The Andrew John Cusac Family Newsletter--Issue 22

The Andrew John Cusac Family Newsletter
Issue 22

09 September, 2005

This is an electronic newsletter for those looking for information on the family or descendants of Andrew John Cusac (about 1750 - about 1816)

Send comments, questions, photographs or information to:
skratze@wcnet.org
skratze@bgnet.bgsu.edu

1. Moses McAnelly obituary (husband of Phoebe Eleanor Cooper, Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John)

Moses McAnelly, 68 years old, passed away at his home, 541 Washington avenue yesterday morning at 4:30 o’clock. He had been in bad health for over twenty years but never to such an extent that he could not look after his business affairs. He suffered a relapse Monday morning and remained in a state of coma until the end came.

In the sudden demise of Mr. McAnelly, the community loses a valuable citizen as he took a great interest in all civic and county affairs. He was a good Christian and an upright and honest man. He was a kind father, a devoted husband and in every walk of life was a dutiful patriotic and conscientious man.

Mr. McAnelly was born in Portage township and his parents were among the early pioneers in this part of the state. He was a successful farmer and toiled at that occupation until 1912 when his health gave away under the strain and e[he] was forced to retire from the active end of it. He removed to Findlay where he had resided ever since. In 1881 he was married to Miss Proebe Cooper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper, pioneer residents of Portage township, and to this union five children were born.

Those left to mourn his loss besides his widow, are five children, Roller McAnelly at home, J.C. McAnelly of this city, Mrs. Glenn G. Roberts of Marion township, Mrs. W.S. Long of Biglick township and Thomas McAnelly of Keokuk, Iowa, besides a number of grandchildren, only two of whom are now living, Jefferson McAnelly and Mrs. Nancy Thomas of Fort Collins, Colorado.

The last rites will be conducted Friday morning. The funeral cortage will leave the home on Washington avenue at 10 o’clock and to the Mt. Zion U.B. church where services will be held. Burial will be in Bright cemetery.”

2. Phoebe E. Cooper McAnelly obituary (Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John)

Mrs. Phebe Eleanor McAnelly, 78, passed away at her residence, 841 Washington avenue, at 3:10 o’clock Saturday afternoon following an illness of three years.

Mrs. McAnelly was the daughter of Judge John and Eliza Jane Cooper. She was born on Oct. 5, 1853, in Portage township and had been a resident of the county all of her life. She was the last of a family of nine children.

On Dec. 15, 1881, she was married to Moses McAnelly. He passed away in January, 1922. Five children survive. They are Roller McAnelly, John McAnelly, Mrs. Wilson S. Long and Mrs. Glenn G. Roberts, all of Findlay, and Thomas H. McAnelly, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Mrs. McAnelly was a member of the Eagle Creek Primitive Baptist church in Jackson township.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 o’clock this afternoon from the Washington avenue residence. Rev. W.R. Arnold will officiate. Interment will be in Biglick township.”

3. John Clement McAnelly obituary (Phoebe Eleanor Cooper, Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John)

J.C. McAnelly, 50-year-old buyer of wool, hides and furs, died at 8:30 o’clock Friday night at his residence, 310 Defiance avenue, from heart trouble. He had been in poor health for 25 years.

Mr. McAnelly was born Oct. 2, 1882, in Biglick township and had lived his entire life in Hancock county. He was a farmer until his health became bad. His parents were Moses and Phebe (Cooper) McAnelly.

He was married June 1, 1911, to Sara Mae Sands who survives along with a daughter, Mrs. Leora Sanford, of Tiffin, and a son, Ralph McAnelly, 841 Washington avenue.

Two sisters and a brother also are living. They are Mrs. May Long, 841 Washington avenue, T.H. McAnelly, of Ypsilanti, Mich., and Mrs. Glenn Roberts, of Marion township.

Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon at the Coldren funeral home with Rev. A.E. Grant and Rev. Willis Mills officiating. Interment will be in Maple Grove cemetery.

The body was taken to the funeral home and will be returned to the residence at 4 o’clock this afternoon where it will remain until Monday noon.”

An obituary also appears in the Advertiser Tribune (Tiffin, OH) 10 January 1942 p. 10

4. Sarah Mae Sands obituary (wife of John Clement McAnelly, Phoebe Eleanor Cooper, Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John)

Services for Mrs. Sarah Mae McAnelly, 64, a former Findlay resident who died at 12:50 p.m. Wednesday in Mercy Hospital, Tiffin, after and extended illness, will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the Coldren Funeral Home, the Rev. Raymond K. Beals officiating. Interment will be in Maple Grove Cemetery.

She was born on May 10, 1889 in Putnam County to Gilbert and Sarah (Agner) Sands and on June 1, 1911 was married to John Clement McAnelly, who died in January of 1942.

Mrs. McAnelly moved to Tiffin two years ago to live with her daughter, Mrs. Francis L. Sanford.

Surviving are her daughter; one son, Ralph W. McAnelly, Albuquerque, N.M.; five grandchildren and a brother, Charles Sands, Toledo. Two brothers and one sister are dead.”

An obituary also appears in the Advertiser Tribune, (Tiffin, OH) 02 April 1954 p. 1 & 4 ________________

5. Obituary and death record of Alice Jean Roberts (Lois McAnelly, Phebe Eleanor Cooper, Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John)

Following an illness of 25 days Alice Jean Roberts 11 months old, died of cerebrospinal meningitis at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Roberts, of Marion township, at 3:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon.

The funeral will be held from Mt. Zion church at 1:30 o’clock (sun time) tomorrow afternoon with burial in Bright cemetery.

Besides the parents, one brother, Max Porter Roberts survives. The mother was formerly Miss Lois McAnelly.”

I found this on the Loy Rootsweb message board posted by Delores Rochelle Walls on 20 August 1999 (Loy_genealogy@worldnet.att.net). I haven’t yet found the book from which this article originated.

“D. O. Loy, a worthy representative of the industrial interests of Henry county, as well as a poet and author of ability, is now successfully engaged in the manufacture of a brick and tile at Atkinson, and also operates a coal mine at the same place. He was born September 9, 1855 but in early childhood removed to Hancock county, this state, with his parents, George and Margaret (Cusic) Loy, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The father died when our subject was only 5 years old. By occupation, he was a farmer, and followed that pursuit in both Morrow and Hancock counties, Ohio, at the same time operating a saw mill. In his family were 5 children, namely: Sarah, wife of Joseph Barnhill, ex-county treasurer of Marion, Iowa; Martin and Melissa, both residents of McComb, Ohio; D.O., our subject; and Ella, deceased. For her second husband, the mother married Robert Poe, and by that union had two children, one of whom is still living.

During his boyhood and youth, Mr. Loy attended the country school in the winter, while the summer season was devoted to work. On coming to Illinois, at the age of 13 years, he located in Piatt county, where he worked as a farm hand for one year, and then was engaged in the clothing business with Joseph Kuns, at Champaign, for a time. Later, he followed farming in Champaign county, one year, and then commenced learning the business of manufacturing brick. Subsequently, he embarked in that business for himself at Monticello, where he built the first steam tile factory in that locality. Selling his plant in 1883, he removed to Carthage, where he was successfully engaged in the same business for a year, and then went on to Eldora, Iowa, and bought an old terra cotta factory, which was destroyed by fire in 1885. Although his plant was uninsured, he immediately rebuilt and resumed business. He finally returned to Illinois and purchased a factory which had formerly been run in opposition to his own, and a year later bought his old plant, operating the two together. In the meantime he went to Ashkum, Iroquois county, and built a very fine tile and brick factory, which he carried on until the hard times of 1893, when he closed out his business.

In the winter of 1893-4 Mr. Loy took the picture of the Illinois Model Farm, made of grains and grasses, to the Midwinter Fair at San Francisco, and placed it in the

horticultural building. For two years, he exibited the same on the Pacific coast. He also published a book of poems, profusely illustrated, entitled Poems of the Golden State Midwinter Fair, and another entitled Poems of the White City. Returning to Illinois in 1896, he located in Atkinson, and again embarked in the manufacture of brick and tile. Although he was without a dollar on reaching this place, he possessed the strong determination to succeed, and the prosperity that has since come to him is due entirely to his own industry, perseverance, and good management. At present he is also operating a coal mine and in both undertakings is meeting with good success.

In religious belief, Mr. Loy is a Presbyterian, and in politics is a Republican, taking an active interest in public affairs. The art of composition has always come naturally to him, and he has written many beautiful poems and songs. A number of these were on topics connected with the Spanish-American war, and he has also written many stirring campaign songs. He still has many poems of merit that have never been published, and deserves to be ranked among the leading poets and authors of the west. For twenty years he has been connected with the Clay Workers' Association, and has written and recited a number of odes in its honor, and has also done the same for the Annual Fire Chiefs' Association.”

“NOTE BY DRW: I don't have the year or publisher on this one. In 1980 I had typewritten-copied this from the photocopy my sister had made when she dabbled into Loy research in her late-20's and I was 16. In 1979 we had gone to a library near where my brother lived at the time--either in Pekin, IL or, most likely, Peoria, IL--where she had copied this along with the bio on Ealem Sherman Loy from another series of biographies. I would assume this "The Biographical Record" was from a collection of Illinois biographies, as well, especially as D.O.'s residence was Henry Co., IL.

D.O.'s grandfather (George) Frederick Loy, Jr. was son of George Frederick Loy, Sr. and grandson of John George (Hans Jurich) Loy.”

If anyone is interested I found one copy of “Poems of the White City” which can be purchased from:

LOY, Daniel Oscar. Poems of the White City. Chicago: Daniel Oscar Loy, 1893. Oblong small 8vo. Tan cloth over bevelled boards. 104pp. All edges gilt. Frontispiece, illustrations. Good. Hinges tight and sound, but cloth typically darkened and soiled; small bookplate on front pastedown. First (sole) edition. Unusual tour of the 1893 Columbian Exposition entirely in verse.

If anyone does purchase this book I would be interested in hearing about it. Hopefully they could share a poem or two with the rest of us.

Upon rereading the obituary and the 1912 article about Nancy Bell Cusac that I included in the last issue of this newsletter I discovered I was missing two of Nancy’s children. Both her obituary and the 1912 article mention that she had 8 children.

I had a list of the following: William John b. 1841, Margaret Emeline b. 1844, Sarah L b. 1847, Martha Abigail b. 1851, James Sylvester b. 1852 and Mary Belle b. 1856. I believe the two missing children to be:

The Index to Maple Grove Cemetery, Findlay, Ohio Hancock County Vol. 1 1854 – 1912” complied by Hancock County Chapter of Ohio Genealogical Society, 1985 p. 27.

They are both buried in the same section and lot as John and Nancy. On my next trip to the cemetery I will check to see if any tombstones exist for these children.

This may be the only proof in the public record that these children were alive and possibly the children of Nancy and John. Their birth and deaths occurred before birth and death records were kept by the probate court. These children were not alive during the1860 federal census so they were never enumerated. I have found no obituaries in the Findlay papers for them.

I am in the process of tracking down church records for the Blanchard Presbyterian Church of which the Cusac family belonged. I am not sure what records would be available if any.

Listed below are some descendants of Andrew John Cusac who have died this year. I wish to offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those below.

Robert Charles Moorhead (Ethel Morrison, Sylvia Ellen Cusac, Isaac, Daniel J, Andrew John) died 21 August 2005 in Lucas Co, OH. Martha Kincade sent me Robert Charles Moorhead’s obituary that appeared in the Toledo Blade (Toledo, OH) 01 September 2005.

Robert Imm (son of Marie E Kelley, Philip Michael, Thomas Price, Phillip Barton, Mary Ann Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John). Robert died on Friday 26 August 2005 in Marco Island, FL. He was 54. Burial was in Marco Island, FL. His obituary appeared in the Courier (Findlay, OH) 29 August 2005.

Myron “Barney” King (Zelma Mapes, Mary Madamma Cooper, Daniel C, Nancy Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John) died 12 July 2005. He was buried in the McComb Union Cemetery, McComb, Hancock Co, OH. His obituary appeared in the Courier (Findlay, OH) 16 July 2005 p. 5.

Earl Cusac sent me notice of his brother Roy’s death in Fulton, TN. Roy died 14 May 2005. He was buried in Highland Cemetery in Highland, Michigan. His obituary appeared in Union City Daily Messenger (Union City, TN) 18 May 2005 and Paducah Sun, The (Paducah, KY) Sun. 15 May 2005.

Constance Louise Sanford Collins (Leora Ruth McAnelly, John Clement, Phebe Eleanor Cooper, Jane Eliza Cusac, Daniel J, Andrew John) died 01 February 2005 in Tiffin, Seneca Co, OH. She was born 07 July 1937 in Tiffin, Seneca Co, OH. She was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin, Seneca Co, OH. Her obituary appeared in Advertiser-Tribune (Tiffin, OH) 03 February 2005 p. 5A col. 1.

There is a correction to article 10 in Issue 21. My notes about George Mitchell should read:

Note: George Alexander Mitchell and Jacob Mitchell were brothers. They were sons of George Mitchell and Rachel Switzer.

I made a mistake when I inadvertently gave George Mitchell Sr. who married Rachel Switzer the middle name of Alexander. As far as I know he didn’t use a middle name. His son George Jr. used the middle name of Alexander.

That's it for issue #22. If you come across any obituaries, documents, essays, photographs, weddings, births, or stories on your line from Andrew John Cusac that you would like to share, please pass them along to me. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others in the family who may have an interest in Andrew John Cusac's history or genealogy. Free back issues will be available for the asking. Do you have a question you want asked of the group? Email it to me and I'll include it in the next issue. Email: skratze@wcnet.org or skratze@bgnet.bgsu.edu