Willsey, Stephen Holmes

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Birth

Stephen Holmes Willsey was the son of Andrew Willsey (B. Oct 26, 1807, D. Oct 24, 1899) and Irene Doty (B. Jan 13, 1813, D. Oct 6, 1856).[1][2][3] He was born on April 24, 1843 (or April 11, 1843[3]) in Berne, Albany County, NY.[2] He was one of the younger children in a family of ten children.[2] He was named after his grandfather Stephen Holmes Doty, whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower. His mother died in 1856, and then his father married Almira A. Nelson (B. abt Nov 27, 1823, D. Mar 20, 1923) and by her he had a half brother.[2] Stephen went by the name of Holmes.

Marriage & Children

After June 1, 1865, Stephen married Catherine Louise Hayes (B. abt 1845, D. after 1930), who was the daughter of Thomas J. Hayes and Mary Curran.[2][4][5][6] She went by the name of Louise C.[1]
They had two children:

  • Elliot Willsey (B. abt 1869)[2][5]
  • Irene Pearl Willsey Park (B. abt 1875, D. after 1930) who was known as Pearl[2][5][4]

Occupation

Early in his life, Holmes worked as a farmer like his father.[3] After the Civil War, he and his brother Abraham Ferris Willsey worked as gunsmiths in Berne.[7] By 1880 he ran a dry goods and grocery store in Huntersland, Middleburgh, Schoharie Co, NY.[8][5] After moving to South Dakota, he ran a furniture store.[9]


Military Service

Name: Holmes Willsey
Residence at Enlistment: Berne[3]
Place of Birth: Berne, NY[3]
Date of Birth: 11 April 1843[3]
Names of Parents: Andrew(Willsey) and Irena Doty[3]
Marital Status: Single[3]
Occupation: Farmer[3]
Term of Enlistment: 1 year[3]
Enlistment Date: 6 Sep 1864[10][7]
Enlistment Place: Albany, New York
Enlistment Rank: Private[7]
State Served: New York
Regiment: 3rd Cavalry[7][11][12]
Company: Company L[11][12]
Muster Out Date: 7 Jun 1865[11]
Muster Out Place: Norfolk, VA
Additional Remarks: Enlisted at the age of 21.[10]"Discharged June 5 1865 P.O. Address Bern Albany Co N.Y."[3] Served in the same unit with his brother Abraham Ferris Willsey and both were discharged in good health without any wounds.[7]
Sources Used: Ancestry.com, American Civil War Soldiers; 1865 census Berne, Albany Co., NY; Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War; 1890 US Veterans Census, Fort Pierre, Stanley Co, SD

Life

Stephen Holmes Willsey was born in 1843 in Berne and continued to live there until he served in the Civil War. In 1850, he was living with his large family in Berne, where his father Andrew was a farmer, who owned his own farm.[13] The same was true in 1855.[14] By 1860, his father had remarried.[15] Holmes enlisted in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment with his younger brother Abraham Ferris Willsey.[7] They both served about 9 months and mustered out at the end of the war without any injuries.[7] When they returned from the war, they went to live with their father and his wife in Berne, where they both worked as gunsmiths.[7] In 1870, Holmes was no longer living with his parents.[16] By 1880, Holmes had married and had two children. That year he and his family were living in Huntersland, Middleburgh, Schoharie Co., where he was a merchant.[5] He and his family then moved to South Dakota, where for a time he was running a furniture store on Pierre Street in Hughes County.[17] By 1890 he was living in Fort Pierre, Stanley County, SD.[11] The 1890 US Veterans Census did not record that he had any disabilities, however on September 1891, he filed for his Civil War Pension as an invalid.[11][12] Holmes has not been found in the 1900 or 1910 US Census, however in 1900 his daughter Pearl was living in Yankton, Yankton County, SD and working as a school teacher.[18] Ten years later in 1910, now married and recorded as Pearl W. Park, she was living in Watertown, Codington County, SD.[19] Holmes died in 1912 in Codington County, SD.[20]

"Stephen Holmes Willsey went by the name of Holmes. They lived in Huntersland, Middleburgh, for a while and ran a dry goods and groceries store. We [Mike and Whilma Willsey] have letters with Willsey's Dry Goods and Groceries on them. Then moved to Blunt, South Dakota where he homesteaded, bought up land and sold it, and was an undertaker. We went there and saw where they lived and worked. We have many letters from them from the lone tree of Blunt. Lone Tree was the street they lived on. The tree in now gone but they have planted a new one. Only tree in Blunt. There son Elliot drowned in the Colorado River while in the service. We have a picture of Stephen and his wife with Pearl [their daughter] and her husband on a porch where Pearl lived."[8] - Whilma Willsey

Death

Stephen Holmes Willsey died on June 18, 1912 at Lone Tree, Blunt, Codington County, South Dakota.[20][2] After his death, his wife Louise filed on June 29, 1912 for his Civil War pension as a widow.[12] His wife survived for several more decades as she was still alive in 1930 at the age of 84 and living in Miami, Dade County, Florida with her daughter Pearl and son in law Charles E. Park.[4]

Obituary

Additional Research Notes

Additional Media

Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War


Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 US Censuses
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Bernehistory.org
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Town and City Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 1930 US Census, Miami, Dade Co, Fl
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 1880 US Census, Middleburgh, Schoharie Co, NY
  6. ↑ Altamont Enterprise after April 13, 1913, "Card of Thanks" on the occasion of the death of Mary Ann Hayes Warner, the wife of Jacob Peter Warner, card signed by Mrs. Louise C. Willsey and Mr. William E. Hayes.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 1865 NY State Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Whilma Willsey
  9. ↑ Hughes County History; Dedicated to the Hardy Pioneers Who Wrought Homes Here and Contributed to the Development of this Territory, Compiled by Office of County Superintendent of Schools, Hughes county, SD, Published Spring of 1937.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ancestry Military Databases
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 1890 US Veterans Census, Fort Pierre, Stanley Co, SD
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Civil War Pension Index, www.ancestry.com
  13. ↑ 1850 US Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
  14. ↑ 1855 NY State Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
  15. ↑ 1860 US Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
  16. ↑ 1870 US Census, Berne, Albany Co, NY
  17. ↑ Hughes County History; Dedicated to the Hardy Pioneers Who Wrought Homes Here and Contributed to the Development of this Territory, Compiled by Office of County Superintendent of Schools, Hughes county, SD, Published Spring of 1937.
  18. ↑ 1900 US Census, Yankton, Yankton Co, SD
  19. ↑ 1910 US Census, Watertown, Codington Co, SD
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 South Dakota Death Index 1905-1955, www.ancestry.com
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