Person:John Barnes (2)

Notes left by my mother, Arlin Barnes Wood, stated that John Franklin Barnes married Aurora A._________ in New York State about 1868 and moved to Michigan shortly after. Their firstborn was Evangeline in 1871 in Michigan. Eva died at age 17 in 1888. Their second child was Lafayette born 12 February 1873 and died 13 August 1873. His mother died the day after he was born.

The 1880 census (June 8 and 9, 1880) shows John F. Barnes living in Vevay Township, Ingham County, Michigan, born in New York State, age 35 (born about 1845?), a farm laborer and married to "Sarah" Barnes ( Mary J.(??)) Children living with them were Eva Barnes, daughter, age 9 yrs ( Evangeline from his first marriage to Aurora), Emma Barnes, daughter, age 6 yrs, Levi Barnes, son, age 3 yrs, and Loren Barnes, son, age 1yr. According to the census, Sarah Barnes and all four children were born in Michigan. Also living in the house were Harvey Goucher, brother-in-law, age 28, born in Michigan and a farm laborer, and Clara Goucher, sister-in-law, age 19, born in Michigan and keeping house. Also one boarder, Nel Gutchers(sp?) male, age 13 yrs, born in New York State. [Mason, the County seat, is in the northwest corner of Vevay Township.] Was Harvey a brother of Mary J. or was Clara a sister of Mary J.?

John Franklin Barnes had three wives, Aurora, Mary J., and Rosa. Aurora died in Michigan on February 13, 1873 as a complication of Lafayette's birth (Lafayette on August 13, 1873). John Franklin married Mary J. in 1873 (mother of Emma Barnes born April 13, 1874) and she died on May 13, 1887 (tombstone of JFB) I believe the enumerator recorded Sarah which was a nickname? for Mary J. He married Rosa May Wardwell on August 29 1888. I checked with the County Clerk in Mason and the Town Clerk of Vevay Township and the City Clerk in Mason: none of the above were buried in the Mason Cemetary or in the three cemetarys owned by the township. It seems that the County Clerk's office should have records of their deaths in the death Book. I later found John Franklin Barnes grave in the City of St. Louis Cemetary in Gratiot County. His tombstone lists names and dates for all three wives and for Evangeline and Lafayette. I have not yet ascertained the fact that JFB had all of their remains relocated to St Louis. --Leonard Wood

I found a tombstone in NY for John F's wife. And I don't recall the exact spelling of her name there, but on the stone at the St. Louis Cemetery, it appears to be Arvilla - not Aurora.

-Betty Driscoll

1. ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/i/c/Rhonda-S-Richards/TREE/0001tree.html.
2. ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/r/i/c/Rhonda-S-Richards/TREE/0001tree.htmn.