Fenton Family Land Records, Wexford County, Michigan Liber 48 page 160

I am posting information gleaned from land records in the areas where our family’s ancestors resided. You can read more about this project in the overview. You may also check my deed record listing, which I will update frequently, but probably not every day. This group pertain to Papa’s Fenton ancestors who resided in Wexford County, Michigan.

Wow, I have see a few transactions, I for this description, and some for parts of it. I will refer to they by the form: Liber-Page, link to my previous post on each, and give a summary.

11-327 – John P and George Fenton purchase some rights to the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 from Willis Gladding. Executed 17 July 1875, recorded 31 May 1881.

3-219 – Eliza John Fenton perfects the homestead claim made by her late husband, John to the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4.

6-404 – Land grant deed recorded in Wexford County, Michigan records, the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4. Recorded 3 March 1876

48-160 – This record, George Fenton sells some rights to the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 to John Fenton. Executed 24 May 1876. Recorded 4 Feb 1931

7-25 – John P. and Susie Fenton sell the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 to Samuel Carpenter. Executed 9 July 1877. Recorded 11 July 1877

7-26 – John P. and Susie Fenton sell the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 to Samuel Carpenter. Executed 1 July 1877. Recorded 11 July 1877

8-561 – Eliza John Fenton Thurston sells some rights to the the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 to John P. Fenton. Executed 2 July 1878. Recorded 24 July 1878

8-562 – John P. and Susie Fenton sell the S 1/2 of the NE 1/4 to Coulter & Walter of St. Johns Michigan. Executed 15 May 1878. Recorded 29 May 1880.

If this does not give you a headache, nothing will. I suspect there may be some answers in the mortgage books, which I have not looked at. Perhaps Willis Gladding had loaned John or Eliza money, or Willis Galdding had also made a claim to the land. When George Fenton signed off of the property, John P. must have held the deed and not recorded it.

John P. Fenton died 23 March 1891 in Hamlin, Audubon, Iowa. George Fenton died 29 April 1916 in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Their remaining sibling, Salina “Lina” Fenton Watson died 7 June 1939 in Cadillac, Wexford County, Michigan.

I checked through the records I have for many descendents, and the only date I could find close to 4 February 1931 was the 1 April 1931 marriage of Mary Eliza Fenton Jenkins to Harry J. Houghtalin. Mary Eliza was a daughter of John P. and Susie Fenton. Perhaps during her divorce, subsequent re-marriage, or while cleaning and moving that may have accompanied her re-marriage, Mary found the unrecorded deed and took it to the courthouse. I do know that Mary’s descendents are in possession of an archive of letters written by Susie M. Burdick Fenton to her Michigan family, as transcriptions were provided with a family history. Mary may have held other historic papers, also.

I also find that Susie Burdick Fenton Longstreet died on 20 December 1931. Her second husband, Harmon H. Longstreet died 28 June 1931. It may be that the deed was among deeds and possessions of the Longstreets, and was found when Harmon became ill and close to death. It is common for people to organize their affairs when they become elderly and or sick.

In any event, the deed which cleared George Fenton’s claim to the property was recorded many years years after John sold the property to Coulter & Walter.