Hough/Goodwin Ancestors

As mentioned in the last post, my grandmother was Ida Mae Goodwin Higginson.  Her father was Isaac Michael Goodwin, born 26 March 1855 in Greencastle, Putnam, Indiana. He died 17 April 1942 in Decker Lake, British Columbia, Canada. He homesteaded up in Canada and I hope to be able to share some pictures I have collected of  him and Ida Ann soon.  Her mother was Ida Ann Hough, born 26 April 1862 in Pottawattamie, Iowa.  She died 1 February 1945 in Ukiah, Mendocino, California.

I can go back many generations for the Hough line but only two more for the Goodwin line.
Isaac Michael, who everyone called Grandpa Ike, was born to William Jefferson Goodwin who was born 16 February 1825 in Harrison County, West Virginia.  This part of West Virginia later became part of the state of Virginia.  William died 14 January 1899 in Rantoul, Kansas.  His parents were Francis Goodwin, born  1799 in West Virginia and Sarah Greathouse, born 1800 in West Virginia.   Francis died in 1871 while living in Putnam County, Indiana.  His wife, Sarah, died in 1873, also in Putnam County, Indiana.  There are conflicting records as to who Francis Goodwin's parents were but there are friends I know who are working on that line and I will let you know when I get any updated information.
I do have information on Sarah's parents and the Greathouse line back many generations.  The name was Grotehausen when they arrived in this country from Germany but they changed it to Greathouse.  They came here back in the 1600's, settling in Pennsylvania and one day I will share their history with you.

Back to the Hough line.  Ida Ann was born to Joel Riley Hough and Cedelia P. Spinning.  This is where the story gets interesting.  Both Joel and Cedelia joined the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1832 back in New York where they were both from.  They soon after packed up all their belongings, just as our Pulsipher and Burgess ancestors did, and traveled to Kirtland, Ohio to be with the Prophet Joseph Smith and the body of the Church there.  They traveled with the saints from Ohio to Missouri to Nauvoo and then when they were all driven out of  Illinois by the mobs, they settled in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.  So we have LDS ancestors on both mom and dad's sides.  Mom's ancestors continued on to Utah with most of the other members of the Church but there were some who stayed in Iowa and the Houghs were among those who stayed.  In Joel's obituary it is said that he remained faithful to his religion until his death.  He passed away after falling from their windmill and hitting his head.  He was home alone at the time and it was  his  wife,  Cedelia who found him lying on the ground, near death.  He had climbed up the tower to make repairs and somehow fell.  He died a day or two later.

Isn't it interesting to imagine that mom and dad's ancestors probably knew one another or at least knew of each other way back when.  When someone says it's a small world they really aren't kidding.

We can go back many generations on both the Hough and Spinning lines.  If anyone ever wants that information just let me know and I can direct you as to how to access it on the LDS Church's genealogical web site, familysearch.org.  You do not have to be a member of the LDS Church to access the site.  It is one of the world's largest genealogical research sites and it grows everyday, gaining more and more names, dates, and places from records it is indexing (thru the work of thousands of volunteers.)

William Raymond Higginson

This is Grandpa Bill, William Raymond Higginson.
Wasn't he a handsome young man.

This is my grandfather, William Raymond Higginson and his second wife,
Nina C. Griffin.

More Ancestor Pictures

Another picture of Elizabeth Irle Higginson
as a younger woman.

Three of Elizabeth and Thomas Higginson's children.  This picture was taken in 1892.
From Left to right they are Harriet, Willie (William Raymond, my grandfather,) and Charlotte.

More Higginson/Irle Pictures

Johann Karl Irle  (Charles Irle, Sr.)
Born 11 January 1819
Marienborn, Prussia
Married Elise (Elizabeth) Winnerling

The story goes that his eye was damaged one day when he
was making soap.  He was stirring the lye in a big pot
over an open fire when some of it splashed into his eye.
Both Charles and Elizabeth died and are buried in Wisconsin.

Elizabeth Winnerling
Born 15 May 1821
Hohenberg, Bavaria

She is the mother of eight children.

Higginson and Irle Ancestor Pictures

  

Thomas William Higginson

Elizabeth Irle Higginson--1904
47 years old

Our Irle Ancestors

As I mentioned in the last post, my great grandfather, Thomas William Higginson married first Jane Smith.  They had two boys, Edward Thomas and Samuel George.  Samuel was born in 1878 and Jane passed away in 1879, leaving Thomas with two very young children to care for.  I do not know the story of how Thomas came to know Elizabeth Irle, but they were married in 1881.  Elizabeth was from Wisconsin and that's where they settled for awhile.

Elizabeth was born 7 January 1857 in Brooklyn, New York, the fifth of eight children.   Her father is Johann Karl Irle (Charles Irle, Sr.) who was born 11 January 1819 in Marienborn, Prussia.  He married Elizabeth Winnerling in 1847 in New York City.  She was born 15 May 1821 in Hohenberg in Oberfranken (Bavaria.)  Their first child was born two years after they married in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Their second child was also born in Ohio.  The other kids were all born in Brooklyn, New York except for the last two who were born in Long Island, New York.  I sure wish I had more information on when they came to the United States and what took them to Ohio, then New York, and eventually Star Prairie, Wisconsin.  I do have pictures of Charles and Elizabeth I will share next time.

The Irle family had a family letter for many, many years that I was able to be a part of for a few years while living in North Carolina.  Each person would write an update of what they and their family had been doing since the last time they wrote.  They would include that in a large envelope with the letters of other family members and would then send it to the next person on the list.  They often included pictures.  When the letter came back to you in several months, you would take out your last letter and then include a new one.  My grandfather, William Raymond Higginson, was a participant in the family letter for many years before he passed away.

I am also in possession of the Irle Genealogical Record 1434-1994 written by Betty Irle of Oregon.  She has done a wonderful job of gathering information on the Irle family, and yes, she has traced them all the way back to the early 1400's.  There is a five page introduction in her book listing all the Irle's and what their lives were like in Germany.  If anyone is interested in reading that account just let me know and I will  make copies for you.

The Irles stayed in the same area in Germany (Prussia) until John Charles Irle left for America.  If anyone has any more information on the Irle or Winnerling lines we would love to hear it.

So Thomas William Higginson married Elizabeth Irle and they had seven children, only three of them living into adulthood and then Charlotte died when she was only thirty-six years old.  How hard that must have been to lose so many babies.  Their only son who survived was my grandfather, William Raymond Higginson.  He was born 5 May 1888 in Bayfield, Wisconsin.  He married Ida Mae Goodwin 20 April 1920.  She is the daughter of Isaac Michael and Ida Ann (Hough) Goodwin.