Gardner and Pierson Families Genealogy

 

 

 

 

Mary Adelle Pierson Puffer Sebring Family

 

 

Mary Adell PIERSON, daughter of Charles W. PIERSON and Eunice M. MYERS, was born 5 May 1875 in Orange Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

MARRIAGE (1) of MARY A.:

Mary A. married William PUFFER in 1892 in Kalkaska Co., Michigan. William was born in Marshall, Calhoun Co., Michigan, on 24 Jan 1865. He died in Kalkaska Co., Michigan, on 31 July 1905 and is buried in Oliver Twp. Cemetery, Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

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 Mary Adell Pierson and possibly her sister, Louie

 William Puffer and Mary Adell Pierson Puffer

 

 

CENSUS:

1900 U.S. Census, Orange Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan:

William Puffer, 34, b. Jan 1866, married 7 years, b. Michigan, both parents b. Canada English, farmer, owns a mortgaged farm

Mary E., 25, wife, b. May 1878, married 7 years, has had 3 children, all living, b. Michigan, both parents b. New York

Earl W., 6, son, b. Aug 1893, b. Michigan

Loyd O., 4, son, b. Nov 1895, b. Michigan

Roland C., 2, son, b. Jan 1898, b. Michigan

 

DEATH of WILLIAM:

"Kalkaska Leader," 10 Aug 1905:

William Puffer was born in Marshall, Michigan, January 24, 1865, and departed this life July 31, 1905. He came to this county seventeen years ago and made his home with his uncle, Asa Puffer, of East Boardman, until his marriage to Mary A. Pierson, November 2, 1893. He was a most loving and devoted husband and father, and during the last months of his life was an earnest and faithful christian. The funeral services were held at the church in Spencer on Aug. 2, and were conducted by Rev. Priestly. The interment took place in Oliver cemetery.

Over the river, husband, your dear

(Second line unreadable)

Free from your sorrows, grief and despair,

Waiting and watching, patiently there,

Looking this way, yes, looking this way;

Our loved one is waiting, looking this way.

Fair as the morning, bright as the day,

Dear one in glory, your looking this way.

 

Mary A. and William had the following CHILDREN:

 

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 Back, lt. to rt: Emma Puffer (dau. of Rolland, Sr.), Mary A. Pierson Puffer Sebring, Lillian Sebring Elder. Front, lt. to rt.: Rolland, Lloyd, and Earl Puffer

 

1. Earl W. PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON) was born on 14 Aug 1893 in Michigan. He died on 10 Feb 1974 in South Haven, Van Buren Co., Michigan.

 

CENSUS:

1920 U.S. Census, Chicago, Ward 3, Cook Co., Illinois:

Earl W. Puffer, 26, head, rents a home, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan, Fruit Inspector Commission __?__

Eva L., 26, wife, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan

              -------------------------------

1930 U.S. Census, Bangor Twp., Bangor Village, Van Buren Co., Michigan:

Earl W. Puffer, 36, head, owns a home worth $1000, has a radio set, first married at 23 yrs. old, b. Michigan, father b. Ohio, mother b. Michigan, manager at a fruit exchange

Eva L., 36, wife, first married at 23 years old, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan

Alan B., 8, son, b. Michigan, attended school

Evalyn C., 6, daughter, b. Michigan, attended school

 

MARRIAGE of EARL:

Earl married Eva L . about 1917. Eva was born about 1896 in Michigan.

 

They had the following CHILDREN:

 

1. Alan B. PUFFER was born about 1922 in Michigan.

2. Evalyn C. PUFFER was born about 1924 in Michigan.

 

 

2. Loyd (Lloyd) Oral PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON) was born in Nov 1895 in Michigan. He died in 1969. He was buried in Lodi Cemetery, Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

CENSUS:

1920 U.S. Census, Oliver Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan:

Loyd Puffer, 24, head, rents a home, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan, farm laborer

Ruth, 19, wife, b. Michigan, father b. Indiana, mother b. Michigan

Earl, 1 yr. 3 months, son, b. Michigan

        --------------------------

1930 U.S. Census, Orange Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan:

Loyd O. Puffer, 33, head, owns a farm, first married at 21 yrs. old, b. Michigan, father b. Canada/English, mother b. Michigan, farmer on general farm

Ruth E., 29, wife, first married at 17 yrs. old, b. Michigan, father b. Indiana, mother b. Michigan

Wayne E., 11, son, b. Michigan

Guy R., 9, son, b. Michigan

Russel G., 6, son, b. Michigan

Barbra J., 3 years 4 months, daughter, b. Michigan

 

MARRIAGE of LOYD:

Loyd married Ruth E. EHL , daughter of Edward EHL and Emily THORNTON, in 1917 in Kalkaska Co, Michigan. Ruth was born on 3 Sep 1900 in Michigan. She died on 3 Oct 1973 in Kalkaska Co, Michigan. She was buried in Lodi Cemetery, Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

Loyd and Ruth had the following children.

 

1. Wayne Earl PUFFER was born about Oct 1918 in Michigan.

 

2.   Guy R. PUFFER was born on 2 Jul 1920 in Michigan. He died on 7 Mar 1982 in Niles, Berrien County, Michigan.

 

3. Russell PUFFER was born on 11 May 1923 in Michigan. He died on 14 Apr 1976 in Kalkaska Co, Michigan.

 

DEATH of RUSSELL:

Leader and Kalkaskian, Kalkaska, Michigan, April 22, 1976:

Russell G. Puffer, 52, of Rt. #2, Kalkaska, died Wednesday, April 14, 1976,at his residence.

Mr. Puffer was born in Kalkaska County on May 11, 1923, son of the late Lloyd and Ruth Ehl Puffer. He was united in Marriage with......

He had been a lifelong resident of the Kalkaska area, and was a Veteran of W.W.2. He was a member of the V.F.W., and the Dowagiac Methodist Church.

Surviving are his wife..... 

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 17, 1976, at the Schwartz-Wolfe Funeral Home, Kalkaska. Vernon Lockard, pastor of the Spencer Church of Christ, will officiate. Burial will be in Lodi Cemetery, Kalkaska County.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Michigan Heart Fund in memory of Mr. Puffer. Envelopes are available at the funeral home.

 

4. Barbra J. PUFFER was born about Jan 1927 in Michigan.

 

DEATH of LOYD:

Leader and Kalkaskian, Kalkaska, Michigan, April 17, 1969:

Lloyd Puffer, Spencer Resident Passes

Lloyd O. Puffer, 73, a resident of Spencer Road, Kalkaska County, died Saturday, April 12, 1969 at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center.

He was born November 2, 1895 in Kalkaska, to William and Mary Pierson Puffer.

Surviving are his wife, Ruth Ehl Puffer, to whom he was married in August of 1917......

Mr. Puffer was a member of the Spencer Church of Christ. He had retired from Bear Archery, Grayling, where he worked for several years. He had lived in Niles for 15 years and had returned to Kalkaska 15 years ago.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 15, 1969 at 2 p.m. from the Schwartz-Wolfe Funeral Home, with Robert Kirtlan of Spencer Church of Christ officiating. Burial was made in Lodi cemetery.

 

DEATH of RUTH:

Leader and Kalkaskian, Kalkaska, Michigan, October 11, 1973:

Lifelong Kalkaska Resident Dies

Mrs. Ruth E. Puffer, age 73, a lifelong resident of Kalkaska County, died Wednesday, October 3, 1979 at Meadow Brook Hospital Bellaire.

Ruth Ehl was born September 4, 1900 at Gladwin, the daughter of Edward and Emily Ehl, both of whom proceeded her in death. On August 20, 1916, she was united in marriage with Lloyd Puffer who passed away April 12, 1969....

Funeral services were held Friday, October 5, 1973 from the Schwartz-Wolfe Funeral Home with the Rev. R.C. Puffer, officiating. Burial was in Lodi Cemetery.

 

 

3.   Rolland Charles PUFFER Sr. (Mary Adell PIERSON) was born 14 Jan 1898 in Spencer Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan. He died 21 May 1989 in Cocoa Twp., Brevard Co., Florida and was buried in Oliver Twp. Cemetery, Oliver Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

MARRIAGE of ROLLAND C. PUFFER, SR. (1):

Rolland married Ethel S. MECUM, daughter of Charles Albert MECUM and Caroline , about 1917. Ethel was born 12 Mar 1899 in Bristol Twp., Elkhart Co., Indiana. She died 6 Feb 1976 in Oliver Twp., Kalkaska Co, Michigan and was buried in Oliver Twp. Cemetery, Oliver, Kalkaska Co., Michigan.

 

CENSUS for ROLLAND C. PUFFER, SR.:

1920 U.S. Census, Orange Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan:

Rolland Puffer, 21, b. Michigan, father b. Canada-English, mother b. Michigan, farmer on general farm

Ethel, 20, wife, b. Ohio, both parents b. Indiana

Rowena, 1 ?/12, b. Michigan

            -------------------------------

1930 U.S. Census, Big Rapids City, Ward 5, Mecosta Co., Michigan:

R.C. Puffer, 32, rents house for $15, first married at 19 years old, b. Michigan, father b. Canada, mother b. New York, Minister at 3rd Ave. M.E. Church, is not a veteran

Ethel, 30, wife, b. Ohio, both parents b. Indiana

Rowena, 11, daughter, b. Michigan

Lloyd, 10, son, b. Michigan

Roland, 8, son, b. Michigan

Gene, 7, daughter, b. Michigan

 

DEATH of ETHEL:

"Leader and Kalkaskian," Kalkaska, Michigan, February 12, 1976:

 

Funeral Services were held Monday, February 9, 1976 for Mrs. Ethel Puffer of Spencer Road.   Mrs. Puffer died at her home on February 6.   Services were conducted at Michelson Memorial Church in Grayling with the Rev. Paul C. Frederick officiating.   Burial was in Oliver Twp. Cemetery.   Mrs. Puffer was born March 12, 1899 at Bristol, Indiana.   She had been a teacher and housewife throughout her adult life.   For the past 14 years she had lived at her home in Kalkaska County.   Previous to that she had lived in Moorestown, Kingsley, Leroy, Buchanan, Dowagiac and Indian River.   Surviving is her husband, the Rev. R.C. Puffer.....   Also 7 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

 

DEATH of ROLLAND C., SR.:

"The Leader and the Kalkaskian," Kalkaska, Michigan, June 1, 1989:

 

Rolland C. Puffer, 91, died May 21, 1989 at Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital in Rockledge, Fla.   He had lived at Cocoa, Fla. for the past two years.   He had been a Methodist Minister since 1921, being active for 65 years and serving many Michigan communities.   He was at Grayling's Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church for 15 years as his last full-time pastorate; was called to mission in Hawaii and Michigan City; served on the White House Conference in Education in Washington D.C. during the Eisenhower administration and authored "Pioneers of the Human Spirit" and several other books as well as numerous periodicals and publications.   Mr. Puffer was born January 14, 1898 to William and Mary Pierson Puffer in Spencer, Kalkaska County.   He was preceded in death by his first wife Ethel Mecum in 1976 and his second wife Norma McCarty in 1987, also by two sons, Loyd in 1945 and Rolland C. Jr. in 1979.... seven grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held on May 30, 1989 at Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church in Grayling, Rev. Jeffry Regan officiated.   Burial was in Oliver Township Cemetery in Kalkaska County.   Arrangements were made by the Sorenson Funeral Home, McEvers Chapel, of Grayling.

 

Rolland and Ethel had the following CHILDREN:

 

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 Ethel Mecum Pierson with her children, from left, Rolland, Jr., Lloyd, and Rowena

 

1. Ina Rowena "Red" PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON, Rolland Charles PUFFER, Sr.) was born on 24 Jul 1918 in Michigan. "Red" married Newton TROWBRIDGE Sr. on 18 Sept 1937 in Goshen, Indiana. The marriage ended in divorce. Newton died about 1983 in Washington. She died on 22 Mar 2005 in Brevard Co., Florida. She was buried in Lake City, Missaukee Co., Michigan.

 

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 Rowena Puffer Trowbridge

 Rowena Puffer Trowbridge, college graduation, with her parents, Rolland C. and Ethel Puffer

 Rowena as a school teacher

 

2. Lloyd PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON, Rolland Charles PUFFER, Sr.) was born about 1920. He died in 1945.

 

3. Rolland Charles PUFFER Jr. (Mary Adell PIERSON, Rolland Charles PUFFER, Sr.) was born on 15 May 1921 in Michigan. He died on 16 Mar 1977 in Rockledge, Brevard Co., Florida.

 

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 Rolland C. Puffer, Jr.

 

  DEATH of ROLLAND C., JR.:

"Florida Today," Melbourne, Florida, 18 March 1977:

Services for Rolland "Jack" Puffer, Jr., 55, of Cocoa, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church of Rockledge.

Mr. Puffer, a mechanic supervisor and automotive instructor at Cocoa High and the Brevard Jr. College, and Brevard resident for 15 years, , died Wednesday at Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Viola Puffer of Cocoa; father, Rolland C. Puffer, Sr., Kalkaska, Mich.....

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Michigan, and the Elks Club of Cocoa.

Donations may be made to a memorial fund, First United Methodist Church of Rockledge.   Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

 

4. Lois Gene "Gene" PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON, Rolland Charles PUFFER, Sr.) was born on 16 Feb 1923 in Michigan. She died on 26 Feb 2004 in Fairbanks, Fairbanks Co., Alaska.

 

5. Emma PUFFER (Mary Adell PIERSON, Rolland Charles PUFFER, Sr.) was born about 1902 in Michigan.

 

 

MARRIAGE of ROLLAND C. PUFFER, SR. (2):

Rolland, Sr. also married Norma McCARTY. Norma died 1987.

 

 

MARRIAGE (2) of MARY ADELL PIERSON PUFFER:

Mary Adell PIERSON PUFFER also married Clarence SEBRING , son of George SEBRING and Avilla, in 1908 in Kalkaska Co, Michigan. Clarence was born in May 1879 in Michigan.

 

CENSUS:

1910 U.S. Census, Oliver Twp., Kalkaska Co., Michigan:

Clance (Clarence) Sebring, 31 yrs., Head, married once, 2 years in present marriage, b. Michigan, both parents b. Michigan, farmer on a general farm, owns the farm, free of mortgage

Matie, 35 yrs., wife, married twice, 2 years in present marriage, has had 6 children with 5 surviving, b. Michigan, father b. New York, mother b. New York

Earl, 17 yrs., stepson, single, b. Michigan, father b. Canada/English, mother b. Michigan, farm laborer

Loyd, 14 yrs., stepson, b. Michigan, father b. Canada/English, mother b. Michigan, attended school in past year

Rowland, 12 yrs., stepson, b. Michigan, father b. Canada/English, mother b. Michigan, attended school in past year

Emma, 8 yrs., stepdaughter, b. Michigan, father b. Canada/English, mother b. Michigan, attended school in past year

Lilian, 2 yrs., daughter, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan

        -----------------------------

1920 U.S. Census, Orient Twp., Osceola Co., Michigan:

Clarence Sebring, 42 yrs., head, rents a home, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Ohio, farmer on a general farm

Mary, 48 yrs., wife, b. Michigan, father b. New York, mother b. New York

Emma Puffer, 18, daughter, single, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan

Lilly Sebring, 11, daughter, b. Michigan, attended school in last year

Eddie Sebring, 33, brother, divorced, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Ohio, laborer on a general farm

Herbert Sebring, 21, brother, single, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Ohio, laborer on general farm

George Sebring, 63, father, widowed, b. Michigan, father b. Ohio, mother b. Pennsylvania

       ----------------------------------

1930 U.S. Census, Chippewa Twp., Mecosta Co., Michigan:

Clarence C. Sebring, 53, first married at 30 yrs. old, rents a home, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. Michigan, farmer on a general farm

Mary, 56, wife, first married at 33 yrs. old, b. Michigan, father b. Michigan, mother b. New York

 

Mary Adell and Clarence had the following CHILDREN:

 

1. Lillian Adelia "Lilly" SEBRING was born on 22 Sep 1908 in Michigan. She died on 28 Jun 1979 in Big Rapids, Mecosta Co., Michigan.

 

MARRIAGE of LILLY:

Lilly married John Henry ELDER , son of John E. ELDER and Laura, on 6 Jan 1926 in Evart, Osceola Co., Michigan. John was born on 26 Feb 1900 in Evart, Osceola Co., Michigan. He died in Oct 1963.

 

CENSUS:

1930 U.S. Census, Big Rapids, Ward 3, Mecosta Co., Michigan:

John H. Elder, 30, head, rents a home for $10, 26 yrs. old at first marriage, b. Michigan, father b. Canada-English, mother b. Ohio, machinist in sewage works, is not a veteran

Lillian, 21, wife, 17 yrs. old at first marriage, b. Michigan, both parents b. Michigan

Dorman, 3, son, b. Michigan

Jack, 2, son, b. Michigan

 

Lilly and John had the following CHILDREN:

 

1. Dorman John "Junior" ELDER was born on 15 Jul 1926 in Chippewa Lake, Mecosta Co., Michigan. He died on 28 Jul 1997.

 

2. Jack LaVerne ELDER was born on 18 Aug 1927 in Chippewa Lake, Mecosta Co., Michigan. He died on 7 Aug 1986 in Petoskey, Emmet Co., Michigan.

 

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