Eliphlet Martin

Lifespan: 1869 – 1956

FamilySearch ID: G9VT-JCS

Summary

Born 1869 in Wisconsin. Known as “Life” (Gerald’s obituary) and “Lile” (1920 census index). Real name Eliphlet — a biblical name (Hebrew: “God is my deliverance”), commonly nicknamed “Life/Lif” in 19th century America. Youngest of nine children of Henry Martin (b. Ireland) and Eliza Hutchinson (b. Canada, parents English/Scottish). Listed as “Elipalet” age 1 in the 1870 Door County census. Married Mildred Amelia Guernsey. Lived on Peter Street, Sturgeon Bay, Door County, Wisconsin. Occupation: laborer. Family attended Christian Science Society. Four children: Gerald, John, Donna, Henry. Died 1956, age ~87.

Relationships

• Father: Henry Martin (1831–1896) — born in Ireland. FamilySearch ID: LYS2-3P2. The Irish ancestor that Betty (Schmidt) Krumpos remembered.
• Mother: Eliza Hutchinson (c. 1830–1884) — born in Canada (per 1870 census; parents English/Scottish). FamilySearch ID: K814-2YL. Died when Eliphlet was ~15.
• Siblings (8 older, per 1870 Door County census):
  1. Elias Martin (b. c. 1853, New York)
  2. Charles Martin (b. c. 1856, Wisconsin)
  3. John Martin (b. c. 1857, Wisconsin)
  4. Eliza Martin (sister, b. c. 1860, Wisconsin)
  5. William Martin (b. c. 1861, Wisconsin)
  6. Henry Martin Jr. (b. c. 1865, Wisconsin)
  7. James Martin (b. c. 1866, Wisconsin)
  8. David Martin (b. c. 1867, Wisconsin)
  • Eliphlet was the youngest of nine children.
• Wife: Mildred Amelia Guernsey (Mar 21, 1880, Ionia, Michigan – Dec 15, 1971, Sturgeon Bay). FamilySearch ID: G9VT-4B1.
• Children:
  • Gerald E. Martin Sr. (Mar 8, 1903–Jun 14, 1931) — direct line. m. Hazel Mielke. FamilySearch ID: G9VT-66L.
  • John A. Martin (1907–1997) — Sturgeon Bay. FamilySearch ID: G9VT-NLB.
  • Donna C. Martin (1909–2009) — m. Herlache. Lived to 100. FamilySearch ID: LL4V-BXZ.
  • Henry E. Martin (1911–2001) — m. Viola Rupp (1910–1953). FamilySearch ID: GFHK-MYJ.

Sources

• FamilySearch Family Tree — Eliphlet Martin, G9VT-JCS. Parents: Henry Martin (LYS2-3P2) and Eliza Hutchinson (K814-2YL). Wife: Mildred Amelia Guernsey Martin (G9VT-4B1). Four children with FamilySearch IDs.
• 1920 US Census, Door County, Wisconsin, ED 69, Sturgeon Bay Ward 1, Sheet 10A — “Life Martin” (indexed as “Lile”), Head, age 49, married, white. Birthplace: Wisconsin. Father’s birthplace: Ireland. Mother’s birthplace: England. Language: English. Occupation: Laborer. Household #222.
• 1900 US Census — Life Martin, Wisconsin. Birthplace: Wisconsin. (Confirmed by user.)
• 1910 US Census — Life Martin, Wisconsin. Birthplace: Wisconsin. (Confirmed by user.)
• 1870 US Census, Door County, Wisconsin — “Elipalet” Martin, age 1, born Wisconsin. Youngest of 9 children of Henry Martin (39, Ireland, Farmer) and Eliza (40, Canada). Two pages of the household.
• Gerald Martin obituary, Door County News, June 18, 1931 — “the son of Mr. and Mrs. Life Martin.” Funeral at parents’ home on Peter Street, Sturgeon Bay.

Research Notes

Name

• Eliphlet is the true given name. Confirmed by FamilySearch and 1870 census (written as “Elipalet”). “Life” and “Lile” are nicknames/phonetic renderings of the common 19th century short form of Eliphalet/Eliphlet → “Lif” → “Life.”
• Four spellings across four documents: Elipalet (1870 census), Eliphlet (FamilySearch), Lile (1920 census index), Life (1931 obituary).
• Eliphalet is a biblical name (2 Samuel 5:16, 1 Chronicles 3:8) — a Puritan/Protestant naming tradition. His eldest brother Elias also has a biblical name; the other seven siblings got common English names.

Irish ancestry — CONFIRMED

• Henry Martin (1831–1896) — born in Ireland, Foggy’s 4x great-grandfather. The Irish ancestor Betty remembered.
• Eliza Hutchinson (c. 1830–1884) — born in Canada (per 1870 census), not England as Eliphlet reported in 1920. Her parents (Thomas Hutcheson, Sophia Miller) were English/Scottish — Eliphlet likely reported his mother’s ethnic origin rather than her actual birthplace, 36 years after her death.
• Henry emigrated from Ireland to New York (eldest son Elias born there c. 1853), then moved to Door County, Wisconsin by c. 1856. Likely a Famine-era emigrant.
• By 1870, Henry was a farmer with $1,000 in real estate and 9 children. The youngest — Eliphlet — carried the family forward to Foggy’s line.
• Martin is the 10th most common surname in Ireland, particularly concentrated in County Galway.

Family longevity

• Eliphlet: died 1956, age ~87
• Mildred: died 1971, age 91
• John A.: died 1997, age 90
• Donna C.: died 2009, age 100
• Henry E.: died 2001, age 90
• Gerald was the tragic exception — died 1931, age 28. The only short life in a family of near-centenarians.

Donna C. Herlache

• A daughter not mentioned in Gerald’s 1931 obituary (she wasn’t among “survivors” listed — possibly she was listed under a married name we didn’t recognize, or the obituary only listed Gerald’s brothers). Born 1909, married Herlache (a Door County Belgian surname). Lived to 100.

Eliphlet’s obituary

• Died 1956 — his obituary should be in the Door County newspaper archive (covers through 1979). Would confirm parents and potentially give more family details.
• Search: Door County Digital Archive for “Eliphlet Martin” or “Life Martin” in 1956.

Naming patterns

• Eliphlet named his sons John and Henry — the same names as two of his brothers in the 1870 household. Gerald named his son Henry too. Family names carrying forward across generations.
• The eldest and youngest of Henry’s nine children both got biblical names (Elias, Elipalet). The middle seven got standard English names (Charles, John, William, Henry, James, David, Eliza).

Next steps

1. Eliphlet’s obituary (1956) — Door County newspaper archive. Would confirm parents and give more family history.
2. 1880 census — Now searchable as “Elipalet” or “Eliphlet Martin” age ~11 in Henry Martin’s household, Door County.
3. Henry Martin’s death record (1896) — may list Irish county of origin.
4. Henry Martin’s immigration — Castle Garden records, New York, c. 1850-1853.
5. Eliza’s Canadian origin — where in Canada? Ontario most likely.