Notes for: John Howard Bodine

A marriage date of February 5, 1846, and the place, Brooklyn, come from the Reynolds family Bible records of Mary Zednick (mzednick at 3rivers.net). This date does not match the Millspaugh book's date of August 5, 1846. Mary has not found a marriage certificate. Mary also gives his birth date as May 15. Her reference is Church Records, DRC, Montgomery, Orange Co., NY, v. 2, p. 17. I have also seen the middle name of "Hammond" for this John. No source was given. John's birth date as given in a family Bible is May 15, 1815. His death date in the Bible is November 7, 1858.

An article about Benjamin Frank Bodine appeared in a Battle Creek, Michigan newspaper in October 1901. In part, it reads as follows:

B.F. Bodine - This honored businessman has been a resident of our city since 1856, having come west from Brooklyn, N. Y., with his parents at that time, when he was but nine years of age. He was the son of Howard and Christina Bodine. The father lived but two years in Battle Creek, meeting death by a fall from the house known as the Wm. Skinner residence, corner of Maple and Fremont-sts.

The following appeared in a Battle Creek, Michigan newspaper on February 1, 1948:

The Bodine family has played an important part in the history of Battle Creek. Its head, John Howard Bodine, who came to the community as a contractor long before the Civil war, built some of the finest homes on Maple street (now Northwest Capital avenue). In fact, he died as the result of a fall from a scaffold at the Skinner residence, gangrene having developed.

The following comes from the Mary Zednick at her Reynolds and Salter database at WorldConnet on Rootsweb:

Article in Battle Creek Journal, Friday morning, November 12, 1858:
Melancholy Accident
A man by the name of Howard Bodine, brother of W. Bodine, a carpenter, while engage in shingling a house for William H. Skinner, fell from the roof on Monday, the 1st instant, and received such injury as to cause his death on Sunday last. He had been a citizen of our village two years, and wan an exemplary man. His age was about forty. He leaves a wife and four children.

His son, George Washington Bodine's death certificate says that John Howard Bodine was born in France. This is most probably a mistake. Death certificate info is notorious for such errors.

I think the following may apply to John Howard Bodine:

From: Michael Douma [michael.douma at hope.edu]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004
Subject: Bodine Family

Hello,

I've found a reference in an 1857 article in a newspaper in Holland, Michigan to a Mr. Baudine from Battle Creek. He is said to have supervised the building of Van Vleck Hall, the oldest existing building on the campus of Hope College. Because I could find no 'Baudines' in the Battle Creek area, I figured that "Bodine" might be a form of the same. Do you know if any of the Michigan Bodines were builders? Masons? I'll be happy to give you the citation if you would like. I would first have to translate it out of it's Dutch original.

Sincerely,

ichael Douma
Research Assistant/ Archivist
Joint Archives of Holland

Michael later sent this:

The Hollander (Holland, MI)
Wednesday 30 September, 1857

Our Academy Building

The spacious, four stories high academy, which has been under construction here for few months, under supervision of the Mr. Baudine, of Battle Creek, has for a few days had a roof. After the passing of a few weeks, before teachers and students can safely enter, twenty rooms need floors, plastering, and finishings, and although one is in haste, time and power progress.

For some time we had the largest clock in the County (now Muskegon wins that from us): by no means should it surprise us if we now have the largest stone [brick] building in this area.

Then, more beautiful and larger, then the building is a goal, and may it be reached, then advantage to us and our family!

From Ronny Bodine:

A marriage date of February 5, 1846, and the place, Brooklyn, come from the Reynolds family Bible records of Mary Zednick (mzednick@3rivers.net). This date does not match the Millspaugh book's date of August 5, 1846. Mary has not found a marriage certificate. John's birth date as given in a family Bible is May 15, 1815. His death date in the Bible is November 7, 1858.

From Baptisms, Brick Reformed Church, Montgomery, Orange County, New York.
John Hammond Bodine, born 8 May 1815 to Benjamin Bodine and Susannah Kimbergh.

From Battle Creek Journal (Battle Creek, Mich.) of Friday, 12 Nov 1858:
Melancholy Accident
A man by the name of Howard Bodine, brother of W. Bodine, a carpenter, while engaged in shingling a house for William H. Skinner, fell from the roof on Monday, the 1st instant, and received such injury as to cause his death on Sunday last. He had been a citizen of our village two years, and was an exemplary man. His age was about forty. He leaves a wife and four children.

From Michigan Federal Census Records:
1860 (11 June) Battle Creek, Calhoun County: Christine BODINE 36 NY tailoress, Benjamin 12 NY, George W. 7 NY, Sarah 5 NY, Carrie 2 MI.
1870 (23 July) Battle Creek, Calhoun County: Christina BODINE 46 NY tailoress, George W. 18 NY furniture finisher, Sarah 15 NY, Carrie 12 NY.
1880 (5 June) Battle Creek, Calhoun County: Christina BODINE 57 NY widowed tailoress, Carrie D. 21 MI dau. tailoress.

From Illinois Federal Census Records:
1900 (2 June) Chicago, Cook County: George BODINE July 1851 NY varnish maker, Addie F. Nov 1861 OH wife married 21 years 2 children born/2 living, Howard O. April 1882 IL son, Harry F. Aug 1885 IL son, Christine BODINE Feb 1823 NY mother widowed married 15 years, 4 children born/4 living.

From Michigan Federal Census Records:
1910 (23 April) Battle Creek, Calhoun County: Eugene REYNOLDS 52 MI married1-27 years grocer-own store, Carrie 50 MI wife married1-27 years 4 children born/4 living, Dora L. 24 MI dau stenographer-laundry, Earl P. 20 MI son wire chief-telephone office, Ruth H. 12 MI dau, Donald C. 10 MI son, Christina BODINE 87 NY mother-in-law widowed 4 children born/3 living.

Burials in Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan.
John Howard Bodine buried 8 Nov 1858.
Christina Bodine buried 3 May 1910.