Here is another source of information recently added to the Fond du Lac website. Bezaleel Spencer Jr., one of the very early pioneers of the township of Byron, kept a journal from 1872 up to his death in 1900. He made daily entries, mainly recording the temperature and weather for the day, and activities of his farm and crops. But more important for genealogists, Bezaleel wrote brief notes on funerals, birthday gatherings and special events that he attended. These funeral notes alone are a good source of information for a time when it was not required to file death certificates. So, if you have lost a relative, especially near the Byron/Oakfield area of Fond du Lac county, check out Bezaleel's journal. You can find it at http://www.rootsweb.com/~wifonddu/scrapbook/spencer/spencer.html A very big THANK YOU to Joel Germond of Wisconsin Rapids, a descendant of Bezaleel, who transcribed the genealogical data from this journal, and then forwarded a copy of his transcription to me! It's donations like this that help to make the Fond du Lac website great. Thanks Tracy
Aha! I pressed my nose to the screen and read every line of the Spencer Journal (thank you, Joel!), hoping to find any of "my" family. Closest I got was 1897.....June 7 - Cool, fine. Mr. Berhite living on Second Str. Cut his throat this morning at 7 o'clock. He is a brother to John Steens wife. Mr. Berhite is (or rather, was) Tunis I. Burhyte, son of John T. Burhyte and his wife Matilda. Tunis was born July 14,1849 and died June 7, 1897.... by his own hand, apparently. He is buried in Rienzi, has a great big stone and a smaller Masonic stone next to it and adjacent to the monument for his grandparents, parents, Aunt Hannah, her granddaughter Hannah, and Tunis' brother Harvey. His aunt, Hannah (sister of John T.) Burhyte Corey Dobie was my great great grandmother. Her first husband, John Burhyte Corey, my great great grandfather died in Libby Prison during the Civil War. John's parents were William Harris Corey and Katherine Burhyte Corey. As usual, any information about them is welcome :-) Joel and Tracy.... could the ?? entry on July 30, 1893 be "Asa"? could the ?? entry on October 9, 1894 be "straightened"? could the ?? entry on November 18, 1898 be "killed"? Thanks again... when you're having a bad day, read this Journal again..... and be grateful for our relatively easy lives.... Sue