Jane Orne has found one of the daughters of Olive and
Nehemiah Morse and has submitted the following......
My 2gr grandmother was Olive E. Morse. She was born in Ohio
about 1832. She married William John Protsman around 1854 as their daughter Melissa was
born about 1855 in Ohio. The other children were born in Wisconsin starting in
December 1856.
On another record, I forget which, she had her father listed as Nehemiah. My
grandmother had been told that she was a descendant of Robert Morris who signed the
Declaration of Independence, but I doubt that it is true as I never found her name
spelled Morris. It was always Morse. I have also been unable to find a
marriage record for her and Wm. Protsman.
Wm Protsman dissappeared or died between 1860 and 1870. The 1880 census for Olive
has her father born in Pennsylvania and her mother born in New York, but I do not know
if she gave that information of if it was someone else.
Leta Olson has accomplished quite a bit of research on
the family. She writes:.......
I, too, had thought perhaps Nehemiah Morse might have been her husband. On
your website her husband is listed as Isaac. One of her first sons was named
Nehemiah and that caused me to again assign Olive's husband as Nehemiah. The
Underwood Family by Dr. Underwood, 1910, gave Olive the married name of Moss but the
legal documents in Wayne Co, Ohio listed her name as Olive Morse.
I checked some of my records this afternoon and found that in 1847 Olive's husband
was alive and they were taking care of Isaac Underwood in Wayne Co, Ohio but by 1850
when a legal matter was settled it said only Olive was an heir of Isaac. That
tentively puts the death of Olive's husband between 1847 and 1950. The same
legal matter mentioned that Nehemiah Morse had loaned money to Isaac so I don't know
if that was Olive's husband or her son of about age 25 that had loaned the money.
The 1840 census matches a note in my records that Olive had a large family. I
wrote to a volunteer in Medina Co asking to have some records checked for the Morse
family in Medina co. About the time of all this a TB epidemic was in progress in
that area of Ohio and several of the Underwood family died from it. I plan to
ask for help in Wayne Co to see if a death or obit record for Isaac Underwood appeared
in a newspaper. If so, perhaps it will give some clues.
She took care of her father for an extended time and is named in the settlement of
her father's estate but no name for her husband. Olive's father was Isaac
Underwood, a Revolutionary War vet. I made several trips to Ohio searching for
his grave so that I could have a stone placed at the gravesite if none was there.
However, I have yet to find the grave of either Isaac Underwood or his wife. In
addition, the DAR chapter for Wayne Co, Ohio [where Isaac Underwood lived at the time
of his death] looked but did not find the grave. Then this past year I had three
people in Wayne County search for it but they, too, failed to find it. Perhaps
we can exchange info. I am currently doing a revised edition of my book about my
father's family which has over 200 pages related to the Underwood family. I am so happy
to find you!!!
Linda Pulfrey-Harms is a new member of our group and she
writes......
I have just recently moved and haven't found all of my notes yet, but I do have a
small notebook whre I have written many of my notes. Here is some of what I
have found; [She lists the 1860 Juneau Co, WI census which I have posted] They,
Nehemiah and his wife were sharing a home at the time. Right now I don't remember
the date but will find it. Nehemiah and Mary also had a daughter, Maude Evelyn
Veronica May Morse, (my GGGrandmother). She married Stephan Arnold Douglas
Morris and they moved to SD. They are buried here in Detroit cemetery, Brown
County, SD. Please feel free to use any of the info I give you. As I
unpack and find things I will be glad to send them to you. I just found this:
Frank F Morse is buried at Werner cemetery, Germantown Twp, Juneau Co, WI
Born Jan 16, 1882, lived 24 yrs. 7 mons. 12 days, son of N.W & M.S.
Olive Morse (the Mother) 1801-1878
Alden Twp, Cemetery, Hardin Co. Iowa
The Olive who married Protsmans were among the earliest settlers of Ferryville,
Crawford Co, WI. They were the parents of twin sons, William and Willard, the
twins later settled in Alamakee Co, Iowa. Supposedly William died by falling
off a raft in the Mississippi River about 1890/91. There was a Willard Cornelius
Protsman, b. 8-14-1885 Lansing, Alamakee, Iowa - Died 2-23-1960, LaCross, WI; buried
in Lansing, .
I am sorry this is such a mess! Hope you can make sense of and use some of
it. I will look for my papers soon and send more. Thank you so much for
starting this web site! & It is wonderful!
From Linda Pulfrey-Harms I found some more
information on Nehemiahs wife, Mary Sophia.
Mary Sophia Warner was born on April 4, 1842. She had 2 brothers, Wellington (Wesley)
A. and John M. Warner, Jr. Mary first appeared in the 1850 census. They lived in Laona
township, Winnebago co, Illinois. She married Nehemiah Morse on Sep't. 4, 1856
at Avon, Rock County, Wisconsin. She was 14 and he was 31 years old. She
had Frank F. on June 4, 1857 in Winnebago County. On December 2, 1858 she gave
birth to John D. at the same place. On March 9, 1860 she gave birth to Eva M.
in Summit, Juneau Co., Wisc.
In the 1860 Wisconsin census, the Morse family was living with Wesley (her brother),
Abigail (her sister-in-law) and Wesleys son, Adelbert.
After Nehemiah died in the war Mary married Levi Lawrence on Oct. 14, 1868 in Mauston,
Juneau, Wisconsin. They were next seen in Germantown, Juneau, Wisconsin. Mary had
two daughters with Levi. Inez Augusta and Alma Grace. They moved to
Colorado and were in the 1885 Colorado census. Mary Sophia was buried in the Red
Butte Cemetery, Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado.
On the database, I have Samuel Morse and a number of his descendants. No connections
at this time to Nehemiah Morse.
Don Wright
Morse Family Research Notes
