The Henry and Kathryn Sweet Family of Lenawee Co, MI

My gr-gr-grandfather, Henry L. Sweet, had a used furniture store in Adrian. Henry (& family) appear on the 1900 census in Adrian, and lived there until his death in 1920.

• He was born in Vermont in 1852 and moved to Michigan with his parents, Wesley & Mary Sweet, and siblings. He and his wife had three children:
• Charles, James Wilbur, and Marian (marr. Dr. Louis F Mutschmann), and all the children are living with them in the 1900 census.
• In the Jan, 1920 census: Henry & Kathryn Sweet were living at 147 East Church Street, which they had bought with a mortgage.
• Henry died in March, 1920,
  age 67 (he was born in May 1852). Below is a photo of the house (#224) and Henry Sweet, at the house (#225).
• They owned a 2nd-hand furniture store and took in a widowed boarder and four lodgers, as listed below.
• Marriett A. Morris, boarder, age 71, widowed, born in Michigan
• Marjorie McClure, lodger, age 25, single, born Ohio
• Florence Wright, lodger, age 41, divorced, born Michigan
• Kate Collins, lodger, age 59, single, born Michigan
• Myrtle Hoag, lodger, age 21, single, born North Dakota   All the lodgers are laborers at suspender factory.
• In 1930 census, Kathryn was still living at the 147 E. Church St address. Age 70 and widowed, she had one boarder:
  Fidelia Hunt, age 90, widowed; born in NY, parents born Holland.
• Later in the 1930s, I believe she went to live with her daughter Marian in Alliance, Ohio.


#224 -147 E Church St, Adrian, MI



Henry Sweet at #225 Church St, Adrian, MI

• The family moved around Michigan quite a bit, from Kalamazoo through Cass and VanBuren Counties, and Wesley & Mary seem to have ended up in Kalkaska--so it's difficult to identify where all their children settled.
• From information on the 1850 and 1860 censuses, their other children were as follows:
• Charles, born about 1834
• George, born about 1836
• Hiland W., born 1838 and wife Emma/Emeline born 1842, children Ciola & Wilbur H.
• Sarah A. born about 1844
• Helen E. born about 1847
• Henry Lionel was youngest. Lived with brother Hiland & family in 1870.
• 1920 U.S. Census showing J. Wilbur Sweet and family, including orphaned niece, living on South Winter Street. J. Wilbur's brother Charles
  moved to Connecticut and had one surviving son, and his sister Marion had no children.



People in this photo are as follows:
Woman at left is Kathryn/Kate (Maguire) Sweet (1859-1950)
Her sons at back: Charles on left (1881 - ?), James Wilbur (1852-1920) on right.
Her mother, Mary (Kelly) Maguire/McGuire (1832-1913) on right.
At front, Charles' son Thurlow (1905-1935).
In centre, J. Wilbur's son Hiland Honert, my grandfather, (1903-1970).
I estimate that the photo was taken 1907-1908.

• In 1910 census Wilbur, his wife Grace (Honert) and their son, called Honert, were living in a rented house at 25 East Church St with Wilbur's parents, Henry & Kathryn.
• By 1920 Wilbur's family had moved to 570 South Winter and his parents had bought the larger house on E. Church St.



The obituary of Carrie M. VanDreisen, a resident in Adrian for 70 yrs, according to the obituary.
She was the mother of my gr-gr-aunt Mary, who married my gr-gr-grandfather
Wilbur Sweet's brother. Wilbur is one of the pallbearers listed.

• From the 1900 census: Carrie was at that time a widow, born Nov 1859, age 40, house owned with no mortgage, no occupation listed. Birth date for Robert H, her son, is June 1886 (age 13); for Mary Oct, 1884 (age 15). Their father was born in NY, as were Carrie's parents. Her birthplace is shown as Michigan, and in the obituary it says she was born in Tecumseh, MI.

WW I Draft registration for James Wilbur Sweet