William Henry Crane (1848-1906), briefly farmed in Kansas, many years in Chicago, Stephen Poth's great grandfather

 William Henry Crane (Dec 1848 - May 3, 1906) 

This is Stephen D. Poth's great grandfather (Steve < Charles Douglas Poth < Amarylis A. Crane < William Henry Crane) 

William Henry Crane, Doug Poth's maternal grandfather, was born in Spring Prairie, Wisconsin, about 85 miles northwest of Chicago.  We know that his parents had also been born in Wisconsin, but we do not know anything about his childhood. 

William married Nellie R. Hogan on July 25, 1875 in Chicago.  Their first two children William and Amaryl were born around 1877.  

The young family did not stay in Chicago long.  We find them (William age 34, Nellie age 23) in 1880,  in York Township, Stafford County Kansas, farming.  

Two years later, however, they are back in Chicago and had two more daughters and two sons.  In 1900 the family - parents and six children - are living at 117 113th Street in Chicago, in a home that they own.  I am not sure what William did for a living (that line on the census is unreadable, unfortunately). 

We believe that William died in 1906 at age 57, a year after his daughter Amarylis was married.   

See also:  Children of Nellie Hogan and William H. Crane 

sources: 

1880, 1900 census 

Cook County, IL marriage index

Cynthia Poth Nanto family tree on Ancestry dot com