September 25, 2012

Jacob and Susannah Overmyer Newcomer, GG-Grandparents


My great-grandmother, Alice Newcomer Doty, was born to Jacob Newcomer and Susannah Overmyer Newcomer.  After the Civil War, in 1865, Jacob moved his family - wife, Susannah; daughter, Alice Susan; and son, Lewis Warren -  from Sandusky County, Ohio to Raisinville, Monroe County, Michigan.  Their last child was born there on December 7, 1865, an unnamed daughter who died at the age of one month.
Did Jacob Newcomer serve in the war?  I have found a draft registration that fits his age and place of residence from June 1863.  However, actual military records are many for men named "Jacob Newcomer," and so it is hard to tell if he served by those records.  However, I can find no pension record for him and since he lived to 1921, one should exist if he had served.

In the 1870 and 1880 censuses, Jacob and family may be found in Raisinville Twp., Monroe County, Michigan. Jacob was a farmer, and in both instances, he had a hired man of 17 or 18 to help him.  By the 1900 census, both Alice and Lewis had moved from the home and Jacob, at 65, listed himself as a retired farmer.  He and Susannah had been married 46 years, they reported in 1900.  (They married January 22, 1854 in Sandusky County, OH.)

 Susannah died on July 19, 1905 and the Monroe Democrat ran this very detailed obituary in the paper on July 28, 1905:
"Mrs. Susana Newcomer, wife of Jacob Newcomer, of Raisinville, as recored in the last issue, passed into eternal life on Wednesday, July 19, at the age of seventy-three years, eight months and seventeen days.  Susana Overmeyer was born in Union County, Pa., on Nov. 2, 1831, and when three years old moved with her parents to Ohio.  On January 2, 1854, she was united in marriage to Jacob Newcomer.  To them, whose married life lasted fifty-two years, were born three children, L. W. Newcomer, of this city, Mrs. George Doty, of Raisinville, and a daughter who died in infancy.  
Mrs. Newcomer joined the United Brethren church and forty-two years ago moved with her husband and family to Monroe county, locating on a beautiful River Raisin farm, where they have since resided.  She belonged to the East Raisinville society of the Evangelical church of which she was a faithful member.  Aside from husband and children, there are remaining eleven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, three sisters and five brothers.  The services were held in East Raisinville at the Evangelical church, Reverend Swenk, assisted by Reverends Martin and Shaw, of Monroe, officiating.  It is difficult to estimate the value of a life devoted to Christian work and which, extending beyond the allotted three score years and ten, has been during the long course, so cheerfully sacrificed to the happiness of others, but the sunset of such an existence is radiant and sheds on those around it the peace that passeth understanding."

An obituary printed July 27, 1905 in the Monroe Record-Commercial added this information:
"She was ready for her departure and with Christian fortitude at the hope of immortality, she went to her Heavenly rest after suffering seven days from a malignant fever of malaria fever...The body was laid to rest in Woodlawn cemetery."

So Jacob was left alone.  In the 1900 census, he had moved in with George and Gertrude Ihrig of Raisinville township and was listed as a Boarder.  He was 76, widowed and "had his own income."  Perhaps he kept the farm and rented it out or sold it and had the profits?  I don't think the Ihrigs were related to Jacob or the census would have stated the relationship, rather than the generic "boarder."
In the 1920 census, he had moved in with his daughter, great-grandmother Alice Doty.

In the photo above, taken at the Doty homestead, he is the large man in the suit in front and beside him, to the left is Alice.  The census stated that he was the grandfather, 86 and widowed and, of course, did not work.  The census enumerator visited on January 8th, and by April 21, he had died.

His obituary was quite short, compared to his wife's.  In the Monroe Evening News of April 14, 1921:
"JACOB NEWCOMER DIED YESTERDAY
Jacob Newcomer, a pioneer resident of this county and father of L. W. Newcomer of the Monroe Binder Board company, died at the home of a granddaughter at Azalia Wednesday afternoon.  Mr Newcomer was 87  years of age and lived in Monroe county for many years.  The funeral will be held at Azalia Saturday afternoon at 1:00 and at the Evangelical church, Monroe, at 2:30 o'clock.  Burial will be at Woodland cemetery."
 

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this - Jacob and Susannah are my wife's great-great-great-grandparents, through Lewis Newcomer. If I'm following this correctly, that makes you her second cousin twice removed. Welcome to the family!

    I've taken the liberty of adding some information we didn't already have to the online family tree:

    http://www.geni.com/people/Jacob-Newcomer/6000000001666970505

    Let me know if you'd like an invitation to see the rest of it.

    Cheers,
    Peter

    ReplyDelete