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Descendants of Joseph Bemis

2723. Fanny E.⁸ Bemis (Abner⁷, Benjamin⁶, David⁵, Phillip⁴, Joseph³, Joseph², Joseph¹)¹¹³⁶⁸ was born 15 Mar 1841 in Ohio ^11369,¹¹³⁷⁰, and died 18 Jul 1903 in Kendall, Monroe Co., WI ^11371,¹¹³⁷². She married (1) Josiah Matteson^11373,¹¹³⁷⁴ 04 Aug 1863 in Greenville, Outgamie Co. WI ^11375,¹¹³⁷⁶. He was born 18 Nov 1830 in New York ^11377,¹¹³⁷⁸, and died 02 Feb 1899 in Ellington Twp., Outagamie Co., WI ^11379,¹¹³⁸⁰. She married (2) Amasa Feathers¹¹³⁸⁰ 12 Jun 1875 in Wonewoc, Juneau Co., WI ^11381,¹¹³⁸². He was born 16 Oct 1829 in Amity, Allegany Co., NY ^11383,¹¹³⁸⁴, and died 18 Mar 1910 in Wonewoc, Juneau Co., WI ^11385,¹¹³⁸⁶.

Notes for Fanny E. Bemis:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Per handwritten record of Myta I. Searles and in the posession of John Weger, Elroy, WI: "Fanny Bemis married Joe Madison [Josiah Matteson]. Had 2 children [Oscar Monroe Matteson and Alice Matteson]. They separated."

Divorce: 25 Oct 1869, Juneau County Circuit Court. Juneau County, WI. John Turner, Attorney at Law for the plaintiff. F.T. Sprague, referee duly appointed in this action. Grounds: Willful desertion of the plaintiff for the term of more than one year. Custody of Children awarded to Plaintiff, Fanny A. Matteson. Note: Fanny' middle initial is "E" in other sources. Handwritten document signed "By the Court--G.W. Cate." Document obtained from Bob Babcock (14 Aug 2003) as part of Widow's [Rhoda Matteson] pension application records in National Archives. Stamped "US Pension Office D. Jul 14 1899."

Residence: Oct 1869, Juneau Co., WI per divorce record.

Residence: 1880 Federal Census, Twp.Wonewoc, Juneau Co, WI: Feathers, Amasa, 50, b. NY; Laborer. Fanny E. 38, Keeps House, b. OH; Alice Matteson, 15, b. WI; Monroe Matteson, 14, b. WI.

Residence: 1900 Federal Census: Wonewoc Twp., Juneau Co., WI. Feathers, Amasa, b. Oct 1829 , age 70, married 25 years, b. NY as were both parents. Fannie, b. Mar 1841, age 59, married 25 years, mother of 3 children, two living, b. OH.

MARRIAGE: Copy of Marriage Cetificate available from Sherry Martin. Handwritten document from earliest Outagamie records.

State of Wisconsin
Outagiamie County

Be it known that on the 4th day of August A.D. 1863 in the Town of Greenville Mr. Josiah Matterson of Ellington and Miss Fanny E. Bemis of Greenvile were with their mutual consent legally joined together in holy Matrimony which was solemized by me in the presence of Mortimer W . Bemis [eldest brother of the bride] and Emily Bemis [mother of the bride] of Greenville attending witnesses having been first satisfied by the oath of Mr. Josiah Matterson duly administered by me that there was no legal impediment to such marriage. Given under my hand at Greenville this 4th day of August 1863. [Signed] Abner Bemis, Justice of the Peace.

Note that this marriage was performed by the father of the bride and on this copy of the marriage certificate we have a signature for Abner Bemis. Abner's writing is a comfortable and legible cursive suggesting a man accustomed to writing easily with pen and ink.

As an aside--this was quite a year for the Bemis family. In January they lost their son, Charles W., a Civil War soldier; in March they lost two young daughters, Emily and Mary, and April they lost a young grandson, George R. Carter. All four are buried in the "Greenville Pioneer Cemetery" [so called today]. Photographs of cemetery and tombstones are available from Sherry Martin. Now in August their second eldest daugher is married. Emily's father also died in 1863.

BURIAL: August 2003: Unable to locate Fannie's burial place. Her death certificate indicates she was to be buried at Millard's Prairie Cemetery just outside Elroy,WI at the Vernon County line. There is a Bemis/Carter lot there with her parents and two of her siblings. No stone could be found for Fannie and when the sexton, Gary Board of Elory, was contacted and cemetery records examined no record could be found for Fannie Feathers or Amasa. The cemetery books appeared poorly maintained although the cemetery itself was well maintained.

DEATH: Aug 2003: Fannie's death certificate indicated she was a widow at the time of her death. However, a death record dated 1910 was found for P. Amasa Feathers and the birthdate for this individual is consistent with the birthdate for Fannie's husband per the 1900 Juneau County Census. Fannie died in Kendall, WI per her death cerrtificate and P. Amasa died in Wonewoc per his death certificate.

The Bemis Family Bible has Fannie's death recorded as 1904 Vs. 1903.

OBITUARY: The Elroy (Wisconsin) Tribune, Thursday, July 12, 1903, Page 1:
Mrs. Amasa Feathers
Fanny Bemis was born in Cattaraugus Co., NY, and came to Oshkosh this state in 1850, and to Millard’s Prairie in 1867. She was united in marriage to A. Feathers, of Union Center in 1876. About 14 years ago she suffered a stroke of paralysis from which she never fully recovered. Two years ago she became so feeble that she and her husband were forced to give up housekeeping and she went to Kendall to live in the family of her son. Last Thursday death ended her long years of suffering, at the age of 62 years. The funeral service was conducted by Rev. Henry Waste at the Methodist Church in this city, a joint funeral being held for her and her brother-in-law, Andrew Harmon.

More About Fanny E. Bemis:
Burial: ^11387,¹¹³⁸⁸
Cause of Death: P. Addison's Disease; S. Paralysis¹¹³⁸⁸
Record Change: 08 Sep 2003¹¹³⁸⁸

Notes for Josiah Matteson:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Occupation: Farmer per Marriage Certificate 20 Oct 1878.

Residence: 20 Oct 1878, Town of Ellington, Outagamie Co.,WI per Marriage Certificate.
2 Feb 1899, Town of Ellington, Outagame Co.,WI per Death Certificate. Land ownership at deat h was certified by B.J. Zuelhke, register of deeds, as Northwest quarter of Southwest quarate r of Section 29, Township 22, N of Range 16 East of Town of Ellington and valued at $600.00 b y Assessors of Town of Ellington. Copy of this handwritten document obtained from Bob Babcoc k 14 Aug 2003 as found in National Archives file for Widow's Pension. Date stamped "US Pensi on Office D Jul 14 1899."

2003 photo of junction of Manly Road and Grandview Ave. looking northwest available from Sher ry Martin.

Military: Civil War Company K, 17th WI Infantry, 21 Oct 1864 to 2 Jun 1865.

MARRIAGE: Copy of Marriage Cetificate available from Sherry Martin. Handwritten document fro m earliest Outagamie records.

More About Josiah Matteson:
Burial: 03 Feb 1899, Hortonville Union Cemetery, Hortonville, WI¹¹³⁸⁸
Record Change: 16 Sep 2003¹¹³⁸⁸

More About Josiah Matteson and Fanny Bemis:
Marriage: 04 Aug 1863, Greenville, Outgamie Co. WI ^11389,¹¹³⁹⁰

Notes for Amasa Feathers:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Genealogy: Further research needed on parentage. The handwritten death certificate informati on leaves the spelling of mother's surname questionable.

More About Amasa Feathers:
Cause of Death: Senility, Stroke, Paralysis¹¹³⁹⁰
Record Change: 06 Jan 2004¹¹³⁹⁰

Marriage Notes for Fanny Bemis and Amasa Feathers:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Date of Certificate: June 12, 1875
Date of Registration: July 5, 1875

Husband:
Occupation: Farmer
Residence: Wonewod
Birthplace: Amity Allegany Co., NY
Father and Mother of Husband: George & Catharine Feathers

Wife:
Father and Mother of Wife: Abner & Emily Bemis

Place Marriage was contracted: Wonewoc, WI
Date contracted: June 12, 1875
Ceremony: Civil
Officiant: B.B. Thompson
Witnesses: C.G. Thompson & M.W. Roberts

More About Amasa Feathers and Fanny Bemis:
Marriage: 12 Jun 1875, Wonewoc, Juneau Co., WI ^11391,¹¹³⁹²

Children of Fanny Bemis and Josiah Matteson are:

4368

Alice⁹ Matteson¹¹³⁹², born Abt. 1864 in Greenville, Outgamie Co. WI¹¹³⁹².

More About Alice Matteson:
Record Change: 28 Aug 2003¹¹³⁹²

4369

ii.

Oscar Monroe Matteson¹¹³⁹², born Abt. 1866 in Greenville, Outagamie Co, WI ^11393,¹¹³⁹⁴. He married Jane Valentine Ellison¹¹³⁹⁴ 01 Dec 1892 in Valley Junction, Monroe Co, WI ^11395,¹¹³⁹⁶; born 14 Feb 1876 in Blair, Trempealeau Co, WI¹¹³⁹⁶; died 27 Jan 1950 in Minneapolis, Hennepin Co, MN¹¹³⁹⁶.

Notes for Oscar Monroe Matteson:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Occupation: Manufacturer, as listed on marriage license. Floyd Matteson said he never knew h is father to "have a real job." According to his mother, Jennie, Monroe made the most beauti ful watch chains in the world out of human hair using the back of a chair and lead weights an d finished the chains with shiny gold fittings. According to Floyd, Monroe was a "crack sho t with a hand gun." He was a teetotaler, a card player and a womanizer---which suggests to t his writer that being a good shot was a useful survival skill. Floyd said Monroe taught hi m to fish--a useful survival skill for Floyd--because Monroe deserted his family when Harry , his youngest child, was about two years old--approximately 1902. The Mattesons were livin g in Kendall when Monroe and Jennie "had a scrap and he took all of mother's money to star t a busines in Minneapolis" where he got involved with a woman and left to "go out west and m ake a fortune."

Divorce: Jennie divorced Monroe, probably for desertion. Need to find a record for this. Th e one surviving letter to Lenna from Floyd's sister, Ottie House, states that she knew "all l about Mother's divorce."

DEATH: Aug 2003: No death records have yet been found for Monroe. In 1992 Floyd stated tha t he believed Monroe was "killed some place in Canada...some say he was shot." Not an unlike ly end for a gambler and 'woman chaser."

Photo: One photo of Monroe is known to exist and is in the possession of Sherry Matteson Mart in. It was taken in an Elroy, WI studio about 1882 when, according to Floye Matteson, his fa ther was 17 years old. It shows an attractive and well dressed young man with dark hair, lig ht eyes and steady gaze.

Residence: Mopnroe's marriage record states he was born in Greenville, WI. 1870 Federal Censu s shows him at age 4 in the home of his maternal grandparents, Abner and Emily Bemis in Geenv ille, Gtreenville Twp., Outagamie Co., WI. His sister Alice is also present, his parents ar e not. 1880 Federal Census shows him at the age of 15 in the household of his step-father, A masa Feathers.

More About Oscar Monroe Matteson:
Record Change: 16 Sep 2003¹¹³⁹⁶

More About Jane Valentine Ellison:
Burial: Zion Lutheran Cem, Blair, Trempealeau Co, WI¹¹³⁹⁶
Record Change: 10 Sep 2003¹¹³⁹⁶

Marriage Notes for Oscar Matteson and Jane Ellison:
[Received from Sherry Martin]

Ceremony was religious. Subscribing wittnesses:
A.L. Whiteaker and Emily J. Whiteaker, mother and step father of Jane Ellison.
Officiating was Rev. W. A. McDowell of Points WI

More About Oscar Matteson and Jane Ellison:
Marriage: 01 Dec 1892, Valley Junction, Monroe Co, WI ^11397,¹¹³⁹⁸

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