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Lloyd is the son of Milton James Bliss and his wife Julia M. Feather,
who lived on Geyer Road, N.-N.E. of Buchanan, Michigan.
Lloyd only had one sibling, a sister Allene (who died at five weeks of age).
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Lloyd was born on the Bliss family farm located on Geyer Road
(then in Niles Township), N.-N.E. of Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan.
Lloyd was the third of four generations of the Bliss family, to live on this farm.
(He later died on this farm).
In the late 1890's this area of Niles township was transferred to Buchanan township.
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Lloyd is the son of Milton James Bliss and his wife Julia M. Feather,
who lived on Geyer Road, N.-N.E. of Buchanan, Michigan.
Lloyd only had one sibling, a sister Allene (who died at five weeks of age).
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Lloyd was born on the Bliss family farm located on Geyer Road
(then in Niles Township), N.-N.E. of Buchanan, Berrien County Michigan.
Lloyd was the third of four generations of the Bliss family, to live on this farm.
(He later died on this farm).
In the late 1890's this area of Niles township was transferred to Buchanan township.
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A picture of Lloyd and his parents on this farm in about 1900 (book says 1910,
but Lloyd was born in 1895), can be seen in "Greetings from Buchanan,
Historic Photobook Series", by Leo J. Goodsell and Robert C. Myers. Published
in 2005 by the Berrien County Historical Association (page 35).
(The picture is shown here in this memorial).
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Lloyd was married to Cecile Gay Upham on Nov. 4, 1916 in St. Joseph, Berrien County Michigan, by W. H. Canfield, Clergy (per their marriage certificate).
She was the daughter of Clarence Upham and his wife Cleta "Cleo" Dragoo.
[Note: The wrong marriage date was given in both of their obituaries].
Note: They were possibly married at the county court house in St. Joseph,
Berrien County Michigan.
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In 1917, Lloyd and Cecile were living on Portage St. in Buchanan, Michigan
(per the Berrien County Directory).
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On June 5, 1917, Lloyd filled out his World War I Draft Registration Card, in which he states that he is of medium height, medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes, and living in Berrien County Michigan.
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Their eldest daughter Thelma, was born in Buchanan, Michigan in 1918
(per her birth certificate).
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The 1920 census shows them living next to Lloyd's parents
on Geyer Road, N.-N.E. of Buchanan, Michigan.
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In his mother's obituary (in 1924), it states that Lloyd had been the
treasurer of Niles township for two terms (before Lloyd had moved
to Edwardsburg, Michigan).
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Note: Niles Township records show that Lloyd served as the treasurer of
Niles township in 1921 and 1922. (These were each for one year terms).
Lloyd did not run again for township treasurer in 1923, so perhaps this was
when he moved to Edwardsburg, Michigan.
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Julia's obituary (in Sept. 1924) also states that Lloyd was "then"
living in Edwardsburg, Michigan. He must have been "renting" at that
time, because he did not "purchase" the home in Edwardsburg, until
Dec. 7, 1925 (per deed records).
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A Buchanan newspaper article published in 1925 (possibly written at an earlier
date, as part of a student essay), states that their eldest daughter
Thelma was attending the Mead School (a one-room country grade school, located
on the South-East corner of Range Line and Geyer Roads), in District No. five
(later District No. 10), North-N.E. of Buchanan, Berrien Co. Michigan.
There were 19 pupils in the school, Thelma, the only one in the 2nd grade.
Their teacher was Miss Lillie Schaub.
It also states that Mr. [Lloyd] Bliss owned 180 acres, 39 fruit trees, apple
and pear; and 3 Jersey cows.
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On Dec. 7, 1925, Lloyd purchased a home in the village of Edwardsburg, in
Ontwa Township, Cass County Michigan (per deed records).
It was on lot # 80 on (then) Chicago Road, near the center of town.
It is "now" known as 26575 E. Main St. (also known as U.S. 12). They also
bought the large odd shaped lot behind lots 80 and 81, going back
to the rail road tracks.
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Ontwa township records show that
this home was remodled during the
time that they lived there.
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While living in Edwardsburg, Lloyd worked as a school bus driver.
They owned the home in Edwardsburg for about 5 and 1/2 years.
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Lloyd sold this home in Edwardsburg, on July 20, 1931, and moved back to
the farm that Lloyd was born and raised on, on Geyer Road, N.-N.E.
of Buchanan, Berrien Co. Michigan (which his mother Julia had left
him in her will), and lived next to his father Milton.
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Note: This farm on Geyer Road had been purchased by Lloyd's grandfather
DeBert Bliss in 1872, and then inherited by DeBert's son Milton Bliss in 1887.
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Later, most of this farm on Geyer Road
was listed as being in Milton's wife
Julia's name only.
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In 1894, Julia Bliss purchased most of
this farm on Geyer Road from her husband
Milton Bliss
(per: Deed book # 111, page 446).
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She must have purchased it with the
money she received from her wealthy
grandfather Joshua Feather Sr.
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Joshua Feather Sr. gave each of his
children AND each of his grandchildren,
either land to start a farm, or money
to buy a farm. (Apparently he had
specified that the money was only
to be used to buy property).
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When Julia died in 1924, she left most
of this farm (in her will), to her
son Lloyd (instead of leaving it to
her surviving husband Milton).
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Lloyd died on this farm on Geyer
Road, N.-N.E. of
Buchanan, Michigan (which he was
born and raised on), of rheumatic
heart disease, which he suffered
from since childhood
(per his daughters, and
his death certificate).
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Note: An article printed in the
Berrien Springs, MI newspaper on
Sept. 12, 1901 states:
----
Mrs. S. S. [Sophia S.] and
Mrs. H. A. [Henry A.] Feather
[wife of Sophia's step-son],
were called to Buchanan [MI]
on account of the illness of
little Lloyd Bliss [age 6].
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Lloyd died at the age of 42 years,
8 months and 15 days. He had been
(seriously) ill for two years.
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Lloyd was a member of the
Presbyterian church in Buchanan, MI.
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When Lloyd died, his wife Cecile was
expecting their 7th child, and
their only son. Son Gordon was
born two months "after" the death
of his father Lloyd. Lloyd never
got to see his only son.
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They had six girls and one boy.
(The children are listed on the
memorial for his wife Cecile Bliss).
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The following obituary for Lloyd
was published in the
"Niles Daily Star" newspaper
in Niles, Michigan, on
March 19, 1938, page 2:
----
Lloyd F. Bliss, 42, Native of
Niles Twp. Dies; Rites Monday.
Terminating a two-years illness,
Lloyd F. Bliss, 42, lifelong resident
of Berrien county, died at 7 o'clock
this morning [Saturday] at his farm
home [in the "Bend of the River"
section, on Geyer Road], four miles
N.-W. of Niles [and N.-E. of Buchanan].
Funeral services will be held at
2 o'clock Monday afternoon in the
Price and Kiger funeral home.
Burial will be in Oak Ridge
cemetery, Buchanan.
Surving are the widow,
the former Cecile Upham whom he
married in St. Joseph, [MI],
Nov. 4, 1918 ["should" say "1916",
per their marriage certificate]:
six daughters, Mrs. Paul [Thelma] Letcher,
South Bend [IN]: Mary Louise, Niles,
[MI] and Margrerite, Barbara,
Frances and Kathryn, at home.
Friends may call at the funeral home.
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Note: His daughter Thelma, was listed
in Lloyd's obit's as living in South Bend,
IN. She and her husband Paul were
probably still living with Paul's
parents on West Bertrand Road, South of
Buchanan, MI (near the MI-IN state line).
This farm, then had a South Bend,
Indiana post office address, even
though it was in Michigan.
(It now has a Niles, Michigan post
office address).
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Note: This next obituary was
published on March 24, 1938
("possibly" in the
Buchanan, MI newspaper)
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FORMER LOCAL RESIDENT DIES
SATURDAY MORNING.
Funeral rites were held Monday
afternoon in the Price and Kiger
chapel at Niles for Lloyd F. Bliss,
42, who died at seven o'clock
Saturday morning at his farm home,
four miles northwest of Niles, [MI]
[and N.-E. of Buchanan].
Burial was made in Oak Ridge
cemetery, Buchanan, [MI].
The death of Mr. Bliss followed a
two years illness. He was a
life-long resident of Berrien county
and for several years before moving
to the farm where he died, he and
his family resided in the George
Graham house on South Kimmel
street in Berrien Springs, [MI].
[Note: Did they "rent" here after
they sold the home in Edwardsburg,
MI, or did the editor get it wrong?]
Surviving are the widow, the former
Cecile Upham whom he married in
St. Joseph, [MI] Nov. 4, 1918
["should" say 1916, per their marriage
certificate]; six daughters,
Mrs. Paul [Thelma] Letcher, South
Bend [IN]: Mary Louise, Niles [MI]:
and Marguerite, Barbara, Frances
and Kathryn, at home.
---------------------------------
Lloyd is buried in the "Bliss family Plot"
in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, Buchanan,
Michigan, in Section A, Lot 33.
His headstone reads:
----------
LLOYD F. BLISS
1895 - 1938
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After Lloyd's death, his wife
Cecile sold the farm, and moved
with her seven children into
town, in Buchanan, Michigan
(with the help of her parents).
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When Lloyd's wife Cecile later
died in 1975, the spaces were
all taken in the "Bliss family"
plot in the cemetery, so Cecile
was buried next to her parents,
Clarence Upham and
Cleta "Cleo" (Dragoo) Upham
(and her brother Raymond Upham),
in Section D, Lot 211.
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Note: See "Genealogy Of
The Bliss Family in America"
(a three-volume set),
compiled and published by
Aaron Tyler Bliss, Midland, MI 1982.
Volumes I and II, pages 244,
494-497, 827-828, 1151-1152, and 1458.
Located in the
Allen County Public Library,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
(www.acpl.lib.in.us)
and in the
Library of Michigan,
Lansing, Michigan
(www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan)
---------
Note: Part of the information on
Lloyd Feather Bliss in this genealogy
is incorrect (page 1458).
The compiler of this genealogy
has this Lloyd Feather Bliss
(page 1458), mixed up with another
Lloyd Sidney Bliss (page 1222),
who lived in Lapeer County Michigan.
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Note: See the memorials for Lloyd's
family, on this web site:
----
Paternal Great-Grandfather,
Hiram Bliss Sr., of Michigan.
Paternal Great-Grandmother,
Anna (Ross) Bliss, of Michigan.
Paternal Grandfather,
DeBert Bliss, of Michigan.
Paternal Grandmother,
Nancy (Smith-Bliss) Studebaker,
of New Mexico.
Maternal Great, Grandfather,
Joshua Feather Sr. of Michigan.
Maternal Great, Grandmother,
Mary Ann (Smith) Feather, of MI.
Maternal Grandfather,
John Henry Feather Sr. of Michigan.
Maternal Grandmother,
Sophia S. (Koppenheffer) Feather of MI.
Father, Milton James Bliss, of Michigan
Mother, Julia M. (Feather) Bliss, of MI
Wife, Cecile Gay (Upham) Bliss, of MI
Daughter, Thelma (Bliss) Letcher, of MI.
-----
Note: Lloyd and Cecile Bliss
are my Grandparents.
Nancy (Letcher) Heib.
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