We had several theories, but the best is that this Abraham is the son of
John Bodine and Martina Brinkerhoff. This is based on the newspaper article
just below. It was sent to me by Lois Bodine-Van Etten and Laura Van
Etten-Collins. It's a poem from around the time Ambrose was eighty years old,
so 1924. It discusses some history of the family. It says Abraham's father was
a John Bodine and that John had nine children. This is the best evidence we
have of who Abraham's father was and I think it must be accurate. Ambrose was
still alive at the time and he would have surely known his own grandfather's
name. The John Bodine I think this would fit would be John Bodine, husband of
Martina Brinkerhoff. He had around nine children (depends on if you count just
the living children or not). And he had a son Abraham Bodine who was born
about the same time as this Abraham Bodine. I had wondered there in a note if
that Abraham could be the husband of Philinda Trumbull. Names like Henry R.
Bodine, Tunis, and Olive from that family also match names of Abraham and
Philinda's children.
Joan Best also thinks it is a good possibility that John is Abraham's
father. She said this:
It is my guess that the John Bodine that is found in Livingston Co., NY for a
while is the John from Cuyahoga, and that his son Abraham went to Michigan
with the large group of Livingston Co. folk moving there; and John and Peter
from the same clan moved to Richland Co., Ohio with the group of Livingston
Co., NY folk who moved there.
***End of info from Joan Best.
And here are three emails about some DNA evidence:
From: Laura Van Etten-Collins
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2015
Subject: Fwd: Bodine family
Hi Dave,
Possible further evidence that Abram Bodine is descended from John (Jan Bodin)
Bodine 1622-1745 and Mary (Maria) Crocheron 1660-1745. I match DNA with Sue
Young who is descended from John (Jan) and Mary (Maria) Crocheron, through
Jacob J ~1684 then to Catherine Bodine and John G Hendershot.
Laura
Begin forwarded message:
From: Sue Young
Date: April 4, 2015
To: Laura Van Etten-Collins
Subject: Re: Bodine family
I think it may take some work to try and find a common Bodine ancestor. My
nearest Bodine is Catherine Bodine b~1720 in NJ and died 1789 in NJ. She is my
4G grandmother. She married John Hendershot. I can take Catherine back another
couple of generations. Have you been able to take your Bodine's back any
further?
Sue Young
On 3/27/2015 12:31 AM, Laura Van Etten-Collins wrote:
Hi,
You and I share DNA along with a common surname of Bodine. My Bodine family
immigrated from NY to Flint, MI around 1835. My furthest back known Bodine was
Abram Bodine (1806-1864) who was married to Philinda Trumbull. Their son, my
great, great grandfather was George Washington Bodine married to Clarissa
Williams. I wonder if you can tell me who your Bodine ancestor/s were?
Thank you,
Laura Van Etten-Collins
***End of emails about DNA.
From: Jessica Armstrong
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Subject: Re: John B. Bodine - Abraham born June 1819
...
I did find this today: I went through and looked at John Bodine's papers
again:
John Bodine d 1826. He died without a will.
Interested parties are John G Bodine (oldest son, of Mt. Morris); Anna, wife
of William Sutphen of Lyons; Elisabeth, wife of Lewis Tallman of Owasco;
Gilbert (B) Bodine of Owasco; Mariah Bodine of Owasco; Abraham (B) Bodine of
Owasco; Hannah Bodine of Owasco; Henry and David Bodine of Sempronius. The
"last three [are] under the age of 21...Garret Pearsol of Sempronius is their
guardian....[all] children of said deceased [John Bodine]."
The account wasn't settled until 1832.
I included the middle initials in () because they aren't in the actual
letters, but rather in the signatures at the bottom of the petition to have
the account settled.
...
Jessica
[Note from Dave Bodine: This is the only place where we have seen the middle
initial of Abraham Bodine so I'm adding that to Abraham's name based on his
signature in the documents above. I wonder if it stands for "Brinkerhoff."]
In a letter about this family, it says son George Bodine went off to
Livingston Co., NY to live or visit grandfather Trumbull. So this Abraham
could have come from Livingston County, NY based on what the letter says. See
that letter at the bottom of this Notes page.
Lois Bodine-Van Etten has a tintype photograph that might be of Abram Bodine.
It is small and of a man standing at a little distance. The writing on the
photo album says, "AB ?" They conjecture that it could be Abram Bodine, but
her grandfather, William Ira Bodine wasn't even sure. He is the one who
labeled the photos.
Here is the gravestone for Abraham Bodine. It seems to read "Abram Bodine,
DIED Aug. 9, 1864, AGED 57 yrs & 7 mos."
From: David Collins [lobear76 at gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2013
Subject: Re: Abram and Philinda Bodine
Hi Dave,
I can read Abrams stone and it says -
Abram Bodine
died
Aug 9 1864
Aged
57 yrs & 7 mos
I cannot read all of Philinda's
I can read
PHILINDA
wife of Abram Bodine
died
……..
Aged 68 yrs
Also George W is buried there but no picture I have sent a message to the lady
who posted the photos to inquire about the text on Philinda's stone and maybe
a picture of George W's grave.
I'll let you know if I find out anything.
Laura
The cemetery info is confusing. I think someone wrote me that Abraham and
Philinda may be buried about thirty feet from William and Mary Bodine in Pine
Run Cemetery in Vienna Twp., Genesee Co., MI. However, I have that Abraham and
Philinda are buried in Upton Cemetery. Maybe these two cemeteries are near
each other. They do not appear to be the same cemetery, though. William
married Mary Eagle and is probably the son of Jacob Jr. and and Catherine
Bodine from Columbia Co., PA. Jacob is the son of Jacob Sr. and Nancy Bodine.
In the 1850 Census of Genesee Co., MI, there is an Albert Bodine, age 19,
working on a farm. There is also a William Bodine, age 7, living with Joseph
and Huldah Trumball. She may be 56. These could be Philenda's parents. The
William is probably William Tunis Bodine. Philinda's mother was named Huldah.
Her father, I think, was Rufus. Maybe Joseph and Rufus are the same person.
From: David Collins [lobear at infostations.com]
Sent: Thu, January 23, 2003
Subject: Re: revisions to William Ira Bodine
Hi Dave, I really don't have much - my uncle John L. Bodine wrote down a few
things for me a long time ago. He listed his father William Ira, as having 2
siblings, Mary (married James Matlock brother of William Ira's wife- Mary
Maybell Matlock), and Charles (he died in Springfield, MO sometime before 1950
I think. I'll ask my sister and cousin). I have never heard of Frederick and
Uncle John didn't mention him. Maybe he died young ? John said that Clarissa
(aka Sarah) Williams was French Canadian. He said George's brothers were
Henry, Ambrose, and William. Their father was Abram and an "English girl",
Trumbull. John said that George W. and his brothers each homesteaded 600 acres
in Mich. George subsequently sold his land to his brothers to become a captain
on the lake ships. John said Abram's people came from Holland to Wm. Penn's
colony about 1710. That's all I have earlier than great grandfather George.
Regards,
Lois
There is a Philenda Bodine, wife of Cornelius Bodine who died in Ovid, New
York on January 22, 1882. She was either 50 or 59 years old. This was reported
in both the Seneca County Courier (p. 117) and the Waterloo Observer (p. 162),
but the info differed.
From Ronny Bodine:
It is here presumed that this Abraham Bodine was identical with the son of
John and Martina Bodine.
From: The Cayuga Patriot (Auburn, N.Y.)
List of Letters Remaining at the Post office at Owasco, 1 Oct 1828: Abraham
Bodine.
According to the 1916 "The History of Genesee County, Michigan," in a
biography of Ambrose Bodine, son of Abraham Bodine, whose details were
undoubtedly provided by the subject of the sketch, Abraham Bodine was born in
New York (though Abraham Bodine, himself, reported in 1850 and 1860 it was
Pennsylvania), married in New York (where their eldest child George was born)
and came to Michigan in 1837.
In 1840, Abram Bodine lived in Genesee Township, Genesee County, Michigan. In
June 1850, Abram Bodine lived with his wife Philinda in East Genesee, Genesee
County, Michigan. He reported he was 43 years old and born in Pennsylvania
and engaged in farming. Living in the household were his children George W.
14, Henry 9, William T. 7, Ambrose 5 and Charles 3. In June 1860, Abram
Bodine, age 52 and reporting his birthplace as Pennsylvania, lived in Genesee
Township, Genesee County with his wife Philinda and children Henry 18, William
17, Ambrose 15, Olive 8 and Huldah 2. On 3 Jan 1867 in Forest, Genesee County
Philinda Bodine married Simon King. Philinda (Trumbull) Bodine was the
daughter of Rufus and Halda Trumbull. The "History" says Philinda Bodine died
Aug 1883, but the county death records record the date as 7 Aug 1884.
From "History of Genesee County, Michigan," by Edwin O. Wood, Indianapolis:
Federal Publishing Company, 1916, Vol. 2, p. 830-831:
Ambrose Bodine, one of the best-known of the survivors of the old pioneer
generation in Genesee county, a native son of this county and a resident all
his life of the farm on which he still lives in section 3 of Genesee township,
was born on that farm on February 6, 1844. He is a son of Abraham and Philinda
(Trumbull) Bodine, natives of New York state, the former born in 1808. They
were married in that state and came to Michigan in 1837, the year the state
was admitted to statehood, settling in Genesee township, this county, being
among the earliest settlers of that part of the county.
Upon coming to this county Abraham Bodine established his home in a cabin on
section 3, in the deep woods in the northern part of Genesee township, and
began working for Sherman Stanley, one of the early timbermen of that section,
A year later, in consideration of services rendered, he was given a deed to
the "eighty" surrounding his home and there he spent the rest of his life. The
first pair of calves he raised he used for hauling his produce to Detroit and
Pontiac, the nearest markets in those days, and his wheat lie hauled to
Saginaw, receiving for the same forty cents a bushel. Abraham Bodine died in
August, 1864, leaving his widow and the survivors of his family of eight
children, namely: George W., born on July 24, 1835, now living in Flint;
Harriet, who died in infancy; Henry, born in October, 1840, who died in
December, 1910; William, May 29, 1842; Ambrose, the subject of this sketch;
Charles, bom in 1846, who died in 1858; Olive, born in 1848, who married
Seymour Judd and is now deceased, and Ella, who died at the age of ten years.
The mother of these children remained on the home farm after her husband's
death until 1868, when she married Simon King, a farmer of Genesee township,
and lived until August, 1883.
From Genesee County Marriage Records:
3 Jan 1867: Simon King and Phillinda Bodine.
From Genesee County Death Records:
7 Aug 1884: Phillinda King, age 68, born New York, parents Rufus Trumbull and
Halda Trumbull.
*****End of info from Ronny.
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb at
yahoo.com August 31, 2007, 1:18 am
Author: Chapman Bros.
(1892) SIMON KING. The fine farm on section 10, Genesee Township, Genesee
County, is owned by him whose name appears above. He was probably born on the
Genesee River, three miles from Rochester, N. Y., April 24, 1802. He is a son
of Simon King, who is supposed to have been born in Connecticut. The father,
however, died when our subject was only three years old. He was a farmer by
occupation. Our subject's mother was Sally Byam in her maiden days; she was a
native of Connecticut and was born in 1780. She was reared in the western part
of New York State and about 1800 was married the second time, to David Far
well. She died in New York in 1835. She was the mother of eight children,
having five children by the first marriage and three by the second.
Our subject is the fourth child of his mother's first marriage. He left the
parental care at the age of fourteen years to live with his father's brother
in the village of Rochester, N. Y. He remained with him five months, and then
spent four months with a Presbyterian minister by the name of Comfort William.
From that time until he was twenty one years of age he lived with his
brother-in-law, Thomas Faulkner.
Our subject was married in 1823 on the 27th of July, to Isabelle McCreery. She
was a native of New York State. After their union they settled three miles
below Rochester on a small farm which comprised eighty acres of land and which
was a part of his father's estate. He there remained two summers and one
winter and in the fall of 1825 moved to the town of Wheatland, Monroe County,
where he located on a farm and there remained until he came to Michigan, in
1849
Our subject first settled in Jackson County and purchased four hundred acres
of land, half of it being at the time improved. He also purchased a quarter
section in Butler Township, Branch County, paying $5,000 for the four hundred
acres and $600 for the quarter section. .He there remained until 1853, when he
removed to the place where he now resides. He bought a tract with a Mr.
McCreery, comprising eight hundred acres of unimproved land in Genesee
Township, paying $3,500 in cash for the same. He and Mr. McCreery built a
sawmill at a cost of $3,000 on sections 10 and 11, on the Flint River. They
ran the same for eight years and in 1861 they dissolved partnership and
divided the lands and mill property. Our subject then turned his attention to
farming and to clearing up his land. His wife died October 8, 1864. They were
the parents of six children, there being four daughters and two sons,—Sarah,
Martha, Simon, Hiram, Margaret and Francis I. Sarah is the wife of George R.
Culver, of Jackson; Martha is the widow of G. Everts, also of Jackson; Simon
lives in Jackson County; Margaret is the widow of Francis L. Farwell and
resides with her father.
Our subject was married January 1, 1867, the second time, to Miss Philinda
Bodine. She died January 7, 1884. Mr. King gave his sons, Simon and Hiram, the
four hundred acres of land which he purchased in Jackson and where they now
reside, thus giving them a comfortable start in life. He is a Republican in
politics, but cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson. In 1884, our subject had
a fall and broke his leg and has not been able to walk since that time.
Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States.
Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892.
Lois (Bodine) VanEtten has a tintype photograph that might be of Abram Bodine.
It is small and of a man standing at a little distance. The writing on the
photo album says, "AB ?" They conjecture that it could be Abram Bodine, but
her grandfather, William Ira Bodine wasn't even sure. He is the one who
labeled the photos.
The following is a transcription of a seven page letter found by Lois
Bodine-Van Etten's cousin Pat in Flint, Michigan. This letter was among Pat's
grandmother's things. Pat's grandmother was Lillian (Matlock) Youngs, the
daughter of Mary Viola Bodine and James B. Matlock. Mary Viola Bodine was the
granddaughter of Abraham and Philinda Bodine. It is not certain who wrote this
letter, but it seems to be a niece or nephew of Abraham Bodine or Philenda
Trumbull. The writer calls Abraham her "Uncle."
From looking at another Bodine family in Genesee County, Michigan living at
the same time as Abraham and Philinda, I think the writer must be a child of
William Bodine and Mary Egle. They seem to be the other Bodine family in the
same area as Abraham and Philinda. The writer seems to be a woman from things
she says in the letter. The writer also says she married in the fall of the
year the same time that Henry R. Bodine, son of Abraham Bodine, married. Henry
R. Bodine married in the fall of 1863. The only child of William and Mary
(Egle) Bodine who married in 1863 seems to be Ellen Eugenia Bodine who married
Abner Cresswell from England "abt. 1863." And the writer wrote the letter when
Ambrose Bodine was the last living child of Abraham and Philinda. That had to
happen about 1920 to 1924. Ellen Eugenia was alive then since she died in
1929. Only Ellen's brother Oakley was alive up until 1920 and he died in
October of 1920. I don't think he is a likely candidate. And finally the
writer said she moved up north. Abner and Ellen lived in Saginaw, Michigan
which is some distance north of Flint.
Based on this, one might think that William and Abraham were brothers. That is
possible, but Ellen might have just called Abraham her "Uncle" since they were
somehow related as Bodines. I don't think we can conclude that Abraham and
William were brothers just based on Ellen calling him her uncle. That is a
good possibility, but it needs more research. Right now, it seems hard to show
that William came from the same parents as Abraham.
Here is the letter:
1
My first recollection of my Uncle & Aunt Abraham & Philina Bodine over 70
years ago. I never can forget the little old log house with its fireplace and
Aunt getting something to eat by the big blazing fire and raking out the hot
or live coals and placing the big frying pan with long legs on to fry the meat
nor the big spare rib hung (unknown word) before the fire to roast, with the
big pan beneath to catch the grease and to baste the rib and the bake oven in
front of the fire with nice bread or bisquit browning, and the iron hot when
she took the long hook and drew out the iron crane that she hung it on then
pushed it back with the (…?) or whatever she had to cook. The kettle corner
partitions off like a box for a pantry and the opposite corner where the
little ladder was, to climb up stairs and the two beds on one side and the old
wooden satee or rocker that Uncle made and the stool for chairs and the one
little rocking chair made out of a barrel padded and covered with red calico,
although so many years have passed I can see it yet and just back of the house
was a big corn crib where the boys used to climb
2
up and jump off. I remember they dared me to jump I took the dare, made the
leap and sprained my ankle and had to stay in the house and lay on the old
setee rocker it seemed to me for ages with a swollen foot and cousin Will and
Henry would come and say don't you want to jump again. Then there was the well
with the long pole & bucket to lift up the water and the bee hives and the big
wooden trough the whole length of one end of the house for rain water and I do
not know as it ever went dry then the big tall trees in front of the house and
the big log barn and the oxen then my Father went away and settled in
whigville it must have been some time after that I saw my cousins and Aunt &
Uncle for they had a frame addition to the big house and Aunt had a cook stove
an elevated oven. I remember her telling my Mother she was lost to cook over
the stove she burnt her fingers and I do not know what her trials were to
learn to cook over it. How proud she was what she called her new house There
was a big cup board in one end and a (fine?) table to wash
3
clothes on and the steps to go down celler at the end of the table then the
table to eat on and a goodly number to gather around it Uncle & Aunt, George,
Henry, William, Ambrose and Charles. Uncle had a team of horses and some sheep
and lots of white geese that used to come up the lane and dip in the watering
trough. I thought it such fun to see Aunt pick the feathers off the geese the
boys would drive them all in a little pen in front of the barn then they would
catch them and she would draw a stocking over their head stick the head under
her arm pluck the feathers and put them into a bag she had fastened on a board
that she was sitting on and making a good feather bed and pillows she made
from them. Next I remember was Auntie almost heart broken because her oldest
boy George had left home they sent him for the doctor when Olive was born and
he did not come back. When they finaly heard from him he was in Avon
Livingston Co New York with Grandfather Trumbull
4
and when Grandfather and Uncle and friends from York that come to Michigan
he come back with them. Later George took another rambling spell and went to
(unknown Alama?)Co. Iowa was gone four years and come back home and nothing
was too good for sister Olive then the stork come again and brought another
girl Ella Ettie how I did love that little cousin, after my Mother died I
spent more time than ever at Uncles we burned candles for a light then, how
we all used to gather around the table at night with our knitting work we vhad
to make our own stockings then I was always ready to knit with the rest when
the candles were lit and Uncle liked to tease me by saying that lazy folks
always worked the best when the sun was in the west. Cousin Am used to knit
and crottcha as well as any girl. I remember when it came time to do the
chores at the barn he would always be busy with his knitting work. When meals
were served with Uncle at the head of the table the bread a whole loaf at his
right hand with a sharp knife was placed and each one
5
passed their plate to be served and uncle always cut the bread as it was
wanted and Aunt always had a good boiled dinner of corn beef and vegetables on
Monday and the school teacher for dinner that was her way for boarding the
teacher those days the teacher boarded around each one of his pupils a week at
a time how many changes since then it was a great event to us when Uncle
built his new barn and had a place fenced off for a garden between the house
and barn which stands there yet with the flowers and garden, how we used to
count on our birthday, I remember some of them Charles was on the 20th of
October, Henrys was on the 12th of October, I think Wills was in May have
forgotten the date of the others_ the next was The time to get married George
was the first one to choose a mate - Clarissa Williams, Henry next was married
to Clarissa Stephens, in the fall of 1863, not long after William was married
to Elija Cushman after Uncle Abraham died Ambrose married Adda Rogers; I was
married the same fall that henry was
6
and in about three years I want north to the grand traverse region was gone
several years when I came back to Geneseeville Henry and Ambrose had build
each of them a new house on the old homestead and Abraham had passed away and
Aunt had married Seymour Judd, Olive had two boys, Frank & William, William
two girls, Hellen and Nellie, Ambrose three girls, May, Florence and Edith,
Addie died when Edith was two weeks old Adaline Williams or was Williams had
been married and had one boy keep house for Am and after a time they were
married. Clarissa & George took Edith and she always lived with them it was pa
for George and pa Am for her father. George had three boys and one girl,
Charles died when quite a young boy. Olive, William, Henry & George have all
passed over the river to the other shore where we all must go. Ambrose is left
alone of all his Fathers Family
7
Brothers & Sisters and (unknown word ) some of their family have gone to their
long home and it will soon be our time to pass over, shall we meet over there
and shall we know each other in that bright world beyond where the wicked
cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.