William was employed as a signal man with the railroad and living in Chicago before he was married to Nellie Bliss. He returned to MI long enough for the marriage, after which the couple made the "windy city" their home. His daughter Jennie's ex-husband recalls his father-in-law telling how it was that he quit railroading. As the story goes, Will was returning from a job one day pumping a manual handcar along the tracks. Suddenly a train appeared heading toward him at full speed. Will had no choice but to jump for his life just moments before the handcar was pulverized. Will told Howard he walked away from the mess and never again returned to work for the railroad.

Will's next job in Chicago was entitled "civil engineer," and he was in charge of heating all buildings at Palmer Park, a recreation area with a wide assortment of amusement facilities, including an outside pavilion for concerts and the like, picnic areas, and buildings within which were a gymnasium, auditorium, and classrooms where people could learn things like working with clay and other artistic pursuits. In the meantime, his growing family lived in a house at 10943 Wabash Avenue, and Will invested some of his money in land. He also built a bungalow in Chicago as a rental.

Will Barnes was for many years a rim inspector for the Tire and Rim Association of America, in Jackson after the family moved to the area from Chicago in 1918. He loved to smoke cigars and seemed always to be puffing on one. He'd have several of his cronies over to play cards, and they'd sit around with their hats on and cigar smoke filling the house.

When Will and Nellie were living at 1114 E. Ganson Street in Jackson, Will took his automobile out one day on some errand. He had never liked to drive and had for many years gotten out of doing so by "letting" his eager children do the chore. But by now Charles, Helen, Tom, and Jennie had long ago gotten married and were off having families of their own. So on this particular wintry day he was on his own on the icy street. Not far from home he suddenly lost controlóthe car swerving and skidding until finally coming to a stop. He then turned the car around, slowly drove it to his garage, and sold it shortly thereafter. Will never drove again.
--------------------
Barnes, William H. Jackson Citizen Patriot newspaper Dec. 1946

Passed away at his home, 1114 E. Ganson St., at one o'clock Tuesday morning, aged 76 years. He is survived by his wife, Nellie; two sons, Thomas of Greencastle, IN and Charles of Jackson; two daughters, Mrs. Jennie Paige of Saginaw and Mrs. Helen Leggett of Horton; one brother, June of Horton; also 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was a member of Horton Lodge, F. & A. M. for 53 years. Mr. Barnes is at the Gildersleeve Memorial chapel where funeral services will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. The Masonic lodge will conduct services at the grave in the Horton cemetery where the interment will be made.
__________

Will Barnes, the family's oral historian who late in life transcribed the essential information, worked for the railroad in Chicago and later was a civil engineer for the city's facilities at Palmer Park before returning to MI in 1918. Interred at Horton Cemetery, Horton, MI.
__________

Memoirs of William Hood Barnes:

(See the notes following the memoirs.)

Great-Grandfather Aaron Barnes came to Troopsville, Caugua Co., NY from Sharon Conn. in about 1790.

Great-Grandmother on father's side named Eggleston. Great-Grandfather Barnes married her in Conn. Her name was Martha.

Grandfather Thomas Barnes moved to Wayne County Butlertown. Moved back to Caugua Co., moved to town of Rose. Moved to Seneca Falls. Came to MI in 1843, October 24th to Jackson.

Great Great-Grandfather on mother's side named Sittser lived in Caugua County town of Senate. Went to Germany in about 1770 to get money from an estate. Never heard from after he started back with money. He was born in Germany. Grandfather on mother's side lived in town of Senate, Caugua Co., NY.

Great-Grandfather (grandmother's father's name was Mills), lived in Caugua County town of Victor.

Great-Grandmother Isabel Duncan came from Scotland when eighteen years of age. She lived and married in Philadelphia, married a man by the name of McNelley. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and died while a soldier. Great-Grandfather McNelley came from Ireland.

Great-Great Grandfather Duncan married a woman by the name of Wilson. She was a sister of Alexander Wilson the ornithologist of Philadelphia.

Isabel Duncan came to America in about 1797. She was about three months coming across the ocean, coming on a sailboat.

Grandmother Katherine McNelley was born in 1803 in Philadelphia. They moved to Ovid, Seneca Co., NY, in 1809. They moved to Putney, Stueben Co., NY. Katherine McNelley was married in 1820 to James Hood. He was born in PA. They had ten children, Robert born 1826, Isabel in 1828, Jane in 1830, John in 1832, Mary in 1834, Kate in 1835, Libbie in 1837, Caroline in 1840, James and William in 1842.

Grandmother died November 20, 1842. They came to Novi-Oakland County in April 1835.

by William Hood Barnes

The following notes are meant to clarify, amplify, and sometimes correct information in Will Barnes' memoirs.

Notes to Will Barnes' Memoirs, by C. W. Paige:

1) Senate = Sennett, a town just northeast of Auburn, NY

2) Caugua = Cayuga (a county in north central NY)

3) Victor = either Victory, or Will meant Victor, Wayne Co., NY

4) Troopsville = Throopsville (though it is pronounced "Troopsville"), a town just north of Auburn

5) Putney = Pulteney

6) Stueben = Steuben

7) The Aaron and Martha Barns family's migration to Throopsville, NY probably took place after 1802, as that was the year their son Thomas was born in CT. It could even have been as late as 1807, as that was the year Aaronís father Thomas died in Sharon, CT. Aaronís mother Sarah had passed away in 1800. With the rough transportation available in those days, it's difficult to imagine traveling all the way back to CT to have a baby. However, Aaron's younger brother Thomas settled in Throopsville in 1790, along with the Treat family, Manrows (later evolved to Monroe) and others from Sharon.

8) Cayuga County played a very prominent role in Barns/Barnes family history, and many Barnes relatives remained in the area after Thomas and Sarah emigrated to Seneca Falls, Seneca Co., NY and then to Jackson Co., MI. Besides the Barns and Sittser families (Auburn, Throopsville, Mentz, Rose), the Bliss familyís Hubbards and McCleans (Auburn, Moravia) also came from this county. Many geographical names from Cayuga County were transplanted to MI locales, indicating a large population movement to southern lower MI from that area.

9) "Sittser" is a variation of "Sitzer," which was the original spelling. Near the town of Throop is the "Community or Sitzer Cemetery," but the only Sitzers buried there spelled their name "Sittser." The cemetery is located on part of the original David and Sarah (Mills) Sittser farm, and is where ancestors David and Sarah, and some of their sons, are buried. Davidís grandfather Peter Sittser is apparently the one who disappeared on his return from Germany with an inheritance. Other Sittser descendants claim that the family was originally from Holland, and it was during the ancestorís return to America from Holland that he disappeared without a trace. It is said that he boarded a ship bound for America but was not onboard when the ship arrived.

Sarah Mills was a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Mills. According to a Memorial written for David and Sarahís great grandchild Sarah Elizabeth (Sittser) and husband Rev. Benjamin Franklin Willoughby, "Through the wife of Samuel Mills, the Sittsers for the generations succeeding David can trace their ancestry back to Ethan Allen, the revolutionary hero, who took possession of Fort Ticonderoga 'in the name of Jehovah and the Continental Congress.'"

Since Sarah and Ethan Allen were contemporaries (of the same generation), and since Ethan apparently had no sister Sarah according to known records, our Sarah at best could be a cousin. One "Sarah Allen" I discovered in the descendancy of Ralph Allen of England, born around the same time as ours (and may very well have been her), was part of the seventh generation of Ralph Allen. I also located Ethan Allen at the same level of descendancy from Ralph. By this reckoning, Sarah and Ethan would have been 4th cousins.

The entire two-paragraph insert about the Sittsers and Mills was written from the perspective of David Barnes, not Davidís son William Hood Barnes. Will probably wrote it down verbatim from a Bible or other record. From Davidís perspective, the entire series of generations is laid out accurately. The Great-great grandfather was Peter Sitzer/Sittser, who came to America on the Snows Good Intent out of Bremen, Germany, in 1749. He is believed to have boarded ship when it stopped at Rotterdam, Holland, en route to England and Philadelphia. Later on, Peterís son Andrew lived somewhere on the Hudson and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. David Sittser was Andrewís son. He brought his family from Berne, Albany Co., NY to the Sennett and Throopsville area of Cayuga county around 1815. He was a stonemason and settled there to work on the new state prison at Auburn. He owned an extensive amount of property, on which he and his sons built a large farmhouse on what became known as Sittser Road. Upon his death, the property was divided between his wife and their children "Andrew Sittser, Samuel Sittser, Matthew Sittser, Sally, wife of Thomas Barns, John Sittser & Peter Sittser."

10) John McNelley's last name was spelled a number of different ways by the family and legal documents, including McNelly, McAnnelly, McAnnally, McAnally, McNally, and for a time his son James spelled the last name "McNella." Regardless of the spelling, McNelley is a Sept of the Clan MacNeill (also O'Neill), one of the more ancient of the Irish and Scottish clans.

11) Although Will's account has James Hood born in PA, according to the 1860 Federal Census, James Hood was born in NY. (Some evidence claims James was born in New Paltz, Ulster Co., NY, but this has yet to be substantiated.). The Hoods, however, did migrate to the Romulus/Fayette area of NY from Turbot Township, Northumberland Co., PA in the late 1700s. Also, Catherine McNelley's brother James was born in PA.

12) Research by Harris Ely Hood has come up with a marriage date for Catherine and James Hood as being August 28, 1825. This makes a lot of sense, since Catherine is closer to the normal marriage age, plus she didn't start having children until 1826. Incidentally, Catherine's sister Mary was married to her first husband Samuel Waddell about 1820.

13) Catherine was apparently born in 1808 rather than 1803. On her tombstone near South Lyon, MI, she is mentioned as being 34 years old when she died in 1842. The year 1808 was also the year her sister Isabel was born, so it looks like another set of twins. [Sets of twins: Isabel and William Duncan, Catherine and Isabel McNelley, William and James Hood]
-----------------------------

Nellie loved salt-rising toast. While her grandson Charlie Paige was little and his Grandma Nellie still owned the house on Ganson Street, she continued to let rooms. Charlie recalls vividly, even forty years after, the pungent odor of toasting salt-rising bread whenever he'd enter the house; a smell that was never absent.

Nellie was petite, standing only about five feet tall as compared to her husband Will's six-foot height. Her hobbies included crocheting, knitting, and sewing doll quilts for the little girls of the family.

Nellie was basically religious, a trait inherited from generations of devout Christian predecessors. For some years she attended the Horton Methodist Church, yet Will's dislike of attending church eventually turned her away from going, also, though she always kept the spark of her beliefs burning in her heart.

When Nellie was in the process of moving out of her house near the end of the 1950s, she gave to her grandson, Charlie Paige, a 900-page, oversize book entitled The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, by Richard Newton, D.D., published at Philadelphia in 1880. The religious book was dedicated "to Christian Parents, Ministers, Teachers, and all who are Striving to Follow the Command of Our Blessed Lord to His Apostle Peter, `Feed my Lambs'...." The book, which was probably given to Nellie by her parents and used as an in-home Sunday School class, contained passages from the Scriptures together with real-life anecdotal dramatizations of their meanings and how they related to the then (1880s) modern world. Along with the written text there were also twenty-one picture prints from steel engravings, twenty wood engravings printed as plates, and dozens more "engravings on wood printed with the text." Also included were newspaper articles Nellie had cut out, apparently feeling they were pertinent in some way. There was also a piece of paper with these words scribbled in palsied handwriting, "Must You Go," and a locket-size miniature of her mother, Helen (Hubbard) Bliss.

Interred at Horton Cemetery, Horton, MI

Will and Nellie were married by Rev. W. F. Kendrick, Nellie's brother-in-law.

They moved to Chicago, where their family lived in a house at 10943 Wabash Avenue.

World War I was in progress when the family liquidated its Chicago assets and relocated to MI in spring, 1918. The family moved to the house on Baldwin Street, in Horton, that Will had inherited from his parents. This house would remain in the family from 1889 through 1970, although for much of that time it was rented out.

An Account Of The Family Of Will And Nellie Barnes Including The Year They Spent On A Farm---

Will's brother Martin had word that there were jobs available in Chicago, and this was enough to entice the brothers to move there. Will returned to MI to marry Nellie Mae Bliss in 1899, and soon afterwards they settled in Chicago. Then Martin returned to MI in 1900 long enough to marry Ella Susan Bliss, Nellie's sister. They, too, made the windy city their home, at least for a while. Will and Nellie's family would live at 10943 Wabash Avenue.

Around 1917, Will and Nellie's eldest son Chuck left the frantic, bustling city life and went west to NE in protest. In 1918, with hopes that their roving son would return, the family moved back to MI - to a vacant family residence on Baldwin Street in Horton. Chuck did return, and in the spring of 1919 the family once more moved, this time to a rented farm just down the road from David June Barnes' farm on Cross Lake near Horton. Will, Nellie and the brood would live on this farm for only a little over a year, but during that short period of time a number of misfortunes would unquiet their lives.

The Year Of The Farm:

The Will and Nellie Barnes family moved to the farm in the spring of 1919. Besides farming the land and raising sorghum, Will worked at Jackson Steel Products in Jackson. He would leave home and take the Sunday night train to Jackson, to return again on the following Saturday night train. During the week he boarded with his brother-in-law and sister's son and his wife, Frank and Charlotte Fales on Bates Street. Will's son Chuck tended the farm while the other kids went to school.

The first unwanted happening was too impatient to wait for the family to settle in. Helen and Chuck spent the night at their uncle June's farm down the road so they could get an early start in helping move the next day. That next day, while carrying a carton of canned fruit, Helen fell down the cellar stairs at the new residence. Chuck found her there and, as a result of the fall, she was blind.

Helenís folks put her to bed for a time until a friend of the family mentioned taking her to a chiropractor in Jackson. Following the advice, Nellie arranged with her husband's brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Pearl Barnes of Jackson, for her and Helen to stay with them until completion of the chiropractic treatments. Thomas and Pearl lived on E. Main Street (now E. MI Avenue), and the location was within easy access of the city streetcar.

After the second treatment, as they rode the streetcar back to her aunt and uncleís house, Helen noticed she could faintly see. Not wishing to build false hopes, Helen kept this awareness to herself until it either proved permanent or passing. That evening, as the family sat down to dinner, Helen said she wasn't hungry and went into the front room. Suddenly she called, "Mother, I can see!"

Another misadventure occurred when the family was preparing to take the car into Horton one evening. As Nellie bent down to pick something up off the ground, Chuck looked back from his vantage point on the drivers seat and saw all clear behind. He thus backed the car down the driveway. Unfortunately his mother had bent down directly behind the car and was thus run over. Owing to the way those cars were built, she came out of it relatively unharmed.

There were other maladies, such as the time Chuck got kicked by a horse, and another when the entire family came down with a siege of boils so bad that Will couldn't go to work. By the fall of 1920 Will and Nellie had had enough. The family moved back to the house in Horton and remained there for the next three years. In the fall of 1923 they moved to 1114 E. Ganson in Jackson, except for Helen who had just gone to Toledo and then to Buffalo, N.Y. with her new husband, Clyfford Leggett, and Chuck, who had married Esther Harmon two years before.

The preceding account was told to the author by sisters Jennie (Barnes) Paige and Helen (Barnes) Leggett.

During and after the Great Depression, Will and Nellie let fully-furnished rooms upstairs for an additional income. They also occasionally let downstairs. They would convert the dining room into a small apartment by closing the sliding wooden doors that separated the dining room from the living room.

The following article from the Jackson Citizen Patriot newspaper tells of the party held for Will and Nellie to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary:

"Mr. and Mrs. Will Barnes of Jackson were honored on their 40th wedding anniversary with a dinner Wednesday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. [C]lyfford Leggett. The grandchildren furnished a musical program, being accompanied by Howard Paige with his accordion. A corsage of gardenias and a boutonniere were presented to Mr. and Mrs. Barnes and later gifts were received. The guests included Rev. and Mrs. Will Kendrick of Grand Rapids; Mrs. Susie Barnes, Albion; Mrs. Lilla Barnes, Hanover; Mr. and Mrs. George Buckman, Hanover; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Paige and family of Saginaw; and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Barnes and family of Jackson."

[The "Lilla Barnes" mentioned in the above article was probably Lillian M. (Snyder), wife of William's brother Fredrick. C.W.P.]

Charles' obituary, appearing in the Jackson Citizen Patriot newspaper:

Charles Aaron Barnes
Passed away at the Medical Care Facility, Sept. 16, 1985, age 84 years. Surviving are his beloved wife Esther; four daughters, Mrs. Marie Beebe, Mrs. Helen Lammers, Mrs. Lois Jackson, Mrs. Dorothy Davis; two sons, William Barnes Sr. and David Barnes; 22 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Helen Leggett and Mrs. Jennie Paige; one sister-in-law, Mrs. Hilma Barnes; several nieces and nephews. He was a life long member of the Bennett Community Church. Mr. Barnes is at the Chas. J. Burden and Son Funeral Home, 1806 E. MI Ave., where services will be held Thursday 1:00 p.m. Interment Woodland. Visitation Wed. 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m.
---------------
The following is from a letter written to C.W. Paige on October 2, 1985, by Esther Barnes.

Dear nephew-

I was deeply moved by your beautiful card and expression of sympathy. I wish to thank you also for the check. We are using the money that has been given us for a stone as a memorial. There has never been a marker on our lot in Woodland Cemetery, so we are planning on getting one soon. Everyone has been busy taking care of things and helping me with everything. There have been so many papers to sign and cards to send. So far we have sent 78 cards and I have some more to write.

The funeral home was filled and it made me feel good that so many remembered him. He had been living on nitro pills for 3 years to keep his heart going, and it finally got worn out and quit. He was in quite a lot of pain toward the last. He is at rest now.

I am sending one of the cards from the funeral. Everything was beautiful.

Aunt Esther and family
---------------
Officiating at Charles Aaron Barnes' funeral was his former brother-in-law Rev. Howard O. Paige of Pleasant Lake, MI. Nephew Rev. Robert P. Garrett Sr. sang "Because He lives." The following are excerpts from Rev. Paige's funeral oration:

Charles Aaron Barnes was born July 29, 1901, in Chicago; first of 4 children to William H. Barnes and Nellie Bliss Barnes. Attended school in Chicago; belonged to a High School group called Cadets and belonged to the Boy Scouts.

It is said in Chicago the Pullman Co. opened up an area for gardening during the war, and Charlie discovered a liking for gardening which inspired a family move to Horton, MI in 1918.

He was married October 3, 1921 to Esther Harmon of Jackson, and they established a home on Marion Rd. south of Vandercook Lake. While living at this location he helped organize and teach Sunday School in the Vandercook Lake Baptist Church. And later, after moving to Sandstone Rd., he became affiliated with the Bennett Community Church, of which he and Esther remained members the rest of their lives.

Eight children blessed their home: two were lost in a few months due to pneumonia. Six are now living, along with 22 grand and 34 great grandchildren.

I have known the family since about 1925 through Jennie, his sister, and my early recollections include the 2-acre lot on Marion Rd. being converted from sand to peach trees, raspberries, and a vegetable patch, all of which he shared generously with us all. Charlie showed considerable carpentry skills when he assisted his brother Tom to erect a home on Munith Rd.

In the course of his working years he worked for Goodyear, Sparks-Withington, and the railroad, where he served as cook for a section crew. He also served a time with the Dawn Donut company establishing outlets reaching out as far as St. Louis, MO. Fate in the form of a tornado left him stranded in St. Louis without train fare to get home. [On September 29, 1927 a freak tornado hit St. Louis, MO. Lasting only five minutes, it killed 87 people, injured 1,500 and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. C.W.Paige, from "The Bicentennial Almanac."] It then took work on both Charlieís and Estherís part to earn transportation back home. These were the days of 25¢ beef steak, 8¢ loaf of bread, 5¢ ice cream cones, and 75¢ full dinner with pie and coffee at Rumlerís.

When I came into the ministry and made rounds of hospitals, etc., I visited him often at the Hiland Rest Home, and afterwards at the Medical Care Facility for about two years, where I called each Tuesday as part of my visiting routine. The cap he continuously wore due to sinus sensitivity came to the nursesí attention. They told him if he didnít wear it all the time the women would really go for him. His response was "why do you think I wear it?"

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Barnes:

An open house 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday in the Tompkins Town Hall marks the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Barnes, 7320 N. Sandstone Road.

Mr. Barnes and the former Esther L. Harman were married October 3, 1921 at Jackson. They are parents of Mrs. Warren Beebe, Mrs. Paul Lammers, Mrs. Donald E. Jackson, Mrs. Stephen B. Davis, William A. Barnes Sr., and David S. Barnes, all of the Jackson area.

There also are 22 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Mr. Barnes, now retired, was employed in factories and farming. Mrs. Barnes is a former NY Central employee. They are affiliated with the Bennett Community Church.

(They would be married for nearly 64 years.)
---------------
Chuck and Esther had purchased seven copies of the 1976 "Barnes Record" genealogy and one 1975 reunion picture.

Helen baked her sister Jennie's first birthday cake for Jennie's 10th birthday. Usually that special day she shared with her father was celebrated with strawberry shortcake. But on May 27, 1918 Nellie and Will were in Chicago liquidating their property, as the family had just moved from there to Horton, MI. So it was up to Jennie's older sister to handle the birthday event.

It was through Helen and her sister Jennie's persuasion that their father Will Barnes wrote down the Barnes and Hood family history, to preserve information into the future that would otherwise have been lost. Both sisters were also very helpful with obtaining data for "The Barnes and Related Families Abridged Genealogical RECORD" project: 1974-1977.

In 1998 Helen suffered a bad fall and a stroke that resulted in her requiring nursing home care. For most of the next three years she resided at the Arbor Manor Care Center in Spring Arbor, MI. In September 2000 her sister Jennie joined her after falling and breaking her upper left leg. They were able to see each other frequently over the next several months, and both attended Clyfford's 100th birthday celebration at the Leggett home.

Helen began bleeding internally on Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001, and passed away at 8:00 AM Wednesday, April 18. Her son Art was with her at the time. During Monday and Tuesday she had been visited by Clyfford, Jennie, Charlene and Rev. Robert Garrett Sr., and several other family members and friends. Though weakening, she was conscious during most of the visits.

Her nephew-in-law the Rev. Robert Garrett Sr. of Port Austin, MI, conducted the service, and burial was at the Horton Cemetery on Tripp Road.

"MRS. HELEN LEGGETT
04/19/01
LEGGETT, MRS. HELEN M. Aged 98, of Horton, passed away Wednesday, April 18, 2001 at the Arbor Manor. She was born December 19, 1902 in Chicago, Ill., the daughter of William and Nellie (Bliss) Barns. Her husband, Clyfford, whom she married 78 years ago on March 12, 1923, survives her. She was a member of the Horton Eastern Star and the Hillside United Methodist Church. Mrs. Leggett is survived by sons, Arthur (Wanda) Leggett of Horton, Donald (Ruth) Leggett of Knoxville, TN, Harold (Madelyn) Leggett of Solona Beach, CA; a sister, Jennie Paige of Jackson; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and 16 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers. Visitation of family and friends will be Friday, April 20th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Kurtz-Towns Funeral Homes, Hanover. A funeral service to honor the life of Mrs. Leggett will be Saturday, April 21st at 11:00 a.m. at the Hillside United Methodist Church with the Reverend Robert Garrett officiating. Interment will be at Horton Cemetery. Memorial donations to the memory of Mrs. Leggett are suggested to the Hillside United Methodist Church."
--------------------------------
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATION FROM NEPHEW CHARLES PAIGE:
Helen was a portal and encyclopedic resource of information on family past and present. She preserved the pencil-written family history memories of her father Will Barnes, written down upon her and sister Jennieís urging. She also preserved several pre-20th-century pictures, including one of the entire David and Mary (Hood) Barnes family, plus one of David and Mary Barnesí home/farm at Cross Lake and of David and Maryís retirement home on Baldwin Road. (The Balwin house was occupied for many years by Helen and Clyfford. The Cross Lake farm is still occupied by Helenís cousin Lillian (Barnes) Hoeg.)

Helen kept in touch with cousins near and distant and was a repository of information about them and their respective families. "The Barnes and Related Families Abridged Genealogical RECORD," a project that began in the mid-1970s, owes much to her family knowledge and preservation efforts. In later years, her hobby of collecting the obituaries of family and friends since the early 1900s came in handy in the initial collecting of information about our Hubbard cousins. Her sister Jennie, after Helenís death, remarked to son Charlie "Where will I go now for answers?"

Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Leggett:

Fifty years of marriage will be observed by Mr. and Mrs. Clyfford A. Leggett of Horton with a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. March 11 in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post home at Hanover.

Mr. Leggett and the former Helen M. Barnes, both of Chicago, met at a school party at Horton and were married March 12, 1923 at Ann Arbor.

Sons Donald R. of 0wosso, Harold W. of San Rafael, Calif., and Arthur C. of Horton are giving the anniversary party. There are also 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

The couple has lived in the Jackson and Horton areas throughout the marriage. Mr. Leggett is a retired office machines repairman and former treasurer of the Horton Volunteer Fire Department. He is now a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Both are members of the Hillside United Methodist Church and Mrs. Leggett is a member of the Jolly 12 Club; Horton Chapter No. 135, Order of Eastern Star, and its Past Matrons Club. While Mr. Leggett enjoys golf and hunting, his wife knits and gardens.
__________

Helen Mary (Barnes) and Clyfford Arthur Leggett

The following articles are respectively from the Jackson Citizen Patriot in March, 1993, (70th wedding anniversary write-up) and the Hillsdale Daily News dated Monday, June 2, 1997 (about the especially long marriage of Helen and Clyfford, and of their sons).

70th anniversary party not as quiet as planned
By Eric Jorgensen

When Clyfford and Helen Leggett went to an anniversary dinner Friday with a son and daughter-in-law, they hardly expected bus and plane loads of people to arrive at Gilbertís Steak House for the event. But instead of quiet table for four, the couple celebrated at a noisy table for 60. Family members came from CA, TN and all over MI for the event.

And why not: How many among us have had a 70th wedding anniversary?

Clyfford and Helen Leggett were married March 12, 1923, in Ann Arbor and have lived in Horton for most of the 70 years since then. Heís a hard-of-hearing, 92-year-old repairman who drives to the grocery store. Sheís a spry 90-year-old who still cooks up a storm.

"Theyíre the kind that when somebody stops over, they want to sit them down and feed them before they leave," said Wanda Leggett. "Doesnít everybody have a grandmother like that?"

Both apparently jumped at the chance to spend an evening out with a son and daughter-in-law. "They always want to go out," said Arthur Leggett.

It also wasnít difficult talking nearly 60 family members into showing up for the 70th wedding anniversary celebration. Each of the coupleís three sons, ages 66 to 69, brought a cadre of relatives to the party.

Arthur and Wanda Leggett arranged for many MI family members to show up.

Donald and Ruth Leggett, of Knoxville, Tenn., brought about two dozen relatives on a rented bus. Their daughter, Mary Bailey, organized the event.

Harold and Madelyn Leggett flew themselves and a handful of other relatives from CA.

In addition to the intimate dinner for 60, Clyfford and Helen Leggett were treated to a video presentation of five generations of the Leggett family. Included were old photographs of the young couple from 70 years ago.

"Everyone thinks the world of mother and dad," said Wanda Leggett.

In addition to three sons, Clyfford and Helen Leggett have 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
__________

ALL IN THE FAMILY
Long marriages common to Horton family
by Janet Lee

HORTON: When Helen Barnes and Clyfford Leggett said their marriage vows, they took to heart what they were saying, and have now celebrated the 74th anniversary of repeating those vows.

Clyfford Leggett was born in January of 1901 in Hanover, but lived in Chicago, and Helen Barnes was born in Chicago in December of 1902. They never met nor did their parents meet while living in the Chicago area, but their parents had mutual friends there, so they each knew of the otherís family. [According to the write-up in Clyffordís mother Lillyís obituary, the family lived in Chicago for thirteen years. C.W.P.]

Helen Barnes moved with her family from Chicago to Buffalo, N.Y., to Toledo, Ohio, then Jackson, and finally to Horton. [The phrase "to Buffalo, N.Y., to Toledo, Ohio, then Jackson" is not correct at this location in the article. The moves to Buffalo and Toledo did occur but were by Helen and Clyfford during their married life. It was in Buffalo that Clyfford learned his early trade of fixing automobile odometers. C.W.P.]

It was after she moved to Horton that the couple met at a Horton school function, a box social held at the home of a friend.

"He bought my box," Helen Leggett said. "Though it wasnít love at first sight, we carried on from the day on."

The couple was married on March 12, 1923, at the home of some friends.

Mr. Leggett worked as an office repairman fixing typewriters, adding machines and calculators. After retirement at age 67, he began working for Hillsdale College and the Hanover-Horton High School, repairing their machines at his home during the summer, and then guaranteeing them for free service during the next school year if there were any problems. He worked at that for an additional 10 years.

Mrs. Leggett has been a homemaker for most their married life, but during World War II she did her part for the war effort by doing inspection work for Goodyear in Jackson.

"I tried to do my part," she said. "I made the same kind of equipment-guns-that our boys used. I ran a lathe." [Helen worked on 90mm anti-aircraft guns. C.W.P.]

The Leggett boys, all three of them, served during World War II. Don, now living in TN, and Harold, who lives in San Diego, Calif., served in the Army during WW II and saw action in Germany, France, England and Africa.

Arthur, the youngest, saw action with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.

The three Leggett boys all had girlfriends here at home when they left for the service, and after returning home safely from active duty married those same sweethearts.

Two sons have been married for more than 50 years, with Arthur and Wanda celebrating their golden anniversary in April, and Harold and his wife celebrating theirs last June.

Arthur is retired after having worked with Yardman and Jackson Canvas Co. He and his wife have one son and one daughter.

Helen Leggett is proud of her family which has grown through the years to include 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

"We have five generations many times around," she said, "In three different families."

"My husband used to like to golf, fish and hunt. And I must not forget deer hunting. Thatís about all. He just stopped golfing the past three years, but he still likes to ride the tractor to mow the lawn and work outside. He really keeps our yard up nicely," she said.

Mrs. Leggett always enjoyed knitting and gardening, though she doesnít do either anymore.

Not a bad record for a couple 95 and 96 years of age.
__________

Their love passes test of time -- 77 years
by Pat Rombyer
Staff Writer for "Jackson (MI) Citizen Patriot" newspaper

The gaze that connects Helen and Clyfford Leggett is telling. Itís a look that doesnít need words. And it survives despite the loss of his hearing and her mobility.

The couple celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary earlier this month in the dining room of the Arbor Manor Care Center, Spring Arbor, where she has lived for the past two years. The celebration was a scaled-down version of the bash their three sons arranged for their 70th anniversary at a local steak house.

Clyfford, who will be 100 in January, comes to visit his 97-year-old wife every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

"He dotes on her," said Camille Stoetzel, a registered nurse who works in Helenís wing of the nursing home. "He is very loving toward her. They are just so cute."

The couple has no recipe for their long marriage, although Helen says an important key to success is to "give as well as take. Itís something you need to learn early on," she said Thursday during her husbandís visit.

The two sit in the lobby of the care home, occasionally holding hands, and bring each other up to date on occurrences. "She just lights up when heís here," said Kevin Ganton, administrator at Arbor Manor.

When heís not visiting his wife, Clyfford busies himself around the house.

"No, I donít worry about him too much. He can take care of himself," Helen said with a smile. She knows retired son, Arthur, 73, looks in on his dad each day.

"Iíd rather be there with him and I know heíd like me to be home," she said.

Clyfford gets at least one good meal five days a week from the Department on Agingís meal program and Arthur often supplements that with home-cooked dinners.

The Leggetts raised three boys in the family home in Horton. Arthur and his wife, Wanda, live nearby, but sons Donald and Harold live out of state. Helen, whose maiden name is Barnes, grew up in Horton, while Clyfford is from Hanover. They met at box social at the local Methodist Church in the early 1920s. Thatís when the guys buy a box lunch without knowing who cooked it; then the couple has to eat together.

"I didnít know it until later, but my brother signaled him to let him know when my box came up," Helen said.

A lifetime of years have passed since then.

"I appreciate what time we have to spend together," Helen said.
__________

Helen and Clyfford celebrated their 78th wedding anniversary with a small, family gathering at the care center. This would be their last, as Helen passed away a little over a month later. During the two days before her death Clyfford spent many hours sitting beside her bed and holding her hand. Three months later Clyfford would join her.

Thomas S. Barnes (obituary #1):
1443 Munith Rd., passed away at the Veteranís Hospital, Ann Arbor, Monday afternoon, Sept. 25, 1972, aged 66 years. Surviving are the wife Hilma; two sons Douglas A. of Jackson, Roy T. with the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla.: two sisters, Mrs. Helen Leggett of Horton, Mrs. Jennie B. Paige of Jackson; one brother Charles A. of Jackson; numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Barnes donated his body to the University of Michigan Medical School. A Memorial Service will be at the Central Wesleyan Church, 119 N. Webster, Wednesday 1:00 p.m. The Reverend Robert Garrett officiating.

Friends who wish may make donations to the Jackson YMCA Youth Fund.

Thomas S. Barnes (obituary #2):
A memorial service was to have been held today for Thomas S. Barnes, 66, of 1443 Munith Rd., who died Monday in Veteranís Hospital, Ann Arbor, after an illness of two months. With the exception of 10 years in CA [and his youth in Chicago], he spent his lifetime in Jackson County. Mr. Barnes served with the Army in the 1920s and as an instructor during World War II. He attended the Wesleyan Central Church and was a retiree of the Clark Equipment Co., with about 20 years of service. Surviving are his wife Hilma; two sons, Douglas A. of Jackson and Roy T. with the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla.; two sisters; and a brother.

A military plaque for Tom is at Horton Cemetery,Horton, MI, near graves of parents.

Tom and Hilma Barnes' Story - MI or Bust:

Hilma Sorola, raised in a Finnish settlement near Fort Bragg, CA, went to work in San Francisco to support herself while attending Mission High School. Both she and her sister had moved to the city.

In the summer of 1926 she accepted an invitation to double--date with her sister, Siiri (pro. Si'ree). Siiri's boyfriend, Frank Marble of Washington state, was in the peacetime Army and stationed at the Presidio. He had a soldier friend, Tom Barnes, whom he wanted Wilma to meet. It was thus arranged that the two blind dates would meet and the two couples go to a movie.

The evening was enjoyable and soon Tom and Hilma began to date steadily. Two years later Hilma became Tom's December Bride. At the time he had just gotten out of the service and had a civilian job. She was working at Bell Telephone.

In the spring of 1933 Tom hitchhiked to MI, stopping at fairs along the way to earn money wrestling. The summer of that same year he borrowed enough money from his father to return to CA. Hilma, in the meantime, had been given the option of either continuing working at Bell or receiving a $25 bonus for each year of service to the company. The Depression was on and it was Bell's way of cutting personnel without firing them.

When Tom returned, she accepted the $100 bonus for her 4 years and, with $25 of it, she and Tom bought an old Model T Ford. Tom set to work rigging the back seat to fold down as a bed. Next he stowed a mattress. Finally, after buying two used tires for $2 each and some groceries, they were off to MI.

During their trip from San Francisco through Reno, Salt Lake City, Laramie, Omaha, and Chicago the couple roughed it. At night the back seat was folded down and the mattress spread for sleeping. During the day their meals were all cooked out-of-doors.

Coming across the Rockies, as they were climbing one of the mountains, the Ford's forward clutch wore out. Undaunted, Tom turned the car around and backed the rest of the way up, pretty as you please.

The Ford's forward clutch was replaced in Salt Lake City, after which the couple continued on. Before arriving in MI they stopped in Chicago to visit the Century Progress World's Fair for a couple days; then on to Jackson - their ultimate destination.

Tom and Wilma Barnes arrived in Jackson just a few days before the Bliss family reunion was to be held (always held on the 4th of July). On the day of the reunion the Model T was packed with Tom's parents, Will and Nellie, and his brother and sister-in-law, Chuck and Esther, with their four girls and baby boy. Soon they were all off to Susie Barnes' house in Albion for what was to be Hilma's first family debut.

(Information Courtesy of Mrs. Hilma Barnes)

During the terrible influenza epidemic in the fall of 1918, Jennie was the only member of her immediate family to catch the dread disease that would kill half a million Americans and 20 million people worldwide.

As of May, 1997-
Jennie found Christ early on and has been very active with friends, family, church and the community, while pacing herself to get the most out of life. When Howard died, though he and Jennie had been divorced since April, 1965, and he had remarried twice, Jennie was there to fulfill her place in the family as the first Mrs. Paige.

Jennie's life is told in a compilation entitled "The Life and Times of Jennie Louise Barnes Paige."

Some of Jennieís Memberships Over Her Lifetime:

--St. Stephen's Methodist Church, Chicago
--Horton Methodist Episcopal Church
--First Methodist Church, Jackson
--State Street Methodist Church, Flint
--First Methodist Church, Saginaw (taught Sunday school)
--Haven Methodist Church in Jackson
--Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS) through the First Methodist Church in 1940 (charter member)
--United Methodist Women (UMW), which replaced the WSCS
--The Shellhouse Guild (Mrs. Anna Shellhouse was a Sunday School teacher for some years at Haven Methodist Church and was idealized by some of her girl students, including Neva Porter (later Crippen-deceased 1993), Wilma Clement (later Smith-deceased 1997), Sue Pemberton (later Allen-deceased) and Jennie Barnes (later Paige), who established a club, or guild, in her honor.)
--The Birthday Club, including Audrey Denton, Dora Rowan, Hilma Barnes (deceased), Mary Packard Waters (deceased), Helen and Clyfford Leggett (deceased), Wilma Smith (deceased), Neva Crippen (deceased) Donna Clellen (deceased), Florence "Flo" Roth (deceased)
--Phillips 66, a church-related organization
--The Eastern Star (lifetime member; through her father's Masonic membership); was active in Saginaw
--Retarded Children's Society of Jackson Inc. (co-founder with husband and nine other couples)
--The Board of Hope School
--Both the National and Michigan Association of Retarded People
--On membership committee at the Lyle Torrant Training Center
--Calvary United Methodist Church--
----Chairperson of the Circle 2 women's group for over 20 years; the group disbanded when she was no longer able to chair
----On the church membership committee since 1976, meeting Mondays
----Member of "Young at Heart" church social activities group
----Member of "Focus Group" for churchwomen without husbands
--Volunteered for projects in Jackson's chapter of RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program)
--AARP (American Association of Retired People)
--Senior Citizens
--Volunteered in Emergency at W. A. Foote Memorial Hospital in Jackson
--Besides faithfully tithing at church, Jennie contributed to a number of charities, including Disabled Veterans and Feed the Children.

A list of Jennieís Memoir Contributions to the genealogical book "The Coming Together, Volume Two: Yesterday Today and Tomorrow"
--Memories of Long Ago
--Mrs. Shellhouse
--Marriage of Howard and Jennie
--Places where the family lived, and other information
--Fences make friends

There were also many other memory/information contributions made which were used to advantage in other genealogical essays and accounts, and always heartfelt moral support given to the efforts of family history preservation. It was through Jennie and her sister Helen's persuasion that their father Will Barnes wrote down the Barnes and Hood family history, to preserve information into the future that would otherwise have been lost. Both sisters were also very helpful with obtaining data for "The Barnes and Related Families Abridged Genealogical RECORD" project: 1974-1977.

Jennie has spent most of her life in Jackson Co., MI, except for the first ten years of her childhood in Chicago and a span of twelve years during her married life: 1937 to 1939 in Flint, MI, and 1939 to 1949 in Saginaw, MI.

Jennie spent several months at the Arbor Manor Care Center in Spring Arbor, MI due to a July 12, 2000 fall in which she broke her upper left leg. She was placed in the Care Center in September after staying several weeks at W.A. Foote Memorial Hospital in Jackson, during which time she had two operations. Her sister Helen was also at Arbor Manor from 1998 until her death Wednesday, April 18, 2001.

On Thanksgiving Day, 2000, Jennie's son "Bud" and his son-in-law Dan VanSumeren began working on her house in preparation for receiving vinyl siding. Two of the windows were already replaced before the family's Thanksgiving celebration occurred at the Arbor Manor Care Center that afternoon. Bud and Dan continued working through the end of the year before the job was done. As a result, the little white house on the corner of E. North and Ellery streets became the little yellowish cream-colored house. Besides replacing several of the windows and installing siding, Bud and Dan also replaced the roof on the garage and did many things to enhance entrance to the house. This was all in preparation for the day when Jennie could once again return to her home.

Jennie did return to her house on a few occasions, thanks to her daughter and son-in-law Charlene and Bob Garrett, but they were always short stays. The longest was when she was treated to a back yard party at her house, to which friends and neighbors were invited. Over the next years, Jennie's desire to return to her house waned, to be replaced by a sense of community at the Arbor Manor Care Center. In turn, staff at the Center loved Jennie and did everything in their power to make her stay with them comfortable and fun. Her family never forgot her, either, and she received frequent visits and phone calls. She was also taken on occasional day trips, both by the Care Center and members of her family. From the beginning she had her own phone, as the family never wanted her to feel "out of the picture." Just as before the accident, Jennie once again became the family's news hub, a task that she loved and fulfilled faithfully until the end.

Jennie's obituary:

"PAIGE, JENNIE B. Aged 95, of Jackson, went to be with her Lord, August 19, 2003, at Arbor Manor Care Center. She was a member of Calvary United Methodist Church and the Eastern Star. With her husband, she helped found the Retarded Children's Society of Jackson (Hope School). She was a member of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program R.S.V.P. She was a tour guide with Michigan's Artrain during America's bicentennial celebration. She is survived by her children, Royce Duane (Elaine) Paige, Charlene (Reverend Robert) Paige Garrett, Mary Louise (Robert) West and Charles William Paige; sister-in-law, Hilma (Mrs. Thomas) Barnes; grandchildren, Lynn Paige (Dan) VanSumeren, Steven (Kim) Paige, Karen Paige and friend Greg, Robert (Paula) Garrett Jr., Sue Garrett (David) Johnston, Connie Garrett (Ken) Smeader, Laura Garrett (Dennis) Hill, Angela West (Ken) Borash, and Betsy West (Mark) Sherman; 18 great- grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Margaret Ann Paige; former husband, Howard Oswald Paige; brothers, Thomas and Charles (Esther) Barnes; and sister, Helen (Clyfford) Leggett. She was a most caring individual and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends. The family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at Arbor Manor for their loving care. Jennie has donated her body to University of Michigan Medical Research. A memorial service will be held Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. at the Calvary United Methodist Church, 925 Backus, Jackson. For those wishing, contributions may be made to Calvary United Methodist Church. www.MLive.com/obits Chas. J. Burden & Son 1806 E. Michigan Ave. Published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on 8/21/2003."

Though Jennie gave her body to University of Michigan Medical Research, she has a headstone at the Horton Cemetery on Tripp Road between those of her parents.

Howard and Jennie met in Latin class at Jackson High School in Jackson, MI. Their big "things" were roller-skating and eating pineapple sundaes. The Paige family lived in a number of different houses and cities during their marriage, including the following:
1927-28 at Howard's mother's/grandmother's house on S. Jackson St.,
alternately at Jennie's parents' house on E. Ganson St.
in Jackson, MI.
1928 on Franklin St., Steward Ave., then Lansing Ave., in Jackson, MI.
1929 to 1937 on Lincoln St., Lansing Ave., then S. Jackson St. (next
door to Howard's mother and grandmother), Jackson, MI.
1937 to 1939 on Decker St., then Marengo St., Flint, MI.
1939 to 1941 on Hancock St., Saginaw, MI.
1941 to 1949 on Bay St., Saginaw, MI.
1949 to 1960 on Leroy St., Jackson, MI
Mid-1950s bought the cottage on Highland Lake at Hell, MI,
as recreational home
1960 to 1965 on Wooster Rd, Jackson Co., MI (which Howard kept
until 1984)
When they moved back to Jackson from Saginaw in 1949, Howard and Jennie helped to found Hope School for mentally retarded children. One of their daughters, Margaret Ann, had been born with Down's Syndrome, and they found that Jackson had no place willing to give her an education of any type. Howard was president of the Retarded Children's Society of Jackson Inc., creators and sponsors of the Hope School Project, from 1951 through 1957. During that time Jennie was also a very active participant in the drama that helped inform and open an entire community to the needs of the mentally handicapped.

The following article appeared in the Jackson Citizen newspaper around 1951:

"Jacksonia.

"For years handicapped children in this community have been provided with special educational facilities to meet their particular needs so that they would not be deprived of advantages available to normal youngsters. Now provision also has been made to educate cerebral palsy children, the parents of 10 such youngsters having established regular classes in the Kerr school. It is a commendable project."

Howard and Jennie bought a cottage on Highland Lake at Hell, MI in the mid-1950s, which was sold when Howard bought his "bachelor pad" on Cardinal Crest St. during a trial separation. Howard and Jennie then bought a 100-acre farm in late 1960, which they put into full production while Howard continued working three alternating shifts at the power company.

Jennie and Howard were divorced in 1965, at which time Jennie moved into the house at 1100 E. North St. in Jackson, where she would live for more than thirty-five years.