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147. 
Martha Jane WATROUS (*) was born on 28 December 1833 in Byron Township, Genesee County, NY.29,30,33,39,43,50,53,54,55 (Her birth date may have been December 29th.) (The 1900 Census indicates that she was born in December 1832.)
(Her husband's Department of the Interior pension application lists her name as "Martha Josephine Watrous." Her name ws listed as Mary in the 1880 Census.)
She would, in her elderly years, become known in the family as "Goody Grandma." She appeared in the census in 1840 in Byron Township, Genesee County, NY.34 She appeared in the census in 1850 in Oakfield Township, Fond du Lac County, WI.45 She was living in the household of Abner and Demaris Beebe, along with her mother Louise and her siblings Mary Jane and Lemuel. Martha lived with her husband and children "Loren" and Carrie at their home in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI about 1860.39 She appeared in the census in 1860 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.39 She appeared in the census in 1870 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.50 Martha appeared in the census in 1875 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.56 She appeared in the census in 1880 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.43 She appeared in the census in 1885 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.57 Martha appeared in the census in 1900 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.30 Their household was at 1308 Stoughton Avenue. She appeared in the census in 1910 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.31 She was living by herself. She died on 29 March 1919 at the age of 85 in La Grange Township, Monroe County, WI.4,53 on the Clarence L. Griggs family farm. She died of old age and gangrene of her left leg.
Obituary Notes: "Mrs. Martha J. Griswold was born in Byron, Genesee County, N. Y., Dec. 28, 1833, and died at Tomah, Wis., March 29, 1919. She was married to Samuel H. Griswold in Fond du Lac, Wis., Oct 31, 1851. They settled on a farm in the town of Ridgeville in 1854, and lived on this farm and another in Wilton until 1896, when they moved to Tomah. Mr. Griswold died Sept. 2, 1901.
There were born to them one son, Luen, who died at the age of fifteen; and one daughter, Mrs. Clarence Griggs of Tomah, who survives. She is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. (Charles) Crofoot of Rhinelander, Wis., and Mrs. (Russell) Abbey of Fond du Lac, Wis.; by six grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren. Two grandsons, Lucius and Carrol Griggs, preceded her in death.
Mrs. Griswold was one of the heroic mothers who supported her children and kept her home in the days of the Civil War, when her husband was fighting our country's battles. She was a devout Christian, a lifelong Methodist; a patriot of the old American stock.
Funeral services, which were held at the M.E. (Methodist Episcopal) Church in Tomah, conducted by Rev. G. Willett, were largely attended, the G.A.R. and W.R.C. attending in a body. The burial was at Oak Grove Cemetery."
(Bernice Griggs had notes indicating that Martha Watrous had four sisters: Mrs. Charles Crofoot, Rhinelander; Mrs. Russell Abbey, Rhinelander; Mrs. Elmer (Amelia) Phelps, Oakfield (probably Fond du Lac County, WI); and Mrs. Elsie Briggs, Fond du Lac. Only the first two were mentioned as surviving her in her obituary, and some of the information is believed to be in error.
Bernice Griggs also had notes that the parents of Martha Watrous have been listed as "George and Louise Poebles." That was an error; her mother's name was Lovisa--sometimes listed as Louisa--and her third husband was George Peoples. He was Martha's step-father, not her father.
From the Thwing genealogical biographical and historical account of the family, 1883, pages 107, 193: Martha J. daughter of Russell Watrous(1807-1849) and Lovisa Beebe, who moved to Oakfield, Wisconsin in 1846. She was born Dec. 29, 1833 and married Samuel H. Griswold, Oct. 31, 1851, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was born July 20, 1828, in Burns, N.Y. He is a wagon make and joiner.
Children, born in Ridgeville, Wisconsin:
(1) Luen Adelbert, b. May 3, 1856; d. Aug. 11, 1870.
(2) Carrie Permelia, b. Sept. 15, 1858. Martha was buried in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.53,58 in the Oak Grove Cemetery (First Addition, Block 2, Lot 13).
Bernice Griggs Notes: "Also known as 'Goody Grandma'."
Martha Jane WATROUS (*) and Samuel Hiram GRISWOLD (*) were married on 31 October 1851 in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Township, Fond du Lac County, WI.6,29,47,59,60,61,62,63 (Family records indicate that they married 30 or 31 October 1851, although the Vital Records, Marriages, for Fond du Lac county lists their marriage date as 2 December 1851.) 
Samuel Hiram GRISWOLD (*), son of Samuel J. GRISWOLD and Clarissa PETTINGILL, was born on 20 July 1828 in West Almond Township, Allegany County, NY.29,30,39,41,50,53,60,64,65,66,67,68,69 His Civil War Volunteer Enlistment record lists his place of birth as Steurben County, New York. His death certificate listed his birth as having been July 20th, 1828, in Allegany Co., New York, and it calculates his age as 74 years, 1 month and 13 days. It is believed that his death certificate was prepared with the assistance of his wife and was probably correct as to his birth date and location.
The LDS and the Thwing Genealogical Account of His Family, 1883, websites list his birth as July 30, 1828 in Burns, Allegany County, NY. The FamilySearch.org site lists his birthplace as Livingston, NY, which is believed to have been the township that is located in Columbia County on the Vermont border; that would have been incorrect.
The Hiram H. Griswold (a brother) book on the Griswold Family indicates that Samuel was born on July 20, 1829 in Almond Township, Allegany County, NY. His parents and siblings were listed in the 1830 Census in Almond Township, so it is likely that he was born there, not in neighboring Burns Township.
His obituary indicates that he was born on July 20, 1828 in Livingston County, NY (location believed to have been in error). His tombstone also indicates 1828. The 1870 Census shows that he was 39 years old at the time of the census, indicating that he would have been born in 1830 or 1831. The 1900 Census indicates that he was born in July 1829.
(Burns is a township in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,180 during the 2010 census. The town is named after Scots poet Robert Burns. The town lies in the northeast corner of Allegany County, northwest of Hornell and approximately 11 miles north of Almond Township.)
He appeared in the census in 1830 in West Almond Township, Allegany County, NY.70 He appeared in the census in 1840 in Burns Township, Allegany County, NY.71 (He cannot be located in the 1850 Census. He may have lived in Wisconsin, because he married there in October 1851.) Samuel was baptized about 1843.72 (Because his father was a Free Will Baptist minister, it is not likely that Samuel was baptized as an infant. Baptists are not generally baptized until their teen-age or later years.) He owned on 2 August 1852 in Dodge County, WI.73 The land plat described the 78.85 acre property as "the West half of the North East quarter, of Section Two, in Township Twelve, North of Range Seventeen, East, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Green Bay, Wisconsin." Between 1854 and 1894 he was a farmer, wagon maker and joiner, and lime producer in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.29,39,43,50,74 In about 1849, he moved from New York State to Dodge County, WI and then in the winter of 1854-55 he moved to Ridgeville Township (then part of Wilton Township), Monroe County.
From an undated newspaper article: "The lime business of Mr. S. H. Griswold is one of the leading industries on the Ridge. The kiln has been in operation six years, and the business has been about doubled up each year. Two years ago in order to supply the demand, Mr. Griswold changed his kiln from the pot to the draw system, so that the stone is fed in at the top and the lime drawn out at the bottom, the fire being kept up constantly and the kiln always full. The lime is better burned and much faster than by the old plan of emptying and filling.
This year the kiln has been running constantly since May 1st, burning on an average 50 bushels of lime a day. About half of the lime is sold at the kiln and the remainder is hauled to Tomah and sold to Watson Earle, who supplies all the local demand. Scarcely a day passes but two or more loads are brought to the city.
In carrying on his farm and his lime business, Mr. Griswold employs three men constantly and usually more. The stone used is blue limestone, which makes the best and strongest lime."
Tomah Journal Article, October 21, 1882: "The Journal endorses S. H. Griswold for state assembly, The Republican nominee is a Town of Wilton farmer and a veteran of the Grand Army of the Republic. Journal editor Wells reasons that since the county's representative in the state senate is a resident of Tomah, it isn't fair for the village to have both a member of the assembly and state senator as residents. Wells notes that the assembly candidates of the Democratic and Prohibition parties are both Tomah residents. The editor concludes that Griswold is among the old settlers of the county and '...is sure of election as the sun rises'."
An article about the history of the area notes that when the Town of Ridgeville was organized on 1 April 1856, he served as one of the first town officers (along with A. W. Gibbs, M. Aney, George E. Aney, Anson Spinner, B. S. Blake, and Danford A. Hanshaw). Samuel appeared in the census in 1855 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.75,76,77 His household consisted of 2 males (Samuel and his son, Luen) and 1 female (his wife Martha). His surname was spelled "Griswould."
(Note: At the time of the 1855 Census, Ridgeville Township did not exist; it was part of Wilton Township and was listed that way in the Census.)
(He was reportedly living in Dodge County, WI, from 1849 to 1854, but he cannot be located in the 1850 Census in Wisconsin.) He was United Bretheran Church between 1858 and 1902.78 He appeared in the census in 1860 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.39 His occupation was listed as "Farmer." Samuel served in the military between February 1865 and November 1865 in Rolla, Phelps County, MO.69,72,79,80 He enlisted for a one year term in Sparta on February 20th 1865 and served with Company I of the 49th Regiment of the Wisconsin Infantry in the Union Army during the Civil War. At the time of his enlistment, his occupation was "Farmer" in Leon Township and he was 6' 1" tall with brown hair, grey eyes, and a fair complexion.
Gary Griggs has a copy of his Volunteer Enlistment record and copies of his Company Muster Rolls, indicating his varius duties and stations. From May through October he served as a Private "On daily duty as clerk in Office of Asst. Engineer."
He was "mustered out" (discharged) on November 8, 1865. At that time, he had been paid only through June 30th and was due $28.63. Out of that amount, his discharge paper indicates that he was "Due U.S. for SR Musket--$6.00."
He also has a copy of a letter that he wrote to his wife, Martha, in July 1865, when he was stationed at Fort Dette, in Rolla, Missouri.
The letter is as follows: (Illegible parts are noted as ....) "Dear Wife. Wednesday night and with it came no letter, also Thursday eve. Will tomorrow night bring me one? I wonder, if not then when. I will wait until one does come, of course.
Hale received a letter by tonight's mail from wife. The news in that seems to create new life into the boys as it had not been understood yet by the boys that such an order had been issued yet releasing all his troops, although the Government property is being moved from this place with great speed. Every train carries away a heavy load. They are shipping both by sail (rail?) and team. About 50 wagons leave here every day for Fort Leavenworth this month to wind up the Government work shops.
Tonight Cap has taken up his lodgings at his boarding house. He loses about 15 dollars per month by sleeping in his office. So he has gone away. I have things my own way now; can go to bed when I please; get up when I have a mind to.
Hale tells me you have good weather now; perhaps it will not be so bad to get harvesting done. You need not look for me soon enough to do it if I was there now. I should not be fit to work as I have done no work for five months. My muscles are too soft to endure any hardship. I am as delicate as a schoolmarm and twice as handsome. I spect how Carrie will think she is handsome too, but can't help it.
The day has been warm. I staid in the shade. It rained as hard here this morn at 4 o'clock as I ever witnessed. I think it came right down in torrents. Some of the boys got moist indeed. My bunk was in a good place and so I escaped, but the boys in the line got Hail Columbia.
You may think curious of this letter, or rather its subject matter, but it is all I have got. You did not send one so I could have one to answer, so I concluded to compose up this one. If it does not snit (?), send it back.
Last evening I took tea with our chaplain. Had the privilege of eating off of earthen dishes for the first time since went in to camp at Madison. A good meal was set before me--biscuits and butter potatoe and pickle, coffee & milk, rice pudding & blackberry pie. It made me sick of the tin platter institution. I have only eaten one potatoe in 5 months and they last no better now than they did when I had them every day.
It is about eleven o'clock and yet I am not sleepy. I do not seem to require as much sleep of late. A few weeks ago I could sleep two thirds of the time and now one third satisfies me. I can read better than I could, and give some considerable part of my time to reading to pass away the time as ... as possible. The month of July does not seem to have been but a week long.
My subject is so poor I will only write ... sheet (?) .... and Carrie & ... for Pa.
Ever yours,
S. H. Griswold"
The "Cap" that he mentions was probably Captain John F. W. Dette, who was assigned to build the fort and for whom the camp was eventually named. On January 2, 2014, Gary Griggs received a telephone call from Mike Hamilton (whose name was originally Michael de la Dette), who lives in Australia and is a direct descendant of Captain Dette. Gary also received an e-mailed 1983 article about the history of the fort from John Bradbury, the Assistant Director of The State Historical Society of Missouri.
From the Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers: War of the Rebellion:
Name: Samuel W Griswold
Enlistment Date: 20 Feb 1865
Enlistment Rank: Private
Muster Date: 20 Feb 1865
Muster Place: Wisconsin
Muster Company: I
Muster Regiment: 49th Infantry
Muster Out Date: 8 Nov 1865
Muster Out Place: St Louis, Missouri
Survived War?: Yes
Residence Place: Ridgeville, Wisconsin
He appeared in the census in 1870 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.50,81 On 24 November 1878, he wrote in the autograph book of his daughter, Carrie: "Life is now before us, The present we know, The future hath promise, That God will bestow. His grace to our favor, If to seek Him we would, Inspiration doth teach us, To be happy is, to be good. S. H. G." He appeared in the census in 1875 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.56 His household consisted of 2 males and 2 females. The second male may have been his brother Hiram, who lived with his family for a while. Samuel appeared in the census in 1880 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.43,82 His household consisted of himself, his wife Martha J., and his daughter Carrie P.
The 1880 Census lists the birth places of Samuel's mother and father as Vermont. They are believed to have been born in New York. He appeared in the census in 1885 in Wilton Township, Monroe County, WI.57 His household consisted of him and his wife. He appeared in the census in 1895 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.83 Samuel appeared in the census in 1900 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.30 His household was at 1308 Stoughton Avenue in a home that he built in about 1894. The home was in the Griggs family until about 2017, when it was sold by one of his great-granddaughters, Beverly (Griggs) Drew. He died on 1 September 1902 at the age of 74 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.53,60,61,66,67,84,85,86,87 Obituary Notes : "Died, at his residence in the city of Tomah on Sept. 1, 1902, Mr. Samuel H. Griswold in the 74th year of his age.
With the death of Mr. Samuel Griswold, Tomah loses one of the oldest and most respected citizens. He was born in Livingston County (actually, Almond Township, Allegany County), New York, July 20, 1828. His father, Samuel by name, was a Free Will Baptist minister. In 1849 the subject of this sketch came to Wisconsin, settling first in Dodge County and in the winter of 1854 to '55 he with his wife moved to Ridgeville, he having been married to Miss Martha J. Watrous in 1851. Then eight years ago (1894) they came to Tomah and to their present home. Mr. Griswold was a member of Co. I, 49th Wis. Vol. Inf., and served faithfully one year, receiving his honorable discharge (on November 8, 1865) because of the close of the war.
Last fall, Mr. and Mrs. Griswold celebrated their golden wedding. Mr. Griswold joined the United Brethren church 44 years ago and has been a church goer and faithful Christian ever since. For the past two years he has been failing in health and since July 4th last, it became evident that he was drawing near to the end. He died in the early morning of Sept. 1, 1902. He leaves his wife and one child, Mrs. Carrie P. Griggs, one brother in Michigan and two sisters in the state of New York.
The funeral was held from the home Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 10:30 A.M., Rev. C. E. Butters assisted by Rev. Bergman officiating. Delegations of the Grand Army Post and Relief Corps were present at the services. The remains were laid to rest in the Tomah Cemetery."
From the notes of Bernice (Pergande) Griggs: "He first came to Wisconsin in 1849 and lived in Dodge County. He settled in Ridgeville in 1854, where he worked as a farmer and owned a lime business. He was the first town clerk of Ridgeville when the township was organized in April 1856. He served in Co. I, 49th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, enlisting on February 20, 1865 and being discharged on November 8, 1865. He moved to Tomah in 1894."
His Death Registration Certificate states, "Two years confined to house; disease was of long standing." It listed his cause of death as "chronic diarrhea and resulting piles." He was buried on 3 September 1902 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.53,58,60 in the Oak Grove Cemetery (First Addition, Block 2, Lot 13). Samuel has Ancestral File Number KC1R-5SX.
Martha Jane WATROUS (*) and Samuel Hiram GRISWOLD (*) had the following children:
153 | i. |  Luen Adelbert GRISWOLD was born on 3 May 1855 in Ridgeville Township, Monroe County, WI.6,29,39,41,59,67,86 He is listed as "Loren A." in the 1860 Census, with an age of 5 years old.(In the LDS Church IGI Records, the FamilySearch.org website, and the Benjamin Thwing Descendants Web site on the Internet, his birth date is listed as 3 May 1856. He is believed to have been born 3 May 1855, because he died on 11 Aug 1870 and Bernice Griggs had notes indicating that he had lived for 15 years, 3 months and 8 days.) |
+154 | ii. | Carrie Permelia GRISWOLD (*). |