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Omar Floyd Steenbergh married Nora May Justice on September 7, 1910 in Jordan
Township, Antrim County, Michigan. Above is a photograph of them on their wedding day, They had seventeen children during their marriage. The following is
a narrative of their lineage. This narrative contains the following surnames:
Cooper, Cruickshank (Crookshank), Justice, Savage, Scott, Steenbergh, Touchtone.
This is the most up-to-date information as of October, 1999. John B. Steenbergh and Sephrona Cooper John B. Steenbergh was born in Schenectady, New York approximately January, 1816. In numerous census records he states that his occupation is wheelwright or wagon maker, which was a skilled trade. A wheelwright is someone that makes wheels for horse carts and wagons. In his later years he stated that he was a "carpenter."
One of the questions asked on the census is "Where were your parents born?" According to the federal census, John's father was born in New York and his mother was born in Massachusetts. John B. Steenbergh married Sephrona Cooper in Champion, New York on June 7, 1849 at the First Congregational Church. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Nathaniel Dutton. Sephrona Cooper was born in New York about 1827. She died on August 31, 1904 in Yale, Michigan. John Steenbergh also died in Yale, Michigan on November 24, 1899.
John and Sephrona had five children named: The facts about Charles and Mary are minimal and only what I have received from relatives. Richard and Genevieve Jaquays were kind to show me pictures and speak about them. Richard is a nephew of Omar and he is the son of Elsie Steenbergh Jaquays. They said that Charles and Mary were founding members of the Pilgrim Holiness Church that was located on the corner of Griffin and Jackson Avenue in Warren, Michigan. The church remained a pillar to the community until approximately 1998, when it was sold and dissolved. Richard told me that Charles lived on Benjamin Street in Romeo, Michigan and as a child, remembers visiting there. Louella (Steenbergh) Barnes remembers them residing in Cepac. Omar Steenbergh II stated that Charles Steenbergh worked for Brown Lumber in Detroit for a number of years.
Charles and Mary had six children, but one died at birth. Their children and birth dates are listed as follows, as shown by the Antrim County, Michigan 1900 Federal Census soundex: Grandma Nora Justice was a short woman, about 4'11". She had the patience of Job and everyone loved her. She constantly took in extra people in her home and took care of them. Hospitality was her gift.
Mary Jane Savage was the wife of Charles Steenbergh. Mary Jane Savage's parents were John and Margaret Savage. John Savage was born approximately 1816 in New York. He died February 29, 1876 in Berlin, St. Clair County, Michigan. His father was also called John Savage and was born in New York. His mother's name was also Mary. Margaret Savage (unaware of maiden name at this time), was born April 1824 in Connecticut. She died on May 6, 1873 in Berlin Township, St. Clair County, Michigan. When researching the family tree, you get acquainted with certain characters and you wish you could travel back in time to speak with them. The Justice family has been interesting. If I had a choice to go back in time and interview any of my ancestors, I believe I would chose Nancy Cruickshank Scott. Nancy was an immigrant from Ireland. She and her husband, John Scott, claim to have been born in Ireland, as well as three of their children. Nancy is the daughter of John and Margaret Cruickhshank (or Crookshank, I've seen it spelled both ways). Nancy was born in January 1833 in Ireland, which would make her about about 8 years old when the potato famine occurred in Ireland. Nancy tragically died while giving birth to a child on April 14, 1879. She died in Chestonia, Antrim County, Michigan. Three months later the baby, Maddie May, died November 8, 1879 of whooping cough. They are buried in a rural cemetery named Rock Elm Cemetery on Mt. Morris Road in East Jordan, Michigan. According to Grandma Nora (Justice) Steenbergh, Nancy Cruickshank was buried on the old homestead, but when the baby died several months later, she was moved and the baby was buried on top of her in Rock Elm. Nancy Cruickshank married John Scott, (date unknown). John Scott was born about 1828 in Ireland. According to the 1880 Federal Census records for Antrim County, Jordan Township, Nancy and John Scott had the following children:
William;Born approximately 1865, in Ireland
On August 25, 1888, one day after her 15th birthday, Rosa Jane Scott married Frances Marion Justice in East Jordan, Michigan. The couple had the following children:
Clyde David; August 7, 1889
Rosa Jane Scott Justice died in 1952 at the age of 79 years old.
David Justice was born in 1826 at Ross County, Ohio. He died in Antrim County, Michigan on July 28, 1888. David Justice married Anna Touchtone in Lattaville, Ohio on July 31, 1851. Anna Touchtone was born January, 1834 in Ohio. She died on May 19, 1907 in Jordan Twp., Antrim County, Michigan. Anna's parents were Joseph Touchtone, born in 1809 in Maryland, and Maria S. Beaty , born 1812. David Justice was a union soldier in the infantry during the U.S. Civil War. He signed up in Chillicothe, Ohio and was assigned to the 73rd Ohio Infantry, Company D.
David and Anna Justice's children were: Aunt Hazel (Justice) told me that John (Johnny) died saving a boy from drowning. He was about 22 years old when he died. The story goes that he took his shoes off before jumping in the water. At home, his mother Anna heard someone walking across the floor in stocking feet. A girl was seen several times putting flowers on Johnnie's grave. Grandma Nora Justice Steenbergh told me that the Justice family came up to Michigan from Ohio by covered wagon and settled in Antrim County. Frances Marion Justice was a proficient violinist or "fiddle player." He played the fiddle for area square dances. They say that he was a great story teller, also. Grandma Nora Justice played the organ. They had a pump organ at the house and the children would take turns pushing the pedals while grandma played the organ. She played the organ for church. There is a story about Frances Marion (Frank) Justice. When he was 12 years old, his father sent him to a Bohemian settlement to buy 1/2 pound of salt pork and a sack of potatoes in the middle of a snow storm. It ended up being a blizzard and Frank Justice got lost in the woods. He had frozen feet and almost died.
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I would like to thank her for her contributions.
You can also visit her other Civil War site at 107th Pennsylvania