PrenticeNet :: Charles M. Prentice of Martin Co., MN

Charles M. Prentice of Martin Co., MN
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Fall 2001 and Revised 27 Jul 2009

Update of 6 May 2009: Although additional investigation is needed for confirmation, Charles M. Prentice is probably the same person as Charles M. Prentice, #64.1 in our Thomas Prentice eBook, who was b. c. 1848 and who appears in the 1850 census in Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co., OH.

Update of 5 Aug 2001:This article is an update of, and replaces, our Winter 2000 article on Earl M. Prentice.

We are helping Jennifer (Prentice) Rossow and David L. Sharp in tracing their Prentice family tree. Here is what we have so far:

1. Charles M. Prentice was b. was b. 1849, OH and d. 13 Apr 1900 in Martin Co., MN and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, Martin County. Jennifer has obtained his death record which describes him as "Charles Prentice, white male married DOD April 1900, 51 years at time of death." There was no information listed under parents, birthplace, DOB nor occupation." The cause of death was creeping paralysis. His obituary says only that he was "of Pleasant Prairie, Minnesota". Jennifers says that her grandfather, Harold, remembered him as "Henry", a member of the A.O.U.W.-Modern Woodsmen.

Charles m. Anna Carpenter. Her birth date is unclear. Her headstone says she was b. 1860 in NY, but the 1900 Fairmont, Martin Co., MN census gives her birth date as Aug 1862, NY. She was the dau. of Capt. Ray Hart of Buffalo, Erie Co., NY. She d. 20 Feb 1937 at home in Fairmont, Martin Co., MN and is bur. in the same Martin Co. cemetery as her husband. Anna lived in Martin County, MN for 38 yrs (1899-1937) when she died. She was a member of the Congregational Church in Martin County. After Charles died, Anna apparently married Byron Carpenter. Known children of Charles and Anna:

Earl H. Prentice, b. 8 Mar 1879, WI and d. 1960.. . . . . . [2]
Lee Charles Prentice, was born on Dec 23 1887. . . . . . . [3]

2. Earl H. Prentice, b. 8 Mar 1879, WI and d. 14 Dec 1960 in Fairmont, Martin Co., MN. He is bur. in Lakeside Cem. in Fairmont. He is probably the Earl M. Prentice shown in the 1900 Martin Co., MN census as b. Feb 1879, WI. From the fact that his mother's obituary says she lived in Martin Co., MN after 1899, one can infer that Earl lived in WI until that date. He does appear in the 1910 census in Pleasant Prairie, Martin Co., MN with his wife and family. Earl and his family later appear in the 120 census in Fairmont, Martin Co., MN. One could also infer that, like his mother, he was a member of the Congregational Church in Martin County. Earl's new home with Helen, his wife, was at farm east of town by Imogene. They lived there for 3 years. Earl operated a horse and buggy mail route for 6 years and then began a long career as clerk in city's post office with postmaster M.L. Shanks. Earl retired in 1949.

Curiously, Earl's tombstone states, "Scottish, Farmer in East Chain". The "Scottish" reference may provide a clue to his father's origin.

Earl m. Helen Ann (or Clair?) Lampert (she appears as "Helen C." in the 1910 census) sometime between 1900 and 1904, and perhaps at the Congregational Church in Martin Co., MN. She was the dau. of Wakeman Lampert and was b. 1880 in Rolling Green, IL and d. 20 Feb 1954 (per John Butz, email, 7 Mar 2004) and is bur. in Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, Martin Co., MN. Her father was b. in IL and mother in Germany per the 1920 census.

Children of Earl and Helen:

Earline Anna Prentice, b. 28 Jan 1903 and d. 29 Feb 1980. At home in 1910 and 1920. She m. Clell Jason Sharp. He was b. 23 Jul 1899 and d. 9 Apr 1991 (per David L. Sharp, grandson, email, 6 Jan 2003; Earl Sharp, email, 12 Jan 2003). Son:
1. Earl D. Sharp, b. 4 Jan 1932. Son:
  1. David L. Sharp.
Harold I. Prentice, b. c. 1904, MN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [4]
Caroline Prentice,b. c. 1904, MN. Not home in 1910 census.
Raymond Cecil Prentice, b. 1906 and d. 1947. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]
Fern Prentice, b. 16 Jul 1912, MN and d. 13 Dec 2001. Not home in 1910 census. At home in Fairmont in the 1920 census. She m. Mr. Murtha.

3. Lee Charles Prentice was born on 23 Dec 1887 in Spring Grove, Green Lake County, WI. He died on 1 Aug 1918, killed in Action in WWI. He was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, Martin County, Minnesota.

The Legion Hall in Fairmont, MN is named after Lee. He was the first soldier to die from Fairmont, Minnesota. He was a member of the 2nd Lt., 104 sq., Royal Air Force. He is buried next to his father in the cemetery. Lee attended grade school and high school in Fairmont, graduated from Carlton College, and then worked as a school teacher. In the Fall of 1912 he worked at Albert Lea H.S. and organized the first H.S. band in MN. He moved back to Fairmont in 1914 and became a journalist for Martin County Sentinel.

Lee enlisted in US Army on 15 May 1917 and was a member of the first officer training camp at Fort Snelling. He received his Commission as Lt. on 15 Aug 1917, went to Camp Dodge, IA and volunteered to serve with army's aviation section. Lee trained in Austin, TX and went overseas in Mar 1918. After raining in Great Britain, he was assigned to the Bombing Section, 104th Squadron, Royal Flying Force. During his 2nd combat mission on 1 Aug 1918, near Metz in the Alsace-Lorraine region between France and Germany, Lee's plane was shot down.

Lee married Beth Brundlin, dau. of Axel G. and Ella Brundlin, about 1912-15 in Albert Lea, MN.

4 Harold I. Prentice, b. c. 1904, MN. At home in Pleasant Prairie, Martin Co. MN in 1910 census. Not home in the 1920 census. By email of 29 Jul 2009, Stacey Prentice Hartzell (#64.5(i)(c), below) said that "I am not sure what happened to Harold, but I do know that my dad, Harold L. (#64.5(i), below) , saie he was the last surviving male in his line until my brothers (Lee, Terry and Jeffrey, below)."

5 Raymond Cecil Prentice, b. 1906 and d. 1947, MN. At home in Pleasant Prairie, Martin Co. MN in 1910 census. At home in Fairmont in the 1920 census.

He m. Helen Woole, dau. of Carl Woole.

Harold Lee Prentice, b. 1928 and d. 2008. He lived in MN and served in the military. He m. MaryLou Gertrude Heinecke who was b. 1930 and d. 1996. Children:
1. Lee Wayne Scott Prentice.
2. Terry Allan Prentice. He has a daughter:
  1. Jennifer Prentice who m. Mr. Rossow.
3. Stacy Prentice. She m. Mr. Hartzell per her email of 27 Jul 2009.
4. Jeffrey Prentice
Betty Prentice. She m. 1st Mr. Radke and 2nd Dennis Kramer and in 2009 is living in Brainerd, MN per Stacey Prentice Harzell, above, email, 29 Jul 2009).

After Raymond died, Helen m. 2nd Jay Anderson

6. Harold Prentice, b. c. 1928, MN, and d. 2 Aug 2008 at St. Gertrude's Health Center, Shakopee. At home in 1930. His obituary of 7 Aug 2008 published in Shakopee Valley News [Shakopee, MN] reads as follows:

Survivors include children, Stacey Hartzell, Terry, Scott and Jeff Prentice; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren. His wife, Mary Lou, preceded him in death. [It is unclear whether she is the Mary Lou G. Prentice shown in the SSDI as b.16 Dec 1930, obtained her SS# in MN, and d. 23 Nov 1996 in Browerville, Todd Co., MN.]

A graveside service will be held Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery at Camp Ripley, Minn. Funeral arrangements through McNearney Funeral Home in Shakopee, 952-445-2755. www.mcnearneyfuneralhome.com [1]

Children of Harold and Mary Lou per the above obituary:

Stacey Prentice. She m. Mr. Hartzell.
Terry Prentice.
Scott Prentice.
Jeff Prentice.

Who are Charles M. Prentice's Parents?

As noted above, the tombstone of Charles' son, Earl, contains the rather curious inscription, "Scottish, Farmer in East Chain". Although the 1900 and 1920 census records identify Earl's birth state as Wisconsin, he, or the person ordering his headstone, seems to have considered Earl to have Scottish roots. That would suggest that Earl's father, Charles, may have been born in Scotland.The "Scottish" reference may provide a clue to his father's origin.

Correspondence: If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.

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