Ancestors of Alan Stokes - Generation B

Ancestors of Alan Thomas Stokes

Generation B

Parents

Father Richard Allen Stokes [2] (Living-Private Records)
Mother Margaret Ann Ebersol [3] 
(1939-2016)

Margaret Ann Ebersol was born November 4, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan to Henry David Ebersol and Doris May Hutchens.  She married Richard Allen Stokes on June 9, 1962. She worked as an elementary school teacher for 35 years. She had two sons, Alan and Michael. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and earned her Masters of Education from Michigan State University. She enjoyed making afghans, ceramics, studying the Bible, serving at her church (Mount Pleasant First Church of the Nazarene), and spending time with her family.  She died on April 20, 2016, at her home following a steady decline from the effects of dementia. Her obituary is online at Legacy.com. Her interment is in the Memorial Gardens in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. 

Ancestors of Alan Stokes - Generation F

Ancestors of Alan Thomas Stokes

GENERATION F

Paternal  Great Great Great Grandparents

PARENTS OF THOMAS NEWTON STOKES 2222

KINCHEN STOKES 22222 

(1780-1863)

Kinchen Stokes was born in 1780, in Virginia to Christopher Stokes and Jane Davis . He married Nancy Newsom on December 13, 1802, in Rowan County, North Carolina. They moved to Tennessee to start their young family. He died on October 3, 1863, in Tennessee.

NANCY NEWSOM 22223 

(1782-1868)

Nancy Newsom was born in 1782, in North Carolina to Lewis Newsom and Mildred Vick . She died on July 4, 1868, in Tennessee.

STOKES/NEWSOM CHILDREN

1. Susan Stokes 22223a (1805-1863) Susan Stokes was born in 1805, in Virginia. Susan Stokes married Ignatius F. Woods. They had 4 children: Unknown (b. 1825), Louisa Jane Woods (b. 1827), Mary Ann Woods (b. 1829) and Sophronia Woods (b. 1831). Susan Stokes died in 1863, in Bedford County, Tennessee.
2. Mary Ann Stokes 22223b (1808-Before 1863). Mary Stokes was born in 1808. She married Edward Smith. They had the following children: Jasper Newton Smith (b. 1828); Caroline Smith (b. about 1830); Nancy Ann Smith (b. 1833); and Mary Elizabeth Smith (b. 1836). Mary Ann Stokes died before 1863.
3. John Mumford Stokes 22223c (1814-1878). John Mumford Stokes was born on September 15, 1814. He married Rebecca Gant (1812-1875). They had the following children: Anne Stokes (b. 1838), Horatio Kinchen Stokes (b. 1842), Henry Clay Stokes (b. 1844), Micajah C. Stokes (b. 1848), Southern C. (Suds) Stokes (b. 1850), William George Stokes (b. 1852), and Sallie Stokes (b. unknown). After Rebecca Gant died (August 12, 1875), John Mumford Stokes married a lady named Nannie (1848-1910). They had a daughter named Lucy Stokes (b. 1877). John Mumford Stokes died on August 5, 1878, and is buried in the Stokes Cemetery in Tennessee.
4. Elizabeth Jane Stokes 22223d (1816-1888). Elizabeth Jane Stokes married Thomas Jefferson Brown.
5. Micajah Stokes 22223e (b. 1823). Micajah Stokes married a lady named Sarah (b. 1833). They had the following children: Sarah Stokes (b. 1851), Mary Stokes (b. 1853), Lucinda Stokes (b. 1855), Kinchen Stokes (b. 1858), and David Stokes (b. 1859).
6. THOMAS NEWTON STOKES 22223f (1825-1877) Direct Descendent - See Generation E.

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PARENTS OF FRANCES ELIZABETH MOORE 2223

COL. JOHN AUDLAND MOORE 22232 

 (1798-1868)

Col. John Audland Moore was born on September 28, 1798, in Rowan County, North Carolina. On April 1, 1823, he married Nancy Yell.  He died on July 11, 1868, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

NANCY YELL 22233 

(1803-1883)

Nancy Yell was born on July 13, 1803, in Jefferson (Dekalb County), Tennessee. On April 1, 1823, she married John Audland Moore. Nancy Yell died on March 27, 1883.

MOORE/YELL CHILDREN

1. Frances Elizabeth Moore 22233a (1829-1901) Direct Descendent-See Generation E.
2. Mary Catherine Moore 22233b (b. 1833)
3. James A. Moore 22233c (b. 1835)
4. Archibald G. Moore 22233d (1838-1915). Archibald Moore was born Aug. 3, 1838, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He married Mattie J. Tune, who was born on January 27, 1849, in Bedford County, Tennessee. Archibald G. Moore died on June 11, 1915, in Bedford County, Tennessee.
5. John F. Moore 22233e (b. 1841) John F. Moore was born in 1841 in Tennessee.
6. Nancy C. Moore 22233f (b. 1844)
7. Andrew Moses Moore 22233g (1846-1910). This was taken from the Shelbyville (Tennessee) Gazete, January 20, 1910. Dr. Andrew Moses Moore, a surgeon in the U.S. Navy, retired, died January 12, 1910 in Naples, Italy. Born in Bedford County near Shelbyville in 1845. His wife, former Miss Jennie Nixon Fite, daughter of Jacob C. Fite and Mary Coldwll Fite, was with him at his d e a t h. Burial in Naples, Italy. In the process of research this e-mail message was received from the Ulysses S. Grant Association regarding Dr. Andrew Moses Moore.

"Dear Alan T. Stokes, All we have about Dr. Andrew M. Moore, without checking intensively, is information that on March 29, 1869, Grant sent a message to the Senate nominating Moore as assistant surgeon. This was his initial appointment in the Navy. If you are successful in finding out more about Dr. Moore, please share the information with us. We are always eager to enhance our resources. John Y. Simon Ulysses S. Grant Association Morris Library Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Ill. 62901"

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PARENTS OF JOHN THOMAS BOMAR 2232

JOSEPH B. BOMAR 22322 

(1825-1897) 

Joseph Bomar was born on March 6, 1825, in Bedford County, Tennesse to Elijah Bomar and Frances Harris . He died on January 6, 1897.

FRANCES "FANNIE" HURT 22323 

(1827-1902)

Frances "Fannie" Hurt was born on November 12, 1827 in probably Bedford County and died on April 19, 1902, in Beford County, Tennessee.

BOMAR/HURT CHILDREN

1. Mary C. Bomar 22323a (1851-1909). Mary Bomar was born in 1851 and died in 1909. She married a William H. McGee.
2. Joseph Henry Bomar 22323b (b. 1853). Joseph Henry Bomar was born in 1853 in Tennessee.
3. William J. Bomar 22323c (b. 1855). William J. Bomar was born in 1855 in Tennessee.
4.  Eliza J. Bomar 22323d (b. 1858). Eliza J. Bomar was born in 1858 in Tennessee.
5.  Mary C. Bomar 22323e  
6.  John Thomas Bomar 2232 (1860-1935) Direct Descendent - See Generation E.
7.  Fannie Hannah Bomar 22323f (b. 1863). Fannie Bomar was born in 1863 in Tennessee.
8.  Robert Bomar 22323g (b. 1867). Robert Bomar was born in 1867 in Tennessee.
9.  Ursala Bomar 22323h (b. 1869). Ursala Bomar was born in 1869 in Tennessee.

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PARENTS OF ALTONA CATHERINE MOORE 2233 TILLMAN TENNESSEE MOORE 22332 

(1827-1883)

Tillman Tennessee Moore was born on May 20, 1827, in Bedford County, Tennessee to Green M. Moore and Sarah Cooper. There marriage date is unknown but they were listed as a household in the 1850 census and lived next door to Green M. Moore household. Tillman Moore died on January 6, 1883, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

MARY FRANCES HOLT 22333 

(1833-1915)

Mary Frances Holt was born on March 6, 1833, in Bedford County, Tennessee to Henry Holt and Elizabeth McGuire. She died on March 18, 1915, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

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PARENTS OF ISAAC GILRUTH WOTEN 2332

EDWARD BELL WOTEN 23322 

(1823-1908)

Edward Bell Woten was born on September 21, 1823, in Jackson County, Ohio to Samuel Woten and Hethy Hughes. He married Mary E. Porter on May 24, 1848 in Indiana. Aftter his wife Mary Porter died in 1861 he married Mary M. Hunter on July 26, 1863 in Jay County, Indiana (Mary M. Hunter was born on March 7, 1832 in Vermillion County, Illinois). Edward Bell Woten had served as a private in the Civil War. He died on October 26, 1908 and is burried in the Salmonia Cemetery in Jay County, Indiana. The following is a photo of his grave submittd to Find a Grave.

MARY E. PORTER 23323 

(1833-1861)

Mary E. Porter was born in 1833 in Randolph County, Indiana to George Porter and Elizabeth Steel. She married Edward B. Woten on May 24, 1848 in Indiana. Mary E. Porter died on July 17, 1861, in Jay County, Indiana. Her Find a Grave site has more information on her.

WOTEN/PORTER CHILDREN

1. Elizabeth H. Woten 23323a (1851-1880)
2. George Washington Woten 23323b (1850-1886). George Washington Woten was born on March 30, 1850 in Indiana and died in 1886 in Chicago. 
3. Samuel V. Woten 23323c (1853-1855)
4. Sarah J. Woten 23323d (b. 1857)
5. Isaac Gilruth Woten 2332 (1860-1943) Direct Descendent - See Generation E

Edward Woten had 5 more children with his second wife Mary Hunter for a total of 8 children. 

WOTEN/HUNTER CHILDREN

1. Edward Frank Woten 23322f (1864-1871)
2. John Wesley Woten 23322g (1866-1930)
3. Nathan Benjamin Woten 23322h (1869-1891)
4. James Harlin Woten 23322i (1873-1890)
5. Flora Bell Woten Farber 23322j (1873-1953)

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PARENTS OF SUE ELLEN MAST 2333

JOHANN GEORGE MAST 23332 

(1828-1909)

Johann was born on April 1, 1828, in Wirlenberg, Germany. Johann married Maria Catherine Motteller on October 1, 1853, in Union County, Ohio. Johann George Mast died on March 23, 1909, in Jay County, Indiana.

MARIA CATHERINE MOTTELLER 23333 

(1832-1870)

Maria was born in April, 1832, in Wirlenberg, Germany. Maria married Johann George Mast on October 1, 1853, in Union County, Ohio. Maria died before 1870, in Union County, Ohio.

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Maternal Great Great Great Grandparents PARENTS OF HENRY EBERSOL 3222

JOHN P. EBERSOL 32222 

(B. about 1788-D. about 1868)

John P. Ebersol was born about 1788 and died about 1868. John's parents were Jacob Ebersole and Unknown . He married an Elizabeth Minich. (Source: E162 Database). They lived in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

ELIZABETH MINNICH 32223 

Elizabeth Minnich was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth's father was John Minnich .

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PARENTS OF JOSEPH SHOOK 3232

HENRY SHOOK 32322 

(1818-1884)

Henry Shook was born on January 22, 1818 in Pennsylvania and died on November 23, 1884. He is buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

CHARLOTTE GOODMAN 32323 

(1815-1900)

Charlotte Goodman was born on February 24, 1815 in Pennsylvania. She died on February 5, 1900 in Pennsylvania. She is buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

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PARENTS OF CLARA GAMBLE 3323

THOMAS GAMBLE 33232 

(1824-1892) 

Thomas Gamble was born on Aug. 2, 1824, in Groveland, Livingston, New York to David Gamble and Rebecca Carrell. At some point as a young man he moved to Michigan to start his young family in Hillsdale County. His occupation was as a farmer in Somerset Township of Hillsdale County in Michigan. He married Rebecca Kuder about 1845, in Hillsdale, Michigan. His name is listed on the bottom of page 494b of the 1850 Census of Hillsdale County, Michigan . Thomas Gamble died on Nov. 25, 1892 and is buried in Pease Cemetery in Wheatland Township, Michigan.

REBECCA KUDER 33233 

(1827-1916) 

Rebecca Kuder was born on Sept. 19, 1827, in New York to John Kuder and Catherine Lorish. Rebecca married Thomas Gamble about 1845, in Hillsdale, Michigan. Rebecca Gamble is listed on the top of page 495a of the 1850 Census of Hillsdale County, Michigan . Rebecca Kuder died on April 13, 1916, in Somerset, Michigan and is buried in Pease Cemetery in Wheatland Township, Michigan.

GAMBLE/KUDER CHILDREN

1. Edward Frank GAMBLE (Frank) 33233a (1848-1905). Edward Frank Gamble was born on Nov. 11, 1848, and died on Feb. 12, 1905.
2. Sarah Catherine GAMBLE (Kate) 33233b (1850-1918). Sarah Catherine Gamble was born May 17, 1850, in Somerset Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan. She was known as Kate. She married Amos H. ROSIER in 1866. She and Amos Rosier had two children: 1. Nettie Adelaide ROSIER (born Dec. 25, 1867 and died Feb. 7, 1917), 2. Clarence ROSIER (born Aug. 9, 1872 and died in 1924). After Amos Rosier's death, Kate married Jonas G. Helfield in May, 1910. They had no children. She died on March 1, 1918 in Addison, Lenawee County, Michigan.
3. Eugene GAMBLE 33233c (1853-1939) Eugene Gamble was born July 4, 1853 He married Ellen Isabella Gregg. He and Ellen Gregg had the following four children: 1. Nina D. GAMBLE( born Aug 1, 1879 and died Sept. 28, 1886). 2. Loretta Naomi GAMBLE (born Dec. 8, 1885 and died Jan. 22, 1916) 3. Zaida Merle GAMBLE (born Oct. 20, 1889 and died Nov. 28, 1938). 4. Marian E. GAMBLE (born Dec. 12, 1891 and died unknown). Eugene Gamble died March 24, 1939.
4. Clara GAMBLE 33233d (b. 1856). Direct Descendent- See Generation E.

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PARENTS OF SILAS MARION GIFFORD 3332

JOHN GIFFORD 33322

(B. 1803)

John Gifford was born in 1803 in Vermont to William Gifford and Elizabeth. He married Clarissa Walker on September 14, 1826 in Harbor Creek, Erie County, Pennsylvania and they had 9 children. After 1857 when his wife Clarissa died, he moved to Michigan, remarried and had one son, according to Eugene Gifford (Possibly, Ernest, born 1858).

CLARISSA WALKER 33323 

(1807-1857)

Clarissa Walker was born April 2, 1807. Clarissa Walker married John Gifford on September 14, 1826 in Harbor Creek, Pennsylvania. Clarissa Walker died April 16, 1857 and is buried in South Harbor Creek Methodist Cemetery.

GIFFORD/WALKER CHILDREN

1. Justus W.H. Gifford 33323a (1828-1855). Justus Gifford was born October 4, 1828 and died March 15, 1855. He is buried in South Harbor Creek Methodist Cemetery.
2. Milton M. Gifford 33323b (1831-1887). Milton Gifford was born in 1831. He married Mary A. (1839-1910). He was a farmer in the North East township of Erie County, Pennsylvania. He had the following children: Benjamine F. Gifford (b. 1869); Clara B. Gifford (b. 1879); and Albert J. Gifford (b. 1863). All of his children died before their father. Milton Gifford died in 1901 and is buried in South Harbor Creek Methodist Cemetery.
3. Nancy M. Gifford 33323c (B. abt. 1834). Nancy Gifford was born about 1834. She married a man with the last name Dyke. In 1887, she lived in the town of Farmington, County of San Joaquin, California and had no children.
4. Albert Gifford 33323d (B. abt. 1836) He lived in California. He was killed by a runaway team. He had one son.
5. Orson Frank Gifford 33323e (1839-1925). Orson Frank Gifford was born November 28, 1839 in Harbor Creek, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Orson Gifford married Elizabeth Davis on May 3, 1870 in Wattsburg, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Orson Gifford was a Justice of the Peace in Greenfield, Erie County, Pennsylvania and in Findley Lake, Chaut. County, New York for a total of 50 years. Orson Gifford died on May 16, 1925. He is buried in Mina Corners Cemetery in Chautauqua County, New York. They had four children: Clarence Eugene Gifford (1871-1960), Frank Algernon Gifford (1873-1937); Royal Robert Gifford (1875-1942); and Clarissa Charlotte Gifford (1878-1895). Orson enlisted in the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers Regiment, Aug. 5, 1861. During the Battle of Gaines Mill, he received a gunshot wound to his left arm disabling his elbow. My father remembered his grandfather would lift his left arm onto the edge of the table which acted as the fulcrum and then he was able to use his left hand. His pension record states that he was 23 years old, 6 ft. 4 in. in height, of light complexion, with black eyes and black hair, when he was discharged. Story from Martha (Gifford) Harris, a great granddaughter of Orson through his son Frank A. Gifford. The following is a photo of Orson Gifford from rootsweb. 

   

   Uncle Orson Frank Gifford

6. Silas Marion Gifford 33323f, 3332 (1841-1885) Direct Descendent - See Generation E.
7. Mary Suzanne Gifford 33323g (B. abt. 1844). Mary Gifford was born about 1844 and died August 8, 1929.
8. Louis Gifford 33323h (B. abt. 1846). Louis Gifford was born abut 1846. Louis Gifford lived in California. He was a carpenter.
9. George B. Gifford 33323i (B. abt. 1849-1917). George Gifford was born about 1849. He married a Lula M. (she was born in 1852). George B. Gifford was a farmer and a Freewill Baptist Preacher. He had 2 sons in oil work in West Virginia and Oklahoma. A grandson, George III was a telegraph operator in Toledo, Ohio. George B. Gifford died in 1917 and is buried in the South Harbor Creek Methodist Cemetery in Erie County, Pennsylvania. His wife Lula M. is also buried there.

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PARENTS OF MARY E. WHEELOCK 3333

ORVILLE WHEELOCK 33332 

(1826-1862)

Orville Wheelock was born on May 30, 1826 in Pennsylvania to Alden Wheelock and Elsie Morey . Orville Wheelock married Anna A. Cornell on May 1, 1851, in Ionia County, Michigan. He had a daughter named Mary Wheelock on August 14, 1853. Orville enlisted in the Civil War at Jackson, Michigan on September 23, 1861 as a seargeant in Co. K. 8th Reg't Michigan Infantry. On September 9, 1862, Orville Wheelock died in the Battle of Chantilly of the Civil War. He is buried in the Alexandria Military Cemetery in Virginia.

ANNA A. CORNELL 33333 

 (D. After 1890) 

Anna A. Cornell married Orville Wheelock on May 1, 1851, in Ionia County, Michigan. She had a daughter named Mary Wheelock on August 14, 1853. It is not known when Anna passed away, but according to information in 3 Jackson, Michigan Directories from 1887-1890, Anna A. Wheelock was living during these years and had her official residence at the address of 711 Blackstone or on the northeast corner of S. Blackstone and W. Biddle in Jackson, Michigan.

Ancestors of Alan Stokes - Generation E

Ancestors of Alan Thomas Stokes

Generation E

Paternal  Great Great Grandparents

PARENTS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON STOKES, SR. 222 

THOMAS NEWTON STOKES 2222 

(1825-1877)

Thomas Newton Stokes was born on Aug. 2, 1825, in Bedford County, Tennessee to Kinchen Stokes and Nancy Newsom. He married Frances Elizabeth Moore on January 7, 1847. He died on March 13, 1877, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

FRANCES ELIZABETH MOORE 2223 

(1829-1901)

Frances Elizabeth Moore was born on Sept. 17, 1829, in Bedford County, Tennessee to Col. John Audland Moore and Nancy Yell. Frances Elizabeth Moore died in 1901, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

STOKES/MOORE CHILDREN

1. Nancy C. Stokes 2223a (1848-1872). Nancy Stokes was born on Dec. 19, 1848. She married James C. Morton on Dec. 8, 1864 in Bedford County, Tennessee. They had two children: Annie Morton (b. 1866), and Arthur L. Morton (b. 1867). Nancy C. Stokes died on October 13, 1872.
2. Betty Frances Stokes 2223b (b. 1852). Betty Frances Stokes was born on August 18, 1852. She married Reuben Bomar on Sept. 20, 1868. They had two children: Kate (Chitwood) Bomar (b. 1873), and John Bomar.
3. James Alexander Stokes 2223c (1854-1924). James Alexander Stokes was born on September 14, 1854 in Bedford County, Tennessee. He married Cleaver C. Christian (1855-1922) on Nov. 4, 1875. They had three children: Edmond Cooper Stokes (b. 1876), Albert M. Stokes (b. 1878), and John W. Stokes (b. 1881). James Alexander Stokes died on February 3, 1924 in Bedford County, Tennessee.
4. Jane C. Stokes 2223d (b. 1856). Jane C. Stokes was born on September 8, 1856 in Bedford County, Tennessee. Jane Stokes married Henry Jarman on October 11, 1875. They had a son named Ernest Jarman.
5. Ellen Stokes 2223e (b. 1858). Ellen Stokes was born on October 9, 1858 in Bedford County, Tennessee. Ellen Stokes married J. Oscar Johnson on November 16, 1877. They had one son named J. Oscar Johnson, Jr.
6. Laura Bell Stokes 2223f (b. 1861). Laura Belle Stokes married Bart T. Brown.
7. Della Stokes 2223g (b. 1863). Della Stokes married William Chitwood. They had a son named Clifton Chitwood.
8. Lela Stokes 2233h (b. 1865). Lela Stokes married Jim Spry.
9. Margaret L. "Maggie" Stokes 2233i (b. 1867). Maggie Stokes married Ike Henry. They had the folllowing children: May, Howard, Argie, Ruth, Reece, and Katie.
10. Newton A. Stokes 2223j (b. 1869). Newton A. Stokes married Maggie Durham. They had a son named Raymond Stokes. He had a second marriage to Martha (Matt) Hurt. They had a son named Thomas Moncrief Stokes (Reed) in 1912.
11. THOMAS JEFFERSON STOKES 2223k (1871-1961). Direct Descendant-See Generation D.

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PARENTS OF VIOLA EDITH BOMAR 223

JOHN THOMAS BOMAR 2232 

(1860-1935)

John Thomas Bomar was born in 1860, in Beford County to Joseph B. Bomar and Frances "Fannie" Hurt. He died in 1935, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Wartrace, Tennessee.

ALTONA CATHERINE MOORE 2233 

(1857-1927)

Altona Catherine Moore was born November 7, 1857, in Bedford County, Tennessee to Tillman Tennessee Moore and Mary Frances Holt. She died on December 6, 1927, in Bedford County, Tennessee.

BOMAR/MOORE CHILDREN

1. John Thomas Bomar 2233a
2. Lizzie Bomar 2233b
3. Wilbur Bomar 2233c
4. Tom Bomar 2233d
5. VIOLA EDITH BOMAR 2233e (1884-1948) Direct Descendant-See Generation D.
6. Joseph Comer Bomar 2233f (1888-1952)
7. Horace Ira Bomar 2233g (1891-1959). Horace Ira Bomer was born on June 6, 1891 in Bedford County, Tennessee. He married Lydia Katherine Phillips (1892-1918). Horace Ira Bomer died on May 20, 1959 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

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PARENTS OF CHARLES HENRY OAKLEY 232

ROBERT ANDERSON OAKLEY 2322

(1862-1915)

Robert Anderson Oakley was born on November 27, 1862 in Auglaize County, Ohio to Henry More Oakley and Nancy Jane Clark. He married Eliza Jane Miller on August 17, 1884 in Van Wert County, Ohio.  After the death of Eliza, Robert Anderson Oakley married her sister Anna Lieulla Miller on October 6, 1904. He died on February 20, 1915 in Van Wert County, Ohio and is buried in the King Cemetery in Midddlepoint, VanWert, Ohio. 

ELIZA JANE MILLER 2323

(1856-1899)

Eliza Jane Miller was born on December 7, 1856 in Allen County, Ohio to Absalom Miller and Rachel Carmean. She married Robert Anderson Oakley on August 17, 1884 in Van Wert County, Ohio. Eliza Jane Miller died in 1899 in Van Wert County, Ohio.

Photo of Robert Anderson Oakley and Eliza Jane Miller with their two boys, Berne and Charles.
(Photo Collection of Susan Ellis)

OAKLEY/MILLER CHILDREN

1. Berne Carlton Oakley 2323a (1885-1964). Berne Carlton Oakley was born on January 25, 1885. He married Grace Catherine Morrison on October 30, 1910. He had 4 children: Marcile L. Oakley (1913-1995), Ferman A. Oakley (1916-2010), Bonita M. Oakley (1928-1986), and Harold K. Oakley who is living still. Berne Oakley died on October 1, 1964 in Paulding County, Ohio. He is buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Van Wert County, Ohio. 
2. CHARLES HENRY OAKLEY 2323b (1888-1942) Direct Descendant-See Generation D. 

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PARENTS OF MYRTLE L. WOTEN 233

ISAAC GILRUTH WOTEN 2332 

(1860-1950)

Isaac Gilruth Woten was born on March 23, 1860, in Jay County, Indiana to Edward B. Woten and Mary W. Porter. He died Sept. 8, 1950. He was a member of the Trinity Evangelical and Reform Church in Manchester, Ohio at the time of his death.

ELLEN NORA MAST 2333 

(1858-1936)

Ellen Nora Mast was born in 1858 in Union County, Ohio to Johann George Mast & Maria Catherine Motteller. According to a 1910 census from Ohio the mother of Myrtle Woten was referred to as Ellen Woten. Ellen Nora Mast died on April 12, 1936, in Akron, Ohio.

WOTEN/MAST CHILDREN

1. Arlonzo Franklin Woten 2333a (1884-1976). Alonzo (Lonnie) Franklin Woten was known by relatives as Lonnie. He was born on April 27, 1884 in Jay County, Indiana and died on November 6, 1976. He married Lillie Fay Shoop (Born: May 16, 1891, Died: Around March 1977). They had four children: Daisy Lucille Woten, Maggie Luellen Woten, Ezra E. Woten, and Charles Alvy Woten.
2. Emma E. J. Woten 2333b
3. MYRTLE WOTEN 2333c (1887-1981). Direct Descendent-See Generation 4.
4. Jessie Edward Woten 2333d (1890-1974) Jessie Edward Woten was born on April 26, 1890. He maried Lillie Tuckerman. His tombstone says he was a Private in the US Army. He died on January 26, 1974.
5. Flossie Bell Woten 2333e (1892-1976). Flossie Bell Woten was born on February 27, 1892 in Van Wert County, Ohio. She married Karl Kruger (1896-1989). Flossie Bell Woten died on February 1, 1976 in Akron, Ohio and is buried in the East Liberty Cemetery in Summit County, Ohio.
6. Walter Daniel Woten 2333f (1894-1944). Walter Daniel Woten was born on June 10, 1894 in Van Wert County, Ohio. He married Stella Ward (1896-1978). Walter Daniel Woten died on April 18, 1948 in Gibson County, Tennessee.

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Maternal Great Great Grandparents
PARENTS OF DAVID EBERSOL 322

HENRY EBERSOL 3222 

(1814-1891) 

Henry Ebersol was born on September 1, 1814 to John P. Ebersol and Elizabeth Minich. He died on May 16, 1891. (Source: E162 Database) Henry married Elizabeth Housewerth about 1846. For more information about Henry Ebersol and his children read an article in the The Story of Prairie Portage on The Henry Ebersole Home by Alma Hartline.

ELIZABETH HOUSEWERTH 3223 

(1812-1893)

Elizabeth Housewerth was born August 23, 1812. Elizabeth enjoyed quilting. She died January 2, 1893. (Source: E162 Database)

EBERSOL/HOUSEWERTH CHILDREN

1. Mary Ebersol 3223a (1847-1888) Mary Ebersol was born in 1847 and died at age 41 in 1888. Mary Ebersol had never married.
2. DAVID EBERSOL 3223b (1850-1900). Direct Descendent-See Generation D.

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PARENTS OF MARGARET SHOOK 323

JOSEPH SHOOK 3232 

(b. 1845)

Joseph Shook was born in 1845 in Pennsylvania to Henry Shook and Charlotte Goodman. He married Ellen Weilman and they had my great-grandmother, Margaret Shook. After Ellen died he married a woman named Catherine.

ELLEN WEILMAN 3233 

Ellen Weilman married Joseph Shook. Nothing is known about her life span or her parents.

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PARENTS OF DEVILLO HUTCHENS 332

JEROME HUTCHENS 3322 

(B. about 1854)

Jerome Hutchens was born about 1854. Jerome married Clara Gamble on November 24, 1874, in Hillsdale, Michigan. I have been unable to find out who Jerome Hutchens parents were.

CLARA GAMBLE 3323 
(B. 1856) 

Clara was born on April 6, 1856, in Hillsdale, Michigan to Thomas Gamble and Rebecca Kuder. Clara married Jerome Hutchens on November 24, 1874, in Hillsdale, Michigan.

HUTCHENS/GAMBLE CHILDREN       1. DEVILLO LOVELL HUTCHENS 3323a (1875-1937). Direct Descendent- See Generation 4
      2. Ethelyn Hutchens 3323b (1878-1885). Ethelyn Hutchens was born on January 1, 1878 and died November, 1885.
      3. Catherine Hutchens 3323c (B. 1879). Catherine Hutchens was born October 28, 1879.
      4. Clark Hutchens 3323d (B. 1883). Clark Hutchens was born January 21, 1883.
      5. Iva Hutchens 3323e (1884-1908). Iva hutchens was born on October 2, 1884, in Hillsdale, Michigan. She married John Seamans about 1905. They had two children: Harriet J. Seamans (B. Aug. 18, 1906-Died 1908); Clara K. Seamans (B. April 23, 1908-Died July 8, 1948). Iva Hutchens died on May 6, 1908 in San Jose, California.
      6. Josephine Hutchens 3323f (1888-1951). Josephine Hutchens was born on January 20, 1888 and died on April 5, 1951.

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PARENTS OF EDITH GIFFORD 333

SILAS MARION GIFFORD 3332 

(1841-1885) 

Silas Marion Gifford was born in 1841, to John Gifford and Clara Walker. His granddaughter Doris Hutchens in a personal conversation in the 1980's referred to him only as Marion. Silas Gifford's first wife was Lori M. Smith (b. 1850). After Lori Smith died in 1878, Silas Gifford married Mary "Minnie" E. Wheelock on May 18, 1879, in Ionia County, Michigan. He died in 1885. He had enlisted as a Private in the Civil War on August 27, 1861, with the Company I, 83rd Infantry Regiment Pennsylvania. He was wounded on June 27, 1862, in The battle of Gaines' Mill, Virgina and he was discarged because of wounds on November 24, 1862. He attended a Presbyterian Church and was an active member according to his Granddaughter, Doris Hutchens.

MARY EMMA WHEELOCK 3333 

(B. 1853) 

Mary was called by her family by the name Minnie. Mary Wheelock was born on August 14, 1853 in Ionia County, Michigan to Orville Wheelock and Anna A. Cornell. Mary Wheelock married Silas Gifford on May 18, 1879 in Ionia County, Michigan. Minnie Wheelock and Marion Gifford had a daughter Edith Mabel Gifford in 1880, who is my Great Grandma. After Marion Gifford died in 1885, Minnie married Merritt Lowe and they had a daughter Florence Lowe in 1892. Another daughter of Minnie's marriage to Merritt Lowe, Eva Lowe died at age 7.

Ancestors of Alan Stokes - Generation D

Ancestors of Alan Thomas Stokes

Generation D

Paternal  Great-Grandparents

PARENTS OF HENRY THOMAS STOKES, SR. 22

THOMAS JEFFERSON STOKES, SR. 222 

(1871-1961)

Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Sr. was born on July 1, 1871, in Bedford County, Tennesse to Thomas Newton Stokes and Frances Elizabeth Moore. He married Edith Viola Bomar in Bedford County, Tennessee on January 27, 1903. He lived his entire life in Bedford County, Tennessee and worked as a farmer with a reputation for being "hardworking". He died on July 30, 1961, in a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the first time he had been to the hospital for anything. His death was attributed to a stroke he had a week before passing.

VIOLA EDITH BOMAR 223 

(1884-1948)

Viola Edith Bomar was born on February 12, 1884, in Bedford County, Tennessee to John Thomas Bomar and Altonia Catherine Moore. Violar Bomar married Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Sr. on January 27, 1903 in Bedford County, Tennessee. She lived in Bedford County, Tennessee her entire life. Viola Bomar died on Nov. 3, 1948, in Bedford County, Tennessee. She died from a fast spreading cancer.

Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Sr. and Viola Edith Bomar in 1904, with their first child, my Grandfather, Henry Thomas Stokes, Sr.

STOKES/BOMAR CHILDREN

1. HENRY THOMAS STOKES, SR. 223a (1903-1995)-See Generation C.
2. Lillard E. Stokes 223b (1906-1955). Lillard Stokes was born on December 17, 1906, in Bedford County, Tennessee. On December 18, 1926, he married Lucille Alma Parmiter (July 25, 1909-July 2, 1992). They had two children. On March 2, 1946 he married Nan Siler (March 6, 1920-June 11, 1992). They had two daughters. Lillard E. Stokes died on February 18, 1955, in Toledo, Ohio, after being hit by a drunk driver. Tragically his 6 year old daughter Janice Yvonne Stokes (June 8, 1949-Feb. 18, 1955) died in this same accident.
3. Ezra Hiles Stokes 223c (1908-1988). Ezra Hiles Stokes was born on April 19, 1908, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He never married. He died from cancer on March 14, 1988, in Bedford County, Tennessee.
4. Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Jr. 223d (1910-1986) Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Jr. was born on June 22, 1910, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He married Mary Cassie Pruitt on January 21, 1937 in Bedford County, Tennessee. He had two children: Everett Donald Stokes and Mary Linda Stokes (who married Frank Thomas Pitts). Thomas Jefferson Stokes, Jr. was killed on April 5, 1986, in a tragic house fire in Bedford County, Tennessee, along with his wife Mary Cassie Pruitt. 
5. Paul Euless Stokes 223e (1912-1995). Paul Stokes was born on June 30, 1912, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He married Mary Aliene Chitwood on August 20, 1934, in Bedford County, Tennessee. They had twins Paul Howard Stokes and Mary June Stokes were born premature and died on January 23, 1945.  They had a daughter Peggy Stokes (who married James Russell Bowling). Mary Chitwood was born on June 17, 1914 and died on June 24, 2000. Paul Stokes died on August 25, 1995, in Rutherford County, Tennessee.

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PARENTS OF TREVA ELLEN OAKLEY 23

CHARLES HENRY OAKLEY 232

(1888-1942) 

Charles Henry Oakley was born on July 22, 1888, in Toldeo, Ohio (Lucas County) to Robert Anderson Oakley and Eliza Miller. Charles Oakley was a telegrapher and station operator for the Cincinnati Northern Railroad and he was also later a salesman. He married Myrtle Lewelly Woten on September 5, 1907, in Van Wert County, Ohio. Charles Oakley died in 1942, in Berrien County, Michigan.

Charles Oakley at the railroad station in Yorkshire, Ohio where he worked. Taken in about 1912-1913. Charles and his son Cecil are far right in picture (Photo Collection of Susan Ellis).

MYRTLE LEWELLY WOTEN 233

(1887-1981) 

Myrtle Lewelly Woten was born in Van Wert County, Ohio on Sept. 6, 1887 to Isaac Gilruth Woten and Ellen Nora Mast. She married Charles H. Oakley on September 5, 1907, in Van Wert County, Ohio. She spent her last years living with her youngest daughter June. Myrtle died in May, 1981, in Columbus, Ohio.

Left: Myrtle Woten as a young woman (Photo Collection of Susan Ellis). Right: Myrtle Woten is the older lady in the middle. Her daughter Treva is on the left and her son in-law Henry Stokes is on the right. Taken in the 1960's or 1970's.

The wedding photo of Charles Oakley and Myrtle Woten on September 5, 1907 (Photo Collection of Susan Ellis).

OAKLEY/WOTEN CHILDREN

1. Cecil Anderson Oakley 233a (1910-1998). Cecil Anderson Oakley was born January 29, 1910 in Miami, Ohio. Cecil married Leora LaGro. He had two children: Flossie Mae Oakley Jarvis (1930-1966) and Jack Daniel Oakley (1928-2001). He had been a Brickmason. In the 1960's he and his wife Leora ran The Little Red Inn in Toledo. He later worked for National Car Rental and the University of Toledo. He was a member of the Toledo Sailing Club for 47 years. Cecil Oakley died on June 25, 1998 in Toledo, Ohio from emphysema. Note his obituary on the right.
2. TREVA ELNORA OAKLEY 233b (1912-1980). Direct Descendent-See Generation C.
3. Myrtle June Oakley 233c (1917-2009). Myrtle June Oakley was born on October 24, 1917. She married Ray Terry and they had a daughter Ronnie Terry Kiefer and a son Charles Terry. Myrtle June Terry was a member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. Myrtle June Oakley passed away on September 16, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio (Tributes.com)

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Maternal  Great-Grandparents
PARENTS OF HENRY DAVID EBERSOL 32

DAVID EBERSOL 322

(1850-1900)

David Ebersol was born in 1850, in Ohio to Henry and Elizabeth Ebersole. It is said that he was born in Ohio while his family was migrating from Pennsylvania to where they would eventually settle in Berrien, Michigan. David married Maggie Shook on Aug. 12, 1894, in Bertrand Township in Berrien, Michigan. David's father Henry Ebersole spelled his name with an "e" at the end, but according to research at some point David began spelling the name without an "e" at the end and his son passed on the surname "Ebersol" to his descendents. The 1892 Berrien County, Michigan Directory listed David Ebersol's occupation as that of a farmer. He lived in Section 23, and owned 33 acres valued at $1,230.

MARGARET (Maggie) SHOOK 323 

(1870-1916)

Margaret Shook was born in 1870 in Pennsylvania to Joseph Shook and Ellen Weilman. Maggie married David Ebersole on Aug. 12, 1894, in Bertrand Township in Berrien, Michigan. They had two children, Violet Ebersole and Henry David Ebersol. In 1900, her husband David died and her children were taken to separate orphanages. On April 12, 1901, Maggie married George Radley. She died in 1916 and is buried on the Ebersole lot with her husband, David, his sister and his parents. She was the namesake for my mother Margaret Stokes.

David Ebersol and Margaret (Maggie) Shook taken on or around their wedding in 1894.

EBERSOL/SHOOK CHILDREN

1. Violet Ebersol 323a Violet was put in a Girl's home near Coldwater, Michigan after David Ebersole died in 1900. She married Wayne Robinson in R.D. Crosswell, Michigan. Her sister in-law, Doris Hutchens, remembers that Violet was a devout Jehovah Witness and spoke frequently about her religion when visiting her brother, Henry.
2. HENRY DAVID EBERSOL 323b (1895-1939). Direct Descendent-See Generation C.

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PARENTS OF DORIS MAY HUTCHENS 33

DEVILLO LOVEL HUTCHENS 332 

(1875-1937) 

Devillo was born Aug. 20, 1875, in Hillsdale, Michigan to Jerome Hutchens and Clara Gamble. He married Edith Gifford in 1904. He had a heart attack and was bed ridden the last 7 years of his life as his wife Edith cared for him. He died in 1937.

EDITH MABLE GIFFORD 333

(1880-1974)

Edith Gifford was born on Oct. 13, 1880, in Ionia, Michigan to Silas Marion Gifford and Mary "Minnie" Wheelock. L.S. Stevens, M.D. was present at the birth of Edith Mable Gifford. She married Devillo Hutchens in 1904. After a long life, Edith Gifford died on Sept. 10, 1974, in a nursing home in Jackson, Michigan. She is buried in Woodland Cemetery in Jackson, Michigan.

Edith Gifford from her nursing home room in Jackson, Michigan. It was taken about 1972. The boy who is in the left side of the edge of the photo is Alan Stokes.

GIFFORD/HUTCHENS CHILDREN

1. Marion Jerome Hutchens 333a (1906-1985). Marion Hutchens was born on Feb. 28, 1906, in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was named after both of his Grandfathers, "Jerome Hutchens" and "Silas Marion Gifford". He married Irene Harris. Marion Hutchens had a second marriage to a lady named Harriet (d. February, 1979).  Marion Hutchens died in June, 1985 in Jackson, Michigan.
2. DORIS HUTCHENS (1908-1983) . Direct Descendent-See Generation C.
3. Clark Lovel Hutchens 333c (1910-1973). Clark Hutchens was born July 26, 1910 in Detroit, Michigan. He married Therza Jane McNeal (1909-1971). Clark Hutchens died July, 1973, in Jackson, Michigan. He had three children.
4. Georgia Anna Hutchens 333d (1914-1975). Georgia Hutchens was born Feb. 25, 1914, in Wheatland Center, near Adison, Michigan. She was named after her Father's Aunt. She married Royal Thomas Beck in January, 1938, in Jackson, Michigan. Georgia Beck died on Nov. 1975, in Hanover, Michigan. She had one son named Royal Lovel Beck.
5. Frank Eugene Hutchens 333e (1920-1987). Frank Hutchens was born Nov. 1, 1920, in Jackson, Michigan. He was named after an uncle on his Father's side. He died on December 3, 1987, in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was buried in Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The register at Fort Custer National Cemetery lists the following information on Frank E. Hutchens. Hutchens, Frank E, b. 11/01/1920, d. 12/03/1987, US Army, PFC, Res: Battle Creek, MI, Plot: 1 0 643, bur. 12/09/1987

Henry Stokes Funeral Sermon

Memorial Service Sermon for Henry T. Stokes

By Alan T. Stokes

December 13, 1995 at Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

Note: This sermon was given in the form of a letter 

Dear Grandpa:

Congratulations! You're on an amazing journey that you've looked forward to for years. Your eyes saw so many things over these last 92 years. Grandpa, you had so many friends and were so loved by those who knew you and received blessings from your vibrant faith and zest for life. In the movie, "The Wizard of Oz", Dorothy tells the tin man that a heart is not judged by how much you love others but by how much others love you. Grandpa you had a heart of gold.

This took me by surprise, even though I had some warning. You use to say to me, "Everyone dies unexpectedly, nobody markes the day on their calendar." Your son Bob's death brought deep sorrow to you last March, and your surgery on your gall bladder really set your health back. I'm sorry that 1995, wasn't a very good year for you, but I'm sure that the joy you now have in heaven will make this the best year of your life.

I'm sure that you understand I'll have to cry about your absence. You'll be missed so much. There's an absence in this world without you. Others are going to have to be more involved to fill your shoes of love and compassion that were spread so freely. But I'm sure that you are enjoying yourself right now and would want us to celebrate your promotion to glory with joy. After 92 years, you deserve a rest. You deserve to be free from all pain. You deserve to enter that land where they never cry. And I'm sure you were ready to meet your Maker.

Grandpa, you and I both know all the people you want to meet in your new life (like your Mother, your Father, your wife of over 50 years Tippy, your son Bob, your young son Charles, your second wife Letha, and countless other friends). But still our Lord Jesus is the first person you'll want to see. This Christmas, your soul will personally get to say Happy Birthday to Jesus. I'd have to be honest, I'm a little jealous. Wish Jesus a Happy Birthday for me would you.

Grandpa, I thank God upon every remembrance of you. I thank God for the wonders He accomplished in your life. Jesus Christ gets all the glory.

You sure did have a full and active life. Up until your illness in April, you worked at Caremore twice a week, drove your own car, lived independently, cooked your own meals, attended church, kept up your hobby of stamp collecting, watered your plants, and visited friends, especially spending a lot of time with your lady friend Hazel Sperry.

You provided for your five children: Tom, Ducky, Bob, Dick, and Edith and worked hard to support them and look after them through the Great Depression and World Wars. You provided a home and allowed your children's mother to stay at home with them. I hope I will be able to support my family like you did.

You had a loving and faithful marriage of over 50 years to my Grandma Treva Stokes, who was called "Tippy". That kind of marriage commitment is rare in this day and age. I hope my marriage will be filled with the same loyal love and longevity as you had.

Grandpa, I remember that about 25 years ago, you were diagnosed with cancer and your doctor gave you just 6 months to live. But amazingly the cancer went away. I know this changed your life and you knew that God had spared you for a purpose.

A few years back a fire killed your brother TJ and his wife. You were visiting them the night of the fire and had been sleeping in the very same room the fire started in. You said the Holy Spirit warned you late at night to visit your other brother Paul across town and spend the night there. I wouldn't doubt that. I hope I can listen to the Holy Spirit like you did. Grandpa, you always spoke so fondly and with such respect about the Holy Spirit.

Grandpa, the most important thing I remember about you is you were a man of faith. You were a humble Christian. Oftentimes I heard you pray at night, "Father, if we have sinned in any way this day, please forgive us."

Probably the most memorable written record of your faith was your personal covenant with the Lord. I remember it was an idea you learned from your second wife Letha (you were always looking to learn new things from others), but you personalized it and adopted it wholeheartedly for yourself.

The subtitle is "What am I doing each day in preparation for eternity?" I believe "From Here to Eternity" was the theme of your life the last 20 years. Now you have entered your own experience of eternity. Congratualtions, again!

Here's what you said in your personal covenant with the Lord. "Lord, I give up my own purposes and plans. All of my own desires, hope, and ambitions (whether they be fleshly or soulish) and accept Thy Will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all--utterly to Thee to be Thine Forever. I hand over to Thy keeping all my friendships; all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Work out Thy whole will in my life, at any cost,--Now and forever,--For me to live is Christ. Amen Lovingly, Prayerfully for the souls and edification of believers. Then you emphasized 4 passages of Scripture. These Scriptures encourage me now that you have departed from us.

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24. "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

2. Philippians 1:21 . "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

3. John 1:12 . "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

4. John 5:24 "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come unto condemnation, but is passed from death to life."

Grandpa, your faith was not confined to a piece of paper, but your faith had feet and hands. When you got saved you went all out for souls. You had the gift of witnessing. I remember in 1988, you had the goal to reach 3 people to the Lord, and I'm sure that each year you had similar goals. Your dreams usually came true because they were so often God's dreams. You seemed to have a nack for reaching out to those who were drawing nearer to death but were not ready spiritually to die. God gave you the particularly difficult cases. When your time came you faced the difficulty of your own death with courage and peace.

You made such a difference in people's lives. You always thought that after you helped lead that last person to Christ that you were supposed to, then God would take you home. For this reason, you use to get nervous about dying immediately after leading one to Christ. Then you'd settle down when you found that next "Conversion" project. I wonder what the name of the very last person you led to Christ was. Maybe the last person to accept Christ through your testimony will come to faith through your death. That'd be fitting for your life, because you had a passion for souls in need.

You also had the gift of compassion. The Salvation Army, poor at The Saginaw Rescue Mission, and numerous residents of nursing homes, especially Westchester Village in Saginaw and most recently Caremore in Mt. Pleasant were the recepient of your Christian outreach and service.

Grandpa, I thank you because you shared your faith and encouraged me to listen to God's call and dedicate my life to being a minister. You made it clear that if you were 20 again, you yourself would want to be a minister of the Gospel.

I will always appreciate the Godly and honest advice that you offered me, and I know others will recall conversations you had with them about life. You sure were an honest and forthright man. My mind goes back to a letter I received from you dated April 11, 1988. At the close of the letter you said the following encouragement about a decision I was facing. These are your own words Grandpa.

"Regarding my honest findings; after much prayer. I will never attempt to rule anything or situation, when the real decision will be made by Almighty God, through the Holy Spirit--that is why I do not mourn my loved ones passing--I just mourn their absence. Therefore, I am praying that the Lord will guide you through the paths that will be best for your future and success in his kingdom. And if you do not have his complete blessings you have problems. So those are my prayers. Let God Make the Final Decisions. With Love, Grandpa."

You've left me and many others with a tremendous example. Grandma Tippy Stokes' poem, "Hold High the Torch" convicts us of the need for light in the world. In your absence it must come from those whose lives you touched.

Grandpa, I love you and I'm looking forward to the day we shall meet in eternity. I will always remember your favorite verse in the Holy Bible--"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself."

Thank you Grandpa, Thank You God. Your Love Lives On!

Alan Stokes

Grandpa wouldn't want us to mourn his passing, only his absence. Benediction

Ancestors of Alan Stokes - Generation C

Ancestors of Alan Thomas Stokes

Generation C

Paternal Grandparents

HENRY THOMAS STOKES, SR [22] 
(1903-1995)

Henry Thomas Stokes was born December 7, 1903, in Wartrace, Tennessee to Viola Edith Bomar and Thomas Jefferson Stokes. He married Treva Oakley on May 3, 1929. He worked for the General Motors Company . He started his career working at the General Motors plant in Toledo, Ohio, where he met his wife Treva. He later transferred to the General Motors plant in Saginaw, Michigan where he raised his family. Henry was in management when he retired in 1965. Following Treva's death in 1980, he went on to marry Letha Messervy on May 12, 1983. They supervised nursing home services at Westchester Village in Saginaw. Letha died on January 17, 1986. He lived most of his life in Saginaw, Michigan, but in 1987, moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan to live with his son, Richard and Margaret Stokes. During these years, he worked for the Gideons, preached at the City of Saginaw Rescue Mission each month, volunteered at The Salvation Army, and supervised church services for several nursing homes in the Mt. Pleasant area. In the Spring of 1995, he had major gall bladder surgery. After a gradual failing health and old age, he died on December 11, 1995, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The funeral sermon for Henry Stokes given by Alan Stokes is on the Light Stop blog.

LEFT: Henry Stokes at age 19 in 1923. RIGHT: Henry Stokes in Michigan at age 81 on October 15, 1985.

TREVA ELNORA OAKLEY [23]
(1912-1980)

Treva "Tippy" Oakley was born on May 22, 1912, in Yorkshire, Ohio to Myrtle L. Woten and Charles H. Oakley. Her middle name "Ellen" or "Elnora" from the name of her maternal Grandmother. She married Henry T. Stokes, Sr. on May 3, 1929. She was a full-time homemaker and raised her five children during the Great Depression. She was a poet and left the family many poems to enjoy, some of which are listed in the Family Poems section of this blog. Treva and Henry enjoyed attending the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville, Tennessee .  In 1979 they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Treva Ellen Oakley died on April 29, 1980, in Saginaw, Michigan at St. Mary's Hospital  following a major stroke.

Treva Stokes as a baby in 1913 (Photo Collection of Susan Ellis).

Treva Ellen Oakley and Henry Thomas Stokes at their 50th Anniversary in May, 1979.

STOKES/OAKLEY CHILDREN

1. HENRY THOMAS STOKES, JR.  23a (1930-2017). Henry Thomas Stokes, Jr. was born on September 14, 1930 in Toledo, Ohio, to Henry T. Stokes, Sr. and Treva E. Oakley. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving in the Korean War. He was discharged with the rank of Airman 2nd Class. He retired after an inspector with General Motors after 35 years. He married Anna May Koch on May 4, 1958. She preceded him in death on April 12, 2016. He had a son Thomas Stokes and three daughters Vera, Treva, and Susan. His obituary is online at W.L. Case & Company Funeral Directors. 
2. VIOLA "DUCKY" STOKES 23b (Living Individual - Private Records)
3. ROBERT LEWIS STOKES 23c (1933-1995). Robert "Bob" Lewis Stokes was born on Oct. 1, 1933 in Toledo, Ohio, to Henry T. Stokes, Sr. and Treva E. Oakley. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He married Donna (Lake) Curtis (August 2, 1935-September 17, 1998) on March 20, 1975. He worked for 35 years at U.S. Graphite.   In 1994 he graduated from Bridgeport High School. Robert Stokes died on March 15, 1995, in Buena Vista, Saginaw, Michigan after suffering with lung cancer. The following is an obituary for Robert L. Stokes.










Left: Robert Stokes on his high school graduation in 1994. Right: Robert Stokes at his wedding to Donna Curtis.


4. CHARLES HENRY STOKES  23d (1934). Charles was born premature and only lived 8 days from September 2-10, 1934.
   

5. RICHARD ALLEN STOKES 23e (Living Individual - Private Records) 
6. EDITH STOKES 23f (Living Individual - Private Records)
   

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   Maternal Grandparents
   
   
   HENRY DAVID EBERSOL [32]
   (1895-1939) 
   
   
   Henry was born in April, 1895, in Michigan to Margaret Shook and David Ebersole. His father David died in 1900 and his mother Margaret placed him in an Evangelical Church Orphanage in Flat Rock, Ohio. This orphanage exists as an organization doing work in this century as Flat Rock Homes . At age 12, he went to live with the Charles Koebbe family near Chelsea, Michigan. Henry had a sister named Violet. After he grew up Henry worked at the Ford Plant and lived in Detroit. Henry married Doris Hutchens on June 24, 1933. More information on his life is available in pages 357-361 of an old book called Hartline Story of Portage Prairie, written by Alma V. Hartline. Henry Ebersol died in November, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan from a massive heart attack. He is buried in Section 31 of Woodland Cemetery in Jackson, Michigan.
   
   
   
   
   
   Photo of Henry Ebersol taken in 1937. It is the last known photo taken of Henry Ebersol.
   
   
   DORIS MAY HUTCHENS [33] 
   (1908-1983)
   
   
   Doris was born February 7, 1908, in Battle Creek, Michigan to Edith Gifford and Devilo Hutchens. She married Henry Ebersol on June 24, 1933, and they had two children (Rohn and Margaret). Following the death of her husband, Doris moved with her two young children to Jackson, Michigan. Doris was a bookkeeper. She met and married Miller (Bud) F. Lewis on April 12, 1950. Doris and Miller Lewis did not have any children. Bud Lewis was a tool salesman. Later on they moved to Elk Rapids, Michigan and lived for years on a home on beautiful Elk Lake.  On April 12, 1975, there was a celebration of Doris and Bud Lewis' 25th Wedding Anniversary. Doris and Bud Lewis wintered in Florida. Doris died on March 30, 1983, in New Port Richie, Florida from a quiet heart attack. She is buried in Section 31 of Woodland Cemetery in Jackson, Michigan.  

Genealogy Mystery: In the cemetery marker photo below it says that Doris' husband Henry had a middle initial of "F." However, Alan Stokes recorded after interviews with Doris Lewis as a child that his middle name was "David". Could it be a mistake on the marker or was his middle name something else other than "David". 

1. 

   
   
   
   EBERSOL/HUTCHENS CHILDREN
   
   
   
   1. ROHN ELDEN EBERSOL 33a (1936-1997). Rohn was born Oct. 9, 1936. Rohn Ebersol married Patricia Lenz and they had 5 children, James, Ron, Bob, Tom, and Susan. Rohn Ebersol died on August 12, 1997, in Jackson, Michigan from a heart attack.
   2. MARGARET EBERSOL 3 (1939-2016).  Direct Descendent - See Generation B. 
   
   
   Photo on Right: Rohn and Margaret, the two children of Henry and Doris Ebersol. It was taken about 1942.