The obituaries in newspapers have quite a bit of information. I found this obituary for my great-grandfather, John Hines in the Essex Free Press Archives:
From my great-grandfather's obituary I have secondary proof that:
- John Hines' father was Benjamin and he had seven brothers and one sister, just as the family census for Benjamin Haines in Niagara Township, Lincoln County in 1851 and 1861 show.
- He was born and grew up in Niagara Township, Lincoln County.
- Before John Haines was married to Hariett F. Doan in Welland in 1872, he was a sailor.
- He later was employed by Grand Trunk Railways in Wainfleet.
- When he came to Essex County, he was employed by the Michigan Central Railway. (The time he came to Essex County was later than reported, he was in Elgin County in 1891 census and his son Wm. Edgar, my grandfather, was born there in 1894).
- He retired from the railway and was a farmer in Rochester (1901 census), Mersea township.
- By 1911 moved back to the town of Essex, (1911 census), living on Maidstone Ave.,East.
- His only sister, Adaline Haines (Mrs. James Yale) was the only sibling living in 1932.
- John was a past member of the Orange Lodge.
- In 1932 four of his thirteen children were deceased.
- He would have celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary the year of his death.