My paternal grandfather was a larger sized man, born in Ionia, Michigan. He had dark hair and brown eyes like myself. I did not know him well but he had an "old" Michigan ancestor feel to him. And in my later research, that would prove to be true.
My paternal grandmother, Dorothy May DeArmond, was a smallish woman, blue eyes, medium brown hair with hints of red in it. She also had been born in Ionia, Michigan.
Last year I wrote extensively about her and her mother Clytie Agnes Harris which can be reread
here below, but I want to keep moving onto the next generation.
https://genealogygram.blogspot.com/2018/01/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-start.html
Clytie Agnes Harris was born in Huntington, Indiana, 24 Jun 1890. She married Camlin Foster DeArmond, in Montcalm, Michigan on 13 Jun 1905. She was just fifteen years old.
1
My father described Clytie's appearance a "red haired, fair skinned and freckled". He thought she was Irish. I have a picture of her, very pretty with a "Gibson girl" look.
Her mother was Velnia (Velnie) Milton and her possible father is Charles Harris, second husband, or Eli S. Richardson, Velnia's first husband. The witnesses to Clytie and Camlin's marriage are Charles Meaux and V. Harris Meaux, aka Velnie Milton.
The 1900 Census has in the household Charles Meaux, Velnie Meaux, Clylie (Clytie) Meaux, Mary E Meaux and Devora Meaux. Surprise #1, they are listed a black under the race column. Surprise #2 Charles and Velnie are listed as being married fifteen years, however fourteen years earlier(1886) she would marry first husband Eli S Richardson. And in 1892 there was a marriage to husband number two, Charles Harris . #reinventinghistory
Then in 1910, the household contains, Charles, Meaux, Clentson (Camlin) DeArmond, Clytie DeArmond and Cecil DeArmond. Velnie is gone, and all are listed as white under race. The surprise here is that in 1900 census Clytie is ten years old, but now ten years later, she is only eighteen. #playingfastandloosewithnumbers3
The 1920 census lists Camlin Dea*Nond (DeArmond), Clytie, Dorthey (my Grandmother), Cenchel M, Cecil R, Velnia C, and two boarders. There are no surprises on this record. 4
The 1930 Census lists, Camlin F Dearmond, Clytie A, Cenchel M, Veline C, Esther E and three boarders, one of whom is a Veline Hudsonkilty. The Veline is listed at mother in law, so she is Clytie's mother, Veline Harris. 5
Finally in the 1940 Census it is just Claycie (Clytie) Dearmond, Cenchel and Esther.
I found Velnie and Charlie Harris's marriage record, and at the bottom there was this little note about Velnie's parentage. Here is another surprise!
"The Lady's name is Smith, but her step-father's name is Milton, and she has always gone by that!"
Working from the earliest records I can find of her,In the 1870 Census they were living in Abbots Creek, Forsyth, North Carolina. The family consists of James Milton (head), Polly and Luevenia (Velnie). Again everyone in the family is listed as Mulatto.
The 1880 Census shows them living in Washington Township, Hamilton County, Indiana. In the household were James Milton (Head), Polley, Velnie, Robby, Lilley, Alexander and Mary. I was pretty sure they were the right family because they were all born in North Carolina. and Veline's age was very close, only one year off. I did find a surprise here. The whole family was listed as Mulatto. 6
I have to jump ahead 30 years to see the family in the 1900'census. We have James Milton (head), Polly Ann, Daysy, Ommer, Weslie, and Daisy Morgan. Velnie's birth is Feb 1869, North Carolina. The dates of birth for Polly line up as well as being born in north Carolina. The surprise here is they are listed as black, not white or mulatto.
In the 1910 census James race is listed as mulatto while Polley is white. Birth dates and place of birth all line up and in 1911 Polly and James divorce. The surprise here is James is the complainant, and is giving the reason as "extreme and repeated cruelty".
Finally, the last I find of Polly A Milton is her Find a Grave record.
All this time I am wondering about the correct race of these people. Time for DNA, so I asked my father to take a test. And SURPRISE! My black ancestry is legitimate. It was the furthest thing I had ever considered, but I have to say I am surprised, pleased and proud of my ethnic heritage.
All the way through this family's history they have surprised me left and right. I don't have all their "surprises" figured out yet, but with hard research and ever expanding material, perhaps I will get find other intriguing surprises down the the road a ways.
Sources
1 Ancestry.com. Michigan, County Marriage Records, 1822-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Original data: Marriage Records. Michigan Marriages. Various Michigan County marriage collections
2 Year: 1900; Census Place: Sheridan, Mecosta, Michigan; Roll: 731; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0102; FHL microfilm: 1240731
3 Year: 1910; Census Place: Grand Rapids Ward 1, Kent, Michigan; Roll: T624_656; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0051; FHL microfilm: 1374669
4 Year: 1920; Census Place: Ionia Ward 1, Ionia, Michigan; Roll: T625_772; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 76
5 Year: 1930; Census Place: Ionia, Ionia, Michigan; Roll: 992; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0014; FHL microfilm: 2340727
6 Year: 1880; Census Place: Washington, Hamilton, Indiana; Roll: 281; Family History Film: 1254281; Page: 396D; Enumeration District: 038
7 Year: 1870; Census Place: Abbotts Creek, Forsyth, North Carolina; Roll: M593_1137; Page: 301B; Family History Library Film: 552636
8 Year: 1900; Census Place: Pentwater, Oceana, Michigan; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0112; FHL microfilm: 1240736
