Re: Denis COOLEY - Alice WOOD
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In reply to:
Denis COOLEY - Alice WOOD
Lydia Vierson 2/11/01
Several years ago, my parents met a women on a trip to the Holy Land, and her name was Virginia Cooley.My mother's maiden name was also Cooley so they struck up a friendship.
I have been interested in genealogy for many years and I thought that I would do a little searching to see if there was any connection.To this date I have found none.
From a personal letter from V. Cooley : she says that Lettie Belle Cooley is her Grandmother and she was born in Washington, Iowa.She also mentions an Elder S. E. Cooley.Also in this letter she says, "My husbands father was sdopted by Jacob Cooley, the first settler in Jackson and then Lansing, then my fathers mother was Lettie Cooley.My husbands mother had a cousin that married a Charles Cooley.... I did recall my grandmother Lettie was related to Dr. Denton Cooley of Texas - the heart surgeon.Also my grandmother had a sister named Alice and a brother named Wilson."
From looking on the internet in different places I have found Samuel E. Cooley in the 1850 Fed census of Ada, Kent Co., Michigan.It lists Samuel, 39, b. Canada; Mary, 32, b. Canada; George W., 14, b. Canada; Esther P. 12, b. Mich.; Dennis P., 10, b. Canada; Mary L., 8, b. Mich.; John L., 5, b. Mich.; Seymour E., 6/12, b. Mich.In the 1860 census of the same area I found Polly Cooley, 40, b. Canada; Geroge, 24, b. Canada; Mary, 18, b. Canada; John, 15, b. Mich.; Seymour 12, b. Mich.Also in the 1860 census I find Ralph L. Carl 28 and Esther P. Carl, 22.This is the Esther P. Cooley as seen above.From a marriage record found in Kent Co., (1845-1870) it has Cole, Ralph L., (w) 27, Ada, & Esther P. Cooley (w), 20, same place, 29 Nov. by Samuel B. Smith, Min., Mahaton Dennis, Wm. P. Carle, and George W. Cooley, witnessses.3:134I don't know who Polly is or where she came from.
In the Births of Kent Co., Mich. (1867-1870) I find Carl, Perry Ralph L., male, born 18 Nov. 1869, at Lowell. p. Ralph Carl, b. N.Y., and Esther Carl, b. Mich., Res. Lowell. Occ. carpenter.
Also in the Marriage records of Kent Co. Mich., (1845-1870) I find in Ada, George W. Cooley (w) 26, m. Emily M. Rogers (w) 20, Solon, 14 Jan. 1862 at Grand Rapids.3:503.
In Family Search of the LDS church I found Lettie B. Cooley b. about 1867 of Ada, Kent, Mich., Fa. Denis Cooley and Mo. Alice Wood.She married Thomas Harrison Chaffee b. 6 sept in Gorman, N. Y.,May 1888 in Ada, Knet, Mich.(I have a copy of the Mariage certificate from Virginia) Their children listed: Earl Agustus Chaffee, b. 1892 in Mich.; Glen Lyman C., b. 11, 1895;and Harry Dennis C. b. 29 Dec. 1897.
After all this I have come to the conclusion that the family tree looks like this for this Virginia that my parents know:Samuel E. Cooley, b. 1811
Denis P. Cooley, b.~1840
Lettie B. Cooley b. ~1866-7
?Harry D. Cooley
Virginia.
She never says in her letter anything about the name of her dad or what her maiden name is.These are things I will try to find out.
Hope this helps.
Michael
Mitchell, Nebraska