2026 #52Ancestors, Week 12: An Address with a Story

At the corner of Sheffield and 13th street in Niles, Michigan

1106 N. 13th Street in Niles, Michigan.  This is where my great aunt Nettie lived with her 3rd (4th?) husband, Walter Miller, and her son, Joseph Miller.  It was, by far, the most stable of her 5(6?) marriages, lasting 15 years.  According to property records, this home was built in 1920, but the Millers were not its first owners.  However, this was where they were living by 1930.  In that census, Walter and Nettie owned this home, and it was valued at $3,000.

Do I know any actual stories associated with this house?  Yes and no. I know that, in 1929, Joseph was attending Niles High School. I imagine him coming back to this house in the afternoons, Nettie waiting in the doorway. I imagine arguments about grades, behavior...maybe girls.  The usual teenager stuff.

I know that, in 1933, Walter filed for divorce.

The Herald Press, 8 Dec. 1933, p. 3

The article suggests a hostile living environment, dangerous and destructive. How did Joseph handle it? Maybe he went down to the basement to hide from the arguments and projectiles.

I know that, while Nettie might have been volatile, she was not the only one exhibiting questionable behavior in this household.  Weeks after Walter and Nettie's divorce was finalized, Walter was found guilty of a litany of crimes.

The Herald Palladium, 21 Dec. 1933, p. 1

I can now infer that Nettie's conduct was not without its extenuating circumstances. So if I had to tell the story of this address from 1929-1933, I guess it would go something like this: 

Walter and Nettie, a happily married couple, purchase a home just before the stock market collapse of 1929.  Nettie's son (and Walter's adopted son) attends local high school and experiences the usual adolescent angst.  When the Great Depression hits, Walter is faced with the possibility of losing his home and tries to find ways to make/save money and keep his family together.  He steals electricity from the city, steals from his employer, and even tries to supplement his income by illegally distilling spirits in his home.  Nettie discovers his indiscretions and declares she will leave if he does not stop.  She threatens him with a knife, a gun, and - at dinner - with a pan of hot grease.  Joseph, not wanting to involve himself in adult business, excuses himself from the room any time the conversation becomes too heated. Walter sees no alternative but to file for divorce.  This address was witness to 15 years of marriage being destroyed by an economic disaster.

Based on the area surrounding their home, I don't think this story can be too far from the truth.  The place is surrounded by defunct factories and derelict buildings (see pictures below).  I wonder how many other addresses from the 1930s have a similar story...

*** All photos taken in July of 2025.

2026 #52Ancestors, Week 9: Conflicting Clues

William Pearson. 
Born 17 July...1877? 1878? 1879? 1881? 1883? 
Son of Emma Kate Green and George William Pearson?  Or John Winston Pearson?

There are conflicting clues for both questions, and while I've been able to solve the second question, the jury is still out on the first question.

We'll start with the 1900 census because that's where my journey began.  The 1900 Pulaski County, Illinois, census for my great great grandparents, George W. and Emma Kate Pearson, lists 7 children belonging to the head of the household.  William Pearson is listed as being 16 with a probable birth year of 1883.

Household members
George W Pearson 38
Emma K Pearson 38
Rosa Pearson 18
William T Pearson 16
Cora L Pearson 13
Benjamin D Pearson 9
Payton E Pearson 8
Harris I Pearson 6
Nettie W Pearson 3

As one does when first starting out in genealogy, I let Ancestry guide me, and the next hint I received for William was his WWI draft registration card.

This document indicates William's birth year is 1878, but what is much stranger is the line for his nearest relative - J. W. Pearson in Anderson, Indiana.  So, I searched for J.W. Pearson in Anderson, Indiana, and found this 1900 census.

John W Pearson 49
Zana Pearson 41
William Pearson 18
Earl Pearson 14
Bertha Pearson 3

First, why does this 1900 census offer a different birth year for William - 1881?  Second, who is J.W. Pearson? Third, why is William in two 1900 censuses in two different states???  The story of William's father can be found here, but long story short, John Winston Pearson and Emma Kate Green had been married before Emma Kate married George William Pearson.  William is John's child, and I can only presume he split time between his parents' homes.

With that mystery solved, I attempted to figure out exactly when William was born.  Emma Kate and John married in 1874.  Emma Kate and George married in 1883, so I felt the 1883 birth year was unlikely.   A WWII draft registration card suggested 1877.

We won't even go into who Mrs. Daggins is.  Maybe a landlady?  I have no idea.

William's death certificate offers a birth year of 1879.

It also lists George as his father, so take that with a grain of salt...

The only other clue I have is a U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index entry that states William was born 17 Jul. 1881.  I'm really not sure. I tried to use his full sister's age as a clue, but her birthdates didn't agree either.  She is sometimes older than William, sometimes younger.  I can only offer the following.  William was most definitely the son of Emma Kate Green and John Winston Pearson.  He was definitely born on July 17th, but the year could be anywhere from 1877-1882.  I doubt I'll ever know for sure.