The Family Archaeologist

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 16 December 1825, ?Harpersfield, Ashtabula, Ohio?, USA 11 June 1844, Sharon, Mercer, Pennsylvania, USA 23 February 1907, Granger, Medina, Ohio, USA UPDATED 04/28/2020: See Ancestry DNA updates below this story. The origins and lives of Rufus and Sarah Dodge probably make them one of the most mysterious, confusing, and intriguing couples in my family tree. They have definitely caused me the most grief in my digging, but in Sarah's case, the most rewarding when I found answers. Rufus H. Dodge was born on 16 Dec 1825 in what is believed to be Harpersfield, Ashtabula, Ohio. 1 , A His parents are unknown and Harpersfield is based off a mysterious entry in a long passed relative's family tree. 2 Family record believes that Rufus Dodge and Sarah Bryant were married on 11 Jun 1844 in Sharon, Mercer, Pennsylvania. 2 , D Sha...

At this point you might be saying, You just weaved this lovely story of the daughters of Harriet Bryant in your last post, but you haven't made any mention of son Benjamin Franklin Bryant and you said he is related to the family! Well... you're right. I haven't made any direct mention of Benjamin, because there is no direct evidence (that I have found). Benjamin left home early and never left a census record or any obvious clues of his relation, not even in an obituary or death record... but his daughter did, and so did his niece! Helen Lorina Bryant was born 14 April 1847 in what conflicting records believed to be Madison, Lake, Ohio (1850 census says OH, death record says NY) to parents Benjamin Franklin Bryant and Elizabeth Gilbreath. Helen Lorina married William Henry Harrison Bryner in Lake county 25 Dec 1869. On the 1870 census we find Harrison and Helen living with Harrison's mother and siblings 3 doors down from Helen's grandmother Harriet Platt in North...

UPDATED 21 Sep 2013: Harriet was born, to parents unknown, in New York state 06 Feb 1802. This is where she eventually marries William Bryant around 1820. Their only known son Benjamin Franklin Bryant was born 15 Jul 1822, followed by four daughters Harriet M. Bryant born about 1823-4, Sarah C. Bryant born 2 Apr 1827, Frances Amelia Bryant born 23 May 1832, and Helen Augusta Bryant born Oct 1834. It is believed that after Frances Amelia's birth in 1832, the Bryant family picked up and moved to Ohio, most likely along the border of Pennsylvania in Trumbull county (I believe this because future censuses report that Helen was born in Ohio & her son Charles notes she was born in Petersberg, Mahoning, Ohio. It should be noted that Mahoning County did not exist until 1846 when it was formed from Trumbull & Columbiana Counties.) William Bryant dies sometime between 1832-1840, when and where is unknown, but the 1840 census places the Bryant family in Warren, Trumbull, Ohio, s...

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...

Rufus Dodge (abt 1903) The origins and lives of Rufus and Sarah Dodge probably make them the one of the most mysterious, confusing, and intriguing couples in my family tree. They have definitely caused me the most grief in my digging. Rufus Dodge was born on 16 Dec 1825 in what is believed to be Harpersfield, Ashtabula, Ohio (a few Dodge families were living there in the early 1800's). His parents are unknown and Harpersfield is based off a mysterious entry in a long passed relative's family tree. (Death record lists Parkersfield, Ohio as his birthplace, but no such town seems to have ever existed and daughter's death record further lists Pennsylvania. I believe Ohio is accurate based on multiple census records and a civil war draft registration claiming such. Parkersfield seems to be a mis-understanding or mis-hearing or mis-transcribing of Harpersfield.) Dodge Family 1860 Census Sarah C. Bryant was born on 2 Apr 1827 in New York. Her parents and specifics...

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.