The Family of Elizabeth Butler and Collins Merritt

Elizabeth Frances May Butler, daughter of Samuel, was born on May 9, 1862, according to her obituary, at Cambridge, England. She is referred to as May or Mae in many of the documents reviewed. She died at the age of sixty-eight on September 27, 1930 at Oxford, Michigan and is buried in the Oxford Cemetery. She came to American at the age of eighteen with her mother, Sarah, arriving here on July 12, 1880 aboard the steamship Spain, which sailed from Liverpool. She was a member of the Baptist Church.

Frances May, as she was known, married on November 30, 1881 at Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan to Collins Merritt. Both were twenty years of age at the time of their marriage. Based on his age at the time of his death Collins was born on December 2, 1861. He was born in Attica, Lapeer, Michigan. He appears to have died on June 3, 1888 at the age of twenty-six years, six months and one day in Oakland County, Michigan as the result of consumption. At the time of his marriage, Collins was employed as a miller.

Francis May and Collins had three children.

1. Florence Edna Merritt was born on September 5, 1882. She died at Oxford, Michigan as the result of tuberculosis of the lungs on September 5, 1905 at the age of twenty-three years and nineteen days.

   Florence Edna married on November 12, 1903 at Oakland, Michigan to Frank Miller, son of Henry Miller and Mary Glaspie. Frank was born on September 15, 1884 at Oxford, Michigan.

2. William S. Merritt was born on April 22 1884 at Almont, Oakland, Michigan. Harry J. Butler referred to William as Willie. According to the social security death index, William was born on April 22, 1884 and died on May 1974. The Michigan death index indicates that William died on May 26, 1974 at Port Huron, Michigan. The date of date for William was taken from the returns of births in Oakland County, Michigan. He was living in Port Huron at the time of his death. He worked for Detroit Edison Company in the Port Huron area. He also served on the St. Clair County Board of Supervisors.

   In the 1900 United States census return, William was a painter of carriages. In 1910, he was an electrician for the railroad. In the 1920 and 1930 returns, William is the chief operator for the Edison Electric Company.

   William married on October 11, 1911 at Oxford, Michigan to Edith Garling, daughter of John Garling and Elsie [family name unknown] . William and Edith celebrated their sixtieth anniversary on or about October 11, 1971. According to the social security death index, Edith was born on May 2, 1892 and died in October of 1978 at Port Huron. The Michigan Death Index indicates that Edith died on October 26, 1978 at Port Huron.

   According to the 1930 United States census, William owed his home, which was valued at $3,500. The family also owned a radio, one of the statistics recorded by the census taker.

   William and Edith had two children.

   1. Francis J. Merritt was born on August 3, 1912. According to the social security death index, Francis was born on August 3, 1912 and died in May of 1979. The Michigan Death Index indicates that he died on May 16, 1979 at Wales, Michigan.
   2. Dorothy Merritt was born about 1915. This is based upon her age, five, as reported in the 1920 United States census return.
3. Lloyd Merritt died in Oakland County, Michigan at the age of one month and twenty-nine days as a result of cerebral spinal fever on August 22, 1888.

Sources:

1. Obituary for Elizabeth Merritt, nee Butler in the 3 October 1930 edition of the Oxford Leader.
2. Anniversary announcement for William S. Merritt.
3. Letter dated 14 July 1951 from Harry J. Butler to Jessie May Shraeder, nee Butler.
4. United States Federal Census for:
   • 1900 for Oxford, Oakland, Michigan, SD 6, ED 96, Sheet 2B, Dwelling 53, Family 53.
   • 1910 for Oxford, Oakland, Michigan, SD 6, ED 135, Sheet 2A, Dwelling 47, Family 47.
   • 1920 for Oxford, Oakland, Michigan, SD 6, ED 179, Sheet 14A, Dwelling 345, Family 366.
   • 1920 for Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan, SD 7, ED 115, Sheet 1B, Dwelling 23, Family 25.
   • 1930 for Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan, SD 15, ED 74-29, Sheet 12B, Dwelling 294, Family 355.
5. Michigan Death Index 1971 – 1996 as found at http://www.ancestry.com.
6. Certificate of Death as found at http://seekingmichigan.org for:
   • Edna Miller, nee Merritt.
7. Return of Births as found at http://seekingmichigan.org for Oakland County, Michigan for:
   • William Merritt.
   • Frank Miller.
8. Return of Deaths as found at http://seekingmichigan.org for Oakland County, Michigan for:
   • B. Collins Merritt.
   • Loyd A. Merritt.
9. Return of Marriages as found at http://seekingmichigan.org for Oakland County, Michigan for:
   • William Merritt and Edith Garling.
   • Edna Merritt and Frank Miller.
10. Return of Marriages as found at http://seekingmichigan.org for St. Clair County, Michigan for:
    • May Butler and Collins Merritt.

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