Showing posts with label Lucia Cahoon Drake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucia Cahoon Drake. Show all posts

Monday, April 3, 2017

Allison Royce Drake: Part 4

I'm still trying to figure out who the Elinor is listed with the John Stout Drake family in the 1870 US Census.  She is listed right under John Stout -- where the wife is usually listed.  She has a line before her name which usually indicates that her last name is the same as the head of household. Just like the children are listed.  The 1870 Census does not include a box to explain relationship of said person to the head of house.

So I've tried to get creative with different scenarios.


  1. The Drake Family was enumerated on 23 August 1870.  Someone showed up @ the house to record the information.  It looks like a man's handwriting.  I believe that Lucia could have been at the very beginning of her last pregnancy.  Had that realization of yet another child pushed Lucia over the edge?  Was she a little crazy?  Or maybe she didn't know yet.  Maybe she hadn't even missed her cycle yet.  There were no EPT kits in those days.  But after at least 9 pregnancies, maybe she just knew. Maybe she was already experiencing morning sickness.
  2. James was no longer living in the household.  Eugene - who was now 22 years old was no longer at home.  Sydney -- 19 years old -- was gone as well.  Were they really done or was the person answering the Enumerator's questions unaware that the boys were out in the fields, working the farm?
  • There is an Amos J Drake married to a Mary living in Hillsdale.  My James Amos is married to a Mary.  It seems like James -- the first son -- was named after John Stout Drake's father (Amos Stout Drake). And just a note to myself here -- Lucia's dad was James Cahoon and I believe that Lucia moved to Hillsdale with her brother James.
  • There is and EE Drake living at the residence of E Delavan in Moscow, Hillsdale, Michigan.  I'm pretty sure there were not a lot of EE Drakes in the same county.  This is probably my Emery Eugene.  EE was 24 years old in 1870 and my Eugene was 22, but if Eugene was working as a farm laborer, his employer would only know what Eugene told him.
  • I have not yet been able to locate Sidney -- son number 3 -- in the 1870 US Census -- yet.  But I also don't know what his whole name is.  Apparently, this Drake family was big on name children after relatives and then calling them by the middle name.  From what I understand, this was pretty common practice and not just a Drake thing.  
Could the Enumerator walked up to front porch and discovered house swarming with children and babies making a racket?  Or could they be in the middle of illness?

  1. Could "Elinor" actually have been Lucia?  I have no record of her middle name although I have seen an "M" and/or an "A" as a middle initial.  And considering some naming patterns, it was not uncommon for a husband to call his wife by her middle name.  
  2. The Drakes were enumerated on 23 August 1870.  Elinor was listed as 43 years old -- which would have been Lucia's age as well.  Elinor was listed as having been born in Michigan -- just like Lucia.   Unfortunately, the 1870 US Census does not make note of where each individual's parents were born.  
I searched Hillsdale County, Michigan for women born in 1827 with the name of Elinor.  There were:
  • Elenor Vanelstine.  Born 1831 in Michigan.  She lived in Somerset, Hillsdale County.  She was enumerated with her husband 18 July 1870, almost a month before the John Stout Drakes.  And as we all know -- so many things can happen in a month. 

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Amos Stout Drake of Hillsdale, Michigan

At the end of last year, I hired a researcher at the Mitchell Research Center in Hillsdale, Michigan to investigate some of the records they have available and that I wouldn't be able to get at for another year.  The thought of not being able to move on my two gals (Lucia Cahoon Drake and her mother-in-law Catherine Whaley Drake) was making me crazy.

What I was looking for:

An obituary for Lucia.  She was the first school teacher in Hillsdale and is mentioned in the Hillsdale consortium published by the county.  she had some pretty well respected and prominent children.  Surely someone would say something about her somewhere.

I also wanted the obits for John Stout Drake, Amos Stout Drake, Catherine Whaley Drake and Allison Royce Drake.

To back track:  Lucia died in 1871.  She is buried next to John Stout Drake and has one side of his 4 sided tombstone.  She is identified as the wife of John Stout Drake.  Buried with her is their son, Johnie C Drake, who died a few months earlier.  There is the official death record that states she died in Hillsdale County and that she was married.

But Lucia is no where to be found in the 1870 United States Federal Census.  John Stout Drake is listed and a woman named Elenor who is listed under John Stout Drake, along with the children.  On that 4 sided tombstone previously mention, Elenor is on one side of it.

Anyways, there was no obituary for Lucia Cahoon Drake.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

The Hunt for Lucia Cahoon Drake Continued

With John C Drake's death date in hand, I went back to the FamilySearch website - again.  Lo and behold, I found his death record.  Name was right.  Date was right.  I clicked in and read a typed transcription record from the handwritten record.  John C Drake.  Father:  John Stout Drake.  Mother:  Tuira Drake.  Tuira?  WTH?  So I dug deeper, going into view the handwritten record.

If you know what you're looking for, Tuira Drake is oh, so obviously Lucia Drake.  It was all about being able to read old timey chicken scratches.  Tuira Drake IS Lucia Drake. This is what it looks like:

Lucia is the one in the middle. 

Now as I was looking at this document, I noticed the name under Lucia.  And then it hit me!  Lucia died 9 October 1871.  I flipped back a page.  Lucia Drake was the next recorded death in 1871.  But, the record -- too -- was written by the same person, so it looks like Tuira -- again.  Finally found Lucia's death record.  I went back to that page where I first found her.  James H Cohoon is listed as her father.  Finally a definitive freaking clue.  Forget the spelling of her dad's last name.  We'll get to that later.  And -- drum roll please -- her mother's name is Mary A Cohoon. 

So listen up all you cousins, searching for our Lucia Cahoon Drake.  Search for her under Tuira Drake.  I haven't tried a search in all the family trees at Ancestry.  Yet.

This document still doesn't solve the spelling issues.  It still doesn't solve the fact that I can't find Lucia Drake in the 1870 United States Federal Census.  It doesn't solve the problem that in 1970 there was another lady -- Elenore -- listed as the wife to John Stout Drake.  It doesn't solve the mystery of Elenore being buried with John Stout Drake, Lucia and Johnnie and Mary Pease.  But it is tangible proof.  John and Lucia were married a long time.  He would've known her family parentage better than some random person.  So in my own personal record, I'm making it official.  Lucia's dad was John H and her mother, Mary A. 

The Hunt for Lucia Cahoon Drake.

So I'm back from Michigan.  What a bust that turned out to be.  I had made arrangements with the Mitchell Research Center in Hillsdale, Michigan to spend a day working on my family tree. The Center was closed for the holidays, but they were going to open it up for me.  Unfortunately, the ice and snow got so bad, I had to cancel and hunker down at my brother's place.  Note to self -- don't ever EVER allow my husband to have any freaking thing to do with my family history research plans.

I've reached the point in most of my research that I really can't move forward now without spending some money.  Either traveling places or ordering vital records or maybe even hiring someone.  So when this research trip fell through, I decided that I'd bite the bullet and order the death certificate from John C Drake, hoping that it would provide me with his mother's maiden name through the actual listing of her name, but I have also seen some entries in family trees at Ancestry listing John's middle name being Cahoon (his mother's maiden name).

So, I went to one of those website's where you can order a copy of vital records and began to fill out the forms.  The reason I chose a death certificate was because death certificates are available to anyone. Things have changed quite a bit when trying to order a birth certificate, a lot more restricted.  My understanding is that if the document you are seeking is more than 100 years old, there isn't a problem. 

This is what I knew:  John C Drake was born 26 April 1871 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.  His mother was Lucia Cahoon Drake and his father was John Stout Drake.  He died on 30 August 1871 in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.  He dies of the bloody dysentery.  His name is on the tombstone with his mother, Lucia at the Baker/Drake Cemetery in Hillsdale.  He was called Johnny.

So I filled out the forms.  I had been psyching myself up for a few hours that it was perfectly okay for me to spend this money after the busted research trip.  Even if it costs $50 it's still way cheaper than hiring a professional or financing another trip back.  The cost was $46.  And then another $8.50 for processing.  And then another $18 to mail it to me.  HOLY CRAP!  Call me a cheap skate, but that's a lot of money to spend on something I wasn't sure about.  So I decided to fall back -- ONE MORE TIME, regroup -- ONE MORE TIME -- and double check all information just to make sure I wasn't missing something.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

James Cahoon of Wayne, Michigan

I hate it when I start obsessing.  Going over and over and round and round.  I can't seem to let go of Lucia Cahoon Drake, wife of John Stout Drake.  I'm researching her brothers and sisters and parents.  Sometimes you get a little random information that you can use, but most of the time I am banging my head against the wall.  Then I write it all out to see what I'm missing...which is everything.  Shoot, the people that are researching Lucia can't even agree on the spelling of the last name.  Is it Cahoon?  Cohoon?  Cahoone?  Calhoun? 

The 1840 United States Census shows James Cahoon living in Wayne, Michigan.  In 1840 Lucia would have been about 15.  There is 1 female recorded between 10-15.  In the 1850 United States Census all the households names are listed.  Comparing 1850 with 1840 -- in 1840 there is a female between the ages of 15 and 20.  1850 reveals that her name was Mary J.  Lucia names one of her daughters Mary.  There is another girl, under the age of 5.  Her name is Mellisee. There are also two boys in the house:  one that was born between 1820-1825 and another born between 1825-1830.  I am guessing that the oldest -- the once closest to the age of Lucia is James A.  There is a James A Cahoon business man in Hillsdale at the same time Lucia is there.  I believe the youngest boy is Albert. 

James Cahoon, the dad, has two wives.  The first is the mother to Mary J., Lucia, Mellisee, Albert and the other boy I think is James A.  James marries Jane Ann Sloan in 1838.  They have Alice, Florence, Flora, Robert and Cora.  There is a 7 year gap between Albert and Alice.  I'm guessing mom died, one year of mourning, a couple of years to find another wife, 2 years for the next baby. 

There seems to be two distinct Cahoon families.  There are the Cahoons from New York.  Most of these boys settle in Michigan and then there are the North Carolina Cahoons.

James Cahoon's parents were Joseph Cahoon and Nancy Parr.  And I will spell "Cahoon" as I've found it in other family trees -- just make note that these are NOT errors.  Their children are:

  • David Cohoon 1783-1858
  • Thomas Cahoon  1786-1858
  • Heman Cahoon  1788-
  • Stephen Cohoon  1789-1858
  • Henry Cahoon 1790 or 1796
  • William Cohoon  1791
  • John Cohoon  1791-
  • Charles R Cohoon  1795-1876
  • Samuel Cohoon 1797-
  • James Cahoon  1800-1872
  • Lidick Cohoon  -1802-1888
  •  There might be a girl added to this mix.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Alfred Bird Drake or Bird Alfred Drake?

You've got to have patience when you are gleaning information from a census.  One little piece of wrong information can send you so far down the wrong path that you think you've lost your mind.

It started with the 1860 United States Census.  There I have John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, married and living under one roof in Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.  John is 35 and Lucia is 34 and they have 7 children:

             James A.            13 years old
           Eugene E              12
              Anna R              10
            Sidney S                8
             Mary C                 6
            Alfred B                 4
           Allison C                 1

Sweet little Alfred B.  If he was 4 years old in 1860, then he would've been born around 1856...give or take.  But, you see, I'm a skeptic.  I see this perfectly fine record, but Allison's middle name was Royce.  At least that is what I've always been told.  Allison Royce Drake would eventually have a son named Royce Allison.  But I"m getting side tracked.

The mystery arises from the 1870 United States Census.  In the 10 years that's passed, Lucia has died, John Stout Drake has remarried a gal named Elinor.  James A and Eugene have left home, which was probably about right because they would have been 23 and 22 respectfully.  But Allison is gone as well, and he would have only been 11.  That whole mystery with Allison is for another day.  Today we are dealing with Alfred.  The 1870 United States Census has six kids still living at home:

                           Bird A                  13 years old
                           Alfred                   11
                              Ann                   20
                         Mary S                   16
                             Jane                      9
                            Lucy                      6

Bird?  Who the heck is Bird? And where was he in the 1860 Census?  Then I thought that maybe he was Elinor's boy and by 1870 John Stout Drake had decided to adopt him.

Back in 1979, at a Drake/Converse Reunion, I copied a family tree chart that was taped to the wall, the whole wall.  I was 8 months pregnant, it was hot and I was miserable.  I had a notation that a Jennie Drake married a George Priestly.  And I had a note that Bird Drake married a Eugenia Priestly.  I thought it was kinda sweet, and not uncommon among farm families.

The 1880 US Census finds Alfred Drake living in the home of George and Jane Priestly.

"United States Census, 1880," Alfred Drake in household of Geo. Priestly, Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan

« Back to search results

Name: Alfred Drake
Residence: Cambria, Hillsdale, Michigan
Birthdate: 1857
Birthplace: Michigan, United States
Relationship to Head: Son-in-law
Spouse's Name:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Father's Name:
Father's Birthplace: New York, United States
Mother's Name:
Mother's Birthplace: New York, United States
Race or Color (Expanded): White
Ethnicity (Standardized): American
Gender: Male
Martial Status: Married
Age (Expanded): 23 years
Occupation:
NARA Film Number: T9-0580
Page: 57
Page Character: B
Entry Number: 682
Film number: 1254580
Household Gender Age Birthplace
SELF Geo. Priestly M 59 England
WIFE Jane Priestly F 56 England
SON Edwin Priestly M 30 Michigan, United States
DAU Mattie Drake F 24 Michigan, United States
DAU Katie Priestly F 18 Michigan, United States
Alfred Drake M 23 Michigan, United States  





Alfred Drake is listed as the Son-in-law.  But where is Eugenia?  I pulled her birth date off of her death certificate -- 09 May 1855.  In 1880 she would have been around 25 years old.  There is a Mattie Drake, daughter of George who was 24.  Could Mattie be Eugenia?  I haven't been able to find anything with the initial M as a middle name.

In the 1900 Federal Census, Bird Drake shows up again.  Born in June of 1857.  Bird was born in Michigan and it says that both his parents were born in New York.  His daddy, John Stout Drake was born in New York, but his mama, Lucia Cahoon Drake was born in Michigan.  Again, I don't know who was the one answering the census taker's question.  Lucia would have been for almost 20 years by this time.  Also, in the "Number of Years Married Column" it says 1.  According to my records they were married in 1879.  So they would have been married 21 years.  Also, poor Eugenia had born a child, but it had not lived.

1905:  In the Hillsdale phone book, A. Bird is married to Eugenia.  He is working in a saloon at 47 N. Broad, in Hillsdale, Michigan.  He is living at 86 E. Sharp.

I have a copy of Eugenia Priestly Drake's Death Certificate.  Born 09 May 1855.  Married 02 Nov 1879.  Died 09 Apr 1908.  I know it's the right one because there are a few more clues.  Father was George Priestly, born in England.  Mother is Jane Hardy, born in England.  Eugenia died of La Grippa terminating in heart failure.  Spouse: A.B. Drake.  She is buried in North Adams, Cemetery.

In 1909 Alfred B Drake marries Ella Conway Ryan.  She is a nurse and both of them have been married one time before.

I found a copy of Alfred's death certificate.  Albert B. Drake died 13 Feb 1912.  Whoever provided the information said he was born 13 Jan 1861 -- which is several years off.  The also spell his mother's name -- Lucia Calhoon -- which sounds like it but is wrong.  But that I will prove another day.  




Thursday, July 19, 2012

Lucia Cahoon Drake? Or is it Lucia Cohoon Drake? Or is it ---

Lucia Cahoon Drake


I can't tell you how many hours I've spent trying to figure out this old gal's last name.  These are the names that I've been working through:

Lucia Cahoon
Lucia Cohoon
Lucia Comoon
Lucia Cohoom
Lucia Cohone
Lucia Calhoun

This weekend I'll write down my research and how I determined that her last name is Cahoon.  Actually, I contacted a gentleman who is kind of the grand master of the Cahoon name and he told me that originally the name was Colquhoun.  And that is Scottish.  Which I will gladly claim.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Anna R Drake: No Home of Her Own

Anna R Drake was the first daughter born to John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake.  A copy of her death certificate states that she was born on 31 Jan 1850.  Her death was reported by her brother-in-law George Priestly, but I think that he would know as Anna lived with him and Jennie (Jane) for many years.

The 1850 United States Federal Census has her living with her grandparents Amos and Catherine Drake.  At the time of the census she was about four months old.  There were 14 people living with Amos and Catherine.  I wonder what had happened for Lucia to let her daughter go to the grandparents?  Lucia had been a teacher and maybe she was teaching.  Or maybe she was overwhelmed with having three kids under 3.  I don't know.

In the 1960 Federal Census, Anna R Drake is listed with her parents, John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake, along with her two older brothers, James Amos and Eugene Emery.  In the 10 years since the 1850 Census, there had been another 4 children born:  Sidney, Mary, Alfred and Allison.

1870 is still a mystery to me.  Elinor is now the wife of John Stout Drake.  But we'll get into that later.  This entry is about Anna.  In 1870 she is twenty years old and she is "at home" in the John Stout Drake household.  There were still plenty of kids running around.

By the 1880 United States Federal Census the John Stout Drake household had dwindled to just 4.  Himself, his new wife Mary Pease Drake (who was only 13 years older than Anna) and Lucy M. who was sixteen.  Mary was still in school, but it appears as if Anna had started to do housekeeping.  Her job is "housekeeper"  as opposed to "housekeeping" which usually next to the wife's name.

In 1884, John Stout Drake will die.  Since there is no 1890 United States Federal Census, I have no idea where Anna R Drake was living.  Did step mom Mary Pease Drake sell the house?  Did Anna have to get out?

In the 1900 United States Federal Census, I found Anna R Drake living in Springport, Jackson, Michigan.  She is a "servant" for a widow woman named Sarah A Oyer and her son Andy M Johnson.

By the 1910 United States Federal Census, Anna R Drake has gone to live with her little sister, Jennie (Jane) Priestly.  George and Jennie are listed in the census along with two of their children:  Katie and Henry.  Anna is listed as "Drake Ann Priestly."  They are living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan.  George is a farmer, but Anna does not have any job listed.

At present I am not able to find Anna R Drake in the 1920 United States Federal Census or the 1930 Census for that matter, but I intend to work on that this weekend.  Correction:  I just enlarged her death certificate and realized the date was 1912, not 1932.  No wonder I couldn't find her in the 1920 or 1930 Census.  However, I do have a copy of her death certificate:  She was living in Orange, Kalkaska, Michigan.  She was a white female and single.  And yet it says her job was "housewife."  Her father was John S Drake and he was born in New York.  Her mother was Lucia Cahone (EGAD -- yet another spelling of that name), and her mother was born in Michigan.  Her date of death was 15 Jun 1912.  She died from chronic nephritis.  The place of burial is either Lodi or Sodi -- but I'm pretty sure it's Lodi.  When I can figure out how to do it, I'll put a copy of her death certificate right here.  And so I did. 


Friday, July 13, 2012

John Stout Drake -- Where do I Start?

Too many unanswered questions and not enough resources.  I feel that all it would take would be a couple of days at the Hillsdale Library.  Maybe this fall!  It seems like every article I read about the Drake family, the writers say that there has been so much written about this pioneer family that they aren't going to go into it.  Where is all this stuff that's been written about  us?

I guess I need to get an actual death certificate for Lucia Cahoon.  Then maybe some people on Ancestry have an Elinore Drake on their tree.  Next I need to find a marriage license for John Stout Drake and this Elinore woman.  Perhaps she was from Ohio?  Seems like the Drakes went back in forth over the state line.  Then I guess I should call JM Converse.  I consider him the patriarch of the family and he might remember something.  And then write Jeanne Converse his mother.  Jeanne was married to  John Converse.  John Converse's mom was Lucia Drake, daughter of Allison Royse Drake and Jane Myers.  Allison was a son of John Stout Drake.  Jane Myers eventually lived with Lucia Drake Converse and Lucia Drake Converse ended up living with John and Jeanne Converse on the farm.  Wouldn't it be great if there was something in the attic?  I got to get on it.  Jeanne has got to be in her mid-90s.  When I talked to JM over Thanksgiving, he said that she was still sharp as a tack, but her eyes are going.

I will continue to develop the family group sheet starting with John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon.  I never really much cared about doing family group sheets, but they give such a better picture into what was going on in any particular family.

I also intend to start a John Stout Drake page on Facebook.  I have signed up for a class at the public library for August 4.  It's how to use social networking in genealogy.  I just know there are cousins out there that have the information I need.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake. What Happened?

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake are buried in the Drake/Baker Cemetery in Hillsdale, Michigan. It is listed as an abandoned cemetery.  About 5 years ago, on a whim and on our way from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor, I convinced my husband to take the highway running parallel with I 94  in hope that we would just come across it.  And we did!

I was expecting a run down, overgrown place, but I was wrong.  It was small, but the stones were erect and in place and the grass was cut.  Yes, there were some very old plastic flowers on the some of the graves.

5 years ago, I was still pretty new to genealogy and made some mistakes.  I took pictures of the headstones instead of writing down the information.  In other words, the pictures aren't very good.

John Stout Drake has a large 4 sided head stone.  John Stout Drake is on one side.  Lucia Cahoon Drake has another, as well as "Elinor Drake" and Mary M. Drake.  I have found the marriage license for John Stout Drake and Mary M. Pease.  So far I have found nothing on Elinor.

Lucia Cahoon Drake died on 9 Oct 1871.  On her head stone, she is called "wife of J.S. Stout."  Also buried with her is a child Johnie S Drake -- son of JS and LA Drake.  Johnie S Drake died on 31 Aug 1871.  Lucia was only 47 when she died, but that is also kind of old to be having a baby.

The 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake as head of household.  Elinor Drake is listed as wife.  But Lucia Cahoon Drake didn't die until 1971.  So where was Lucia for the 1870 United States Federal Census.  I can find no divorce record.  Could she have been in an institution?

I thought that perhaps the census taker just assumed that Elinor was the wife and maybe she was the housekeeper, but she is buried with John Stout Drake.

One more thing, I have seen a birth record and a death record for Johnie Drake.  In both cases, his middle initial was C, not S.

I guess maybe, however bought the stone and had it cut, could have been mistaken about Lucia's death date.   I have yet to see the death certificate.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

John Stout Drake -- He's Making Me Crazy

John Stout Drake:


Here is what I know:

John Stout Drake was born 24 Oct 1824, in Lyons, Wayne County, New York.  He was the son of Amos Stout Drake and Catherine Whaley.  He married Lucia A Cahoon on 02 Nov 1845.  The licensing information said that they were to be married in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan.  He would have been around 21 years old.  He was a farmer.

John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon had 11 children.  The first born was James Amos Drake, born around 1847.  The reason I mention him is because there are a few public family trees on Ancestry that have him marrying Mary Pease.  I know he did marry a Mary, but Mary Pease was John Stout Drake's third wife.

The second child born was Emery Eugene Drake in 1848.

The third child born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was the first girl, Ann or Anna R. Drake.  She was born in 1850.

Number 4 was Sidney S. Drake, born about 1852.  Up until recently I didn't know if Sidney was a boy or girl, but recently I found out -- IT"S A BOY.

Mary Serenus Drake, the second girl, came along about 1854.  I have sometimes found her middle name spelled Cyrenus.

Bird A Drake was born in 1857.  Then Alfred B Drake in 1859.  I've seen a lot of information being switched around.  For a while, I considered that Bird A and Alfred B could either be twins or the same person ... that he was Alfred but went by Bird.  I think that Bird is an unusual name and it will be explained in later entries -- hooking him to a James Cahoon.

In 1859, my great grandfather, Allison Royce Drake was born to John Stout Drake and I'm thinking that Lucia was exhausted by now.  Allison was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.

Next Jane Drake was born around 1861.  Followed by Lucy Drake on 14 Nov 1863.  She, too was born in Amboy Township, Hillsdale, Michigan.

The last child to be born to John Stout Drake and Lucia was John C Drake.  He arrived on 27 Apr 1871 in  Amboy, Hillsdale, Michigan.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

John Stout Drake: Farmer AND Preacher?

It's hard enough keeping track of relatives who behave like normal people.  But when they start showing up in places they have no business being, it sends me off the rails.  Recently I've been trying to solve a mystery involving regarding John Stout Drake and his three wives.  It's a date issue.

So, I'm here:  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11593-119369-51?cc=1452395 at the Family Search website, looking at John Stout Drake's marriage license to third wife Mary M. Pease.  Just before I jumped out of the website, I happened to notice the top entry.  Over in the category regarding who performed the marriage license, is John Stout Drake.  What?  As far as I know, John Stout Drake was a farmer.  And, witnessing this marriage to Renaldo Everett is a Mary Drake -- who could very well be Mary Pease, and Anna Drake who was a daughter from his first marriage.

And if that craziness isn't enough, Renaldo Everett is marrying a Francis McLain, from Ohio.  I have a Francis McLain cousin from Ohio on the other half of my tree.  

I have no idea where to start trying to figure out how John Stout Drake was qualified to marry anybody.