Ignore the above - this is the Message for Lillie (Lillian) M. Woodmansee
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In reply to:
Lillie (Lillian) M. (Woodmansee) Bassett of LaGrange, Lorain County, Ohio
Jack Sheldon, Jr. 2/10/10
Hello fellow Johnson researchers. This is a particularly interesting "double" link, and question...
BACKGROUND
Our Johnson family descends from Nathaniel Johnson (1789 - 1864) m. Rhoda Crowner (1802 - 1889) (RE: Genealogy of Captain John Johnson). Brother to my gg-grandfather, Stephen B. Johnson (1832 - 1906) is Elijah (Middle initial either J or G) (1830 - 1910). He married Lydia Haynes (Lydia is possibly her middle name), and one of their children was Bird Johnson.
Lillie M. Woodmansee (1865 - 1941) was the daughter of Benjamin Woodmansee (1839 - 1893) and Jane Luce (1845 - 1920). She is interred in the LaGrange Twp. Cemetery next to Bird Johnson. I have visited the cemetery on two occasions, and have seen their headstones and have studied the family since about 2004. The Woodmansee family members are descendants of Benjamin F. Sheldon and Lovisa Rice (also interred in the LaGrange Twp. Cemetery) and they are my ggg-grandparents. Thus, an interesting double link as I am hoping to find...
BIRD JOHNSON (1859 - 1887)
The LaGrange Twp. Cemetery transcription notes "son, EJ & ML, Feb 27, 1859 - Nov 29, 1887." In as much as I can research long distance, I have found a brief article from the Elyria Democrat, 01 Dec 1887:
"A terrific boiler explosion occurred in the box factory of J. N. Curtice, near Lagrange, O., on the 28th 'ult.' [?]. The building and machinery were completely wrecked. Bird Johnson, the fireman, was instantly killed and several others injured."
ENTER LILLIE M. WOODMANSEE
I want to say that Lillie M. Woodmansee was his spouse, but am hesitant because there is nothing solid to support this hunch. They would have been married and he died during the era of the span between the 1880 and 1900 US Federal Census.
Lillie (Lillian M.) Woodmansee then marries Arthur M. Bassett (presumably after Bird Johnson's death), and she is interred as "Lillie M. Bassett 1865 - 1941" next to Bird Johnson on her left, and then Elizabeth Weitzel (who was m. to Earl Woodmansee and would have been a sister-in-law; she later married Weitzel), and then Earl Bradley Woodmansee (1883 - 1942) and then Arthur Leroy Woodmansee (d. 1932) all in a nice row of head stones pointing toward the east.
SUMMARY
While all of this plays out very nicely like a brand new deck of large-letter Bicycle playing cards (for those of us who wear bifocals) I really want to sink my teeth (still my originals) into this story and see if I can somehow make it all come together.
I would appreciate your help...
Sincerely,
Jack Sheldon, Jr.
Mesa, AZ (formerly of Owosso, MI)