James Milton House (1866-1951)

Jame Milton House
James Howse
Born:	29 Jul 1866 Omard, Michigan
Died:	3 Sep 1951 Petoskey, Michigan
Father:	Daniel Howse
Mother:	Catherine Snell
Siblings	Jacob House Marey Ellen House Adelbert House Ida May House Adelbert Jeremiah Howse James Milton House
Married:	29 Jul 1893 Vanderbilt, Michigan
Spouse:	Emaline Amanda Hunn
Children:	Raymond Leslie House James Milton House
Married:	4 Apr 1905, Michigan
Spouse:	Sarah Ellen Phillips
Children:	Annie Overholt Eisey May Howse Melvin Earl Howse Myrtle Sena House Charles Adelbert Howse Sylvia Pauline Howse Clifford Leroy Howse

James Milton House was the second husband of Sarah but her true love, so she said. They had several children together, lost their first daughter, Eisey, when she was 11. They also raised his son, by his first wife, Raymond. Sarah and Raymond were very close. James worked in the lumber camps in Pellston for several years where Sarah often worked as a cook. Their oldest children were born there. When Myrtle was ten years old, which would be in the year of 1914, her family moved to an old farm which stood at the top of the east hill in Harbor Springs, where the stadium parking lot once stood, followed by the city skating rink and currently is the site of the care facility, Bay Bluffs. Myrtle has told her family that she was glad to be back at the spot where she spent much of her childhood, before the end of her life. From this location, they moved to a 2 story frame house on Lake Road. Sarah told Joanne Heinz that the house was yellow when SHE bought it. She said that their bluff house was really a shack with space between the wood (logs?) and didn't keep out much weather. The only work I remember her saying was to do laundry for the resorters. Perhaps she had earlier income? Sarah mentioned that the Lake St. home had no bathroom, running water or electricity when they moved into it. Her children were enthralled with turning on the lights when they finally had electricity put in. She still had the little hand pump over her sink and the outhouse in the backyard when the Heinz family moved in next door to her. Her entire family stored potatoes for the winter in her Michigan basement.

Myrtle told of her father, James, singing them to sleep often, and telling them stories. She fondly recalled going to the lumber yard at the foot of the East Hill, in Harbor Springs, to walk home with their father. One day, he led them to the edge of the lake, near the Wequetonsing entrance, and dived in. He proceeded to swim to Harbor Point and back. This to the delight of the children!
   
James' death record, in the Emmet County Courthouse, says that he was a machine operator, probably in Lansing, but he was a lumberjack for most of the years he was with Sarah. It also states that he died of aterioschlerosis and that he was 85 at his death.

Obituary

Petoskey Evening News, Petoskey, Michigan, Tuesday, September 4, 1951, p. 4:

Former Harbor Man Dies Monday

HOWSE, James M., 85, an Emmet county resident for many years before going to Lansing 30 years ago, died Monday at a Petoskey convalescent home where he had been a patient for some time. He had been ill for two years.

Mr. Howse was born in Sanilac Co. July 29, 1866.

He was married in 1895 at Gaylord to Miss Sarah Phillips.

Gertrude Caroline Catob (1916-1999)

Gertrude Caroline Catob Howse Carmer
Grandma Carmer, 1935
Born:	9 May 1916 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Died:	27 Mar 1999 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Father:	Johann Adolph Chudobba
Mother:	Caroline Luise Christiane Schwerdtfeger
Siblings	Karl August Johann Catob Frieda Marie Catob Gertrude Caroline Catob Helene Isobel Catob
Married:	21 Dec 1935 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Spouse:	Clifford LeRoy Howse
Children:	Gertrude Joanne Howse Karlene Joyce Howse Arnold Leroy Howse

Letter to a Granddaughter

July 1992
Dear Annette,

I'm sorry I didn't respond to your questionaire you sent me quite some time ago. I just ran onto it while looking through some papers. I will list things as you have.

One time Aunt Helene took both her and mine dolls that our father brought us from Germany in 1923. The buggy tipped over and of course both were smashed all to pieces. They were Dresden dolls.

Another time when I was around seven or eight and I took a pretty green velvet purse that my girl friend received for her birthday. The girls father asked our teacher to watch for it. The teacher came to our house or to my Aunt Frieda's who helped take care of us after our mother died and I think she told my father and I got a whipping with my father's razor strap.

I never dated with anyone but Grandpa Howse. He always came down to the Court House yard to play with eight or ten other kids. Then we started meeting at the library. We decided to go to the Prom up at the high school, so I had to teach him how to dance. We practiced up at his house with the record, "It's Three O'Clock in the Morning."

I went with Grandpa all through High School. Grandpa of course had to quit school in the 11th grade as they couldn't afford to buy his clothes and books. I graduated in June and we were married the following December twenty-first.

Clifford Leroy Howse (1915-1957)

Clifford LeRoy Howse
Cliff Howse
Born:	19 Mar 1915 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Died:	22 Aug 1957 Petoskey, Michigan
Father:	James Milton Howse
Mother:	Sarah Ellen Phillips
Siblings	Raymond Leslie House Annie Overholt Eisey May Howse Melvin Earl Howse Myrtle Sena House Charles Adelbert Howse Sylvia Pauline Howse Clifford Leroy Howse
Married:	21 Dec 1935 Harbor Springs, Michigan
Spouse:	Gertrude Caroline Catob
Children:	Gertrude Joanne Howse Karlene Joyce Howse Arnold Leroy Howse

Clifford Leroy Howse, or Cliff as he was called by most, was a much loved last child of Sarah Ellen Phillips and James Milton Howse. He was born, raised and lived all of his life in Harbor Springs. He had two toys which he said were the only store-bought toys he had ever owned. Nevertheless, he and his siblings found many fun things to do and play with. Mel, Jr., who spent a summer living with Sarah's family, said that Cliff taught him to swim. Took him out on a raft or dock and pushed him off!  A good natured boy, he seemed to be able to get away with most anything and still remain adored.

Joanne H. Howse remembers his mother often speaking of him in glowing terms. He was her baby, after all.

After marrying his high-school sweetheart, Gertrude Caroline Catob, Cliff and Gert had 3 children, Joanne, Karlene and Arnold. The couple has been often described as being very close, loving each other more than most anyone, each adoring the other. Karl Catob, Jr. said that he loved to be in their home as there was so much love and so little contention there.

Hard working, Cliff had several jobs and was said to never let any time pass without one. He worked in Renolda Greenhouse, one summer, with Leslie Heinz who said he was a hard worker. After marriage he worked for the tannery on the Harbor-Petoskey Road for several years. His son, Arnold, recalls taking a bus to the tannery and playing baseball with his Dad and others during their lunch break and then riding home with Cliff.

When the tannery closed, Cliff had a temporary job working at the Bar Harbor. This was followed by several years of working at the Perm Alum factory in Harbor Springs  He was eventually made the foreman, there. Hiring and firing people was part of his job but he said that firing was very hard for him. One case that made him feel especially bad was when he had to turn down a black fellow who had applied to work there. This because it was the company policy!