Chosen Families Project #21: The Story of Baker and Myrtie Pond - RELATIVE FOUND
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to a new episode of the Chosen Families Project. I recovered this photograph in a local store in my town who was selling collections of old photographs in New Jersey. On the back of the photograph has a photographer studio from Marshall, Michigan listed and the names Myrtie and Baker Pond shown, noted as Brother and Sister, with Myrtie looking older then her brother Baker in the photograph. After some quick searched through the family tree database,I was able to locate a well researched family tree, and I am so happy to announce that I have returned this photograph back to a relative already!
Here is the story of siblings Baker and Myrtie Pond From Marshall, Michigan. To begin I start with the story of their parents.
Baker and Myrtie Pond where born to parents James Edgerly Pond and Eliza A Stillson. James was born on 14 Sep 1820 in Burke, Franklin, NY, his wife Eliza born on April 7, 1829. in Jefferson County, NY. The couple would marry on the 16 Feb, 1845 in Marshall, Calhoun, Michigan. By the 1850s, according to the 1850 census, James and his family lived in Eckford, Calhoun, Michigan.It appears that James had served in the Civil War, although I could find limited records for him serving, only his registration from 1863 in Marshall,Calhoun,Michigan, registering at the age of 42. He worked as a farmer during his lifetime. The couple would have 6 children together, Mary Jane (Jennie) Pond (1851-?), Lois Pond (1852-1852), James Pond (1853-1941), George Alson Pond (1854-1938), Myrtie born on 21 Jul 1867, and Baker C. Pond, born on the 27 Aug 1870. All of the children were born in Calhoun County, Michigan.
James and Eliza lived in Marshall, Calhoun, Michigan throughout the rest of their lives. James would pass on 18 Apr 1898 in Marshall, Michigan at the age of 77. Eliza would pass on 15 Jan 1923 at the age of 93. The couple is buried in Lyon Lake Cemetery, located in Wrights Corners, Calhoun, Michigan.
James’ obituary from his FindAGrave from the Marshall, Michigan News from April 22, 1898 reads:
Marshall (MI) News
Friday, April 22, 1898
North Marshall
Mr. James Pond, sr.,[sic] died at his home Sunday, April 17, after a lingering illness of more than two years. The funeral was held at his late home, Tuesday, April 19, Dr. Hunting officiating. Burial at Lyon Lake.
Eliza’s obituary from her FindAGrave from the Evening Chronicle in Marshall, Michigan reads:
Tuesday, January 16, 1923
Local Items
Mrs. Eliza Pond, widow of the late James E. Pond, died at the home of her son, Baker Pond in Marshall township, Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, of old age, after an illness of two weeks. Mrs. Pond was born in Jefferson county, New York, April 7, 1829. She was married to James E. Pond in 1846, and the young couple began housekeeping on a farm which Mr. Pond worked on shares. In 1853 they bought the home in Marshall township where Mrs. Pond died. The funeral will be held from the house Wednesday morning at 11:00 o'clock. Dr. C. E. Blanchard officiating. Burial in the Lyon lake cemetery.
There was another article from FindAGrave from the same paper that reads
Friday, January 19, 1923
Ceresco
Mrs. Wayne Ulrich and Miss Helen Hutchins attended the funeral of Mrs. Ulrich's grandmother, Mrs. Eliza Pond, Wednesday. Mrs. Harry Osborne supplied as teacher for Miss Hutchins.
I included photographs of James, Eliza and their headstones from the cemetery here. The photograph of the couple was also recovered in an online auction, which is a coincidence that how through the work of genealogists and despite seperation, the photographs are now identified
Courtesy Norman Dagen - FindAGrave
Courtesy peg777er Ancestry
Headstones of James and Eliza Pond
In addition to their obituary, I was able to locate a probate record for James from 1898, where Baker C. Pond was the executor from Calhoun County, Michigan.
As well as his probate, the relative who has the tree available also located a biographical record of James E. Pond and Eliza (Stilson) Pond from Calhoun County History, published in 1891. It reads:
“Born September 14th 1820 Franklin County NY.
James enjoyed limited school privileges and was early to work, his father dying before he entered his teens. He went 2 1/2 miles to school in the cold winter weather. The school was held in a log house, and kept up by the rate bills. When 14, young Pond went out to work, being obliged to do what he could for the younger members of the family. He cleared timbers and made black salt (charcoal). When he was twenty-two he started out for Wisconsin where his older brother Parker lived, traveling overland to Buffalo, crossing Lake Erie to Detroit, and thence with a team to Marshall, Calhoun County, Michagan, where he stopped with friends. He decided not to continue his journey, as his resources were almost exhausted. His cash capitol fifty cents but he borrowed fourteen dollars and was ere long at work making and saving. He chopped cordwood during the winter of 1842 and in the spring became a farmhand. During the ensuing four years, he took variuos jobs connected with the development of land, and worked on the Michagan Central Railroad which was building the track between Marshall and Ceresco.
On Feburary 16, 1845 , Mr. Pond was married to Miss Eliza Stillson who was born in Jefferson County, New York and came hither with her parents in 1843. They began housekeeping on a farm which James worked on shares. In 1835 he bought his home farm, only a few acres of which had been broken, and which had no improvements upon it. Mr. Pond gave his days to hard work, clearing, removing grubs, and breaking virgin soil, and before many years lapsed, he saw about him the cultivated fields and good buildings which repaid him for his labors.
Mr. Pond was a member of the Lockwood School Board for 15 years but declined all other public offices. A Democrat, he was often a delegate to county convention. He often served on the jury, and on one occasion in the celebrated Starkweather case in 1857, when Leonard Starkweather was tried for killing his wife by hitting her over the head with a club. The trial lasted 14 days and he was convicted of manslaugther. His wife, a capable, engertic woman had been a faithful helpmate.
Eliza Pond was a tiny woman but she made up for her lack of size in spirit and ambition. She was always up at the crack of dawn and busy all day. Her parents were Baker and Loissens (Frink) Stillson and they lived near Waterton, New York where Eliza was born April 7, 1829. She was the eldest of five children, the others being Mary, Maria, Sarah, and Henry. The mother died soon after the family came to Michigan where they settled in Eckford Township, south of Marshall, on what was called in those days, Lyon Lake Prairie. Eliza had many tales to tell of her early life in New York where "Uncle Nabob had a sloop on the Indian River".
Baker Stillson's parents were Henry and Jane Stillson who lived in a little town in Jefferson County, N.Y., called Philadelphia. Baker had a sister Katherine and a brither Briggs who spent their last days at the home of James Pond, and are buried in the Hotchkiss cemetery.”
Myrtie Pond married her husband Ralph A. Sharpsteen on the 18 Mar 1898 at the age of 28. The couple lived in Marshall, Emmett, and Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan.Ralph worked as a farmer. The couple had 6 children including a still born son in 1899, Jennie (1900-1992), Ethelyn (1901-1902),Viola (1903-?),Ethel (1905-?), Paul (1906-?), and Clara (1908-1918), all born in Michigan.Ralph would pass away at the age of 88 on 8 Sep 1960. Eliza would pass away on the 7 Jan 1964 at the age of 96. The couple is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Marshall, County, Michigan, with the headstone including the marriage date.
Baker C. Pond would marry Ruby Louise Andrus on the 20 Feb, 1895 in Marshall , Michigan at the age of 24. The couple would live in Marshall, Michigan, their whole lives. Like his father, Baker worked as a farmer throughout his lifetime. The couple would have 2 children, Marrion E. Pond (1896-?), and Wesley B. Pond (1898-1982). His wife Ruby would pass away 18 Feb 1931 in Battle Creek, Michigan at the age of 54, with cause of death listed as “Post Operation and total renal suppression” according to her death certificate, with the operation conducted on Feb 11, 1931, a week prior. She was buried on Feb 20, 1931. Baker C. Pond would pass away on May 13, 1952 at the age of 61 from Rectal Cancer, he was buried on May 15, 1952. The couple, like his sister, is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, in Marshall, Michigan.
I also looked into the photographer as well of the photograph, considering it’s age. The back of the photograph had a photographer named J. E. Mast located No. 78 State Street over Butler’s Grocery Store, located in Marshall, Michigan, where the Pond’s lived.The photographer’s name was John Edward Mast, and according to a Directory of Early Michigan Photographers,he had his studio for a short time for 1888-1891. I also located another source from another blog similair to mine called therescuedphoto from the Fall of 2017 that states “ John Edward Mast, the photographer, ran a studio in Marshall, Michigan from 1876 until 1888.” I also found another family portrait Marshall Digital Archive that dates their photograph from 1883-1888. The earlier dates match the time period the children’s age that they appear as in the photograph.
I am so happy to be able to return the photograph back to the loved one, who sent me a letter of thanks for sending the photograph back to them. I am currently taking a History of Photography class, and I hope to apply this knowledge to them. I want to thank the relative and the additional family historians on Ancestry and FindAGrave who helped tell their story and included photographs and records.
If you are related to the Pond Family, would like a digital copy, or have any questions or comments, please email me at thechosenfamiliesproject@gmail.com
Remember that you are loved and always welcome here!
