Ionia-Statewide County MI Archives Obituaries.....Jaques, Theodore November 6, 1907 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Johnson McDowell texas26@gmail.com May 25, 2009, 12:01 am Times Picayune; Nov 8, 1907 Theodore Jaques Dead. War Time Friend of Lincoln, and Lived in Washington Headquarters. Veteran of the Civil war and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and surveyor of one of the county's first railroads, Theodore Jaques, nearly 88 years old, died at his home, 837 Cherokee Street, and was buried yesterday afternoon, interment being at Carrollton Cemetery. As an agent of Freedman's Bureau during the reconstruction period, Mr. Jacques obtained considerable prominence, and he is well remembered by the older inhabitants of New Orleans. His death took place Wednesday night, and resulted from old age and a complication of diseases. Mr. Jaques was born in New York city and attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Before graduating he left college to accept a position with the Erie Railroad and to study engineering. After remaining with the Company for about a year he resigned his place and accepted another with the Buffalo Mississippi Railroad, now known as the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern. In 1837 he ran the first preliminary survey from Michigan City, Indiana to Chicago. Shortly after completing this undertaking he married Miss Lizza Whaley, and with his bride settled on the homestead at Six Lakes, N.J. This homestead was quite a historic place, and had often been used by George Washington, as his headquarters. It was also the changing place for the stage coach that ran between New York and Philadelphia. There were three children to this union, two of whom, Frank and Isabelle survive. In 1848 he became County Surveyor in Ionia County, Mich., and about 1852 moved from the latter place to Urbana, Ill. Upon the breaking out of the war in 1861, he joined the Twenty-fifth Illinois Regiment, under Col. William Coler and was made Sergeant of Company K. A year later he was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant of the Thirteenth Missouri Calvary. In 1863 he had charge of transportation through Arkansas, and held that position for about twelve months. The year 1865 saw him General Superintendent of the Quartermaster's Division at Galveston, a position which he held until the end of hostilities. It was in 1867 that Mr. Jacques came to Louisiana as an agent of the Freedman's Bureau, settling in Plaquemines Parish. In 1868 he accepted a position as Inspector of Customs at the Custom-house in New Orleans. He remained until 1878 when he engaged in business on Decatur Street. For the last thirty years he has been retired. On Nov. 22, 1876 he married, in Gretna, Miss Emelie Vogel, the daughter of Carl Vogel, a German nobleman. The wife survives him as does also a son from the last union, Theodore Jaques, Jr. who is a student at Soule College. During the period of the Civil War deceased was personally acquainted with some of the leading men of the day including Abraham Lincoln. Additional Comments: Theodore Jaques was born in New York City 19 Nov 1819. He is enumerated in the 1850 U.S. Census residing in Keene, Ionia, Michigan with his wife Eliza and children: Isabella A., William A., and Albert L. Jaques. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/j/jaques5087gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb