Surnames: Ladd, Jones, Blakely, Melland, Cross, Kingston, Moran, Palmateer, Ferdon, McGregor, Kelsey, Thompson

----Source: Research done by Donna Bell Cross, great-great-granddaughter (sources listed at the end)

Peter Albert Ladd

b. 02 Apr 1847 Theresa, Jackson Co, NY

m. 19 Jun 1869 /Lodema Alice Palmateer

m. 25 Jan 1874/Affa Isabelle Palmateer

m. 15 Nov 1911/Ellen Kingston

d. 05 Jan 1919 WI Vets Home, Waupaca WI

Parents: Peter A. Ladd b. NY/Ann Thompson b. NY

Children:

Jessie Isabelle b. 01 Dec 1876 d. 05 Nov 1892

Mary Mabel b. 03 Oct 1879 d. 30 Sep 1908

Archie C. b. 18 Mar 1886 d. 15 Jun 1968

Gladness S. b. 06 Apr 1894 d. 26 Jan 1916

The 1850 census for Theresa, New York, shows Peter's family fatherless. Ann is shown as head of household, along with four children: Sarahbeth (8), Marianne (7), Rufus (5) and Peter (3). The 1860 census for Neenah, WI shows Peter's family with a new father, William Kelsey. The children are listed as Sarah (18), Mary (17) and Peter (13). There are three Kelsey half sisters: Almeda (8), Susan (7) and Clara (1). All of the Ladd and Kelsey children were born in New York, except for Clara, born in Wisconsin. The move from New York is after Susan’s birth and the death of Rufus in Neenah, Wisconsin, September 1855.

Peter enlisted in the Civil War effort, 20 Aug 1864 from Neenah WI. He was assigned to the Naval Gunboat Service (USN). He was trained on the gunboat "Great Lakes" at Chicago and was then assigned to the gunboat "Juliet", commanded by Capt McGregor. He gives his duty as Ordinary Seaman on the US Navy Steamship Juliet No 4. Peter was discharged from the service 14 June 1865 in Mound City IL. The Declaration for Original Invalid Pension indicates that "...in the service and in the line of his duty near Old River Landing, ...on the Mississippi River about April and May 1865, he contracted Rheumatism and ague, which resulted in Chronic Rheumatism from which he has suffered continuously." The definition of rheumatism in that day and time is what came to be known as Rheumatic Fever. This condition earned him disability pension and eventual admission into the WI Veteran's Home

Peter married Lodema Alice Palmateer 19 June 1869, in Neenah WI. This marriage ended four years later with the death of Lodema Alice. A year later, Peter married Affa Isabelle Palmateer, in Brillion, Calumet County, WI. Both girls were daughters of C. W. Palmateer and Rachael Ferdon, of Rockland, Manitowoc County, WI. There is no record of children of the first marriage. Peter and Affa had four children, two of whom died young; one age 15, of TB, and the other nearly 29, of inflammation of the bowels. Cause of death of both girls is from information passed down in the family.

The first daughter, Jessie, was born 01 Dec 1876, in Brillion, Calumet Co, WI. It is not yet known what then took the family to Iowa. The second child, Mary Mabel was born in Plymouth Co, Mary Township, Iowa. By March of 1886, when Archie was born, the family was living in Sioux City IA. Not quite sixteen years old, Jessie died on 05 Nov 1892, and is buried in Iowa. A little over two years later, Gladness was born in Sioux City.

In 1899 the family moved to Clark County WI. The census of 1900 & of 1905 has Peter and family in the township of Sherwood. In March, 1907, an update of Peter's pension status shows him living in Granton. April, 1908, a similar form shows him living in Merrillan. It is possible they were living with Affa's father and step‑mother, who lived in Merrillan, as did Affa's younger brother, Henry.

On Sept. 30, 1908, their second child, Mary, died. Her death entry in the family bible reads "Mrs. Mary Miller, age 28 years, 11 months, 27 days". There is no marriage record in the bible, nor does the death record state the place of death.

By Dec 1908, it was necessary for Peter and Affa's survival that they turn to the Wisconsin Veteran's Home, as they were destitute and with no means of support due to Peter's crippling rheumatism. Gladness' address is given as Merrillan on Peter's application for admission to the Vet's Home. It is probable that she was staying with her grandparents. Henry Palmateer of Merrilan, Affa's younger brother, is listed for notification of death for either Peter or Affa on the admission application for WI Vet's Home. Archie, who had married 04 Aug 1907, was now 22 years old, on his own and living in La Centre, Washington, found to be a town with population of 105, in the 1895 Atlas.

Peter remarried after Affa’s death and both Affa and Ellen Kingston Moran Ladd are buried with him in the WI Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, King Wisconsin.

There is a discrepancy with Peter's age. If born in April of 1846, as military records show, Peter should be reflected as being four and fourteen in those two census enumerations. This disparity may be explained if Peter lied about his birth year, in order to enlist in the service. It follows that all of his service records, his application for the Vets Home and his death certificate would confirm whatever was on his enlistment papers. All census records and vital records of Jefferson County, NY, support the year 1847.

It was a pleasant discovery to find that both Peter Ladd and Josiah Blakely were living in Neenah WI at the time of the 1860 census. Obviously their friendship continued through the years. After Affa died, Josiah and Isabella brought Peter’s daughter, Gladness, into their home as a domestic. Gladness had come to Neenah to be closer to her father, who was in the Wisconsin Veteran’s Home. She was a help to Isabella, who was caring for her ill mother as well as caring for Josiah, not fully recovered from a stoke suffered while doing mission work in China. Peter and Josiah were likely pleased when Gladness and Albert, Josiah's son, later married.

Obituary: Oshkosh Daily Northwestern - Wednesday, January 8, 1919 pg 11

"P. A. Ladd, a former well known resident of Neenah, is dead at the Soldiers’ Home in Waupaca at the age of seventy-two. Death followed a surgical operation. He is survived by one son, who lives in Oregon. A sister, Mrs. S. E. Jones, resides here. The funeral was held from the Solders’ Home at Waupaca."

Peter Albert Ladd

Circa 1900-1910 [Photo not presently available]

Notes:

Archie's Social Security record gives Peter's middle name as Albert.

Archie is the surviving son referenced in the obituary. Archie never lived in Oregon, but lived in the state of Washington.

Sources:

Peter's Civil War Pension Records

Family bible

1850 census Theresa (Jefferson Co) NY

1860 census Neenah (Winnebago Co) WI

Information from Michael Melland, Civil War researcher

Archie's funeral service folder

Admission records to WI Vets Home

Information from WI Vets Home/map of cemetery

Civil War Records

SS application for Archie Ladd

Revised Jan. 2009 by Donna Bell Cross, Peter’s g-grand- daughter