The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
1902 birthday party attracted a crowd
PUBLISHED: March 27, 2008
It was July 23, 1902, and you could tell there was a party going on in Baxter VanWormer's home. The place was packed. Baxter and his father, Oliver VanWormer, went all out for this one, and hired a photographer.
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This birthday party picture was completed by one important item. Someone from the Welch family got a copy of the picture, and wrote a note on it: "This picture was taken at Baxter VanWormer, a birthday party (for) Aunt Susan Chase. We, the Welches, were not there as we had to stay home and take care of our chickens."
The person who wrote that note was familiar with saving pictures. Some of the old pictures are on black cardboard with black ink -- very difficult to read. This note was written in white ink on the black cardboard frame. To top it off, the Welch person noted the name of each person on the cardboard frame, a rare treat in the land of history lovers.
All the names appear in this column. Don't think the party was a flop because the faces look so serious. At the time, photographs required a long exposure, so people could not smile in a picture. Smiling meant movement, resulting in a blurry picture. The people in this birthday picture held still, so the picture turned out nice and clear.
The Welches missed a crazy shindig on West Main Street at about where Argyle Crescent is located today. At that time, the VanWormer farm could stretch south of Main Street because no lake existed yet, just the river snaking around back and forth.
The birthday girl, Susan Sherman Chase, was born July 23, 1832, in Unadilla, N.Y. Her parents were John and Joanna Sherman. The family moved to Michigan in about 1840 with their children, including Susan and her brother, John G.
Susan stayed with the family until she was 21. On Aug. 13, 1853, she married John Chase of Raisinville. She got an instant family because her husband came equipped with a young boy from his first marriage, a 2-year-old named John Jr.
The stork brought more children to the Chase household, while John set up a saw mill in Milan Township. There was Emily, born in 1854; Edward, born in 1856; Frank, born in 1858; and Anna Belle, born in 1863. They all made it to adulthood except Emily, who died at age 12 and was buried at Marble Park Cemetery.
The Chase family lived next door to Susan's brother, John G. Sherman, and his wife, Prudence. This must have been a lively neighborhood because everyone had large families.
The Chase offspring were grown and gone by 1892, when their father died. This left Susan to live alone. Apparently, she enjoyed lots of noise and babies around because she moved in with her daughter, Belle, and son-in-law, Charles Taylor, and their children.
Sometime after enjoying this wonderful birthday party, Susan Chase and the Taylor family moved to Toledo. Susan almost reached her 80th birthday. She lived until Feb. 18, 1912, when she was brought back to Milan and placed next to her husband, John, and her daughter, Emily, in Marble Park.
Here are the names of the revelers at the Chase 70th birthday party, with a little extra information if I know it. In the back row are Mr. Evens (left); Oliver R. Van Wormer, 85, (white beard and father of Baxter Van Wormer); Edward "Edd" McFall, 39; Bert Draper; Edward Van Wormer, 27, Baxter's son; Simon Sherman, 30, (standing behind his wife, Nellie, and standing behind his mother, Prudence); George Sherman, 40; Ida Van Wormer, 20, Baxter's daughter; Edward Warner, 31; and Asey Van Wormer.
The second row starts with Frank Funia (his last name was not legible); Elmer Smith; Edith McFall, 39, Edd's wife; Grace Draper; Maud Van Wormer, 26, Edward's wife; Nell Sherman, 23, Simon's wife (Nell's maiden name was McFall); Ms. Cad Sherman; Minnie Warner, Edward's wife; and the host, Baxter Van Wormer, 51.
In the third row are Maryett Smith, who goes by "Mary," 45; Caroline Evens; Susan Chase (in a striped dress with a wide black tie), who just turned 70, holding the arm of Blanch Sherman, 8, daughter of Simon and Nellie Sherman; Prudence Sherman, 63, Blanch's grandmother; Maria Warner, 75, who later was photographed near her home with a cow, making her famous as "Grandma Warner;" Betty VanWormer, 53, Baxter's wife; Cora Sherman; and Mary Funia.
In the bottom row are Mrs. Frank Funia; Doris McFall (a little girl); Mrs. Isaac Sherman; Brice McFall, 5, a son of Edward and Edith McFall; Ms. Louis Sherman; Raymon Warner, 5, who came with his parents, Edward and Minnie Warner; Embert McFall, 5, son of Edward and Edith, died in about 1913 while serving the U.S. Navy in Europe; Cynthia McFall; and Fred VanWormer, whose sister, Addie Gauntlett, was running a dry goods store on Main Street.
Thanks to Mel Dailey for loaning me this fantastic photograph. Thanks to Brandon Shouse, sexton at Marble Park Cemetery, for sharing my interest in the Chase family. Also, thanks to the Milan Public Library for Monroe County census information, marriage records, the York Township atlas, and the Genealogist's Friend. Thanks to the Chelsea Public Library for census records in Washtenaw County 1850 to 1920 and death records in Lucas County, Ohio.
Martha Churchill is a member of the Milan Area Historical Society. She can be reached at 439-4055 or e-mail MilanHistory@yahoo.com
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