Stiles & Borden Family

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THE STILES FAMILY

From Robert Stiles of England and Massachusetts to
Vera Olive Stiles in Riverside Co., CA

As with some other families on this web site, I will not try to duplicate work that others have done. A very good book has been written about the Stiles Family: Stiles Family of America, by Mary Stiles Paul Guild, ca. 1900. I will list our ancestors here, but for details, you could either read the book which is available on Heritage Quest, or check my World Connect database (link at bottom of this page). After the list of ancestors here, I will discuss the later family, beginning with Leroy R. Stiles (1806-1875 MI)

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Robert Stiles, Sr.  (1637 � 1690 MA) m. 1660 in MA to Elizabeth Frye.

I.  Ebenezer Stiles, Sr.  (ca. 1669 MA- 1746 MA) m. 1701 in MA to Dorothy Dalton.

    A.  Caleb Stiles, Sr.  (1716 MA � bef. 1779 NH) m. 1733 in MA to Sarah Walton.

	1.  Caleb Stiles, Jr.  (1737 MA � 1824 VT) m. 1760 NH to Mary Elizabeth Townsend.

	    a.  George Stiles (1767 NH � unk VT) m..Mary Pierce. 

	       (1)  Benjamin Stiles  (1806 VT � 1875 MI) m.1827 to Betsey Hacket.

		   (a) Leroy R. Stiles  (b. 1829  Can. � unk CA) m. 1853 in MI to Harriet Borden.

			[1]  Charles Orlando Stiles  (1857 MI � 1927 CA) m.1879 in MO (div. 
			     	     1892-1897, CA) to Mary Emily Robertson. 

			    [A]  Vera Olive Stiles  (1884 KS � 1963 CA) m. 1 1900 in OR (div.1906
                       	    OR) to Robert Wilkson Cobine; m.2 1907 WA to Charles Jasper Fortune.
7th Generation

LEROY R. STILES & HARRIET BORDEN
from MI to Taney Co., MO and to San Diego Co., CA

Leroy R. Stiles was born 10 April 1829 in Canada. On 23 Nov 1853 in Michigan, possibly Newaygo or Clinton County, he married Harriet Borden, daughter of John D. and Susan (Crawford) Borden. Between 1856 and 1858, Leroy (of Newaygo County, MI) purchased 200 acres of land in Section 25 of T12N11W. He and Harriet and son Charles are enumerated in that county in 1860, living with her parents.

By 1870, they have moved to Kent Co., MI and have added daughter Lillie to their family. The Stiles book discloses that for many years, Leroy was associated with his two brothers in the Mercantile business in Michigan.

In 1880, Leroy and family have made a long journey and are living in Oliver Twp., Taney Co., MO. One other daughter, Daisy, has been added to their family. Leroy purchased land in Taney Co. in Sept. 1880, described as being in sec. 22 of T22N22W. By 1885, with his same 2 brothers, he had a store and gristmill at Springvale (Pratt Co.) Kansas. His brothers were apparently "running the store", for even though he had Federal land in Pratt Co. and should have been working it, it appears he was still in Taney County, making land deals until late 1887. His mother, Betsey, evidently came with them from Michigan, for there is also a Federal land deed for her in Pratt Co., KS. She is not listed on the 1880 census, however.

The brothers must have lived in Kansas from about 1882-1887 and sometime in 1887, they all apparently met there before traveling together to Fallbrook, San Diego Co., California. This picture is said to be of Leroy and Harriet Stiles, though it would have to have been taken before 1895. I question whether it could be that old--any comments?

In September, 1895, Harriet's father, John D. Borden still of Newaygo Co., MI had come to visit them in Fallbrook. The family apparently had gone camping on the beach on September 10. According to numerous newspaper accounts, Harriet and her father were shot and murdered that day. This account is from the "San Francisco Call", Sept. 11, 1895. They were buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Fallbrook. This link shows the gravestone of Harriet and her father.

A man named Joseph Ebanks, described as a "West Indies Negro" was arrested for the the crime. He had stolen a few cents and some tobacco from them. He was convicted and sentenced to death. Finally after appeals and many legal wranglings, he was hanged 2-1/2 years later.

According to our aunt, Leroy Stiles moved to Long Beach, CA and had an ostrich farm after the death of his wife. He died 7 Feb. 1913 in Long Beach. He is buried in the same cemetery as his wife.

His daughter, Lillian married Thomas A. Bedford in MO. She appears to have died before 1900. Daughter, Daisy P. Stiles married Anthony Keith and lived in Elsinore (Riverside) CA. They had 6 children. She died in 1956 and is buried at Elsinore. She inherited a substantial estate when her father died.

JOHN D. BORDEN & SUSAN CRAWFORD
of Newaygo County, Michigan

John D. Borden was born about 1910 in New York, possibly Montgomery County (per land records). He married Susan Crawford on 23 Oct. 1834 in Rose Twp., Oakland Co., MI. By 1860, they had moved to Croton, Newaygo Co., MI. Assuming all of the John D. Borden's who purchased land in Michigan are the same person, he purchased, in all, about 680 acres of land in various locations there--mostly in Oakland and Newaygo Counties where he is known to have lived.

John's wife Susan had probably already died when he visited their daughter in California. She was last seen on the 1880 census for Newaygo County. They had 2 sons who served in the Civil War. They were John C. Borden who served with the 1st Michigan Engineers & Mechanics, Cos. E and F 1862-65 (see USGENWEB, Newaygo Co., MI). He later served as postmaster at Mineral Springs, MI. The other was Thomas C. Borden. He enlisted in the 6th Michigan Cavalry, Co. F on Sept. 8, 1862 at Solon; mustered out Nov. 24, 1865. He was a widower living in Soldier's Home, 1930, Kent Co., MI.

8th Generation

CHARLES O. STILES & MARY EMILY ROBERTSON
from Taney Co., MO to CA

Charles Orlando Stiles was born 1 Nov 1857 in Michigan, probably Newaygo County. He was married to Mary Emily Robertson on 6 Apr. 1879 in Cedar Valley, Taney Co., MO. Mary was born 27 Feb. 1861 in Ohio Co., KY. Her parents were Philip and Nancy Emily (Benton) Robertson. They had arrived in MO from Ohio Co., KY, first settling in Cass County, MO about 1870 and later in Taney County, MO. Read more about the Philip Robertson family here.

Shortly after Charles and Mary married, they went to Pratt County, KS with his family. They lost two daughters in infancy -- one, Hattie Pearl, in 1880 and the other, Frances Ethel, in 1882 from smallpox while traveling west. Another daughter, Vera Olive was born in 1884 while living in Pratt County, KS.

They traveled farther west by wagon train, arriving in California about 1887. His occupation is variously given as school teacher, blacksmith, and teamster. This is an excerpt from a letter written by Merle Cobine (wife of Ralph W. Cobine) about Mary.

�I know nothing about Charles Stiles, other than he was a school teacher�. I know very little about Mary Robertson�. The only thing she ever told me was her father owned a cotton plantation in Kentucky �. He had slaves and she was raised by a black Nanny. �.

�After the Civil War ended, her father freed all of his slaves and gave each one a small piece of land�. She did say once that they started West in a covered wagon. She had one baby that died on the way. She had Olive and nearly lost her. Someone fed her some peanuts and she nearly choked to death. After they got to Calif., Stiles camped them out on the beach in Fallbrook and then left supposedly in search of work and left Mary and Olive no money and very little to eat. Mary took it as long as she could, finally left and got to Los Angeles..., divorced Stiles, and did housework until she met Williams and married him. Ralph and I lived with them for several years.�

Mary E. (Robertson) Stiles married Henry Martin Williams 15 May 1897 in LA. In 1900, Mary, Henry and daughter Olive are enumerated in Portland (Multnomah Co.) OR. They had no children. Mary E. (Robertson) Stiles Williams died 22 Jan. 1935 in Compton (LA Co.) CA. Henry died 4 Jul 1943, also in Compton. They are both buried in Compton at Angeles Abbey Maus. Park.

9th Generation

VERA OLIVE STILES & CHARLES JASPER FORTUNE
from Oregon to CA

The story of the daughter of Mary and Charles O. Stiles, Vera Olive Stiles, and her two husbands can be found on the Fortune Family page.

Check out the graves of some of these people on my virtual "Fortune Cemetery" with Fortunes, Stiles, Robertsons, Edwards, others on www.findagrave.com

Click here to view an ancestor chart of this family
Click here to view a migration map of this and related families

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