As you read this, I'm probably up to my elbows in my new summer classes - I'm taking two summer courses - History of Germany (1871-1945) and Writing About Literature - at Towson University, so I can stay on track to graduate in 2020. Yes, this is still for my Bachelor of Science in Music, but I needed upper-level non-music electives, and I happen to like history and writing... as you might have noticed! But I've got a couple more of these posts already queued up for you, and I'm still working on the draft of the Callin Family History behind the scenes.
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| Howard Carper's place in the tree (click to see a full-size version) |
If you're just joining us, I recently made a breakthrough that let me find the missing family of my 1st cousin, once removed, Elizabeth Belle Ferguson (1835–1896). Last week, we talked about the dozens of descendants of Elizabeth's granddaughter, Alda Florence Carper McCosh, in The Carper Children, part 1; this week, we continue with Alda's brother and his progeny:
B. Howard Leroy Carper (1882–1948) was born 9 May 1882 in De Kalb County, Indiana, and grew up working his father's farm in Jackson Township. On 29 May 1909, Howard married May J Smith (1891–1939) the eldest of three daughters of Edward G Smith (1862–1938) and Celia R. Stonebraker (1872–1934). May was born in Corunna, De Kalb County, on 8 May 1891, and after they were married, they lived on the farm of May's grandfather, James Stonebraker (1844-1924).
May and Howard had two children, son Richard, and daughter Ruth, but their marriage did not last out the decade. As the clipping on the right will show, Howard "left his home owing to domestic trouble" around October of 1912, and returned from Chicago in April 1913 having lost both of his legs in an accident that occurred while he was working as a brakeman for the railroad.
His disability does not seem to have kept Howard from getting into trouble, as the 12 September 1918 edition of The Garrett Clipper reported his arrest for stealing coal from the Indiana Fuel & Light company. Officers traced the tracks of Howard's wheelbarrow from the coal pile to the Carper home. (You may appreciate the irony that several of Howard's sons ended up working for the power company years later!)
Howard remarried Mina Pearl Mitchell (1901–1970) on 24 November 1919. She was the daughter of George Jacob Mitchell (1870–1957) and Emma May Davis (1870–1957), born on 11 April 1901. Mina and Howard had 12 children between 1920 and 1940, several of whom died in infancy. In 1943, Mina sued for divorce, accusing Howard of habitual drunkenness, and suing for custody of the younger children.
Howard's first wife, May, married Roscoe C King (1898–1965) on 20 August 1927 and moved to Lansing, Michigan. She had another daughter with Roscoe, Sarah Jane (King) Anderson (1928–2009), and died in Lansing on 6 March 1939. Howard died on 25 December 1948 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Fort Wayne, after spending two months there due to an unspecified illness. He was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in Auburn. Mina died in July 1970 and is buried near Howard.
i. Richard Raymond Carper (1910–1998) was the son of Howard and May (Smith) Carper, born on 3 October 1910 in Corunna, De Kalb County, Indiana. When May divorced Howard, it seems she retained custody of Richard and his sister, Ruth, as they appeared in the household of May's second husband, Roscoe King, in Lansing in 1930.
On 25 Nov 1932, Richard married Marjorie Ferne Mitchell (1915–1934) in East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. She was the daughter of Burton Dale Mitchell (1875–1950) and Margaret A Horton (1873–1952), born on 27 January 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. (She appears not to have been related to her mother-in-law, Mina Pearl Mitchell, before marrying Richard.)
Sadly, Marjorie died on 21 January 1936 from severe complications of pregnancy, leaving Richard with a small daughter, Gloria. He soon remarried Miss Ada Lillian Holmes (1913-2004), the daughter of George Holmes (b. 1883) and Ada Hooton (1876–1940). Lillian was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, on 22 April 1913, to parents who had immigrated to Canada from England in about 1907. The Holmes family moved to Michigan in the 1920s.
Lillian and Richard raised Gloria and had a second daughter together. He worked at Oldsmobile Corporation as a metallurgist for 20 years and owned and operated two A&W Restaurants. Richard died on 28 February 1998 in Lansing, at the age of 87; Lillian also died in Lansing on 19 August 2004, at 91. They left behind their daughters, 5 granddaughters, and 7 great-grandchildren.
a. Gloria Kay Carper Hibbard (1934-2019) was born to Richard and Marjorie (Mitchell) Carper on 14 July 1934 in Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan. Her mother died when she was still very small, and she was raised by her father and step-mother, Lillian.
"Glo," as she was called, was a member of the Lansing Eastern High School Class of 1952 and Michigan State University Class of 1956. She earned her Master's Degree in teaching and taught elementary education in the Lansing Public Schools for 30 years.
When she died on 10 April 2019, she was survived by her husband, 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
ii. Ruth Lorraine Carper (1912–2004) was born 2 June 1912 in Corunna, De Kalb County, Indiana, to Howard and May (Smith) Carper. Ruth married Bennie Francis Yoder (1912-1977) in Lansing, Michigan, on 21 March 1930.
There is some confusion in the records over whether Bennie and/or his father was born with the name "Benneville" or "Benjamin" - I've gone with "Bennie" as that's on his Social Security paperwork and his World War II Draft Card. He was born on 18 July 1912, the son of Ben H Yoder (1888–1957) and Minnie B Walsh (1894–1956).
Ruth and Bennie made their home in Bliss, Emmet County, Michigan, for many years. Bennie died in Ocala, Marion County, Florida on 10 December 1977, and was buried in Bliss Township Cemetery. After his death, Ruth moved to Mackinaw City and lived at the Huron Apartments for 23 years. She died 24 September 2004 at Hospice House in Cheboygan, Michigan, and was buried with Bennie in Bliss. She was 92 years of age.
a. Beverly June Yoder Cassidy (1930–2010) was the oldest child of Ruth and Bennie Yoder, born on 12 April 1930 in Lansing, Michigan. She attended Michigan State University in East Lansing in 1950 and married her husband on 13 May 1950 in Lansing. She died on 4 August 2010 in Gladwin, Gladwin County, Michigan, and was survived by her husband, 3 daughters, 1 son, 12 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.
c. Eddie Gene Yoder (1934–2004) was born 20 July 1934 in Lansing, Michigan. He served in the United States Army in Greenland. He was married on 2 May 1957 in Petoskey, Emmett County. He was a self-employed carpenter for many years and belonged to the Michigan Carpenters Union. When he died at age 69, on 5 April 2004 at his home in Mackinaw City surrounded by his family, he was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, and five grandchildren.
d. Arthur Duane Yoder (1936–1981) was born on 27 July 1936 in Lansing, Michigan. He worked as a factory worker in the mid-1950s and served in the U.S. Army from 12 February 1957 through 11 February 1959. He died on 20 October 1981 in Petoskey, Emmett County, Michigan, survived by his wife.
iii. Robert LeRoy Carper (1920–1996) was the first child of Howard and Mina (Mitchell) Carper, born on 3 November 1920 in Auburn, Indiana. He grew up in De Kalb County and on 5 April 1941 he married Irene Lurea Brown (1924–1986). She was the daughter of Herald D Brown (1899–1991) and Reba F Johnson (1903–1953), born on 14 August 1924.
Robert and Irene had four children: twin boys, a daughter, and another son, all still living. According to reports in The Garrett Clipper, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 20 September 1944, and after he was discharged in October 1945, he moved back in with his mother and told Irene to file for divorce. The divorce was filed in November 1945, but according to his obituary, Robert had remarried on 25 July 1945 in Chicago.
Irene remarried, and her second husband, Robert Henry Kessler, adopted the four Carper children, giving them his surname. Irene and Robert Kessler had three children of their own and raised their family in Indiana. They divorced in 1970, and Irene married Donald Pence; she died in Boulder, Colorado, on 9 March 1986.
Robert's second wife was Mildred Merna "Dolly" Jensen (1924–2006), the daughter of a Danish immigrant, Nels C. Jensen (1878–1962) and Julia Paulson (1889–1951). She was born on 18 July 1924 in Saxville, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Robert and Dolly moved to Wisconsin, where Robert found work as a mechanic with the Waupaca County Highway Department. Dolly was a cook and nursing assistant at the Bethany Home in Waupaca for 20 years. They raised three sons together.
Robert died at home in Iola, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, on 22 July 1996. When Dolly died on 29 November 2006 at the Woodlands of Oconto in Oconto County, Wisconsin, she left behind their three sons, 11 grandchildren; 18 great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
a. Joe Franklin Kessler (1941–2014) was born on 23 July 1941, in Auburn - one of the twin boys born to Robert and Irene Carper. He and his siblings were adopted by Robert Henry Kessler and raised with his name. Joe worked for Penn Central, Conrail and Norfolk-Southern railroad as a bridges and buildings foreman and a scale inspector for his entire career. He was married in 1960, and when he died on 9 September 2014 he was survived by his wife, three of their four children, three grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
1.) Deborah Jo Kessler McKee (1962–2014) was born 19 March 1962, in Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana. She graduated from Fremont High School in 1980 and worked for many years at Angola Wire. She worked for the Angola Speedway for the last 8 years of her life, and she volunteered with the Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous organizations, chairing the AA meetings at the Branch County Jail. She was a resident of Coldwater in Branch County, Michigan. Deborah died on 21 February 2014 at the Community Health Center of Branch County.
b. John W Kessler (1941–2014), like his twin brother, Joe, was born in Auburn on 23 July 1941. He worked for Navistar Inc. for 42 years, retiring in 2007. He also framed houses with Fox Framers for five years. He is survived by his wife, a son, two daughters, and a grandson. John died at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne on 17 April 2014.
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Joseph married Eleanore Mary "Jo" Pfeffer (1925–1989) on 1 November 1944 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. She was the daughter of Austrian immigrants who came to the United States from Hamburg, Germany, aboard the Tyrrhenia on 7 May 1923: Joseph Pfeffer (1898–1979) and Karolina (Caroline) Muhr (1899–1933).
After the war, Joe worked as an Operations Supervisor for 37 years for Northern Indiana Fuel and Light Company in Auburn, retiring in 1989. Sadly, Jo died on 20 January 1989 after suffering from heart failure. Joe died on 21 March 2011 at Betz Nursing Home in Auburn, survived by their daughter, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
v. Ralph Jacob Carper (1923–2013) was born 11 July 1923, in Auburn, to Howard and Mina (Mitchell) Carper. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, enlisting on 17 August 1944. After the war, he was married in 1948, and worked at the Northern Indiana Fuel and Light Company in Auburn for 43 years, serving the last 14 years as vice president of operations.
Ralph died on 4 June 2013 at Laurels of DeKalb Nursing Home in Butler. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, four grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.
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| USS Gandy (DE 764), 8 June 1945 |
vi. Aden Lewis Carper (1926–2014) was born in Auburn on 28 January 1926, one of a set of twins born to Howard and Mina Carper. Aden enlisted in the U.S Navy and served aboard the USS Gandy in the latter half of the war.
After the war, Aden married Opal Valette King (1928–1991), daughter of Raymond Orval King (1899–1989) and Wilhelmina Louise "Minnie " Henschen (1894–1958), on 12 April 1947 in Auburn. She was born on 4 February 1928 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The couple raised their six children in the Auburn area, and he worked for the DeKalb County Highway Department, retiring in 1988 after 18 years of service.
Opal died on 10 July 1991 and was buried in Roselawn Cemetery in Auburn. Aden died at Betz Nursing Home in Auburn at age 88, on 5 December 2014; he was buried with Opal in Roselawn Cemetery. They were survived by two sons, four daughters, 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
1.) Cynthia Louise "Cindee" Carper Bonahoom (1949–2018) was born on 29 July 1949, in Garrett, De Kalb County, to Aden and Opal (King) Carper. She graduated from Garrett High School in 1967. Cindee worked at Magnavox in Garrett, Auburn and Columbia City for eight years. She also worked for ITT Aerospace in Fort Wayne for 18 years and Jo Ann's Fabric in Fort Wayne for seven years. She died on 1 February 2018 at her home in Fort Wayne and was survived by her husband, a son, two daughters, a stepson, nine grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
vii. Idin Aaron Carper (1926–1927) born on 28 January 1926, like his twin brother, Idin lived only one month and 13 days, dying from influenza on 11 February 1926.
viii. Harold Lloyd "Hank" Carper (1927–2000) was born 11 May 1927 in De Kalb County. On 27 August 1949, he married Luetta Bernadene Dapp in St. Michael's Catholic Church, Waterloo. The daughter of Albert A. Dapp (1896–1986) and Margaret A. Dibling (1899–1982), she was born 22 August 1929 in De Kalb County and was a 1947 graduate of Ashley High School.
Hank worked for 30 years in the maintenance department at S&S Oil Co. in Auburn. Luetta was an operator for Indiana Bell in Auburn, retiring in 1978 after 30 years of service. After her retirement from Indiana Bell, she went to work at Betz Nursing Home in Auburn.
Hank died at age 73 on 15 December 2000, in his home on Walden Drive, Auburn. Luetta died at 79 on 18 July 2009, at Betz Nursing Home. They are survived by a son and three grandchildren.
ix. John William Carper (1929–1929) was born on 16 March 1929 and died on 16 September 1929 from what his death certificate identified as "cholera infantum" and the newspaper called a "bowel infection".
x. Ellen May Carper (1930–2018) was born 19 June 1930 in Auburn, Indiana.She married Herman Mack Van Auken (1923–1967), son of Clare Van Auken (1895–1975) and Edith Lyle Griffith (1902–1989), on 24 June 1948. They had three sons and a daughter together before Mack's untimely death at the age of 44 on 24 June 1967.
Ellen remarried Orval Ray Shryock (1934–2018) on 18 July 1981 in Hamilton, Steuben County, Indiana. His parents were Ray Millard Shyrock (1905–1976) and Nan Marie "Nannie" Rothwell (1912–1995). They would have three daughters together. Ellen was the manager of Nobbson’s Clothing store in 1983; Orval worked as a teacher with Emmanuel Lutheran School and later with Fort Wayne Community Schools. Ellen and Orval both volunteered at Wellspring and Community Corrections, and Orval also volunteered in the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Dept. (One of us!)
Orval died on 1 May 2018 in Fort Wayne, and Ellen died 18 November 2018, in Auburn. They were survived by seven children and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.
xi. Arthur Harry Carper (1933–1993) was born on Christmas Eve 1933 and grew up in Auburn. He graduated Auburn High School, then served in the U.S. Air Force from 12 August 1952 through 19 July 1956.
He married Anna Mae Walter (1938–2013), the daughter of Ford F Walter (1915–2003) and Lola Koeppe (1919–1999), on 2 July 1960. She was born 23 May 1938 in Auburn and taught music for 35 years at Ashley High School then in the Ashley and Fairfield Elementary Schools. She and Art owned Carper Insurance in Hamilton.
Art died in Fort Wayne on Boxing Day, 26 December 1993, and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Auburn. Anna moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, to be near their daughter, and she died on 23 November 2013 at the home of her daughter. They were survived by their daughter and three grandchildren.
xii. Samuel Emerson Carper (1936–1994) was born on 26 December 1936 in Union, De Kalb County, Indiana. He worked as a driver, and retired from the Allen County Highway Department. He died on 7 November 1994 in Fort Wayne from coronary artery disease, and was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
xiv. Charles McClellan Carper (1940–1940) was born 17 May 1940 and died on 12 October from a streptococcus infection. This was about two years before penicillin became available; it was first successfully used to treat burn victims in 1942.
Note: a sharp-eyed reader may have noticed that someone is missing from this list. The child who would be "xiii." the youngest daughter of Howard and Mina Carper, is happily still living.
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As always, if you've found one or more of your relatives mentioned in this blog, please get in touch. You can comment below (anonymous comments are usually not as helpful), or email "mightieracorns" at Gmail.com.
We now have more ways to reach out:
a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/MightierAcorns/
a Twitter feed - https://twitter.com/MightierAcorns
a Ko-Fi cup - https://ko-fi.com/mightieracorns
...and if you prefer a private group, we still have the Callin Family History group on Facebook for "cousins only" (there will be a question about how you're related to the family before you can join).
Until next time... Happy Hunting!
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