The Family Archaeologist

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 17 October 1895, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA 07 August 1920, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA 10 October 1973, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA Mona Marian Christian was born on 17 Oct 1895 to parents George Edward Christian and Frances Jane Dodge at 11 Gregg Street in Cleveland, Ohio. 1 Mona grew up at 11 Gregg St with 5 brothers, 1 sister, and her grandfather Rufus Dodge who moved in with the family in 1897 following his wife's death. 2 In 1904 the family moved out of the city and headed south to the rural country of Medina County near the intersection of Old Weymouth and Remsen roads in Medina, Ohio where she lived with her parents, brother Howard, brother Fred & by 1910, his wife Valeska too. When her sister Ethel Lucille got married, she and her husband started out living next door with their 2 daughters. 3 In 1917, at t...

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 25 August 1833, Rushen, Isle of Man 26 November 1857, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA 06 February 1917, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA Edward C. Christian was born on 25 Aug 1833 in Rushen, Isle of Man of parents James Christian and Margaret Corlett. The youngest of 9 children, Edward was baptized on 01 Sep 1833 in Kirk Christ (also know as Holy Trinity). 1 Today, the church is most commonly known as Kirk Christ Rushen and is located in the parish of Rushen which is the south-western most province/parish of the Isle of Man. The church is between the villages of Port St. Mary and Port Erin, north of the Four Roads. Home was located at Croit-e-Caley farm in the eastern end of Rushen, where Edward lived with his parents James & Margaret, 6 brothers & 2 sisters. 2 After Edward’s mother Margaret passed away it appears the family ma...

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 29 June 1862, Petersburg, Mahoning, Ohio, USA 24 February 1883, Lorain County, Ohio, USA 09 July 1943, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA Frances Jane "Frankie" Dodge was born on 29 Jun 1862 in the small village of Petersburg in Springfield Township, Mahoning, Ohio, to parents Rufus Dodge and Sarah Bryant . 3 Frankie was the 2nd of 3 children, all daughters. By the summer of 1870 Frankie and her family had moved to Ridgeville, Lorain, Ohio (now North Ridgeville) where they lived with her sister Hattie (until she married), niece Adela, and later, sister Georgianna. 4 On 24 Feb 1883, Frances Jane Dodge married George Edward Christian in Lorain County, Ohio before Judge E.H. Himman. 5 In 1887, the family moved into a home on 11 Gregg Street in Cleveland Township, Cuyahoga, Ohio where George was worked as a Machinist. George ...

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 22 November 1858, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA 24 February 1883, Lorain County, Ohio, USA 07 Feb 1917, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA George Edward Christian was born on 22 Nov 1858 in Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio to parents Edward Christian and Maria Simons . 1 George was the oldest of 9 children, 6 of whom were boys. He grew up on Beech Street in the historic district of Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio (known as the Village of Berea at the time). George was the son of an immigrant Tailor who was not only a prominent businessman, but also member of the local community who regularly had a hand in public affairs. While George was a child, his father rose to president of the board of education and later, after George had eventually grown, town mayor. Here in Berea, George was educated and learned to read and write. Once he got old enough, he worked as a...

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH 02 June 1841, Greatgap, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, England 26 November 1857, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA 26 June 1911, Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA Maria Susan Simons was born on 02 Jun 1841 1 at Great Gap, Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, England in the Leighton Buzzard District. She was the second child and the first daughter born to parents George Simons and his wife Sarah Short . 2 By some miracle, she was born 4 days before the census taker visited her family home at Greatgap in Ivinghoe. He noted that "Mary" (Maria) was living with her parents and older brother Thomas. Next door were her aunt & uncle Ethelred & Rachel (Simons) Collyer and on the other side her grandparents Jesse and Mary Simons were working Vicarage farm with her grandfather's brother Jonathan Simons. Even though Maria was born in England, ...

In 2012 my mother discovered a date book tucked away in a desk my parents had received from my paternal grandmother. Knowing I had become the family historian of sorts, she passed it along to me, certain I'd be interested. The first page of that little book explained it was a gift from Helen Christian to her grandmother Frances Jane Dodge-Christian, who was the daughter of Sarah Bryant-Dodge. Frances (or Frankie as she was known) used the book to catalog a vast majority of the birth dates and death dates of her existing family, and it seems a close friend or two as well. Her daughter Mona kept up this practice for a few years after Frankie's death, adding entries of her own to the book. I spent weeks confirming names written in the book and matching them against my database. When I came to a name I didn't recognize I jotted the information down and started my own research into that person, finding what I could about their family, spouse and parents to see if any names...

Edward Christian Edward C. Christian was born on 25 Aug 1833 in Rushen, Isle of Man of parents James Christian and Margaret Corlett.  The youngest of 9 children, Edward was baptized on 01 Sep 1833 in Kirk Christ (also know as Holy Trinity). Today, the church is most commonly known as Kirk Rushen and is located in Rushen which is the south-western most province/parish of the Isle of Man. The church is between the villages of Port St. Mary and Port Erin, north of the Four Roads. Home was located at Croite-e-caily farm in the eastern end of Rushen, where Edward lived with his parents James & Margaret, 6 brothers & 2 sisters. Christian family 1851 Isle of Man Census After Edward’s mother Margaret passed away it appears the family may have had to move for a while to Kentraugh, Rushen, but it is not known for certain as the family is later mentioned to still be living at Croite-e-caily farm. When Edward came of age he found work as an Apprentice Tailor fo...

George in an undated photo (abt 1875-80) George Edward Christian was born on 22 Nov 1858 in Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio to parents Edward Christian and Maria Simons . George was the oldest of 9 children, 6 of whom were boys. He grew up in Berea, Cuyahoga, Ohio where he went to school and learned to read and write and once he got old enough, worked as a Laborer. Frankie Dodge (abt 1876-9) Frances Jane "Frankie" Dodge was born on 29 Jun 1862 in Springfield Township, Mahoning, Ohio, to parents Rufus Dodge and Sarah Bryant . Frankie was the 2nd of 3 children, all daughters. By the summer of 1870 Frankie and her family had moved to Ridgeville, Lorain, Ohio (now North Ridgeville) where they lived with her sister Hattie (until she married), niece Adela, and later, sister Georgianna.

Glenn Winkler (abt 1920) Glenford Leroy Winkler, better known as “Glenn”, was born on 17 Jul 1898 in Smithville, Wayne, Ohio to parents Thomas Winkler and Emma Beieler . Glenn outside the family home (abt 1920) Glenn lived with his parents and older brother Welker in Congress, Wayne County, Ohio. Glenn is said to have only achieved a fourth grade education and that he left home by the age of 14. After Glenn left home, the first record we find of him is in 1918, at the time of the World War I draft registration, where Glenn lists his permanent residence as "in car" in Casper, Natrona, Wyoming while working for the Norris Company as a Truck Driver. By 15 Jan 1920, Glenn has returned to Wooster, Wayne, Ohio where he is again living with his family at 658 Belmont Avenue. It seems Glenn has given up on truck driving and is now working as a laborer at an aluminum works facility.