Week 23 - Wedding Bells - Sheridan/Holland

Finding a minister to preside over a wedding in Fulton (Perrinton), Gratiot County, Michigan in 1875 would have been hard to come by. And a Catholic priest would have been virtually impossible.

Elizabeth Holland was born 22 Sept 1857 in Fremont, Sandusky, Ohio, the youngest of three children of Irish immigrants Thomas and Mary (Shevlen) Holland.

Michael Sheridan was born 2 Oct 1850 and baptized at St Mary's Church in Scottsville, Monroe County, New York. Michael was the oldest of nine children of Patrick and Margaret (Hughes) Sheridan. 

By 1860, the Sheridan family was living south of Fulton twp. (town of Perrinton today) in Gratiot County, Michigan. 

The Holland family does not show in records until the 1870 Fulton twp., Gratiot County, Michigan census, living next door to the Sheridan homestead.

Township of Fulton, Gratiot County, Michigan 1870 Census - 19 July 1870 Springbrook Post Office pg25 Ancestry.com

Michael was age 19 and Elizabeth was only 12.  He was obviously patient as he waited until she turned 19 to marry her. They were married 5 Nov 1877 in Owosso, Shiawassee County, Michigan.

At the time there was not a Catholic church in the area. The area would have been served by traveling priests and were often hosted in local homes or gathering places. St Mary's in Carson City (just nine miles west) was not organized until 1896. The next closest church was St Paul's Roman Catholic Church in Owosso. St Paul's was organized in 1872, and it was 37 miles away. 

There was a railroad line connecting Perrinton, MI to Owosso MI in 1877. This line had originally been the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railway. By 1880, it was a part of the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway (TS&M).

It would have taken 2-3 hours by train depending on weather, stops, and if they had to transfer.  If they had taken a horse and buggy, it would have taken 6-8 hours depending on weather and road conditions. I have no proof, but I would like to think that they took the railroad as Michael's occupation at the time of marriage was 'railroader'. 

Daniel & Mary Fitzgerald were witnesses to their wedding. Is this Elizabeth's sister Mary Jane Holland? More research to do!

In the 1880 census of Gratiot County, Michael is listed as a farmer and was living on the Sheridan homestead just south of Perrinton. He and Elizabeth would go on to establish the M E Sheridan Poultry Hall. They were the parents of nine children, seven of them living to adulthood.

Elizabeth would die 9 Feb 1908 at age 48 from pneumonia and Michael would live another 16 years and died 6 Sept 1924 at age 73.

Some additional information that I have collected over the years:

His headstone states his middle initial as H.  But his first name is spelled incorrectly on his headstone - spelled Micheal, not Michael.  On the business name, in 2 newspaper articles, and on his death certificate it says 'E'.

Owned the Farm at 'Sheridan's Grove', ME Sheridan Poultry Hall & Elizabeth also ran a boarding house for railroad men.

They fought a lot - "A big woman, but a handsome woman" said by John O. Sheridan about Elizabeth.

 

Barbie







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