By Don Taylor

Thanks to recent digitization efforts by NewspaperArchives.com, I’ve uncovered several fascinating mentions of my ancestors in the Albion Recorder (Albion, Michigan). These newly discovered newspaper clippings have provided valuable glimpses into the lives of my great-grandmother, Ida (Barber) Montran, and my grandmother, Madonna.

The Newspaper Discoveries

• May 9, 1896 – “Mrs. Ida Montran and daughter, Madonna, left Wednesday evening for Brooklyn, N. Y., where they will spend the summer with Mr. and Mrs. Geo. N. Wood.”[i]
• May 23, 1896 – “Mrs. Ida Montran and daughter, Madonna, returned from Brooklyn Saturday on account of the death of Mrs. Geo. N. Wood, whom they were visiting.”[ii]
• May 29, 1897 – “Ida (Barber) Montran married Max Fisher at the home of R. G. Fisher.”[iii]
• January 13, 1932 – “Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Knight of Detroit were guests at the home of Mrs. Flora Taber on South Albion street, Tuesday. Mrs. Knight was formerly Miss Ida Barber of Albion.”[iv]

What These Findings Tell Us

These brief mentions reveal several important aspects of my ancestors’ lives:

1. By 1932, Ida had married again, this time to Harvey Knight, and the couple maintained connections to Albion through visits to Mrs. Flora Taber.
2. By 1897, Ida remarried. She married Max Fisher, and the ceremony occurred at R.G. Fisher’s residence, suggesting a possible family connection between the two Fisher men.
3. In 1896, my great-grandmother Ida (Barber) Montran and my three-year-old grandmother Madonna planned an extended summer visit to Brooklyn, New York, to stay with the Wood family. Their visit was cut short by the unfortunate death of Mrs. Wood.

Research Questions and Findings

Who was Mrs. George N. Wood of Brooklyn?

Despite thorough searching through Find-A-Grave records for women with the Wood/Woods surname who died in Brooklyn in May 1896, I haven’t conclusively identified Mrs. George N. Wood. The most promising candidates were:

• Alice H. (Temple) Wood (1856-April 29, 1896)
• Elizabeth L. Wood (died March 1896)
• Louisa Rawson Wood (February 27, 1836-February 29, 1896)

However, research revealed these women were married to William F. Wood, Andrew Woods, and John Richardson Wood, respectively—not to a George N. Wood. The connection between the Woods and my great-grandmother Ida remains a compelling mystery that warrants further investigation.

Who was R.G. Fisher and how was he related to Max Fisher?

Detroit City Directories provided valuable clues about this relationship:

• 1896: Ray Fisher appears as a clerk living at 105 Columbia.
• 1897: Ray G. Fisher is listed as a bartender at 329 National Ave, sharing this address with Max E. Fisher, who worked as a cashier for Jacob Fisher.
• 1898-1899: Ray continued working as a bartender while Max was a bookkeeper for his uncle’s business.

Further research revealed that Max Edward Fisher (1877-1935) was the son of Samuel K. Fisher (1850-1917), who was the brother of Jacob S. Fisher (1846-1898). Jacob owned “Jacob Fisher Wines, Liquors, Cigars & News” at 206 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

While I haven’t yet determined the exact relationship between Ray G. Fisher and Max Fisher, their shared address in 1897 strongly suggests a family connection. It’s possible they were brothers or cousins, with R.G. Fisher hosting Max and Ida’s wedding at his home.

Who was Mrs. Flora Taber of Albion?

Census records show that in 1930, the 64-year-old widow Flora Taber was living at 212 South Albion Street with two of her children, Harley (29) and Wilma (28).

The 1920 Census shows Flora (54) living with her husband, Asa Elmer Taber, along with Asa’s 19-year-old son Harley and her 32-year-old stepson Clyde Saunders.

Additional research revealed that Flora (Florence) married Asa on October 1, 1910, after having previously married William H. Sanders on November 10, 1883. This suggests that Clyde was William’s son and Flora’s son from her first marriage.

While I couldn’t establish a direct family connection between Flora Taber and Ida Knight (née Barber), their Albion roots and the fact that Ida and Harvey specifically visited Flora during their trip to Albion suggests there may have been a close friendship or perhaps a distant family connection not yet uncovered.

Conclusions and Next Steps

These newspaper mentions have added rich context to my understanding of my great-grandmother Ida’s life journey—from her early years as Mrs. Montran with young daughter Madonna, through her marriage to Max Fisher, and finally as Mrs. Harvey Knight. The 36-year span of these articles (1896-1932) provides valuable insight into her movements and connections.

While some questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding the identity of Mrs. George N. Wood and the exact relationship between R.G. Fisher and Max Fisher, these newspaper findings have opened new avenues for research.

Future research directions include:

• Searching for marriage and death records for George and Mrs. Wood in Brooklyn
• Further investigating possible family connections between the Barbers and Woods
• Exploring the Fisher family tree more thoroughly to place Ray G. Fisher
• Searching for additional newspaper mentions of Ida between 1897 and 1932 to fill in the gaps in her life story

Do you have family connections with any of these people? If so, please share your stories in the comments below.

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ENDNOTES

[i] 1896-05-09, Pg. 8, personal – Ida Montran & daughter Madonna. https://newspaperarchive.com/albion-recorder-may-09-1896-p-8/., Albion Recorder, Albion, Michigan (https://newspaperarchive.com).
[ii] 1896-05-23, Pg. 8, personal – Ida Montran & daughter Madonna. https://newspaperarchive.com/albion-recorder-may-23-1896-p-8/., Albion Recorder, Albion, Michigan (https://newspaperarchive.com).
[iii] The residence of R. G. Fisher, in DetroitNew York, U.S., State Census, 1892 for George H Wood. https://newspaperarchive.com/albion-recorder-may-29-1897-p-5/., Albion Recorder, Albion, Michigan (https://newspaperarchive.com).
[iv] Albion Recorder, Albion, Michigan,1932-01-13 pg. 3 via https://newspaperarchive.com).