• "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3NQ-B59 : 18 February 2021), Adonniram J. Parker and Carrie V. Potter, 28 Dec 1882; citing Marriage, Van Buren, Wayne, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4207679.
• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMPP-B64 : 9 March 2022), Carry B Parker in entry for A Judson Parker, 1900.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGJZ-CCQ : accessed 8 February 2023), Altha Comstock, Tacoma Ward 7, Pierce, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 280, sheet 10A, family 226, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1665; FHL microfilm 1,375,678.

Sources

• "Asahel Freeman and John Jacob Breining, Sr. Progency and Connected Families", prepared by Eugene F. Freeman, 405 S. Haywood St,. Waynesville, NC 28786, 1991
• Altha Potter in household of Searl [sic] Potter, Van Buren, Wayne, Michigan, US Census 1860: (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWDD-YJT)
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHCP-KNJ : 29 May 2021), Altha Potter in entry for Charles [sic] C Potter, 1870.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWS6-BFJ : 14 January 2022), Altha A. Potter in household of Joseph A. Owen, Vernon Township, Isabella, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW3G-W22 : 14 January 2022), Altha Potter in household of Cyrel Potter, Van Buren Township, Wayne, Michigan, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
• "Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FCC6-SP6 : 18 February 2021), Altha A. Potter in entry for Flavins J. Comstock, 1880.
• "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N36J-6JM : 18 February 2021), Fla... J. Cornstock and Althur A. Potter, 27 Oct 1880; citing Marriage, Van Buren, Wayne, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4207622.
• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9BR-GNY : 11 March 2022), Altha A Comstock, 1900.
• 1903 Altha Comstock on 417 Cross Street, from Ann Arbor City Directories: (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/1515232?mark=ef6565b9929ab7cff0c762ef345f07086fd483fcd90044f4cf38db926b61971a)
• 1905 Altha Comstock, widow of Flavius, tailoress at Mary J Bell, living on 8th Street in Tacoma, Washington (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/1515173?mark=55ce6e1909748d318d3c996ea74d76b0d93ca86ac3328f67cd473d1633d1a9c2)
• "United States City and Business Directories, ca. 1749 - ca. 1990", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68JP-S2DK : 15 February 2022), Mary J Ball, 1909.
• "United States City and Business Directories, ca. 1749 - ca. 1990", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZY4-15ZR : 15 February 2022), Flavius Comstock in entry for Altha A Comstock, 1910.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGJZ-CCQ : accessed 31 January 2023), Altha Comstock, Tacoma Ward 7, Pierce, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 280, sheet 10A, family 226, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1665; FHL microfilm 1,375,678.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCQM-4JW : accessed 31 January 2023), Altha A Comstock, Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 187, sheet 8A, line 36, family 174, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2512; FHL microfilm 2,342,246.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/178512793/altha-a-comstock: accessed 31 January 2023), memorial page for Altha A Potter Comstock (20 May 1854–7 Mar 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 178512793, citing Mountain View Memorial Park, Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington, USA; Maintained by Tara Finnie Curley (contributor 47001263).
• "Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3TP-L8B : 10 March 2018), Altha A. Comstock, 07 Mar 1944; citing Tacoma, Pierce, Washington, reference 412, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia; FHL microfilm 2,032,394.