The Hyphen Family Lineage

Note: Researching Emanuel Forst

While the somewhat unique name and specific age range (b. about 1850) lead me to believe that all of the following records refer to the same man (Emanuel Forst, son of Conrad and Sarah Forst), I have not yet found specific verification that this is the case. For the moment, until I can find some validation of this information, I will keep the data here in this note rather than in the individual record.

After the 1860 and 1870 US Census listings for his parents' household, the next record I can find that appears to apply to Emanuel is a marriage record on 2 Oct 1873 in Kosciusko Cty, Indiana to Mary M. Webb. Following that is a listing on the FindaGrave.com website for Emanuel Forst (b. 2 Oct 1850, d. 4 Sep 1877) in Center Cemetery, Silver Lake, Kosciusko Cty, Indiana.

In the 1880 US Census, there is a household listed in Seward Twp, Kosciusko Cty, with the following:

Mary E Webb Self F 46 Ohio, United States
Maryette Forst Daughter F 24 Indiana, United States
Manuel E Forst Grandson M 4 Indiana, United States
Mirtle M Forst Granddaughter F 3 Indiana, United States
Eliza O Webb Other F 12 Indiana, United States

...which is then followed by a marriage record from Crsytal Twp, Montcalm Cty, Michigan on 20 Apr 1899 for Irving E. Forst (parents Emanuel Forst and Melba Webb) and Mertie Van Buren (parents Sylvester Van Buren and Maud Bridenstine). Less than fourteen months later, a household is listed in the 1900 US Census for Nashville, Barry Cty, Michigan with the following:

Irving Forest Head M 25 Indiana
Myrte S Forest Wife F 25 Michigan
Mary E Webb Grandmother F 66 Ohio

I have not managed to find a 1910 US Census listing for Irving, but dated 12 Sep 1918 is a WWI draft card for Irving Emanuel Forst, b. 12 Sep 1875, with nearest relative listed as his wife, Merta Forst; the card gives his residence as Cocolalla, Bonner Cty, Idaho. In the same town in the 1920 US Census is a household of:

Irving E Forest Head M 44 Indiana
Merta J Forest Wife F 44 Michigan

In the 1930 US Census, in Lansing, Ingham Cty, Michigan, is a household with:

Erving E Forst Head M 54 Indiana
Merta S Forst Wife F 54 Michigan

The next available record appears to be a death record for Merta J. Forst (b. 1 Jan 1876 in Jackson Cty, Michigan with parents Sylvester Van Buren and Mary Bridenstine; d. 4 Sep 1945 in Edmore, Montcalm Cty, Michigan) that gives her as married. The Findagrave.com website lists both a Merta Forst (b. 1876, d. 1945) and an Irving Forst (b. 1875, d. 1960) in Crystal Cemetery, Montcalm Cty, though neither listing includes a grave photo.

At this point, my assumption is that Emanuel died a young man just a month shy of his twenty-seventh birthday, leaving a young widow and two small children. I would guess his daughter Myrtle died young (though she may well have married and the record has simply evaded me thus far), and I would also guess that his widow Mary Melba may well have died prior to 1900, leaving Irving to care for his widowed grandmother. The lack of any children in the census records I have found so far for Irving and his wife would suggest to me that he had no chidlren. Assuming I am correct about Irving's sister Myrtle, I believe Emanuel's line ended with his two children.