Elvira Alzina Parker (181-1897), Wife of Henry H. Belcher

Back of Photo

Elvira Alzina Parker was born 27 November 1818 in New York. Husband Henry H. Belcher was also born in New York in 1815.

By 1840, they had married and moved to Lenawee County, Michigan.

The back of the photo lists Elvira’s children, although son Hiram, 3 months old in the 1850 census, is not included.

I found this photo on EBay and there were several other family photos on sale at the same time, but I only purchased this one of the family matriarch.

Children:

1. Louisa Lucy, born c1840; died 5 August 1909, Hillsdale County, MI; married (1) Myron Warner, who was 30 years older and died between 1870-1880 (2) Hebert Bills, 24 March 1881, Lenawee County, MI. Louisa had one daughter, Libby, but she was not at home in 1880 and may have died young. The Bills haven’t been found in the 1900 census so I don’t know if she had any other children.
2. Rowena, born c1842; died after 1880; married Enos F. Wood. The Woods had a son and a daughter, but this family hasn’t been found after 1880.
3. John C., born c1845; died 6 March 1892; married Hester O. Warner, 7 June 1876, Hillsdale County, MI. This couple hasn’t been found after their marriage.
4. William Henry, born c1847; died 11 September 1895, Hillsdale County, MI; married Mary Matilda Strick, 17 April 1873, Hillsdale County, MI; and lived in Williams County, OH in 1880 and likely into the 1890s. His mother’s photo was taken in Pioneer, Williams County, Ohio in 1890. It appears they had no children.
5. Sarah Jane, born 1 June 1849; died 30 July 1886, reportedly in Billings, Montana; married George H. Geer, 19 November 1873, Lenawee County, MI. In 1880, the family lived at Fort McKinney, Carbon, Wyoming. They had one son who isn’t found after 1880 and one daughter, Elvira, named for her grandmother.
6. Hiram, born May 1850; 3 months old in the 1850 census; died 20 January 1906, William County, OH; married Anna M. Orewiler. Elvira was able to visit both sons at once, at Hiram’s family lived right in Pioneer, where she had her picture taken. Hiram and Anna had at least one child who lived to adulthood, daughter Mary.
7. William Edwin, born 23 June 1858; died 23 December 1941, Lenawee County, MI; married (1) Lucy Geer, 27 June 1875, Lenawee County, MI (2)Frances Dority, 19 August 1880, Hillsdale County, MI. They had five children, but divorced in March 1906.
8. Azle Oscar, born 14 October 1860; died 10 February 1928, Montcalm county, MI; married Lydia Anne Picking, 9 April 1882, Lenawee County, MI. They had seven children.
9. George Willard, born 9 August 1862; died 17 October 1922; married Julia Olive Wilson, 19 March 1890, Lenawee County, MI. They had two sons.

As you can see, Elvira has a number of grandchildren, many of whom probably have descendants, too. This neat family photo is going home to one of them.