Person:Melissa Van Orsdal (3)

!Birth: Death Certificate and Obituary !Death: Death Certificate

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Obituary
   Death of Mrs. Jacob Bender.

   Death of Mrs. Jacob Bender.
   
   Melissa Van Orsdal was born in Gorham, Ontario county, New York, December 8, 1831. When nearly three years of age, she with her parents, moved to Carlisle, Lorain County, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood.
   
   March 22nd 1853 she was married to Jacob Bender. In 1877 they moved to their present home after a residence of four years in Hancock County, Ohio, and eight years in Algansee, Michigan. She was one of a family of six children, two of whom survive her, Mrs. P.D. Webster and Ira A. Van Orsdal, both of Quincy. She was the mother of seven children. Della, the eldest child, was burned to death at the age of twenty-one; Hiram E. died in infancy. Her husband, four daughters, Cassie, Mrs. Mary E. Sisson, Mrs. Electa B. Strang, Mrs. Ruby D. Rayn and one son, Frank E., are left to mourn their loss.
   
   She showed by every act of her unselfish life, that for her it was more blessed to give than to receive; Faith fully fulfilling every requirement of domestic life as wife and mother, “she hath done what she could.’ Loved and respected by a large circle of friends, idolized by her family, she will be missed more than words can tell.
   
   Although she made no religious profession, yet she was not without hope. We believe mother is waiting for us in a better, brighter world.
   
   Nearly three years ago her health began to fail. All that loving friends and relatives could do was unavailing. Patiently she bore her suffering, until death relieved her, Saturday, February 21, 1903, aged 71 years, 2 months and 13 days, within one month of the fiftieth anniversary of her marriage.
   
   The funeral was held at the home in Northeast Quincy at 10 o’clock, Tuesday, February 24th, conducted by Rev. H. A. McConnell, and was largely attended by relatives and friends. There was a profusion of beautiful flowers, which she loved so well, the casket being literally covered with the choicest kinds, roses and carnations predominating. Burial was made in Lakeview.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 1880 Census.

   1880 Census – Quincy, Branch County, Michigan
   5 June 1880
   
   Bender, Jacob, white male, age 50, head, married, occupation: farmer, born Germany, parents born Germany
   Melissa, white female, age 48, wife, married, occupation: housekeeping, born New York, parents born New York
   
   Franklin E., white male, age 22, son, single, farming, born Ohio.
   Phebe C., white female, age 17, daughter, single, housekeeping, attended school, born Ohio
   Mary E. white female, age 14, daughter, single, housekeeping, attended school, born Ohio
   Electa A., white female, age 12, daughter, single, housekeeping, attended school, born Ohio
   Ruby, white female, age 6, daughter, single, attended school, born Michigan

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 1870 Census.

   1870 Census – Algansee, Branch County, Michigan
   25 July 1870
   
   Bender, Jacob, age 40, white male, farmer, 1,400 real estate value, 390 personal estate, born Holland, parents of foreign birth.
   
   Melissa, age 38, white female, keeping house, born New York,
   Lucy, age 14, white female, at home, born Ohio, father of foreign birth.
   Franklin, age 12, white male, at home, born Ohio, father of foreign birth.
   Phoebe, age 7, white female, born Ohio
   Mary, age 5, white female, born Ohio.
   Electa, age 3, white female, born Ohio

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 1900 Census.

   1900 census for Quincy Township, Branch County, Michigan
   18 Jun 1900
   
   Jacob Bender, head, white male, born Oct 1829, age 70, married 47 years, born Germany, parents born Germany, farmer, 0 months not employed, can read, write, speak, English. Owned farm free of mortgage.
   
   Melissa, wife, white female, born Dec 1831, age 68, married 47 years, 7 children, 5 now living, born New York, parents born New York,.
   
   Phebe, daughter, white female, born July 1863, age 36, single, no children, born Ohio, father, Germany, mother New York.

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Death Certificate
   State of Michigan, Department of State, Division ofVital Statistics 192.

   Death Certificate for
   Melissa Bender, white female, Married. Age at marriage 21 years. Parents of 7 children, 5 now living. Born 8 Dec 1831, age at death 71 years, 2 months 13 days. Occupation; Housekeeping. Born New York, Father: John Van Orsdal, born NY., Mother: Elizabeth Phillips, born NY. Informant: Mrs. L. H. Ryan (Ruby Bender Ryan, her daughter.)
   
   Date of death: 21 Feb 1903
   Cause of death: Dropsy and disease of the heart. Duration: 3 years. Contributory: Bronchitis. Duration 30 days.
   Place of burial: Quincy, Michigan. Date of Burial 24 Feb 1903.

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 1850 Census.

   1850 Census for Carlisle Township, Lorain County, Ohio
   10 Sept 1850
   
   John VanOrcal (that’s how it appears), age 50, male, farmer, 2500 value, born New York
   Elizabeth, age 45, female, born New York.
   Melissa, age 18, female, born New York
   Phebe, age 16, (could be 10, but in order of age, probably 16) female, born New York.
   Hiram, age 15, male, born Ohio
   Priscilla, age 10, female, born Ohio, attended school.
   James, age 7, male, born Ohio, attended school.
   Ira, age 6, male, born Germany (probably a mistake of census taker), attended school.

7. ↑ Ancestry.com
   Family record collection?.

   Family Data Collection - Individual Records
   about Melissa Vanorsdal
   
   Name: Melissa Vanorsdal
   Spouse: Melissa Vanorsdal
   Parents: John Vanorsdal , Elizabeth Phillips
   Birth Place: Ontario, Gorham, NY
   Birth Date: Dec 1831
   Marriage Place: R J, Branch, MI
   Marriage Date: 22 Mar 1853
   Death Place: R J, Branch, MI
   Death Date: 21 Feb 1903

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 GEDCOM file submitted by From Bruce Bender. Created on 26 NOV 2006. Imported on 26 Nov 2006..
9. ↑ Letter
   from Cecile Ryan Strobel to Norma Strang Larsen.

   Melissa Bender was known to be a very kind, gentle, fine woman.

10. ↑ Letter
    from Ceciile to Norma Strang Larsen.

    I always heard that my grandma Bender, Melissa was a very kind, gentle, fine woman and I wish that I could have known her, but she died 6 years before I was born.
    
    Like lots of others in her time, she had a hard life and made many sacrifices.
    
    It is my own opinion that the Van Orsdals were of better stock than the Benders–more genteel and better breeding.

11. ↑ Letter
    from Cecile Ryan Strobel to Norma Strang Larsen.

    Grandma Bender (Melissa) named her children after a lot of those Phillipses and others of her ancestors. For instance: Melissa’s son, Hiram , who died as a baby, was named after Hiram Phillips; Lucy Idella after Lucy Phillips; Mary Elizabeth after Elizabeth VanOrsdal (Melissa's Mother) and Ruby Bender after one of Isaac's children and born on the same day as Ruby R.. Oct. 9. Electa Belle Bender Strang maybe was named after Belle Fey, a niece in Ohio. Phoebe Catherine after Melissa's sister, Phoebe. Phoebe Catherine was always known as Cassie

12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4} Obituary
    Obituary for Jacob Bender.

    Jacob Bender was born October 11, 1829 and died January 5, 1920, aged 90 years, two months and 24 days. He was married to Melissa Van Orsdal, March 22, 1853. Mrs. Bender died February 21, 1903, they having been married 50 years lacking one month.
    
    The moved from their residence in Lorain County to Hancock County, Ohio in 1864, where they resided four years.
    
    They then moved to Algansee, Michigan where they resided until 1877, from thence they moved to their farm in northeast Quincy, where they have made their home 38 years, moving to Qunicy Village five years ago. Seven children were born to them, five of whom are now living. Frank Bender of Litchfield, Cassie Soper of Quincy, Mary Sisson of Rock Springs, Montana, Electa Strang and Ruby Ryan of Quincy, Michigan, besides fifteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.
    
    Mr . Bender was a man of great vitality, having had very little sickness during his long life, and retained his mental faculties perfectly up to a few hours preceding his death.
    
    The funeral services were held at the home on Jackson Street Wednesday afternoon., January 7, Rev. C. D. Page officiating with burial at Lakeview cemetery.

13. ↑ Newspaper
    on Death of Lucy Idella Bender Poats.

    Death of Lucy Idella Bender Poats
    
    Mrs. Frank Poats of Algansee, was so terribly burned on Wednesday last by her clothing taking fire from a cook stove, that she died in about 12 hours from the time of the accident. She was the daughter of J. Bender, was 21 years of age, and had been married only about one year.
    
    
    QUINCY ITEMS below:
    Quincy, June 14, 1877
    ~~~A most distressing and fatal accident occurred in Algansee yesterday, some seven miles from here. Mrs. Lucy I. Poats, wife of Frank Poats, was at work about a cook stove, when she discovered that her clothing was on fire. She caught a quilt from the bed and tried to smother the fire by wrapping herself in it, but did not succeed in putting it out. Her husband, who was near, came to her help, but before the fire was extinguished it had burned off a large part of her clothing. From her waist down, and on both arms, the flesh was literally cooked. She lived some twelve hours afterward, when death relieved her sufferings. She had been married a little more than a year, and was in her 22nd year.