NameEsther M BARNES 5106
Birth DateMay 1853
Death Date1 Aug 1879
Death PlaceFenton, Genesee Co., MI, USA
Death Memoat her mother’s home
Burial PlaceGardner Cemetery, Tyrone, Livingston Co., MI, USA
Cause of DeathConsumption
FatherJoseph BARNES Esq. (~1820-)
MotherMary [BARNES] (~1819-)
Misc. Notes
Esther’s obituary was published in the Fenton (MI) Independent on 2 Aug 1879 in Fenton, Genesee County, Michigan, United States.

Died at the residence of her father, Joseph Barnes, Esq. of Tyrone, on Friday, August 1st, 1879, of consumption, Esther M. wife of Edwin G. Thompson, aged 26 years 3 months and 18 days. Funeral on Sunday, at 1 o'clock p.m.


Her obituary was published in the Manistee Times on 20 Aug 1879.

Death of Mrs. Edwin Thompson

Mrs. Esther M. Thompson, wife of Edwin Thompson (brother of S.C. Thompson of this office) died of consumption at Fenton, Michigan, on Friday, August 1st. Deceased was well known in this city as Miss Esther Barnes before her marriage with Mr. Thompson about four or five years ago. They have been residing at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until it became evident that Mrs. Thompson could not live. Mr. Thompson then took her to her mother's home at Fenton, Michigan, where she died as stated above.



She appeared on the census on 2 Aug 1860 in Tyrone, Livingston County, Michigan, United States.
Joseph Barnes; male; age 40; farmer; b.England
Mary " ; female; age 41; b.Ireland
Ellen " ; female; age 17; b.New York
Mary A. " ; female; age 13; b.Mich.
Julia " ; female; age 11; b. Mich.
Esther " ; female; age 8; b.Mich.
Arminda " ; female; age 8/12; b.Mich.
Oscar Dickinson; male; age 20; b. Mich.
Spouses
Birth Date26 Dec 1854
Birth PlaceClearfield, Clearfield Co., PA, USA
Death Date6 Jan 1936 Age: 81
Death PlaceLigonier, Noble Co., IN, USA
Burial Date9 Jan 1936
Burial PlaceOak Park Cemetery, Ligonier, Noble, IN
Burial MemoRev. G.H. Bachelor, a close personal friend, and Rev. C.C. Wischmeier, officiating
OccupationTeacher; Newspaper Publisher, Ligonier, Indiana Leader
Cause of DeathApoplexy*
ReligionMethodist
FatherStacy Webb THOMPSON (1819-1896)
MotherElizabeth BLOOM (1824-1904)
Misc. Notes

Obituary


Edwin’s obituary was published in the Ligonier (IN) Leader the week of 7 Jan 1936 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana, United States.

Funeral Services were held Wednesday afternoon

Stricken with apoplexy on Tuesday evening, December 17, while listening to his radio, Edwin G. Thompson, founder of the Ligonier Leader, and editor of this newspaper since its first issue in the Spring of 1880, died at his home on Martin Street, Sunday, January 6, 1936, at 4:00 o'clock p.m. His condition at first was not considered serious, but the paralysis, following the stroke, gradually spread
over his body and death followed. He was 81 years and 10 days of age.

Born in Clearfield County, Pa., on December 26, 1854, the son of Stacy W. and Elizabeth Thompson, he spent his early childhood on a farm near Clearfield, Pa., where he acquired the rudiments of an education, later by self-education, advancing far enough to become a teacher.

At the age of 14, with his brothers, Stacy, Jr. and Byron, he started westward, locating first in Michigan, where he served a three-year's apprenticeship as a printer. Continuing in the printing business, he held positions on newspapers in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa, finally locating in Sturgis, Michigan, where in 1879, he was engaged in publishing the Saturday Evening Leader.

Prominent republicans in Ligonier induced him to move to this city and start a newspaper, and on June 4th, 1880, the first issue of The Ligonier Leader was published under his editorship with a circulation of 600 copies. The newspaper was a success from the start and has continued to be so. Mr. Thompson continued as editor of The Ligonier Leader until 1920, when he entered into partnership with his youngest son, Leland, and the paper as since been published under the editorship of E.G. Thompson and Son. The Leader was first located in the Ackerman Building in the second floor room, now occupied by the office of Dr. F.N. Stratton. In 1882 the office was moved to the second floor of the Schrock building at Second and Calvin streets, then just completed, where it remained until February 1928, when Mr. Thompson and his sons purchased the Woodruff building opposite the former location, moving to the first floor of that building, where they have since remained.

On November 27, 1874, he was united in marriage with Esther M. Barnes in Fenton, Mich., and to them was born one son, Wilbur. Mrs. Thompson died August 1, 1879, and on December 8, 1881, he was united in marriage with Ella Kennedy at Sturgis, Mich. There were five children born to them, Martha, Grace, James, Edwin G., Jr., (Ted), Leland and Herbert. Herbert died in infancy, Ted at the age of 7 years and Martha in 1927, following a short illness of pneumonia. Mrs. Thompson died in the fall of 1929, and Mr. Thompson, with the exception of one year spent in the home of his son, Leland, has continued to live at his Martin Street home with Miss Ardath Furst as his housekeeper, who in those years has given him the affection, care and comfort of a daughter. His appreciations of a family and the younger generation was an outstanding characteristic of his life, and in 1913, with all his children gone from home, he and Mrs. Thompson took into their home a young friend, Miss Matilda Reimer, of Chicago, who remained with them several years, graduating from the high school here.

He was a member of the Methodist Church of Sturgis, Mich., and during his residence here was a loyal and devoted worker in the Methodist Church of this city, being a member of the Board of Trustees for the past 50 years. He never held any public office except for two terms when he served on the Ligonier School Board, and two terms as Secretary of the Indiana Editorial Association, but his life was spent in devotion to the highest and best principles of good citizenship, and he worked untiringly for the things that would tend to make Ligonier a better place in which to live.

He was a charter member of the Ligonier Chamber of Commerce, but for the past three years had been inactive in the affairs of that organization because of his declining health.

He was a loyal Republican, casting his first vote for Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and never missed voting at any election following that time. He devoted his time, talents and business to the Republican party, and for this he received no reward other than the knowledge of a work well and honestly done to
the best of his ability.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, from the Methodist Episcopal Church, with Rev. G.H. Bachelor, a close personal friend, and Rev. C.C. Wischmeier, officiating. Burial was made in Oak Park Cemetery.

Surviving relatives include one daughter, Mrs. F.E. Pfeiffer, of Washington, D.C., three sons, Wilbur H. Thompson, of Dayton, O., James S. Thompson, of New York City, and Leland K. Thompson, of this city; one brother, Stacy C. Thompson, of Manistee, Michigan, and one sister, Mrs. M.A. Johnson, of Battle Creek, Michigan.

Pall bearers at his funeral were Leland Calbeck, Elmo Weaver, Leon Wertheimer, Herbert Sisterhen, Will Green and Curtis Hutchison, all boyhood friends of his three sons and whose families had been personal friends of Mr. Thompson and family during his life here.
______

Edwin appeared on the census on 16 Sep 1860 in Curwensville, Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
Stacy Thompson; age 40; male; lumberman; b.PA
Elizabeth; age 36; female; b.PA
Ambrose; age 9; male; b.PA
Byron; age 7; male; b.PA
Edwin; age 6; male; b.PA
Stacy; age 4; male; b.PA
John; age 3; male; b.PA


He appeared on the census on 10 Jun 1870 in Manistee, Manistee County, Michigan, United States.
Thompson, Edwin G.; age 15; male; white; no occupation; b.PA
(living in boarding house)


He appeared on the census on 10 Jun 1880 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana, United States.
Thompson, G. Edwin; white; male; age 25; single; boarder; editor of the Leader; b.PA; father b.PA; mother b.PA


He appeared on the census on 9 Apr 1930 in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana, United States.
Thompson, Leland R.; head; owns home; value 8400; radio set; male; white; age 38; age at first marriage 26; b.IN; father b.PA; mother b.MI; occupation:editor, newspaper
Gertrude E.; wife; female; white; age 36; age at first marriage 29; b.Kansas; father b.Canada; mother b.Kansas
Caroline; daughter; female; white; age 9; single; b.Kansas; father b.IN; mother b.Kansas
Allen G.; son; male; white; age 6; single; b.IN; father b.IN; mother b.Kansas
Edwin G.; father; male; white; age 75; widowed;
b.PA; father b.NJ; mother b.PA
_________________________________________________________________

The name "Gainer" was the maiden name of Ann Gainer, Edwin’s fourth great grandmother.3


*Apoplexy is an old-fashioned medical term, generally used interchangeably with cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke) but having other meanings as well.4609
Family ID10386
Marr Date24 Nov 1875680
Marr PlaceFenton, Genesee Co., MI, USA
Marr MemoEdwin’s newspaper obituary indicates they were married 27 November 1875
Misc. Notes
Edwin and Esther were residing at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin just prior to Esther’s death.5107
ChildrenWilbur Hays (1877-1941)
Last Modified 2 Mar 2011Created 17 May 2017 Rick Gleason - ricksgenealogy@gmail.com