Galusha A. Howard was the sixth and youngest child of Enoch Galusha Howard and Henrietta Walling Howard. He was born on July 5, 1860 in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and died in Ypsilanti, Michigan on August 4, 1941. He has no surviving descendants, no one to research his life as a direct ancestor.
I have discovered bits and pieces about Galusha’s life throughout my research of the Howard family. He attended school in Alpena, Michigan – the Alpena Argus reported that for the month ending February 23, 1872, “Galushia Howard” had been neither tardy nor absent at school.[i] He played baseball for The Alpena Baseball Team in the late 1880s.[ii]
Galusha followed in his older brothers’ footsteps and worked for the telegraph company. He married Emma Susan Trim, from St. Clair County, Michigan, in 1883.[iii] In 1884, the couple’s only child, Harry Luce Howard, was born.[iv]
By 1893, Galusha was the manager of the Western Union Telegraph office in Alpena.[v] In 1900, Galusha, Emma, and Harry were enumerated in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the U.S. Census. The 1907 Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti City Directory lists Galusha A. and Emma S. Howard as residents at 127 College Place in Ypsilanti. Galusha’s occupation is given as traveling agent.
Thereafter, Galusha, Emma, and Harry lived in either the Detroit area or Ypsilanti for the most part.[vi] Harry graduated from Detroit Central High School, according to his obituary. He worked as an illustrator/artist in Detroit and at the age of 33 married Ada Anderson, age 32. I have not found a record of any children born to the couple.
In 1940, Galusha’s wife Emma died in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Nine months later Galusha passed away as well. Harry’s wife Ada died in 1950 and Harry died in 1969. All are buried in Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Michigan.
I learned much about Galusha and his family during a couple trips to Ann Arbor to visit my daughter. I perused City Directories, maps, land records, and death records there. Once I determined Galusha, Emma, Harry, and Ada were all buried in nearby Ypsilanti, I visited their graves. As I stood in the cemetery, I wondered if anyone remembered them now. Or were they nearly forgotten.
The Ypsilanti Historical Society and Highland Cemetery Association provided me with copies of Harry Howard’s obituary, which indicates he was survived by four cousins. Thus far I have determined that three of the cousins were related to him through his mother’s family. I am still researching the fourth cousin, Mrs. Ruth Allen of Bay City, Michigan, who is listed as Ruth (Howard) Allen, the informant of death, in the cemetery interment records.
[i] Alpena Argus, March 5, 1872 edition.
[ii] A newspaper article which is part of a compilation of articles housed in the Alpena County George N. Fletcher Library indicates Galusha played “Left” for the team.
[iii] The October 31, 1883 edition of the Alpena Argus reported that Charles H. Luce had left Alpena the day before by the steamer Mackinac, heading for St. Clair “intending to be present at the marriage of G.A. Howard and Miss Trim tonight.”
[iv] It appears that Galusha and Emma named their son Harry after Charles H. Luce. Charles Luce and his wife Sarah (who I believe was Emma’s niece) named one of their children Howard V. Luce.
[v] Alpena Argus, March 29, 1893 edition.
[vi] It appears much of Emma’s family lived in Ypsilanti.
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