My Julien family gets a little murky around the birth of Levi Julien, my second great grandfather. One murky area with Levi is the date of his birth. The first census record I have found that is for sure my Levi was the 1870 census. The census record says it was taken in August of that year. Levi’s age was noted as 21 years old. His birth is November 17, so if I’m doing the math right, his birth year would have been 1848. While it is not unheard of for people in that era to have sex before marriage, it makes a little more sense that he was born after his parents married (which was April 2, 1848). His son Andrew had put his birth date as 1843. His obituary also noted a different birth year.
Another murky area is the name of his father. Levi’s son Andrew was the one who reported his father’s death. In the death certificate it’s noted that Levi’s father’s name was Levi. All the other genealogy trees I find have his father listed as William. Could William’s first or middle name have been Levi? Levi’s death certificate also noted he was born in Illinois, but possibly Levi didn’t really talk much about his family and childhood.
Levi married Eliza A Ellis on December 26, 1868 in Vermillion County, Indiana. The marriage license was issued December 26, 1868. And while the minister who filled out the part of having wed the two stated the wedding happened on December 28, 1869, I highly doubt they would have waited over a year to get married. I could be wrong, but I have to wonder if it’s similar to when we write the wrong date after the turn of the year. the pastor probably didn’t get to the county office until after the new year had passed. Currently most marriage licenses expire after a certain number of days. If there was a difference at the time, I have not found the answer yet.
The first confirmed census record of Levi is the 1870 Census from Troy Township, Fountain Count, Indiana. The date of the census was August 19, 1870. In 1870 Levi worked as a farm hand. Levi’s first child’s name is Sarah. At this time Levi and Eliza lived with her family. Her father’s name was M.R. Ellis and her mother’s name was Martha J Ellis. Besides younger siblings that still lived in the home Eliza’s brother Legrand and his family lived in the home as well.
By 1880 Levi and Eliza’s family grew to 4 children. They were Sarah, William, Mary, and John. Levi was a laborer. One thing I find odd in this census record is there were 3 people living in their home who are noted as Servant. I don’t see how these people could truly be servants in the classical sense as Levi was a laborer. Possibly he met these people and took pity on them and allowed them to live for free in his home in exchange for doing work in the home. But couldn’t that just be considered a boarder like the line just above the Julien’s where the man is noted as a boarder?
Sometime after the 1880 Census and 1882, Eliza Julien died. Levi remarried not long after. They got the marriage certificate on October 6, 1882. They were married either that day or not long after that.
1900 Census. By this time Levi and Amanda’s children from their previous marriages had already grown and probably all married. Levi and Amanda had four children together, Lucinda, Levi, Andrew (my great grandfather), and Harry. In 1900 Levi was a farmer. He owned his own home. He could also read and write. It looks like her mortgaged his home. They lived in Clyde Township, Allegan County. Levi was 52.
In 1910 Levi and Amanda lived in Martin Township with their sons, Levi, Andrew, and Henry. Levi and Andrew were both over 18, but it seems Henry was also not in school anymore as he was working. For some reason the census only notes Levi’s parents being born in the US. Possibly the Levi was away from the house when the census taker stopped by. Levi was a farm laborer that year working at other people’s farms. At this time he rented a house and no longer lived on a farm.
Levi was still working in 1920. He was 72. He was noted as a laborer on the census record. He rented his home.
Levi died October 19, 1927. He was about 83 years old. He had 9 children and 31 grand children at his death. His funeral probably happened Saturday October 29. The obituary says he was buried at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, but there is no grave stone. I imagine he is buried near where some other family members are buried.
On Their Shoulders 
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