Melissa "Minnie" Adams

October 27, 1843 - April 11, 1917

Melissa "Minnie" (nee Heath) Adams was a daughter of Jeremiah Heath and wife of Samuel A. Adams, a pioneer of York Township. Minnie Adams was the mother of Cynthia Adams, who later became Cynthia Young, and whose only child was Alice Benedict, wife of Rollie Benedict.  She was born in New York State and came to Wisconsin (near Plainfield) when she was four years old (circa 1847). 

On November 17, 1861; Melissa Jane "Minnie" Heath married Samuel A. Adams in Greenbush Township, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.  For some time, they lived in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin and also in Minnesota.  The 1870 Census for Elysian Township, Le Sueur County, Minnesota lists a Samuel Adams (31) living with his wife Melissa (27) and son, Chancey (4).  That census also shows that their son, Chancey was born in Minnesota.  Therefore, the Adams must have been in Minnesota as early as 1866.

The obituaries for both Samuel and Melissa Adams indicate that in 1878, they came to York Township, Clark County.   They probably moved to the original Adams farm that was located in Section 4, across the road from the farm belonging to her husband's brother-in-law and sister, David and Emily (nee Adams) Rogers.

The 1880 Federal Census for York Township, Clark County, Wisconsin lists a S. A. Adams (41) living with his wife, Melissa (34), his father-in-law, J. Heath (70) and four children:  Chancey (14), Cynthia (7), Mary (3) and Hubert (7 months).  The 1900 Federal Census for York Township shows a Samuel Adams (61) living with his wife, Melissa (56); his daughter Cynthia Young (28); his grand daughter, Alice Young (5), and a boarder, Sadie Gibson (12).  That Census also indicates that Samuel and Melissa Adams had six children but only one (Cynthia) was living in 1900.  Similarly, the 1910 Federal Census for York Township lists:  Samuel A. (71) and Melissa J. (66) Adams; their daughter, Cynthia Young (38) and grand daughter, Alice Young (15); and their adopted daughter, Sadie Gibson (21).  

The adopted daughter, Sadie Gibson, is believed (based on birth dates) to have been a daughter of Samuel D. Gibson, another early pioneer of York Township.  She married Otto H. Post on February 8, 1916 in York Township.

The obituaries for both Samuel and Minnie Adams indicate that six children were born to the union of Samuel and Melissa Adams.  The 1900 Census for York Township also annotates that they had had six children but only one (Cynthia Young) was living in 1900.   Therefore, there must have been two other Adams children in addition to the two sons (Chancey and Hubert) and two daughters (Cynthia and Mary).  Perhaps two other children died as infants.

Other immediate members of Minnie Adam's family that are buried at York Center Cemetery include:  her husband, Samuel A. Adams;  her father, Jeremiah Heath; her two sons, Chancey Adams and Hubert Adams; her daughter, Mary Adams; her son-in-law and daughter, Edwin Young and Cynthia (nee Adams) Young; her grand daughter, Alice (nee Young) Benedict and Alice's husband, Rollie Benedict; and one great-grandson, Edwin Benedict.