Schuyler C. Lake born 1875 in New York

Who were the parents of New York-born Schuyler Lake? In 1902 he married Bertha Albach in Michigan but neither of his parents were listed on their marriage record; nor were they named on his death certificate in 1922.  Could he be a descendant of Ulster County, NY Schuyler Lake 1810-1880? Harmon, the youngest son of the elder Schuyler and his wife Caroline Morse did move to Michigan but vanished without leaving many records.

Harmon Lake was born in Ulster County, NY in April 1855. About 1874 he married Lydia Barber who was born in Delaware County, NY in 1856; no marriage record has been found for them. Based on later records, it appears that their daughter Ella Jane was born in New York about 1875 and younger daughter Bertha was born in Michigan in 1878. Could Schuyler have been their son? None of the family members have yet been found in the 1880 census.

It is assumed that Harmon died prior to Lydia’s 1881 Wisconsin marriage to Albert Ledger.  In the 1900 census Lydia reported 5 living children, presumed to be: Ella and Bertha Lake, Edward 1882 + Inez 1894 Ledger …. Who was the 5^th?  Could it have been Schuyler Lake?

Lydia died shortly after the 1900 census, Ella had married in 1894 and was living in Wisconsin with her husband Clark Easter, Bertha had married John Grebel in 1895. Schuyler has not yet been found in the 1900 census.

In 1897 civil war veteran Reuben Lake, older brother of Harmon, died in Ulster County, NY leaving his wife Sarah Ann and minor children in a destitute state. Her widow’s pension application stated that they were living in a log cabin outside of town on land owned by the Michigan descendants of Reuben’s deceased brother Harmon.  That was the first (and vague) indication that Harmon had relocated there and was deceased by that time.