Milton Cook Research

This post is to help me keep track of the research I have been doing to try to figure out what happened to Milton Cook. Husband to Olive Amanda Smith, Father to Chauncey Harvey  Cook.

      Story:
                Very little is known about how Milton and Olive Amanda Smith met and came to be married. One source has said they haven't been able to verify that they were married. Here is what I have been able to verify. Olive Amanda Smith was born to Martha Allen and Hawley Decker Smith on 16 September 1826  in Fabius, New York. Her father Hawley Decker Smith passed away sometime between  1825-1826. I haven't found a death certificate or grave site yet to verify.
                Martha Allen took her 2 children To Washtenaw, Michigan where she married David Henry Orser in 1832. David wanted Olive to marry his son Hiram Orser from a previous marriage. Martha and David didn't approve of Milton. Milton and David were in the same trade, construction, and were competitors. I'm not sure if Olive met Milton in Michigan or in Illinois but they met. Martha Allen and David Henry Orser moved their blended family to Hancock County Illinois sometime before 1843. The 1840 Census has 1 David H Orser living in New York. I do not believe this to be the husband of Martha Allen because it states that there was 1 male under 5, 2 males 20-30, and 1 female 20-30 and their blended family was much bigger and older than this.
               In about late 1842 Martha Allen and David Henry Orser  went to visit friends in New York. They left Olive home and she and Milton snuck off and "got married in a neighboring town." We don't have town where they lived or where they got married so finding the neighboring town has been difficult. A book about Utah Pioneers at the Daughters of Utah Pioneer museum said it has never been confirmed that they even were married. Olive then returned to live with her parents and didn't tell them that she was married for a few months. "A few months later" she discovered she was pregnant and then told them she had married. They were upset and sent her away to Nauvoo to live with an aunt.
               Milton tried to look for her but wasn't able to find her. Once he finally did she had joined "the hated Mormons" and was working in the Nauvoo hotel. I'm not sure if she had had the baby at this point or not. Milton and his sisters tried to convince Olive to leave and come live with him but she had already joined the Mormon church and refused to leave. He left and was never seen again. Their son, Chauncey Harvey Cook was born 26 November 1843.
               In a few places it is said that he died in Springville Utah in 1883. I have not found this to be creditable. I believe it stems from someone claiming that his father is Peter Fullmer and mother Susanah Zerfass. This is incorrect. John Solomon Fullmer is the second husband of Olive Amanda Smith is the son of Peter Fullmer and Susanah Zerfass. They were married in Nauvoo in 1846 after she had been his first wife. Susannah Zerfass's maid. The Fullmer Family cemetery is in Springville Utah. There is no picture of the grave and as far as I could find there is now mention of a Milton Cook being buried there in 1883

Now the search begins!

If you have any information about Milton Cook that you would like to share let me know.

I have decided that as I find a Milton in Census records, or through marriage certificates and I will rule them out. Below are listed what I have found and where I am in that process.

Martha Allen

Daughter of Josiah Allen (1765-1810) and Olive Negus (1785-1846)

Wife of  Hawley Smith (1800-1825) Marriage date unknown
              David Henry Orser (1784-1843) Married 28 January 1832
              Phineas Howe Richards (1788-1874) married 26 November 1847
              Emer Harris (1781-1869) married 10 September 1855

Mother to
          Spouse - Hawley Decker Smith
                                    Alonzo Havington Smith (1823-1904)
                                  *Olive Amanda Smith (1826-1885)
          Spouse - David Henry Orser (1784 – 1843) married 28 January 1832 Washtenaw County, New York
                              Heber Evert Orser (1832 – 1888); accompanied Martha to Utah in 1853
                             Albert Orser (1834 – ); died in infancy
                             Martha Orser (1835 – ); died in infancy 
                             Lucy Orser (1836 – 1843); died in infancy
                            Charlotte Celia Orser (1837 – 1872); accompanied Martha to Utah in 1853
                            Hiram Orser (1841 – ); died in infancy