It was over 43 years ago when my father first handed me my Grandpa Reed's files of family history, and I embarked on a lifelong journey. The stories I had heard and the biographies and charts my grandfather had typed went a long way in giving me enough information to get started. He was very methodical in setting down what he knew, but my Grandma Ruby Reed's contribution was a haphazardly drawn family tree:
Throughout the next few years I managed to make sense of most of the names, dates and relationships she listed. But there was one man in particular - my 2nd great grandfather (??? Prosser) - who eluded my every attempt to identify him. It's been only in the last 4 years that I've been able to make progress on the Prosser side of my family, and the last brick in the wall was shattered the week after Christmas, 2017.
I had two other clues besides Grandma Ruby's chart: a luggage tag (which would prove to be vitally important) and my great-grandmother Ruth Prosser Chase's obituary.
I had two other clues besides Grandma Ruby's chart: a luggage tag (which would prove to be vitally important) and my great-grandmother Ruth Prosser Chase's obituary.
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I have given up more times than I can count. And more times than I can count, I have looked at Grandma Ruby's chart and wondered, "Mr. Prosser, what was your name? Who were you, and what happened to you?" Now I know at least part of the answer.
After finding my cousin Marvin Prosser just a few years ago (he is the grandson of Charles Douglas Prosser, my great-grandmother's brother), his Y-37 DNA test with FamilyTreeDNA proved that we were indeed Prossers. And a couple of years later, his autosomal test with Ancestry proved that my 2nd great grandmother was Rhoda Wiltse, daughter of Reuben Wiltse and Mary Ann Brown.
Just a little over two weeks ago, I took another look at Marvin's Ancestry DNA matches. Just for kicks (because I'd done this many times before), I typed in "Prosser" in the search box, to get a list of his matches that had that name on their family tree. And to my surprise, there were several more than the last time I'd looked. Marvin's second closest match was a third cousin, who shared 124cm across 7 DNA segments; the next closest match turned out to be her son, who shared 61cm across 5 DNA segments. They both descended from Louis Prosser, who married Susan Ragan in LaPorte County, Indiana in 1846. Louis and Susan Prosser are listed on the 1850 and 1860 census of Cool Spring, LaPorte County, Indiana. I dismissed him as a possibility - my great grandmother Ruth Prosser was born in Hillsdale, Michigan in 1860 - but other matches, also descendants of Louis, made him impossible to ignore.
After finding my cousin Marvin Prosser just a few years ago (he is the grandson of Charles Douglas Prosser, my great-grandmother's brother), his Y-37 DNA test with FamilyTreeDNA proved that we were indeed Prossers. And a couple of years later, his autosomal test with Ancestry proved that my 2nd great grandmother was Rhoda Wiltse, daughter of Reuben Wiltse and Mary Ann Brown.
Just a little over two weeks ago, I took another look at Marvin's Ancestry DNA matches. Just for kicks (because I'd done this many times before), I typed in "Prosser" in the search box, to get a list of his matches that had that name on their family tree. And to my surprise, there were several more than the last time I'd looked. Marvin's second closest match was a third cousin, who shared 124cm across 7 DNA segments; the next closest match turned out to be her son, who shared 61cm across 5 DNA segments. They both descended from Louis Prosser, who married Susan Ragan in LaPorte County, Indiana in 1846. Louis and Susan Prosser are listed on the 1850 and 1860 census of Cool Spring, LaPorte County, Indiana. I dismissed him as a possibility - my great grandmother Ruth Prosser was born in Hillsdale, Michigan in 1860 - but other matches, also descendants of Louis, made him impossible to ignore.
I took another look at the 1860 census, and noticed something interesting. Although Louis Prosser is listed (occupation: Gold Hustler), Susan was listed as the head of the household, and was listed as a widow. I looked at the map, and LaPorte County was only about 100 miles from Hillsdale.
What if? What if he had left his wife and children, traveled to Hillsdale, married (or not) Rhoda Wiltse, had another 2 children (Ruth and Charles), and then joined the service to fight in the Civil War.
And then I remembered something.
Quite awhile ago, I checked the USGenWeb page for Hillsdale County, Michigan, which had a complete listing of all that county's volunteers. There was a Lewis Prosser listed in Co. G, 2nd Michigan Cavalry, but he was 17 at the time of his enlistment..
What if? What if he had left his wife and children, traveled to Hillsdale, married (or not) Rhoda Wiltse, had another 2 children (Ruth and Charles), and then joined the service to fight in the Civil War.
And then I remembered something.
Quite awhile ago, I checked the USGenWeb page for Hillsdale County, Michigan, which had a complete listing of all that county's volunteers. There was a Lewis Prosser listed in Co. G, 2nd Michigan Cavalry, but he was 17 at the time of his enlistment..
At this point, I didn't care how old this database said he was, I wanted his military records! I received them from my researcher at the National Archives, and they were an eye-opener:
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As it turns out, Lewis Prosser was 44 years old, born in Oneida County, New York, enlisted in Hillsdale, Michigan on 14 September 1862, and deserted in Nicholasville, Kentucky on 8 January 1863. He was "last heard from on his way to Canada."
I found him.
There is lots more research for me to dig into - while I'm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City later this month I'm going to look at all the records they have for LaPorte County. And since most of the county newspapers are still on microfilm, I may be stopping at the Michigan City Library on my way to Grand Rapids for the National Genealogical Society Conference in May.
But, oh, joy of joys - I found him.
Which proves what I've been saying for years:
There is ALWAYS something more to find!
I found him.
There is lots more research for me to dig into - while I'm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City later this month I'm going to look at all the records they have for LaPorte County. And since most of the county newspapers are still on microfilm, I may be stopping at the Michigan City Library on my way to Grand Rapids for the National Genealogical Society Conference in May.
But, oh, joy of joys - I found him.
Which proves what I've been saying for years:
There is ALWAYS something more to find!
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