Councell Family Oral History from Vera Councell Parker

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Councell

This is a four-page, typed document containing family stories as passed down to Vera Councell Parker. It must have been written before 2006, as it is quoted in Rodney V. Councell's book published that year. I transcribed it here exactly. Many of the facts told here are supported by primary sources. There are a few known errors. Some of the stories can't be verified. It is the only evidence we have about some aspects of our family history, and anyway it's pretty interesting!

Vera's Family History

The Councells came from France where the spelling of the name was Count de Lacelles (According to Graham, were executioners for the government). England was their next homeland, (excuminicated from Catholic church and bannished to England). On inherited land in Queen Anne County, Maryland is the first we know of them in America. Our earliest known Grandfather, George Washington Councell was born in Queen Anne County in 1840. Maryland was still new and frontier country then. Great-great Grandfather told of the wild boars that used to come to steal the little pigs. In an effort to keep them out, logs were laid across the top of the pig pens. The story is recalled he once scared away Indians by taking a burning stick off the fire and threatened to drop it into a barrel of gun powder.

Negro slaves were held by the family in Maryland. Before the Civil War, they were freed and each slave given ten acres of land before George W. Councell moved west to Indiana. He did not treat the slaves unkindly and they chose to follow him to Indiana.

Towns in Indiana familiar to the Councells were Upland, Mathews, Wheeling, Gaston and Muncie. It is a kow fact that Muncie, Indiana was built on at least a portion of 160 acres that belonged to the Councells. An Ethyl Ryan (uncertain about the last name) who became a movie star, for years put money into a fund to get the deed straightened out. The settlement was never satisfactory but, Great-grandfather George Kary Councell did receive $700 to divide with his brothers and sister out of one of the buildings on the land.

We know George Washington Councell's father was an Englishman. We do not know his name. His mother was Frances Clemens Councell. She claimed Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) as her relative. Great-great grandfather George was reared a catholic along with an older brother Charlie, a sister Anne, and a fourth child, name unknown. Anne was deucated by the Nuns. Her life ended at a young age.

Charlie Councell married an English girl. (and settled in Marion, Indiana.) He had 3 children; Della, Lettice, and John. Della never married and died about age 30. Lettice died at age 10 from an injury. John married and lived all his life in Marion, Indiana,(Lucy). He had 2 sons, William and Charles. William was connected with the school system in Cleveland, Ohio as a buisiness manager. Charles was a draftman, employed by the government. He was last heard of living in Alexandria, Virginia.

Great-great Grandfather George W. married Nancy Howell. (a relative, Delight Howell, opera singer.) Nancy's father was George Howell, a Welshman, one of seven sons all with black hair and dark eyes. He was born and raised in the south. He became a lawyer and served in the state legislature three terms. (We do not know for certain, but presume it was the state of North Carolina as he married Amelia Rousseau (formerly spelled with an ending x, Rousseaux) a French lady from North Carolina. Nancy had 2 sisters. Nellie never married and made her home in Hartford City, Indiana. The name of the other sister is unknown.

Nancy Howell Councell died at the early age of 34. She left her family of 5 boys and 1 daughter to be raised by an elderly lady whom they called Grandma Miller (no relation). Great-great Grandfather continued in the Catholic faith and did not re-marry. He was a blacksmith and received an injury while shoeing a horse that left him with a lame leg (gangerous). He walked for years with a cane and died at age 78 in 1918. It is believed he is buried in Gaston, Ind.

Great-grandfather George Kary Councell was one of the children born to George and Nancy. Names of his brothers and sister are Charles, Frank, Rolland, (Grandfather), John Albert, and Fannie.

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Charles Councell held a managers job with Swift & Company. Later he operated a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His wife was Clara.

Frank Councell worked as a glass blower in a factory somewhere in Pennsylvania. He married twice. His first wife was Cora. They had several children. Iva, his second wife, gave him 8 children. He settled on a farm near Utica, Ohio. Some of his children live in or around Newark, Ohio. (more here from Drexel. Frank's daughter from Cora, Mrs. Drexel Montanaro. Her address is 71 Cherry St. Newark, Ohio.)

John Albert Councell, better known as Bert, was a Spanish American War Veteran. He served for 3 years with the infantry in the Philippine Islands. He lived in Pennsylvania and worked a coal mine on a farm he had there. He also worked in a glass factory as blower and cutter. He went to Detroit, Michigan to work for the Ford Motor Company. In 1929 he purchased 80 acres of woodland joining Grandpa Keith Councell's farm to the north at Gladwin, Michigan. The following year Great-uncle Bert spent in Russia, sent over there by Ford Motor Company to teach the Russians how to harden iron, and to work on the Russian copy of the 1530 McCormick Deering tractor. He had a comtract to stay from 1 to 5 years, if he liked it there. However, he stayed only the 1 year. During this year Grandpa Keith and his son Eldon cleared the woods off Berts farm and gathered the stones which were used to build the basement walls in preparation for the house Bert had moved from the Reynolds place to his farm when he returned from Russia.

John Albert married Priscilla and adopted a daughter Grace. They lived in Detroit and were later divorced. Bert was in and out of veterans hospital in his later years and died of cancer in 1952.

(In Gaston, Ind.) Rolland Councell was a farmer and mechanic. He had a blacksmith shop along the river on the west side of Beaverton, Michigan. His wife, Mertie, (was a nurse and went out on calls. She worked for a Dr. Dunn as a nurse even after Rolland died. She married again years later to George Roach. And passed away not long after that).

Fannie Councell married Willard Carmin. They farmed a place near Gaston, Indiana for years. Retired in Hartford City, Indiana about 1923, living at 224 W. Franklin St. their last years. Fannie was an accomplished dressmaker and catered to wedding out-fits. They had 1 son, Arnold Kenneth Carmin of Longmont, Colorado.

Arnold Carmin served as a Major in World War 1 and was sent to Aftica. He had 1 son named William. William Carmin was last heard of living in Arvada, Col.

Great-grandfather George Kary Councell was born and raised in and around Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He was sometimes nicknamed Kaid. He is known to have worked at the Anthony Wayne Washing Machine Works in Muncie, Indiana, as shipping clerk at $1.25 per day while others were only making $.70. On a large dairy farm near Gaston, Indiana he milked cows by hand. At one time he drove a meat wagon.

(Great-grandmother) Annie Marie Thompson's mother was Lady Jane Ann Boyle in England. Lady Jane fell in love with the head gardner, Charles Thompson, whom she ran away with and married. For this her people disowned her and took her name off all records. Since then no one has been able to trace her ancestry.

Charles Thompson found employment on a Sir Gorton Estate. 10 children were born to Charles and Lady Jane, one dying an infant. When Annie was about 10 years old, an epidemic of typhoid fever swept England. Her mother and father, a sister Sally, and a brother all died. They are interred at Claverdon, Warwickshire, England. The Earl of Stares came and took Annie and a sister

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Nellie and raised them. It is possible he was a relative. They traveled a great deal, so these girls had a very interesting life. Elizabeth was raised by what Annie called "Cockney English" (the working class). Annie could never understand her, so they were not too close of friends. Annie spent some of her girlhood in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other places in Scotland.

The brothers and sisters of Annie Thompson and where they settled is interesting. Fred Thompson in Birmingham, England. He had a daughter Lucy who became a school teacher and taught in the Queen Mary schools. She lived at 11 Little Hardwick Rd. Aldridge, Staffordshire, England, the last of her days (in her retirement). Nellie married a Titmus and resided in Birmingham, England. Joseph Thompson, Southampton, England. Will Thompson came to Kendallville, Indiana. Elizabeth married a Hanauer who served as deputy sheriff around Ft. Wayne and, a son Wilbur. Emily Thompson married a Marshall and settled in Fr. Wayne also. She had a daughter Daisy who married Will Noble. Daisy and Will's children were Charles, George, Will and Elizabeth Noble.

On Sept. 23, 1890 Annie Marie Thompson came from Scotland to the United States and was governess for a Banker's chidren in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Here she net and became the bride of Great-grandfather George Kary Councell on Aug. 6, 1895. They lived on 2215 Oliver St. in Ft. Waye util after your Grandfather George Keith Councell and his sister Ethyl Marie were born.

In July of 1900, Great-grandpa Councell and friend Ora J. Bowser of Ft. Wayne, Indiana went to Gladwin, Michigan. Each of the men purchased from Eugene Foster 80 acres of land of sections 5 and 6 in Tobacco township, Gladwin County. Great-grandpa's place usually right hand side at the corner of River and Badger roads northeast of Beaverton one and one-half miles. The farm and house only cost $400. The house has been replaced with a new one now. Only 4 acres were cleared of timber when they moved there. At this Writing, 3 tall pines standing together not far from the house your Grandpa Keith Councell remembered being there when he was a small boy. To the east of the Badger place the Badger family had a house with 32 rooms in it. Which burnt down.

Great-grandpa and Annie moved their family by team and wagon from Indiana to the farm in Michigan in August of 1903 (1902). Not too long before the trip Great-grandpa was ill with appendicitis and was operated on.

A year or more passed on the Badger farm. Then they purchased the 80 acres on Parker road one and one-half miles west of highway M-18 in Grout township that we are familiar with. Great-grandpa Councell built their own house and barn there and farmed the land after clearing it. Where the buildings are the brush had to be cleared before they could pull the wagon into the area. He had a blacksmith shop on his place. He also had the first silo and silo-filler in Gladwin County and did custom work for his neighbors.

Great-grandpa George Councell, (a methodist) and Great-grandma Annie had an unusually quiet, peaceful, and happy home life. Both were very religious and their days started and ended with Bible reading and prayers. The family was very close-knit and didn't shirk work. They all worked together. Anything planned was planned together. Annie died at the age of 62. Her obituary records she was a woman of fine intellct with a wonderful memory and personality whom to know was to love. Many and innumerable were her deeds of love and kindness to the sick, those in sorrow, the afflicted and needy, showing the love of Jesus in her soul. She was converted before coming to the United States and joining the Baptist Episcopal church. She is buried in Highland cemetery, Gladwin, Mich.

Great-grandpa George then married Thurland McGowen, who had a son Gordon McGowen. Gordon went to Flint, Michigan to live. He was found dead in a railroad boxcar.

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After Surley died, Great-grandpa took his third wife, Julie Fackler. She had 2 children, Gertrude and Glen Fackler. Gertrude married Claire Campbell (one of the sons of your Great-uncle Poy Campbell), and lives on a farm near Gladwin. Glen was last known of living in Detroit, Michigan doing interior decorating of houses.

Great-grandpa George outlived his third wife, also. When Julia died he sold the farm and went to live in a small house built for him at the end of the lane of your Grandpa Keith Councell's place where Aunt Carmen and Fred Olin's home is now. Here he remained until he suffered a stroke. He died at Grandpa's house at age 84 (85 I believe) and is buried in Gladwin.

Grandpa Keith Councell was only 6 years old when the horse and wagon pioneer trip was made to Michigan. He remembered they trailed a double seated carriage or buggy behind the wagon. Stopped to buy milk and eggs at farm houses and slept in covered wagon. Two dogs, a blood hound tied to the wagon and a spaniel were travel companions. The wagon was loaded with furniture and belongings. Some of their household stuff was shipped to Beaverton by train. He told of camping on the way. There was one incident while they were camped by Looking Glass river in southern Michigan. Two men, rough looking characters, came by. One of them asked about their blood hound at the same time kicked at it. The hound jumped at the man's throat. The man left then doing no harm.

The journey from Indiana to Michigan took 2 weeks. They had no breakdowns nor sickness. But they came through 2 different towns where there was smallpox and typhoid fever. In these places they weren't able to get water. (Ethyl told about her dad ran bears out of the barnyard with a pitch fork.).

Grandpa Keith Councell walked the Croll road to school in Beaverton that first year. A hotel is on the spot now where the school in Beaverton stood. He went to school 7 years, quitting at age 14 to work on the farm.

A most vivid recollection he had of the Parker road place during the big forest fire of 1909. The burning pitch in the pines shot flames and sparks a 100' into the air. The fire was coming too close to the farm. Great-grandpa harnessed the team of horses in readiness to run for it and sent your Grandpa to round up help. 30 men came. Just as the fire was nearing the buildings the wind changed from west to east and sent the fire in the opposite direction. Many people in the area were burned out.

Grandpa Keith Councell recalled meeting a man by the name of Brad Hill whom his father knew in Beaverton. Brad Hill had been one of Custer's scouts.

Grandpa once had in his possession a 45 colt revolver that belonged to Jesse James. He traded it to a man named Bert Harding. He also saw Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley perform in person in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

(About the Jesse James gun to type yet. Grand-dad always roomed and boarded school teachers up to and including Miss Smallwood, Eldon's first teacher. Lots more to type and re-do.)