Levi Benson Densmore, the son of Jonathan W and Nancy (Bates) Densmore and my second great grandfather was born on February 26, 1845 in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. He was baptized on August 19, 1847 in Hamilton, Ontario and was only five when his mother died.
In 1871 we find Levi living in Ontario with his father, his father’s second wife, and his brother Jonathan. Six years later on June 28, 1877 he married Ada Kate English in Cobourg, the same day, his brother Jonathan married Sarah Jane Martin. In April 1881 he was living in Couburg with his wife Ada and two children Harriet and Eleanor but by 1884 they were living in Reed City, Michigan.
By 1900, Levi was living in Osceola, Michigan working as a merchant but in 1902 he was living in Ann Arbor at 1021 N University with his wife Ada and daughter Agnes to help his daughters complete college.
Levi’s brother Jonathan died in Reed City, Michigan on December 3, 1903. Levi travelled to his brother’s home by train and when he tried to walk to his brother’s home in the deep snow he had a stroke and was stuck in the snow for many hours resulting in a stroke. This event was shared in the Traverse City Evening Record on December 9, 1903:
A sad circumstance in connection with the death of John W Densmore at Reed City was the visit of his brother Benson, a Harbor Springs merchant. Upon arriving by train before daylight Benson Densmore attempted to walk to his brother’s house, but suffered a stroke of paralysis and lay in the snow for hours before help came. He is now critically ill.
Following the stroke, Levi moved to Harbor Spring, Michigan where he worked selling dry goods until his health failed again and he had to stop working again.
Levi was 59 when he died on January 16, 1905. His obituary was published in the Osceola County Democrat on January 1905:
Death of L. Benson Densmore.
The remains of L. Benson Densmore, who died Thursday night from a second stroke of paralysis in Traverse City, where he has been for four months receiving medical treatment, were brought here Monday evening, accompanied by the widow and two daughters, Misses Agnes and Alice. Mrs. Amos is in Chicago with a very sick child and unable to be here. The remains were met at the depot by Undertaker W. H. Smith and conveyed to the home of Mrs. J. W. Densmore, from which place the funeral was held at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon conducted by Rev. Irwin of the Methodist church. The remains were laid to rest in Woodland cemetery.
Deceased was 59 years of age. He came to this city from Coburg, Ont. in 1881, and with his brother John W. engaged in mercantile business, continuing in that occupation four years, after which he engaged in the mercantile business and lumbering at Marion, this county, where his health began to fail. Being obliged to sell his interests there he with his family removed from this city to Ann Arbor to educate his daughters. While in Ann Arbor he suffered a paralytic stroke and with his wife and youngest daughter removed to Harbor Springs where they purchased a home and conducted a general store, givin gup the latter on account of failing health.
Mrs. Alex Ross, sister of deceased, of Anderson, Ind., John A. Ross of Kalamazoo, W. B. Miller and wife of Clarksville were the relatives in attendance at the funeral.
Levi Benson Densmore was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Reed, Michigan. His wife Ada Kate was interred next to him 38 years later in 1943.
CHILDREN:
Ada May Densmore (1878-1889)
Harriet Marion Densmore (1879-????) – married Francis Philip Amo in 1901 who she divorced in 1906.
Eleanor Philena Agnes Densmore (1881-1965) – graduated from the University of Michigan in 1904, married Edward Chace Greene, author of Panama Sketches. She was my great grandmother.
Alice E Densmore (1890-1979) – married Harrison Morton Wadsworth
I share DNA with one of Levi’s direct descendents
–via daughter Alice E Densmore — 104 cM
Research Goals: To find a picture of Levi – note: we have a great picture of his wife Ada Kate (English) Densmore but are also looking for Ada’s death record and/or obituary
SOURCES:
1871 Canadian Census, Ontario, population, Northumberland West, Cobourg, Page 44, dwelling 1, house 164, family 171, Jonathan Densmore; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 October 2018).
1881 Census, Ontario, population schedule, Page 50-51, dwelling 246, family 262 (corrected in pencil), Levi B Densmore; digital images, MyHeritage Library Edition (https://myheritagelibraryedition.com : accessed 3 October 2018).
1900 United States Federal Census, Osceola County, Michigan, population schedule, Marion, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 157, Sheet No 6, dwelling 127, family 134, Levi B Densmore; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 20 September 2014).
Canada “Web: Canada, Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register, 1828-1910,” index, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 26 January 2014), Levi Benson Densmore.
“Condensed News of Michigan,” Traverse City Evening Record (Traverse City, Michigan), 9 December 1903; digital images, Newspaper Archive (https://access.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 27 March 2018).
Find a Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 September 2014), Levi Benson Densmore, Find A Grave Memorial# 118123986.
Michigan “Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995,” index, no image available, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 26 January 2014), John W Densmore d. 3 Dec 1903.
Michigan “Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995,” index, no image available, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 26 January 2014), Levi B Densmore, d. 16 Jan 1905 Travers City, Grand Traverse, Michigan.
Ontario, Canada “Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928,” index, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 26 January 2014), Levi Benson Densmore m Ada English.
Van Deusen Albert Harrison, Van Deursen Family, Volume 1 (Frank Allaben Genealogical Company, 1912), page 258-9; digital images, Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 27 March 2018.
“U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (www/ancestry.com : accessed 19 October 2018), L Benson Densmore; 1902, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” database, Ancestry.com (www/ancestry.com : accessed 18 October 2018), Levi V Densmore.
My Greene and Shackford Family History 