Person Page

     Charles Augustus Swikert was born on 8 September 1899 in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan.¹ He married Verda Marie Williamson, daughter of Riley Shelbert Williamson and Bertha Matilda Woodin, on 25 October 1922 at the First M.E. Church in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Michigan.² He died on 7 August 1986 at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 86 from cardiac arrest, 24-48 hours after a heart attack.³ He was buried on 11 August 1986 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^4,3
     On 27 May 1917 he accidentally shot his brother Bill in the right leg. They were headed out to shoot crows, and the shotgun fired as he was loading a shell. A newspaper item about the incident says that it was feared Bill would be permanently crippled, but he made a full recovery.⁵
     He graduated on 12 June 1918 from Gobleville High School in Gobles, Van Buren Co., Michigan. The graduating class was made up of just ten people. Commencement exercises were at the Gobleville Opera House, and he presented an oration entitled "The National Food Problem."⁶
     He was a private, serial number 5247839, in the Student Army Training Corps at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. This was a program set up by the National Committee on Education and Special Training in June 1918 to develop a source for officers in an expanded Army. He was one of 122 students in the program at Kalamazoo College, enlisting on 8 October 1918. Everyone in the program took a course in war issues, and additional courses were offered in accounting, military law, military English, surveying, military hygiene and sanitation, military French, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Everyone also participated in two hours of exercises each day. The program was discontinued by the War Department in December, at the end of World War I, and all the men were discharged on 15 December 1918.^7,8
     When he registered for the World War I draft on 12 September 1918 he was living with his brother Bill at 309 N. Monell in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^9,10 He was working at the time as a paper finisher at the Mar Sim Bar Paper Co. in Otsego.¹⁰
     He was living at 330 Court St., Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, in 1919, with his mother Laura and brother Leon in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, in 1920, and at 143 Portage Ave., Three Rivers, St. Joseph Co., Michigan, in 1921.^11,12 In 1920 he was working as a laborer in the streetcar barns.¹² He and his wife Verda were living at 16 Newark St. in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Michigan, when their daughters Ruth and Sylvia were born on 5 July 1923.¹³ They moved to South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, by 1930, when they were living there at 1341 Campeau St.¹⁴
     About 1934 he was involved in a minor but probably embarrassing traffic accident, described in a newspaper article as follows:
     He was employed from April 1930 to April 1937 by the Auto Specialties Co. in Elkhart, Elkhart Co., Indiana, where he was supervisor of electrical engineering and contract work. In lieu of salary he received half the net profits. He left when the company was reorganized. From April 1937 to June 1939 he was self-employed as an electrical engineer. From June 1939 to August 1941 he worked for the Northern Indiana Brass Co. in Elkhart as a supervisor in the electrical department, making $49.40/week.¹⁶ In August 1941 he started work at the Hatfield Electric Co. in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at least in part because it was closer to home. While there he worked on a job for Studebaker Aviation doing electrical construction work in a powerhouse, and made $1.50/hour.¹⁶
     Around 1940 he and his wife Verda moved to Clay Twp., north of South Bend in St. Joseph Co., into a new two-story house at 2412 Prescott St. that they had built themselves¹⁷, and they are listed there in the 1940 and 1950 censuses. In 1950 their daughter Ruth and her family were living upstairs.^18,19 The address was changed to 52118 Prescott St. in the mid-1950s.¹⁷
     He registered for the World War II draft on 16 February 1942, and was classified III-B (deferred both by reason of dependency and occupation essential to the war effort) on 20 August 1942.^20,21 Around this time he took non-credit courses at the University of Notre Dame in a.c. circuits and in radio theory and operation, as part of the Engineering, Science, Management Defense Training Program.²²
     He and Verda joined the Community Congregational Church in South Bend on 30 January 1944. The pastor at the time was Charles H. Meeker.²³
     On 23 September 1946, during the settlement of the estate of his father-in-law Riley Shelbert Williamson, who had died intestate, he and his wife Verda bought property Riley had owned in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, for $400.²⁴ They sold this property to Grace Funk on 22 July 1963.²⁵
     From 1950 to 1965 he was an electrician and chief plant engineer at All-Steel Equipment Corp. in Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois,²⁶ and from 1951 to 1965 he and Verda lived in Sugar Grove, Kane Co., again in a house they built themselves. They still considered South Bend their home, however, and spent most weekends there. Their first night on a "real bed" in their house in Sugar Grove was on 18 August 1951. Before moving in they lived for a time with Charles's cousin Charles Burlingham and his wife Marian.^27,17 They bought the lot next to their house in Sugar Grove on 10 April 1954²⁸, and in 1957 they added an extension to the living room.²⁹
     On 11 December 1954 they bought their first TV, for their home in Sugar Grove. At the same time they bought a second one and had it shipped to South Bend "for the kids" (i.e., their daughter Ruth and her husband Clarence Towne).³⁰
     On 19 December 1954 he hurt his back while helping to push a car stuck in the snow. He was in a lot of pain, and saw several doctors over the next few days.³¹ On 19 April 1959 he entered Copley Hospital in Aurora for an operation on his nose. The operation was performed the next morning, and he came home on 21 April.³²
     He and Verda bought property for a cottage on Bair Lake in Jones, Cass Co., Michigan, about 23 May 1962. They built their cottage themselves, completing it in 1965.^33,17
     He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, joining Local Union 153 on 7 October 1941. He entered the union's pension plan on 1 January 1965.^34,35 He was also a registered professional engineer in Indiana and Illinois.^36,37 He joined the American Institute of Plant Engineers on 1 March 1959³⁸, and in May 1960 he was installed as president of the Fox Valley (Illinois) chapter.³⁹
     Several fraternal organizations were also an important part of his life. He was a member of the Concord Chapter 101 of the Royal Arch Masons in Elkhart, Elkhart Co., Indiana, from 14 January 1937 to 7 January 1965; a Knight Templar at the Elkhart Commandery 31 until 28 December 1964; a member of the Orak Shrine Temple in Hammond, Lake Co., Indiana, from 11 December 1943 to 5 November 1974; a member of the Orak Shrine Temple in Michigan City, La Porte Co., Indiana; and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, starting on 22 April 1950. He was also elected an honorary member of F. & A.M. Lodge 204 in New Carlisle, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, on 4 April 1968. He became a Master Mason on 29 June 1936, and received his 32nd degree on 22 April 1950 at the lodge in South Bend, Indiana. He was a charter member, past master, and past secretary of the F. & A.M., Council Oak Lodge 745 in South Bend, whose charter was granted in May 1966.^26,40

More Information / Background

• The Students Army Training Corps (PDF), 1918 brochure
  
• All-Steel Equipment Company
  
• All-Steel Archives (catalogs, etc.)
  
• Freemasonry
  
• Scottish Rite
  
• Shriners.
  

     Verda Marie Williamson was born on 18 January 1899 in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.¹ She married Charles Augustus Swikert, son of Frank Swikert and Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham, on 25 October 1922 at the First M.E. Church in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Michigan.³ She died on 13 December 1986 at home in South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, at age 87 from heart disease.⁴ She was buried on 16 December 1986 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.^5,6,4
     She is listed twice in the 1920 census, once with her sister and brother-in-law Leeta and Raymond Waldron in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, enumerated on 8 January 1920, and again with her parents in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, enumerated on 20 January 1920. In the latter entry her occupation is given as "machine operator."^7,8
     She and her husband Charles were living at 16 Newark St. in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Michigan, when their daughters Ruth and Sylvia were born on 5 July 1923.⁹ They moved to South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana, by 1930, when they were living there at 1341 Campeau St.¹⁰ Around 1940 they moved to Clay Twp., north of South Bend in St. Joseph Co., into a new two-story house at 2412 Prescott St. that they had built themselves², and they are listed there in the 1940 and 1950 censuses. In 1950 their daughter Ruth and her family were living upstairs.^11,12 The address was changed to 52118 Prescott St. in the mid-1950s.²
     She was a Red Cross volunteer, completing the standard and advanced courses in first aid on 30 May and 30 June 1942, the standard home nursing course in June 1942, the standard nutrition course in December 1942, and the canteen corps course in April 1943. The first three courses were taken in South Bend, and the latter two in Muskegon, Muskegon Co., Michigan.^13,14,15,16
     She and Charles joined the Community Congregational Church in South Bend on 30 January 1944. The pastor at the time was Charles H. Meeker.¹⁷ She became a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter No. 2, in South Bend on 13 July 1944.¹⁸
     On 23 September 1946, during the settlement of the estate of her father Riley Shelbert Williamson, who had died intestate, she and her husband Charles bought property Riley had owned in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, for $400.¹⁹ They sold this property to Grace Funk on 22 July 1963.²⁰
     Charles worked at All-Steel Equipment Corp. in Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois, from 1950 to 1965²¹, and from 1951 to 1965 they lived in Sugar Grove, Kane Co., again in a house they built themselves. They still considered South Bend their home, however, and spent most weekends there. Their first night on a "real bed" in their house in Sugar Grove was on 18 August 1951. Before moving in they lived for a time with Charles's cousin Charles Burlingham and his wife Marian.^22,2 They bought the lot next to their house in Sugar Grove on 10 April 1954²³, and in 1957 they added an extension to the living room.²⁴
     On 27 April 1951, after returning home from a vacation with her husband Charles, she received word that her mother Bertha had suffered a stroke. The next day they brought her mother to South Bend to stay with them. Verda stayed in South Bend while Charles spent weekdays in Sugar Grove to go to work. On 20 May her mother went back to Sugar Grove with them, and on 29 May back to her own home in Vicksburg, Michigan.²⁵ Her mother later returned to live with them in Sugar Grove, from 1955 until her death in 1957.²⁶
     On 11 December 1954 they bought their first TV, for their home in Sugar Grove. At the same time they bought a second one and had it shipped to South Bend "for the kids" (i.e., their daughter Ruth and her husband Clarence Towne).²⁷
     About 2 February 1954 she served on a probate court jury in South Bend.²⁸
     She had a feisty side, as shown by the following entry in her diary for 5 March 1955: "I spent the whole forenoon baking. Made a cherry pie, an apple pie, 4 pie shells, a two layer cake and molasses cookies. I'd been told I would forget how to bake if I kept buying pies by my husband, so I showed him."²⁹
     She and Charles bought property for a cottage on Bair Lake in Jones, Cass Co., Michigan, about 23 May 1962. They built their cottage themselves, completing it in 1965.^30,2
     In the settlement of her uncle Calvin Packer Williamson's estate, probably on 29 December 1970, she received a 1/8 share, which amounted to $1,641.04 after deducting Michigan inheritance tax.³¹

     Frank Swikert was born on 26 February 1862 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,4 He was married by E. A. Gay, Minister, to Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham, daughter of Philip Burlingham and Charity Mandana Phelps, on 24 November 1886 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. The witnesses were the bride's brother Arthur L. Burlingham and the groom's sister (and Arthur Burlingham's wife) May Burlingham.⁵ He died on 17 February 1916 at the home of his half-sister, Mrs. W. A. Johnson in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 53 of Bright's disease, with arteriosclerosis as a contributing factor, after suffering for a year "with a complication of diseases." He had come to Otsego three weeks before he died, to be nearer medical treatment.^1,4 He was buried on 20 February 1916 at Mountain Home Cemetery (row 4, by the road) in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,4
     On 9 March 1891, about a year after his father's death, he and his mother Amorette mortgaged 80 acres of land in Bloomingdale Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan, that his parents had purchased in 1889, to Arvin W. Myers of Gobleville, Michigan, for $25 "with interest at ten percent per annum payable annually," although no total payment period is noted.^6,7 On 15 February 1894 he and his mother, along with his wife Laura, mortgaged the western half of this property to Warren Williams of Pine Grove, Michigan, for $50, to be paid after one year with interest at 7%.⁸ On 2 January 1900, after his mother's death, he and Laura mortgaged the eastern half of the property to F. P. Grimes of Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Michigan, for $50.⁹
     On 1 August 1901 he and Chas. C. Remmington bought "Lot Fifteen (15) Block B Haven Add" in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan, from Milan Wiggins for $150, payable over eighteen months at 7% interest.¹⁰
     He and Laura lived in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan, for several years⁴, then moved to Almena Twp., Van Buren Co., about 1908, where they remained until his death in 1916.^4,11 On 10 January 1912 they paid $35.60 in taxes (plus $0.36 in fees), covering the year 1911, for the following property in Almena Twp.: 60 acres (S 3/4 (sic), SW 1/4, Section 5) valued at $1350; 40 acres (SE 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 5) valued at $650; personal property valued at $25; and one dog, which does not have a value listed, but was taxed at $1.00.¹²
     He and his sons Elmer and Leon, and his brother-in-law Arthur Lee Burlingham, were members of the Woodman Grange, Lodge No. 610.¹³ He joined Lodge No. 221 of the F. & A.M. in Bloomingdale on 1 February 1902, and transferred to Hudson Lodge No. 325 in Gobleville, Allegan Co., Michigan, on 28 April 1911.¹⁴
     He worked as a farmer and laborer^5,1, and was described as being "of a cheerful disposition and always ready and willing to lend a helping hand to those in need."⁴

     Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham was born on 14 January 1866 in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.² She was married by E. A. Gay, Minister, to Frank Swikert, son of Jesse Swikert and Amorette Wason, on 24 November 1886 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. The witnesses were the bride's brother Arthur L. Burlingham and the groom's sister (and Arthur Burlingham's wife) May Burlingham.¹ She died at age 81 of hemiplegia on 13 February 1947 at the home of her son William Swikert in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^2,5 She was buried on 15 February 1947 at Mountain Home Cemetery (row 4, by the road) in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^5,2
     On 9 March 1891 her husband Frank and his mother Amorette mortgaged 80 acres of land in Bloomingdale Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan, that his parents had purchased in 1889, to Arvin W. Myers of Gobleville, Michigan, for $25 "with interest at ten percent per annum payable annually," although no total payment period is noted.^6,7 On 15 February 1894 she and Frank, along with Amorette, mortgaged the western half of this property to Warren Williams of Pine Grove, Michigan, for $50, to be paid after one year with interest at 7%.⁸ On 2 January 1900, after Amorette's death, she and Frank mortgaged the eastern half of the property to F. P. Grimes of Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Michigan, for $50.⁹
     She and Frank lived in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan, for several years¹⁰, then moved to Almena Twp., Van Buren Co., about 1908, where they remained until Frank's death in 1916.^10,11 On 10 January 1912 they paid $35.60 in taxes (plus $0.36 in fees), covering the year 1911, for the following property in Almena Twp.: 60 acres (S 3/4 (sic), SW 1/4, Section 5) valued at $1350; 40 acres (SE 1/4, SW 1/4, Section 5) valued at $650; personal property valued at $25; and one dog, which does not have a value listed, but was taxed at $1.00.¹²
     In 1920 she was living in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, with her sons Leon and Charles, as renters in a house owned by Francis Fluke.¹³ Later, and for most of the rest of her life, she lived with her son William in Otsego, and is listed there in the 1930 and 1940 censuses.^5,14,15

     Elmer Glenn Swikert was born on 30 December 1888 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,2,3 He was married by E. E. Branch to Mabell Markillie, daughter of Benj. Markillie and Mariah Halstead, on 20 November 1912 in Almena, Van Buren Co., Michigan.⁴ He died on 29 February 1960 at William Crispe Hospital in Plainwell, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 71 of peritonitis, due to a ruptured duodenal ulcer. He had undergone an operation the morning of 28 February for the ruptured ulcer, and seemed to be doing well, but died shortly after midnight.^5,6 He was buried on 2 March 1960 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, with a Masonic graveside service.^5,7
     He was a farmer^4,2,8, and in 1920 was living with his wife Mabell on their farm in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.⁸ He apparently gave up farming in the early 1920s, and sold off livestock, farm equipment, and hay and grain in at least two auctions, one in 1922 and another in 1925.^9,10
     By 1930 he and Mabell had moved to Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan,¹¹, and he was working there as a stationary steam engineer at the Allied Paper Mills.^12,11,13,7,3 They are listed in Otsego at 445 West Orleans in the 1930 census¹¹, and at 453 West Orleans in the 1940 and 1950 censuses, where they remained until Elmer's death in 1960. In 1940 and 1950 their daughter Fern and her husband Marion Rupert, and their children, were living with them.^13,14,5 He retired from the paper mill in 1956.⁷
     He was a member of the Woodman Grange, Lodge No. 610. He later was a member of the B.P.O.E. No. 1711 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan; a member of the DeWitt Clinton Consistory, and the Saladin Temple Shrine, in Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan; a life member of the F. & A.M., Hudson Lodge No. 325; and Past Exalted Ruler of the B.P.O.E. No. 1621 in Gobles, Van Buren Co., Michigan.^15,7
     On 26 May 1956, he and his brother Bill and their wives came together to their high school alumni dinner in Gobles, Michigan. In her diary their sister-in-law Verda Swikert wrote that this was "the first time since the spat a long time ago."¹⁶

More Information / Background

• Allied Paper Corporation
  
• Memories of Allied Paper
  
• The Allied Paper Mill of Kalamazoo, MI, pictures of abandoned mill and its demolition.
  

     Leon Swikert was born on 20 October 1892 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.^3,4,5 He married Myrtle LaFern Clark, daughter of John F. Clark and Myrtle Straley, on 19 June 1921 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^2,6 He died of a heart attack while on vacation with his wife, on 26 January 1963 at Holly Park Hospital in Hawthorn, Los Angeles Co., California, at age 70.^7,8,9 He was buried on 30 January 1963 at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.⁸
     On 5 June 1917 he registered for the World War I draft, listing his residence as R.F.D. 2, Gobleville, Van Buren Co., Michigan, and his mother as a dependent.³ He was inducted into the U.S. Army on 28 August 1918 at Paw Paw, Van Buren Co., Michigan,¹⁰ and served as a private first slass in Co. F, 77th Infantry, serial number 4717262.¹⁰ At the time of his induction he was described as having brown hair and eyes, a ruddy complexion, and was 5 feet 6 1/2 inches tall.¹⁰ He was discharged on 18 January 1919 at Camp Custer by reason of "dependent relatives," probably his mother.¹⁰
     In January 1920 he was living with his widowed mother Laura and brother Charles, as renters in a house owned by Francis Fluke on March St. in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.¹¹
     At the time of their marriage he and his fiancee Myrtle LaFern Clark were both living in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.² They were living in Wyoming Twp., Kent Co., Michigan, in 1930¹², but moved to Elkhart, Elkhart Co., Indiana, in 1931⁸, where they lived until his death in 1963. In 1940 two lodgers, Harry and Norma Earl, were living with them.^8,13
     He worked at a variety of occupations throughout his life. Before his military service he was a farmer.^14,3,10 In 1920, after his discharge, he was working as a streetcar conductor¹¹, and at the time of his marriage in 1921 he was a fireman.^2,6 In the 1930 census he was listed as a laborer doing odd jobs¹², and in the 1940 census he was listed as an electrician.¹³ In 1942 he was working for the Outing Mfg. Co., a maker of fishing lures in Elkhart⁴, and in 1950 he was doing cabinet assembly for a trailer manufacturer.¹⁵ He also ran a small nursery for several years.⁸
     He was a member of the Woodman Grange, Lodge No. 610. He was later a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the World War I organization Barracks 750, and the Michiana Beekeepers Association.^16,7,8

     William Mark Swikert was born on 5 December 1897 in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan.^1,2 He was married by E. R. Clark, Presbyterian Minister, to Margery Agnes Tozer, daughter of Alfred John Tozer and Sarah Ann Denison, on 19 July 1919 in Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. The witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. Earl Tozer.³ He died on 20 November 1978 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, at age 80.^4,5 He was buried on 24 November 1978 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.⁵
     On 27 May 1917 he was accidentally shot in the right leg by his brother Charles. They were headed out to shoot crows, and the shotgun fired as Charles was loading a shell. A newspaper item about the incident says that it was feared he would be permanently crippled, but he made a full recovery.⁶
     He lived in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, much of his life. When he registered for the World War I draft on 12 September 1918, he was living there with his brother Charles at 309 N. Monell.^2,7 He and his wife Margery are listed in Otsego in the censuses from 1920 to 1950. After the death of Bill's father in 1916, his mother Laura lived with them much of the rest of her life, and she is listed with them in the 1930 and 1940 censuses.^8,9,10,11
     From 1917 to 1920 he was employed by the gas company doing clerical and bookkeeping work.^2,3,8 He worked for the Angle Steel Co. in Plainwell, Allegan Co., Michigan, from 1921 to 1941^12,9,10, and was self-employed from 1941 to 1951.¹² He then joined the Michigan Gas Utilities Co. in Otsego, retiring in 1963.⁵
     On 4 February 1946 he and his wife Margery signed as surety when Bertha Williamson posted an administrator's bond of $500 on the estate of her husband Riley Shelbert Williamson. (Bertha was the mother of Verda (Williamson) Swikert, wife of Bill's brother Charles.)¹³
     On 26 May 1956, he and his brother Elmer and their wives came together to their high school alumni dinner in Gobles, Michigan. In her diary their sister-in-law Verda Swikert wrote that this was "the first time since the spat a long time ago."¹⁴
     On 5 April 1974 he and his wife Margery were involved in an accident along the Ohio Turnpike, about eight miles west of the Norwalk exit. They were traveling in a camper with their niece Fern and her husband Marion Rupert, and Marion had pulled over to check a water leak. They were struck from behind by a car driven by Margaret E. Banahan, forcing the camper into a ditch. Marion was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Bellevue, Ohio, in fair condition. Bill and Margery and their niece Fern were treated and released.¹⁵
     He was a life member of the Knights of Pythias, Plainwell Lodge No 185 (according to his obituary) or No 235 (according to a newspaper article about his 50th wedding anniversary). He was also Past Grand Chancellor of the State Lodge of Michigan.^5,16

     Mabell Markillie was born on 6 May 1887 in Almena Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan.³ She was married by E. E. Branch to Elmer Glenn Swikert, son of Frank Swikert and Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham, on 20 November 1912 in Almena, Van Buren Co., Michigan.² She died on 5 July 1984 in Alamo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, at age 97.³ She was buried on 6 July 1984 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.³
     She and her husband Elmer lived in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, in 1920.⁴ They moved to Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, sometime before 1930.⁵ They are listed at 445 West Orleans in the 1930 census⁵, and at 453 West Orleans in the 1940 and 1950 censuses, where they remained until Elmer's death in 1960. In 1940 and 1950 their daughter Fern and her husband Marion Rupert, and their children, were living with them.^6,7,8

     Myrtle LaFern Clark was born on 14 August 1897 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.² She married Leon Swikert, son of Frank Swikert and Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham, on 19 June 1921 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,3 She died on 13 October 1971 in Hemet, Riverside Co., California, at age 74.^2,4 Funeral services were held 15 October 1971 at the Harford Funeral Home in Hemet, California, with a Reader from the Christian Science Church officiating. She was buried at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Osceola, St. Joseph Co., Indiana.²
     She is listed in the 1920 census in the home of Sam and Viola Williams of Otsego Twp., as their niece. Also listed in the same house was her twin brother John Franklin Clark.⁵ At the time she was a schoolteacher.^5,1
     At the time of their marriage she and her fiance Leon Swikert were both living in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.¹ They were living in Wyoming Twp., Kent Co., Michigan, in 1930⁶, but moved to Elkhart, Elkhart Co., Indiana, in 1931⁷, where they lived until Leon's death in 1963. In 1940 two lodgers, Harry and Norma Earl, were living with them.^7,8

     Margery Agnes Tozer was born on 13 July 1899 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^2,3 She was married by E. R. Clark, Presbyterian Minister, to William Mark Swikert, son of Frank Swikert and Laura Ann Mirah Burlingham, on 19 July 1919 in Schoolcraft, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. The witnesses were Mr. and Mrs. Earl Tozer.⁴ She died on 12 March 1984 at Pipp Community Hospital in Plainwell, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 84 from severe congestive heart failure.² She was buried on 15 March 1984 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.²
     At the time of her marriage, she was living in Otsego, doing clerical work.⁴ She and her husband Bill are listed in Otsego in the censuses from 1920 to 1950. After the death of Bill's father in 1916, his mother Laura lived with them much of the rest of her life, and she is listed with them in the 1930 and 1940 censuses.^5,6,7,8 She was also a life member of the Otsego chapter of the Pythian Sisters.³
     On 5 April 1974 she and her husband Bill were involved in an accident along the Ohio Turnpike, about eight miles west of the Norwalk exit. They were traveling in a camper with their niece Fern and her husband Marion Rupert, and Marion had pulled over to check a water leak. They were struck from behind by a car driven by Margaret E. Banahan, forcing the camper into a ditch. Marion was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Bellevue, Ohio, in fair condition. She and Bill and their niece Fern were treated and released.⁹
     She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Allegan Co., Michigan.³ She enjoyed reading and collecting antique dishes.¹⁰ At the time of her death she resided at 320 Brigham in Plainwell, Allegan Co., Michigan.²

     Riley Shelbert Williamson was born on 15 July 1870 in Indiana.^5,2,6,7,8,9 He married Bertha Matilda Woodin, daughter of Frank Henry Woodin and Isabell Delilah Dornan, on 30 April 1898 in Wheaton, DuPage Co., Illinois. They were married by DeLoss M. Tompkins, and the witnesses were Margaret L. Tompkins and Mrs. D. M. Tompkins.¹⁰ He died suddenly on 22 June 1939 at home in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 68 from heart disease. He had worked in his berry patch in the morning, and had just began listening to a radio program when he was stricken.^3,11 He was buried on 26 June 1939 at Plummerville Cemetery in Allegan Co., Michigan.³
     He moved to Allegan Co., Michigan, as a boy, no doubt with his parents in 1877. He lived most of his life there in Ganges Twp., where he was a farmer.^12,11,13
     On 17 September 1904 he bought land in Ganges Twp. from Clarence Pugsley and his wife Effie for $400. The tract was described as the south ten acres of the south half of the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 20 township 2 north range 16 west.¹⁴ In the 1900 and 1910 censuses for Ganges Twp. he is listed as a farm laborer, and the family was living in a rented house in 1910.^6,7 By 1920 they owned their own farm, although mortgaged, in Ganges Twp.⁸ In 1930 their grandson Raymond Waldron was listed with them in Ganges Twp. in the census.¹⁵
     He died intestate, and on 12 October 1945 his widow Bertha petitioned to be named administrator of his estate. She was officially appointed on 17 January 1946, subject to a bond of $500. The bond was posted on 5 February, with William Swikert and his wife Margery as surety. (William was a brother of Bertha's son-in-law Charles Swikert.) On 11 March Bertha resigned as administrator, and the next day submitted her final account, saying the estate consisted only of 5-6 acres of land in Ganges Twp., with no income or expenditures. On 15 March Mack D. Tourtellotte (brother of Julia (Tourtellotte) Williamson, wife of Riley's brother Willis Stanton Williamson) was appointed to replace her.¹⁶
     The real estate, described as the "S 1/2 of S 1/2 NE 1/4 SE 1/4, except two acres of land in SE corner, of S 10 acres of S 1/2 NE 1/4 of SE 1/4 lying west of highway, Sec. 20 T-2-N R-16-W," was sold to Riley's daughter and son-in-law Verda and Charles Swikert for $400 on 23 September 1946. (Except for the reserved two acres, this is the same land Riley had purchased in 1904.) The sale was approved by the probate court on 3 October 1946¹⁷, and the administrator's final account showed a net estate value, after deducting expenses, of $319.60.¹⁶

     Bertha Matilda Woodin was born on 23 January 1877 in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.^3,2,4 She married Riley Shelbert Williamson, son of Beniah Thorp Williamson and Jane Hamilton, on 30 April 1898 in Wheaton, DuPage Co., Illinois. They were married by DeLoss M. Tompkins, and the witnesses were Margaret L. Tompkins and Mrs. D. M. Tompkins.⁵ She died on 21 January 1957 at Copley Hospital in Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois, at age 79 of bronchial pneumonia. Contributory causes were a fractured left hip and left arm, from a fall at home on 13 December 1956.^2,6 She was buried on 24 January 1957 at Plummerville Cemetery in Allegan Co., Michigan. Funeral services were at the Critz Funeral Home.^2,7
     She and her husband Riley are listed in the 1900 and 1910 censuses in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, living in a rented house in 1910.^8,9 By 1920 they owned their own farm, although mortgaged, in Ganges Twp.¹⁰ In 1930 their grandson Raymond Waldron was listed with them in Ganges Twp. in the census.¹¹
     A large barn on her farm, about 3.5 miles south of Ganges, Allegan Co., Michigan, was destroyed by fire about 1941. The loss was estimated at about $2,000.¹²
     On 12 October 1945 she petitioned to be appointed administrator of her husband Riley's estate, who had died intestate. Her petition was granted on 17 January 1946, and she posted an administrator's bond of $500 on 4 February 1946, with William Swikert and his wife Margery as surety. (William was a brother of her son-in-law Charles Swikert.) She resigned as administrator on 11 March 1946, and Mack D. Tourtellotte (his sister Julia was married to Riley Shelbert Williamson's brother Willis) was appointed to replace her on 15 March 1946.¹³
     On 16 April 1951 she suffered a stroke. Her daughter Verda didn't receive word of it until 27 April because she and her husband Charles Swikert were on vacation from 16 April to 27 April. On 28 April the Swikerts brought her to their home in South Bend, Indiana. By 30 April she was able to walk around outside, dry dishes, etc. She stayed with her daughter Verda in South Bend until 20 May, while Charles Swikert spent weekdays in Sugar Grove, Kane Co., Illinois, to go to work. On 20 May she went back to Sugar Grove with the Swikerts, and on 29 May back to her own home in Vicksburg, Michigan.¹⁴
     She returned to Sugar Grove about 1955, to live with her daughter and son-in-law.² On 13 December 1956, at about 4:00 PM, she fell in the hallway at her daughter's home, breaking her left hip and wrist. She was taken to Copley Memorial Hospital in Aurora, Illinois, by ambulance. Her daughter Leeta came to stay with the Swikerts, and Verda and Leeta spent much of their time at the hospital.¹⁵

     Leeta Mae Williamson was born on 3 April 1900 in Ganges Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,3 She married Raymond Carney Waldron, son of William Harrison Waldron and Emily Elida Spellman, on 4 May 1918 at the Methodist Parsonage on Jasper St in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. The attendants were Mrs. Ivan Hunt and Mrs. Ed Cunningham, the groom's sister and sister-in-law.^1,4,5,6 They separated on 17 January 1921, and she filed for divorce two days later in Kalamazoo Co. Since she was under age, her father R. Shelbert Williamson acted as her "next friend" (i.e., representative).⁷ The case was dismissed by order of the court about a year later, on 14 February 1922, four days before the birth of their son Donald.⁸ She died on 2 April 1995 at the Bridgewood Nursing Home in Plainwell, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 94.² She was buried on 7 April 1995 at Vicksburg Cemetery in Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.²
     In 1920, according to the census for Kalamazoo, she was working in a box factory. Her sister Verda was listed in the same household.⁹
     In her divorce complaint filed on 19 January 1921, Leeta said that since their marriage Raymond "frequently indulged in violent rages," cursing and swearing at her, and that he was continually away from home, often at "dance halls with women of bad character." She added that in February 1920, when her sister (Verda Williamson, then age 21) was staying with them, he went to her bed one night when Leeta was away and "solicited her to have improper relations with him, but was prevented from doing so by [her] resistance." Leeta later agreed to stay when he promised to "mend his ways."
     She also said that he had failed to support her and their children all their married life, and that she was forced to work to provide for them, along with the help of family and friends. Shortly before their official separation he told her that he "no longer desired to live" with her, and left. She asked the court to award her custody of their two children, alimony, and funds to cover court costs and attorney fees.
     A summons was issued to Raymond, but no further records are found in the file, and the reason for the dismissal of the case by the court a year later is unknown.⁷
     She and Raymond lived in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, from the time of their marriage until 1937.^1,4,10,11,12 In 1937 they moved to Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan,¹, and were living there on Hamilton St. in 1940.¹³ She continued living there after her husband's death in 1944, and is listed at 725 Hamilton St. in the 1950 census.¹⁴
     In the settlement of her uncle Calvin Packer Williamson's estate, probably on 29 December 1970, she received a 1/8 share, which amounted to $1,641.04 after deducting Michigan inheritance tax.¹⁵
     She enjoyed playing games with children, and gardening.²

     Raymond Carney Waldron was born on 1 June 1889 in Howe, Lagrange Co., Indiana.^4,5,2 He married first Sabrah Lolo Monroe on 16 February 1909 in Bronson, Branch Co., Michigan.⁶ Sabrah filed for divorce on 18 January 1913 in Branch Co., Michigan, but apparently didn't pursue the case, and it was dismissed on 29 January 1916.⁷ She again filed for divorce on 7 October 1916, and it was granted on 13 February 1917 in Branch Co.⁸ He married second Leeta Mae Williamson, daughter of Riley Shelbert Williamson and Bertha Matilda Woodin, on 4 May 1918 at the Methodist Parsonage on Jasper St in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. The attendants were Mrs. Ivan Hunt and Mrs. Ed Cunningham, the groom's sister and sister-in-law.^1,2,3,6 They separated on 17 January 1921, and Leeta filed for divorce two days later in Kalamazoo Co. Since she was under age, her father R. Shelbert Williamson acted as her "next friend" (i.e., representative).⁹ The case was dismissed by order of the court about a year later, on 14 February 1922, four days before the birth of their son Donald.¹⁰ Raymond died from a heart attack on 2 November 1944 in Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, at age 55. He "dropped dead in his barber shop at 5:00 PM while cutting a little boy's hair."^5,11 He was buried on 5 November 1944 at Vicksburg Cemetery in Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan. His funeral was at the Critz Funeral Home, with a large crowd attending.^12,11
     He and his first wife Sabrah were living at 904 Bridge St. in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, in 1914.¹³
     On 15 September 1916 he and Asa Rickard pleaded not guilty in court in Kalamazoo Co. to charges of assaulting a young girl (although Raymond had earlier made a full confession to police when being questioned). His wife and three children were with him in court.¹⁴ Three days later he changed his plea to guilty of statutory assault. The plea was accepted conditionally, and officers were told to investigate further.¹⁵ On 22 September Asa Rickard was listed among those scheduled to be tried later that month, with the charge listed as statutory rape¹⁶, and he then also changed his plea to guilty of criminal assault.¹⁷ On 23 September both men were released, and placed on probation for two years.¹⁸
     When he registered for the World War I draft on 5 June 1917, he was living in Richland, Kalamazoo Co. The registration lists him as "Widower," although he was actually divorced.⁴
     In her divorce complaint filed on 19 January 1921, his wife Leeta said that since their marriage Raymond "frequently indulged in violent rages," cursing and swearing at her, and that he was continually away from home, often at "dance halls with women of bad character." She added that in February 1920, when her sister (Verda Williamson, then age 21) was staying with them, he went to her bed one night when Leeta was away and "solicited her to have improper relations with him, but was prevented from doing so by [her] resistance." Leeta later agreed to stay when he promised to "mend his ways."
     She also said that he had failed to support her and their children all their married life, and that she was forced to work to provide for them, along with the help of family and friends. Shortly before their official separation he told her that he "no longer desired to live" with her, and left. She asked the court to award her custody of their two children, alimony, and funds to cover court costs and attorney fees.
     A summons was issued to Raymond, but no further records are found in the file, and the reason for the dismissal of the case by the court a year later is unknown.⁹
     In August 1921, he was again arrested, and prosecutors were considering charging him with the attempred rape of Mabel Lindsay, age 14. (This was probably Mabel Lindsey, daughter of Raymond's wife Leeta's cousin Lillie Mae (Woodin) Lindsey, who was born 23 March 1907 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.) Raymond ended up pleading guilty to assault and battery, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.^19,20
     He and his second wife Leeta lived in Kalamazoo from the time of their marriage until 1937.^1,2,21,22,23 They then moved to Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Co.¹, and were living there on Hamilton St. in 1940.²⁴
     He was a barber.^25,3,5

     Jesse Swikert was born on 10 July 1829 in (Perry Twp.?), Stark Co., Ohio.^3,4,5 He married Amorette Wason, daughter of Robert Wason and Elizabeth Rogers, about 1861.^4,6,7,1 He died on 4 March 1890 in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co., Michigan, at age 60.³ He was buried at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.³
     He was a farmer and teamster in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^4,6,7
     In the 1860 census in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, the household of William Taylor and Amorette Wason includes a Jessie Sacket (?), age 30, farmer, born in Ohio. It's possible that this is actually Jesse Swikert (the age and birth place match), who became Amorette's second husband.⁶
     He and his wife Amorette are listed in the census of 1870 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, with their children Frank and Jessie M., and Amorette's children William and Sarah M. Taylor from her first marriage to William Taylor. They owned real estate valued at $600, and personal property valued at $300.⁷ They are listed in the census of 1880 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, along with their children Frank, [Jessie] May, and Cora. Also listed are Amorette's children William and Sarah from her first marriage, but with the surname Swikert. Both Jesse and Amorette are listed as unable to write.⁸
     On 17 October 1870 he bought 4 1/2 acres of land in Allegan Co., Michigan, from his niece Sophia A. Swikert and her husband Martin Sperry for $400. The land was described as "commencing at the northwest corner of land owned by William Monteith amd being about the center of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section twenty two (22) in Town one north of Range twelve (12) west thence west (18) eighteen rods thence south forty rods thence east (18) eighteen rods thence north over Monteith's west line (40) forty rods to the place of beginning".⁹
     On 7 January 1889 he and his wife Amorette bought eighty acres in Bloomingdale Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan, from Jacob H. Haring and his wife Caroline for $710.¹⁰

     Amorette Wason was born on 28 September 1836 in Holland Twp., Erie Co., New York.⁴ She married first William Taylor about 1856.^4,5,1 She married second Jesse Swikert, son of John W. Swikert and Ann Sophia (?), about 1861.^6,5,7,8 She died on 27 April 1899 at her daughter Dora's home in Otsego Village, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 62, officially from heart failure, with chronic bronchitis as a contributory factor. She had suffered from consumption (i.e., tuberculosis) for the previous 17 years.^1,4 She was buried on 29 April 1899 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,4,9
     She and her first husband William Taylor are listed in the census of 1860 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, along with their children William and Sarah. Also listed in the same household are Jessie Sacket (?), age 30, farmer, born in Ohio, and James B. Jackson, age 21, farmer, born in New York. Jessie "Sacket" may actually be Jesse Swikert (the age and birth place match), who became Amorette's second husband.⁵
     In her father Robert Wason's will, dated 15 August 1868, she was left $1.00, plus what remained of the estate after the other bequests were distributed. On 3 Feb 1869 she petitioned to admit her father's will to probate.¹⁰
     She and her second husband Jesse Swikert are listed in the census of 1870 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, with their children Frank and Jessie M., and Amorette's children William and Sarah M. Taylor from her first marriage to William Taylor. They owned real estate valued at $600, and personal property valued at $300.⁷ They are listed in the census of 1880 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, along with their children Frank, [Jessie] May, and Cora. Also listed are Amorette's children William and Sarah from her first marriage, but with the surname Swikert. Both Jesse and Amorette are listed as unable to write.¹¹
     On 7 January 1889 she and her husband Jesse bought eighty acres in Bloomingdale Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan, from Jacob H. Haring and his wife Caroline for $710.¹² On 9 March 1891, about a year after her husband's death, she and her son Frank mortgaged this property to Arvin W. Myers of Gobleville, Michigan, for $25 "with interest at ten percent per annum payable annually," although no total payment period is noted.^13,14 This debt was apparently paid within a year, since on 1 April 1892 Amorette mortgaged the same property to W. P. Hawkins of Van Buren Co., Michigan, for $200, with interest at eight percent per year for two years. Although the satisfaction papers for this mortgage weren't notarized until four years later, on 7 March 1896 in Monterey Co., California¹⁵, the debt was apparently paid within the specified two years since on 15 February 1894 she, along with her son Frank and his wife Laura, mortgaged the western half of this property to Warren Williams of Pine Grove(?), Michigan, for $50, to be paid after one year with interest at 7%.¹⁶

     Philip Burlingham was born on 26 July 1806 in Cobleskill, Schoharie Co., New York.^6,1,7 He married first Ann Sherwood, daughter of Hull Sherwood and Ann Eaton, on 27 April 1836 in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. They were married by Oka Town, husband of the bride's sister Martha Sherwood. The witnesses were (--?--) Thomas and Martha Town (probably the bride's sister).⁸ He married second Laura Ann Phelps, daughter of Calvin Phelps and Laura Stiles, on 7 March 1849 in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. They were married by Abram Hoag, and the witnesses were John G. South and Betsey South.⁹ He married third his second wife's sister Charity Mandana Phelps, daughter of Calvin Phelps and Laura Stiles, on 29 October 1854 (the family Burlingham genealogy says 9 October) in Allegan Co., Michigan.^10,11,12 He died on 10 August 1883 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 77 of heart disease.^6,13,14 He was buried on 12 August 1883 at Pine Creek Cemetery in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. His funeral was at the Grange Hall in Pine Creek, and the procession stretched for two miles, with plumed horses and Masons in dress uniforms.^15,16,17
     He lived most of his life in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, where he and his first wife Ann were married in 1836, and where he is listed in the censuses from 1840 to 1880. He was a farmer, and the family Burlingham genealogy says he also operated the first gristmill in the Otsego area.¹⁸ He is said to have been quite a hunter, and would return home after a hunting trip lasting a week or more and recruit one of his sons to help gather the deer he'd cached along the way. He was also said to be a great reader and story teller.¹⁹
     His entry in the 1840 census for Otsego Twp. lists one male aged 30-39 (himself), two females under 5 (daughters Susan and Ann), one female 5-9 (stepdaughter Calista), and one female 20-29 (wife Ann).²⁰
     In 1850 he and his second wife Laura are listed with their children Susan, Ann, Martha, Erastus J., and Inez I. Also listed are Chester Mountjoy and Wm. H. Mountjoy, Laura's sons from her first marriage, to John W. Mountjoy.²¹
     In 1860 he and his third wife Charity are listed with children Ester (age 17), Chester S. (14), Jane J. (10), Amu C. (9), Phillip P. (7), Gustin M. (4), Samuel A. (3), and Arthur L. (1), all with the surname Burlingham. Ester is most likely Erastus, Philip's son from his first marriage to Ann Sherwood. Chester is actually Chester Mountjoy, son of Philip's second wife Laura from her first marriage. William Mountjoy, another son from Laura's first marriage, is not listed, although he'd have been just 13. It's not clear who Jane is, but she's the right age for Inez. The sons Ester, Amu C., and Gustin M. are all listed as female. Given all the errors, it seems possible that the information was given by a neighbor, and the census taker listed the sex based on how he interpreted the names.²²
     He and Charity are listed in 1870 with their children Calvin, Phillip, Justin, Mark, Arthur, Mable, Cora, Laura, and George²³, and in 1880 with Charity, Cora, Laura, and George.²⁴
     On 14 December 1839 he and his brother Squire R. Burlingham both bought land in Section 21 of Otsego Twp. Philip bought three lots and parts of two others in the village of New Rochester from Royal Sherwood for $200, and Squire bought ten acres, including a grist mill, house, and barn, from Warren Caswell for $1205.^25,26,27 On 28 March 1842 Philip bought 38 acres in Section 20 from Seth Taft for $720.²⁸
     On 14 July 1842 he was appointed guardian of Chancey and Justin Scott, the oldest children of his wife's sister Olive (Sherwood) and her husband Giles Scott, who had died in May 1840. Olive was appointed guardian of her younger children Rachel, Ann, Laura M., Mary C., and Aaron D. Scott.²⁹ On 1 October 1845 he and Luther Scott (Giles's brother?) of Lenawee Co., Michigan, bought 38 acres in Section 21 of Otsego Twp. from Oka Town, administrator of Giles Scott's estate, for $575.³⁰
     On 2 February 1844 his wife Ann received 25 acres in Section 22 of Otsego Twp., along the western border of Otsego Village, that had been left to her by her first husband Erastus Jackson.³¹ A little over a year later, on 9 May 1845, Philip filed a map with the register of deeds in Allegan Co., dividing the land into 68 lots and making it an addition to Otsego Village. The area later became known as the Burlingham Addition.³² Over the next few years, he sold several of the lots, as shown in the following table.^{33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42}

Date	Buyer	Price	Lots
20 July 1844	Samuel F. Drury	$300	1, 2
19 March 1845	Alvay D. Botsford	80	10
30 April 1845	Abram Hoag	100	19
3 July 1845	Charles D. Parkhurst	75	5
9 February 1846	Joseph Harrison	75	28
16 May 1846	Walter A. Scott	300	3, 4
27 October 1846	David F. Sam	100	11
5 February 1847	James B. Porter	115	12
1 September 1847	Lorancy Foster	100	17
23 December 1848	Benjamin Chadburn	125	20, 29

     He also bought and sold land in other parts of Allegan Co., mostly in Otsego Twp. On 3 March 1846 he sold part of his land in New Rochester, that he had purchased in 1839, to Herschel B. Seymour for $40.⁴³ He sold 30 acres in Section 21 of Otsego Twp. on 29 March 1849 to Samuel Tompkins for $300⁴⁴, and 80 acres in Section 21 of Manlius Twp. on 14 April 1849 to Ralph R. Mann for $200.⁴⁵ On 3 August 1849 he bought 35 acres in Section 20 of Otsego Twp. from Lyman J. Richmond for $250.⁴⁶ In Section 9 of Otsego Twp., he bought 40 acres from Hiram Church on 27 January 1851⁴⁷, and about two years later, on 4 December 1852, sold it to Stephen Pratt for the same price.⁴⁸ In 1853 he paid taxes on property he owned in Section 20 of Otsego Twp.⁴⁹, and on 7 April 1854 he sold a small parcel of 2.5 acres to Almiran L. Cotton for $40.⁵⁰
     On 31 December 1855, eight years after the death of his first wife Ann Sherwood, he petitioned to be formally appointed guardian of their children Ann, Martha, and Erastus J. Burlingham. His petition was granted the same day, and his bond was filed.⁵¹ Ten days later, on 10 January 1856 in Allegan Co., he petitioned for the division of the property in the Burlingham Addition that Ann had inherited from her first husband Erastus A. Jackson, between Calista Squier (Ann's daughter by Erastus Jackson), and his and Ann's children Susan Price and Ann, Martha, and Erastus J. Burlingham.⁵² The petition was granted, and the property was apportioned on 16 January 1856.⁵³ A few months later, on 3 April 1856, he bought Lot 21 in the Burlingham Addition from Alonzo and Calista Squier for just $1.⁵⁴
     On 20 April 1864 he and Joseph Chapman essentially traded lots in the Burlingham Addition, with Philip selling Lot 21 to Joseph for $100, and Joseph selling Lot 20 to Philip for the same price.^55,56 Later, on 8 October 1864, he sold Lot 20 to Laura Stoughton for $50.⁵⁷ He also sold 40 acres in Section 9 of Otsego Twp. to Jared Pratt on 14 February 1867 for $500.⁵⁸ He sold Lot 46 in the Burlingham Addition on 11 April 1870 to Eliza M. Green for $125.⁵⁹ On 25 September 1874 he sold Lots 37, 38, 43, 44, and 53-56 to Charles W. Fisk for $1800⁶⁰, and Lot 57 to Mary M. Wilson for $100.^61,62
     Philip spent several months, from about July 1870 to perhaps April 1871, in California. Letters he wrote to his wife and family in Michigan indicate that he arrived in California in July 1870. He is listed in the 1870 census in Allegan Co., Michigan, enumerated on 13 July, so he must have left for California very shortly after that date. His letters also indicate that he intended to return to Michigan about the first of April, 1871. During at least part of his time in California he worked for a gold mining company in Soapweed, El Dorado Co., doing general labor, such as hewing timber.⁶³
     He apparently was thinking about moving his family there. In one letter, when he wrote about returning home in April, he said that would allow him to "see the four seasons and then and not til then I can make up my mind how I like the country. Have the boys make a little inquiry and see if they can find a chance to sell the farm if we should want to sell." In another letter he wrote "I was never more in earnest in my life than I am in what I say about moving to this country. I am satisfied that a man can live here with less than half the labour that it takes to live in the states and if he will try he can dig up money just as much easier as he can live. And a healthier country does not exist beneath the light of the Sun." There's no evidence that any of the rest his family ever moved to California, however.⁶⁴
     Several years after his return from California, as he grew older, he apparently began tidying up his affairs. On 4 May 1878 he and Chauncy Scott sold a small tract of land, 120 square rods, to the Otsego Twp. Board of Health for $75.⁶⁵ He sold 80 acres in Section 1 of Clyde Twp. to his son Samuel on 23 October 1880 for $100⁶⁶, and 90 acres in Section 1 to his son Philip on 25 February 1882 for $500.⁶⁷
     On 19 August 1881 he sold 4 acres in Section 20 of Otsego Twp. to Charity M. Burlingham for $500. "Charity M." was probably his wife Charity Mandana Burlingham (his daughter Charity Mabel Burlingham was just 20 at the time), and this transaction may have been made simply to put their home lot in her name.⁶⁸ About a year later, on 23 August 1882, he sold 115 acres in Section 20, probably the bulk of his remaining land, to his son Calvin for $2000. The sale excluded the four acres sold to Charity in 1881, described as "the old farm where I now live."⁶⁹
     He was a charter member of Masonic Lodge #78 in Otsego, and held the rank of Master Mason.^6,19

     Charity Mandana Phelps was born on 7 April 1830 in Edwards, St. Lawrence Co., New York.^1,4,6 She married first Justin Scott, son of Giles Scott and Olive Sherwood, on 7 April 1853 in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. One of the witnesses was a Mrs. Burlingham, probably Charity's sister Laura.⁷ She married second Philip Burlingham, son of Philip Burlingham and Polly Babcock, and widower of her sister Laura, on 29 October 1854 (the family Burlingham genealogy says 9 October) in Allegan Co., Michigan.^8,6,1 She was married third, by J. C. Cook, to Dewitt Clinton Clintsman, son of Peter Clintsman and Adeline B. Case, on 6 April 1895 in Allegan, Allegan Co., Michigan.⁹ They were divorced on 3 March 1902 (filed by Dewitt on 19 November 1901) in Newaygo Co., Michigan.¹⁰ She died on 4 March 1914 in Trowbridge Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, at age 83 of organic heart disease.⁴ She was buried on 6 March 1914 at Pine Creek Cemetery in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan.^4,11
     She moved with her parents to Bellevue, Eaton Co., Michigan, about 1834, traveling by covered wagon with four other families.^12,1
     In the 1860 census she is listed with her second husband Philip in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan, with children Ester (age 17), Chester S. (14), Jane J. (10), Amu C. (9), Phillip P. (7), Gustin M. (4), Samuel A. (3), and Arthur L. (1), all with the surname Burlingham. Ester is most likely Erastus, Philip's son from his first marriage to Ann Sherwood. Chester is actually Chester Mountjoy, son of Philip's second wife Laura from her first marriage. William Mountjoy, another son from Laura's first marriage, is not listed, although he'd have been just 13. It's not clear who Jane is, but she's the right age for Inez. The sons Ester, Amu C., and Gustin M. are all listed as female. Given all the errors, it seems possible that the information was given by a neighbor, and the census taker listed the sex based on how he interpreted the names.¹³ They are again listed in Otsego Twp. in 1870, with their children Calvin, Phillip, Justin, Mark, Arthur, Mable, Cora, Laura, and George.¹⁴
     She and Philip are listed in Otsego Twp. in the 1880 census with Charity, Cora, Laura, and George.¹⁵ She may have later gone with her father and his second wife Martha P. Maynard when they moved to Newbury Twp., Geauga Co., Ohio, in June 1848.¹⁶ She is listed next door to them in Auburn Twp., Geauga Co., in the 1850 census, in the household of Martha's brother Luther Maynard¹⁷, and she was described as being of Auburn, Ohio, at the time of her marriage to Justin Scott in 1853.⁷ Late in her life she lived with her son Arthur and his wife in Allegan Co. She is listed with them in the 1900 and 1910 censuses, in Trowbridge Twp. in 1900, and in Otsego in 1910.^18,19
     Her father's will, dated 30 April 1873 and proved 1 May 1877, left all his property to his second wife Martha. At her death, any property remaining was to go to his daughters Charity M. Burlingham, Margaret S. Pratt, and Martha O. Gilbert. Charity and Margaret were specifically left two feather beds and a pair of gold earrings that had belonged to their mother.^20,21
     She is listed as Charity Clintsman in the 1900 census (before her official divorce from her third husband), as Charity Burlingham in 1910 and on her death certificate, and as Charity Scott (her first husband's name) on her cemetery marker.^18,19,4,11

     Justin Moss Burlingham was born on 13 August 1855 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^1,3 He drowned in the Payette River near Letha, Gem Co., Idaho, about nine miles west of Emmett, on 9 August 1931 at age 75 after suffering an apparent heart attack. He had been swimming with James Collins, age 12, and dove into the river from a springboard near the Letha bridge. Collins said that he landed on his back and swam for a few seconds under water, but failed to surface. Collins swam about 40 feet out to him and brought him to shore, but was unable to save him.^1,4 He was buried on 12 August 1931 in Emmett, Gem Co., Idaho.¹
     From 1882 to 1883 he lived in Saugatuck, Allegan Co., Michigan, where he and his brother Samuel briefly ran a fishing business with their cousin Worthy Wallace Pratt. The business was unprofitable, and was sold in late 1883. Samuel and Justin's sister Cora did their housework during this time.^5,6
     He was engaged to be married at one point, to Effie Hopkins, but the engagement was broken. On 22 August 1890 he was arrested and charged with sending her an obscene letter. He was taken to Grand Rapids and questioned the next day by U.S. Commissioner McQuenan. Testimony showed that the letter, addressed to "Miss Effie Hopkins bigamist, abortionist, pickpocket, etc.," contained descriptions of "some very novel kind of love making." He was ordered held for the grand jury, and was later released on $200 bail. According to the family Burlingham genealogy, the initial charge was dismissed on a technicality, and before a corrected charge was filed he fled to the west, ending up in Idaho where he lived the rest of his life, never marrying.^7,5
     He left Michigan on 31 January 1891, but exactly when he arrived in Idaho is unknown.⁸ He has not been found in the 1900 census, but on 30 December 1905 he received title to 160 acres of land in Canyon Co., Idaho, that he had homesteaded. Since after filing an application a homesteader had to live on the land for five years and make improvements before receiving a land patent, he must have filed his homestead application in 1900 or earlier.⁹
     On 18 December 1902 a hearing was held at the land office (presumably in Boise, Ada Co., Idaho) on the validity of his homestead claim, with the government alleging that he had "not complied with the law in all respects." He apparently satisfied the complaint, because he secured title to the land in 1905, as noted above.¹⁰
     He maintained contact with his relatives in Michigan after moving west, apparently even sending money to help with expenses of the annual Burlingham/Phelps Reunion. His sister Charity also moved to Idaho, and was living with him in 1910, and again in 1930.^{11,12,13,14,15} He apparently also returned to Michigan at least once, in 1903, traveling by train with "a car of horses" to sell.¹⁶
     On 26 February 1904 he was "painfully injured" while helping a neighbor, Nat Bray, dig a well. He was at the bottom of the well when a bucket fell from above, striking him on the hip. His friends took him home. A newspaper article describing the accident said "Burlingham is deaf and did not hear the warning shout from his companions." It should be noted, though, that no other source has been found about him being deaf.¹⁷
     In a letter to the editor published in the Idaho Statesman on 12 May 1917 about increasing farm production, he stated that the problem is not the shortage of farm workers, as many have blamed, but the high cost of farm equipment.¹⁸
     Starting in May 1918 he became involved in a lawsuit filed against him and John Little by Andrew Little, a well-known sheep rancher (and no relation to John Little) over rights to 80 acres of land Justin owned in Section 13 of Gem Co. valued at more than $10,000. Years earlier the Emmett, Idaho, irrigation district had been having financial problems, and made large assessments against landowners to raise money. When farmers could not pay the assessments, their deeds became delinquent. Andrew Little purchased several of the delinquent tax deeds from the irrigation district, and in May 1918 filed suit in the Seventh Idaho District Court in Emmett to acquire title to the 80 acres owned by Justin Burlingham. It became, in essence, a test case for all the disputed tax deeds.
     The case was eventually tried on 17 April 1919, but the decision was not handed down until 12 December, when the court ruled in favor of Burlingham. The decision was based on a technicality, stating that the tax sale certificate insufficiently described the land in question, saying only the "south half of southwest quarter, section 13, township 7, range 3," omitting the relevant meridian, and whether the township was north or south and the range east or west.^19,20
     The decision was appealed to the state Supreme Court in Boise on 31 July 1920, and on 17 May 1921 the court again ruled in Justin Burlingham's favor, citing the same grounds.^21,22 He had apparently been concerned about the outcome, however. In a January 1921 letter to his sister Laura's son Leon Swikert he wrote

     He is listed in Stuart Precinct, Canyon Co., Idaho, in the 1910 census. Living in his household were his sister Charity M. Evans and her son Hovey.¹⁴ In 1920 he is listed as James M. Burlingham, in Hanna Precinct, Gem Co., Idaho. (This may be the same place he was living in 1910; Gem Co. was created from parts of Canyon Co. and Boise Co. in 1915.) Also in his household, listed as his partner, was Ludwig Bunesch, age 25 from Germany, who had immigrated to the United States in 1914.²³ He apparently did move sometime between 1920 and 1930, however, and in 1930 is listed with his sister [Charity] Mabel Evans and her son Hovey in her home in Sweet Village, Gem Co., Idaho.¹⁵
     He wrote poetry, with at least one poem about his early fishing days in Saugatuck.²⁴

     Samuel Mark Burlingham was born on 12 April 1857 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan.^3,1,5 He was married by E. A. Tanner, minister, to Nellie Hunt, daughter of Moses Hunt and Elizabeth Jones, on 27 May 1883 in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan. The witnesses were Chauncy and Mary Scott. Chauncy was the brother-in-law of Samuel's mother Charity, through her first marriage to Justin Scott.^6,1,7,5 He died on 26 December 1927 at Old Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, at age 70, of uremic poisoning after a long illness.^3,1,5 He was buried on 29 December 1927 at Riverside Cemetery in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan.^1,5
     In 1880 Samuel Mark Burlingham was living with his cousin Charles B. Allen's family on Asylum Ave. (now Oakland Dr.) in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., Michigan, and working in Charles's blacksmith shop.⁸ From 1882 to 1883 he lived in Saugatuck, Allegan Co., Michigan, where he and his brother Justin briefly ran a fishing business with their cousin Worthy Wallace Pratt. The business was unprofitable, and was sold in late 1883. Samuel and Justin's sister Cora did their housework during this time.^9,1
     On 24 September 1883, while living in Saugatuck, he helped save the steamer Douglas during a bad storm. He and three other men (A. Shriver, J. Rode, and G. Harvey) risked their lives in a small open boat to carry a line out to the steamer, which was then fastened to a lighthouse pier, saving the ship. One of the men was bailing full time. After three more hours the Douglas was brought into port "amid the huzzas of the multitude on the piers."^10,11
     After selling his fishing business he and his wife Nellie lived for a time in Otsego, Allegan Co., Michigan,¹ then moved to Kalamazoo in 1887.¹ In 1894 they moved to Delavan, Walworth Co., Wisconsin, where he ran a shoe business.^5,1 In 1900 they were living in nearby Darien, Walworth Co., Wisconsin, where he was a farmer.¹²
     They moved back to Allegan Co. in 1901¹, and in 1910 were living in Trowbridge Twp. as neighbors to their son Harry.¹³ In 1913 he sold his farm to "Mrs. Swikert of Almenia Twp." (probably his sister Laura of Almena Twp., Van Buren Co., Michigan), and on 24 February 1913 he bought the eight-acre "Perry place [a fruit farm] ... on the Pine Creek road" in Otsego Twp., Allegan Co., Michigan. An auction was scheduled at his Trowbridge Twp. farm for 12 March, presumably to sell equipment he no longer needed.¹⁴ He and Nellie are listed on the fruit farm in Otsego Twp. in the 1920 census.¹⁵
     He was a member of the F. & A.M. most of his life, having joined in 1880.¹