Josephine A Whitford (1851)

Born 17 Nov 1851 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kristina Wheeler [send private message]

To Do

Obtain guardian ship papers from the court if they exist.

Biography

The early years

Josephine Joey Whitford was born on the 17th of November 1851^[1] to Dennis Whitford and Sarah Dodge^[2] in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

She was one of 5 daughters:

• Cornelia Frances Whitford (1840-1910)^[3][2]
• Arvillia Whitford (1842-1902)^[3][2]
• Amelia Whitford (1846-?)^[3][2]
• Josephine Joey Whitford (1851-1852)^[2]
• Mary Ada Addie Whitford (1854-1855)^[2]

Family life

Currently if she married or had children is unknown

Through the years

In 1860^[2] in the home are Dennis 46, Sarah 42, Cornelia 21, Arvillia 17, Amelia 14, Josephine 9, Ada 6. Dennis estimates his personal estate worth about $100, but no real estate value. They are living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

In May of 1862 her father would die in the Civil War^[1] and in those records we find additional documents that reference Josephine and her age.

On the 28th of March 1867, and several other newspapers in the same time frame the family farm would go up for sale and be listed in The Woodstock Sentinel^[4].

Death

There is a possibility she committed suicide in May of 1869, as a newspaper article ran^[5]:

A Miss Whitford, in dearborn county, Ind., disappointed in love because the breath of calumny had been raised against her, committed suicide, last week.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} See Profiles of parents for document sources
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MW9J-9H3 : 13 December 2017), Josephine Whitford in entry for Dannis Whitford, 1860. Year: 1860; Census Place: Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: M653_1407; Page: 474; Family History Library Film: 805407
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} 1850 Census of parents supports this relationship
4. ↑ (Woodstock, Illinois) 28 Mar 1867, Thu • Page 2
5. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77773171/whitford-suicide/ Chicago Evening Post Chicago, Illinois 19 May 1869, Wed • Page 2

• Family Search Josephine Whitford

Notes

7/24/2018 Looked through newspaper.com, ancestry and a few other locations and no trace of what happened to her. Next time need to look for any other possible 1870 census record. The farm that was sold was in Illinois, expanded search to there and nothing yet that strikes familiaity and no DNA matches as of yet.

Checked as well Whitford Deaths in Wisconsin and nothing seems to match up to her, so assuming she married.

Contacted the dearborn, Indiana center to see if they can identify a first name for the girl who committed suicide.