Copyright 22 February 2004, Esther Doyle Read
Updated 16 July 2005
READ FAMILY CONNECTIONS
ELMER FREEMONT COURSEN5
730. ELMER FREEMONT COURSEN5, (Aaron Reed Coursen4, Sarah Ann Read/Reed3, Aaron Read2, Joseph Read1) was born 1 June 1861 in South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania and died 22 April 1902 as a result of measles in Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania Conneautville Cemetery; Crawford County Marriage License Docket Vol. 6, 1893-1896, page 8; Crawford County Deaths Vol. 1, 1892-1903, page 43, line 27). Elmer's mother died when he was three years old and his father married again by 1867. Elmer's new step-mother was his aunt Dorinda Fonner, the older sister of his mother. Elmer appears on the 1870 census as an 8 year old school boy. He lived with his father and step-mother/aunt in South Shenago Township (1870 United States Federal Census, South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, page 488). He was still a resident of his father's household in 1880. Elmer was listed as a farmer in the census. He also attended school during the census year (1880 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 118, South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, page 166D, 15 June 1880).
Elmer took out a marriage license on 30 September 1893 from the Orphan's Court of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, license number 3742. The license gives his occupation as farmer and residence as South Shenago Township. He married Jennie I. Nicolls, on 3 October 1893 in Spring Township, Crawford County. The wedding was performed by the Rev. J.W. Douglass of the Methodist Episcopal Church at the home of Jennie's parents in Spring Township. Born 5 September 1868 in Pennsylvania, Jennie was the daughter of Simon C. and Louisa M. Nicholls. She was a resident of Spring Township when Elmer applied for the license (Crawford County Marriage License Docket Vol. 6, 1893-1896, page 8). After the wedding, the couple went on a ten day trip to Chicago to visit the World's Fair. Jennie's sister Anna Nicholls accompanied them on the trip (Vedner 2005). Elmer's father, Aaron Coursen, died a little over two years later on 5 December 1895. He appointed his sons Elmer and Ewing as his executors. Elmer received a monetary settlement from his father's estate after all estate debts were paid. This settlement included half of the funds left from the sale of Aaron Coursen's personal estate and one of his farms; two hundred dollars from his brother William who was given another of their father's farms; and the return of a note that Aaron held against Elmer. Aaron's will was written 3 October 1895 and was admitted to probate on 10 December 1895 (Crawford County Wills Book H, page 494). The Letters Testementary were issued on 10 December 1895 and the final account for the estate was filed on 12 June 1897 (Crawford County Orphan's Court Register's Docket 7, 1895-1900, page 93). A few months before his father's death, Elmer and Jennie had their first son Chauncey Reed Coursen. They had two more sons by 1899, Floyd was born in 1897 and Freemont in 1899. Unfortunately, two of the boys died as babies, Chauncy died in 1896 at the age of 8 months. Freemont died two days after his birth. The two babies were buried in the family plot (Lot D11) in Conneautville Cemetery (pronouced Connie-ville), on the northern edge of the town of Conneautville in Crawford County. Several members of Jennie's family are also buried in the cemetery. This includes her parents Simon C. (1841 - 1910) and Louisa M. Nicholls (1845 - 1910), her brother Addison E. Nicholls (1861 - 1923) and his wife Myra (1856 - 1923), and her baby brother S. Clyde Nicholls (1872 - 1874) (the graves were visited on 5 July 2005, see also Crawford County GenWeb). Floyd was the only one of the three sons to grow to adulthood. He eventually graduated from Law School at Syracuse University in Onondaga County, New York. He settled there and raised a family in Syracuse area. As Elmer's family grew, his land holdings also increased. On 16 August 1898, he recorded three deeds for land in South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. These included two lots, one purchased from Samuel Cunningham and one from Abraham Carkhuff, and another parcel of four acres purchased from David H. Carkhuff (Crawford County Land Records, hereinafter CCLR, Book Y, no. 6, pages 93-95). Elmer eventually purchased 112 acres in North Shenago Township at a Sheriff's auction (CCLR Book No. 166, page 719). The last deed was recorded on 11 Ferburary 1904 by Elmer's widow Jennie Nicholls Coursen, who was the administrator of his estate. The 1900 United States Federal Census placed Elmer and Jennie and their son Floyd in South Shenago Township. The census listed Elmer's occupation as merchant. Two years later, his death certificate listed his occupation as farmer. The family owned their home free and clear of all mortgages. Their home was not located on a farm. Elmer's family lived in dwelling 193; his brother William and his sisters Lizzie and Meltha lived in dwelling 207 (1900 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 37, South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, sheet 9A, 19 June 1900). It is possible that Elmer and Jennie's house was located on one of the lots Elmer purchased from Samuel Cunningham, or on the four acre parcel he purchased from Abraham Carkhuff. And it is possible that their home was in or around tthe town of Linesville. The family moved to Pine Township by 1902 (Crawford County Deaths Vol. 1, 1892-1903, page 43, line 27). In the spring of 1902, Elmer contracted the measles. He was ill for three weeks and in the end, the measles proved fatal. Elmer died 22 April 1902 at 1:30 in the afternoon at his home in Pine Township. He was buried two days later in Lot D11 in Conneautville Cemetery, Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Crawford County Deaths Vol. 1, 1892-1903, page 43, line 27; Crawford County GenWeb; Crawford County Orphan's Court Register's Docket 8, 1900-1905, page 190). Elmer died intestate. Jennie applied for Letters of Administration on 18 May 1902. She gave bond of $400 for the estate with W. Stevens and S.A. Miller as her sureties. The inventory for the estate was filed on 23 June 1902 with a value of $150. The final estate account was filed on 9 April 1904. Total assets for the estate were $3,228.75 (Crawford County Orphan's Court Register's Docket 8, 1900-1905, page 190). Jennie Nicholls Coursen married George A. Woodard on 4 October 1904 in Linesville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The wedding was performed by the Rev. D.G. Gillet. According to the marriage license (no. 9183), George Woodard was born 14 March 1875 in Ohio. He was a resident of Ashlabula, Ohio and was employed as a Fireman. George had been married before. He and his first wife were divorced on 11 December 1900. Jennie was a resident of Linesville at the time of the wedding. Jennie had two children by George Woodard. A son was born circa 1906 in Ohio and named Simon after his grandfather Nicholls. A daughter was born in 1910, she died as an infant was buried in Lot D11 in Conneautville Cemetery, Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Crawford County GenWeb). In 1920, Jennie, George and Simon lived on the Public Road outside of Linesville in Pine Township, Crawford County. George was a farmer. The family owned the farm free and clear of all leins and mortgages. Jennie's son by Elmer, Floyd Coursen, was a law student at Syracuse University at the time that the census was enumerated. He was listed as a resident of the household. Simon was 14 years old and was a student in the local schools (1920 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 23, Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, sheet 12A, 29 January 1920). By 1930, Jennie and George lived alone on the Conneaut Lake Road in Pine Township (probably US route 6). George was a general farmer. Both Floyd and Simon had left home. Floyd was married and had a five year old son. He was a lawyer in Syracuse New York. Simon lived across the border in Andover, Ohio where he worked as a teller in a bank. Simon was still single. George and Jennie owned the farm, which was valued at $2000. The couple also owned a radio (1930 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 34-113, Syracuse City, 17th Ward, Block 1674, Onondaga County, New York, sheet 5A; Enumeration District 4-1, Andover Village, Andover Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, sheet 5B, 9 April 1930; Enumeration District 20-33, Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, sheet 1B, 17 April 1930). Jennie lived until 27 May 1954, she was 86 years at the time of her death. George Woodward lived until 1960. He died on 14 August at the age of 85 in Bellevue, Sandusky County, Ohio (Ohio Death Certificates, Volume 16251, Certificate 60481). Jennie was buried in Lot D11 in Conneautville Cemetery. She is buried with both Elmer and George, her two sons by Elmer who died as babies—Chauncey and Freemont—and her daughter by George. Elmer Coursen and Jennie Nicholls had three children I have identified one grandchild, 4 great-grandchildren and one second great-grandchild. Total identified descendants equals 9.
CHILDREN OF ELMER FREEMONT COURSEN AND JENNIE I. NICHOLLS:
1362. (i.) CHAUNCEY REED COURSEN6, was born 8 August 1895 and died 17 May 1896, age 9 months and 9 days (Crawford County, GenWeb; Murcko 1996-1998 gives birth year as 1894 and death year as 1895). He was buried in Lot D11 Conneautville Cemetery, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The grave was visited on 5 July 2005 (Crawford County GenWeb).
1363. (ii.) FLOYD EMMETT COURSEN6, was born 12 April 1897, in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. According to the County Birth Records, he was born in North Shenago Township (Crawford County Births, Vol. 1, 1893-1902, page 40, line 17). However, Murcko (1996-1997) gives his pace of birth as Westford, South Shenago Township. The County birth records give his name as Lloyd, not Floyd. The 1920 and 1930 censii give his name as Floyd. Floyd died June 1973 in New York, probably in Onondaga county (Social Security Death Index). His father died in 1902, when Floyd was five years old. His mother remarried in 1904. Her second husband was George A. Woodward. Floyd grew up in Crawford County. He graduated form Linesville High School, in Linesville, Crawford County. In 1920, he was a student at Syracuse University. The 1920 census, lists him as a law student. His legal residence was the home and farm of his step-father and mother on the Public Road in Pine Township, just outside of Linesville. Floyd graduated from Syracuse University in 1923 with a law degree. He stayed in Syracuse, New York and was eventually retained as a lawyer by Aetna Casualty Security Company (1920 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 23, Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, sheet 12A, 29 January 1920; Murcko 1996-1998). Floyd married on 17 June 1923, Martha Melanie Wille, (Murcko 1996-1998) She was born circa 1899 in New York. In 1930, the couple resided at 303 Crawford Avenue in Syracuse. The family owned a home valued at $13,000. They also owned a radio. Floyd was employed as a lawyer in general practice (1930 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 34-113, Syracuse City, 17th Ward, Block 1674, Onondaga County, New York, sheet 5A). His last recorded residence in the Social Security Death Index was Liverpool, Onondaga County, New York (Social Security Death Index). Children of Floyd Coursen and Martha Wille:
1364. (iii.) FREEMONT COURSEN6, was born 5 October 1899 in South Shenago Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania and died 7 October 1899, age two days. He was buried in Lot D11 Conneautville Cemetery, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The grave was visited on 5 July 2005 (Crawford County Births, Vol. 1, 1893-1902, page 44, line 25 (first name not recorded); Crawford County GenWeb; Murcko 1996-1998).
CHILDREN OF GEORGE A. WOODARD AND JENNIE I. NICHOLLS:
(iv.) SIMON N. WOODARD6, was born 4 July 1905 in Ohio and died 1 March 1991 (Social Security Death Index). In 1920, he lived with his parents on their farm on the public road in Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania just outside of Linesville (1920 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 23, Pine Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, sheet 12A, 29 January 1920). By 1930, Simon was boarding with Belle A. Kingsley on Gates Street in Andover, Ashtabula County, Ohio. Andover is currently (2005) on the west side of the Pymatuning Reservior on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. Espyville, Pennsylvania is on the east side of reservior. The two towns are connected by a causeway, which is Pennsylvania route 285 on the east and Ohio route 85 on the west. Pine Township is on the north edge of Pymatuning Reservoir. In 1930, Simon was a teller in a bank in Andover. He was 24 years old and single (1930 United States Federal Census, Enumeration District 4-1, Andover Village, Andover Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, sheet 5B, 9 April 1930). Simon's Social Security number was issued in Ohio before 1951 (Social Security Death Index).
(v.) UNNAMED DAUGHTER WOODARD6, was born and died 1910. She is buried in Lot D11 Conneautville Cemetery, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The grave was visited on 5 July 2005 (Crawford County GenWeb).
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by Timothy Doyle 5/5/98,
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