#52ancestors-Favorite name

In talking about the writing prompt "favorite name",with my husband, he reminded me about the name Foster. And I am glad he did.
 My Foster surname had become a favorite middle name for three of my male ancestors and one sibling.The first Foster in my tree is Eleanor Foster, also know as Ellen. She was born 22 February 1794 in Virginia. Married John DeArmond 21 August 1817 and died 23 Apr 1859.

Their marriage was performed by John's uncle, King DeArmond. King also married a Sarah Foster to John A George. Could Sarah be Eleanor's sister?

Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993

1850; Census Place: Division 10, Berrien, Michigan; Roll: M432_346; Page: 194B; Image: 386

Eleanor Foster DeArmond Grave

John and Eleanor's son, William DeArmond, married Clarissa Brown. And their son was named Camlin Foster DeArmond.  

 I have written about Camlin in a previous post linked here :#52ancesters-Start

Camlin (pictured above) married Clytie Agnes Harris and they had several girls, one of whom was my grandmother Dorothy May DeArmond.

The picture above shows my grandparents (Dorothy May DeArmond and Earl Howard Utter) newly married, I assume.  The were married on 21 June 1929 in Steuben County, Indiana.

Allen Foster Utter

Earl and Dorothy had three boys, Earl Jr., Allen, and Gordon. My dad's,(pictured above) full name was Allen Foster Utter. I assume he was named after his grandpa Camlin Foster DeArmond.

My dad married my mom,on July 25, 1958 and had first (me), Michelle Lynne and my brother with the middle name of Allen, and third...

Christopher Foster Utter

23 Sept 1965- 11 Feb 1966

 My brother Christopher Foster was born with with more rare form of spina bifida. My mom describes it as looking like a little blister with a white cord. A few days later he would show signs of also having hydrocephalus. 

At eleven days old he had surgery to cover up his open spine and at eighteen days old he had surgery to install a Holter valve for the excess fluid on his brain.

 According to my mom the valve was the size of a car fuse and had plastic where the glass would be. The valve (Spitz-Holter shunt) was implanted behind his ear with a tube to his brain to collect the fluid. The opposite end of the valve had a tube to a main vein to take the fluid to his heart for dispersal and removal. My mom had to push on the valve to move the fluid from Christopher's brain to a vein.

 Because he kept growing he was producing more spinal fluid, so he had his third surgery just before Christmas to repair the valve.

Sadly, Christopher's spinal defect was in the center of his back and as he grew that repaired area stretched from top and bottom. His little spine severed and he passed away. My mom didn't get much time with her little boy, what with him in and out of hospitals and two older children at home needing care. And the after affects of this family trauma would span many years for her.

Today as I finished up writing this story, I took a closer look at the dates and amazingly this is the exact day my brother Christopher died, fifty-two years ago.

 After Christopher died and some years later, my parents had two more boys with the middle name of Allen.
Christopher Foster was the only and is the last Foster in our family, but maybe another generation will pick up the name and use it again.

#52ancestors- In the Census

 I have come to my senses or rather census on who to write about this week. Her name is Maranda. Maranda is my mysterious ancestor. I know next to nothing about her. I wish that was not the case. 

Maranda married Miles Hodges. You can see the couple, twice on my tree. Two of their children Benjamin and Delilah are also also shown circled in red and if you follow to the left you will end at Earl Utter, he is my grandfather. You can see that Maranda and Miles are doubly important to my research.

I have not been able to find out a whole lot about Miles but Maranda is worse. I do not know when or where she was born, married or died. I don't have one single family clue, and do not no her last name. She was either born in New York or Vermont. I cannot make any connections through their children's first and middle names. I do not have any bible information and stories. As far as I can tell she is only listed 3 times in her whole life. The 1850, 1860 and 1870 census. So sad really. I thought because she is important to me, I would dedicate this week to her.

1830 Census  Butler, Wayne, New York. Miles (bottom line) is listed but only a tic mark for Maranda.

1850 Census Dallas, Clinton, Michigan. Maranda is listed as being born in New York here.

 1860 Census, Bloomer, Montcalm Michigan. She is listed as being born in Vermont on this census.

1870 Census Bloomer, Montcalm, Michigan. They list Vermont as birth place again.

I will keep working on her from time to time. Maybe someday i'll have a breakthrough.