Unraveling the mystery of Adeline A. (Miller) Southard

Quick recap:
My great-great grandfather John Henry Miller was born in New York on 11 May 1833 and died in Brooklyn, on 14 June 1901. His death certificate lists his parents as John Miller (born in Staten Island) and Hannah V. Miller (born on Long Island--in Long Island City???).

In one of John Henry Miller's obituaries (The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 18 June 1901, p 10) it says "He was a brother-in-law to Ex-Highway Commissioner Henry B. Southard of Bellmore." I had tried before to find a connection, but couldn't. I tried again this week, and thanks to my new online newspaper subscription (www.newpapers.com), I'm finally getting somewhere.

I found the obituary of Mrs. Henry B. Southard in the 25 April 1901 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (she died just 7 weeks before John did). It reads:

****************************************************************************************************************** 

Mrs. Henry B. Southard

Bellmore,- L. I., April 25--Adeline, wife of Henry B. Southard, ex-highway  commissioner, died yesterday morning of dropsy [edema]. She has been a resident of this section since childhood. For many years her connection with the Newbridge M. E. Church was characterized by active work. A husband and son, Edward, of Hicksville, survive her. Funeral services will be held to-morrow.

******************************************************************************************************************

I ordered Adeline's death certificate once I had the info I needed. Her parents are listed as John Miller and Hannah Miller, so she is John Henry's sister!


I tried tracking Adeline through the years. I did not find her for sure in the 1850 US census (and because of her obituary, I was hoping to find her in Bellmore or a surrounding town). John didn't marry Sarah Ann Newman until 1852, but it doesn't look like he is living at home in 1850. I found 3 Adeline/Adalines that lived close enough to Bellmore and Brooklyn to be looked at, but none really seem like they could be my Adeline.


I can't find Adeline and her husband Henry in the NY 1855 or 1875 census--but here is what I found:

1860 Hempstead, Queens, New York

 Henry Southard     26     New York
Adelia                    24      New York
John                       5       New York
Charles                  3        New York
Hannah                  1        New York
William Wheeler    20      New York


1870 Hempstead, Queens, New York

Henry B Southard   35   New York
Adaline                   33   New York
John H                    15   New York
Charles W               13  New York
Hannah L                9    New York
Thomas E                3    New York
Felix Hue               28    France            wheelwright


1880 Hempstead, Queens, New York

N B Southard      46   New York
Adeline A            43   New York
John                    25   New York
Charles                22  New York
Edward               13   New York


1880 Queens, Queens, New York

Benjamin T Smith         26   New York
Hannah L [Southard]    20   New York  (wife)
Joseph B                      19   New York  (brother)
Minnie B                      17   New York (sister)
Delano                         14   New York (brother)
Jennie Boss                  21  New York  (servant)


1892 NY State Census Hempstead, Queens, New York

Henry Southard   57   (farmer)
Adaline               54


1900 Hempstead, Nassau, New York

Henry B Southard   67   Feb 1833   New York (parents b in NY)   wheelwright   married for 46 years
Adeline                 60   May 1830  New York  (parents b in NY)  dress maker   mother of 4/one still living
[this birth information on Adeline is incorrect...according to her death certificate she was born 20 November 1837]


1900 Oyster Bay, Nassau, New York

Edward Southard   34   May 1866   New York (parents b in NY)  married for 2 years
Laura A [Jones]     24   Jun 1875     New York (parents b in NY)  mother of 0/0
Clarence Jones      58   Oct 1846    New York  (parents b in NY)  married for 26 years
Mary Jones            45  Feb 1855    New York (parents b in NY)  mother of 1/1          


The family (SOME OF THIS IS CONJECTURE):

Henry B. Southard (wheelwright, farmer) son of Richard and Susan Southard
   b. 8 Feb 1834  New York (tombstone says 1834 and the 1900 census says 1833)
   d. 9 Oct 1908  New York  buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, Nassau, New York
   m. 1st Adeline A. Miller about 1854 (dau of John and Hannah V. Miller)
   m. 2nd Elizabeth Baldwin after 1901 (dau of David N. and Alma (Van Cott) Baldwin)

Adeline A. Miller
   b. 20 November 1837 Brooklyn, Kings, New York
   d. 24 Apr 1901 Bellmore, Nassau, New York
 
Henry and Adeline were the parents of 4 children:
   1. John H. Southard
         b. 1854-1855 New York
         d. before 1900 census
       
   2. Charles W. Southard
         b. 25 Jun 1857  New York
         d. 4 May 1888  New York buried in Greenfield Cemetery, Uniondale, Nassau, New York
         m. Annie M. Smalling on 29 Nov 1882

   3. Hannah L. Southard
         b. Apr 1860 New York (she's 1 in the 1860 census, but 9 in the 1870 census)
         d. before 1900 census
         m. Benjamin Tredwell Smith on 15 Jan 1880 (son of Daniel W and Caroline Smith)
               issue:
               1. Howard Smith
                    b. Mar 1884
                    d. after 1922
               2. Benjamin Tredwell Smith, Jr
                    b. 29 Dec 1893
                    d. 25 Aug 1916
                    m. Iola Pearsall on 30 Jul 1916 (dau of Thomas W Pearsall and Katherine E Abrams)
                   [notice that Benjamin and Iola had only been married 26 days when he died]

   4. Thomas Edward Southard
         b. May 1866 New York
         d. before 1940
         m. Laura A. Jones on 17 September 1897 (dau of Clarence and Mary Jones)