Ethel Reen Kerr – 1910 U.S. Census – Childhood

Widow, adult child, adoptive child and spinster sister.  A somewhat unusual arrangement.  A fragmented family come together to form a farmer’s household.  As of April 15, 1910 the U.S. Census showed a family in transition.  The four members at dwelling #159 were Ethel Reen Kerr (Age 9), Ellen (Weston) Tenniswood (44), Ralph Tenniswood(19), and Dinah Weston (46).

Ethel Reen Kerr - 1910 U.S. Census
Ethel Reen Kerr – 1910 U.S. Census

Ellen Amelia(Weston) Tenniswood (1865 – 1916) is the head of household.  Her husband John Tenniswood (1835 – 1907) having died in previous years.   Ellen has an unusual distinction, she married her older sister’s husband.   Her older sister Elizabeth Weston (1849 – 1885) was married to John but Elizabeth died young, about age 36.  The widower found a new wife in a younger sister.  And Ralph Lee Tenniswood (1891-1965) is a son from that latter marriage of Ellen and John Tenniswood.

Dinah Weston (1863 – 1910) is yet another sister of Elizabeth and Ellen but she never married and is about the same age as Ellen.

Ethel Kerr and her great-aunt Ellen Tenniswood
Ethel Kerr and her great-aunt Ellen Tenniswood

Lastly, Ethel Reen Kerr (1900- 1996) is identified as an adoptive daughter but that is not official.  Ethel’s mother, Mary Ann “Mae” Tenniswood (1872 – 1900) died at about age 28 soon after giving birth to Ethel.  Ethel’s father George Kerr took the older children to a new household and soon remarried.  Whereas newborn Ethel Reen went to the household of Ellen Tenniswood (her great-aunt/step-grandmother).  

Ralph Lee Tenniswood is her half-uncle. Because while John Tenniswood was the father of both Mary Ann and Ralph, Mary Ann and Ralph had different mothers.

Ethel had a tumultuous life.  Her mother Mary Ann died in 1900.  Her grandfather John Tenniswood died in 1907.  In August 1910, Dinah Weston passed away, soon after the census was collected.  In 1916, Ellen Amelia (Weston) Tenniswood died.  But by 1920, Ethel was married and starting her own family.

Jack Daniels shot kills Charles Weston

Widower Charles Weston was a farmer and husband to Mary Ann Ransom (1829 – 1871).  A Middlesex Englishman married to a Yorkshire woman.  A son of William Weston and Ann Windsor of England, Charles came to America and settled in Sanilac County, Speaker Township, Michigan.   He is the father of Elizabeth Weston (1849 – 1885) and Ellen Amelia Weston (1865 – 1916), among others. He would be the Great Grandfather of Ethel Reen Kerr (1900 – 1996).

On 2 Feb 1899 Charles was drinking Jack Daniels, Tennessee sour mash whiskey.  The doctor would later report “He had a Jack shot produced shock [t]o system resulting in heart-failure the immediate cause of death.”   Michigan Medical Certificate for Cause of Death. Medical care being what it was, perhaps, it was either alcohol, vinegar, or leaches for what ailed you.  Alcohol sales were brisk.

James Brodhagen Phone Interview 2014

Spoke to James Brodhagen (b.1940) by phone about Brodhagen family history. James moved from Michigan and now lives in Oklahoma. James Brodhagen is the son of Leonard Brodhagen (1911-1989) and father of Ty Brodhagen (1960 -1989).

Neither Leonard Brodhagen, nor his brother Kenneth Brodhagen (1915 – 1971), had any lasting memory of their parents.  So neither Kenneth’s daughter Phyllis Knittel nor James heard much about their grandparents.  In 1921, the boys were orphaned, as small boys they were only told their father Albert Brodhagen and mother Ethel May Brown had an accident, and so, at ages 5 and 9, the boys had to leave Vermillion, Alberta, Canada and go live with their paternal aunts in Michigan.

Leonard and Kenneth Brodhagen come to Michigan from Canada
1921, Leonard and Kenneth Brodhagen come to Michigan from Canada

James did not know his dad had a half-brother, Donald (b.1902-d.1961), from his grandpa Albert’s first marriage. When Albert’s wife Emma Fowle died in 1910, Albert moved to Canada and almost immediately married Ethel May Brown.  Albert’s son Donald remained with aunt Bertha Hammond.

After 1921, Kenneth and Leonard also lived with aunt Bertha who was still raising Donald.  But while Kenneth remained in Traverse City after arriving from Canada, older Leonard soon after moved to Grand Rapids to live with aunt Augusta “Gussie” Brodhagen.   He went to school in Grand Rapids. The family slowly lost touch.  Phyllis, Kenneth’s daughter, says the family does not stay in touch well. James agreed.

1930 United States Federal Census for Donald Broadhagen
1930 Census, Donald and Kenneth Brodhagen live with Finley and Bertha Hammond.

For the longest time I could only find that Leonard’s wife was “Edna G.”  But James said her full name was Gertrude Edna Edgerton. Gertrude was also her mom’s name so young Gertrude probably went by Edna. Edna was her grandmother’s name (her dad’s mom).

Edna’s dad was Avon Edgar Edgerton but Edna’s parent’s divorced before 1930 and her dad later remarried. Edna had a brother James Edgerton. Leonard and Edna named their son James. Probably after her brother.  He went to Japan in WWII.

Edna’s parent’s lived in Grand Rapids but post-divorce her dad and brother James moved to Kalamazoo.  Edna stayed in Grand Rapids and married Leonard. My guess is they went to school together. By 1947, Edgar was an Optometrist working at the Hanselman Building at 103 N. Burdick. He was now re-married to Wilma Klosterman Bogema. Bogema was her name from her 1st marriage. No relation to the Brodhagens.

James said his parents moved to Kalamazoo about 1944, at first his dad drove trucks until he hurt his back. James married Sandra Lee Needham.  Her mother is Pearl Anna Sheppard. Pearl never married so Sandra never got to know her father. When James met Sandra she was already living in her own place.  James and Sandra had a son, Ty Warren Brodhagen in 1960.  They would later divorce,  Sandra Lee Needham is still living around Kalamazoo.

1. Albert Brodhagen married Ethel Brown. Both of their 2nd marriages.
2. Leonard Brodhagen married Gertrude Edna Edgerton (father: Avon E Edgerton/mother: Gertrude) .
3. James Brodhagen married and divorced Sandra Needham
4. Ty Brodhagen married Kim

A Brodhagen Obituary – Jack

PORTAGE – Jack D. Brodhagen, 61, of Portage, died Sunday morning in Kalamazoo.  Died December 19, 1999.  Born July 14, 1938, in Vermilion, Alberta, Canada, he was the son of Kenneth and Lenna (Day) Brodhagen and had lived in Portage for the past 29 years.

Jack retired from the City of Portage where he worked as a civil engineer. He was a personal Santa Claus for many people and touched many lives with his gifts. He also loved to run statistics for AAU and Gus Macker Basketball and enjoyed baking cakes for many special people in his life.

He is survived by three children, Donna Largent of Portage, Susan Little of Battle Creek and Mike (Vicki) Largent of Mesa, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Dustin Largent, Gregory Little, Shawn Little and Taylor Largent; two sisters, Phyllis (Roy) Knittel of South Haven and Sandra Weideman of Elkhart, Ind.; one brother, Richard (Gail) Brodhagen of South Haven; and several nieces and nephews.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents; and one brother, Robert Brodhagen.  A private inurnment in Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City will take place at a later date.  Reported on-line by the Traverse City Record Eagle.  http://static.record-eagle.com/obits/1999/dec/22obits.htm

Johann Michael Jung (May 13, 1802 – December 9, 1879)

The German Roots of Edna “Eddie” Carol Young.  A distant cousin Richard Harrington of Columbus, Ohio compiled much of the following information.  An accomplished researcher, Dick has published much of his research on-line.  I contacted Dick while researching direct ancestors Edward Henry Young and his father Heinrich “Henry” Young.  Eddie’s father and grandfather, respectively.  Dick is related to this family line through one of Heinrich’s sisters, Louisa Young (1863 – 1913.)

Johann Michael* Jung (May 13, 1802 – December 9, 1879) was born in Rumbach, Germany.  Johann would be the great great grandfather of Edna Carol Young.

Johann was the second oldest child and the oldest son in a family of 5 children.  His older sister, Philippina Jung was born December 23, 1800.  Johann Michael* Jung and his family were the immigrants who transplanted our Jung/Young family from Germany to America.  Like many immigrants, the Jung family name was Americanized to “Young” after getting settled in their new home.

The Jung family in Germany had been a family of weavers.  Michael was born at a time when the Kingdom of Prussia (‘Germany’ was founded in 1871) was divided into over 300 small states and principalities.  But Napoleon had also risen to power and was in the process of conquering most of Europe.  Life was hard.  By the time Michael was 4 years old, Prussia was overrun and allied with the Austrian Hapsburg Empire against the French in the Napoleonic Wars.  In 1812, Napolean was defeated.  The Kingdom of Prussia was consolidated into a few larger states and a police-state government was established that repressed the population.  The Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund), a loose league of 39 sovereign states.

Pre-Germany
Before Germany became one nation in 1871.

According to the German Church records translated by Dr. Shirley Harmon, the date of birth for Michael Young was May 23, 1802.  Also, the date of marriage in this reference is given as November 2, 1827 in Rumbach, Germany. Michael married Catharina Barbara* Brubach (March 10, 1801 – March 12, 1890)

In 1854 (his mother Maria Elisabeth* Rucklos (1779 – 1852) had recently died), Michael converted all of the family’s assets into cash and emigrated to America.  Over the preceding 2 or 3 decades many Prussian families from his community had already emigrated. Michael immigrated to a new German colony of his peers in Ohio.

Mr. Harrington found a document titled “Passenger and Immigration Lists Index” in the Carnegie Library at the University of Pittsburgh, PA, the following entry: aboard the ship REGULATOR from Havre to New York on 04 August 1854:  Michel Jung age 50, Barba age 50, Salome age 18, Caroline age 20.

From the 1860 Federal Census for Summit Twp., Monroe Co.; enumerated 10 July 1860 by Michael Shaeffer [all born in Bavaria, Germany]:  Michael Joung (sic), age 54, farmer, Bavaria; Marget Joung, age 53, Bavaria; Sarah Joung, age 22, Bavaria.  The Kingdom of Bavaria is one state in Kingdom of Prussia.

Enumerated after Michael Joung:  Frederick Joung, age 30, Laborer, Bavaria AND Eva Pfeiffer Joung, age 22

Note: Frederick Joung (above) is the son of Michael Young and Catharina Barbara Brubach .    Frederick married Ephraim (Eva) Pfeiffer, their the parents of Heinrich (Henry) Young and grandparents of Edward Henry Young.

The records of the Johann Michael* Jung lie on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  The family records before 1854 being in Germany and after 1854 largely in Monroe County, Ohio.

Dick Harrington wrote, “Through leads provided by what became known to me as the “Brubach” book, I discovered the major key to our European Jung line.  Ironically, at the time, I was searching for Carolina Brubach (May 4, 1830 – February 27, 1912), the wife of Oscar Frank, my grandfather William Young’s father.  It was there that I found the Jung – Brubach link.  Johann Michael* Jung (May 13, 1802 – December 9, 1879) had married Catharina Barbara* Brubach (March 10, 1801 – March 12, 1890).  The author of the “Brubach” book which is actually titled, “Brubach Beginnings — William Edward Brubach, His Ancestors, and …. Me!” written by Susan (Brubach) (Mulherin) Ferguson put me in contact with Rev. Dennis A. Kastens, Pastor of the Peace Lutheran Church at 5101 Kings Park Dr., St. Louis, MO 63129. Rev. Kastens has researched most of the families from the Rumbach and surrounding areas as well as much of the Switzerland records from which our Swiss family derives.”

“On October 25, 1997 I received a telephone and telefax from Rev. Dennis A. Kastens in response to my letter to him of only about 3 days earlier.  In his letter, that he faxed, he stated the following, “Michael Jung, June 13, 1802, who married Nov. 1, 1827 Catharina Barbara Brubach, Immigrated 1854 to America. His mother was a Rucklos whose maternal lines stem from Annweiler (surname Kammacher), however, the Kammachers originally were from Lenk, Switzerland.”

The 1870 U.S. Federal Census lists Michael Young, 68 years old, from Bavaria as a weaver.  The death record of Michael Young lists his date of death as Dec 9, 1879.  His age on this date was 77 years, 5 months and 26 days.  Back calculating his date of birth from the death record data does not agree with the German record of his birth date by one month.  It would appear that his age should have been given as  77 years, 6 months and 26 days.  This might have been a simple mistake made at the time his age was calculated.  I use the date of birth which came from information that was supplied on his family page by Rev. Kastens.

The purchase of the Michael Jung/Young 80 acre farm was found in the Index of the Deed Books #2, page 467 in the Monroe County Recorders Office the Courthouse in Woodsfield, Ohio.  In this Index it is stated that Michael Jung/Young bought 80 acres of land (R6 T5 S28 — parts of E half of SW qtr. and SW qtr. of SE qtr.) from Herman Hahn on Oct 11, 1855.  The full deed for this transaction can be found in Deed Book # 15, page 286.

As a side note, Dick wrote, “A 39 acre property bought and sold by Nicholas Young is in Wayne Township, Monroe County.  And, here is an interesting coincidence which I doubt is really a coincidence.  In 1854 Michael Young, his son, Frederick Young and 3 female members of that family, immigrated to Monroe County.  In 1855, Michael Young bought 80 acres in the same area where Nicholas Young’s 40 acre farm was located.  In fact, Michael’s and Nicholas’ farms touched at the corners.  I find this too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.  I suspect that Nicholas and Michael may have even been related.  This is wild speculation on my part but it was common for immigrants to move into areas where they already had kin.  This probably needs to be further researched since it could add to our understanding of the movements of our Jung/Young ancestors.”

 

Discovering A Family's Roots