Author: Dorothy Lawton
Title: Letter to Helen J. (Thomas) Hoorn regarding Branch/Lawton Genealogy
Date: 09 June 1982
Curator: Christine Fisher
Note: Sent from Mayer, AZ, to Grand Rapids, MI
09 June 1982
Grand Rapids, MI
Dear Helen:
This is the darnedest letter. First I’m not seeing so good. Second its a darnedest mix up trying to write about the family. and then I’m such a poor writer. But Frank says if you really study the papers in the last box, you’ll probably be able to figure it out for yourself. And then you can write and ask anything you don’t understand. So here goes:
Valeria L Nelson’s sister Helen E. Nelson – who married Elam Branch, Frank’s grandfather. There was three children: EE Branch (Uncle Elam), Jesse Branch (died in early life, was married and had two children. He died up in the thumb area of typhoid pneumonia and we lost track of his children. And Amanda Branch – Frank’s mother. After Elam died Helen E Branch later married Lyman Cooper (your [Helen’s] grandfather). But Helen was both yours and Franks grandmother.
After Helen and Lyman Cooper were married they had one daughter, Iva May Cooper – your mother.
Valeria L Nelson, sister of Helen E Nelson maried Elam Branch. They had 3 children: EE Branch, Jesse Branch, and Amanda Branch. After Elam Branch died Helen E Branch later maried Lyman Cooper. Had one dawter: Iva May Cooper. You asked if Aunt Valeria had been maried. She maried William Nelson. I do not know if he was a cousin or not. Grandmother Branch-Cooper buried in Hillside Cemetery, Lawrence, MI
Helen Branch-Cooper, Valeria Nelson, and Frank H Lawton and Amanda B. Lawton are all buried on the same large lot. If you were to go to the Lawrence Cemetery and look up the large lot and maybe look up the manager and he’ll tell you about who buried there.
Does Martin belong to the Mason’s? You remember Uncle Elam was a 32 (?) mason and we have a couple of rituals
My goodness I was going to copy this out a little better, but didn’t get it done.
My sister Vera and her husband (Clark William Hill) are having their 50th anniversary at their sons in Owosso next month. Hope you have a nice time sorting this out.
Love,
Lawtons (Frank and Dorothy), Mayer AZ