William Joseph Alexander (1853 - 1930)

Born 11 Jan 1853 in Long Prairie, Todd, Minnesota, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Pearl (LaChapelle) Alexander — married 16 Nov 1882 in Tivoli, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States

Descendants

Died 15 Nov 1930 at age 77 in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, United States

Biography

William Joseph "Joseph" Alexander was born on the 11th of January 1853 in Long Prairie, Minnesota. He was the son of Joseph and Mary (Myott) Alexander.

Joseph married Margaret "Maggie" Pearl LaChapelle on the 16th of November 1882, in Tivoli, Minnesota.^[1] Joseph and Maggie had received their marriage license two days before.^[2] In 1885 Joseph and Mary were living in Le Ray, Minnesota.^[3] Joseph was thirty-one and would have been working to support his family (that census did not ask occupation). Maggie (25) stayed at home and took care Teresa (5), Victoria (2) and Mary (4 mos).^[3] Ten years later Joseph was working as a Farmer in Le Ray.^[4] Maggie stayed home and took care of the children. Their household now contained them, four children, and sixty-year-old Charles Whitemoney (also a Farmer).^[4] Tragedy had touched the home more than once as Teresa, Victoria and Mary had all died too young.^[5]

At the turn of the century Joseph and Maggie lived in Decoria Township which was part of the Winnebago reservation.^[6][7] Joseph (47) worked as a Farmer on the farm land that he rented.^[7] Maggie (44) stayed home and took care of the family. Their children Tillie (11), Bessie (9), Andrew (8) and Charlie (6) attended school that year.^[7] Lovina (4), Katy (2) and Pearl (1) were too young and stayed home with their mother.^[7] Seventy-seven year old John Chapman lived with them as a Boarder.^[7]

1910 Federal Census

Joseph and Maggie had added one last child to the family before the 1910 census was taken. Little Henry had joined them in the year 1901.^[5] One more child, name unknown, had died too young.^[5] Joseph was now fifty-seven and still working as a Farmer on land that they rented.^[5] Maggie was fifty-four and took care of the home and family.^[5] Tillie (22) and Bessie (20) had both married and moved out. Andrew (18) and Charlie (16) were working as Laborers on the farm.^[5] Lovina (14), Katie (12), Pearl (10) and Henry (8) attended school.^[5] More of the children married and started their own families by 1920, and Joseph's home was considerably more quiet. Joseph (67) was working as a Laborer, as many others in his area were.^[8] Maggie (64) took care of the family and home.^[8] Their son Henry (18) was now working as a Spinner at a Knitting Mill.^[8] Their daughter Tillie had died two years before^[9] and her children Edward (11) and Hazel (4) lived with them.^[8]

Joseph appeared in one last census in April of 1930.^[10] At age seventy-seven this hard working man had finally retired.^[10] Maggie, age seventy-four, was at home with him. Their daughter Pearl (30) was in the home with them and working as a waitress. Her children Cleo (12), Helen (11), Irene (9) and Richard (8) all attended school that year.^[10] Their daughter Catherine (32) was widowed and in the home also.^[10]

Joseph died on the 15th of November 1930 at the age of seventy-seven.^[11] Cause of death was cardio renal and vascular failure. He was laid to rest in the Calvary Cemetery.^[12] Joseph had been predeceased by both parents and five children. He was survived by his wife Maggie, eight children and at least twenty-one grandchildren. Another hearty, loving soul was lost to the family and the community.

Residence

1857: Winnebago Reservation, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[13]

1860: Mankato Twp, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[14]

1865: McPherson, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[15]

1870: Mankato Twp, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[16]

1875: Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[17]

1880: Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[18]

1885: Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[3]

1895: Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[4]

1900: Decoria Township, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[7]

1905: Mankato Twp, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[19]

1910: Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[5]

1920: Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[8]

1930: Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[10]

Family

Husband: William Joseph Alexander

Wife: Margaret "Maggie" Pearl LaChapelle

Married: 16 Nov 1882 Tivoli, Blue Earth, Minnesota^[1]

Children:

1. Teresa Alexander b 1880,^[3] d bef 17 Jun 1895^[4]
2. Victoria Elizabeth Alexander b 1883,^[3] d bef 17 Jun 1895^[4]
3. Mary Alexander b 22 Sep 1884,^[3] d bef 17 Jun 1895^[4]
4. Matilda "Tillie" (Alexander) Stone b Jul 1888,^[4][7][19] d 3 Aug 1918^[9]
5. Julia Elizabeth "Bessie" (Alexander) Smith b 6 Jul 1890^{[4][7][19][20]}
6. Benjamin Andrew Alexander b 7 Apr 1892^{[4][7][5][19]}
7. Charles Joseph "Charlie" Alexander b 21 Jan 1893^{[4][5][7][21]}
8. Hazel Elizabeth (Alexander) Huettl b 6 Jul 1894^[7][22]
9. Rose Lovina (Alexander) Lowe b Oct 1895^[5][7]
10. Mary Katherine "Katy" (Alexander) (Leckel) (Tuer) Lindeman b 18 Sep 1897^[5][7][10]
11. Pearl Josephine (Alexander) (Hennager) Ellis b 21 Feb 1899^[5][7][10]
12. Henry R Aloysius Alexander b 19 Apr 1901^[5]
13. Unknown Alexander d bef 1910^[5]

Research Notes

Le Ray Township was first settled in 1856 and organized in 1860. It was first named Lake, then Tivoli, and finally to Le Ray.^[6]

Decoria Township, part of the Winnebago Reservation, was named 6 Apr 1858. It wasn't organized until late 1867. The name was given in memory of a Winnebago Chief One-Eyed Dekora.^[6]

Mankato Township was established in 1858 and organized the following month in 1858. The first election was held in 1868. Mankato means "Blue Earth River." Community growth was attributed to the four railroads that met in Mankato. In 1880, along with the usual businesses, Mankato sported several carriage and wagon factories, four breweries, a brick yard, three newspapers and fourteen churches.^[6]

The Winnebago tribe was moved from Wisconsin to NE Iowa in 1837-38, from Iowa to Long Prairie, Minnesota in 1848, to Blue Earth, Minnesota in 1855, then to the Dakota Territory in 1863, and finally to Nebraska in 1866.^[6]

Teresa, Victoria and Mary were not on the 1895 census. Teresa was born before the marriage. In 1910 the census states that 12 children were born to them, with 8 living. That means they lost four children. That would be Teresa, Victoria, Mary and ?.

DNA

Paternal relationship for Joseph's children is confirmed with an AncestryDNA test match between Mindy Silva and a child of Jo Ann (Alexander) Cox, Mindy's third cousin. Their MRCA's are Mindy's great-great-grandparents and the child's great-great-grandparents William Joseph Alexander and Margaret Pearl (LaChapelle) Alexander. Predicted relationship reported by AncestryDNA: 3rd - 4th cousins, Confidence: Extremely High; based on sharing 41 centimorgans across 2 DNA segments; Confidence: High.

Sources

^{[2] [1] [13] [11] [12] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [3] [4] [7] [19] [5] [8] [10] [20] [21] [22] [9] [6]}

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Minnesota Marriages, 1849-1950 ," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Marriage : accessed 16 April 2018), William J. Alexander and Maggie P. Lachapelle, 16 Nov 1882; citing FHL microfilm 1,309,276.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Minnesota Marriages, 1849-1950 ," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Marriages : accessed 26 May 2018), Wm J. Alexander and Maggie P. Lachapelle, 14 Nov 1882; citing FHL microfilm 1,309,279.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} "Minnesota State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), W J Alexander, Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota; citing p. 12, volume Blue Earth, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,734.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10} "Minnesota State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), Maggie Alexander, Le Ray township, Blue Earth, Minnesota; citing p. 17, line 33, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,763.
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), W J Alexander, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 25, sheet 6A, family 106, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 691; FHL microfilm 1,374,704.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Upham, Warren. Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia, (MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001) pp 60-70.
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph Alexander, Decoria Township, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 6, sheet 6A, family 89, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,757.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5} "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph H Alexander, Mankato Ward 2, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing ED 19, sheet 14A, line 38, family 311, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 825; FHL microfilm 1,820,825.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} "Minnesota Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Deaths and Burials : accessed 21 September 2018), Mathilda Stone, 03 Aug 1918; citing Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, reference ln148; FHL microfilm 1,309,286.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), W J Alexander, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 22, sheet 9A, line 2, family 203, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1080; FHL microfilm 2,340,815. Note: Though Pearl was listed as a Widow on the 1930 census, she had in fact gone through a 'nasty' divorce several years prior and probably preferred to be listed as a widow.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} "Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Death : 4 December 2014), Jos. Alexander, 15 Nov 1930; from "Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Blue Earth, Minnesota, record 576865, certificate number 001324, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (Find A Grave Index : 15 December 2015), William Joseph Alexander, 1930; Burial, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States of America, Calvary Cemetery; citing Find A Grave: Memorial #142377283
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), Joseph Alexander, ; citing line 28, NARA microfilm publication T1175 (Washington D.C.: Central Plains Region, National Archives, n.d.); FHL microfilm 944,283.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph Alexander in entry for J L Alexander, 1860.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} "Minnesota State Census, 1865 ," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), Joseph Alexander in household of J L Alexander, McPherson, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing volume 1, line 26, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565,714.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Wm J Alexander in household of J L Alexander, Minnesota, United States; citing p. 30, family 204, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 830,421.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} "Minnesota State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), Wm Alexander in household of J L Alexander, Le Ray, Blue Earth, Minnesota; citing p. 409, line 23, volume B - 1, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 565717.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph Alexander in household of Joseph L Alexander, Leroy, Blue Earth, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district ED 2, sheet 262B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0615; FHL microfilm 1,254,615.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4} "Minnesota State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (Minnesota Census : accessed 16 Apr 2018), Joseph W Alexander, Mankato township, Blue Earth, Minnesota; citing p. 2, line 75, State Library and Records Service, St.Paul; FHL microfilm 928,769.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} "Minnesota Births and Christenings, 1840-1980," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Births : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph Alexander in entry for Julia Elizabeth Alexander, 06 Jul 1890; citing Blue Earth, Minnesota, reference item 7 p 105; FHL microfilm 1,309,284.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} "Minnesota Births and Christenings, 1840-1980," database, FamilySearch (Minnesota Births : accessed 16 April 2018), Joseph Alexander in entry for Charles Joseph , 21 Jan 1894; citing , reference 186; FHL microfilm 1,309,284.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (United States Census : accessed 16 April 2018), Hazel Huettl in household of Joseph Huettl, St Paul Ward 9, Ramsey, Minnesota, United States; citing ED 107, sheet 12A, line 2, family 251, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 854; FHL microfilm 1,820,854.

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