John St. John, b. c1815 according to 1870 Leelanau Co, MI Census, m. by 1840 Victoria Martin. They were living in St. Lawrence Co, NY 1840 to 1869 when they migrated to Leelanau Co, MI sometime between March 1869 and June 1870. John died after 1870 in Leenanau Co, MI and is buried next to his young son Albert. Victoria is found in the 1880 Leelanau Co, MI Census living with daughter Eliza and son-in-law Jacob Koch. No record has been found for her since then

John and Victoria were the parents of 16 children according to family tradition. Those known: Eliza b. 1840, NY; John b. 1847/8 NY; Alexander b. 1849 NY; Frank/Franklin b. 1 June 1857, NY; James b. 16 Oct 1859 NY; Josiah/Joseph b. 14 Oct 1863 NY; Isaac b. 1864 NY; Anthony?Andrew b. c1850/51; Ruth?; Albert H. b. Mar 1869 NY, d. 10 Sep 1870 Leelanau Co, MI; Victoria; Charles; and possibly David.

John and Victoria St. John were living in Richville, NY in 1860 (that's in St. Lawrence County, and part of DeKalb, you'll have to pull up the DeKalb page for 1860 to find them but they are within the first few pages.)

Victoria was apparently very close (both the same age and lived right near each other for a long time.) to my ggg grandmother Louisa Dupuis from approx 1840 until her death and assisted Louisa in giving birth to several of her 15 children. I have been searching for Louisa's parents for a long time. Louisa was also known as Louisa Tetro, and her first marriage was to Oliver James Lower, whom John and Victoria knew. Louisa's second marriage was to Charles St. Onge, and together they had my gg grandmother Bertha. I spend every day trying to find Louisa's family and cannot.

Here is a court document I have regarding John and Victoria St. John. These came from Louisa's pension claim as Charles' widow. Oliver had deserted her, she had married Charles St. Onge, and as you can imagine had to fight a court battle to be called his legal widow and claim his civil war pension. Victoria St. John was involved with helping Louisa to her claim for Oliver before she married Charles.

"Index Sheet, Claim no. 138,676 Louisa Lower, widow of Oliver Lower. John & Victoria St. John, Richville, NY, March 21, 1867, Affidavit: Proof of Birth, State of NY, County of St. Lawrence.

Victoria St. Johns and John S. Johns of Richville, county and state aforesaid, being duly sworn says, that the have no interest in the claim of Louisa Lower for Widow's Pension; that they were well acquainted with Oliver Lower late a private in Co. I 92nd Regiment, NY Vols in his lifetime, and for Twenty years previous to his death, and during the same time was also well acquainted with his wife Louisa Lower; that they were present at the birth of the following named child of the said Oliver Lower deceased and Louisa Lower his wife, and that personal knowledge of the deponent the said child was born on the day set opposite here respective name, to wit. Emory Lower born on the 10th day of August 1860. The said Victoria St. Johns for herself says that she was also present at the birth of another child of the said Oliver and Louisa Lower, named Oliver Lower [Jr.], and that the said Oliver Lower [Jr.] was born on the 9th day of June 1854, and that there was no person present at his birth except this deponent and the said Louisa Lower. And deponent further says that she knows of no public record of the birth of said infants and believes that none was ever made, and that there was no physician present when said children were born."

Victoia and John both signed this affidavit. There signatures were witnessed by AW Lynde and CW Lynde who claimed to know the St. Johns well. CW Lynde was a lawyer and justice of the peace. They went to Canton to write this out.

Since Victoria and John claimed to know Louisa and Oliver for 20 years before his "death" (which he faked...he died in Oregon after 1904) that means that they knew them from about 1841 on. Now Louisa swears uip and down in several documents that she was "born and raised in Ogdensburg and lived there my whole life" yet I haven't found in her in any census before 1880 yet!!

I am grateful to you for the particulars on John and Victoria. I am putting every possible acquaintance and friend of Louisa's in my tree in hopes I will track down her family. Hope this helps! Teresa Saj in Erie Co. NY