Della was the daughter of Jacob Hiram Knapp and Adel "Addie" McBain.
In most documents she is listed as "Della", however in a handwritten family tree by a McBain Family member she is listed as Adele I presume after her mother. Her mother died in Aug 1876 and in 1880 Della was living with her grandmother, Melissa Louisa (Smith) McBain Deering. She was listed as granddaughter, Ella Brown, 8 years old (instead of 3). Family stories have it that when Adel died her mother took the two daughters and hid them from father Hiram because she was upset over how Adel died. Ella/Della had a sister Melissa Margaret who would have been 8 years old in 1880 but we can't find where she was taken or what name she was under. This was the only time that Della was listed with the name Ella Brown.
On Nov 7, 1894 in Woodbridge, MI she married George Wyllys, son of John A. Wyllys and Lucretia French.
Their children were Glenn Ronald and Estella Kittie.
On Nov 19, 1919 in Ingham, MI George filed for divorce for Desertion; it was granted on Mar 29, 1920.
It has been hard to verify Della after the 1910 census. In 1920 Lansing, MI a Della Willis, 42, Divorced, was a maid for widower Ollie Johnson & his daughter Allie, age 15. That was possibly her even though the divorce wasn't finalized until March.
In 1930 Kalamazoo State Hospital there was a Della K. Wyllys, age 53, born 1877. patient; but she was listed as married. The Della K. makes you think it was Della Knapp Wyllys and the birth year was correct, but she was divorced not married. In 1940 Kalamazoo State Hospital Della Wyllys was still listed as married but listed as 74, born 1866. Those may or may not have been her.
I only know from her obit that before she died in Kalamazoo she had been a resident of Hanover, MI.
Della was predeceased by son Glenn on Nov 24, 1910 at 12 years old.
Age: 90yrs
Cause of Death: not known
Note:
Her Social Security death index lists her birth as in 1877, but her mother died in Aug 1876. The 1900 census lists her birth as Jun 1876 which is correct.
In most documents she is listed as "Della", however in a handwritten family tree by a McBain Family member she is listed as Adele I presume after her mother. Her mother died in Aug 1876 and in 1880 Della was living with her grandmother, Melissa Louisa (Smith) McBain Deering. She was listed as granddaughter, Ella Brown, 8 years old (instead of 3). Family stories have it that when Adel died her mother took the two daughters and hid them from father Hiram because she was upset over how Adel died. Ella/Della had a sister Melissa Margaret who would have been 8 years old in 1880 but we can't find where she was taken or what name she was under. This was the only time that Della was listed with the name Ella Brown.
On Nov 7, 1894 in Woodbridge, MI she married George Wyllys, son of John A. Wyllys and Lucretia French.
Their children were Glenn Ronald and Estella Kittie.
On Nov 19, 1919 in Ingham, MI George filed for divorce for Desertion; it was granted on Mar 29, 1920.
It has been hard to verify Della after the 1910 census. In 1920 Lansing, MI a Della Willis, 42, Divorced, was a maid for widower Ollie Johnson & his daughter Allie, age 15. That was possibly her even though the divorce wasn't finalized until March.
In 1930 Kalamazoo State Hospital there was a Della K. Wyllys, age 53, born 1877. patient; but she was listed as married. The Della K. makes you think it was Della Knapp Wyllys and the birth year was correct, but she was divorced not married. In 1940 Kalamazoo State Hospital Della Wyllys was still listed as married but listed as 74, born 1866. Those may or may not have been her.
I only know from her obit that before she died in Kalamazoo she had been a resident of Hanover, MI.
Della was predeceased by son Glenn on Nov 24, 1910 at 12 years old.
Age: 90yrs
Cause of Death: not known
Note:
Her Social Security death index lists her birth as in 1877, but her mother died in Aug 1876. The 1900 census lists her birth as Jun 1876 which is correct.
Della was the daughter of Jacob Hiram Knapp and Adel "Addie" McBain.
In most documents she is listed as "Della", however in a handwritten family tree by a McBain Family member she is listed as Adele I presume after her mother. Her mother died in Aug 1876 and in 1880 Della was living with her grandmother, Melissa Louisa (Smith) McBain Deering. She was listed as granddaughter, Ella Brown, 8 years old (instead of 3). Family stories have it that when Adel died her mother took the two daughters and hid them from father Hiram because she was upset over how Adel died. Ella/Della had a sister Melissa Margaret who would have been 8 years old in 1880 but we can't find where she was taken or what name she was under. This was the only time that Della was listed with the name Ella Brown.
On Nov 7, 1894 in Woodbridge, MI she married George Wyllys, son of John A. Wyllys and Lucretia French.
Their children were Glenn Ronald and Estella Kittie.
On Nov 19, 1919 in Ingham, MI George filed for divorce for Desertion; it was granted on Mar 29, 1920.
It has been hard to verify Della after the 1910 census. In 1920 Lansing, MI a Della Willis, 42, Divorced, was a maid for widower Ollie Johnson & his daughter Allie, age 15. That was possibly her even though the divorce wasn't finalized until March.
In 1930 Kalamazoo State Hospital there was a Della K. Wyllys, age 53, born 1877. patient; but she was listed as married. The Della K. makes you think it was Della Knapp Wyllys and the birth year was correct, but she was divorced not married. In 1940 Kalamazoo State Hospital Della Wyllys was still listed as married but listed as 74, born 1866. Those may or may not have been her.
I only know from her obit that before she died in Kalamazoo she had been a resident of Hanover, MI.
Della was predeceased by son Glenn on Nov 24, 1910 at 12 years old.
Age: 90yrs
Cause of Death: not known
Note:
Her Social Security death index lists her birth as in 1877, but her mother died in Aug 1876. The 1900 census lists her birth as Jun 1876 which is correct.
In most documents she is listed as "Della", however in a handwritten family tree by a McBain Family member she is listed as Adele I presume after her mother. Her mother died in Aug 1876 and in 1880 Della was living with her grandmother, Melissa Louisa (Smith) McBain Deering. She was listed as granddaughter, Ella Brown, 8 years old (instead of 3). Family stories have it that when Adel died her mother took the two daughters and hid them from father Hiram because she was upset over how Adel died. Ella/Della had a sister Melissa Margaret who would have been 8 years old in 1880 but we can't find where she was taken or what name she was under. This was the only time that Della was listed with the name Ella Brown.
On Nov 7, 1894 in Woodbridge, MI she married George Wyllys, son of John A. Wyllys and Lucretia French.
Their children were Glenn Ronald and Estella Kittie.
On Nov 19, 1919 in Ingham, MI George filed for divorce for Desertion; it was granted on Mar 29, 1920.
It has been hard to verify Della after the 1910 census. In 1920 Lansing, MI a Della Willis, 42, Divorced, was a maid for widower Ollie Johnson & his daughter Allie, age 15. That was possibly her even though the divorce wasn't finalized until March.
In 1930 Kalamazoo State Hospital there was a Della K. Wyllys, age 53, born 1877. patient; but she was listed as married. The Della K. makes you think it was Della Knapp Wyllys and the birth year was correct, but she was divorced not married. In 1940 Kalamazoo State Hospital Della Wyllys was still listed as married but listed as 74, born 1866. Those may or may not have been her.
I only know from her obit that before she died in Kalamazoo she had been a resident of Hanover, MI.
Della was predeceased by son Glenn on Nov 24, 1910 at 12 years old.
Age: 90yrs
Cause of Death: not known
Note:
Her Social Security death index lists her birth as in 1877, but her mother died in Aug 1876. The 1900 census lists her birth as Jun 1876 which is correct.
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