Day 148

Just a short blog tonight. I am including a photo of 65 University Drive in East Lansing. This is house grandpa and grandma Tukey purchased in 1945 when they moved from Geneva, NY to E. Lansing so grandpa could assume the duties of Hort. Dept. Chair at MSU. It is the home where Aunt Ann spent most of her growing up and where Dad created a bedroom for himself in the attic when he came home from the war.

Ann and I spent a great morning together. We hit a thrift shop at a local hospital where I finally found a pair of cuff links for a reasonable price (still looking for a belt). Then it was off to the Michigan State Library and Archives. Ann did some research for a friend of Aunt Louise's. I began the search for gggCharles Richardson. He moved frequently. We know he was an early (1847) pioneer in Jamestown, Michigan. He moved north in 1875 to purchase land in a neighboring county and today I found the land record. Yea! However, where he died has remained a mystery. Wife Eliza is buried in Jamestown. Charles did not die in Jamestown. Neither did he die in Boston, MI or Evart, MI as reported from other sources.

After a nice lunch, Ann went home to work on materials for her class and I returned to search all the library's records for Ottawa, Oceola, Muskegon and Newaygo counties. No luck finding death records, burial records, anything on early settlers, etc. About 3pm I headed for the Archives. On microfilm were death indices. After a little searching, I found Charles. He died, as our records indicated, on Sept. 18, 1891 - in Barton, Newaygo County, Michigan. There still is no listing (that I can find) for his burial in a cemetery but we at least have narrowed the location of his death. My guess is that he died away from family and may be buried in an anonymous grave or on his farm. His death records list his occupation as farmer and the names of his parents as "unknown" - highly unlikely if he was living close to children. His wanderlust (and long years with lots of children) probably meant he enjoyed is solitude which makes him a bit unknown to later generations.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Chicago. Lois, Pam and Jay have activities already planned for tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday. Then I head for home Thursday morning. Amazing.