John Henry Vondett/Vondette

John Henry Vondette was born May 1, 1858 in Clayton Township, Jefferson County, New York to Edward and Mary Derosia Vondett. John was in the Canadian army where his troop was training to fight in the Souix Indian War when the Indians moved into Canada after Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. The troop train was in the process of loading, when the message came that the Souix had returned to Montana and the troops were not needed.

While working at a lumber camp near Brockville, or Brogville, Canada, John met and married Elizabeth Jarbeau on April 29, 1884. Elizabeth's parents were John and Elizabeth Landerville Jarbeau. The young Vondetts' moved from lumber camp to lumber camp in Canada, wherever there was work for John Henry.

The photo is of John Henry and Elizabeths grown children: L to R - Pearl, Mary Jane, Edward, Elizabeth Ann, Margaret Maude and James Vondette

John and Elizabeth had the following children:

John Edward “Ed” Vondette was born January 23, 1885 at a lumber camp in Ompah Station, Canada. He married Albena St. Onge and had seven children; Edna May Vondette, Pearl Marie Vondette, Jean M. Vondette, Ethel Bernadine Vondette, Lillian Katherine Vondette, John Edward Vondette II and Lawrence Vondette.
Margaret “Maud” Vondette was born June 9, 1886 at a lumber camp in Watson's Corner near Perth, Canada. Maud married Gilbert Tice Bastedo on December 31, 1903.
Mary Jane “Marie” Vondette was born October 23, 1887 at a lumber camp in Levant Station, Canada. Mary Jane married Frank C. Jones and married a second time to Roger Sherwood. She had no children.
James Herbert Vondette was born January 29, 1889 at a lumber camp in Gananoque or Caligobe, Canada. James Herbert married Emma L. McGuiness on June 16, 1915 in Croswell, Sanilac County, Michigan. James and Emma had eight children: John Reid Vondett, Helen Marionette Vondette, Charles Robert Joseph Vondett, Frances Louise Vondett, Emily Virginia Vondett, Henry Junior Vondett, Ethel Elizabeth Vondett, and James Edward Vondett.
Sophronia Elizabeth Vondette was born March 10, 1891 in Lakefield Township and died August 21, 1891. She died of Cholera Infantium at the age of five months and eleven days old.
Pearl Emma Julia Vondette was born on April 8, 1895 in Lakefield Towship. Pearl married M. Melburn Francis Levi and they had two sons: Francis John Levi and Elton Levi. Pearl also married George Edward Moulton and they had four children; George Edward Moulton Jr., Beatrice Pearl Moulton, Shirley Elaine Moulton and Arthur John Moulton.
Elizabeth Ann Vondette was born June 3, 1897 in Lakefield Township. Elizabeth married Rollin I. Wickersham on June 24, 1915 in Standish, Michigan. Elizabeth and Rollin had two daughters: Grace Evelyn Wickersham and Ruth Ann Wickersham. Elizabeth was a practical nurse. They lived on West Maple Road, Walled Lake, Michigan.

John Henry and Elizabeth's first four of seven children were born within four years, in four different lumber camps. In 1890, John Henry moved his family to Lakefield Township to be by his father, Edward Vondett. John Henry and Elizabeth's last three children were born in Lakefield Township. John Henry found work in a local sawmill in Lakefield Township and lived in a house on the back of Edward's farm. The small house was across the corner from Edward's house, and it was known as the Traveler's Rest. Edward's 80 acre farm was in Section 2 on the NE corner of Merrill and Swan Creek Roads. While living in Lakefield Township, Elizabeth Jarbeau Vondett was a neighbor to her sister, Sophronia Labeff. Moses and Sophronia Labeff lived just to the east of Edward Vondett on Swan Creek Road.

By 1898, John Henry, and his wife, Elizabeth, moved their family to Central Lake, Antrim Township, Michigan.

SOURCES: The Vondett History written by Frances Vondett Fritz; James Bastedo; History of the (Gusler) Gossler Family

Pioneers of Lakefield Township - Left to Right: Jacob Brown, Lawrence Dubay, Alva Hinterman, David Dubay, Mr. Harris, George Easlick, Calvin Harris; Ray Rowell standing towards the top of photo and his daughters, Mildred, Dorothy, and Carrie Rowell, sitting on the wood pile. Carry Rowell later married Fred Honaman. photo from John and Linda Honaman Johnson.

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