William, Sally, and Their Children
Introduction
William, Sally, and their children experienced the challenges of living in the 1800s. Life was influenced by hard work, established practices, and close-knit family and community ties. William and Sally married on September 19, 1822, probably in New York. They lived in Amboy, Oswego, New York until about 1857 when they moved to Marquette, Green Lake, Wisconsin.
Between 1863 and 1864, William lost three sons, Harley DeLos, William Henry, and Lorenzo Harrison. Harley and William died in the Civil War. It is not known how or where Lorenzo died, and there are no records of him serving during the war. Sally died at age 62 on June 22, 1864, probably in Wisconsin, and it is not known where she is buried.
In October 1865, William married the widow Ruth (Wheelock) Anjer. Ruth was the mother of Marie Antoinette Anjer, who had married William’s son, Luman DeWitt Sergeant. All of them moved to Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where Ruth died at age 75 on September 2, 1873. William then moved to Minnesota where two of his sons, Wells Ely and Diogenes Fondinelle, were living. In 1879, William moved to Phelps County, Nebraska, where Luman and Marie had settled, and he lived with them for the remainder of his life. William died at age 85 on November 3, 1885, in Juniata, Adams, Nebraska, and is buried there at the Juniata Cemetery.
The Children of William Samuel Sergeant and Sally Lucinda Fish
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Wells Ely Sergeant was born on October 22, 1823, in New York. Wells married Philinda Hurd about 1846, and they had three children: Melissa C., Charles Oxford Wells and Emma R. Two of their children grew up to have families of their own, but Emma died at about age 14.
On the censuses from 1850-1860, Wells was living in Amboy, Oswego, New York, where he worked as a millwright, carpenter, and then farmer. By 1860, he was living in Goodhue County, Minnesota, where he worked as a farmer, turner, and then millwright over a couple decades.
Philinda died of consumption at about age 42 in Pine Island, Goodhue, Minnesota, on November 29, 1872. Wells married a local teacher, Lois S. Slater, on December 22, 1874, in Goodhue County.
In 1880, Wells was living in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, where he established and became president of Sergeant’s Mill Burr Driver Company. He invented, patented, manufactured and sold mill drivers.
Wells died at age 69 on May 24, 1893, in Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, and is buried there at the Oakland Cemetery. It is not known when Lois died.
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Emily Sophia Sergeant was born on September 4, 1825 in Amboy, Oswego, New York. She married Norman B. Manwarren about 1846, and they had four children: Georgiana, Wells Eugene, Ira D. and George C. For about 15 years, they lived in Richland, Oswego, New York, where Norman was a farmer.
On the 1870 census, they were living in Mexico, Oswego, New York, which is where Emily died at age 51 on March 24, 1877. She is buried at the Daysville Cemetery in Richland, Oswego, New York. Norman remarried and died at age 68 on December 20, 1892, in Mexico, Oswego, New York.
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George Washington Sergeant was born on June 23, 1828, in Amboy, Oswego, New York, and lived there his entire life. He married Sophia Whaley on November 8, 1853, and they had eight children: Lillian L., Hettie, Charles W., Maryette, Luman, Ella M., William H. and Melvin M. All of their children lived to adulthood except Luman who died as an infant.
George worked as a millwright and carpenter for about 10 years, and then as a merchant for a couple decades. He was postmaster for about seven years.
George and Sophia were married 64 years until her death on June 26, 1918, at age 85. George died at age 92 on January 25, 1921, and is buried at the West Amboy Cemetery.
Harley DeLos Sergeant was born on March 20, 1830, in Amboy, Oswego, New York. In his early to mid twenties, he worked there as a farmer and also as postmaster for five years, a position he took over from his brother, William. Harley married Clarissa Maybee on October 22, 1857, in Parish, Oswego, New York, and they had three children: Clara S., Homer F., and Emma Lodema; however, only Emma lived to adulthood.
On August 9, 1862, Harley enlisted in the Union Army, serving during the Civil War as a Sergeant with Company K, 110th Infantry Regiment. He contracted typhoid fever and died at age 32 on March 11, 1863, in the Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana.
Harley is buried at the Pleasant Lawn Cemetery in Parish, Oswego, New York. Clarissa remarried after Harley’s death; however, she died at age 37 on February 13, 1872, in Parish, New York.
William Henry Sergeant was born on October 7, 1833, in Amboy, Oswego, New York. In his early twenties, he worked there as a farmer, and also as postmaster for two years before his brother, Harley, took the position.
On November 9, 1861, William enlisted in the Union Army, serving during the Civil War as a Private in Company D, 24th Infantry Regiment, and he mustered out May 29, 1863, at Elmira, Chemung, New York. His brother, Luman, wrote in a letter that after William left the war, he felt that his country needed his services, so William re-enlisted on December 22, 1863, in Amboy, New York, as a Corporal in Company G, 24th Cavalry. William was wounded in the right leg on June 17, 1864. Luman’s letter said that William laid on the battlefield for 12 hours, and the loss of blood had been so great that he died during the amputation of his thigh on June 26, 1864, in the Finley General Hospital near Washington, D.C.
William is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. He was 30 years old.
Luman DeWitt Clinton Sergeant was born on July 27, 1836, in Amboy, Oswego, New York. Luman married Marie Antoinette Anjer on March 10, 1859, probably in Wisconsin, when he was 22, and she was 19. They had 10 children, two who died in infancy, and were married 46 years until Luman’s death in 1906.
Luman and Marie moved many times over the course of their lives. They were in Green Lake County, Wisconsin, on the 1860 census where Luman was listed as a farmer. He bought and sold a lot of land during that time. On August 12, 1862, Luman enlisted in the Union Army, serving during the Civil War as a Private in Company C, 32nd Infantry Regiment. He mustered out on February 20, 1865, with a disability discharge.
On the 1870 census, the family was living in Ripon, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Luman was listed as clerk in a dry goods store. By 1872, they were living in Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. And in 1875, they were in Taopi, Mower, Minnesota, where Luman ran a boarding house, served as a Justice of the Peace, and also sold insurance.
On June 16, 1879, the family began their journey to Nebraska, making the five-week trip by covered wagon1. They lived in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a few years where Luman was also Postmaster. By 1885, the family had moved to Juniata, Adams, Nebraska, where Luman went into business with Marie’s brother, Lafayette Lyman Anjer. They owned the Sergeant & Anjer store from 1887 to 1889. They also co-owned a store in Colorado during the same time frame. Luman had purchased 160 acres in Holyoke, Phillips, Colorado, and the family lived there for a couple years. They returned to Juniata, Nebraska for a couple more years, and then on to Greeley, Weld, Colorado for a few years, and they finally retired in Los Angeles, California, around 1896.
Luman died at age 69 on January 23, 1906, in Los Angeles, California, and is buried there at the Angelus Rosedale Cemetery. Marie died at age 89 on February 13, 1929, in Los Angeles, California.
See Luman and Marie’s complete biography under Our Forebears.
1 See Emily’s Diary (Luman and Marie’s daughter) under Resources to read about their trip.
Diogenes Fondinelle Sergeant was born on July 4, 1838, in Amboy, Oswego, New York. On the 1860 census, he is living with his parents in Marquette, Green Lake, Wisconsin, working as a farmer. Diogenes married Mary Sophia Hawkins on October 18, 1863, in Wanamingo, Goodhue, Minnesota, and they had four children: Hattie Belle, George L., William Frank and Robert D. Three of the children lived to adulthood, but Robert died at age 16. Sometime about 1880 Diogenes and Mary divorced. She remarried and died at age 73 on January 24, 1913, in Ceres, Stanislaus, California.
In June 1879, Diogenes traveled with his brother, Luman, when his family moved to Nebraska via covered wagon. Diogenes farmed in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a couple years, and then returned to Zumbrota, Goodhue, Minnesota, where he married Olina J. (Brathovde) Olson on February 9, 1883. Olina already had one daughter, and then she and Diogenes had three more: one unnamed daughter died at 9 days old, Emily A. died at 17, and Doreen E. lived to have a family of her own.
From about 1885 to 1907, Diogenes and Olina were living in Zumbrota where Diogenes was listed on the censuses as a teamster. He had his own Dray and Express Line business. During this time, teamsters drove horse-drawn wagons, often for commercial delivery; and a dray was a low, flat bed wagon pulled by horses for transporting goods. In 1907, Diogenes and Olina moved to Morgan County, Tennessee, where he returned to farming.
Diogenes died at age 86 on September 24, 1924, in Morgan County and is buried there at the Mount Hope Cemetery. Olina did not remarry and died at age 78 on December 24, 1936, at Deer Lodge, Morgan, Tennessee.
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Lorenzo Harrison Sergeant was born on November 3, 1840, in Amboy, Oswego, New York. On the 1860 census, he is living with his parents in Marquette, Green Lake, Wisconsin, working as a farmer.
Lorenzo died at age 22 on March 16, 1863, however, it is not known how or where he died, nor where he is buried.
