POWELL

Contributed by: William Brackett
brackettwilliam@yahoo.com

John William Powell was born in New York and may have been the John W. Powell, son of John and Jane (James) Powell of Lockport, Niagara County, New York. Jane James was born on 25 May 1813 in Yorkshire, England. John Powell was born on 07 Apr 1816 also in Yorkshire. They married on 18 Jan 1832, according to records found at www.familysearch.org Their son John W. Powell was born in Lockport on 07 Apr 1838. This may also explain the marriage record of Sarah (Brant) Brackett, as her 2nd husband, John is recorded in this document as “John James”. His mother’s maiden name may have gotten confused with his last name of Powell when the clerk transcribed it. Many of these old records were hand written and were sent to the County Clerk’s Office and transcribed there and they were written into ledger books. Sarah (Brant) Brackett married 2nd “John James” in 1870 in New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan.

Lacey and Angeline (Brown) Brant had children:
Phillip Brant b. 1830
Amanda Brant b. 1835
George M. Brant b. 1840
Vincent G. Brant b. 1841
William L. Brant b. 1843
Olive Brant b. 1845
Sarah J. Brant born in Livingston, IL on 21 Jun 1850
Howard B. Brant b. 1853
Exzava Brant b. 1855 often seen a Zaphia Brant

Sarah Jane Brant was born 21 Jun 1850 in Livingston, Illinois. She was the daughter of Lacey and Angeline (Brown) Brant. There is a small town of Livingston in Madison County, Illinois and a Livingston County, Illinois. According to her Widow’s Pension file for Lacey’s service during the Civil War Angeline Brown was born in Illinois but census records indicate she was born in Vermont. Lacey’s brother Nathaniel Brant also lived for some time in Illinois.

Sarah Brant married 1st John W. Brackett in 1868 in Millburg, Berrien County, Michigan. John died in 1869. They had a son named Edgar Lacey Brackett in 1869.

Sarah J. (Brant) Brackett married 2nd “John James” on 14 Apr 1870 in New Buffalo, Berrien County, Michigan. This may actually be the marriage record for Sarah and John W. Powell. Sarah (Brant) had married John William Powell by 1872 as their daughter Olive Powell was born in Iowa that year. Another daughter Eva Powell was born in Iowa on 12 Sep 1881. Eva Powell’s death record gives her father’s name as John William Powell. In this marriage record they were both recorded as being from Benton Harbor. Sarah was 20 years of age and John was 27 years of age. They are also recorded as both having been born in New York even though we know she was born in Illinois. Sarah’s maiden name in this document is given as Brant. Sarah J. (Brant) Brackett and John Powell's daughter, Olive Powell was married in 1890 in Hagar Township, Berrien County, Michigan. This was a double ceremony in which her half brother Edgar Brackett was also married. So by 1890 some of the Powell family was back in Berrien County. In 1893 Sarah J. Powell is listed in her father’s, Lacey Brant, probate as living in Benton Township, Michigan and as being 43 years of age.

The 1900 census of Benton Harbor City, Berrien County, Michigan shows, on Buss Avenue, Sarah Powell, widow, 48 years of age, born in June 1852 in Illinois and her two “sons”, John G. and George T. Powell. John was born in March of 1882 in Michigan and George was born in April of 1889 in Minnesota. This record indicates that John and George’s father was born in England. This record also indicates Sarah had 7 children 6 of them still living in 1900.

The 1910 census of Galien Township, Berrien County, Michigan shows Sarah Powell, widow 58 years of age, born in Illinois and her “son” Timothy 20 years of age. Timothy was born in Minnesota and his father in New York. This census indicates she had 8 children 7 who were living in 1910. It appears George T. Powell of 1900 had become Timothy Powell. This record shows an increase of one child? George’s middle name must have been Timothy and since his brother, John G. was going by name George he probably went by Tim.

Rev. John G. Powell died in 1914 and was 31 years of age. He was reportedly born in Grand Junction, Van Buren County, Michigan in March of 1882. He is also seen as Rev. J. George Powell and George Powell. He is buried in the Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor.

The 1917-1922 Rural Directory of Berrien County shows, living at 106 Alexander St. in Buchanan, Mrs. Sarah Powell and Tim Powell who was a truck driver.

The 1920 census of Buchanan, Berrien County, Michigan includes Sarah Powell, widow 67 years of age, born in Illinois, her “son” Tim 27 years of age, born in Minnesota and his wife Anna 18 years of age. This record states that Tim’s father was born in Minnesota?

In 1925 Tim Powell married 2nd Elnora Gross. This record indicates his father was John Powell and his mother’s maiden name was Brant.

The 1930 census of Galien Township, Berrien County, Michigan shows Timothy G. Powell 39 years of age, his wife Nora 19 years of age and Sarah J. Powell who is listed as his grandmother.

Looking at Tim Powell’s death record from 1955 is confusing. It says his mother was Allie Slocum, and his father was Patrick Powell. In other records Allie Slocum is seen as Allie (Powell) Slocum. This record may be in error when compared to the earlier census records perhaps his second wife did not get the facts straight. The 1930 census shows Sarah J. Powell living with Timothy Powell and she is recorded as his grandmother. It would appear that there was not a William Powell as her obituary indicates but that this was actually Timothy Powell/George T. Powell. No record of William Powell can be found in Berrien County. Where the name Patrick Powell came from is not known. This would account for her eight not nine children.

Sarah’s children appear to have been:

1. Edgar Lacey Brackett b. 11 Jul1869 in Pipestone Township, Berrien County, Michigan, married Sarah Jane Wooldridge, he d. 08 Dec 1962, he is buried in the New Troy Cemetery in New Troy, Berrien County, Michigan.

2. Olive Powell b. about 1872 in Iowa, married William Wooldridge on 03 Nov 1890 in Hagar Township, Berrien County, Michigan.

3. Allie Powell b. 17 Aug 1873 in Sterling, Iowa, married 26 Aug 1892 to Kenard Slocum, she d. 26 Mar 1951 in Buchanan, Michigan, she is buried in the Hamilton Cemetery near New Carlisle, St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Note: Allie Powell’s 2nd marriage record indicates she was married to a “Woolridge” before she married Kinard Slocum. She may be the same person as Olive Powell. In the marriage record to Kinard her father is given as John and her mother as Sarah Brant.

4. Madison S. Powell b. 29 Oct 1877 in Iowa, married Minnie Shier on 04 Mar 1899 in Berrien County and lived in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan, near Detroit. Madison S. Powell died on 30 May 1952 and Minnie died on 29 Sep 1973.

5. Nora Ellen Powell b. 12 Sep 1879 in Clinton, Iowa, married 1st Marion Grubb on 28 Feb 1896, 2nd Levi Edward Phillips on 19 Apr 1900, 3rd August Singbeil on 17 Mar 1934, she d. 26 Dec 1968, she is buried in the Oakridge Cemetery in Buchanan, Michigan.

6. Eva Powell b. 12 Sep 1881 in Iowa, married Frederick Elmer Hall, she d. 26 Oct 1964, she is buried in the Oakridge Cemetery in Buchanan, Berrien County, Michigan.

7. John G. Powell b. 22 Mar 1882 in Michigan, married Catherine Cowgill he d. 20 Mar 1914, he is buried in the Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

8. George T. Powell b. 26 Apr 1889 in Madison Minnesota married 1st Anna… and 2nd Elnora Gross on 04 May 1925, he died on 06 Dec1955 and was buried, as Timothy Powell, in the Oakridge Cemetery in Buchanan, Berrien County, Michigan. He appears to have been John and Sarah’s grandson, the son of their daughter Allie Powell. If he was the son of Patrick and Allie (Slocum) Powell then Patrick would have been a ninth child.

# 163 of the 1930 Berrien County Death Certificates records Sarah Powell's death. Sarah Jane Powell died 29 Jul 1930. She was 80 years, 1 month and 8 days old at the time of her death. It states she was born in Illinois. It lists her father as Lacy Brant and her mother as Angelina Brown. She died in Galien Township. Sarah's obituary appeared in the Niles Daily Star (newspaper) on 30 Jul 1930 and reads:

Galien Pioneer Dies

Mrs. Sarah Powell, 80, a pioneer of Berrien County died last evening at the home of her son William Powell with who she had made her home in Galien. She is survived by the following children: Mrs. Edward Phillips, Mrs. Anthony Slocum and William Powell of Galien, Mrs. Eva Hall of Buchanan, Madison Powell of Detroit, and Edward Brackett of New Troy. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon in the Christian Church, Buchanan. Burial will be in the New Troy Cemetery.

Edward Brackett should have been listed as Edgar Brackett. He often went by Ed and some assumed his name was Edward instead of Edgar. This William Powell must have been G. Timothy Powell. Sarah Powell would have been born 21 Jun 1850. In 2006 I had a grave marker made and set on the Brackett plot in the New Troy Cemetery for Sarah J. Powell.

Page 85 of Liber "B" of the Berrien County Marriages records the second marriage of Sarah J. (Brant) Brackett. Sarah Brackett married John James in New Buffalo Michigan on 14 Apr 1870. It states they both lived in Benton Harbor and were both born in New York. Sarah J. Brant Brackett was 20 years of age and John James was 27 years of age. The marriage was recorded on 30 Jun 1870. Her maiden name is given in this document as Brant. Records indicate that in 1872 Sarah was married to a John Powell. This is possibly their marriage record and was recorded improperly. James may actually have been his mother’s maiden name. We also know that Sarah was born in Illinois, not New York, as this record indicates. Sarah Jane Brant was born 21 Jun 1850 in Livingston, Illinois. She was the daughter of Lacey and Angeline (Brown) Brant. There is a small town of Livingston in Madison County, Illinois and a Livingston County, Illinois. Lacey’s brother Nathaniel Brant also lived for some time in Illinois.

Looking at these records you can see that Sarah Brant was born in 1850 in Illinois, lived in Berrien County in 1870, lived in Iowa in 1872-1881, was back in Michigan in 1882 around the small village of La Cota in Van Buren County, may have lived in Minnesota in 1885-89 and was back in Michigan by 1900. The records indicate that John William Powell was most likely born in New York. Some census records give his birthplace as England. His death date or place has not been discovered.

Niles Daily Star - Tuesday 27 Mar 1951 - “Mrs. Allie Slocum, 77
Buchanan, March 27-Mrs. Allie Slocum, 77, of 705 North Portage street, died at 12:15 p.m. Monday in Berrien County hospital after being ill for several months.She was born Aug. 17, 1873 in Sterling, Ia., the daughter of John and Sarah Powell. She married Tony Slocum Aug. 22, 1892, in Niles.Surviving are her husband; three sons, John and Edward, of Buchanan, and LeRoy of South Bend; two daughters, Mrs. Ada Swartz, of Buchanan, and Mrs. May McCoy, of Antioch, Cal; two sisters, Mrs. Nora Sinvoil, of Galien, and Mrs. Eva Hall, of Ber- … Powell, of Plymouth, Michigan; 26 grandchildren; and 30 great-grand children. The Rev. W.D. Ruff pastor of the Bethel temple of the Pentecostal church will conduct the services at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Swem funeral home. Burial will be in the Hamilton cemetery in Hamilton, Ind. Friends may call at the funeral home.” Allie Slocum was buried in the Hamilton Cemetery near New, Carlisle, Indiana.

There is something missing between “Ber-Powell”. It may have been suppose to read Berrien Springs and one brother, Madison] Powell.

In 1900 this family was living in Weesaw Township, Berrien County, Michigan. The 1910 census of Olive Township, St. Joseph County Indiana includes this family:
Kenard Slocum 38 years of age, born in Indiana
Allie Slocum 37 years of age, born in Iowa
Lacy Slocum 18 years of age, born in Michigan
John Slocum 16 years of age born in Illinois
Ada Slocum 14 years of age, born in Michigan
Roy Slocum 9 years of age, born in Michigan
Eddie Slocum 5 years of age born in Michigan
Susie May Slocum 2 years of age born in Indiana

During the 1920 census they were living in Buchanan, Berrien County, Michigan

Niles Daily Star - 06 Dec 1955
“Timothy Powell Galien-Timothy Powell, 63, of rural route one, Galien, died suddenly of a heart attack in his home at 5:30p.m., Tuesday. Powell was born April 26, 1892 in Madison, Minn., and married Elinora Gross, May 4, 1925 in St. Joseph. He was employed by the Clark Equipment Co. Survivors are three brothers, John and Ed Slocum of Buchanan and Leroy Slocum of South Bend; two sisters, Mrs. Ada Heyn of Buchanan and Mrs. Mary McCoy of Antioch, Calif. Friends may call at the Swem Funeral Home after 7 p.m., tonight where services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday with the Rev. W. Robert Palmer of the Church of Christ officiating. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery.”

After reading this obituary and looking at his death record it would appear that this Timothy Powell was the son of Allie (Powell) Slocum. His father may have been Patrick Powell. This Timothy Powell appears to have been the grandson of Sarah (Brant) Powell as the 1930 census indicates. The Slocum family members mentioned in the obituary, as survivors, would have been half brothers and sisters. Madison is a town in Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota. There was a census taken there in 1885 and there was a John and Sarah Powell living in Lake Shore in that county. This appears to be John and Sarah (Brant) Powell except the children’s names do not match. There was a Madison Powell and a Nora Powell in this household but none of the other children’s are the names as known. This adds to the confusion concerning Timothy Powell.

The 01 May 1885 census of Lake Shore, Lac Qui Parle, Minnesota includes:

John Powell 47 years of age born in New York

Sarah Powell 33 years of age born in Illinois

Ira Powell 14 years of age born in Michigan

Alfred Powell 13 years of age born in Iowa

Madison Powell 9 years of age born in Iowa

Nora Powell 7 years of age born in Iowa

Phoebe Powell 6 years of age born in Iowa

Jennie Powell 3 years of age born in Michigan

If this was John and Sarah (Brant) Powell could Ira be the child who died before 1900? Could Alfred actually have been Allie? Could Phoebe have been Eva and Jennie have been Johnnie? If this is the correct family where was Edgar Brackett who would have been about sixteen years of age at this time?

Eva (Powell) Hall died on 26 Oct 1964 in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Her death record indicates she was born in Iowa on 12 Sep 1881 and was the daughter of John William Powell and Sarah Brant. Her husband was Frederick Elmer Hall. She was buried in the Oakridge Cemetery in Buchanan, Michigan.

Niles Daily Star - 27 Oct 1964
“Berrien Springs-Mrs. Eva Hall, 83 of 201 S. Main St., died at 5:30 p.m. Monday in Buchanan Community Hospital where she was admitted Sunday. She had been in failing health for the last five years. Mrs. Hall was born in Iowa Sept. 12, 1881, and married Frederick E. Hall in 1908. He died Jan. 18, 1946. The Halls came to Berrien Springs about 25 years ago. She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Nora Singbeal of Berrien Springs. Mrs. Hall was a member of the Evangelical United Brethren Church Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at the McLaughlin Funeral Home, here. The Rev. Carl J. Litchfield, pastor of her church, will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan. Friends are being received after 7 p.m. tonight at the funeral home.”

Niles Daily Star - Friday 27 Dec 1968
“Mrs. Nora Ellen Singbeil Buchanan-Mrs. Nora Ellen Singbeil, 89 of 312 Chippewa, died Thursday in Berrien General Hospital. She was born Sept. 12, 1879 in Clinton, Iowa. Mrs. Singbeil married the late Edward Phillips, April 10, 1897, who died in 1930. On March 17, 1934 she married the late August Singbeil who died in 1957. Mrs. Singbeil is survived by a daughter from the first marriage, Mrs. Bessie Walter of Buchanan; two grandchildren, one great-grandchild and two great-great- grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Swen Funeral Home with Rev. Lawrence Smith, pastor of the Olive Branch United Brethren Church of Galien, officiating. Burial will be in the Oakridge Cemetery. Friends may call at the Swem Funeral Home at 7 tonight.”

Note: On 17 Mar 1934 Nora (Powell) Phillips married August Singbeil in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Mrs. Bessie Walter was the wife of Arthur Walter and in the 1920 census they were living in Buchanan with one daughter, Virginia Walter. Her marriage record to Levi Phillips is interesting because one of the witnesses was John W. Powell. Could that have been her father or maybe her brother John G. Powell?

John George Powell b. 22 Mar 1882 in Van Buren County, Michigan was a minister and married Catherine Arminta Cowgill. They had three daughters, Dorothy L., Ruth M. and Naomi J. He died on 20 Mar 1914 and is buried in the Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He is also seen as George J. Powell. Ruth and Naomi were twins. They can be found living in Benton Harbor, Michigan during the 1910 census:

George J. Powell 28 years of age, evangelical minister, born in Michigan

Arminta C. Powell 29 years of age, born in Indiana

Dorothy L. Powell 5 years of age, born in Indiana

Ruth M. Powell age 11 months, born in Michigan

Naomi J. Powell age 11 months, born in Michigan

The New Palladium carried the obituary for Rev. J. G. Powell on 24 Mar 1914: "Rev. J. G. Powell was born in Grand Junction, Mich., March 22, 1882, died at his home at 646 Buss avenue, Benton Harbor, March 20, 1914. He was united in marriage to Catherine Cougill of this city April 3, 1901. He leaves a wife, three children, Dorothy, Ruth and Naomi, a mother, Mrs. Sarah Powell, New Carlisle, Ind., and three Sisters, Mrs. Allie Slocum of New Carlisle, Ind., Mrs. Nora Phillips of Galien, Mich., and Mrs. Eva Hall of Indianapolis, Ind.; two brothers, Madison Powell of Plymouth, Ind., and Time Powell of New Carlisle, Ind.; one half brother, Ed Pracket of New Troy, Mich., and a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn his loss. All the sisters and a brother were present at the funeral except Mrs. Eva Hall." Note: This should read Tim not "Time" Powell, Ed Brackett not "Pracket" and Madison Powell lived in Plymouth, Michigan not "Ind.".

Madison Powell married Minnie Shier on 04 Apr 1899 in St. Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan. In 1900 he was living in Three Oaks during the census. This record says he was born in Iowa in Oct 1875 and was 24 years of age. His wife is recorded as “Nettie” and she was born in Sep 1882 and was 17 years of age. They had one child who had died. He was working at the Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks. In 1910 he was living in Plymouth Township of Wayne County, Michigan. In that year he is recorded as being 28 years old and his wife is recorded as Minnie, who was 27 years of age. They had two children: Maria Powell who was 9 years old and Russell Powell who was 7 years of age. Madison was working in a Creamery as a butter maker. In 1920 they were still living in Wayne County and he is recorded as being 42 years of age. Minnie was 37 years of age and their children were Maria A. Powell 19 years of age and Russell D. Powell who was 16 years of age. Madison was working in an Air Rifle factory. Russell Powell was born on 20 Apr 1903 and died in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan in November of 1977. Madison, Minnie, Russell and Russell’s wife Esther are buried in the mausoleum in riverside Cemetery in Plymouth, Michigan.

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