Putney-Fuller Families

            Dewey Admiral Putney [Marshall, Phoebe, Roswell] b. December 4, 1898, a child of Marshall Putney and Velma Cook; m. Mildred Jenny Drier, around 1929; d. November, 1986, Detroit, MI

            In 1930, Dewey and Mildred were in Blaine Township, Benzie County, Michigan, with Dewey’s father, Marshall W. Putney.

            Mildred was born in 1910.

            According to the Social Security Administration, Dewey died in November, 1986. However, his tombstone claims he died in 1958.

            Mildred died in 1996.

Children:

                 Bertha Fuller [Acelia, Phoebe, Roswell] b. January, 1868, MI, a child of Acelia R. Putney and Leonidas Fuller; m. Richard Snohr; d. before 1930.

            Richard was born in Michigan in August, 1866.

At the turn of the century, Richard and Bertha were in Manistee, Michigan, with two children: Beatrice and Bertram. Bertha had lost one child prior to the census. Her sister, Maude Fuller, was living with them, working for them as a servant. Bertha claimed to be the mother of four children, but one of them had died. Richard was working as a lumber inspector.

In 1910, Richard and Bertha were living on First Avenue in Manistee, where Richard was now a bridge tender for the city. Their daughter, Beatrice, was an apprentice at a millinery store. They had two other children in the home: Gladys and Kenneth. The appearance of Gladys in the 1910 census, when Bertram was the one listed as living in the 1900 census leads us to believe that they had mistakenly named Bertram in 1900. Family records say that Gladys reached adulthood and married William Basck. There is no family record of Bertram.

Before 1922, the Snohr’s moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The 1930 census shows Richard as a widow, living with his son, Kenneth, in Milwaukee. Kenneth was renting a home on American Avenue for $15 a month. Richard owned property valued at $5,000 He worked for the city of Milwaukee as a bridge tender. His son worked as a boiler maker for the steel mills.

Children:

Edgar M. “Raleigh” Fuller [Acelia, Phoebe, Roswell], b. August 30, 1869, Benzie Co., MI; m. Grace L. Elliott, around 1905, Los Angeles, CA; d. January 24, 1923, Los Angeles, CA.

For a long time, we were not able to locate Raleigh Fuller in the 1900 or 1910 census, although the image below left shows he survived to adulthood. Family records also show that he had a son named Richard. We had assumed he was born around 1884, between his sisters, Maude (1882) and Bernice (1886), for the 1880 census shows no Raleigh but an Edgar M. Fuller in his parents’ home. It concerned us that he may have died prior to the 1900 census. However, more careful research gave us what we were looking for.

We found Raleigh in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California, in 1920. Raleigh and his wife Grace were renting a home on Clayton Street in San Jose, where Raleigh worked as a chauffeur for a motor truck service. They had one son: Richard C. Fuller (age 8, born in California).

Raleigh’s wife, Grace was born in Missouri on October 17, 1872, a daughter of William Elliott and Maggie Markham. Her family had moved west before 1880, first settling in Denver, then in San Francisco.

 She had married prior to meeting Raleigh, to a Mr. Harry J. Whiteley, who had worked as a painter with her father in San Francisco (1900 census).  

From what we can surmise from census records and birth records, Raleigh was the Edgar M. Fuller born in Michigan on August 30, 1869, a son of Leonidas Fuller and Acelia Putney. The 1920 census claims Raleigh was born around 1869-70. In fact, in 1910, he also claimed to be born around 1869-70. At that time, he was living with his wife and widowed mother-in-law, Mrs. Margaret (Markham) Elliott in Los Angeles. Raleigh and Grace claimed to have been married five years. Grace had given birth to one child, who was no longer living. Raleigh was a “teamster” for a truck wagon company. His sister, Maude Fuller, was also living in the home. She was working as a bookkeeper for a laundry office.

Now knowing where Raleigh ended up, we find him in the 1900 census in Los Angeles, where he was a day laborer and boarder in the Grading Camp of Orr Lang (or Sang). His birth date confirmed our suspicions. He was born in August, 1869. This positively identifies him as Edgar M. Fuller.

Raleigh died on January 23, 1923. The 1930 census shows Grace as a widow. She owned a home on Division Street in Los Angeles, with her son, Richard. Grace was the manager of Bungalow (or Bungals) Court.

Grace died in Los Angeles on March 2, 1952. Her son, Richard, stayed in California and died in 2003, two weeks before his 92^nd birthday.

Children:

Tena M. (or A.) Fuller [Acelia, Phoebe, Roswell] b. August, 1875, MI, a child of Acelia R. Putney and Leonidas Fuller; m. Donald P. Reynolds, around 1911, Benzie Co., MI.

            At the turn of the century, Tena was single and working as a servant for William and Lucy Hubbell in Benzonia. Tena had a child, Jessie Fuller, born in July, 1895. The Hubbell home was down the street from William and Ella Reynolds.

            Don was born in Ohio (per 1910 & 1930 census) or Illinois (per 1920 census) in 1868.

            The 1910 census shows Donald and Tena in the village of Benzonia with children Jessie, Mildred, Alfred and Grace. Donald worked at odd jobs.

            They lived on Benzie Boulevard, near the family of Clarence and Flora Stiles according to the 1920 census. At the beginning of the Great Depression, they were living in a $1,500 home in the village of Benzonia. Though they didn’t live on a farm, Don was employed at a fruit farm – probably one of those owned by the Putney cousins south of the village. Tena claimed to be employed at her home as a “laundress.” Their daughter, Eleanor, and grandson, Harold Deering (age 9) lived with them. We don’t know which of their daughters married a Deering, for Dahlgren’s records only show Burke, Hammond, Arntson, Vaclavik and Rohr.

            Tena died in 1942 and was buried in the Benzonia Cemetery.

            Their son, Alfred, died in 1947 and was buried in Benzonia, next to Tena.

Donald died in 1954 and was buried next to Tena.

Children:

            Lee O. Fuller [Acelia, Phoebe, Roswell], b. 1878, a son of Acelia Putney and Leonidas Fuller; unmarried; d. 1966.

            Lee was shown in the 1910 census in Blaine Township, Benzie County, Michigan, as the head of his own household, even though he was unmarried and living alone. He was a farmer and an employer of farm laborers. In 1920, we find that he owned his farm, although he seems to have lived in the same dwelling as George and Jennie Wilson.

            Nothing more is known of Lee, except that he died in 1966.

            Loren Birthol Putney [Orlo, Phoebe, Roswell], b. April, 1872, MI, a child of Orlo E. Putney and Viola P. Bouman; m. Ella Elmira Barland, February 3, 1900, Thompsonville, Benzie Co., MI; d. 1960; Riverside Cemetery, Kalamazoo, MI.

            Ella was born in Michigan in November, 1874.

            “Lorey” and Ella showed up in the 1900 census as a newlywed couple in Thompsonville. Lorey worked as a salesman at a general store. Ella was a dressmaker. 

            By 1910, Loren joined several of his family members in moving south to Kalamazoo. He and Ella showed up in the census with three children. They lived at 1110 Portage Court and had a 17-year old resident servant, Lizzie McNally. Loren was a grocer.

We’ve not been able to find Loren or Ella in 1920’s census. The 1930 census shows their daughter, Alberta, married and living in Manitowac, Wisconsin. Their son, Mark, was living with her, while he attended a university.

Children:

             Etha May Putney [Orlo, Phoebe, Roswell], b. December 14, 1884, Blaine, Benzie Co., MI, a child of Orlo E. Putney and Viola P. Bouman; m. David Lemley, 1908, Benzie Co., MI; d. after 1930.

            David was born in Iowa in 1876.

            The 1930 census shows David and Etha (shown right) in Blaine Township, Benzie Co., MI, with three children. David was a fruit farmer. 

Children:

             Lottie Versey Putney [Travilla, Phoebe, Roswell], b. June 12, 1877, Blaine, Benzie Co., MI, a child of Travilla Austin Putney and Ida O. Hopkins; m. Walter Ebenezer Daines, August 6, 1897, Monroe Center, MI; d. 1964; Blaine Twp. Cemetery, Benzie Co., MI.

            Walter was born in Ohio in 1872.

            The Daines lived on Prospect Avenue, Benzonia, in the 1920 census. He was a lawyer with a general practice in Benzonia. But shortly afterward, he opened an office in the Detroit area and practiced law there during the Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression. Walter and Lottie owned a $7,000 home on Tyler Avenue in Highland Park in 1930. Their home included three children – Bruce, Travilla and Robert – and Bruce’s wife, Ethel. Their son, Ford, was married and living elsewhere in Highland Park. Bruce was a musician and owned his own studio.

Walter died in 1954. Lottie died in 1964 and was buried in the Blaine Township Cemetery.

Children:

Last update March 07, 2018