John Nelson Space

   Cause of his death was heart trouble and paralysis.¹³

  General Notes:

 
In accordance to law after giving 10 days notice. The School Inspectors of the Township of Delta, County of Eaton, State of Michigan met at the Town Hall on the 17th day of February, Ad, 1897, at 10 o'clock A. M.. Present A. S. Hume, Franklin Fishell & A. M. Moon, clerk. The object of the meeting stated by the clerk Petition and Notice of meeting read which states that the meeting is called to take into consideration the propriety of detaching from School District No. 4 of the Township of Delta. The S 5/8 E ½ of the W ½ SW ¼ Sec. 8 and the SE ¼ of Sec. 8 and attaching the same to School District No. 6 in said Township.

A Remonstrance was read at this time as follows ­
Delta, February 9th, 1897

We the undersigned tax payers in School District No. 4 Emphatically remonstrate against the detaching of any property from District No. 4 and attaching it to Dis. No. 6, or any other as our District is too small already.
 
Signed
 
C. E. Knapp
George N. Lee
David Burrier
James Space
Philip Space
John Berner
S. J. Miller
Caroline Smith
Joel Wright
David Taylor
W. E. Yerks
Daniel Harpster
R. R. Farnsworth
S. E. Farnsworth
T. H. Lee
U. E. Warren

Disclosure
 
J. N. Space NE ¼ Sec. 7 160 Acres Real 2240
D. Harpster W ½ SE for ¼ Sec. 5 87 Acres Real 1740 Personal 155
James Space W ½ SE ¼ Sec. 4 80 Acres Real 1400 Personal 210


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The material I have on John Nelson Space is sketchy - no dates. According to his obituary he went to California in 1849, returned to Philadelphia to cash in his gold - then to Ohio to find his wife had died. He took his son Nathaniel and went to Michigan. There he married one Vander See girl and maintained her sister in another house on his land. Philip was from one union and Alfinia by the other.

John Nelson Space left a will that said his wife should be cared for and after her death the estate was to be divided between Philip and Elfinia.
^{[Esther Jaeger Bushey]}


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The story we heard was that my great grandfather left Vermont, and got as far as Sandusky, OH, where he married, then left for Calif for the gold rush. I remember reading his obituary where it said he developed typhoid fever in Calif, and spent the time in a bear cave until he had recuperated, coming out a shade of his former self, then as soon as he felt strong enough, he left for Philadelphia and cashed in his gold. From there he went to Sandusky and finding his wife had died, he took my grandfather who was 3 years old, and went to Michigan where he homesteaded on property similar to his Vermont home, because it had a sugar bush on it.

He married a woman named Van Guilder. I can't remember her first name [Louise], but they had a daughter named Alfinia [Elfine], and with the sister, Katie Van Guilder, he had a son Phillip, who he recognized, but did not adopt. Guess he thought he was a Mormon. Anyhow grandfather and Aunt Finey inherited, while Philip didn't. Who knows why?
^{[Kathryn Scherer Schuck]}


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My mother often told us that her Grandfather Space's brother went to West Point <sup>[Kathryn Scherer Schuck]


14 15 16</sup>

  Research Notes:

 
Dear Colonel Schuck:

This is in response to your letter of 4 August 1995, requesting information about John Nelson Space or his brother.

I am sorry, our records do not indicate that anyone with the last name, Space, attended or graduated from the United States Military Academy.

/s/ Tamy Flint, Services Department. ¹⁷

  Medical Notes:

carcinoma of liver ¹³

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation, 1846, Eaton County, Michigan, USA. ¹⁸ He built a log house in the midst of the forest and for many years devoted his attention to hunting and trapping, having killed many deer, bear and wild turkeys, but having made a specialty of trapping coon, mink and other fur-bearing animals, which were most plentiful in those days. He also bought a great deal of fur, and he found a ready market for his furs in Detroit, realizing good profits from his operations. After the hunting and trapping ceased to be profitable, owing to the development of the country, he turned his attention to reclaiming his land, eventually developing a good farm, upon which he has erected good buildings.

• Obituary: Delta Chronicle, 30 Jan 1906, Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA. ¹⁹  
ANOTHER PIONEER GO …[GONE?]
Death of John Space at his home - came to this county a half century ago.

After an illness lasting about a week, John N. Space of Delta died in his home in the township on Monday January 29, 1906 at the age of 87 years.

Mr. Space came to Eaton county in the early forties and has lived in Delta since that time. He was one of the party of Delta and Oneida township men who made the overland trip to California over fifty years ago, aal of whom have passed to the other shore.

In the early days of the settlement, Mr. Space took great delight in hunting trapping and fishing and was thoroughly posted on the habits of all the wild animals in this part of the state. He was rugged and heart and well adapted to the task of clearing a wild country. His birthplace was at Columbus, Ohio. He leaves a widow, one daughter and two sons. The daughter is Mrs. Will Yeaks of Delta, the sons being Nathaniel and Philip Space, both at the same place.

Funeral services, conducted by Rev. …… McKibbon, were held late ……… deceased on Wednesday and ………s [he was?] laid to rest in the Delta ……… tery.

• Cemetery: Delta Center Cemetery, 31 Jan 1906, Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA. ²⁰

• Obituary: Delta Chronicle, 31 Jan 1906, Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA. ²¹  
[John Nelson SPACE] Deceased …………… of seven children and now dead. June 29, 1847, he was ………… [married to ?] Olive Hall, at Spencer ……… [Township, borders on Loraine County, Ohio?]. 1849 he first came to Michigan stopping at Delta Mills and soon after bought from the government the farm on which he died.

In 1852 he made the then tiresome journey across the plains to California, where he worked in the gold fields until stricken down with typhoid fever. His bed a bear skin on the floor ………[of a ?] mining shant, with but little ………… [food?] came forth from weeks of suffering a shadow of his former self. In three years he returned to Michigan by way of San Francisco, Isthmus of Panama and Philadelphia, at this latter city he had the gold dust he carried coined at the U. S. Mint

In 1852 his wife died. In 1858 he was married to Louise VanGuilder, who survives him. Of his six children are left two sons, Nathaniel and Philip together with an adopted daughter, Mrs. Wm. Yerks, all of Delta. He was converted about twelve years ago. His last years were quiet, happy ones, especially the last few weeks, during which he often spoke of soon going from our midst. During his last illness he rejoiced, while suffering in body, and said 'I am going to die among my family and friends, Bless God.' On Sunday afternoon, seeing the end was near, the family was summoned to his bedside. Someone repeated softly, 'though I walk through the valley of the sshadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me.' He looked at the speaker and a glorious smile lighted up his face. It just glowed with light that made us lookk with wonder, while the glo …… [glorious?] Lord filled the room, with ………… [great?] joy he looked from face to face ………… [slowly?] lifted up his hands and blessed us all. Never can we forget thet hour while reason lasts. He lingered until after 1 o'clock a. m. and his spirit gently passed to God who gave it.

The funeral services were held at the Delta Center church ably conducted by Rev. Mrs. Kibben of Orleans, assisted by the Rev. W. T. Kingsley. Text: 1st Thess. 4:14. He was buried in a sunny spot in the Delta Center Cemetery.

'Let me die the death of righte ………… and let my last end be like His.'

• Publication: Past and Present Eaton Co., Mich, Vol 2, p556-569, After 31 Jan 1906, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA. ²²
In the early days the father, [John Nelson Space] who died January 29, 1906, was one of the venerable pioneers of the county, and a successful hunter and trapper, devoting the major portion of his time to this sort of occupation. In 1846 he came to Eaton County and purchased one hundred and eighty-three acres of wild land, in section 6 and 7, Delta Township. He built a log house in the midst of the forest and for many years devoted his attention to hunting and trapping, having killed many deer, bear and wild turkeys, but having made a specialty of trapping coon, mink and other fur-bearing animals, which were most plentiful in those days. He also bought a great deal of fur, and he found a ready market for his furs in Detroit, realizing good profits from his operations. After the hunting and trapping ceased to be profitable, owing to the development of the country, he turned his attention to reclaiming his land, eventually developing a good farm, upon which he has erected good buildings. He still owns one hundred and forty-three acres of his original land and resides on the homestead. In politics he is a stanch Democrat. After the death of his first wife, he married Eliza VanGilder. Of the two children of the first marriage the subject of this sketch was the first-born, and the younger, Deliah died at the age of fifteen years.

John married Margaret Bizard about 1840 in , , Ohio, USA. (Margaret Bizard was born in 1825 in Zanesville, Muskingum, Ohio, USA ²³ and died in 1863 ²⁴.)

John next married Olive Hall, daughter of Timothy Hall, on 15 Jun 1846 in Spencer, Lorain, Ohio, USA.^{1 2} (Olive Hall was born about 1825 and died in 1852.)

John next married Louisa Van Guilder, daughter of David Van Guilder and Valonia Ferry, on 25 Sep 1858 in Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA.³ (Louisa Van Guilder was born on 09 Apr 1843 in , , New York, USA,^{25 26 27 28 29 30 31} died on 11 May 1916 in Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA ^{32 33} and was buried on 14 May 1916 in Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA ^{34 35}.) The cause of her death was carcinoma of liver.¹³

John next had a relationship with Mary E. J. Van Guilder, daughter of David Van Guilder and Valonia Ferry, about 1866 in Delta, Eaton, Michigan, USA.⁴ (Mary E. J. Van Guilder was born in 1850 in , , Michigan, USA ^{26 36}.)