Alvin M. White was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, July 15, 1846, the eleventh child out of thirteen born to Jesse and Charity Whitneck White. According to his Civil War papers he was born in New Brunswick but according to census records in Wisconsin he stated he was born in Maine. Until Alvin was about eight years old the family lived in or near Houlton, Maine when the family moved to the then pioneer state of Wisconsin.
When the Civil War broke out, four of his older brothers enlisted but Alvin was too young. However, On August 27, 1864 he enlisted in Company A., 42nd Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteers. This is what is written on the Wisconsin Civil War compiled service records: Muster Rolls, 36th-43rd Infantry, Reel 8 “Red Books”. Descriptive Roll of Company A, 42nd Regiment Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers. No. 100, Names - White, Alvin M. Rank - Private. Enlisted: when - August 29, 1864; where - Waupaca; by whom - D. McGregor. Term - 1 year. Mustered U.S. Service: when - August 29, 1864; where - Madison; Description: age - 18, Marital status - single, Hair - light, Comp - light, Feet - 6, Inches 2, Occupation - farmer. Residence: town - Minnesota Lake, county - Faribault Minnesota. Credited to: town or ward - Almond, county - Portage. Termination of Service: mustered out - June 20, 1865. Rolls: D.M.I, D.B, M.O. Remarks: Rolls quoted for name to D.M.I. #30. D.B. M.O. Mustered out with Co. 6/20/65 Madison Wis. According to the Compendium of the War of Rebellion the 42nd Regiment Infantry was organized at Madison, Wisconsin and mustered in September 7, 1864. They moved to Cairo, Illinois around September 20-22, 1864 and assigned to post and garrison duty at Cairo and provost duty by detachments at various points in Illinois till June 1865. They were then mustered out June 20, 1865. The Regiment lost 58 men during the service due to disease.
Not long after the war Alvin married Loretta Maria Millard the daughter of John D. Millard and Catherine Harrington. She gave birth to a son they named Leonard. She did not live much longer. Their son Leonard drowned when he was about two years of age. This took place in the state of Minnesota.
On March 21, 1870 Alvin remarried again to Mary Jane Millard, the younger sister of his deceased wife. That year their oldest son, Minnard Harvey White was born around Wells, Faribault County, Minnesota. Nine more children were born to them after they moved to Barron County, Wisconsin. Minnard, the oldest son of Alvin and Mary White, was born September 6, 1870. He married Elsie Stow, July 4, 1903. For most of the part he had lived in Wisconsin except for some winters in Florida and trips elsewhere lived on his farm between Barron and Prairie Farm, Wisconsin. He and Elsie celebrated their Golden Wedding July 4, 1953. He died June 2, 1955 and is buried in the Wayside Cemetery in Barron, Barron County, Wisconsin next to his father.
The Rev. Alvin M. White family in 1902
From left to right:
Eva Mae (my great-grandmother), Alvin, Clifford, Mary Jane, and Ethel
Artamus Pearl White, the second son of Alvin and Mary White was born January 29, 1872 in Barron County, Wisconsin. He married Cora Harris on February 5, 1893. Pearl was an apiary and was also a good carpenter and plumber. He and Cora lived in Barron, Wisconsin until her death in 1936. Pearl died March 7, 1953 as the result of an injury from a fall when pruning.
The oldest daughter of Alvin and Mary, Charity Vianna White was born November 27, 1874 in Barron County, Wisconsin. She died just before her sixteenth birthday on October 6, 1890 from membranous croup or pneumonia.
The third son, George Newell White, was born September 11, 1876 in Barron County, and died at the age of three weeks. No cause of death is given.
Next born was Olive Achsa White on September 26, 1877. She married Hugh William Fletcher on December 25, 1895. Their only son Arthur died at less then three years of age in Hillsdale, Barron County, Wisconsin. Olive died April 7, 1962 after a long and useful live. He died in the Entiat Valley of Washington.
Emma Catherine White, the next daughter of Alvin and Mary was bon on March 29, 1880. She married Elmer Blackburn on October 30, 1899 in Maple Grove, Barron County, Wisconsin. Except for a few months in the Entiat Valley, Washington they lived in Hillsdale, Wisconsin until Elmer’s death in December 1920. Emma and the younger children continued to live thee until October 1930. They moved to the Entiat Valley, Washington where she had a small orchard and 25 years later moved to Wenatchee, Washington to be near her daughter.
Alvin and Mary’s next son, Frank Ethelbert White was born October 25, 1882. He married Hattie Elva White on July 17, 1909. Hattie was the granddaughter of Jeremiah White, Alvin’s oldest brother. They lived in Wisconsin for some years, then Montana, and Florida before setting into Oregon. In Lebanon, Oregon they celebrated their golden wedding on July 17, 1959. Hattie passed away on May 11, 1968 and Frank in February 1977.
Daughter Eva Mae White was born January 23, 1888 in Barron County, Wisconsin. She married William Frank Mitts, son of Frank Lee Mitts and Henrietta Jane Stoneback, on January 27, 1909 at Dallas, Barron County, Wisconsin. An interesting note is that Eva’s grandmother Catherine Harrington and William’s grandmother Almira Harrington were sisters. Will worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Around 1912 they moved to Oregon and around 1922 to Weed, California. Just before his retirement he moved to Redding, California. After his retirement he moved to Gerber, California. There they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1959. He died July 8, 1962. After his death Eva moved to Redding, California to live with her daughter. She died there on June 11, 1965. They are both buried at the Lawncrest Memorial Park in Redding, Shasta County, California.
Ethel Iona White, youngest daughter of Alvin and Mary was born March 5, 1892. She married Dewey Dissmore on August 24, 1911 at her mother’s home in Maple Grove, Wisconsin. Dewey taught school and helped on his father’s farm until they moved to the Entiat Valley, Washington. They celebrated their 60 anniversary in 1971. Dewey passed away May 1973 and Ethel on November 16, 1988.
Clifford Alvin White the youngest child of Alvin and Mary White was born June 27, 1896 in Maple Grove, Wisconsin. He married Henrietta Virginia “Etta” Mitts, the niece of William Frank and Eva Mae White Mitts on May 24, 1920. Having no children of their own, they raised a niece and nephew of Etta’s, Larry and Freya Mitts. Clifford served in the army and was a painter by trade. Clifford died in 1962 and Etta passed away in February 13, 1985 both in Sweet Home, Oregon.
This photo was taken shortly after Rev. Alvin
passed away in 1907
Back row: Minnard and
Pearl
Second Row, Eva, Ethel, Emma
and Clifford
Front Frow: Frank, Mary
Jane, and Olive
According to Ethel White Dissmore, “From the time my father Alvin White came to Barron County, Wisconsin in 1870, he had done many kinds of work to make a living. He was a good farmer, a schoolteacher, and for a time he had a general store at Old Hillsdale. He was also an ordained Freewill Baptist minister. Almost from the time I first remember, my father had poor health. In the later years he spent his winters in a southern state. The family did not go along until November 1902 when my mother, Eva, Clifford and I went with him. We stayed in Nevada, Missouri until May 1905. He did not regain good health from then until he died March 26, 1907 on the farm in Maple Grove.” After the death of Alvin , Mary stayed on the farm in Maple Grove Township until all the children with the exception of Clifford had married. It was then she sold the farm and moved back to Barron. In 1909 she left Barron County to live with her daughters in the Entiat Valley, Washington. There she passed away on July 18, 1944. Rev. Alvin M. White was the pastor of the Free Baptist Church of Dallas/Maple Grove for a short time in 1892 and in 1897. He loved to preach the gospel and also performed marriage ceremonies on many occasions.
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