Living

Other Events:

• Name: Byron A. Gordon
• Name: Byron Gordon
• Reference Number: 6354
• Residence: Sanford, Midland, Michigan, USA
• Birth: 6 Oct 1918, Harrison, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Birth: 1919, Michigan, USA
• Birth: 1919, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1920, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1930, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Death: 29 Jan 2009, Sanford, Midland, Michigan, USA

Byron married Bonnie Unknown. Bonnie was born on 24 Sep 1927; died on 27 Jan 2001 in Midland, Midland, Michigan, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• SSN issued: Michigan, USA
• Name: Bonnie Gordon
• Reference Number: 2581

Other Events:

• Race: White
• Reference Number: 6670
• Residence: 1900, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1910, Fairhaven, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: Between 1917 and 1918, Clare, Michigan, USA; Age: 36
• Residence: 1920, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1930, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1935, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1940, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA; Age: 59; Marital Status: Divorced; Relation to Head of House: Head

Notes:

BIRTH: 20 Apr 1881 in Caseville, Michigan.

PARENTS: Stephen Gordon and Harriet Campbell

MARRIAGE: Cora Taylor 4 Aug 1908 in Essex, Ontario, Canada. They had one child, a daughter, Capitola. They divorced 30 Oct 1913.
second 3 Jan 1916 he married Virgina Caruthers in Boone, Missouri. They had 11 children. They divoced on 13 May 1940 in Clare, Michigan.

OCCUPATION: James listed his occupation as barber on his 1908 marriage record. Various census and other records list his occupation as farmer. On 11 Nov 1940 he was employed as a deck hand on the 420 foot Great Lakes freighter, SS William B. Davock. It was on this date that a major storm on Lake Michigan with winds of up to 80 mph (referred to as The Armistice Day blizzard) sunk the SS WIlliam B Davock off Pentwater, Michigan with the loss of all lives (either 32 or 33) on board.

DEATH: 11 Nov 1940

BURIAL: Died at sea. Body not recovered.

THE SS WILLIAM B DAVOCK:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The SS William B. Davock was a lake freighter that was constructed in 1907 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, at their St. Clair, MI facility for the Vulcan Steamship Co. (R.H. Pigott, Mgr.). She was operated by Vulcan Steamship from 1907 to 1915 in The Great Lakes coal, iron ore, grain and stone trades. In 1915 the ship came under the management of The Interlake Steamship Co. (Pickands Mather & Co., Mgrs.). While laid up for the winter (1922-23) in Fairport, Ohio, she was reconstructed and updated, this work lead to a tonnage change in the amount of 4220 gross - 2671 net. The Davock resumed its traditional trade pattern of coal carried to upper lakes ports from Lake Erie and iron ore from Lake Superior ports to the steel mills of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan.
This routine was permanently disrupted on November 11, 1940 as a ferocious storm swept the lakes late on that Monday afternoon. Considered to be the worst storm to that point on Lake Michigan it saw 75 mph winds and rain turning to snow. Several vessels transiting Lake Michigan were caught with little warning. The Davock making her way down the lake with coal for Chicago was presumably overwhelmed at the height of the storm succumbing to the intense wind and waves, and slipping to her final resting place ~200 feet below the surface five miles out from Little Sable Point between Ludington, Michigan and Pentwater, Michigan. None of the 32 (some sources cite 33) hands survived. In total the storm took two vessels and their entire crews (Davock, and Kinsman Steamer Anna C. Minch). Several other vessels were damaged, or ran aground trying to escape the storm's fury. Overall estimates state 59 sailors were lost in what would be the worst maritime disaster on the Great Lakes since the Great Storm of 1913.
Early in 2015, Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Holland, MI announced the results of a 2014 survey of the wreck which revealed the cause of the William B. Davock's loss was a broken rudder, which jammed against the propeller breaking off one or more blades, rendering the vessel without steering or propulsion. This allowed the boat to fall into the trough of the waves, where it was swamped and perhaps capsized before sinking. It sank in more than 200 feet of water, taking all hands with it. Diver Jeff Vos captured the only video images of the wreck showing the damaged rudder and propeller.[1]
The Davock today
The sunken hull of the Davock was discovered in May 1972, capsized in over 200 feet (60m) of water, off Little Sable Point Light, not far from the wreck of the SS Anna C. Minch, which went down in the same storm. The light is located south of Pentwater, Michigan.[2]
References
1.Champion, Brandon (March 11, 2015). "Shipwreck explorers solve 75-year-old mystery surrounding William B. Davock freighter sunk in Lake Michigan". Muskegon Chronicle. Muskegon, Michigan. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
2.Dwight Boyer (1974). Strange Adventures of the Great Lakes. LOC #74-7771.

The wreckage of the Davock was found in May of 1972 by John Steele, Kent Bellrichard and Bill Cohrs. She lies upside-down with coal strewn about and her rudder hard to port.
The following is the text from a Michigan Historical marker in Pentwater:
“The most disastrous day in the history of Lake Michigan shipping was Armistice (now Veterans) Day, November 11, 1940. With seventy-five-mile-per-hour winds and twenty-foot waves, a raging storm destroyed three ships and claimed the lives of fifty-nine seamen. Two freighters sank with all hands lost, and a third, the Novadoc, ran aground with the loss of two crew members. Bodies washed ashore throughout the day. As night fell, a heavy snow storm arrived. Rescue efforts by the Coast Guard and local citizens continued for three days after the storm. Three Pentwater fishermen were later recognized by the local community and the Canadian government for their bravery in rescuing seventeen sailors from the Novadoc.” These fishermen, aboard the Three Brothers, ventured out to rescue the men when even the official search and rescue agencies would not.
Early in 2015, Michigan Shipwreck Research Association announced the results of a 2014 survey of the wreck which revealed the cause of the Davock loss was a broken rudder, which jammed against the propeller breaking off one or more blades, rendering the vessel without steering or propulsion. This allowed the boat to fall into the rough of the waves, where it was swamped and perhaps capsized before sinking. It sank in more than 200 feet of water, taking all hands with it. Diver Jeff Vos captured the only video images of the wreck showing the damaged rudder and propeller.


Died:
Died at sea

James married Virginia Franklin Caruthers on 3 Jan 1916 in Boone, Missouri, USA. Virginia (daughter of Leander {Lee} Caruthers and Ella Price Hutchison) was born in Aug 1895 in Missouri, USA; died about 1957 in Clare, Michigan, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Race: White
• Name: Virginia Crother
• Name: Virginia Crothers
• Name: Virginia Gordon
• Reference Number: 6767
• Birth: 1894, Missouri, USA
• Birth: 1894, Missouri, USA
• Birth: Abt 1895, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1900, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1910, Columbia Ward 1, Boone, Missouri, USA; Age: 15; MaritalStatus: Single; RelationToHead: Step Daughter; RelationToHead: Stepdaughter
• Residence: 1910, Boone, Missouri, USA; Columbia Ward 1, Boone, Missouri
• Residence: Between 1917 and 1918, Clare, Michigan, USA; Age: 36
• Residence: 1920, Columbia Ward 2, Boone, Missouri, USA; StreetAddress: Rooms Nill Store; Age: 21; Occupation: Paper Box; AbleToSpeakEnglish: Yes; AttendedSchool: No; CanRead: Yes; CanWrite: Yes; EnumerationDistrict: 18; Industry: Daily Paper; IsEmployed: Wage or Salary; MaritalStatus: Single; RelationToHead: S
• Residence: 1930, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1940, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA

Notes:

BIRTH: 1894-1895 in Missouri

PARENTS: Leander Caruthers and Ella Price Hutchison

MARRIAGE: 3 Jan 1916 to James N Gordon in Boone County, Missouri. They divoced on 13 May 1940 in Clare, Michigan.

RESIDENCE:

DEATH: abt 1957 in Clare, Michigan

BURIAL: 1957 Hillcrest Cemetery in Clare, MI

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 6027
• Residence: 1852, Cayuga, Haldimand, Ontario, Canada; near Niagara---see notes for age question
• Residence: 1860, Lexington, Sanilac, Michigan, USA
• Arrival: 1863
• Residence: 1870, White Rock, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1880, Bloomfield, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1900, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1910, McKinley, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1920, Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA

Notes:

Stephen married Harriet Campbell on 29 Sep 1876 in Bloomfield, Huron, Michigan, USA. Harriet (daughter of Horatio E Campbell and Sarah Lounsbury) was born on 31 Dec 1851 in Huron County, Michigan, USA; died on 13 Jul 1916 in Greenwood, Clare, Michigan, USA; was buried in Clare, Clare County, Michigan, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Race: White
• Name: Harriet Campbell
• Name: Harriette Campbell
• Reference Number: 6764
• Residence: Bay City, Bay, Michigan, USA
• Birth: 1850, Canada
• Birth: 1850, USA
• Birth: 31 Dec 1851, Michigan, USA
• Birth: Dec 1852, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1860, Marion, Sanilac, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1880, Bloomfield, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1900, Fairhaven, Huron, Michigan, USA
• Residence: 1910, McKinley, Huron, Michigan, USA

Notes:

born Canada or U.S? All census entries after 1850 and death cert say Michigan. Only 1850 census says Canada.

Marriage record shows Hattie McDonald. Appears to be Harriet Campbell, time frame, township are all correct. Harriet had a prior marriage to John Sanfield McDonald.


Died:
Age: 64

Other Events:

• Name: L. Caruthers
• Reference Number: 5791
• Birth: 1872
• Residence: 1880, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1900, Boone, Missouri, USA

Notes:

appears on census dated 13 Jun 1900. Wife remarried on 4 Sep 1901.

Leander married Ella Price Hutchison on 28 Sep 1894 in Boone, Missouri, USA. Ella (daughter of George R Hutchison and Elizabeth West) was born on 15 Oct 1870 in Boone, Missouri, USA; died on 30 Dec 1955 in Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Race: White
• Name: Alla Osburn
• Name: Ellois P Unknown
• Reference Number: 5763
• Birth: 1861
• Birth: 1872
• Residence: 1880, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1880, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1900, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1910, Columbia Ward 1, Boone, Missouri, USA; Age: 38; MaritalStatus: Married; RelationToHead: Wife
• Residence: 1920, Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA
• Residence: 1920, Columbia Ward 2, Boone, Missouri, USA; StreetAddress: Rooms Nill Store; Age: 48; AbleToSpeakEnglish: Yes; CanRead: Yes; CanWrite: Yes; EnumerationDistrict: 18; MaritalStatus: Married; RelationToHead: Wife
• Residence: 1930, Columbia, Boone, Missouri, USA