One of the questions asked on the census is "Where were your parents born?" According to the federal census, John's father was born in New York and his mother was born in Massachusetts.

John B. Steenbergh married Sephrona Cooper in Champion, New York on June 7, 1849 at the First Congregational Church. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Nathaniel Dutton.

Sephrona Cooper was born in New York about 1827. She died on August 31, 1904 in Yale, Michigan. John Steenbergh also died in Yale, Michigan on November 24, 1899.

John and Sephrona had five children named:
Horace
Henry (John Henry)
Charles
Mable
Carrie.

John Steenbergh enlisted in the infantry as a Union Soldier in the U.S. Civil War in Fulton, New York in August 1862. He was a member of the G.A.R. (Grand American Revolution). He was in the 147th New York Infantry Volunteers. He received a non-battle injury and was discharged for a disability at Finney Hospital in December 1862. You can visit my website regarding the 147th New York Volunteersby clicking on the link.


Details About the Children of John and Sephrona
Firstborn - Horace Steenbergh
It is not known where in New York Horace was born, but he died in Brockway Twp., St. Clair County, Michigan, in 1870. He was only 21 years old and died of "gravel" as the old record indicates. Today, we would call that kidney stones.

(John) Henry Steenbergh
Henry's real name was John Henry Steenbergh. He was born in Oswego, New York, November 17, 1852. There was an article written in the January 20, 1935 newspaper ( I believe the Detroit Free Press) that was written announcing John Henry and Phebe's 60th anniversary. Henry was the night fireman at the Yale Woolen Mills for 30 years. Henry married Phebe Jane Beadle in Speaker Township, St. Clair County, Michigan on January 21, 1875. Rev. John L. Walker married them. Witnesses were Stephen Beadle and Mary Brooks. Henry and Phebe had four children according to Creighton's elderly Aunt Opal that I conversed with via mail in the late 1970's. Their names were Cora, Maggie, Ada, and Albert (Bert). Opal said they were all deceased at that time. Bert's son, Creighton also lived in the Yale, Michigan area. I corresponded with Creighton Steenberg a few times, before he passed away on May 24, 1994. Creighton had dropped the "h" off of the end of the Steenbergh name, but I never knew why.

In the 1900 Federal Census for Brockway Township, St. Clair County, North Street, the following were listed for Henry's family:
Jane; Born April 1856 in Canada
Ada; Born November 1886 in Michigan
Bert; April 1899 in Michigan

Carrie Steenbergh (possible Mann)
Carrie was also born in Oswego, New York about 1860. I do not know much about Carrie. Opal believed she married a man named Larry Mann. I have no other information about her.

Mable Steenbergh Willard
Mable was sometimes called Mae. She married late in life to a man named Charles Willard. She is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Yale, Michigan. In a census record Mable is cited as a "seamstress." In a record where Sephrona (her widowed mother) is requesting pension for her husband's military service, it states that Mable "takes in sewing" and that is their only income. Mable, Sephrona, and a female boarder resided on Jones Street in the city of Yale for a number of years. Mable was born in Michigan, about 1863. That tells us that John and Sephrona Steenbergh migrated from Oswego, New York to Brockway Township, Michigan between 1860 and 1863.

Charles Steenbergh - (My descendent)
Charles Steenbergh and Mary Jane Savage
Charles was born October 20, 1856 in Oswego County, New York. He died on August 11, 1935 at Grace Hospital in Detroit. Both Charles and Mary are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Royal Oak, Michigan. Charles married Mary Jane Savage on August 14, 1878 in Berlin, St. Clair County, Michigan. The couple were united in marriage with the Rev. Joseph Knightley presiding. Nouval and Hannah Churchill were witnesses to their marriage. Mary was born in St. Clair County, Michigan on June 22, 1857. She died in Wayne County on July 19, 1928.

The facts about Charles and Mary are minimal and only what I have received from relatives. Richard and Genevieve Jaquays were kind to show me pictures and speak about them. Richard is a nephew of Omar and he is the son of Elsie Steenbergh Jaquays. They said that Charles and Mary were founding members of the Pilgrim Holiness Church that was located on the corner of Griffin and Jackson Avenue in Warren, Michigan. The church remained a pillar to the community until approximately 1998, when it was sold and dissolved. Richard told me that Charles lived on Benjamin Street in Romeo, Michigan and as a child, remembers visiting there. Louella (Steenbergh) Barnes remembers them residing in Cepac. Omar Steenbergh II stated that Charles Steenbergh worked for Brown Lumber in Detroit for a number of years.

Charles and Mary had six children, but one died at birth. Their children and birth dates are listed as follows, as shown by the Antrim County, Michigan 1900 Federal Census soundex:
Grace;October 27, 1879
Mable; January 4, 1882
Omar Floyd; June 2, 1888 (died September 11, 1967)
Elsa Sephrona;June 3, 1890 (died January 1974) also called Elsie
Iva; May 31, 1898

The census states that they were farmers.

Omar Floyd Steenbergh and Nora May Justice
Omar Floyd Steenbergh married Nora May Justice on September 7, 1910 in Jordan Township, Antrim County, Michigan. They had seventeen children.

Children of Omar Floyd Steenbergh I and Nora (Justice) Steenbergh:
Louella May
Floyd Lyle
Adrian Ray
Alberta Grace
Lionel George
Frances Fremont
Frieda Jane
Omar Floyd
Margorie Myrtle
Everett William
Leon Charles
Ivan Milford
Rosa Lee Marian
Rodney Clifford
Virginia Eileen
Gladys Joann
Reva Jean

Omar and Nora moved to the Warren, Michigan , 8 Mile and Hoover area. It was called Baseline, Michigan then. Omar worked for the Detroit Railway Company, driving a street car in downtown Detroit. It is said that Omar walked to work downtown and home again every day.

Grandma Nora Justice was a short woman, about 4'11". She had the patience of Job and everyone loved her. She constantly took in extra people in her home and took care of them. Hospitality was her gift.

Nancy tragically died while giving birth to a child on April 14, 1879. She died in Chestonia, Antrim County, Michigan. Three months later the baby, Maddie May, died November 8, 1879 of whooping cough. They are buried in a rural cemetery named Rock Elm Cemetery on Mt. Morris Road in East Jordan, Michigan. According to Grandma Nora (Justice) Steenbergh, Nancy Cruickshank was buried on the old homestead, but when the baby died several months later, she was moved and the baby was buried on top of her in Rock Elm.

Nancy Cruickshank married John Scott, (date unknown). John Scott was born about 1828 in Ireland. According to the 1880 Federal Census records for Antrim County, Jordan Township, Nancy and John Scott had the following children:

William;Born approximately 1865, in Ireland
Margaritt born approximately 1863, in Ireland
Thomas born approximately 1871, in Ireland
Rosa Jane Scott born August 24, 1873, in Cleveland, Ohio
Maddie May (who died at three months of age), Born April 14, 1879.

This information tells us that after 1871 and before August of 1873, the Scotts immigrated from Ireland to the United States. They settled for approximately three years in Ohio, and then moved to Michigan.

Clyde David; August 7, 1889
Clifford Cleveland; December 21, 1891
Nora May; August 28, 1894
Ruby Pearl; June 22, 1898
Evie (Eda) Marion; November 14, 1902
Hazel Dell; March 11, 1904
Goldie May (twin);May 1, 1904 (died 6-1-1988)
Gladys Fay (twin);May 1, 1904 - had heart trouble and died at age 14

Frances Marion Justice was born in Ross County, Ohio, (probably Union Township), on October 30, 1857. He died in 1936 at the age of 79 years old.

Rosa Jane Scott Justice died in 1952 at the age of 79 years old.

David Justice married Anna Touchtone in Lattaville, Ohio on July 31, 1851.

Anna Touchtone was born January, 1834 in Ohio. She died on May 19, 1907 in Jordan Twp., Antrim County, Michigan. Anna's parents were Joseph Touchtone, born in 1809 in Maryland, and Maria S. Beaty , born 1812.

David Justice was a union soldier in the infantry during the U.S. Civil War. He signed up in Chillicothe, Ohio and was assigned to the 73rd Ohio Infantry, Company D.

David and Anna Justice's children were:
Frank (Frances Marion) in Ohio
John born approximately 1867 in Ohio

Some stories about the Justice family as told by Nora Steenbergh and her sister Hazel:

David Justice was a preacher.

Aunt Hazel (Justice) told me that John (Johnny) died saving a boy from drowning. He was about 22 years old when he died. The story goes that he took his shoes off before jumping in the water. At home, his mother Anna heard someone walking across the floor in stocking feet. A girl was seen several times putting flowers on Johnnie's grave.

Grandma Nora Justice Steenbergh told me that the Justice family came up to Michigan from Ohio by covered wagon and settled in Antrim County.

Frances Marion Justice was a proficient violinist or "fiddle player." He played the fiddle for area square dances. They say that he was a great story teller, also.

Grandma Nora Justice played the organ. They had a pump organ at the house and the children would take turns pushing the pedals while grandma played the organ. She played the organ for church.

There is a story about Frances Marion (Frank) Justice. When he was 12 years old, his father sent him to a Bohemian settlement to buy 1/2 pound of salt pork and a sack of potatoes in the middle of a snow storm. It ended up being a blizzard and Frank Justice got lost in the woods. He had frozen feet and almost died.

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