William Harrington 1856-1904

William Harrington was my great grandfather.

William Harrington

Born September 1856 in Michigan

Son of Theophillis J. Harrington and Charlotte Mills

Brother of Sarah A Harrington, John Theophilas Harrington, James Silas Harrington and Eva Harrington

Husband of Fidelia N. Ordaway — married September 27, 1884 in Dundee, Monroe, Michigan, United States

Father of Hattie Mae Harrington, May P Harrington, Nellie Harrington, Clara Harrington and Ella Harrington

Died 1904 in Traverse City, Grand Traverse, Michigan, United States

Emma Kendall Knorr Pennington

Emma was my grandmother and I didn't know her very well. I have two memories of her. When I was about five years old, I went to stay with her for a week. By that time, she was married to Earl Pennington. I remember them both as very gentle people and also devout Christians - perhaps Mennonite? If not Mennonite, something close.

My Mom was just teaching me to polish my shoes and it was one of my weekly jobs. Evidently Gramma didn't think it would be a good idea to let a five year old polish her own shoes because she told me "no". As you might guess, I did end up polishing them and hopefully I didn't make too much of a mess for her! :)

The only other memory of her I have is that of her at her funeral. It was almost traumatic for me and one of the reasons I don't agree with children attending funerals.

My Mom told me that Emma saved one of my older siblings. They were very ill and Gramma made some kind of poultice that cured them. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for my brother, "Fritzie". He died when he was around two years old and Mom still talked of him years later. I couldn't imagine losing a child but I know it affected her until the day she died.

Emma S Kendall 

Born February 1881 

Daughter of Joshua S Kendall and Mary Molly Cobb

Sister of Katie Kendall, Grace A Kendall, John Wesley Kendall, Emma Knorr and Charles Summer Supper Kendall

Wife of Fredrick A. Knorr — married 

Wife of Earl G Pennington — married

Mother of Lester L. Knorr, Emerson L. Knorr Sr., Alta Thelma Knorr, Leo K Pennington, Amos J Pennington and Everett M Pennington 

Died April 27, 1961 in Fulton County, Fulton, Ohio, United States

1910 Marion County, Missouri Census listing Emma Kendall, Lester, Emerson and Alta living with someone named, "Mary Cline" after my grandfather died.

Frederick A. Knorr

Fredrick A. Knorr 

Born August 16, 1873 in Illinois, United States

Son of Frederick J Knorr and Matilda E Weidenhamer

Brother of Mattie Knorr, Elizabeth Knorr, Amelia Knorr, Minnie Knorr, Catherine W Knorr, Anna Virginia Knorr and Ella Nancy Knorr 

Husband of Emma S Kendall — married

Father of Lester L. Knorr, Emerson L. Knorr Sr. and Alta Thelma Knorr

Died February 17, 1906 in Illinois, United States

Sources:

The Quincy Journal, Monday, February 19, 1906

I compiled this from a pdf of the story using Printscreens. Pdf's can't be uploaded on Blogger.

George Thomas Hadd

George Thomas Hadd 

Born April 27, 1888 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, USA

Son of James H Hadd and Elsie E Ames

Brother of Bertha May Hadd and Sarah M Hadd 

Husband of Sylvia M Hadd Reynolds — 

Husband of Nellie Harrington — married February 25, 1907 in Omer, Arenac, Michigan, United States

Husband of Mary Agnes Johnson — married August 9, 1922 in Alpena, Alpena, Michigan, United States

Husband of Viola May Pratt Walker — married 1953 in Wausaukee, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States

Father of George Henry Hadd, Edmund V Hadd, Sylvia (Selvia, Silvia) Margueritte Hadd, Alie E Hadd and Lester G Hadd

Died March 29, 1980 in Crivitz, Marinette, Wisconsin, United States of America

Update: July 6, 2016.

The more research I do, the more questions I have. I recently found that my Grandparents, George Thomas Hadd and Nellie Hadd were divorced. I have so many questions, I hardly know where to start.

George and Nellie was divorced February 3, 1917 and it was filed June 5, 1916. Grounds were extreme cruelty as you can see. The paperwork cited three children who were born to the couple. Right now, I can't understand why my Grandmother kept my Mom, Sylvia when they had another child who was Edmund.

Look at this marriage license of George's and Louisa Charbonneau in 1916. Is this the same George? Some of the details fit. Edmund was later named Charbonneau:

I am very confused. I found Edmund, Alie and a baby living with my Grandfather in 1920:

If Edmund was the same age as my Mom Sylvia, and was her brother, why were they not living together? My Mom always thought she was the lone survivor of George and Nellie's children.

Also, for another confusion: I found George and Lucinda Herington's marriage license. They were 18 and 16 when they married.

It lists the bride's mother as Ordiway which is Nellie's Mom. I searched for Nellie's birth certificate but I can't find one yet.

Another issue are two different draft registrations for George:

And the second:

Isn't this proof that there are two George Hadd's? The date of birth and signatures are different.

Also, I found a marriage license for George and Mary Reynolds. I believe the above name is wrong and I will change it from Sylvia Reynolds to Mary:

Previous entry of 2013:

George was my grandfather but unfortunately, I never met him. He never got in touch with my Mother.

Life was different back in the early 1900's and this happened frequently to families. I've never understood it but apparently it was accepted then. It's a shame.

If his other family members read this, could you please write to me and let me know what kind of man he was? My Mother was told some unfavorable things about him and honestly, it's hard to believe. Perhaps she was told those things so that she wouldn't miss him so much, I'm not sure but it seems a likely reason. I'd like to know if he ever thought of her.

*Note: I'm not sure if he was married to Sylvia M. Hadd Reynolds. It seems peculiar to me that he and Nellie Harrington would have a daughter that was named Sylvia M. (Margueritte) if he had previously married a "Sylvia". 

Nellie Harrington Hadd

Nellie Harrington was my Grandmother.

Born September 17, 1892 in Petersburg, Monroe, Michigan, United States

Daughter of William Harrington and Fidelia N. Ordaway

Sister of Hattie Mae Harrington, May Harrington, Clara Harrington, Nellie Hadd and Ella Harrington

Wife of George Thomas Hadd — married February 25, 1907 in Omer, Arenac, Michigan, United States

Mother of George Henry Hadd and Sylvia (Selvia, Silvia) Margueritte Hadd

Died November 16, 1918 in Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan, United States

My Grandmother died during the influenza pandemic of 1918. Her death certificate lists peritonitis as a result of influenza. I didn't know the flu could cause peritonitis.

She left my Mom an orphan. To be honest, I don't know what happened to my Grandfather because he was still alive. I assume he was in the war because her Grandmother and Aunt told Mom they received payment for her from her Father because of the war. Again, I'm not sure why he never went back for her and it affected her. She missed him and was almost in agony when she found out he lived until the '80's without contacting her.

Her name is spelled differently depending on which year's census you look at. I've included all the spellings here. She always spelled her name, "Sylvia".

George Henry Hadd died in infancy. 

Sylvia Hadd Knorr 1910-2002

Sylvia Margueritte Knorr formerly Hadd 

Born January 5, 1910 in Omer, Arenac, Michigan, USA

Daughter of George Thomas Hadd and Nellie Harrington

Sister of George Henry Hadd, Edmund V Hadd, Alie E Hadd and Lester G Hadd. George Henry died in infancy the year before my Mom was born. The others are step-siblings whom she never knew.

Wife of Emerson L. Knorr Sr. 

Mother of Emerson J Knorr, Lucille Knorr, Fred Edward Knorr, Genevieve Knorr Nine, Richard Knorr, Robert Knorr, Michael Knorr and Cathy C. Knorr

Died May 20, 2002 in Adrian, Lenawee, Michigan, United States of America

What can I say about my Mother that would properly honor her memory? I hope I can put into words how grateful I am that she was the kind of Mom that she was.

Mom was a simple woman and never wanted for anything. She didn't care about the latest gadgets nor was she a slave to fashion. She lived a simple, frugal life long before it was fashionable. As long as we had food to eat, clothing to wear and a roof over our head, she was happy.

I had the utmost stable childhood. Meals were always on the table and she was there when I came home from school. She washed clothes on Monday and ironed on Tuesday back when ironing was necessary. The beds were always made and the dishes done directly after dinner. She kept a clean house and I was never ashamed to have friends over.

Mom had a religious upbringing and believed in God. I don't remember her going to church regularly but her spirituality and beliefs ruled her life. She had a definite sense of right and wrong and I suppose that's where some of my attitudes come from.

My Dad and her were married nearly sixty years when my Dad died. She lived another, close to thirty years anyway and didn't look at another man.

My Mom was someone to look up to and emulate.

Emerson L. Knorr 1904-1976

Emerson Lowell "Red" Knorr Sr.

Born March 3, 1904 in Illinois

Son of Fredrick A. Knorr and Emma S Kendall

Brother of Lester L. Knorr, Alta Thelma Knorr, and step-brothers, Leo K Pennington, Amos J Pennington and Everett M Pennington 

Husband of Sylvia Margueritte Hadd — married May 26, 1927 in Toledo, Lucas, Ohio, United States

Father of Emerson J Knorr, Lucille Knorr, Fred Edward Knorr, Genevieve Knorr Nine, Richard Knorr, Robert Knorr, Michael Knorr and Cathy C. Knorr

Died December 17, 1976 in Adrian, Michigan

Emerson was my Father. As a family man, my father was quiet and gentle natured. He never once laid a hand on me but then he didn't have to! All he had to do was look at me and I knew I had done something wrong. He had these eyes that turned a light, steely grey when he wasn't happy with you. I didn't question that - I just quickly stopped what I was doing!

I only remember Mom and Dad fighting one time - the week my brother went to Vietnam. My father decided to forget by going to the local tavern. (And this was unusual for him). He came home and needless to say, Mom wasn't happy. Dad wasn't either tho - he brought home eggs and eventually those eggs ended up being tossed against the fridge. Do you know that not a single one of those eggs broke? That seemed to lighten the mood a little because Mom just went over, picked them up and put them in the fridge. That ended the fight.

Not bad for growing up in a family is it? One fight that was probably brought on by the stress of a son going to war. I wish every child could have grown up as I did.

Three months before my Dad had his stroke, I had gotten into the habit of calling him every day. I'll never forget some of those conversations. We talked about everything from being a new wife to the local happenings. I was getting to know the "man" that was my father.

Then one day I called and Mom told me he couldn't come to the phone. He had such a severe headache and both Mom and I knew he was having a stroke.

Two and a half years later, he died from that stroke. I am thankful that I finally came to know him as an adult. To be honest, it wasn't enough time but I'm grateful for the time I had with him.

I was probably twelve or thirteen and Dad and I use to go fishing together. I was a tomboy, don't ya know! Still, he would bait my hooks. We would spend hours in that boat not saying a word.

We would troll around that lake and there was a big fish that liked a certain deep hole. One of those times, I hooked it and almost panicked. I knew how badly my father wanted it caught. There was a like this competition between him and that thing. He talked me through it and we were both excited. It got almost to the side of the boat and I lost it! LOL We had a good laugh about that for quite a while.

Another vivid memory I have is at the back of the church when I was about to get married. I hesitated going in and was having a difficult time. He gave me a choice, it was simple. Either you get married or you don't. He had a few other words but I'll keep those to myself. Yes, I did walk down that isle with my Father by my side.

I'm 59 years old and still miss him. I don't think that's ever going to go away.





Sources:

1910 Census:

Census showing my grandmother Emma Kendall living with someone named Clyne after my grandfather died.