My great-grandfather, Aaron Jones, has a sister, Elizabeth Ann Jones. She was born on November 7, 1861 in Michigan and died September 20, 1937 in Saginaw, Michigan. She has been difficult to trace. I first learned of her several years ago when researching Aaron – she’s mentioned only as “Mrs Showers” in Aaron’s obituary. Then I found the 1870 and 1880 census where she’s listed as Elizabeth A Jones.

Since then, I’ve been trying to track her down and it hasn’t been easy. I found a marriage record for her in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan in 1879 – marrying Francis Sumner.

This seems to conflict with the 1880 census, where she is clearly listed in the same household as her parents in Ovid, Clinton County, Michigan and with her maiden name.

Francis is listed as living in Bennington, Shiawassee County, Michigan in 1880 – married, but living with a different family, seemingly alone (no other Sumner in that household). Francis dies in 1898. If they were married in 1879, why are they living separate in 1880? How long did they remain married?

Now, in 1900, Elizabeth is listed as the wife of Joseph Showers and they have apparently been married for 10 years and she is the mother of 2 with 1 living – apparently the Rachael in the same household.

I find no other instance of Elizabeth with a Joseph Showers including a marriage record for her to a Showers.

However, in 1910, the only instance I can find of Elizabeth A Showers is as a wife of Charles Showers in Saginaw and they have been married for 17 years. Meaning they were married in 1897. This conflicts with the 1900 census. So is it really her?

Interestingly, there is a Dewey Mc Stowers aged 11 years living in the 1910 household – as he is indicated as a son. That would make him born about 1899. But the household is confused as there is a stepdaughter (widowed at 25) and another stepdaughter with the same surname as the 25-year-old but she is 8 and a stepson age 5 with a totally different surname. It would seem the 8-year-old and 5-year-old might be step-grandchildren instead of step-children, but that is speculation. I can’t find any other instance of Dewey Mc Stowers.

In 1920 – nothing that I can confirm as her – the only Showers that I can find are the wrong names and too young to be Elizabeth.

In 1930, Elizabeth marries George F. Campbell – on April 7, 1930. Except she’s listed as Mrs. Elizabeth A Manzer. I know it’s her because it lists her parents as Thomas Jones and Emeline Groff (which I can verify independently). Also one of the witnesses is Mr. Dewey Manzer – who is he? I can find him in the 1930 and 1940 census – and he apparently was born in late 1898 and dies in 1979. Could he be the Dewey Mc Stowers from the 1910 census?

Additionally, in the 1930 census, she is listed in the household of George F. Campell as Elizabeth Manzer. Considering the census date is April 1, 1930 – it makes sense.

Elizabeth Campbell dies on September 20, 1937 – with her parents listed on her death certificate as Thomas Jones and Emmaline Groof.

I have not found a marriage record for Elizabeth to a Manzer yet. I also can’t find her definitively in the 1910 and 1920 census. There are so many questions left unanswered about Elizabeth. In trying to track her down, I’ve gone down several rabbit holes – but so far nothing definitive about the 30-year gap between 1900 and 1930. Also, her Showers husband – was his name really Joseph – or was it Charles L as I can find evidence of her being with a Charles L Showers during that time. Are they 2 separate men, or the same man going by different names? Who was her Manzer husband? Who is Dewey Manzer – and is he somehow related to Elizabeth?

Isaac was born March 1, 1853 to Thomas Jones and his wife, Emiline Groff. Isaac never married. On August 19, 1902, at the age of 49 years, 5 months and 18 days, he was admitted to the Pontiac State Hospital where he would remain for the next 38 years, 3 months and 29 days. Isaac died on December 18, 1940 aged 87 years, 10 months and 17 days. His body was donated to the Ann Arbor Medical School at the University of Michigan 2 days later. The cause of death is attributed to Myocardial failure and general arteriosclerosis with senility as a contributing case of death. The autopsy showed coronary thrombosis arteriosclerstic brain disease.

The patient records of the Pontiac State Hospital are sealed. It is not possible to find out more about him specifically, but things can be surmised from his death certificate as well as things in general about where he lived before he died.

The Pontiac State Hospital opened on August 1, 1878 as the Eastern Michigan Asylum. In 1911, they changed their name to Pontiac State Hospital. By 1937 there were 1,818 patients.  The facility was closed in 1997 and demolished in 2000.

There should be a probate record for Isaac Jones in 1901/2 based upon the following newspaper articles. I hope to find the probate record as that may be the only way to find out what happened to this 49 year old to cause him to spend the rest of his life in an insane asylum.

 

 

 

 

The following 2 articles appear in the probate court report that appeared in the Saginaw Herald on August 21, 1902. They were on the same page – a few entries apart (with the second appearing first).

 

 

The following shows that he indeed was admitted to the asylum

 

Again, on October 18, 1902 was another article in the Saginaw News – this time a letter from the Judge of the Probate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron Jones is my great-grandfather. He was born June 25, 1860 – before the state of Michigan started requiring the recording of such information. The date is only known from Aaron’s death certificate.

From his death certificate, we learn that his father was Thomas and that he was married to Margaret with the informant being Oscar. His wife was Margaret Lawhead and they married on February 7, 1886 in Saginaw County, Michigan – probably in either Albee township or Taymouth township, but that info has been lost. Oscar was one of 12 children of Aaron and Margaret. Because of that, I tend to believe the date of birth on the death certificate despite the 1870 census listing Aaron as 12 years old. Most of the other records agree with the 1860 birth year.

Sadly, Oscar didn’t seem to know the identity of his grandmother – Aaron’s mother. That actually would make sense because Oscar was born in 1904. The identity of Aaron’s mother actually comes from the death certificate of Aaron’s brother Matthew Francis Jones.

So, Aaron’s mother was Emmaline Groff (Grofe). Emmaline passed away in 1897 – 7 years before Oscar was born, so certainly possible that Oscar didn’t know her identity. Although I must say it seems a little strange since Aaron seemed to be a family man – one who cared about his family (and it was a large family).

Aaron was a laborer who had bouts of unemployment. On April 15, 1910 he reported on the census that he had been unemployed for 15 weeks. By the 1920 census though he was working for the railroad. He had also taken in the children of a daughter that had recently died (Rhoda Jones married George Reikowsky, but died July 25, 1917).

I failed to record what paper his obituary was found in and I can’t find it now online. Luckily, I saved a copy.