[ register ]   user:    pass:   

PrenticeNet

all things Prentice/Prentiss/Prentis/Prentys/...

Abraham Prentice of Noble Co., IN


Abraham C. Prentice, Noble Co., Indiana
By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Winter 1997 and Revised 14 Jun 2009

Introduction: We are helping Albert E. Good, Kathryn Ojerio, Colleen Gormley and Domino Truitt in their efforts to identify the ancestry of their Abraham/Abram Prentiss. For convenience, we will refer to him as Abraham.

He is likely the son of George Prentice of Noble Co., IN but definitive documentation is still lacking. Subsequent to the original publication of this article in our Winter 1997 Prentice Newsletter, much additional information about Abraham has been obtained, and especially from Bill in Toledo and also in Colleen Gormley's E-mail of 15 Nov 1999 referencing an affidavit prepared by Abraham which is contained in his Civil War Pension File. We now combine both the earlier and later information.

1. Abraham Prentiss was born 6 Dec 1821 in Vermont and d. 14 Dec 1907. He is buried in the Amboy Cem., Fulton Co., in Row 23A. The full name of the Amboy Cem. is Amboy Township Cemetery which was first known as Labounty Cemetery. It is south of Metamora at the NE corner of the intersection of St. Rt. 64 and Co. Rd. S. *Plotted as Sec 14, T9S, R4E.

He was one of the 7 sons and 2 daughters of his parents. Abraham, born in 1821, was probably one of the middle children. His mother died of "throat disease" when Abraham was 13 years years old, leaving his father with up to 9 young children to support.

Abraham relates that he "went West to Fort Wayne, (Allen Co.) IN when about 16 years old; that was about 1837. Allen County list to the south of, and abuts, Noble County, IN. He married Catherine Fisher on 21 Sep or Oct 1849 in Noble County, probably in the town of Avilla. Catherine was b. 4 Jul 1830 and d. 28 Aug 1896. She is also bur. in the Amboy Cemetery.

Kathryn Ojerio has a Deed showing Abraham transferred his land to John B. Reukeuberger (sp?) which is dated 4 Jun 1852. Apparently he continued to live in Stuben County for a period of time because his son, Henry, was born there in Oct 1852. Sometime after that date, and before 1855, he moved his family to Metamora, OH where he began operating a butcher shop.

He appears in the Metamora 1860 census where he is listed as "A. A. Prentiss" with his place of birth given as Vermont. He also appears in the 1900 census there. where he was living in 1896.

Five of his six brothers, and one of his two sisters, were living in 1896; a brother had previously died by gunshot and a sisterhad died age 8-10.

After his wife died in 1896, Abraham returned to Toledo and lived in the home of his son, Rollin, where Abraham died in 1906.

Although conjectural at this point, it seems more likely than not that Abraham is a son of George Prentice, born about 1793, son of Nathaniel and Lucy (Campbell) Prentice. George appears in our 1997 Prentice book on pg. 272 as #33ii.

We do not yet have a birth place for George, but George's father, Nathaniel, had a brother, James Prentice, living in Shaftsbury, VT in 1793 and it is possible that George might have been born in VT.

We do not know where George was in 1838, but an 1882 History of Noble County, IN says that George's brother, Nathaniel, moved to Noble County in 1837 "with his brothers." One of the brothers might have included George. Allowing for some errors in repition of family traditions, that 1837 date is remarkably close to the 1838 date Abraham is said to have arrived in Toledo.

Children of Abraham and Catherine were:

  1. Orrin E. Prentiss, b. 29 Apr 1851 in Ligonier, Noble Co., IN and d. 1936 in Napoleon, OH. He appears in the 1880 Spring Hill, Fulton, OH census and 1900 Lucas Co., OH census with his wife, Eva E. Patton who was b. Jan 1857, OH, and children:

    1. Laura A. Prentiss, b. c. 1879, OH.
    2. Sarah/Sadie C. Prentiss, b. May 1882, MI. . . . . . [2]
    3. Orlin W. Prentiss, b. Oct 1884, MI. He appears in the 1920 Hillsdale Co., MI census with his wife, Edith, b. c. 1889, MI, and children:
      1. Kenneth Prentiss, b. c. 1908, MI. He is probably the Kenneth Prentice shown in the SSDI as b. 12 Feb 1908 and d. c. May 1968 at Brooklyn, Jackson Co., MI.
      2. Thelma Prentiss, b. c. 1910, MI.
      3. Irene Pentiss, b. c. 1914, MI.
    4. Leona B. Prentiss, b. Apr 1889, MI.
    5. Fern L. Prentiss, b. Apr 1896, MI.

  2. Henry Edgar Prentiss, b. 19 Oct 1852, Angola, Steuben, IN and d. 4 Jul 1927 in Bristol, Powers, CO. Bur. in Amboy Cem., Fulton Co., Row 9A. The 1880 & 1900 Metamora, Fulton, OH census shows his first wife, Amelia Eleanor Vrooman who me m. 28 Jun 1874. She was b. 22 Nov 1851 and d. 15 Oct 1895. Buried Amboy Cemetery. Children of Henry and Amelia.

    1. Mabel Prentiss, b. c. 1875, OH. . . . . . . . [3]
    2. Cora Prentiss, b. Sep 1877, OH and d. 1970. Bur. in Amboy Cem., Row 17C.
    3. Florence Prentiss, b. Jan 1882, OH. . . . . . . . [4]
    4. Mildred Prentiss, b. Jul 1891, OH and d. 1958. Bur. in Amboy Cem., Row 17C.
    5. Jessie L. Prentiss. She is bur. near Henry and his wife.
    6. Alice Marie Prentiss.

    Henry m. 2nd (unknown) and 3rd, Olive Van Horn on 4 Jul 1900.

  3. Cevillia D. Prentiss, b. c. 1853 and d. 5 Dec 1858, age 5y, 3m, 13d. Bur. in Amboy Cem.

  4. Celia/Alice Prentiss, b. 1856.

  5. Mary E. Prentiss, b. 22 Aug 1858.

  6. Rollin M. Prentiss, b. 25 Mar 1860 in Metamora, Fulton, OH. and d. 1933. Bur. in Amboy Cem., Fulton Co., Row 7A. He m. Ida May Wickham who was b. Mar 1866, OH and d. 1918. She is bur. in Amboy Cem., Fulton Co., Row 7A. Ida May was the dau. of Albert R. Wickham and Mary Malantha Stocking-Wickham (per Ruth Wickham, email, 9 Feb 2005). Children (per 1900 Toledo, OH census):
    1. Ray Prentiss, b. ??? and d. Apr 1880. Bur. in Amboy Cem., Fulton Co., Row 7A.
    2. Guy Prentiss, b. May 1886, OH. Not shown in SSDI. He m. Mabel (b. c. 1885, IN). Children (per 1910 Medicine Lodge, Barber, KS census, 1920 census in Indianapolis, Marion Co., IN, and 1930 census in Lebanonb, Boone Co., IN):
      1. Ruth Prentiss, b. c. 1908, OH. At home in 1920.
      2. Arby Prentiss (son), b. 3 May 1910, KS and d. 11 Feb 2003, Pendleton, Madison Co., IN (per 1920 census and SSDI). At home in 1930 census in Lebanon, Boone Co., IN.
    3. Albert R. Prentice, b. Aug 1892, OH. He appears in the 1910 Osage Co., OK census. Not shown in SSDI.
    4. Leon C. Prentiss, b. Jan 1895, OH or MI. He is probably the Leon Prentiss shown in the SSDI as b. 19 Jan 1895 and d. Apr 1946 in Detroit, Wayne Co., MI.

  7. Charles Wilford Prentiss, b. 10 Dec 1867 in Metamora, Fulton,OH and d. 26 Mar 1930 in Delta, OH. He is bur. in the Salisbury Cemetery which is located in Pike Township, NW of Delta, along Twp. Rd. 9-2 between Twp. Rd. HJ and Co. Rd. J. *Plotted as Sec 3, T7N, R7E.

    He was living with his father in the 1900 Fulton Co., OH census. He married, first, Edith Helen Brooks on 19 Jan 1888, in Unk., Williams, OH. Children:

    1. Lelia Mary[3] Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [5]

    Charles m. 2nd Caddie C. Weeks on Apr 1904. She was b. 1878 and d. 1962. She is bur. in the Salisbury Cemetery, Row 16. Her Ancestry is set out in Ancestry.com as follows:

    1. John Sumner, b. 1736 Conn., d. N.Y. State 1804. She m .1761 Mehitable Perry
    2. Mehitable Sumner, d. bef. 1837, NY State. She m. 1790 Willard Trowbridge, b. 1769, d. 1837.;
    3. Rev. Elisha Trowbridge, b. Conn, 1793-94, d. York Twp., Fulton Co. at Delta, 1856. He m. Ruth, She d. Delta, 1858, age 64.
    4. Caroline Trowbridge, d.. 1850-51. She m. William Fewless, an early pioneer. He d. in 1884.;
    5. Ruth A. Fewless, b. Feb. 21, 1840, Delta, d. Jan. 9, 1911. She m. 1865 Virgil Weeks. He was b. Seneca Co., 0H. 1841 to David Weeks and Rebecca McCarty, d. 1917;
    6. Caddie C. Weeks, 1878-1962. Bur. Salsbury Cemetery.

    For a more extensive ancestry through her Trowbridge-Spring line to the Wentworth and Despencer lines, see Ancestry.com and Ancestry.com which extend even further back in time than shown on those charts.

    Children of Charles Prentiss and Caddie Weeks:

    1. (5 children) Prentiss. Died in (died young). They might be Helen M., Margaret A., Mabel C. Ronald W. and Kathryn R. who are bur. in Row 16 near Caddie.
    2. Mary Louise Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [6]
    3. Robert Lyle Prentiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [7]

  8. Marvin Butler Prentiss, b. 25 Jun 1870 in Metamora, Fulton, OH and d. 3 May 1953 in Nowata, OK. He was a Physician. He m. 1st Minnie Clendenning. She d. 3 Sep 1890, age 17y, 11m, in childbirth. She is bur. in the Amboy Cem., Row 7A. He m. 2nd Blanche Leone Marshall who was b. Nov 1872 and was from Adrian, MI. Children (per 1900 Fulton Co., OH census):
    1. Harley Merton Prentiss, b. Oct 1893, OH. (twin). . . . . . . [8]
    2. Harry Laverne Prentiss, b. Oct 1893, OH. (twin). . . . . . . .[9]

    Marvin m. 3rd Grace Sage. Died 1933 in Nowata, OK.

  9. Ernest B. Prentiss, b. 25 Apr 1872 in Metamora, Fulton, OH and d. 1937 in Rochester, NY. He m. Emma Day who was b. Jan 1873, MI. Children (per 1900 Toledo census):
    1. Velma Prentiss, b. Aug 1895, MI.
    2. Glenn B. Prentiss, b. Nov 1896, OH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [10]
    Ernest married a 2nd wife, but her name is not yet known.

  10. Clifford Prentiss, b. 12 Nov 1876 in Metamora, Fulton, OH. Died, 1949, in Toledo, OH. He married Neva Jessup, 11 Aug 1901. Children:
    1. Stanley[3] Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [11]
    2. Kenneth Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[12]
    3. Earla Prentiss [7]. Born, 29 Jun 1907. She married Robert Harris.

2. Sarah/Sadie Prentiss (Orrin). She married John Frybarger. Children:

  1. Wayne Frybarger.

3. Mabel[3] Prentiss (Henry Edgar). She married Oates Whitney, 1897. Occupation: Doctor. Children:

  1. (child) Whitney. Died in (died young).
  2. (child) Whitney. Died in (died young).

4. Florence Edna Prentiss (Henry Edgar). Born, 1882, in Metamoro, OH. Died, 1971, in Sylvania, OH.

She married Clyde Garfield Gormley, b. 10 Sep 1881 in Crawford, OH, and d. 21 Jul 1942 in Metamora, Fulton County, OH. Bur. in Amboy Cemetery, Metamora. He was the son of John Milton Gormley and Isabelle Nye. Children:

  1. Meredyth Clara[4] Gormley. She married Mr. Gobba.
  2. Winifred Gormley. She married Mr. Shelton.
  3. John Mara Gormley.
  4. Alice Gormley. She married Mr. Schafer.
  5. Prentiss David Gormley. . . . . . . . . . . . [13]
  6. Joanna Gormley. She married Mr. Lancaster.

5. Lelia Mary Prentiss (Charles Wilford). Born, 31 Mar 1890, in Tecumseh, Lenewee, MI. Died, 9 Dec 1969. She married Joseph Franklin Good, 14 Oct 1917. Children:

  1. Josephine Edith Good.
  2. Albert Edward Good.
  3. Robert John Good.
  4. Barbara Anna Good.
  5. Arthur Allen.

6. Mary Louise Prentiss (Charles Wilford) was b. 22 Aug 1910, Fulton Co, OH and died 30 Aug 2003 in Sierra Vista, AZ. Buried Ottawa Hills Mem. Park, Toledo, OH.

Mary m. 1st Jerry Moden which was later annulled.
Mary m. 2nd Fred Dana Smith. He was the son of Hiram Smith and Evalyn Kyper who was a granddaughter of Africa Spaulding (1805-1882, an early settler at Swanton who left a Will) and Harriet Bray. Children of Mary and Fred per Domino Truitt, email, 21 May 2008:

  1. Carol Smith. She m. Robert Fry. Their children included:
    1. Dana Fry
    2. Heidi Fry
  2. Emma Louisa Smith. Died unmarried in December 2000
  3. Julianne Smith, b. 6 Mar 1937. Daughter:
    1. Domino Truitt, b. 27 May 1960. She m. Roderick MacIntosh. No children.
  4. Laura Lee Smith, b. 4 Sep 1947. (She m. Mr. Delice?) Daughter:
    1. Anoosh Delice, b. 26 Dec 1972
  5. Fred Dana Smith Jr. He m. Dee. Children:
    1. Lance Smith.
    2. Fred Smith.
    3. Debbie Smith.
    4. Vicki Smith
  6. Kathryn Smith. She m. Marshall Ojerio.
    1. Caroline Ojerio
    2. Matthew Ojerio

Mary (Prentice) Smith m. 3d Mr. Stoltsen. Deceased by 2003.

Mary (Prentice) Smith m. 4th Shirley V. Griffith.

7. Robert Lyle Prentiss (Charles Wilford). Born, 8 Mar 1922. Died, 26 Jan 1983 and is bur in the Winameg Cem, formerly known as Aetna Cemetery, which os loked in Pike Twp., 1/2 mile N. of Winameg, east side of Co. Rd. 10-2.

He married Hazel Eleanor McArthur who was b. in 1922. Children:

  1. David L. Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . [14]

8. Harley Merton Prentiss (Marvin Butler). Born, 17 Oct 1892, in Metamora, Fulton, OH. Died, 26 Dec 1959, in Mayo Clinic. Burial in Nowata, OK. He married Flo/Florence B. Shirey, 17 Feb 1922. Children:

  1. Marguerite Blance[4] Prentiss. . . . . . . . [15]

9. Harry Leverne Prentiss (Marvin Butler, 6). Born, 17 Oct 1892, in Metamora, Fulton, OH. He married Alma R. Roberts. Born, 30 Aug 1892, in Unk., Hampton, SC. Children:

  1. Kathryn Blanche[4] Prentiss. Born, circa 1935. Residence in SC. She married James Denmark.

10. Glenn B.[3] Prentiss (Ernest B.). Resided, 1980, in Chicago, IL. He married Dorothy. Children:

  1. VirginiaPrentiss. She married Gaither Newman. ii. Rae Prentiss. . . . . . . . . . . [16]
  2. William Prentiss.
  3. Glenn B. Prentiss Jr.
  4. Larry Prentiss.

11. Stanley[3] Prentiss (Clifford). Born, 24 Jul 1902. Not shown in SSDI. He married Mildred Slicker. Children:

  1. Jean Prentiss.
  2. Marilyn Prentiss.

12. Kenneth[3] Prentiss (Clifford). Born, 22 May 1904. Not shown in SSDI. He married Gertrude Kodor. Children:

  1. Michael Prentiss.

13. Prentiss David Gormley, b. 10 Nov 1919. He married, first, Doris Eileen Lasseyon 23 Aug 1941, Lenawee Co., MI. She was b. 9 Feb 1923 in LaSalle, MI. Children:

  1. David Gormley.
  2. Daniel Gormley.
  3. Sandra Gormley.
  4. Michael Gormley.
  5. David Gormley.
He married, second, Louise Cartwright.

14. David L. Prentiss (Robert Lyle). Residence north of Delta in Fulton Co., OH. Occupation: Farner. He married Elaine. Children:

  1. Charles/Chuck Prentiss (adopted).

15. Marguerite Blance Prentiss (Harley Merton5). Born, 14 Jan 1923, in Yale, Payne, OK. She married Arthur Meyer. Occupation: Attorney. Children:

  1. Gary Prentiss[5] Meyer. Born, 6 Nov 1934, in Wellington, TX. Residence in Kansas City, KS. He married Beverly Keck.
  2. Nancy Flo Meyer. . . . . . . . . . [17]
  3. Judy Kay Meyer. Born, 16 Sep 1953, in Nowata, OK. Died, 7 Oct 1979, in St. Louis, MO.

16. Rae Prentiss (Glenn B.). She married Mr. Ladd. Children:

  1. Bruce[5] Ladd.
  2. Brian Ladd.

17. Nancy Flo Meyer. Born, 20 Feb 1947, in Roosevelt, OH. Residence in Nixa, MO. She married Earl S. Kimbell Jr., 1966. Children:

  1. Earl Shadden Kimbell III.
  2. Dana Lynn Kimbell.

References: "Tombstone Inscriptions Fulton County Ohio/Fulton County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society, 305 Chestnut St., Swanton, OH 43558, 1986" and "Cemetery Inscriptions, Fulton County Ohio, compiled by Daughters of the American Revolution, Wauseon Chapter, Wauseon, Ohio 1956".

Who are Abraham C. Prenticess' Parents?

By email of 24 Dec 2003, Kathryn Ojerio provides the following information: "Mother said that either [Abraham C. Prentiss'] father or grandfather father was a Scottish sea captain who never 'set foot in America'." Kathryn says she questioned her mother many times about this, but that her mother was not able to add to the statement. The statement raises some interesting questions:

  1. Does "America" refer to the United States, or does it refer to the American continent which includes Canada? Normal usage would indicate that your mother was indicating that he did not set foot in the United States, but could have set foot in Canada. On the other hand, if he didn't set foot in Canada either, and since we know that Abraham was b. in VT, then the "sea captain" would have to refer to Abraham's grandfather since his father obviously set foot in America.

  2. Does "Scottish sea captain" refer to his country of birth, or does it refer to his ethnic origins in the manner that the 1880 Canadian census would identify a person's origin as Scottish even though it also shows that person was born in Canada?

  3. Might he have died in Scotland, at sea, or elsewhere, leaving a wife and child who came to Canada and/or the United States? Or perhaps he and his wife died in Scotland and only a son emigrated to America

  4. If he were born in Scotland later settled in Canada, would he still be called a "Scottish sea captain" or would he then be referred to simply as a "sea captain" or "sea captain born in Scotland?"

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.

Caution: If you don't use the above email link, your email to us may be deleted as spam by our email filter.


This page is maintained by PrenticeNet.
Comments:  Only registered members can add comments or contact contributors. (Register now?)
No comments on this page.
  Browse   Search  
Current visitors: 45
 

Based on your "USER AGENT" string, we have decided that you have an older browser, are a mobile device, or are a robot. Because of this you have been provided a limited functionality version of PrenticeNet. If this assumption is incorrect, please contact us and provide your user agent string.

USER_AGENT: claudebot