A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Abraham Kanouse
Last name is spelled Knouse in some places. His first name is given as Abram in the 1860 and 1870 censuses (Abm in the 1850 census).
Knauss Family Genealogy did not have son Aaron (obtained from 1860 and 1870 censuses).
His headstone is shown in FindAGrave.com. It is hard to read, but it looks like it says ABRAHAM KANOUSE, DIED Oct 26, 1872.
His son William's death certificate says that his father (i.e., Abraham, but names are not given for either father or mother) was born in Columbia Co., Penn. This could just be because William was born and grew up in Columbia County before they moved to Michigan. Note that Columbia County did not even exist when Abraham was born. Birth in Northampton County is from Roy Oehler, but I wonder if it should be Northumberland County since part of Northumberland County became Columbia County in 1812. I have not found a Chestnut Township anywhere in that area, though there is a Chestnuthill Township in Monroe County, part of which used to be Northampton County.
I haven't found good birth information. His age is given as 45 in the 1850 census, 52 in the 1860 census, and 60 in the 1870 census. These would translate to birth years of about 1805, 1808, and 1810. In the record of his second marriage, his age is hard to read, but maybe 66, which would imply a birth year of about 1806 (Ancestry transcribes the age as 60, but I don't think that's right). His death record (in Michigan Death Records 1867-1950 on Ancestry.com) gives his age as 70, which would imply a birth year of about 1802. Knauss Family Genealogy gives his birth year as 1804 and Roy Oehler says about 1804; I don't know what sources thay have. I will stick with about 1804 for now. By the way, the death record gives his cause of death as typhoid and pneumonia.
Ancestry.com has his entire probate file under "Michigan Wills and Probate Records 1784-1980". I was surprised to see a widow, Mary M. Kanouse, listed. It turns out that he remarried a little over a month before his death. Oddly, his date of death is listed as 26 Oct 1872 in some places in the probate file and as 26 Sep 1872 in other places. In one place, it says that he died on 26 September 1872, but September is crossed out and replaced with October. The place with the crossout also says that his death was on a Saturday, which fits with October 26. In addition, Michigan Death Records 1867-1950 on Ancestry.com gives his death date as 26 Oct 1872 (Ancestry has his last name transcribed as Hanouse). Also perhaps worth noting is that his first name is given as Abraham in most places in the probate file, but as Abram in a few places. There are also a few odd spellings of his last name, including Kanous, Kennouse, and Cannouse.
The probate file lists the following heirs at the time of his death:
Mary M. (Polly) Kanouse, his widow.
Sons John, Henry, William, Michael, Moses, Josiah, Aaron, and Reuben B. Kanouse.
Daughters Lydia Ann Persing and Phebe Jane Rubley.
Grandchildren Clara Ruckle, John E. Roat, Agnes Rounsley, and Emma Roat, children of deceased daughter Elizabeth Roat.
From this, we know that daughter Elizabeth died before Abraham and that Frederick must have, too. And Frederick must not have had any children (or, at least, none that were still living at the time of Abraham's death). It is odd that they list Agnes's married name but not Emma's. They were both just kids when Abraham died. This list of heirs was made in 1914, so their married names could be known, but they used one and not the other?
I don't know what the holdup was, but there are papers in the probate file dated as late as April 1914.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
Page generated on 14 September 2024