Four generations of RICHARDSONs 1917

Four generations of RICHARDSONs 1917
William Richardson, Alice Josephine Richardson Dakin, Robert Worthington Richardson, Harry Bogart Richardson

Friday, February 21, 2014

Mild-mannered Clerk or Secret Service Agent ... The Rest of the Story!

My mother had fond memories of playing with her grandparents who lived next door.  Her grandfather, Harry Bogart Richardson, told her and her sister stories of his working as a secret service agent in Denver trying to capture people who were shaving gold off of gold coins.  Her grandfather died when she was 15, so she had lots of years to hear those stories.

Was that creative story telling to amuse his granddaughters or was he really a secret service agent?

When he died in 1932 on a vacation visiting relatives in California, his death certificate says he was an insurance agent.  His obituary tells of his church membership and his founding membership (and first president) of the local tennis club.  His son's birth certificate (1890) lists his occupation as clerk.  In the US census for Oak Park IL he is listed as a grocery clerk (1880), dealer in stocks & bonds (1900), broker in a bank (1910), insurance broker (1920), insurance salesman (1930).  Sounds like a pretty ordinary daily life for a middle class family man.  No adventures tracking down crooks in Denver.

The one thing that didn't quite fit to the story of all those years in Oak Park ILLINOIS was that his son graduated from East High School in DENVER on 10 June 1909.  My mother said the family story was that her father was sent to school in Denver because they were afraid of TB and wanted a healthier climate for him.  The school has only Robert W enrolled (not his younger brother) and only one parent was listed as contact (his father).  Robert (Bobbie) enrolled in September 1907.

A few years ago I decided to search for any record of his serving in the Secret Service.  I had to file a Freedom of Information Act request with Homeland Security and send proof that he had died (couldn't send birth certificate since he was born in Canada before vital records).  The paperwork that came back told me that he WAS a Secret Service agent in Denver from 1907-1909, he worked for $4/day and then got a raise to $5/day.  There are probably records in NARA in Washington DC on the daily records for "Operative Richardson" but I have to go to DC to see them.

Yes he was an agent in Denver, BUT, was he capturing people debasing gold coins?

I recently discovered there were some revealing newspaper articles on GenealogyBank.com

Monday 3 February 1908, Denver Post (Denver CO), page 5

“RICHARDSON ASSISTANT
SECRET SERVICE AGENT”
  Harry B Richardson has been appoint-
ed assistant to Rowland K. Goddard,
government secret service agent in Den-
ver.  Mr. Richardson has been working
under L. C. Wheeler on land fraud in-
vestigations for some time, having been
temporarily transferred to the depart-

ment of justice for that purpose.”

So Harry was working in Denver and was moved to the Department of Justice (investigating counterfeiting might be part of the job).

Saturday 4 April 1908, Denver Post (Denver CO), page 4

“DENVER OFFICERS
MAKE GOOD CATCH
OF ‘COIN SWEATER’ 
   ---
Spied on Salt Lake Man’s Lab-
oratory and Saw Him at 
His Work.
   ---
A PROFITABLE CALLING
   ---
About $1 of Gold Taken Out
of Each Coin in Wholesale
Lots.
   ---
   Eben J. Gregory of Salt Lake City was
arrest last Tuesday at his home for
“sweating” gold coins after the officers
had watched his operations from the out-
side for some time and determined ex-
actly what he was doing.  Harry B.
Richardson and W. W. Fraser, govern-
ment secret service men from Denver,
succeeded in locating Gregory after the
$5 and $10 light coins had been de-

tected.
   Gregory has a wife and three children.
When he first went to Salt Lake City
he was a clerk for a mining company;
later he opened a cigar store.  Two years
ago he was forced  to close his store
because a saloon man leased the build-
ing.  When he had to vacate he hung up
placards which bore evidence of his in-
dignation, because he had to leave, one
of them reading, “Give an honest man a
chance to make an honest dollar.”
TURNS MINING MAN
   Then he began to call himself a mining
man.
   About five weeks ago it was found that
something was wrong with the gold coins
circulated about Salt Lake City.  The
chief of police notified the Denver branch
of the secret service department adn the
two men were sent out to find the guilty
person. Gregory had been pasing light
coins daily in big business houses of Salt

Lake City.
   The secret service men watched him
very closely and his methods were re-
vealed.  Nitriuc and muriatic acids were
used, and the face of the gold coin was
given an acid bath so that it looked as
if it had been badly worn.  The other
side was left in good condition.  When
passing the coins Gregory put the perfect
side of the coin up, and the side that
had been tampered with was not no-
ticed.
   The man bought postoffice orders in
his wife’s maiden name and cashed them
at the central office, demanding gold in
payment.  He secured $600 in gold from
the postoffice each month.  He sent to 
other cities for gold coins that had not
been tampered with, and when he secured
enough gold he would cast it in a bat
and send it to the Denver mint.  He was
paid $385.34 for the last shipment March
22.  The gold was so pure that it indi-
cated that it was coin gold and aroused 
suspicion.
COMPLETE LABORATORY.
   While Gregory was getting his shoes
shined the secret service men arrested
him after they had seen him pass three
of the coins. He was placed in jail, and
the men found upon visiting his home
that his laboratory was a most complete
one for his work, and chemists say
could have been used for no other pur-
pose than for the “sweating” of money.
   While studying Gregory’s methods the
officers learned that he seldom left his
house before noon.  He spent the entire
afternoon passing three or four of these
coins, and after dinner at night he would
go to this laboratory and the light would 
burn for an hour.  After working on the
coins Gregory would go downtown and
stay until 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning.
He was a “well-known many about town”
and liberal. Whenever he has been of 
late the officers were shadowing him.
   Gregory said he was a broker, but he
had no office and there was nothing to
show that he was engaged in any active
business,  Banks and other large business
houses usually careful about accepting
gold coins took his money without ques-
tion.”

Great details on what an agent does investigating and how the criminal worked -- even ideas for someone to follow if he wanted to go into the debasing coin business.  Here's the followup article:

Friday 10 April 1908, Denver Post (Denver CO), page 12

“SWEATER OF COIN
WAS TAKEN FOR
WEALTHY MINER 
   ---
Gregory Made is Money Easi-
ly Until Uncle Sam Locked 
Him Up.
   ---
   Eben J Gregory,  the Salt Lake coin
“sweater” who was doing a land office
business reducing the weight of gold
money and sending the surplus to the
Denver mint when captured by Secret
Service Officers Harry B. Richardson and
W. W. Fraser of Denver, after some

clever detective work, comes from a
famous old English family.  He left his 
native country at the instigation of the
Mormons and joined their colony at Salt
Lake about twelve years ago.
   Gregory is only 32 years of age, but
in two years became on of the most
expert “sweaters” of coin in the country.
He had large bank accounts in Salt Lake
City, was known everywhere as a pros-
perous “mining” promoter, although he
never dealt in mines, and his wife and
three children were highly esteemed.
   Gregory was satisfied with from $10 to 
$25 profit each day, and that was about
his average.  He usually bought a cigar
in the morning with his first $5 or $10
gold piece and received silver for the 
change for the reduced gold money he
had given to the dealer.
  After he secured three or four easy
marks he would take the silver to the
bank and have it exchanged for more
gold.  He had a regular daily routine
that varied but little.
   Gregory lived in a double house and
he had his money-reducing plant in the
attic.  The owner of the house lived on 
the other side, but she never dared go
into the attic for fear that she would
be overcome with the acid fumes. 
   Gregory had no accomplices, but it is
believed that his wife knew at all times
that he was conducting an illegal busi-
ness.  The arrest of Gregory put away
the last money swindlers who have
been exceedingly busy in the last few
months in what is known as the Denver
district.”

"Coin sweating" sounds like a profitable business.  Here's another crook, not caught:

Tuesday, 23 June 1908, Denver Rock Mountain News (Denver CO), page 7
accessed on GenealogyBank on 20 February 2014

“BOGUS MONEY PASSED
BY YOUNG MAN ANGERS
EASY VICTIMS AT GOLDEN
   [SPECIAL TO THE NEWS]
  GOLDEN, Colo.  June 22.--Several Gold-
en business men were well stocked up to-
day with counterfeit dollars, giving in ex-
change a small amount of merchandize
and real money.   A neatly attired strang-
er of gentlemanly bearing visited all the
cigar stores and thirst quenching par-
lors and paid for small purchases with
bright new dollars.  In this way he raked
in a pocket full  of small change in two
hours and boarded an electric car for
Denver about the time one of his victims
discovered the dollars were bogus.
   Sheriff Whipple telephone the descrip-
tion of the man to the Denver police but
it was later learned that he left the car
at Lakeside.  Secret Service Agent Harry
Richardson came up this evening to in-
vestigate and pronounced the counter-
feit coins the most perfect he had ever
seen.  It is believed that the man who 
worked Golden was one of the gang now
engaged in systematically flooding Colo-

rado with spurious money.”

Less help in the Denver office, more work for Harry and his partner:

Sunday 8 November 1908, Denver Post (Denver CO), page 22

“SECRET SERVICE AGENT
CALLAGHAN GOES EAST
   ---
  Thomas J. Callaghan, who has been
connected with the Denver district of the
government secret service for upwards
of a year, has received word that his re-
quest for a transfer to the New York
district has been granted, and he will
leave for his new field of work Dec. 1.
He was one of the secret service officers
who was down in the mine at Hesperus
when Joseph A. Walker was killed and
who had to be rescued by a rope after 
one of the party had scaled the walls
and reached the top.
  Callaghan is one of the youngest men
in the service and developed rapidly into 
one of the best as well.
   The change will greatly increase the
work of the two remaining secret service
agents, Rowland K. Goddard and Harry
Richardson, as Callaghan’s place will

not be filled, for a time at least.”

Another crook, this guy was minting his own coins:

Thursday 10 December 1908, Denver Rocky Mountain News (Denver CO), page 7

“SECRET SERVICE AGENTS
ARREST ANOTHER MAN AS
ALLEGED COUNTERFEITER
   ---
   Timothy Duffy of 3351 Kalmath street
was arrested yesterday by Secret Service
Agents Rowland K. Goddard and Harry
Richardson, on a charge of making and
passing counterfeit coins.  A number of
molds and counterfeit coins, said to be
the property of Duffy, were seized at the
same time.
   The prisoner declares that he was fur-
nished with the molds by other men in
Denver, and the secret service officials
are now looking for them. He will be
given a hearing before United States Com-
missioner Hinsdale this week, and if un-
able to give bond will be placed in jail to
await the action of the federal grand

jury.”

Counterfeiting sounds like a profitable second job even for the well-known in the community (as Gregory above)

Monday, 15 February 1909. Denver Post (Denver CO), page 2

“FRANCIS SEARWAY
HELD FOR PASSING
GOLD COUNTERFEIT
  ---
He Is Prominent in Railroad
Brotherhoods and a Glove
Manufacturer.
  ---
COIN FOUND BY CHANCE
  ---
Waiter Positively Identifies Him
As Man Who Passed
One.
  ---
   Frances E. Searway, 330 Nineteenth ave-
nue, glove manufacturer, prominent in the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, a lo-
cal Republican politician of note and a
member o a well known Denver family,
was arrested today by Government Secret
Service Agents Goddard and Richardson
on the charge of passing counterfeit ten

and twenty dollar gold coins.
  His arrest will create a sensation in
railroad circles, as he was one of the
best known railroad men in the state.
He is the legistlative representative of
lodge 446 of the trainmen.  An occupant of
the apartment house were Searway lives 
accidentally discovered a twenty-dollar
gold piece.  Investigating he found sev-
eral others.  Instead of keeping the money
he put it back and reported the matter
to Harry Richardson, the assistant chief
operative of the Denver district of the
secret service.
   The next night all of the money was
gone and suspicion fell on Searway.  Rich-
ardson followed up the clew and with
Operative Goddard secured what they be-
lieved was a complete identification and
evidence of passing on the part of Sear-
way.  The day after the coins were miss-
ing from their hiding place two of them
were passed in Denver.
  Charles Stringer, the night man at
Harry’s restaurant, 616 Seventeenth street,
took one of the coins, a $20 counterfeit
gold piece.  He says that Searway came
into his place at 9 o’clock at night, or-
dered a cup of coffee, sized up the crowd,
conclluded that it was too small and went 

away.
  Stringer says he came back at 11 o’clock
the same night, Feb. 6, when the place 
was crowded, ordered a 25 cent meal and
gave the counterfeit gold piece in pay-
ment, getting silver in change.   Stringer
says he is positive that Searway is the
guilty person, as he had seen him in the
place several times before that.
  The next day, it is alleged that Searway
went into the Grant grocer between the
hours of 6 and 8 o’clock, when the place 
was crowded, bought two dozen eggs and
passed a counterfeit $10 piece.  The clerk
who waited on the passer of the sparious
money also says he is positive that it was
Searway.
   The counterfeits are fairly good and are
made of antimony and tin or [?]
metal.  The twenties were dated [?] and 
the tens 1906.”

I guess those stories of adventures tracking down criminals out west were true.  The mild-mannered clerk took a couple years off and played Secret Service Agent while his son finished high school!  Who knew!  The census gave no clue about his other career.

The link to this post is http://genea-adventures.blogspot.com/2014/02/mild-mannered-clerk-or-secret-service.html
©2014 Erica Dakin Voolich













Sunday, January 19, 2014

LOSS or DeLOSS a Family Connection Lost... Can it be Found?

Almost two years ago I wrote a blog post about my GGG'grandmother, Esther DeLoss, from a family trying to be "Lost."  I didn't know anything about her family.  My tree was clipped at her side of that branch.

For years I had been looking for Esther DeLoss, when in reality I should have been looking for Elnora Esther Loss or DeLoss.  Her father Samuel changed his name back and forth between LOSS and DeLOSS.  Possibly when the bill collectors were at the door, Samuel would change his name and move to the next town around upstate New York in the early 1800s.  I wonder what Samuel's life was like when the passage quoted at his funeral was from Job!  His 2-sentence obituary in the Madison Observer in 1851 calls this passage "an appropriate discourse delivered by" the pastor.


When I was searching, I came across another LOSS family researcher, Mary Ann Loss, who had posted on Rootsweb about my LOSS family.  I was the first person to have contacted her in 12 years! 
Since then we have "combined forces."  She came to visit me and brought everything she knew about my LOSS family and her LOSS family. 

It turns out Mary Ann Loss had done extensive research on all the LOSS families in the US.  We have yet to find a connection between the two families in the paperwork.  She started doing DNA tests on her LOSS family members hoping to find another connection.  One day we were talking and she said, "I'm sure the two families are related, I just can't find the link.  You should do a DNA test and see if you match."  

This week my DNA results came in -- it included 50 pages of potential "matches" of varying degrees of closeness.  I was not familiar with the site and so I found a place to type in "Loss" and three names came up as being between 2nd and 4th cousins.  I sent her the link to the page and asked if these were any folks that she knew.  Well, I'm a 2nd to 4th cousin of her father, aunt and cousin!

So here is our problem.  HOW are the two family trees related?  We have not yet found the link with paperwork.
So I've made another blog post today with the two LOSS families, HELP WANTED!! Two LOSS families Looking for Others to Link Them.  Hopefully there is someone who is descended from either a LOSS or DeLOSS family who knows another family member that links these two together.
If you know, contact Mary Ann or myself.

©2014 Erica Dakin Voolich


HELP WANTED!! Two LOSS families Looking for Others to Link Them

Help Wanted!
The two LOSS families below should be connected ... DNA indicates there is a connection.  You can read the story in my other blog post from today: LOSS or DeLOSS, a Family Connection Lost... Can it be Found?

Can you help?
Do you know anyone named LOSS or DeLOSS?  Possibly someone with a first or middle name who might have a LOSS or DeLOSS ancestor?
How are they related?  Are they they linked to one or both of the families below?

Family #1, descendants of Lewis Milton Loss, belongs to Mary Ann Loss who has been researching both Loss families for years.

Family #2, descendants of John Loss, belongs to me who has been trying to find my GGG'grandmother's family.  I've made some break throughs to get back a couple of generations, thanks to researching my GGG'grandmother's brother Louis Homri DeLoss and also to hints from Mary Ann.

*********************
FAMILY #1

Lewis Milton Loss, born 13 October 1825 at Lenox Furnace, Stockbridge, Madison County, New York, and died on 23 June 1896 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He married Eliza Ann Albaugh (daughter of Isaac Albaugh and Annis Austin) on 22 January 1852 in Lyons, Wayne County, New York. She was born 28 November 1829 in Phelps, Ontario County, New York and died 15 December 1915 in Rochester, Monroe County, New York.

They had six children Emma Elnora (1853-1866), Warren Hershel (1854-1921), Rosa Ponela (1855-1890), William B (1858-1906), Ida Viola (1862-1864) and Charles Edgar (1865-1925). 

Warren Hershel Loss was born on 1 August 1854 in Lyons, Wayne County, New York, and died on 29 October 1921 in Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey. He married Frances Helen Arless (daughter of James Arless and Mary Shaw) on 16 December 1879 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was born on 21 November 1855 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and died on 25 June 1949 in Passaic, Passaic County, New Jersey.

They had six children Ina Leah (1880-1968), Hershel Arless (1883-1950), Lewis Milton (1885-1952), Una Lada (1886-1888), Ethel Augusta (1889-1890) and Charles Edgar (1893-1968).

Ina Leah Loss was born on 30 October 1880 in Rochester, Monroe County New York, and died on 31 May 1968 in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She married John Edwin Fullagar (son of William Fullagar and Fanny Kent) on 13 August 1904 in New York, New York. He was born on 5 June 1880 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York and died 16 May 1948 in Rochelle Park, Bergen County, New Jersey.

They had three children Dorothea Margareta (1906-1990), Charles Chandler (1910-1993) and Frances Helen (1912-2012).

Herschel Arless Loss was born on 15 February 1883 in Rochester, Monroe, New York, and died 9 February 1950 in Sparta, Sussex, New Jersey. He married Ruth Estelle Davis (daughter of William Davis and Minnie Caroline Frank) on 26 July 1920 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. 

She was born 5 December 1893 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey and did 28 September 1957 in Sparta, Sussex County, New Jersey.
They had four children Warren Herschel (1921-1997), Donald Arthur (1923-1998), Milton Robert (1924- ) and Wilma Ruth (1929- ).


*********************
FAMILY #2

First Generation 
1. John Loss (Loas, Las, Laws). Born in Dec 1733.
In 1769 when John was 35, he married Abigail Stephens. Born in Aug 1733.

They had the following children:
2 i. Samuel (1770-1851)
ii. Hannah. Born on 28 May 1772 in Durham, Connecticut.
iii. Daniel. Born on 2 Jun 1775 in Durham, Connecticut. Daniel died in Durham, Connecticut, on 12 Jan 1788; he was 12.
3 iv. Capt. Moses (1777-1853)
v. Joseph. Born on 28 Sep 1780 in Durham, Connecticut.
4 vi. Benjamin (1784-)
  1. Henry. Born on 9 Jun 1786 in Durham, Connecticut. Henry died in Durham, Connecticut, on 26 Sep 1794; he was 8.

Second Generation
2. Samuel Loss. Born on 16 Jan 1770 in Durham, Middlesex, Connecticut. Samuel died in Morrisville, Madison,  NY, on 27 Apr 1851; he was 81.
About 1800 when Samuel was 29, he married Sarah or Esther (Unknown). Born in 1767 in Connecticut. Sarah or Esther died in Calhoun County, Michigan, on 2 Aug 1862; she was 95.

They had the following children:
5 i. Rev. Lewis Homri (1801-1865)
ii. Horace. Born on 12 Jun 1803 in New York state. Horace died in Homer, Calhoun County, Michigan, on 14 Nov 1865; he was 62.
Horace married Cornelia A Fowler. Born in 1812. Cornelia A died in Homer, Calhoun County, Michigan, in 1901; she was 89.
6 iii. Elnora Esther (1805-1889)
7 iv. Sarah A (1807-1884)
v. Betsey.

3. Capt. Moses Loss. Born on 23 Sep 1777 in Durham, Connecticut. Moses died in Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York, on 19 Jul 1853; he was 75.
On 4 Jan 1803 when Moses was 25, he married Susannah Eells in Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York. Born on 8 May 1785 in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut. Susannah Eells died in Skaneateles, Onondaga, New York, on 30 Apr 1866; she was 80.

They had the following children:
i. Nathaniel. Nathaniel died in 1834.
ii. Susan. Born in 1803. Susan died in 1836; she was 33.
iii. Lorinedo. Born in 1804. Lorinedo died in 1824; she was 20.
iv. Calvin. Born in 1806. Calvin died in 1807; he was 1.
v. Clarissa. Born in 1807. Clarissa died in 1891; she was 84.
8 vi. Richard Eells (1810-1897)
vii. Roswell. Born in 1812. Roswell died in 1812; he was <1.
viii. Twin. Born in 1813. Twin died in 1813; he was <1.
ix. Susan. Born in 1814. Susan died in 1853; she was 39.
x. Hulda B. Born in 1817. Hulda B died in 1907; she was 90.
xi. Theodora. Born in 1819. Theodora died in 1885; she was 66.
xii. Thankful. Born in 1820. Thankful died in 1895; she was 75.
xiii. Mary Margaret. Born in 1823. Mary Margaret died in 1907; she was 84.

4. Benjamin Loss. Born on 4 May 1784 in Durham, Connecticut.

Child:
9 i. Benjamin Brooks

Third Generation
5. Rev. Lewis Homri Loss. Born on 1 Jul 1801 in Augusta, Oneida County, New York. Lewis Homri died in Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa, on 10 Jul 1865; he was 64.
On 10 Sep 1829 when Lewis Homri was 28, he married Sarah Warren, daughter of Benjamin Warren, in Augusta, Oneida County, New York. Born abt 1810 in New York. Sarah died in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, on 2 Oct 1882; she was 72.

They had the following children:
10 i. Herbert (Hubert) W (~1838-1869)
11 ii. Theodore H (1840-<1872)

6. Elnora Esther DeLoss. Born on 31 Aug 1805 in Augusta or Eaton, Oneida NY. Elnora Esther died in Oak Park, Illinois, on 26 Jan 1889; she was 83.
On 8 Nov 1830 when Elnora Esther was 25, she married Nathan Cobb, son of Nehemiah Cobb & Lois Vaughan, in Camden, Oneida County, NY. Born on 27 Feb 1807 in Bath, Lincoln county, Maine. Born on 27 Feb 1807 in Carver, Massachusetts town record for family. Nathan died in Oak Park, Illinois, on 24 Jun 1892; he was 85.

They had the following children:
i. Henry M. Born on 7 Jan 1832 in Camden, Oneida County, NY. Henry M died in Ashtabula, Ashtabula Couny OH, on 24 Nov 1861; he was 29.
12 ii. Elnora Esther (1839-1923)
iii. Dwight M. Born on 27 Feb 1842 in Eaton, Madison County NY.
On 23 Jun 1870 when Dwight M was 28, he married Mollie H Ewing in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois. Born in 1850.
13 iv. Minnie M (1847-1879)

7. Sarah A Loss. Born on 10 Nov 1807 in Augusta, Oneida County, New York. Sarah A died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, on 2 Mar 1884; she was 76.
On 24 Sep 1828 when Sarah A was 20, she married Hiram Parsons, son of Timothy Parsons & Huldah Porter, in Westmoreland, Oneida County, New York. Born on 26 Dec 1803 in Windham, Greene County, New York. Hiram died in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 7 Oct 1850; he was 46.

They had the following children:
i. Henry T. Born on 28 Jul 1829 in Verona, Oneida County, New York. Henry T died in Verona, Oneida County, New  York, on 3 Apr 1830; he was <1.
14 ii. D Loss (1832-1896)
15 iii. Albert McCall (1834-1910)
iv. Elry Porter. Born on 20 Jul 1836 in Stockbridge, Oneida County, New York. Elry Porter died in 1909; he was 72.
On 1 Jul 1857 when Elry Porter was 20, he married Victoria A Mayben in Moscow, Hillsdale County, Michigan.
v. Sarah E. Born on 3 Apr 1840 in Madison, Madison County, New York.
On 17 Aug 1863 when Sarah E was 23, she married Edwin Webb in Brooklyn County, Michigan.
16 vi. Edna A (1849-)

8. Richard Eells Loss. Born on 22 Apr 1810 in Skaneateles, New York. Richard Eells died in Livanna, New York, on 19 Jul 1897; he was 87.
On 6 Jun 1833 when Richard Eells was 23, he married Emily Dilts in Cayuga, New York. Emily died on 25 Feb 1855.

They had the following children:
i. Hira.
ii. Samuel.
iii. Airel.
iv. Hiller.
v. Hulbert.
vi. Frederick.

9. Benjamin Brooks Loss.

Benjamin Brooks married James Haner.

They had one child:
  1. Sarah Malantha.


Fourth Generation
10. Herbert (Hubert) W De Loss. Born abt 1838 in Ohio. Herbert (Hubert) W died in Joliet, Will County, Illinois, on 22 Aug 1869; he was 31.
On 14 Nov 1861 when Herbert (Hubert) W was 23, he married Margaret (Maggie) A Mears in Will County, Illinois. Born abt 1838 in Illinois. Margaret (Maggie) A died in Gila County, Arizona, on 5 Apr 1921; she was 83.

They had the following children:
17 i. Frederick Mears (1863-1937)
ii. Hattie E. Born on 24 Sep 1864 in Illinois. Hattie E died in Gila County, Arizona, on 7 Oct 1927; she was 63.
On 21 Oct 1890 when Hattie E was 26, she married William James Eustace in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Born on 5 Dec 1866 in Hannibal, Marion, Missouri. William James died in Gila County, Arizona, on 7 Dec 1942; he was 76.

11. Theodore H DeLoss. Born in 1840 in Elyria, Lorain, Ohio. Theodore H died bef  Feb 1872; he was 32.
On 1 Jan 1861 when Theodore H was 21, he first married Mary Caroline Calder in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa. Born on 3 May 1838 in Cherry Valley, Otsego, New York. Mary Caroline died in Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa, on 20 Dec 1862; she was 24.

On 26 Nov 1863 when Theodore H was 23, he second married Elizabeth Mears in Joliet, Will, Illinois. Born on 23 May 1841 in Rock Island, Illinois. Elizabeth died in 566 Oneida St, Joliet, Will County, Illinois, on 5 Sep 1919; she was 78.

They had one child:
18 i. Harry Herbert (1866-1943)

Theodore H third married Annie M (Unknown).

12. Elnora Esther Cobb. Born on 13 Jul 1839 in Rome, New York. Elnora Esther died in Oak Park, Cook County,  Illinois, on 6 Mar 1923; she was 83.
On 12 Feb 1861 when Elnora Esther was 21, she married Robert Searing Worthington, son of Hon. Denison Worthington & Martha Searing, in Cook County, Illinois. Born on 4 Oct 1830 in Albany New York. Robert Searing died in Oak Park, Illinois, on 23 May 1903; he was 72.

They had one child:
19 i. Martha Elnora (1865-1939)

13. Minnie M Cobb. Born on 1 Nov 1847. Minnie M died in Oak Park, Illinois, on 27 Aug 1879; she was 31.
On 28 Sep 1868 when Minnie M was 20, she married John F Reed in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois. Born in 1847. John F died on 19 Dec 1874; he was 27.

They had one child:
i. Robert F. Born in 1869. Robert F died in 1874; he was 5.

14. D Loss Parsons. Born on 12 Jun 1832 in Verona, Oneida County, New  York. D Loss died in Madison Center, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 14 Sep 1896; he was 64.
On 6 Apr 1858 when D Loss was 25, he first married Helen Hollister. Helen died on 17 Mar 1869 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan.

They had the following children:
i. Frankie L. Born on 10 Jul 1863.
On 7 Jun 1882 when Frankie L was 18, she married Henry C Knights in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan.
20 ii. Nellie (1865-1945)
iii. May. Born on 6 Dec 1865 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. May died in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 9 Aug 1868; she was 2.
iv. Edwin A. Born on 13 Nov 1868 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Edwin A died in California on 25 Feb 1920; he was 51.
Edwin A married Louise Anderson. Louise died aft 1964 in Oregon.

On 17 Aug 1869 when D Loss was 37, he second married Angelica Templer, daughter of James Templer & Ann Liddle, in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Born on 28 Nov 1847 in Duanesburg, New York. Angelica died in Hudson, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 20 Nov 1935; she was 87.

They had the following children:
i. Carl. Born on 30 Jun 1870 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Carl died in Fairfield, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 22 Jul 1901; he was 31.
ii. LaVern. Born on 11 Oct 1876 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. LaVern died in Madison, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 12 Oct 1896; he was 20.
iii. Sarah A. Born on 22 Mar 1878 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Sarah A died in Clayton, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 17 Sep 1900; she was 22.
21 iv. Mary Ethel (1880-1970)

15. Albert McCall Parsons. Born on 12 Jun 1834 in Verona, Oneida County, New  York. Albert McCall died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, in 1910; he was 75.
On 21 Dec 1854 when Albert McCall was 20, he married Marietta Wilcox in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan.

They had the following children:
i. Elestine E. Born in 1859. Elestine E died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, on 4 Oct 1867; she was 8.
ii. Hiram Earl. Born on 15 May 1875 in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan. Hiram Earl died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, on 17 Aug 1875; he was <1.

16. Edna A Parsons. Born on 23 Dec 1849 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan.
On 1 Mar 1870 when Edna A was 20, she married George Brosseau in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan.

They had one child:
i. Frankie L. Born in 1873. Frankie L died in Garnd Rapids, Michigan, on 15 Nov 1879; she was 6.

Fifth Generation
17. Frederick Mears DeLoss. Born in Aug 1863 in Illinois. Frederick Mears died in Cook County, Illinois, on 8 Jun 1937; he was 73.
On 20 Jul 1887 when Frederick Mears was 23, he married Emily J Bastable in Englewood, Cook, Illinois. Born in Aug 1859 in Ontario, Canada. Emily J died in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, on 10 Jun 1935; she was 75.

They had the following children:
22 i. Norman Claybaugh (1888-1956)
23 ii. Harriet (1892-1965)

18. Harry Herbert De Loss. Born on 7 Apr 1866 in Joliet, Will, Illinois. Harry Herbert died in Pinnellas, Florida, on 28 Mar 1943; he was 76.
On 22 Jan 1890 when Harry Herbert was 23, he married Edith Stuart Pettigrew in Will County, Illinois. Born on 28 May 1869 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Edith Stuart died in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, on 24 Feb 1950; she was 80.

They had the following children:
24 i. Dorothy Edith (1890-1970)
25 ii. Marjorie (1895-1995)

19. Martha Elnora Worthington. Born on 17 Nov 1865 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Martha Elnora died in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, on 25 Apr 1939; she was 73.
On 5 Dec 1889 when Martha Elnora was 24, she married Harry Bogart Richardson, son of William Richardson & Mary A C Bogart, in Oak Park Illinois. Born on 27 Sep 1863 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Harry Bogart died in Saratoga, Santa Clara, California, on 1 Jun 1932; he was 68.

They had the following children:
26 i. Robert Worthington (1890-1951)
ii. Harold Bogart. Born on 21 Apr 1894 in Oak Park, Illinois. Harold Bogart died in Saratoga, California, on 4 May 1935; he was 41.

20. Nellie Parsons. Born on 4 Jan 1865 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Nellie died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, in May 1945; she was 80.

On 23 Mar 1881 when Nellie was 16, she married Benjamin Thayer in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Born in 1860. Benjamin died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, in 1947; he was 87.

They had the following children:
i. Louise.
ii. Florence May. Born in 1882. Florence May died in 1882; she was <1.
  1. Perry E. Born in 1883. Perry E died in 1910; he was 27.
21. Mary Ethel Parsons. Born on 27 May 1880 in Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan. Mary Ethel died in Adrian, Leawee County, Michigan, on 29 Mar 1970; she was 89.
On 28 Mar 1900 when Mary Ethel was 19, she married Henry DeWitt Carpenter in Clayton, Lenawee County, Michigan. Born on 10 Sep 1876 in Rome, Lenawee County, Michigan. Henry DeWitt died in Jackson, Michigan, on 20 Mar 1950; he was 73.

They had the following children:
i. Harold Jarvis. Born on 29 Jan 1901 in Rome, Lenawee County, Michigan. Harold Jarvis died in Hudson, Florida, on 1 Mar 1996; he was 95.
ii. Leah Ruth. Born on 21 May 1904 in Rome, Lenawee County, Michigan. Leah Ruth died in Rome, Lenawee County, Michigan, on 23 Jan 1909; she was 4.
Leah Ruth married Thelma Lucile Sterling.
iii. Donald. Born on 4 Dec 1909 in Rome, Lenawee County, Michigan. Donald died in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, on 15 Nov 1987; he was 77.
Donald married Elizabeth Alberta Stone.

Sixth Generation
22. Norman Claybaugh De Loss. Born on 23 Nov 1888 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Norman Claybaugh died in Riverside, Riverside, California, on 9 Mar 1956; he was 67.
Norman Claybaugh married Dorothy Carter. Born on 9 Dec 1893 in Illinois. Dorothy died in Riverside, Riverside, California, on 27 Feb 1983; she was 89.

They had one child:
i. Herbert Warren (1920-1990)

23. Harriet De Loss. Born on 27 Mar 1892 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Harriet died in Evanston, Cook, Illinois, on 14 Oct 1965; she was 73.
Harriet first married Nels W Strale. Born on 30 Apr 1890 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

They had one child:
i. Margaret Allan (1919-1996)

Harriet second married Charles S Williston.

24. Dorothy Edith De Loss. Born on 21 Nov 1890 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. Dorothy Edith died in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, on 9 Oct 1970; she was 79.
Dorothy Edith married Ralph John Martin Blackburn. Born on 13 Dec 1889 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ralph John Martin died on 24 Jan 1947; he was 57.

They had the following children:
i. Paul (~1918-)
ii. Edith Pettigrew (1920-2009)
iii. DeLoss (1922-2011)
iv. Ralph Jr. (1923-1987)

25. Marjorie De Loss. Born on 1 Nov 1895 in Evanston, Cook, Illinois. Marjorie died in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont, on 9 Jan 1995; she was 99.
On 22 Jan 1925 when Marjorie was 29, she married Donald Shapleigh Page in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut. Born on 21 Jun 1893 in Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts. Donald Shapleigh died in Doctor’s Hospital, New York, New York, on 23 Dec 1940; he was 47.

They had the following children:
i. Marjorie DeLoss (1927-1983)
ii. Dorothy D

26. Robert Worthington Richardson. Born on 18 Oct 1890 in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois. Robert Worthington died in Berwyn, Cook County, Illinois, on 11 Aug 1951; he was 60.
On 15 Jan 1916 when Robert Worthington was 25, he first married Adelaide Copeland Harvey, daughter of Joseph Elliott Harvey & Alice Copeland, in Oak Park Illinois. Born on 4 Nov 1893 in Lake Mills, Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Adelaide Copeland died in Houston, Harris, Texas, on 6 Aug 1971; she was 77. They were divorced on 22 Apr 1944.

They had the following children:
i. Dr. Alice Josephine (1917-2001)
ii. Madelon (1920-1986)

On 29 Apr 1944 when Robert Worthington was 53, he second married Marcella Theresa Wittenberg, daughter of Edward Whittenberg & Theresa Sisson, in Chicago, Illinois. Born on 8 May 1910 in Waco, McLennan, Texas. Marcella Theresa died in New Orleans Louisiana, on 28 Aug 1951; she was 41.

They had the following children:
i. Living
ii. Living




So here is our problem.  HOW are these two family trees related?  We have not yet found the link with paperwork.
Hopefully there is someone who is descended from either a LOSS or DeLOSS family who knows another family member that links these two together.


If you know, contact Mary Ann or myself.

©2014 Erica Dakin Voolich

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

A Bundle of Letters: Such a Treasure!

Marion Evans Dakin
playing a game she loved,  Scrabble


When Nana, my grandmother Marion Evans Dakin, died on the 4th of July in 1974, her only son who had survived to adulthood, had already died two years before her.  As her oldest granddaughter, I found myself as her executrix ... a whole new world of responsibility added to the life of a mother juggling a couple of kids.  Commuting to Connecticut was more than I could do, so we put the crib on the top of our car and stayed in her house for eight weeks, first as she was dying from a stroke and then afterwards as we cleaned out her house and settled her estate.

My siblings joined me part of the time as we discovered we were on a treasure hunt.

An old Jacquard woven rug which was much older
than Nana that we found in her house.

I knew Nana had quilts made by her mother-in-law, Mother Dakin (Mary Alice Smith Dakin) but we had no idea how many quilts were there not just on the beds but hidden in trunks in the the attic.  We all went home with antique quilts and I documented them in my book Quilts in our Family.  When I had visited her a month before Nana died we had taken the quilts off the beds a couple of other quilts to the nursing home where she was staying so she could put on a quilt exhibit.  One of the quilts was a sampler quilt and she spent the last month of her life finding the names of each quilt square.  Ironically, the morning the quilt exhibit was to open, the nursing home called me to say she had had a stroke.  When I arrived in Connecticut, they were questioning whether to open her "show" of quilts.  I said "of course, show the quilts, that's what she wanted."  When I told her they had "opened" the show, she squeezed my hand.
Some of Mary Alice Smith's quilts
Not so dramatic in appearance, was a bundle of letters tied together with a string in the back of her desk.  I looked at them and saw that I couldn't possibly read them -- they were in Swedish.  I knew her grandfather Eric Helsten was from Sweden but I didn't know much else about him.  I assumed these must have been his.  I put them in my stuff to take home not knowing whether I would ever be able to read them.  Ten years later, I had a Swedish colleague who was willing to try to translate some of them for me -- she would read while I scribed. 
1858 letter from Eric's mother,
Lovisa Charlotta Robbert Hellsten 


 It took about 30 years before they were all translated, but what a treasure!  Eric was one of 13 children and everyone of his siblings and his mother took on personalities.  Eric's father had died unexpectedly, leaving his wife with young children including a baby.  Eric was the oldest son, a teenager, and he had older sisters.  He apprenticed as a tanner in Sweden and when there wasn't much work.  He came to the USA in 1845, settling first in Haviland Hollow NY and then moving to Gaylordsville CT when he bought his own tannery.
Eric Adolf Helsten


Back in the 1980s, we had enough letters translated that I was able to piece together a bit of Eric's family tree and when my wonderful colleague/translator traveled to Sweden for Christmas, while there she wrote the Uppsala parish vital records office and a few weeks later I had a letter from Alice, a "cousin."  Alice's grandfather and Nana's grandfather were brothers.  Years ago my grandmother visited Uppsala Sweden but didn't know about Alice, so they never met.  I had a chance to visit Alice back in 1984 before she died in 1990.  Such a treasure hidden in a bundle of letters.  It's too bad my grandmother never new the contents of what she had carefully saved.

I have taken the 86 Swedish letters and documents, had them translated and put them together in chronological order.   I researched Eric's family back in Sweden and his life in the USA.  I wrote a book for my family this year which is the story of Eric's family on both continents.  A Ring and a Bundle of Letters has been 30 years in the making with the help of three wonderful translators who not only read Swedish but also could decipher the old handwriting, structure and spelling.  

The book is available from Lulu.com

Such a treasure!


©2013, Erica Dakin Voolich