Tag: Michigan

Martin V. Lacy (1833–1904)

On By NancyLeave a comment

Martin V. Lacy was born in September 1833 in Le Ray (often recorded as Leray), Jefferson County, New York. He was the son of Erastus Lacy (1790–1856) and Florilla Billings (1793–1860). Early census and family records place him in Jefferson County during his childhood years, where he lived among several siblings, including Jane, Julia, Milo, and others.¹

On 28 November 1855, Martin married Henrietta O’Dell (1838–1865) in Genesee County, Michigan.² By 1860, he was residing in Brownville, Jefferson County, New York, where he appeared in the federal census with his occupation listed as farmer.³ A military description recorded in August 1862 described him as having blue eyes, sandy hair, a light complexion, and a height of five feet eleven inches.⁴

Image generated by ChatGPT of Martin Lacy based on his military description.

Martin served in the American Civil War. He enlisted in August 1862 with the 35th New York Infantry, Company I, and later served with the 80th New York Infantry, Company H, during 1863.⁵ Military records place him in Watertown and Albany, New York, during his service, and a residence record dated 1 July 1863 lists him in Fabius, New York.⁶

Martin and Henrietta had several children: Adelbert Lacy, born in November 1859 in Michigan; Helen Mae Lacy, born 3 June 1860 in Brownville, New York; and Fred Lacy, born 12 December 1860 in Michigan.³ Henrietta Lacy died in 1865 in Charles City, Virginia.⁷

On 25 March 1866, Martin married Nancy J. Whitney (1843–1906) in Taymouth Township, Saginaw County, Michigan.⁸ The couple settled in Michigan, where Martin appeared regularly in state and federal census records. Their children included Emma Lacy (born 1866), Alice Lacy (born 1 June 1869 in Montrose, Genesee County), Mary Belle Lacy (born 13 August 1875), and William Henry Lacy (born 26 May 1878).⁹

By 1870, Martin was living in Montrose, Genesee County, Michigan, and by the mid-1870s he had acquired land in Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan, as documented in federal land records dated 1 August 1874.¹⁰ Census records from 1880 through 1900 consistently place him in Kawkawlin Township, where he was listed as married and head of household.¹¹

Throughout his life, Martin experienced the deaths of numerous family members, including his parents, siblings, and children Fred (1883) and Emma (1897).¹² He remained in Bay County into the early twentieth century.

Martin V. Lacy died on 8 August 1904 in Garfield Township, Bay County, Michigan. His death certificate records the cause of death as cardiac disease.¹³ He was seventy years old at the time of his death.

Sources

  1. U.S. Federal Census, 1860; Brownville, Jefferson County, New York.
  2. Michigan, County Marriage Records, 1822–1940, Genesee County, marriage of Martin V. Lacy and Henrietta O’Dell, 28 November 1855.
  3. U.S. Federal Census, 1860; Brownville, Jefferson County, New York.
  4. New York, Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861–1900, description dated 20 August 1862.
  5. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles; service with 35th New York Infantry, Company I, and 80th New York Infantry, Company H.
  6. New York, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790–1890.
  7. Michigan, Death Records, 1867–1950; death of Henrietta (O’Dell) Lacy, 1865.
  8. Michigan, County Marriages, 1822–1940; marriage of Martin V. Lacy and Nancy J. Whitney, 25 March 1866.
  9. Michigan, U.S., Birth Records, 1867–1914; Lacy family entries.
  10. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776–2015; land patent, Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan, 1 August 1874.
  11. U.S. Federal Census, 1870, 1880, 1900; Michigan State Census, 1884, 1894; Kawkawlin Township, Bay County, Michigan.
  12. Michigan, Death Records and U.S., Find A Grave Index.
  13. Michigan, Death Records, 1867–1950; death certificate of Martin V. Lacy, 8 August 1904.

Nathaniel Foster (1793-1870)

On By NancyLeave a comment

Nathaniel Foster was my 4th great-grandfather — and the more I learn about him, the more I realize how deeply his life was woven into the early fabric of Michigan.

Let’s clear up one thing right away: Nathaniel is not the son of Lemuel Foster and Dolly Davis. Despite what many online trees suggest, their family had twelve children — and none were named Nathaniel. Dolly’s 1849 probate record lists nine surviving children by name, and Nathaniel isn’t among them. He lived until 1870, so if he were her son, he should absolutely appear in that record. He doesn’t. This is one of those cases where the paper trail tells a clearer story than assumptions.

Born in 1793 in Saratoga, New York, Nathaniel served in the War of 1812 as a teenager. He wasn’t a general or a hero in the history books, but he stood up when his country called.

After the war, he married Mary Moore and started a family that would eventually include ten children. In the 1830s, they moved west and settled along the Cass River in Michigan — a true frontier at the time. Nathaniel was one of the earliest settlers in the region, carving out a life in what would become Bridgeport and Midland.

He lived to be 76 years and 10 months old, passing away on May 14, 1870, at the home of his daughter Mrs. Braly in Tittabawassee Township. According to his obituary in the Saginaw Daily Courier, he was remembered as a “sturdy old carpenter,” a “hospitable citizen,” and “the noblest work of God — an honest man.”

His will, written just days before his death, reflects both practicality and generosity. He left one dollar each to his older children, having “divided to them his living” earlier in life. He gave $200 to his daughter Marietta Braly for her care during his final illness, and donated $500 to missions and another $500 to Sunday schools — a clear reflection of his faith and values.

Page 1 of Nathaniel Foster’s Will
Page 2 of Nathaniel Foster’s Will

Nathaniel’s legacy lives on not just in his descendants, but in the land he helped settle and the stories he passed down. One of his sons, Nelson Foster, became a legendary lumberman in the Saginaw Valley — known for his strength, humor, and skill. Another son, Nathaniel Jr., died fighting for the Union in the Civil War, reportedly shouting “Give me liberty or give me death” as he fell.

These aren’t just names on a family tree. They’re people who lived, worked, fought, and loved — and whose choices shaped the lives of everyone who came after them.