Category Archives: Cleages

Z – Zealously Founding A New Church

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages, Indianapolis

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

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Henry William Cleage

The Founding of Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church

Begins With 31 Members
Prof. David Graham of Rushville was moderator and Rev. W. W. McCall of Greensburg was secretary. Other members present were Rev. Fred W. Schmuch of Milroy, Rev. N. B. McClung of Vevay, Rev. Mr. McDill of Madison, and Dr. Cowan of Indianapolis.
The petition was discussed at some length. By unanimous vote an organization was decided upon. The 31 members who signed the petition were as follows: Henry W. Cleage, Mrs. Carrie Perkins, Mrs. Emma Moore, A. T. Roney, Mrs. Cora Donann, Mrs. Cathern Crenshaw, Mrs. Daisy L. Brabham, Albert Cleage, Mrs. Gertrude Cleage, James Myers, Mrs. A. L. McElrath, O. F. Dennis, Mrs. Hattie  Mitchell, H. M. Mitchell, Mrs. Theresa Finley, Othello Finley, Miss Edith Finley, Miss Luell E. Hibbett, Mrs. Mary Peterson, Mrs. Anna Bowman, John T. Fox, Miss Pearl Reed, Thomas H. Bransford, Mrs. O. F. Dennis, Miss Alice Mathews, Miss Hilda Reeder, W. J. Perkins, Henry Moore and H. L. Hummons.
April 30, 1907 • Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, USA
This is from a history of Witherspoon church that used to be on the church website, but no longer is there.

Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 May 1907 page 2

A called meeting of the Presbytery of Indiana of the United Presbyterian church met in this city at Realty hall Tuesday night and organized a colored organization with thirty one members. Dr. H. L. Hummons, Henry W. Cleage and Thomas H. Bransford were elected Elders. Dr. J. Pl Cowan of the Woodruff Place United Presbyterian church was elected moderator of the session and will have charge of the organization until a minister can be secured. There will be preaching at Realty hall Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.

Members of the Presbytery present were Prof. David Graham, of Rushville, moderator, W. W. McCall of Greensburg.

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The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana • Sat, May 11, 1907 Page 3

I didn’t realize until I was working on this post that Henry W. Cleage’s two year old daughter died of broncho pneumonia one day after he was involved in the founding of Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church. Martha Christina Cleage had been born in Indianapolis, Indiana October 10, 1904. She was named for her maternal grandmother Martha Loving .

Henry’s wife Minnie Loving Cleage, died sometime after the daughter was born and before her death. The only evidence I have found of her in Indianapolis, aside from her daughter being born there, is an unclaimed letter in the post office in 1905.

The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Indiana · Saturday, November 02, 1907

Special ordination exercises were held at the Witherspoon United Presbyterian church Sunday evening. The Rev. J. P. Cowan assisted the Rev. C. W. McCall, pastor, in the services in which Henry W. Cleage was ordained a ruling elder of the church. The following have been elected trustees: Philip Tasch, James Meyers and O. Finley.

Witherspoon History – Witherspoon Presbyterian Church webpage
H is for Henry William Cleage
H is for Henry Hummons

W – Witherspoon Celebrates 40th Anniversary

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages, Indianapolis, ,

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

Henry, Albert, Gertrude, Ola and Pearl Cleage, 1947 photo from my family archives

We visited the Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church in 1910 on their third anniversary in U – United Presbyterian Congregation Celebrates. Today we move forward to 1947 and the 40th anniversary. My family founders have traveled from Detroit back to Indianapolis for the event. They have aged from their twenties to their sixties in the photo above. Some have died – Jacob and Edward Cleage. More have been born. My grandparents have seven children. Henry and Ola have two. Once again my grandfather is speaking.

The Indianapolis News Indianapolis, Indiana • Sat, Apr 26, 1947 Page 11

The Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church will observe its 40th founders day Sunday with all-day services. The pastor, the Rev. Clinton Marsh, will speak at 11 a. m. Dr. A.B. Cleage, Detroit, who was among the early members of the church, will be guest speaker at 7:30 p. m. Dr. J. L. Hummons, who was organizer and founder of the beginning group, will be master of ceremonies. Before the address by Dr. Cleage there will be a brief sketch of the history of the church, which was moved from North West and Walnut Streets to the present site about 15 years ago. Among former out-of-town members expected are- Mrs. A.B. Cleage and Henry Cleage. an active member of the church and leader in its activities until he transferred from a federal position here to Detroit several years ago.
The Indianapolis News Indianapolis, Indiana • Sat, Apr 26, 1947 Page 11

For Z we will go back to the founding of Witherspoon. Luckily for me, they were founded in April and continued to celebrate through the years.

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Other posts related to Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church.

Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church – 1909
John Wesley Cobb 1883 – 1958
The Rev. John Brice Officiating
H is for Henry Hummons
Presbyterian Church Connections in the Cleage Family

R – Receives Check

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages, Springfield, MA

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

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THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Saturday, Apr 21, 1951,Springfield, MA, page: 24

COMMUNITY GOOD WISHES–A gift went with good wishes to Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr., left, at Hotel Kimball last night. William C. Jackson offers the gift as George A. Laws stands by. Mr. Cleage, minister of St. John’s Congregational Church five years, will become minister of St. Mark’s Community Church, Detroit, Mich., May 1.

Thank You’ Said to Mr. Cleage by 25 Men for His Work Here

When Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr., resigned as St. John’s Congregational Church minister to go to Detroit, Mich., William C. Jackson had an idea that he took up with George A. Laws, chairman of the St. John’s standing Committee.
The result was that 25 men, representing Springfield’s Negro community, had dinner with Mr. Cleage at Hotel Kimball last night.
They came from different churches, different professions, different parts of the city.
But they came for the same reason: to say “thank you” to Mr. Cleage for five years of effort toward church, community and racial improvement.
Around the dinner table, among others,, were James H. Higgins, former Common Council president; Rev. Frederick A. Brown, assistant pastor, Alden Street Baptist Church; Walter English, Buckingham Junior High School teacher; Ernest Harrison, contractor.
Also Dr. O. L. K. Fraser, dentist; Reginald Funn, former president of the local chapter, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: Paul Mason, Ward 4 councilman.
And a group of St. John’s members; Robert Daniels, Romeo Elder, Russell Harrison, Howard Porter, Emery Butler and Eugene Sommerville.

Moving day. Me and sister with friends and their mother.

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Rev. Albert B. Cleage was my father. My sister and I were born in Springfield, Massachusetts where he was pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church. We moved back to Detroit, where both sides of our extended family lived when I was 4 and my sister was 2. That is where he became pastor of St. Mark’s United Presbyterian Community Church which ended up in the fight and split described in the post Q-Quite a Goal. Going alphabetically does put events out of chronological order.

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Other posts with my memories of living in Springfield

Moving – Springfield to Detroit 1951
Moving Day Springfield to Detroit Revisited – 1951
T – The Thief of Baghdad & A Waltz
K is for King St. Springfield, MASS
U is for Union Street
M – Milkman
L – Leaves


Social Sixteen

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Detroit, Grahams, , ,

This is an extra post and not a part of the A to Z Challenge. I wanted to share this post for two reasons, there is a photograph of Dee Dee’s Godfather, Jack Franklin sitting in front on the left. And even more so because finally I found a news item describing a gathering at someone’s house and they told us what food was served! I found the recipe below in The Household Searchlight Recipe Book from 1931.

"The Social Sixteen"
The Social Sixteen – 1937. Howard Tandy, Phyllis Lawson, Shirley Turner, John Roxbourough, Doris Graham, Bob Johnson, Christine Smoot, Bud Elkins, Gladys House, Bobby Douglas, Walter House, Lewis Graham, Connie Stowers, Burney Watkins, Jean Johnson, Barbara Cleage, Jack Franklin, Mary V. Graham.
The Detroit Tribune, Detroit, Michigan • Sat, Dec 4, 1937 Page 5

SOCIAL SIXTEEN CLUB The Social Sixteen Club met at the home of Miss Barbara Cleage on Scotten avenue. All members were present and the meeting progressed with the president, Miss Doris Graham presiding. The minutes of the last meeting were read by the secretary, Miss Shirley Turner. Old business was called for and discussed. The new business dealt with the party that the club is planning to give in the near future.
Jack Franklin, who is an amateur photographer and is one of the club’s members, took flood-light pictures of the members present.
Refreshments, which consisted of tuna fish and cheese sandwiches and orange-gingerale drink, was served by the hostess. This repast was enjoyed by all present.

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I found this Sandwiches of History site where he actually makes this sandwich. I had to add it.

Cheese Tuna Sandwich (1937) on Sandwiches of History⁣
byu/SuperHappyFunSlide inSandwichesofHistory

K – Knickerbockers for Easter

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Detroit, , ,

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

Henry, Albert Jr. (my father) Albert Sr, Gladys
Detroit Free Press April 18, 1924 page 15
Going to church
Cleage family going to church.

Were there Easter baskets back in the 1920s? Yes there were. You could get fillers or buy a ready made basket. I remember my Grandmother Pearl Cleage gave us ready made Easter Baskets in the 1950s .

Hudson’s Department Store – Detroit Free Press Wednesday, April 02, 1924

One hundred years ago, it was Easter Sunday and my father and his family were ready for church. They were members of St. John’s Presbyterian church, in Detroit, Michigan. My grandparents Albert and Pearl Cleage were founding members. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about my Cleage family 100 years ago. You can read it at THE CLEAGES 100 YEARS AGO – 1925.

G – Going Back to 1972 Black Religion Symposium

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

My father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr. later Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman

For several years after the 1967 Detroit Riot/Rebellion, my father received many invitations to speak around the United States. His participation in the Duke University Black Religion Symposium was one such instance.

For those who want to hear more from the Black Religion Symposium, audio of the speeches is available here -> Black Religion Symposium. The date on this page is for August, but the paper above gives April as the date and I’m going with that date. My father is the first speaker after the introduction.


B – Battle Creek Enquirer Tallies Louis Cleage’s Votes

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages, Detroit

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

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On April 2, 1951, my uncle Dr. Louis J. Cleage ran for the University of Michigan Board of Regents. I had no idea until I found a newspaper item in The Battle Creek Enquirer. He did not win but received 3,547 votes.

Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek, Michigan • Wed, Apr 18, 1951Page 7

I am just going to transcribe the paragraph with the Board of Regents votes, bottom first column, top of second, above:

“Regents of the University, (two Regents elected): Roscoe O. Bonisteel, Republican, 409.966; Leland I. Doan, Republican, 410,302; Murray D. Van Wagoner, Democrat, 315,955; Wheaton L. Strom, Democrat, 258,214; Arthur L. Leach, Prohibition, 7,173; Roville L. Heltzel, Prohibition, 5,899: Louis J. Cleage, Progressive, 3,547; Richard Fox, Progressive, 3,818; James Sim, Socialist Labor. 1,591; Theo A. Grove, Socialist Labor, 1,641; Howard Lerner, Socialist Workers, 1,181; and William H. Yancey, Socialist Workers, 1,182.”

Romanul American Detroit, Michigan · Saturday, March 31, 1951. Dr. Louis Cleage, second from right.

I was surprised to find that a Romanian Newspaper seemingly has him on their slate of candidates. I can’t be sure as I do not speak Romanian, but it looks that way to me.

C.D. Gallant-King to the rescue with a translation! “The faces of some of the candidates that the newspaper recommends you support, through your vote, in the April 2 elections in the state of Michigan.”

In 1951 Dr. Louis Cleage was 36 years old. He and his father, Dr. Albert B. Cleage SR shared a practice at Cleage Clinic. He lived at 2270 Atkinson, Detroit, Michigan with his parents and five of his siblings – Henry, an attorney in private practice; Hugh, a postal worker; Barbara secretary/receptionist at Cleage Clinic and Anna who was a pharmacist at Cleage Clinic. Two siblings had married and lived out of state. They were my father, Albert jr and Gladys.

Cleage Clinic as it looked after being closed.
2270 Atkinson about 1949.

Other posts about Louis Cleage

L – Louis Cleage
Uncle Louis Plays the Organ – 1956
Louis Cleage – W8AFM
Building Louis’ Cottages – Idlewild 1943 to 1945
Y Is For Louis Cleage’s Yacht – late 1940s
X is for X-Ray – Story of Louis Cleage’s Puffy Finger – early 1940s
Dr. Louis Cleage Proves Billy Eckstine’s Voice Influences Blood Pressure

Three of my Grandparent’s Grandparents

Cleages, Grahams, Kentucky, Photographs, Reeds, Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, ,
Mershell “Shell” Graham


My maternal grandfather, Mershell Cunningham Graham was born about 1887 in Coosada Station, Elmore County, Alabama. He was the fourth of six children. His parents farmed. His maternal grandmother lived in Elmore county, but she doesn’t appear in any records after the 1880 census so she was possibly dead before he was born. His maternal grandfather was the slave holder and he died in 1860, well before Mershell was born.
Mershell’s father, William Graham, doesn’t appear with his parents, so I don’t know who they were, much less if they lived nearby and were alive when my grandfather Mershell was.

Albert B. Cleage Sr.

My paternal grandfather, Albert B. Cleage, was born in 1884, the youngest of five children.  His father, Louis Cleage was share cropping in Loudin, Tennessee. After Louis Cleage and his wife Celia Rice Cleage, divorced, she moved back to Athens where her mother Susan Rice Regan lived. Susan lived until 1911 when my grandfather would have been grown. I am sure that he knew her.Susan and al of her children had been enslaved on a Rice plantation south of Athens. Celia’s father was an unknown slave holder by name of Rice and I’m sure that my grandfather never met him.
Albert B. Cleage’s paternal grandparents were Frank and Juda Cleage. They were enslaved on Alexander Cleage’s plantation in Athens, Tennessee. They do not appear in any records after the 1870 census. According to the testimony of Adeline Sherman in the pension case of Katie Cleage, Frank and Juda died before 1890, when she gave testimony. I doubt that they they lived long enough for my grandfather to meet them.

Pearl Reed about 1904
Pearl Doris Reed 1904


My paternal grandmother, Pearl Doris Reed, the youngest of eight children, was born about 1886 in Lebanon, Kentucky. Her mother Annie Allen Reed and her maternal grandmother, Clara Hoskins Green, lived near each other. Clara died after 1880. Annie’s father is listed as Robert Allen. I cannot find a Robert Allen in their area. Pearl probably would have met Clara if she lived until the 1890s.
Annie and her children moved to Indianapolis, Indiana about 1891 when Annie and her oldest son George appear in the city directory. Pearl was about five years old. Her father Buford Avritt was a white doctor who, according to oral history, did not support the family in their time of need. I was warned never to mention his name to my grandmother. I’m sure she never met her paternal grandparents.

You can read about my maternal grandmother and her grandparents at this ink -> when it goes up

THE CLEAGES 100 YEARS AGO – 1925

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Detroit, Grahams, Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Albert B. Cleage was born in Tennessee in 1884. He moved to Indianapolis, IN in 1909 to attend Medical School. There he met and married Pearl Reed, who was born in Kentucky and came to Indianapolis as a small child. Soon after the birth of my father in 1911, the family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where my grandfather became the first black physician. After several years, they moved to Detroit.

The Cleages and friends at Idlewild, Michigan 1925. Three of the children are not in the photo – Louis, Hugh and baby Anna. Cannot identify the others.

In 1920 they bought a large brick house on the corner of Scotten and Moore Place on Detroit’s Old Westside. By 1925 they were the parents of seven children, my father Albert (14), Louis (12), Henry (9), Hugh (7), Barbara (5) Gladys (3), and baby Anna born in January of that year.

Family home 1920-1948. 6429 Scotten Avenue. Detroit, Michigan.

My grandfather’s medical office was several blocks away at 4334 McGraw. He and Dr. Grimes, a dentist, shared the space. My grandmother had plenty to do at home with seven children and didn’t work outside the home after she married.

Dr. Cleage shared an office with in the house above in 1925.
Dr. Grimes and Dr. Cleage on the office steps
Pearl and Anna
Hugh, Barbara, Gladys and Albert Cleage. 1925
Louis
Hugh
Albert and Anna
Albert and Anna
Henry, Albert Jr, Albert Sr, Gladys
Eighth grade class at Wingert Elementary School. My father is second from left, front row. 1924

My father, Albert Jr with his eighth grade class at Wingert Elementary school. The school was a block from their house. Henry, Hugh, Louis and Barbara were also students at Wingert in 1925.

Celia Rice Cleage & Barbara
Jacob Cleage
Henry Cleage

Two of Albert’s siblings, Jacob and Henry, and their families plus his mother Celia were also living in Detroit by 1925. They lived within walking distance of each other. My great grandmother Celia lived with my grandfather. His sister Josephine still lived in Indianapolis. His brother Ed remained in Athens, Tennessee and died there the following year.

They were members of St. John’s Presbyterian church, where Albert and Pearl had been founding members. They had a car which Albert used for work. They took trips both in Michigan and to Indianapolis and Athens to visit family.

Loading up the car

Saw the prompt to write about the lives of your family 100 years ago. Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

New Year’s Day Sermon 1967

Cleages, Detroit, Sermon Notes

Although this sermon was preached on New Year’s Day in 1967, as I listen to it, I think it could have been preached today. On that day we didn’t know that the Detroit rebellion was ahead. On this day we don’t know what is ahead for us.

My father preaching with the Black Madonna painting behind him.
Sermon Notes for Sunday January 1, 1967 – click to enlarge.

Click to hear the sermon.