02 February 2012

Ancestor Biography: Adaline L. Dyer

Adaline L. Dyer
6 March 1838-19 December 1917
(Picture found in daughter-in-law's, Hattie Fenn Glover, Family Bible)

My second great grandmother, Adaline L. Dyer, was born 6 March 1838, in New York City.  She was the oldest of five children born to William G. Dyer and Mary Ann (Swallow) Dyer.  Her brothers and sisters were George, Sarah, Mary and William B. Dyer.


Source:  1850 U.S. Census, , population schedule, Cazenovia, Madison, New York, p76 Image 154, dwelling 1072, Wm G. Dyer; digital images, ancestry.com ( accessed 22 October 2009);


Adaline spent her early years living among the hustle and bustle of New York City.  Sometime before 1850, the Dyer family moved to Cazenovia, Madison, New York.  They can be found in the 1850 United States Federal Census here.


Source:  Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).

Additional Marriage Source:   Dibean Jack and Marianne, "Dibean Michigan Marriage Index," [online index], Michigan Family History, The Dibean Michigan Marrage Index (http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/dibeanindex/default.asp: accessed 15 November 2009),
Samuel Stillman Glover and Adda Dyer Marriage.


Another move was in Adaline's future and sometime in the mid 1850's her family moved to Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan.  It is here that she meets her future husband, Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr.  Ada L. Dyer, age 19, and Stillman S. Glover, age 21, were married at Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan by Rev. W.H. Perraie on 2 August 1857.  Later, Adaline's siblings, Mary and George, would attest to the fact that Samuel Stillman Glover, Jr was the same person as Stillman S. Glover.  This attestation is found in Samuel S. Glover Jr.'s civil war pension file.  They say for a reason unknown to them he went by Stillman.  I believe he went by Stillman to avoid confusion with his father, Samuel Stillman and brother, Samuel Worcester. 

Adaline was the mother of two young children under the age of three, Charles and William, when her husband left to serve in the Civil War.  She didn't know for months what had happened to Samuel, the family gave up hope, thinking he had died in war.  Samuel arrived home in 1863 having been injured by a gunshot to the knee.

Adaline and Samuel Glover were the parents of ten children, all of them born in Michigan:
  1. Charles W.
  2. William E.
  3. Frank H.  (my great grandfather)
  4. Mary J.
  5. Louis B.
  6. Laura J.
  7. Sarah W.
  8. Emma D. (twin)
  9. Emerson (twin)
  10. Walter S.
Moving seemed to be Adaline's lot in life, from 1860 to 1917, she moved at least eight times.  The family can be found in the 1860 Census living in Lenawee County, Michigan.  By 1870, Samuel, Adaline and six of their children moved over 250 miles northwest to Manistee, Michigan.  It is here where she gave birth to four more children, two of them being twins.  Adeline experienced the joy of giving birth to twins in July of 1873, but also the heartache of losing them, as Emma and Emerson died in the first year of their life. 



Source:  1870 U.S. Census, population schedule, Manistee Ward 2, Manistee, Michigan, Roll M593_689; Page 200; Image 67, dwelling 25, Adaline Glover; digital images,
ancestry.com (accessed 25 October 2007);

In 1877, Samuel, Adaline and family moved to Hart, Oceana, Michigan.  By 1880, they are found in the census for Muskegon, Muskegon, Michigan.  A move to Milwaukee, Wisconsin took place before 1889, and a move back to Michigan occurred before 1900.

Adaline's husband, Samuel, died in Pleasanton Township, Michigan in 1904.  Adaline, age 66, had to sell two horses and one cow for $175 to pay for the doctor's bill and funeral expenses for Samuel.  She had no income or real estate at this time.

1905 finds Adaline living with her daughter, Sadie (Sarah) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  1910 finds her living in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan with her son, Louis, and his three young children.

Source: Glover, Samuel Stillman; Pension File No. 28715, Civil War Pension File,
(Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration).



Source:  Find-a-Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html :
accessed 10 May 2011), Plot: Section 2 Row 80S, Site 76
Adeline L. Glover Mar 6 1835-Dec 19 1917; gravestone picture.
(Picture used by permission)


At the end of Adaline's life she ends up in the Wisconsin Veteran's Home, King, Wisconsin, dying there 19 December 1917, at the age of 79. Adaline is buried at Wisconsin Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, King, Waupaca, Wisconsin.
 
I can't imagine that Adaline's life was easy with worrying about a husband off to fight in the civil war, to the death of twins, to being poor at the end of her life.  I only hope that the love of family sustained her throughout her life.

2 comments:

  1. I just happened to browse ancestry blogs, and came upon your site. You have a great gift of putting a story to all the facts you have collected. It makes for great reading.
    Elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elisabeth, thank you for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed the story.

    ReplyDelete