Sussman-Laabs

Paraphrased from Ara Dammer's text: William's father suffered a breakdown after service in the War with Mexico, and William was affected by lack of a father's influence. At about five years of age, he lived with a Mr. Ben Hayes in Dover, NH, where he stayed until he was age thirteen. He ran away from that home to Kennebunkport, ME to sign on with a whaling vessel. He didn't get along well with the captain, and spent much time in the brig repairing chain links. When the ship would dock for provisions in foreign ports, William would try to "jump ship" to escape his lot, and was successful on his 3rd attempt. He then stowed away on another ship leaving that port, and became a hand on that ship, the "Ugemont" out of England. That ship wrecked near St. Helena, but he made it safely to England. He traveled back to Dover, NH, where he learned the machinist trade. Then he traveled west to Upper Michigan working in lumber camps, meeting George Allger. He met George's sister Celia at an Allger family dinner one Sunday, and in six months they were married.

William Whitehouse was involved in another maritime accident on Bay Denoch when a small boat sunk in which he and his mother's brother William Smith were passengers. William Smith drowned.

William and Celia moved to Crow River, MN about 1882, living in a sod house heated by "buffalo chips." Over the next five years they moved to WI, TN and KY and AL. In Alabama, William worked with his Uncle John making hoops to hold wooden barrel staves together.

At last they moved to Turner, MI and lived with Edwin and Margaret Fry while their own house was constructed there. William continued his hoop business in Turner, and is shown as a "laborer" in the 1910 Arenac Cty, MI census. [Author: James R. Alger, "Publication: Descendants of John Felix Powell"]