Howard Elgin RAFUSE

1891 - 1990  (99 years)

• Name	Howard Elgin RAFUSE
  Birth	31 Mar 1891	Foster Settlement, Lunenburg, NS   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	12 Nov 1990	Lunenburg County, NS   [2, 3]
  Burial	Parkdale-Maplewood (New) Cemetery, Parkdale, NS
  Person ID	I190405	A Few Relatives of Bob and Mary Hegerich
  Last Modified	25 Sep 2013

  
  

  Father	Stephen RAFUSE,   b. 27 Sep 1840, North West, Lunenburg, NS d. 25 Feb 1912, Parkdale, Lunenburg, NS (Age 71 years)
  Mother	Mary Cecilia FOSTER,   b. 25 Jun 1856, Foster Settlement, Lunenburg, NS d. 16 Feb 1946, Parkdale, Lunenburg, NS (Age 89 years)
  Family ID	F73390	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Mildred Altine TRACEY,   b. 1889, Peru, Oxford, ME d. 1946, Oxford County, ME (Age 57 years)
  Marriage	18 Feb 1918	Rumford, Oxford, ME   [4]
  Children	1. Althea RAFUSE
  Family ID	F73422	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jun 2025

  
  

  Family 2	Mary Eldora FRANK,   b. 22 Nov 1891, Upper New Cornwall, Lunenburg, NS d. 24 Jul 1982, New Germany, Lunenburg, NS (Age 90 years)
  Marriage	Aft 1946
  Family ID	F73424	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Jun 2025

  
  

• Notes

  Stephen RAFUSE (1840-1912) has, according to his 1912 obit, seven children by his first wife--Catherine Elizabeth BARKHOUSE, and six children by his second wife--Mary Cecilia FOSTER [Mary Cecilia also has a son, Alonzo, by a previous marriage]. However, there is a problem with the count of children by wife #2; i. e., there appear to be seven. The "problem child" seems to be son Jonathan who appears in the 1891 at age one month, which would place his birth abt. Mar 1891. However, he does not appear in any further records, nor does he appear in the obit of his brother Howard. Further, one of the children of Stephen RAFUSE states, in his application for Delayed Registration of Birth, that he is in possession of the family bible, and there is at least one published genealogy that contains details which must have come from either a family bible or a church register. In that genealogy, there is no mention of son Jonathan. And if we examine the dates of birth for sons Jonathan, Howard, and Evan in the 1901 Census, they are way to close for comfort. In particular, Howard's March 1892 looks suspicious. All of this this leads me to conclude that son Jonathan is really son Howard, and that Howard was actually born in 1891. Stephen RAFUSE (1840-1912) has, according to his 1912 obit, seven children by his first wife--Catherine Elizabeth BARKHOUSE, and six children by his second wife--Mary Cecilia FOSTER [Mary Cecilia also has a son, Alonzo, by a previous marriage]. However, there is a problem with the count of children by wife #2; i. e., there appear to be seven. The "problem child" seems to be son Jonathan who appears in the 1891 at age one month, which would place his birth abt. Mar 1891. However, he does not appear in any further records, nor does he appear in the obit of his brother Howard. Further, one of the children of Stephen RAFUSE states, in his application for Delayed Registration of Birth, that he is in possession of the family bible, and there is at least one published genealogy that contains details which must have come from either a family bible or a church register. In that genealogy, there is no mention of son Jonathan. And if we examine the dates of birth for sons Jonathan, Howard, and Evan in the 1901 Census, they are way to close for comfort. In particular, Howard's March 1892 looks suspicious. All of this this leads me to conclude that son Jonathan is really son Howard, and that Howard was actually born in 1891.

  
  

• Sources

  [S81] 1901 Census of *NS*, Lunenburg County, Barss Corner, family #65. [S1511] Inscription Survey, Parkdale-Maplewood (New) Cemetery. [S12213] #Halifax Chronicle-Herald, Obituary Notice for Howard Elgin Rafuse; 13 November 1990; . [S12520] ME Marriage Records, 1713-1937.