Saddle up the prairie schooner, we're going to Iowa.
Among the photographs Sherry Candy Lane inherited from Grandpa Grover is this handsome couple's postcard.
We did a lot of Census reading to compile an intellectual picture to go with this postcard.
In our studying we can compose a family of a George A. Candy who married Ms. Nellie Lake.
Before Nellie Lake became Mrs. Charles Belden she was married to George Candy. She and George had seven children together. Estella, Allie J., Glenn, Nora May, John Erwin, Delbert Alvie, and George Augustus Junior.
Estella, Allie, and Glenn were born to the couple in Iowa.
Little Nora May came in the fall of 1901 as the couple moved to Michigan, Ogemaw County. She only graced the world with her light for a couple brief months. Her father and mother according to the record in an index [ "Michigan, Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHGM-4J8: accessed 26 MAY 2013), G.A. Candy for Nora May Candy, 15 NOV 1901 ]
John "Ted" Erwin Candy was born to them next (+/-1901-1904). And then came Delbert Alvie in August of 1905.
According to "Michigan, Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," index, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHDM-GXV: accessed 26 MAY 2013), George Candy DIED 11 July 1907.
George Candy was forty years old and his birth date was +/-1867. He'd been born in Illinois. Occupation: Farmer
His father's name is listed as John Candy and his mother Sara Taurer.
Nellie, his wife, was pregnant with their seventh child--George Augustus, Jr.
By the 1910 Census we find Nellie re-married to Mr. Charles Belden. Her Obiturary of 1946 tells us she did indeed come from Iowa to Ogemaw about 1900.
Two years after Nellie (nee Lake) Candy Belden died, her son Allie also died. He was in Ann Arbor and was only 51 years old when he passed on the 26th of July. That record tells us he was married. He'd been born the 23rd of July 1897 (Goodell, Iowa) to the parents George Candy and Nellie Lake.
Allie had been a witness to the marriage of Glenn Candy and Beula Edwards but that was way back in 1921. Glenn's parents were also George Candy and Nellie Lake. Beula's parents were Christopher Edwards and Louise Meir. That record can be found in "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925, index and images, MM9.1.1/NQM#-L5J: accessed 26 MAY 2013), George Candy in entry for Glenn Candy and Beula Edwards, 28 NOV 1921.
Allie and Glenn's sister, Estella, she was a nurse. She married a veterinarian named Frank Alger on the 23rd of September 1914. The record, "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3LR-Q22: accessed 26 MAY 2013), Geo. Candy in entry for Frank Alger and Estella Candy, 23 SEP 1914. It tells us that Frank's parents were Frank Alger and Ella Strouple. And Estella's parents were Geo. Candy and Nellie Lake. And that Estella was one of the three born in Iowa.
When we go out to Iowa records we find the marriage between George A. Candy and Nellie Lake:
"Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XJQJ-XQN: accessed 27 MAY 2013), George A. Candy and Nellie Lake, 1896.
Sixth of April 1895
Hancock, Iowa, United States
Nellie's all of twenty years old and her parents were Alonzo Lake and Elizabeth Bennett.
George is a bit older, he's 29. The State Census of 1885 actually asked people to list their ages as of their birthdays in 1884, so some of the ages are a year or two off.
Ten years before their wedding day, George Augustus was a strapping 18 years old and in the household of John and Sarah Candy (although that alone does not necessarily mean that he was their son, the way it's written on the State Census it doesn't say).
"Iowa State Census, 1885," index and images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/HZLY-9WZ: accessed 27 MAY 2013), John Candy, 1885.
Ackley, Etna, Hardin, Iowa. But they came from Illinois.
I really think it's our George. If we look at the Iowa State Census of 1895 we find George, age 28 in John and Sarah's household still. John having been born in Pennsylvania and Sarah in Illinois. The Mary who lives with them is 30 years old. She's the Mary on the 1885 State Census (above) who was an "M.D." And there too, we find Hettie. Hettie is 14 in 1895 and four years old in the 1885 State Census.
We found a grave on Find-A-Grave for Hettie. She was buried as Hattie Gray. And the note says that Hattie, "While living in Hancock, Iowa...ran away from home and changed her name from Candy to Gray." She's buried in the Custer County Cemetery in Miles City, Montana. Her birthdate listed on the Find-A-Grave information card says Hattie Gray was born the 14th f November 1881 in Stephenson County, Illinois and she died on the 7th of January, 1905. We've sent an email to the poster of this information wondering if we might communicate in order to connect up the family tree at this juncture.
And there's Clara M in that household (1885) of John and Sarah Candy. She was born in between Hettie and George Augustus as far as dates go; in 1868. On that State Census of 1885 there are four blank lines after Sarah's name. So there's John (line 7), then Sarah (line 8), then four blank lines, then Mary the M.D. on line 12. George A. is line #13, then Clara M. on fourteen, and little Hettie's on line 15. This is all in Township 89, Range 19, Section 11, W1/2 NE. That's like prehistoric GPSing.
John's a "farmer." And he's the only one in that enumeration "subject to military duty" and "entitled to vote." As far as parentage...John, Sarah, Mary, George A., Clara M. and Hettie's are all "Natives" as opposed to "Foreign."
John was born in Pennsylvania. And Sarah in Illinois. And Mary, George A., Clara M. and Hettie were also born in Illinois.
I observed that these people lived near some Arands, Betets, Krises, Beurers, and Bartlings.
And the closest Post Offices at the time were Robertson, Abbott, and Cleaver--all in Range 89.19 but in sections 19, 34, and 36 respectively.
In 1885, John is about 42 years old and Sarah is close in age, written up as being 41. Then in the next State Census (1895) John and Sarah are 52. And they are Methodists so far as "Religious Belief." The State Census of 1895 asked people about being "Soldiers, Sailors, and Mariners in war of Rebellion," and about being a soldiers in the Mexican War. By that time, the Census that George A. is on is for Hancock, Iowa.
And then he goes and marries Nellie Lake in Hancock as well, that year. Where we find his mother's name as Sarah Maser.
We did some backtracking.
Turns out Clara Candy married Samuel Diamond. ["Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XJWS-KM7: accessed 27 MAY 2013), Samuel Diamond and Clara Candy, 1884. ] That marriage record lists Clara's parents as John Candy and Sarah Mowry. Samuel's are William Diamond and Isabella Clark if you're wondering. This record also gives us Clara's birthdate as 12 December 1860 in Rock Grove, Illinois.
We were wondering about Rock Grove, Illinois ourselves because we'd found our George there in a US Census of 1880. He was thirteen at the time and a farmer. He was the only Candy in a house full of Maurer. That'd be the household of George Maurer and his wife Elizabeth Maurer.
Looks like to us that Sarah Maurer married John Candy and they moved to Iowa before George Augustus did, give or take seven years (for safer researching saying). At that time, in 1880, old George Maurer was aging up into the unbelievably old age of 70. And his wife Elizabeth was already 60 years old.
"United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXK2-6N6: accessed 27 MAY 2013), George Candy
Looking back a little ways more, thirty years...Rock Grove, Stephenson, Illinois...there's George and Elizabeth Maurer, only we can't be sure if Elizabeth is George's wife because that Census doesn;t detail the nature of the relationships in a household. Elizabeth's age is little unclear--looks like 20-something, so she may be the wife or ay have been a child of the original Elizabeth Maurer. There are two farmers in that household (both with a property value of $2000): George Maurer at age 42 and Jacob Maurer (aged 48). And I believe that on Line 15, we find Sarah Maurer, mother of George Augustus ("our George"). Sarah is only seven years old in 1850. Lines 16-19 give us: Moses (5), Mary (3), Daniel (2), and Isaac who is nine months old. These are the people encountered and enumerated as being in dwelling #788, family #838.
"United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M853-6Ti: accessed 27 MAY 2013), George Maurer.
Right...so in 1900 when we see George H. Candy in the Ogemaw Census with Millie we have to take into account spelling variations and typos and reading-O's, as in OH NO, that should've been an "A." That Census, "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org?pal:/MM9.1.1/MS9G-Z9Y: accessed 24 MAY 2013), George H. Candy, 1900 tells us that "our George" was 34 years old, born in Illinois in October of 1866. That Census is the last time we see "our George" on paper as a man in his prime. He died in 1907.
The birth of his last child came in March of 1908, that child was named for his father George Augustus Candy.
