Sussman-Laabs

According to family records, Geo was born on 10 Apr 1842 in Elk Township, Noble County, Ohio. The County Clerk claims to have no record of his birth.

The 1860 Federal Census shows him at age 18 living with his parents, Peter and Sarah, and two siblings - Diantha, age 19, and William, age 16, in Elk, Noble OH. His occupation is listed as "Domestic," and he is listed as having attended school within the year.

On 30 Dec 1864 at about 22 years of age, he married Catherine A. Platter in Allen, Indiana. A listing of markers in the Crow Family Cemetery south of Carlisle, Ohio, reveals that George and Catherine had a daughter Florence H. who died on 23 Dec 1869 at age 3y 6m 9d.

The 1870 Federal Census shows George at age 28 married to Catherina Crow, with two children: Stephen, age 3, and Albert, age 9/12, still living in Elk, Noble, OH.

On 9 Mar 1873 Catherine died. Her grave is in the Stewart Cemetery south of Carlisle, OH. Her death record from Noble County gives her death as the result of "Direct Sup Menses." Her name is spelled Catherene on her grave marker, which may be the correct spelling.

On 31 May 1875 George married Delilah Kindall in Middle Island, Pleasants County, West Virginia. Some of Delilah’s brothers had moved to Noble County, and it is possible George met Delilah there. Delilah gave her age as 24 (really 18) and her name as D. K. Brombaugh (her mother’s maiden name was Brumbaugh). The reason for this deception may be that she was attempting to separate herself from the notoriety of her infamous father, who had done jail time for killing her mother’s lover.

The 1880 Federal Census shows George as a farmer, in Glenville, Gilmer, WV and living with Delilah, age 22, Stephen A, age 12, Robert V. (should be Albert V.), age 10, George H., age 4, and Avory (should be Avery) J., age 1.

In about 1884 the family moved to the vicinity of Coleman in Warren Township, Midland County, Michigan. (The evidence for this date is the special 1894 Special Census in Midland County in which George and offspring all indicated they had been in Midland County for ten years.) Given these dates, it is likely that Jessie was born before the family left West Virginia, and Myrtle was likely born on the family farm near Coleman. The Midland County Clerk has no record of her birth.

On 13 Aug 1894 George filed for divorce from Delilah. The divorce was messy, with charges and counter-charges of incest, rape, adultery, etc., and it was on 6 Dec 1897, 3 years and four months later, that George was finally awarded the divorce.

In 1900 and 1901 George sold the two forty acre parcels of his eighty acre farm, and left Coleman. The 1900 Federal Census shows him as a boarder in a home in Benzie County, MI.

Family records give his death as 10 Apr 1915 at age 73. Various genealogy records show him buried in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, MI. This information is incorrect. His death certificate is available on line at the Seeking Michigan database at the Library of Michigan web site. He died on 28 May 1912 at age 70 in Ocqueoc Township, Presque Isle, Michigan, in the home of his son Avery. The death certificate misspells his first name as Georg. The death certificate was filled out by Avery. His occupation was given as farm laborer, probably on his son Avery’s farm. The local newspaper reported that he was buried in the Ocqueoc Cemetery, Presque Isle County, Michigan, on 29 May 1912.

(From Ancestry.com tree - unknown author)