Misfortune can mean many things. I’m going to focus on my 2nd great-grandfather, whom I had heard many stories about while growing up, but I was never sure how accurate it was and how much was just hard feelings from over the years. However, as I began to research, I could understand how his misfortunes created the man he was rumored to have become.

We’ll start at the beginning: Gard Witherell was born 21 October 1882 in Michigan to Gard and Lillian (McLeod) Witherell. ((“Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1950,” database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018), index, Gard C. Witherell, 21 Oct 1882, no. 031286; citing Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing, Michigan.))

This was likely taken around 1884, before his younger brother was born. It’s a tintype and I have a similar one from the same time that has his mother and another female relation in the picture.

In 1885, Gard (the elder – he was never called senior) and Lillie welcomed Ostrom into their family. ((Saginaw County, Michigan, Record of Births Book F (1885-1886): 58, entry for Ostrom C. Witheral; Saginaw County Clerk’s Office, Saginaw.))

This is definitely one of the many times I wish the 1890 census still existed! I would love to know what the young family was doing at that time. Especially because the first tragedy (well, the first recorded tragedy) happened in 1895.

Lillian, the two boys mother, died in 1895 of stomach issues – specifically, paralysis of bowels. ((Saginaw County, Michigan, Death Book D (1895-1898), 1895 entry for Lily Witherell; Saginaw County Clerk’s Office, Saginaw.))

By 1900, the boy’s grandmother was living with them, likely because trying to work and raise two boys at the same time was incredibly different for the elder Gard, even with Gard the younger being 13 and Ostrom being 11, I’m sure he needed extra help. ((1900 U.S. Census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw City Ward 15, ED 71, sheet 4A (penned), dwelling 68, family 74, Gard Witherell household; image and index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm T623))

So in comes Grandma Martha (Wolcott) Witherell Curtis:

 

Things go well for a while. By 1910, Gard has married a woman named Fanny McGriff and they have two children: Glenn (my great-grandfather) and Jack. ((1910 U.S. Census, Saginaw County, Michigan, population schedule, Saginaw City Ward 1, ED 47, sheet 26A (penned), dwelling 648, family 503, Gard Witherell household; image and index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm T624, roll 672.))  Thomas, their third son, comes in 1911. ((Social Security Administration, “Social Security Death Index,” database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Thomas D. Witherell, 1990, SS no. 368-07-7183.))

In 1911, Martha, Gard’s grandmother passes away. ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Martha Curtis, 14 Jan 1911, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 33. )) The elder Gard’s sister, Jane, had died prior to that in 1902. ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Jane McWatters, 27 June 1902, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 322. ))

In 1915, the rest of Martha’s children (there were four that lived to adulthood) pass away:

  • Uncle John, 10 July 1915: died of a heart attack in a park ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for John Witherell, 10 July 1915, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 439.))
  • His father, Gard the elder (who went by Chas) 1 Sept 1915: died of a heart attack in a park ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Chas G. Witherell, 1 Sept 1915, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 528.))
  • Aunt Frances (the last of his father’s siblings) 1 Oct 1915: died from pneumonia ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Frances Wardell, 1 Oct 1915, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 593.))

By this time too, his brother had moved out of the state and was in Minnesota. ((“Second Brother Dies in City Park,” (Saginaw), Saginaw Courier Herald, 2 September 1915, page 2.))There were still many cousins around in Saginaw, although how close they all were is anyone’s guess. The McGriff family was also quite extensive, but had moved out of the area by this point. ((1910 U.S. Census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Sultan River Precinct, ED 364, sheet 7B (penned), dwelling not numbered, family not numbered, Archie McGriff household; image and index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm T624, roll 1669.))

1915 was a tough year for the family. And by 1919, it got even worse. Fannie, Gard’s wife, dies from pneumonia, which could have been caused the by flu epidemic of 1918 as she died in January of 1919. ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1897-1920,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Fanny M Witherell, 28 Jan 1919, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 88)) According to family stories, she was incredibly well loved by everyone, and this death hits the small family straight in the heart.

Here is where the family stories come in. At this point, Gard doesn’t take this death well. The McGriffs are back in the area for a short period of time, likely for Fannie’s funeral and maybe just taking care of the boys a bit, but they aren’t there for too long. ((1920 U.S. Census, Genesee County, Michigan, population schedule, Flint City 1st Ward, ED 13, sheet 14B (penned), dwelling 209, family 249, Archie McGriff household; image and index, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 March 2018); citing NARA microfilm T625, roll 764.)) Glenn was 10, Jack 9, and Thomas 7.

Family story has it that there was a friendly neighbor who took care of the boys. I found this to be true quite by accident when I saw a picture of a woman named Cassi Wilson pictured with my great-grandpa:

When I asked about it, my great-aunt told me the story that this family took them in and cared for them as Gard could not. It was hinted that Gard was drinking and gambling quite a bit.

Glenn, being the oldest boy, did his best to take care of his family. Thomas was a celebrated athlete in the family and joined the military, traveling all over the world. This left Glenn and Jack to look after their father. Jack, sadly, died in 1931. The death certificate states he died of a fractured skull due to an automobile accident. ((Michigan, “Death Records, 1921-1947,” database and images, Library of Michigan, (http://seekingmichigan.org : accessed 27 March 2018), entry for Jack O. Witherell, 31 Oct 1931, citing Michigan Department of Community Health, certificate register no. 849))

From what I know, Jack was a well-loved brother and I wonder if this was when Glenn was done was his father. Although he was never totally done, but his children did not know their grandfather. According to my grandfather, he remembers a man coming by the house often and his dad (Glenn) giving him food and/or money. He also remembers sometimes stopping at a houseboat to do the same thing. It was years before he finally knew that this man was his grandfather, which says a lot.

In March 1952, a body was found in the Saginaw River whom the police believed to be Gard Witherell (which was later confirmed), who had gone missing nearly a week prior to him being found. ((“River Yields Body of Man,” Saginaw News, 27 March 1952, pg. 39)) There was no obituary – just a single line in the paper under deaths: Gard C. Witherell, 69, Saginaw ((“Deaths” Saginaw News, 28 March 1952, page 27.))

The family story here is a bit different from just an accidental drowning. As I mentioned, the rumor was that he was gambling at this time. It was told to me that the family believes he may have been murdered due to debt. Those living near him claimed this to be true, but those who were living on the houseboats in the river weren’t considered very credible people. They tended to be those with drinking and gambling issues among other problems. Perhaps that was why it was never investigated, or it was assumed that he had been drunk and fell into the river that way. It’s hard to know all the facts of the case so many decades later!

Either way, Gard’s misfortune seemed to have come early and continued to hit him throughout life. He didn’t cope very well with it and the result was how he died, according to family story. How true is this? Well now, that I’m not sure on. But what can be shown is that there was plenty of misfortune that happened throughout his life, to say the least.