Fourth Generation

92. William Putnam CURRENT *¹²⁰ was born on 5 May 1815 in Monongahela, Virgina/West Virginia. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. Services were conducted in his home.^33,121 He was a shoemaker.³³ He appeared in the census in 1840 in Jay County - Federal Population Schedule, pg 75. He died on 19 Jan 1904 in Bemidji, Brown, Minnesota. He was buried at Current Family Cemetery, New Ulm, Brown, Minnesota. He was a 2nd great grandfather of PLO and grandfather to Althea Current.

Historical sketch of Current Family Written by B.F. and W.N. Current pursuant to a previous agreement and arrangement to meet and hold a Current reunion on the farm formerly owned by John Current (now deceased) and owned at present by Jacob Daugherty, situated 3 miles south of Redkey, Jay Co. Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 12, 1895. There were about 500 people, mostly Currents and relatives, with a few old friends and neighbors.

"These were relatives of the Current family who had never met before and may never meet again, and some who had not met for many long years, who met with tears of affection. There was a general hand shaking and good feelings existed among all.

The congregation would have been much greater if the weather had been more favorable, the day and night previous, being stormy. But it cleared up Saturday morning. The sun rose bright and fair with the wind a little chilly from the northwest.

The people began to gather early and soon swelled to a large congregation and as the dinner hour began to draw near there was a 60 foot table prepared, which the ladies after spreading the cloths, began to load with substantial and rich delicacies, which each had vied with the other in preparing to tickle the palate and to nourish the outer man. The expressions of many was that they never saw a more rich and bountiful table set.

There was mistaken idea among the neighbors that it was to be a strictly Current dinner which kept them from bringing any dinner with them. But all were cordially invited to partake. Thomas Dragoo acting as master of ceremonies.

After seating William P. Current in the center of the table, as he was the center of attration and the oldest member of the Current family living, (96 years) being an honored visitor from Brown County Minnesota - and the other older members first until the table was filled. They then called on Elder John Buckles who returned thanks in an appropriate manner. There were four or more tables full to eat and if any went away hungry it surely was their own fault, and I presume there were 10 or 12 more baskets full left besides the fragments.

After dinner the Current families were requested to take their positions by the side of Jacob Daughertys residence to have their photographs taken by the Mr. Baker of Redkey, Ind. There being about 200 in the group.

After which B.F. Current read a genealogical record, beginning with his grandfather James Current, Sr. who was born in Ireland in the year 1730 or 1752 - died August 15, 1822. He had two brothers. They were sailors and landed on the eastern shore of Maryland. One died and the other went back to his native land.

The above named James Current Sr. married Margaret Richardson as his second wife, who was born in the year 1757, died in 1830. The children born of this marriage were: John, Martin, Molly, James and Enoch. William the oldest was by his first wife. They moved to West Virginia (date not known by the writer of this article) and traded a gray horse for one thousand and three hundred acres of land where Grafton now stands. James Current, Jr. married Margaret Johnson daughter of Peter Johnson and Eleanoer Peters, March 31, 1796.

This is a history of the Current Families.

The first generation of the Current Families begins with James Current I who was born in the year 1700. His parents no doubt were born in 1600’s and their parents in the 1500’s. What records we have date back to 1700.

James Current I born in Ireland in 1700. He with his two brothers who were sailors came to America in 1730 and settled in Northwest Virginia. One brother died and the other returned to Ireland.

James Current I remained in Virginia, later moved with his family and others to Henry County, Indiana.

From there they moved to Minnesota in 1869 to build a new home and to carve a fruitful life out of the wilderness."

[This has been written and prepared by Paul R. Current, son of Cyrus Current and May Current thru the years 1963 and completed in 1966. (Records placed in the library at New Ulm, Minn.]

In reading this you will realize no doubt that our background is very much Irish and there isn’t anything wrong with that, is there? To moderate the “Irish Temper” we do find some Norseland, Pennsylvania Dutch, and a bit of Scotch, maybe some other too, but does it really matter? I think not, for it took a grand mixture to carve this country out of the wilderness and it could be that the sight of the Irish drove the Indians to the far west and there might be some that would prefer the Indians to the Irish."

(Copied by Catherine Current, wife of Lucene Wise Current probably in the 1980’s. Catherine and Lucene were in Florida for the winters for several years and met Milo and ____Current from Minnesota.)

Milo’s ancestor was James III - 6th child of James II. Lucene’s ancestor was Peter the oldest son of James II.

William Putnam CURRENT * and Rebecca G. LAKE * were married on 29 Jul 1835 in West Virginia.^122,123 Rebecca G. LAKE * (daughter of Jeremiah LAKE * and Mary (Polly) BAILEY *) was born on 1 Dec 1818 in Jay, Indiana. She died on 13 Oct 1893 in Sleepy Eye, Milford Township, Minnesota. She was buried at Current Family Cemetery, New Ulm, Brown, Minnesota. She was a 2nd great grandmother of PLO and grandmother to Althea Current. William Putnam CURRENT * and Rebecca G. LAKE * had the following children:

+291	i.	Emily Jane CURRENT.
292	ii.	George Washington CURRENT124 was born on 1 Mar 1838 in Jay, Indiana. He was drafted to serve in the Civil War in 1862.109 He died on 14 Feb 1892 in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. The 1860 US Census listed George Washington Current in addition to Rebecca G. Lake, James William Current, Alonzo Carlton Current, Caledonia Ann Myria Current and Susan Currant in the household of William Putman Current, in Richland Township, Jay County, Indiana. George Washington Current was enumerated as George W. Currant. Male age 22. He was born in Indiana. The 1870 US Census listed George Washington Current in addition to Rebecca G. Lake, James William Current, Alonzo Carlton Current, Caledonia Ann Myria Current, Marion Everett Current and Emiline Current in the household of William Putman Current, in Richland Township, Jay County, Indiana. George Washington Current was enumerated as George W. Currant. White male, age 31. He was born in Indiana. He is a male citizen age 21 years and up. The 1880 US Census listed George Washington Current in addition to Rebecca G. Lake, Marion Everett Current, Emiline Current, Mary LaBert and Susan Ellan Current in the household of William Putman Current, in Milford, Brown County, Minnesota. George Washington Current was enumerated as George Current. Single white male, age 42. Son of head of household. His occupation is works on farm. He is idiotic. He cannot read and write. He was born in Indiana. His mother and father were born in Virginia.
+293	iii.	Nancy E. CURRENT.
294	iv.	Rhoda R. CURRENT was born in 1842 in Jay, Indiana. She died in 1843 in Jay, Indiana.
295	v.	John A. CURRENT was born in 1844 in Jay, Indiana. He died in 1848 in Jay, Indiana.
+296	vi.	Mary Magdaline CURRENT.
+297	vii.	Ellen CURRENT.
+298	viii.	James William CURRENT.
+299	ix.	Alonzo Carlton CURRENT.
+300	x.	Caledonia Ann Myria (Donie) CURRENT.
+301	xi.	Marion Everett CURRENT *.
+302	xii.	Emaline CURRENT.