Alexander G. Cameron, Step-Father of Nellie (Horton) Medbury

[Excerpts from blog originally posted here on my "Detour Through History" blog on 10 March 2007]

Wayne County Probate File #26775 also included the surnames of Medbury, Strickland and Horton as well as Cameron.

Wayne Co., MI, Probate
File # 26775
CAMERON, R. Donald
Half-brother of granddaughter-in-law of estate 1900
Nellie Medbury nee Horton

Wayne Co., MI, Probate
File # 26775
CAMERON, Alexander G.
1900
Died 1901
Step-father of granddaughter-in-law of estate
Step-father of Nellie O. Medbury, nee HORTON

Wayne Co., MI, Probate
File #26775
CAMERON, Antoinette A.
Nee STRICKLAND
1st Married Name HORTON
Mother of Nellie O. Medbury, nee Horton
Died: 1914
Remarried Alex G. Cameron (1887)

It was intriguing that Alex Cameron’s relationship to the estate was “step-father of the granddaughter-in-law.” Whose estate would include such a person? How large was the estate? Alex G. Cameron’s step-daughter was Nellie O. (Horton) Medbury. Who was her husband, and more importantly, her husband’s family? Alex G. Cameron's step-daughter was the wife* of Truman Medbury, the daughter-in-law of Lewis Medbury and the grand-daughter-in-law of Samuel Medbury. *The marriage was officiated by A. J. Cameron, Baptist Minister

Lewis Medbury moved to Atlas Twp., Genesee County. According to the History of Genesee county:

"In 1857 the Samuel Medbury family moved to Detroit – Samuel had previously become largely interested in several businesses in Michigan, such as banking, railroads, etc. Samuel Medbury died July 19, 1874, and left a widow and two children, Esther and Lewis."

In 1870, Alex G. Cameron, his wife, Agnes [McLean], and children (including Hilie**) were living in Saginaw Co., Michigan. **Hilie married Ray Davids. The witnesses were Truman Medbury and Nellie Horton; the minister was A. G. Cameron, Baptist minister.

In 1880 an Alex G. Cameron was also living in Atlas Township,with a wife, Agnes. He is almost definitely the Alex Cameron included in the Medbury probate file. His future wife, Antoinette (Strickland) Horton, was living in New York in 1880 with her daughter, Nellie. When and why Nettie and Nellie Horton moved to Michigan is unknown at this time.

In the 1900 census taken in Kalamazoo there was an A. Cameron, b. 1840, with his wife, b. 1847, with son Don, b. 1889, with the notation "recently moved to Chicago." Probably Alex, Antoinette, and Nellie's half-brother, Donald.

Nellie Medbury died in Evanston, Cook Co., Illinois, on 17 Nov 1946. Her widowed mother, Antoinette, died in Flint, Michigan, in 1914.