All posts by Kristin

Deaths and Burials for the Cleage Family

Cleages,
Left to right: Albert, Josephine, Edward. Back L Henry, back R Jacob

I have been looking for my great grandmother’s, Celia Rice Cleage Sherman, death record for years.  I need to do a post just about that search but today I’m going to write about the death records and burial information I have found for most of the other Cleages I was looking for Here is my list for now.

Louis Cleage – my great grandfather – Born about 1852 in McMinn County, TN. Died 7 February 1918 in Indianapolis, IN and was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery on 9 February 1918. The informant was his son, Jacob Cleage.
Celia Rice Cleage Sherman – missing

Their children and their spouses:
Josephine Cleage Cleage – born abt 1873 in Louden County, TN. Died 1956 in Detroit and buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery on 26 July 1956.  The informant was Lucille Cleage Watkins, her daughter.
Husband James Cleage – born abt 1870 in McMinn County, TN. Died early October in Indianapolis, IN. Burial date was October 12, 1933 in New Crown Cemetery in Indianapolis, IN. Information from New Crown Cemetery.

Jacob Cleage – born abt 1875 in Louden County, TN.  Died 7 December 1942 in Detroit and buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery on 10 December 1942.  The informant was Gertrude Cleage, his wife.
Wife Gertrude Cleage born NC and died in Detroit 28 June 1982 and buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery 3 July 1982.  Informant Richard Cleage, her nephew.

Henry William Cleage – born 25 January 1877 in Louden County, TN.  He died 4 October 1956 in Detroit and was buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery on 10 October 1956.  Informant was Willi A. Cleage, I think there is a typo, have no idea who Willi would be.
First wife Minnie Loving Cleage, B. TN 1878 and died TN after 1901. Death date and burial place missing.
Second wife Ola Mae Adams Cleage b. Danville, Kentucky 1888 and died in Detroit 3 July 1982.  Buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery.

Charles Edward Cleage – born August 1879 in Louden, TN.  He died 4 May 1926 in Athens, McMinn County, TN and was buried 7 May 1926 in Hammonds Cemetery, Athens TN.
Wife Mattie Cordelia Dotson Cleage born 4 November 1886 McMinn County TN. Died November 1966, buried Hammonds Cemetery, Athens TN.

Albert Buford Cleage Sr.(my grandfather) – born 15 May 1883 in Louden, TN.  He died in Detroit 4 April, 1957 and was buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery on 15 April 1957.  The informant was Pearl Cleage, his wife.
Wife Pearl Doris Reed Cleage – born 1886 Lebanon, KY. Died 16 July 1982 in Idlewild, MI. Buried 22 July 1982 Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery.  Informant Henry Wadsworth Cleage, her son.

Old Plank Road in Shadow – 1962 – Sepia Saturday #80

Cleages, sepia saturday, , ,
Cousin Warren, Sister Pearl, Me and little cousin Blair

This photo was taken by my uncle Henry in 1962 at an old house we had in the country.  It was between Wixom and Milford Michigan and about 40 minutes or less from Detroit.  We had the old farm house and two acres, not including the impressive barn in the background. Maybe we were playing a trucated version of baseball. My cousin Warren seems to be coming in to touch base?  I seem to be hysterical.  Was small Blair in the game?

My Sepia Saturday tie in this week is not through the designated photo but through a fellow Sepia Saturday contributor who I got into a discussion with about racism in the USA today and in the past and somehow it came up that I have Canadian cousins and that one of them played football for the Eskimos until a recent achilles tendon injury.  TickleBear turned out to be a big football fan and when I mentioned my cousin and said he was now playing for the BC Lions and that his name was Kamau Peterson, he (Ticklebear) was quite thrilled.  I must admit that I’m not a sports fan of any kind and although I’ve kept up with my cousin’s growing family I have not really paid much attention to his football career. I had to go check his fb page and go to links to catch up. I knew he was doing well at it because that’s what we do, do well 😉 But I didn’t know the details.  Here is a photo of my well known Canadian Football playing cousin, Kamau Peterson.  He also has an awesome full back tattoo which you can see in progress here.  You can see other Sepia Saturday offerings here.

Louis/Lewis Cleage’s Death Certificate 1852 – 1918

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages,

I recently found out that my Great Grandfather Louis Cleage died in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1918 through a listing for Crown Hill Cemetery.  I previously found him listed in the 1918 Indianapolis City Directory living son Jacob Cleage.

The death certificate says he died in Marion County, Indianapolis, Center Township at City Hospital and his full name is Louis Cleage.  He was Colored and widowed.  He was born in 1852 in Tennessee.  He was a laborer.  According to the informant, his son Jacob Cleage, Louis’ father’s name was Frank. Mother’s name unknown.

There was an autopsy performed and he died on February 7, 1918 in the P.M. of Lobar Pneumonia.  His son Jacob lived at 925 Camp Street and Louis’ last address is listed as 828 Camp.  He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery Feb. 8, 1918.

What new information did I learn or have confirmed from this death certificate?  I found that his father’s name was Frank Cleage.  In the 1870 US Census Louis Cleage, born around 1852, was living with an older adult named Frank Cleage in Athens, TN.  I assumed that Frank was Louis’ father, but relationships were not noted in the 1870 US Census.

Who Knew? Happy Father’s Day Jim!

sepia saturday, Williams,

A father’s day card for my husband.  Children across the bottom, grandchildren down the side.  Photographs and other items from our early years, 1966 to 1970. Including, the Detroit riot 12th and Atkinson, Jim in the Coast guard, Revolution Begins in the Mind poster from the Black Conscience, friends, some of my art work and a drawing of a man and child in a leisure suit by Jim, a brochure from the black Conscience Library. Jim with the red checked shirt.  Me leaning forward with the sleeveless shirt and afro.

For more Sepia Saturday posts click HERE.

Jilo 1972

Williams,

I came across this photograph of my oldest daughter, Jilo, while organizing my photographs. I like the shadows.  This one was in the box marked “Detroit 1966 – 1972”.  We were living in Brewster projects.  I was teaching pre-k at Merrill Palmer Institute, which was within walking distance.  I didn’t drive and walked or took the bus everywhere.  Jim was there part of the time.  He was a community organizer, still running the Black Conscience Library and also working out of a center on 12th Street.  I wasn’t yet pregnant with my second daughter and hadn’t decided to move to Atlanta, where my sister lived.  A year later in March, I would have two daughters and all of us would be living in Atlanta.  I worked with the Institute of the Black World for awhile.  Jim got a job printing with the Atlanta Voice. When he told me I could stop working outside,  I gave notice and stayed home with my six week old and almost three year old.  It was all a long time ago.