I just learned yesterday that Michael Gordon Heald aka Held had a life after 1883....many lives, if you consider children, grandsons and their children he brought forth. On http://www.ancestry.com/ I have become accustomed to connecting with others researching the same people as me.
This isn't the case when it comes to Michael Gordon Heald. I know all about his siblings from Wisconsin, but not much about him. None of his descendants pop up on ancestry.com. At least not yet.
What I do know is that Michael Gordon or M.G. was born into the family of Johann Michael Held and his wife Philippine Schneider. Johann Michael, along with his father Joh. Ernst Held, a miller emigrated to Wisconsin in 1843. In 1870 Joh. Michael (and fifteen year-old Michael Gordon) lived near Sullivan, Jefferson County, Wisconsin and operated a grist mill. In 1880 the children of Joh. Michael Held (Michael died in 1879) were counted in Ellinwood, Barton County, Kansas. Michael Gordon had two biographies published in the popular county history books of the day; one in 1879 in Jefferson County, Wisconsin and a History of Kansas in 1883 while he lived in Atchison. These two bios also inform of his deep commitment to the masonic movement in the towns where he made his home.
And that is where the trail on this grain merchant ended for me ... until two days ago. The it was learned that he was counted in the 1885 Kansas census living with his new wife Mary in Hiawatha, Brown, Kansas and working in the grain business. The 1900 federal census finds Michael and Mary Heard (sic) living in Logan Township, Harrison, Iowa with a one year-old son Gordon Heald. In 1910 they are living in Burrton, Harvey, Kansas. In 1920 they are retired and living in Sedgwick, Harvey, Kansas next door to son Gordon and his wife Etta and a son Edmond Heald. In 1930 federal census Gordon, Etta, and four sons are living in St. Joseph, Buchanin, Missouri.
Maybe one day someone will get the itch and wonder about their greatgrandfather Heald and go to the Internet. If so, they might "find" me and if they do they will find a family tree that extends back many generations into a village in old Hesse-Darmstadt named Undenheim, where the village miller was named Held way back in the early 1700's. Then these wondering Helds or Healds will know why their great grandfather was a grain merchant and moved about in eastern Kansas, western Missouri and Iowa. It's because milling grain was the family trade for countless generations and now they will know and now they can share a special story with their kids and grandkids.
You may wonder why we seek the descendants of siblings of our direct line ancestors. Well, I am driven by the chance for uncovering a nugget of family history that may be found in the co-lateral branches of a family; a bit of data, a family story, or perhaps even a family photo or two.
So the search goes on and the hopes just never seem to fade. Maybe tomorrow.......
