DeGroff Serviss (1842-1919)

When reading a will, read all the supporting documents

While reviewing (flailing) through Isaac DeGraff Sr.'s will (1851) and supporting documents, I found several names that had not appeared before in my research.  Listed as hiers, next of kin, of the said deceased were DeGroff Servoss, Elizabeth Dunn, and Sarah Dunn.

DeGroff caught my eye for the unusual name and I wondered who this person was and what the connection to Isaac Sr had been.   I found later reference to Charles Bartlett being named his guardian.   In 1854, Amy De Graff's will, DeGroff appears again as an hier and next of kin, along with Nellly Ann and Amy Voorhes. In this case, three years later, Gerry U Hazelton was named guardian. *

I wondered who DeGroff Servoss was and the unique nature of the first name gave me hope of finding some answers.  I found an entry in the 1850 US Federal Census, in Florida, Montgomery County,  for DeGroff Servis (8 years old) in the household of David Serviss with a wife, Eliza Ann, along with a 10 year old Harriet Serviss.   The 1860 US Federal Census finds the same family in Alden; McHenry County; Illinois. DeGroff (listed in this census as Gough) is 18 years old.  Two more children are in the family  (Lewis b:1855 and Mary b: 1856).

I wondered if, given his age, DeGroff was involved in the American Civil War and searched for records of his enlistment or his application for a pension.  I was successful and found evidence that DeGroff served as a Private in Company H of the 8th Illinois Volunteer Calvary.

American Civil War: 

DeGroff served from his enlistment September 7, 1861 until he received a medical discharge on September 20, 1864. His served under Captain Hooker, Lieutenant David and Lieutenant Harrison and Sergeant Russell.  DeGroff contracted a cold while on watch one evening in Maryland, in Feburary of 1864 and was in his quarters ill for over a month.  He was discharged September 20, 1864, in Maryland and seemingly worked his way home to Illinios.

When DeGroff  left with his Calvary unit for the American Civil War, he was 19 years old and his family was living in McHenry County, Illinios.  By 1865, the Serviss family is in Macon County (further south) and in 1875 the are in Delphos, Kansas (where David Serviss dies in 1877 and is buried; Eliza dies in 1906).

DeGroff  stayed in Illinois; in 1870 he is a resident in the home of William Chapman. He gave his trade as wheelwright - a person who repairs wagon wheels.   I know from his pension application that he married Lillian Ward, of Harvard, Illinois in 1875 (September 7).  Their issue include:

• May (marries Anderson) b: 1875 Jan 15
• Ada (marries Clemens) b: 1876 Dec 8
• Nellie b: 1878 June 6
• Lillian b: 1881 July 18
• Katy b: 1892 Sept 27
• William b: 1884 Sept 9
• Rose: (marries Wayet Smith) b: 1894 June 24 (possibly born in Stauntan, VA)

In 1888, clearly DeGroff's chronic respiratory problems had made his life difficult and he applied for compensation and financial support from the United States Government. The process was lengthy and required statements from friends and associates and several medical examinations. In 1888 he was awarded $6.00 a month, which increased in 1895 to $12.00, to $20.00 in 1912, and finally $30.00 in 1917. At one point in the process, Ada C. Sweet (listed as his attorney) was rejected by the government for her failure to reply to communications and was basically called a flake by the Department of Interor flunky who wrote back to her.  I am unclear if Ada was in fact his daughter Ada, who had a second husband at this point or not.

DeGroff did not live his whole life in Illinois;  he lists his places of residence in his application as Keedysville Maryland (Washington County) Hillsburg Springs, Virginia, and Staunton, Virginia.  I am not sure if he lived in Maryland after his discharge or with Lillian later in life (I don't find him in any US Federal Census returns for 1900 or 1910.) From responses his children gave to Census takers - it appears DeGroff and Lillian were living in Staunton Virginia by 1894.

DeGroff died on February 11, 1917; his widow Lilian collected a widow's pension of $20.00 (later raised to $40.00 in 1929) until she died on January 7, 1929.

Both are buried in Thornrose Cemetery, in Staunton,Virginia (Lillian's death is noted in the pension file as being in 1929 but her tombstone gives her death in 1940).

DeGroff Serviss's Parents

At some point, as you've been reading this, perhaps you thought, "BUT what is the connection between DeGroff and Isaac DeGroff Sr? "   I wondered as well.

DeGroff's death certificate (completed by Rosa Smith, DeGroff's youngest daugther) details DeGroff's parents parents as William Serviss and Margaret DeGroff. She notes both of their places of birth as Kansas.

I'd love to have a connection to Kansas - the history of the area is the stuff of legends and real folks songs - however, it does not compute  - as DeGroff states he was born in Montgomery County.   I began to seek out Margaret DeGroffs.  And the situations gets confused, quickly!

Margaret DeGroff Servoss

I had already discovered one Margaret Servoss; she was Isaac Sr's niece, only daugther of John (Johannes) De Groff who served in the American Revolution.  Margaret, born February of 1781, married Philip Servoss in Minaville on September 1, 1801.  She is mentioned in Philip's will (1847) and it explains in her father's pension application that she remaired a Mr. Mason.   I carelessly thought that since DeGroffs date of birth was 1842, perhaps he was her son, then his father died, and he moved off with an uncle upon his mother's remarriage.  Margaret died on October 18, 1866 and is buried in Minaville. 

It took math and a conversation with Darren to realize that a woman born in 1781 was an unlikely mother for a child born in 1842.    

And the hunt for Margaret DeGroff continued.

Margaret DeGroff Serviss

I turned my eyes to David Serviss who I had found as head of household with DeGroff in 1860.  I find a references of marriage to Charlotte Green (daughter of Samuel Green) on December 13, 1838 at the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in Florida, Montgomery County.   Two years later, also at the Dutch Church in Florida, David Servoss is listed as marrying Margaret DeGroff, daughter of Isaac DeGroff.   These references are relevant for two reasons (1) I did not realize Isaac had a daugther, Margaret and (2) I was not sure if Serviss and Servoss were the same surname.

At any rate, Isaac Sr. having a daughter Margaret, who died before he did (hence not mentioned in his will) and that daughter having a son, name DeGroff, seems quite plausible and is the narrative I am leaning toward.   I also find that the Serviss/ Servoss/ Service name is confused frequently in the documents (even in DeGroff's own pension application) and I am taking some slight liberty with that in reaching my conclusion.

My theory is that Margaret died not long after DeGroff was born. I find in another family tree records of David Serviss marrying Eliza Ann Daily on July 5, 1848.  In 1850, David and Eliza are living in Florida, Montgomery County, with Harriet (age 10) and DeGroff (age 8).  By 1860, the family is in Illinois and two more children - Eliza's children Lewis b:1855 and Mary b: 1856 are with them.  By 1875, David and Eliza are in Kansas -- David dies there in 1877.   Perhaps, after his time in the service, DeGroff returned home to Illinois, but with David and Eliza on route to Kansas,  he chose to stay in Illinios and make his life with Lillian.

Connection between Darren and DeGroff Serviss

Darren and DeGroff share a link via Isaac Sr.  Isaac and his second wife, Amy, had a daughter Margaret (1818-before 1850) who married David Serviss/Servoss and had two children Harriet and DeGroff. I find no burial place for Margaret - I wonder if she is buried with her parents in the yet to be found "Ferguson Baird Farm Cemetery".  

DeGroff was Isaac Sr. and Amy's grandson and Isaac Jr.'s nephew.In the end, DeGroff Serviss, a American Civil War veteran, is Darren's 1st cousin - 5 times removed.

Servoss vs Serviss

These family names are two distinct families - and it could be that my deductions are in error.  I have not found a solid clue for David Serviss or Servoss's father - using either spelling - but I am still working on reconstructing that family tree. Running down a William Serviss/Servoss is my first step (but so far no luck)

One more interesting conundrum: Who was DeGroff's father? 

Harriet, DeGroff's older sister - is 10 in 1850 (meaning born in 1840) and is not listed as one of Issac's heirs. Further, in Eliza Daily's obituary 91906), Hariett is listed as Eliza's daughter (despite being born 6 years before Eliza married David).  DeGroff is not mentioned in Eliza's obituary at all.  Finally, DeGroff's death certificate lists William Serviss as his father - not David Serviss. 

1. Was David DeGroff's uncle? Who took him in after the death of his parents? 
2. Is the  marriage notation in the Reformed Dutch Church of Florida a mistake? Did Margaret marry a William Serviss ? not a David Serviss (there is a William Serviss in Amsterdam, New York in 1840- I find no other information about him)
3. DeGroff did name his only son William - is that after his father, William Serviss? 
4. Or, is the notation on the death certificate a mistake? Did his daughter not know the name of her father's father? 
5. After the American Civil War, DeGroff lived in a William Chapman (was that name confused / conflated to be his fathers) 

Interestingly, in this case, DeGroff's father is not as relevant to our story - as the connection between him and our family is via his mother, who I again, presume to be Margaret DeGroff - daughter of Isaac and Amy DeGroff of Florida, Montgomery County, New York. 

I'd like to meet DeGroff some day.   His file says he was 5 feet 7 inches tall and had dark brown eyes.  I have decided he was quite handsome - even if he did cough often.   For a young man from a small farm town, he saw a great deal of the Country and served it well and lived with a life long medical issue as a result of his service.   hhhm.. I shall close this post on the word "service" :-) 

* In the probate process, guardians are responsible for assuming legal responsiblities that a minor or an incompetent adult cannot handle.    I gather that guardianship does not imply "adoption" .  

The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, p. 270.