Mightier Acorns

Going four generations back to find another line

This surname can be found among my wife’s Sixteen great-great-grandparents. We have to go that far back to find the first Frederick –

Daisy Deane Frederick – Dec 1871 – 14 Jan 1964

Daisy was the daughter of Lafayette Frederick (1837–1918) and Jane Eliza “Jennie” Smith (1840–1916), born in Dec 1871 in New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana. She married Charles Walter Putnam (1859-1922) on 5 Jan 1899 in New Albany, Floyd, Indiana – we discussed their family in “Family Reunion: Putnam” a few months ago.

Daisy had an older brother, Merrill, and a younger brother, Sherley. When I first got to know my in-laws, I was told a few stories about “Dee Daw and Uncle Sherley” that I think were references to Daisy and her brother.

Lafayette Frederick was the son of Charles Frederick (1809–1882) and Mary Elletha Miller (1815–1867), born on 12 Aug 1837 in Indiana. He likely grew up in Greenville, Floyd County, Indiana, and he lived with his family in New Albany in 1860. During the Civil War, Lafayette served as a Captain in Company K of the 93rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, from 29 Aug 1862 to 13 Aug 1863.

Lafayette married Jennie Smith on 26 Nov 1863 in New Albany, Floyd, Indiana. They resided in New Albany in 1870, where Lafayette worked as a confectioner. He later went into the real estate business.

There is a lot left to discover about Lafayette’s ancestors – his parents both have relatively common names and the records from the first half of the 1800s are sparse. But if you have Fredericks in your family tree, and one of them appears to be a Union Army captain and candy maker, we just might be distant cousins.

So say hello!