Parents John & Catherine Wentz Carson
Daughter Minnie Maud (B-20 July 1867) married Lacelle Strait

Samuel J. Carson
Well-known Citizen of Galesburg Dies
Had Been Active Citizen
Occupation of Usefulness and Industry
Followed by Him—His Offering Include Well-Known People.
GALESBURG, Mich., June 11.—(Special)—Samuel J. Carson, farmer, capitalist, and for a long time a resident of this village and vicinity, died this noon after a painful illness of many months. From a small beginning as a farmer in Ross township on a farm which was still in his possession at the time of his death, he worked his way forward by industry and judicious investment until he was probably the wealthiest man in this county outside of the city of Kalamazoo. His age was 78 years. Mr. Carson's first wife died in 1899, all of their 13 children reaching maturity. Three of them are now dead.
Some Descendants. In January of this year he married Mrs. Media Truax, who survives him with the following children: Mrs. W. W. Olln and Mrs. Fox of Kalamazoo, Samuel J. Carson of St. Ignace, Isaac N. Carson of Galesburg, Josephine Olin of Galesburg, Melinda J. Schroder of Galesburg, W. M. Carson of Galesburg, Alida Ogden of Mackinac City, William Carson of Galesburg and LaSalle Straight of Oakland, Cal. Mrs. Dell Glover, Mrs. John McRae and Mrs. Richard VanHaaften of Grand Rapids are granddaughters, as well as Mrs. Ed Henry of Milwaukee. Kalamazoo Evening Telegraph June 11, 1901 page 5

CAUSE OF CARSON’S DEATH
Autopsy Held to Discover. It—Some Sensational Circumstances. An autopsy was held Wednesday afternoon upon the remains of Samuel J. Carson of Galesburg, who died Tuesday morning a t the advanced age of 78 years. The autopsy was conducted by Dr. A. W. Crane of this city, assisted by Dr. Ralph E. Balch and Dr. O. H. Clark. Dr. MacBeth of Galesburg was also present. The post mortem examination was a thorough one, from "top to bottom" to use a technical expression, to discover the cause of death. Dr. Crane took away with him some of the contents of the stomach for chemical analysis. Mr. Carson was one of the wealthiest men in Kalamazoo county. By his first wife, who died in 1899, thirteen children were born all of whom reached maturity. In January of this year he was married to Mrs. Media Truax, who had been his housekeeper, and the post mortem examination Wednesday was the result of persistent rumors emanating from members of the family, as to the cause of the old gentleman's sickness. The relations between the sons and daughters and their step mother have not been of the pleasantest. The present Mrs. Carson Is a woman of about 40 years of age and one widely known In Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. Her family lived at Bedford, near Battle Creek, but she was brought up in the household of E. N. Peck, of Richland and was commonly supposed to be his adopted daughter. As a young woman she is said to have been very beautiful, but she has seen many trials in her life. She married a Rian named Willis, now a prominent newspaper man in Grand Rapids, but his dissipations at that time caused her to get a divorce from him after two daughters had been born to them. Her next matrimonial venture was with a man named Truax, who proved a counterpart, it Is alleged, of her first husband and she separated from him. It is said that through some mortgage deal, she became acquainted with the late Mr. Carson, and he engaged her to be the housekeeper on a farm owned by him near Galesburg, his own residence being in the village proper. She Is a very competent woman and assisted him with his books and in the handling of his mortgages, accounts, etc. It is said that members of the family became jealous of the alleged influence Mrs. Truax had over their father, and-numerous stories of a scandalous nature became circulated at the time. It is alleged that efforts were made to make Mr. Carson discharge Mrs. Truax, and to frighten her away from the premises. One night when Mr. Carson was at his farm house, powder was placed near the room in which he was sleeping and the side of the building blown up. Mr. Carson was uninjured." No prosecutions followed nor were any efforts made to locate the perpetrators of the act. Mrs. Carson died in 1899 a t an advanced age, and it is alleged that the father sought to get some of his children to come and keep house for him. One member of the family did this but after three weeks left the premises. Mrs. Truax meanwhile was living at Carson's farm at Galesburg, at Battle Creek and later lived in one of his terraces on Frank street in this city, near Rose, where it is alleged he staid when in Kalamazoo. It Is alleged that the relations sustained between Carson and his children became more strained and that some of them would have nothing to do with him. On one occasion It Is said that he was escorting Mrs. Truax to the station to go to Battle Creek when members of the family told the woman not to dare to come to Galesburg again. A son-in-law is alleged to have struck Mr. Carson down when he interfered, knocking the old gentleman under the cars. Mrs. Truax, it is also alleged, was in receipt of many threats to leave the town for good, one letter it is stated being in the nature of a white cap communications. Some time ago Mrs. Truax brought divorce proceedings against her husband in the Marshall court. Carson was summoned to appear in court and when he did so, found a number of the members of his family there. It Is alleged that they sought to prevent Mrs. Truax from getting her divorce, and alleged that she bore improper relations with Carson. Both it is said were placed on the witness stand, but the divorce was granted. Carson is alleged to have remarked that his children had done themselves out of a big amount of his money and that he would marry Mrs. Truax to keep it from them. None of the family knew of the marriage until after It was consummated. A grand-daughter was a t the house the evening of the wedding, and suspected something was going forward as Carson had on his best clothes. He, however, pleaded sleepiness, and they left before the arrival of the minister. That was last January. Carson is said to have had a stroke of paralysis a year or so ago. He had been in poor health it is said since last fall. For the last month he is said to have been extremely unwell, and for a few days before his death was said to be unconscious. It Is alleged that even before his death, members of the family asserted that they would require a post mortem examination. Ike Carson of Galesburg, son of Samuel, is an undertaker but it is alleged that Mrs. Carson said that her husband had declared his son should not take care of his remains. At all events Undertaker Cornelius Van Halst of this city was summoned Tuesday to Galesburg soon after the death. The autopsy followed Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Crane, from a professional standpoint, refused to give out any statement whatever as to the result of the autopsy. Mr. Carson, a son of the deceased, was in the city this afternoon in consultation with the doctor. After the interview, he stated that the surgical examination did not reveal sufficient cause for death. No report could as yet be made on the chemical analysis. So far as known Mr. Carson left no will. Kalamazoo Evening Telegraph June 13, 1901 page 1 and 6