Sebastian Michel Nihoul

Sebastian Michel Nihoul was born 30 Jun 1856, Seraing, Liege, Belgium, died 24 Nov 1924, Bunnell, Flagler CO, FL, buried Eden Cemetery, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL marred 10 Jan 1880, Seraing, Liege, Belgium, Pauline Elizabeth Decerf, dau of Paul Decert and Marie Catherine Jacquemin, born Jan 1856, Belgium, died 22 Nov 1928, Johnson City, Williamson CO, IL.

The family is listed on page 67 of the 1910 census of St. Johns County, with his occupation given as "Miner - Farmer," and on page 33 of the 1920 census of Flagler County with his occupation given as "Farmer - General," residing in the St. John Park precinct.

According to the census, Mr and Mrs Nihoul and their son Louis, migrated to the United States in 1881 and were naturalized in 1887. They came to the St. Johns Park area prior to 1910. Both of their boys were members of the St. Johns Park Band. Issue;

1. Louis Joseph Nihoul, born 14 May 1880, Seraing, Liege, Belgium, died 21 Apr 1964, Rutland, La Salle CO, IL. His occupation given in the 1910 census was "Miner - Farmer" and as "Laborer Logging Camp" in 1920.

2. Marie Catherine (Kate) Nihoul, born 12 Oct 1881, Seraing, Liege, Belgium, died 19 Nov 1955, Johnson City, Williamson CO, IL, married Adolph Bozue, born 15 May 1880, France, died 07 Jan 1928, Johnson City, Williamson CO, IL. He was a coal miner. Issue;

(1) Pauline Elizabeth Bozue, born 04 Mar1904, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 06 Jan 1986, Herrin, Williamson CO, IL, married William Smith, born 27 Mar 1909, MO, died Sep 1985, Marion, Williamson CO, IL. Issue;

A. Wanda Lucille Smith, married Jesus Conception Rios

B. Mary Katherine Smith, born about 1928, Herrin, Williamson CO, IL, married Roy Russell Mighell, son of Edward Mighell and Mandy (LNU), born 12 Oct 1910, Elvira, Johnson CO, IL, died Sep 1980, Johnson CO, IL.

C. Della Mae Smith, born 24 Sep 1933, IL, died 21 Oct 1996, Christopher, Franklin CO, IL, married Stanley Hess

D. Elza Lee Smith, born about 1943, IL, married Carolyn Sue Hall

(2) Mary Bozue, born 10 Sep 1905, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 08 Mar 1917 Johnston City, Williamson CO, IL

(3) Julia Bozue, born 06 Aug 1908, Sun Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 07 Mar 1917, Johnston City, Williamson CO, IL

(4) Arthur Bozue, born 01 Feb 1913, IL, died 15 Sep 1995, Gardner, Grundy CO, IL

3. Denise (Jennie) Nihoul, born 30May 1883, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 16 Jun 1945, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, married Joseph Christman, born 06 Jul 1880, Brandenburg, Germany, died 1961, IL. He was a coal miner. Issue;

(1) Pauline Christman, born 05 Mar 1904, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died Fb 1981, Ottawa, La Salle CO, IL, married Paul Bourlard, born 27 May 1895, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 03 Nov 1973, Peru, La Salle CO, IL

(2) John Christman, born 04 Nov 1905, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died Jun 1961, IL, married Evelyn Virgo, born 28 Sep 1906, IL died Jan 1975, Lasalle, La Salle CO, IL. Issue;

A. Evelyn May Christman, born 18 Feb 1926, died 19 Jan 2000, Lasalle, La Salle CO, IL, married Harold Stevens, born 06 Feb 1924, IL, died Jan 1986, Lasalle, La Salle CO, IL. He served in the US Army during WW II enlisting on 29 Mar 1943.

B. Joseph Christman born about 1929, IL, married Frances M Defore. Issue;

a. Richard Christman

b. Denise Christman

c. Joseph Christman

(3) Charles Christman, born 29 Mar 1909, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died Jul 1961, IL, married Verna Otterbach. Issue;

A. Eugene Christman

B. Ronald Christman

(4) Henry Christman, born 04 Aug 1912, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 14 Feb 1986, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, married 27 Oct 1937, Peru, La Salle CO, IL, Julia Narczewski, born 19 Jun 1913, Peru, La Salle CO, IL, died 10 Mar 1998, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL. Issue;

A. Paul William Christman, born about 1939, IL, married Judith St Catherine, born about 1943, died 06 Oct 2001, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL. Issue;

a. Mary Christman, born about 1965, IL, married Robert J Kosciewicz. Issue;

(a) Jonathan Paul Kosciewicz

(b) Hanna Marie Kosciewicz

b. Barbara Ann Christman, born about 1966, IL, married Craig Smith. Issue;

(a) Hope Smith

(b) Heather Smith

B. Joseph Christman, born about 1948, IL, married Bernice Holtz. Issue;

a. Mark Christman

b. Brian Christman

(5) Victoria May Christman, born about 1918, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 07 May 1929, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL.

4. Noel Victor Nihoul, born 10 Aug 1889, Spring Valley, Bureau CO, IL, died 08 Oct 1951, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL, married 23 Jun 1914, Pomono Park, Putnam CO, FL, Mary Clenestine Frierson, dau of Washington Lafayette Frierson and Susan Annie E McCants, born 03 Nov 1893, Cades, Williamsburg CO, SC, died 23 Oct 1978, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Both buried Eden Cemetery, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL.

In the 1910 census, his occupation is given as Carpenter. He moved to Crescent City after 1910 and was living there at the time of the 1930 census and the 1935 Florida Census. He was a minister in the Florida Methodist Conference. They also resided at Lake Como at one time.

Noel became a Lay Minister late in life. According to family lore, Noel, a heavy drinker, contracted tuberculosis. He asked God to cure him and said that if would, he would give up drink and dedicate his life to Him. Noel was cured and kept his word, both giving up alcohol and becoming a Lay Minister. He served churches in Lake Butler, Lake Como, Cedar Key and High Springs, FL.

In 1901, Mary, her parents and siblings lived on Van Buren Street in Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Her father, Washington, was listed in Vance's 1901 Director of Jacksonville as a painter. Sometime between then and the death of Mary's mother, Annie McCants Frierson on 31 Jan 1902, the family moved to a shack located in a field about two miles west of the current intersection of Myrtle and Adonis Streets in Jacksonville, which was the last stop of the LaVilla Street Car Line. The home would have been in the area now known as Cleveland Arms, on or near the property occupied by the Eartha M. M. Nursing Home.

Mary and her siblings were voluntarily surrendered to the Children's Home Society by their father, Washington Lafayette Frierson on 18 Dec 1902. He had suffered a fall and stated he was unable to work to support the children. The Children's Home Society report stated that the family was living in "unspeakable proverty." The Frierson children were the first to be assisted by the newly formed Children's Home Society in Jacksonville.

On 20 Oct 1904, Mary was placed with Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Hobbs of Pomona Park, Putham CO, FL. She had been through four other placements over a period of two years. The was her fifth and final placement. She grew to love this couple who never had any children of their own. She stated in a letter to the Children's Home Society in 1911 that she had been adopted because she did not want to give up her family name. She lived with the Hobbs' family until she married. When Wilbur Hobbs died, she took in Mrs. Hobbs and cared for her until the day she died. Issue;

(1) Pauline Elizabeth Nihoul, born 22 Mar 1915, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL, died Nov 1978, Morgantown, Monongalia CO, VA, married Mar 1955, Key West, Monroe CO, FL, Robert Cowan Strong, Jr, born 21 Dec 1898, died Jun1972, Morgantown, Monongalia CO, VA. Issue:

A. Pauline Elizabeth Strong, born 31 Jul 1957, WV, married FNU Gaston. Issue;

a. Daniel Gaston, born 1980

(2) Noel Victor Nihoul, Jr., born 25 Nov 1916, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL, died 17 Apr 1971, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, married Elsa Joepha Bratsburg, daughter of Johna Martin Bratsberg and Aagot Ingeborg Peterson, born 28 Mar 1918 Norway, died 31 Mar 1999, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Borth are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL.

Victor served in Burma and Mnidanao, Phillippine Islands during WW II with the US Army Corps of Engineers and also served as part of the occupying US Military Forces in Japan. After his return to the United States, he became a certified as a General Building Contractor and devoted his business to building homes for returning American GIs. He later expanded, ofering the same homes for lower and middle income families in rural areas of Florida. He is throught to have built the aires central air-conditioned house in the state for he and his wife in the Ortega neighborhood of Jacksonville in the late 1940s.

In 1951, after the death of his father, he bought the family "homestead" from his mother and moved there with his wife and oldest daughter. In addition to his construction business, he operated a fernery and orane grove and began raising chickens. The property was on 10 acres on Dream Pond in the unincorporated community of Demark, three miles south of Cerscent City, FL.

Elsa was educated in Sweden as a Physical Therapist. In 1940, she sailed for the United States where she was to be met by her Aunt Anna Bratsberg in New York. When she arrived, there was no one to meet her so she made her way to her Aunt's home in Chicago only to learn that Anna had died during Elsa's voyage.

Speaking no English and with no money, but a devout Catholic, Elsa went to the convent of the Sisters of Charity, who took her in. She claimed to have learned to speak English from the children who played in the park across from the convent. In exchange for their kindness to her, Elsa worked in the hospital run by the Sisters of Charity.

At the request of Fred Snite, Sr., she left the Sisters of Charity to work as the physiotherapist for his son, Fred Snite, Jr., "The Man in the Iron Lung." During her four years with the Snites, she developed physical therappy techniques that were considered innovative at the time and are still taught today. Issue;

A. Mary Christine Nihoul, born 10 May 1948, St. Vincent's Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, died 16 Sep 1999, Seville, Volusia CO, FL, buried Seville Cemetery, Seville, Volusia CO, FL, married May 1967, Duval CO, FL, Steven Eugene Cordell. Issue;

a. David Eugene Cordell, born Dec 1967, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

Mary Christine Nihoul married 2nd Randolph Allen, son of Dr. Robert Stuart Allen and Mrs. Lois Elizabeth Roberts, born 07 Feb 1953, St. Vincent's Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Issue;

b.Stuart Allen, born 1982, Sstuart and Geanie May Autry issue'

aa. Mason Michael Allen, born 13 Sep 2008

B. Theresa Ann Nihoul, born 25 Oct 1954, St. Vincent's Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, married 12 Aug 1978, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, James Edward Waters, son of Bernice Dilbert Waters and Minnie Lee Taylor, born 10 Sep 1942, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, died 02 Aug 1999, Baptist Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL from complications of diabetes.

He was Deacon Emeritus at Avondal Baptist Church and a veteran of the United States Army and National Guard. He was a graduate of Southern Illinois University where he earned his B.S. Degree in Business. Ed began his career with Seaboard and worked his way to Manager, Accounts Payable, CSX Transportation before illness forced him into disability.

C. Noel Victor Nihoul III, born 31 Aug 1956, St. Vincent's Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, married 27 Mar 1976, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, Robin Lee Marsingill, daughter of Eugene Marsingill and Mary Elizabeth Amick, born 02 Aug 1956. Issue;

a. Noel Victor "Trey" Nihoul IV, born 01 Jan 1977

b. Adam Jarrod Nihoul, born 25 Sep 1979

c. Emily Catherine Nihoul, born 01 May 1984

D. Ingrid Elizabeth Nihoul, born 21 Aug 1957, St. Vincent's Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, married 24 Nov 1984, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, Michael Patrick Maroney, son of William Patrick Maroney and Jean Armstrong, born 06 May 1951. Issue;

a. Evin Michael Maroney, born 09 May 1986

E. Sigrid Maribeth Nihoul, born 21 Aug 1957, St. Vincent Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, died 23 Aug 1957, St. Vincent Hospital, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, buried Memorial Cemetery, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

(3) Albert Sebastian Nihoul, born 30 Jan 1919, Pomona Park, Putnam CO, FL, died 30 Jan 1991, Grants Pass, Josephine CO, OR, buried Eagle Point National Cemetery, Josephine CO, OR, married Bessie Viola Copeland, born 05 Oct 1932, Los Angeles CO, CA, died 19 Jun 2008, Josephine CO, OR (her mother’s maiden name was Anderson).

In Dec 1936, when Albert should have been a senior in high school, he was in the 9th grade and a great trouble to his parents. After an incident of mischief, his mother decided she had had enough of her uncontrollable son. She took him to a military recruiting office and saw to it that hew was enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He served honorably in the Fleet Marine Force, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment (Retreat Hell) - the most decorated Battalion in the Marine Corps. He saw service at Quantico, VA; Navy Yard, Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Sitka, AK and Coco Solo, Canal Zone. Issue;

A. Frank Albert Nihoul, born 31 Dec 1963, San Bernardo CO, CA

(4) Robert Silas Nihoul, born 30 Jan 1919, Pomona Park, Putnam CO, FL, died 03 Oct 2005, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL, married 1953, Key West, Monroe CO, FL, Edna Pearl Finch, born 18 Oct 1910, GA, died 23 Feb 2006, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL. Both buried Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

He graduated from the University of Florida in 1940 and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps on 29 Jan 1941, listing his occupation as "actor." He failed to qualify for the Air Corps and enlisted in the US Navy. Pharmacists Mate Nihoul served in the South Pacific in WW II and in Korea during the Korean War. He retired with the rank of Master Chief, USN in 1962.

Robert was a avid amateur photographer and documented his WW II and Korean War service in film. His photograph albums were donated to the US Library of Congress Veteran's History Project and are available for research.

He was a charter member of Fruit Cove Baptist Church, Fruit Cove, St Johns CO, FL and was Deacon Emeritus at the time of his death.

(5) Mary Mabel Nihoul, born 11 Dec 1920, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL, married 15 Apr 1961, Anchorage, AK, Burton Edward Doucette, born 2 Jul 1909, WI, died 05 Nov 1987.

Mabel put herself through secretarial school. When she later decided to return to school, she enrolled at the Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) and earned her B.S. degree in Physical Theraphy.

Hoping to travel, she joined the US Air Force in 1952 and was assigned to Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, LA where she served "uneventefully" until 1954.

Before her discharge, Mabel was hired by the Crippled Children's Association to work in Alaska. After her discharge, she spent a month in Florida with her family, then packed up her Ford and drove cross-county on the southern route to Seattle, WA and then on to Anchorage, AK.

He job with the Crippled Children's Association required her to go into the undeveloped areas of Alaska, providing physical therapy to native children. Needing directions to a client's home, she walked into the Sheriff's Office for assistance. It was there that she met her future husband, Burton Doucette, who was the Chief of Police for Anchorage, AK. Issue;

A. Dennis David Doucette, born 07 Dec 1972, Anchorage, AK

(6) William Hullett Nihoul, born 29 Jun 1928, Crescent City, Putnam CO, FL, married 12 Feb 1951, Jacksonville Duval CO, FL, Arline Bertha Weber, dau of Donald Philip Weber and Letha Julia Frazier, born 21 Sep 1924, Canton, Stark CO, OH, died 03 Dec 1996, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL (Div-Jul 1968).

Bill followed his father and oldest brother Victor into the construction industry. Like his father and brother, he was known for the quality of his work. Orginally a home builder, he shifted to commercial construction and home modification. Issue:

A. Rex Allan Nihoul, born 15 Sep 1951, died 25 Sep 1951, Duval CO, FL in an automobile accident

B. Cynthia Ann Nihoul, born 24 Oct 1952, died 31 Oct 2006, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL of lupus, married 14 Jan 1989, Duval CO, FL Maurice Kirk Kirkland

Cynthia Ann Nihoul married 2nd, John Scott Futch, born about 1947. issue;

a. Janel Dawn Nihoul, born 16 Aug 1970, died 16 Feb 2001 in a automobile accident in SC, married 18 Jun 1994, Duval CO, FL, James Thomas Goodwin II

Cynthia Ann Nihoul married 3rd, Ira Richard Grouley, born 1938. Issue;

b. Gabrielle Dara Gourly, born 1979

C. Douglas Eden Nihoul, born 10 Mar 1954, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

D. Donald Victor Nihoul, born 03 Jun 1955, Jacksonville, Duval CO, FL

 

Source: The First Families of Flagler by Mary Ketus Deen Holland who cites as her sources, Census, Published Articles and Margary Neal Nelson.

Additional sources used by the compiler were: 1900 United States Federal Census, Spring Valley City, Bureau CO, IL; 1910 United States Federal Census, Precinct 7, St Johns Park, St Johns CO, FL; 1910 United States Federal Census, Braceville, Grundy CO IL; 1920 United States Federal Census, Hall, Bureau CO, IL; 1920 United States Federal Census, Elvira, Johnson CO, IL; 1930 United States Federal Census, Precinct 1, Putnam CO, FL; 1930 United States Federal Census, Elvira, Johnson CO, IL; 1930 United States Federal Census, Plain, Stark CO, OH; 1935 Florida State Census, Crescent City, Precinct 1, Putnam CO, FL;

World War I Civilian Daft Registrations; World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918; US World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946; California Birth Index, 1905-1995; Florida Marriage Collection, 1927-2001;

Social Security Death Index; Florida Death Index, 1877-1998; Massachusetts Death Index, 1970-1923; Oregon Death Index 1903-1998;

Paul Decert Family Information poster on ancestry.com; Henri Joseph Nihoul Family Information posted on ancestry.com and Noel Victor Nihoul Family Information by Theresa Nihoul Waters via email 24 Feb 2010.

Please send questions, corrections or additions to Sisco Deen, P.O. Box 637, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or email him at Sisco_Deen@hotmail.com