My grandmother's maternal family were the Argles. The information below is curtosey of http://genforum.genealogy.com/mi/wayne/messages/3430.html .
JACOB ARGLE, born around 1803 in Germany, immigrated evidently from Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, to the United States in 1846 or 1847 and settled in Detroit, Michigan, where he is found in the 1850 census*, listed as a laborer. With him were his wife, Christina, born around 1804, two daughters and four sons.
The little that has been gleaned from the 1860 census doesn't give a clear picture of the family at that time, but it seems that by then Jacob's wife had died, that the girls were married and in their own households and the teenage boys were farmed out. The 1870 census of Manguagon, Wayne Co MI, shows Jacob as an apparent widower. In his household were his son Jacob and his family.
It was not uncommon in some German families to give different children the same first name -- often Anna for the girls and Johann for the boys. The two Argle daughters apparently were both recorded as Christina. Two of the boys were both given the second name Charles and each was sometimes recorded as Charles.
The surname may have been spelled Ergel in Germany.
*1850 Federal Census, Wayne Co MI, p. 200/101, Family No. 1416/1397, Detroit, 27th Dist.
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CHILDREN OF JACOB ARGLE
1. ELIZABETH ARGLE. The 1850 census shows Elizabeth as 16 years old, or born around 1834. However, the family of Mrs. CHRISTINA E. SCHRINER of Marine City, St. Clair Co MI, records Mrs. Schriner's year of birth as 1828 and her maiden name as Argle. Since she was born in Wuerttemberg and was from Detroit, since her death certificate shows her father's first name as Jacob [last name spelled "Argo"], and, as shown below, this Christina's family is otherwise connected to Jacob b 1803, it seems reasonable to assume she is his daughter even though the name and age data on the 1850 census would seem to indicate otherwise.
CHRISTIANA or CHRISTINA E. ARGLE, b 28 Dec 1828 Wuerttemberg, Germany; d 22 Mar 1907 Marine City, St. Clair Co MI, bur Woodlawn Cem; m in Detroit around 1851 FREDERICK SCHRINER, b Jun 1825 Germany. Christina was the mother of 13 children, six of whom survived her. Known names of children: Catherine b ca 1852, d 26 May 1898 Marine City, St. Clair Co MI, m Jacob PFROMM; Christian 1853, Elizabeth 1855, Theobald 1858, Michael 1859, Margaret 1860, Louisa 1861, Frederick J. 1863, Sarah 1867, Anna Schriner 1872.
2. ANNA CHRISTINA ARGLE, b 11 May 1838 Wuerttemberg; d 17 Dec 1909 St. Clair MI, bur Hillside Cem; married first before 1860 in Detroit to LUZIAN ZINK, b ca 1827 Wuerttemberg. She is listed as Christina, age 11, in the 1850 census, as "Chris." Zink in 1860, and thereafter as Anna or Annie. The Zinks lived in Detroit. Children: Mary (Anna Maria?) b 1860, John G. 1862, Luzian 1864, Carolina 1866 and Henry B. Zink b 20 Oct 1872. Luzian Sr. apparently died by 1880, and Anna Christina married second in Detroit on 28 Sep 1885 CASPER SPIELBERGER, b ca 1833. They are found in the 1900 census of St. Clair Co MI. Anna's death certificate lists her father's name as Jacob Argle.
3. JACOB ARGLE, b ca 1841 Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany; m Detroit MI 19 Dec 1867 Agnes C. Murdoch. William Argle witnessed the marriage. Jacob served in the Civil War from 1862-1865 in Co D, 2nd Michigan Infantry, Co K, 17th Michigan Infantry, and Co A, 24th Regt, Veteran Reserve Corps. Received Civil War pension. Lived in Detroit until moving to Canada around 1878. The 1883 "List of Pensioners on the [U.S.] Roll" says Jacob Argle of Cook's Creek, Manitoba, was paid $4 a month for a gunshot wound in the right foot and thigh. His family appears in the 1881 Canadian census at Springfield, Manitoba. Some children: Christina, Marion, Agnes, Catherine, Jacob, George Murdoch Argle (Canadian Army in WWI).
4. CHRISTOPHER CHARLES ARGLE, b ca 1843. Name appears as Christopher on the 1850 census and on military records, but as Charles on his children's birth records. Civil War soldier, sergeant in Co B, 2nd Michigan Infantry, 1862-1865. Died at Detroit 13 Dec 1882. Married 22 Jan 1874 as her second husband Charlotte E. "Lottie" (Stringer) Steers, b 24 Oct 1845 MI, d Jul 1926. By her first husband Lottie had at least one child, Anna Steers. Detroit birth and death records show "Charles" and Lottie had at least three children: Carrie Argle, b 18 Jun 1874; Charles Argle, b ca 1876, died August 9 of that year; and Emma Frances Argle, b 23 Jul 1878 Detroit, died of tuberculosis in Dallas TX on 19 Jul 1903. An item in the Washington DC "National Tribune" of 28 Dec 1882 says "Christopher C. Argle, who served in the 2nd Michigan until the close of the war and was known as an intrepid and gallant soldier, died on the 13th inst. at Detroit. He was a member of Fairbanks Post No. 17, and his comrades attended the funeral in a body." Lottie received a Civil War widow's pension and Emma a minor's pension. Lottie married a third time, to James D. Kaniff, and had a daughter Mable (Kaniff) Knowlton.
5. WILLIAM H. ARGLE, b June 1847 at sea on way to US, according to marriage record. He died 24 Feb 1917 at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home and was buried in their cemetery. A military marker was placed on the grave. Image of marker is at findagrave.com. William married in Bay Co MI 14 Feb 1874 Amelia "Emma" Krause, b ca 1855 Germany, d 8 May 1890 Bay City MI, daughter of John and Ella Krause. William was a wagon maker and blacksmith. He enlisted in Co C, 8th Michigan Cavalry on 10 Apr 1865 and was discharged 22 Sep 1865. Received a pension, which can be obtained from the National Archives.
6. CHARLES FREDRICK ARGLE, born April 1850 Michigan. Appears in the 1850 census as Fredrick. He is listed as Charles Argle in the 1900 census at Dallas TX, occupation railroad foreman. He is presumably the Charles Argle who died in Dallas 20 Jul 1900, as his wife appears as the widow of "Charles F." in the 1902 Dallas city directory. Charles (i.e., Fredrick) married Anna Steers, daughter of his brother Christopher's wife by her first marriage. Anna was born 21 Jan 1869 in Michigan. In Fredrick's 1900 household is Emma Argle (1878-1903). Although the census lists her as his daughter, she is evidently his brother Christopher's daughter and his wife's half-sister. Anna, her half-sister Mable Kaniff and their mother, Lottie, were living together in Dallas in 1910.
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CHILDREN OF WILLIAM H. ARGLE
The exact number of his children is not known. Records were found for Charles W., Sarah, Frank F., Edith S., Alice, Emma and Willis.
With their mother dying when Charles was 15 and Alice only 5, the children were said to have gone to live in an orphanage run by family friends. This was probably the Bay City Children's Home, where Alice, then 16, was living at the time of the 1900 census.
1. CHARLES WILLIAM ARGLE, b 14 Jul 1874 probably in Bay City MI. He died after the 1930 census of Snohomish County, Washington. His name appears in an online transcription of Marysville Cemetery in that county, but birth and death dates are not shown. A newspaper article states a descendant has placed a new headstone on Charles' and his wife's graves. Snohomish Co censuses list Charles as a blacksmith, sawmill laborer, shingle mill laborer. Charles married in King Co WA in 1907 Elizabeth Pfromm, b ca 1875 MI, d 24 Feb 1943 Snohomish WA. Elizabeth was the daughter of Catherine (Schriner) Pfromm and granddaughter of Christina (Argle) Schriner.
Charles' wife had two siblings living close by her in Marysville in 1910, both also buried in Marysville Cem: Anna K. Pfromm (1879-1922) and Henry F. Pfromm, b 27 Apr 1889 Marine City, St. Clair Co MI, d 1960. Henry served as city clerk for Marysville. Their father was Jacob Pfromm, b Hesse-Cassel (Germany) ca 1848. In 1900 Henry was living in the household of his grandparents, Frederick and Christina (Argle) Schriner.
2. SARAH ARGLE, b ca 1876.
3. FRANK FREDRICK ARGLE, b 9 Oct 1880, d 7 Feb 1936, buried Beaver Township Cemetery, Auburn MI. Married 25 Sep 1904 Mary Lederer, b 19 Jul 1882, d 8 Mar 1959.
4. EDITH S. ARGLE, b ca 1883, m Bay City MI 19 Nov 1901 Charles Simon Smith, b 16 Jun 1881. They lived in Flint, Michigan.
5. ALICE ARGLE, b Aug 1885, m Bay City 27 Feb 1906 George Fredette.
6. EMMA ARGLE, b 12 Aug 1887 Bay City. Twin to Willis; both died in infancy.
7. WILLIS ARGLE, b 12 Aug 1887 Bay City. Twin to Emma; both died in infancy.
A Jacob Argle was buried in Green Ridge Cemetery, Bay County, Michigan, on 21 Mar 1879. This may have been a son of William or possibly his father. A child of William Argle was buried in Green Ridge Cem on 21 May 1880.
William, my great-great-grandfather, was born on ship traveling to the U.S. from Germany. Amelia Krause Argle was born in Germany.
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| Amelia Krause Argle |
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| William and Amelia Argle family, with my great-great-grandmother Alice |
William died February 24, 1917 at what is now the Grand Rapids Veteran's Home. He is buried there, as well. His death certificate, below, states that he died at 71 years of age from organic heart failure.
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| My great-grandmother, Alice Argle Fredette |
Grandma told me of the schedule kept by her mother, Alice.
- Saturday - shopping for groceries, carry them home
- Sunday - cook all day
- Monday - ironing all clothes (Alice, when younger, worked in a laundry and, according to my grandma, could iron shirts beautifully)
- Wednesday - would can a lot and would sew the children (including my grandma) clothes
