I noticed that the family of Reuben Perkins and Mary Anne Corlett (daughter of Thomas William Corlett and Elenor Kewish) were mentioned here late in 2009. During the 1881 census, their children, Reuben Douglas Perkins (16) and Eliza Letitia Perkins (10) were living with their maternal grandparents mentioned above in Ballaugh. One person wanted to know what became of this family and I know.
My daughter-in-law, Michelle Kurtz, is a descendant of Eliza Letitia Perkins. I have been helping her research her family. Eliza Letitia "Lettie" Perkins married August Topel in 1890 in Pensaukee, Oconto, Wisconsin, USA according to August's obituary. His obituary was in the Oconto County Reporter on 3 Feb 1916. 5 of their children were listed within the obituary too. They were *Frank, George, Earl, Norman, & Clyde Topel. A sixth son, Reuben Topel, is buried with August & Eliza Letitia Topel in Brookside Cemetery, Pensaukee, Oconto, WI. Reuben Topel died as an infant.

I entered what I knew about Eliza Letitia Perkins at Familysearch.org. The 1881 census the above mentioned family came up. It looked interesting. Everything that I knew matched, but there wasn't enough proof. I failed to find a marriage record for Eliza and August, so I ordered microfilms of newspapers to see if I could find anything about their marriage and deaths there. While I waited for the microfilms to arrive, I tried research Reuben Perkins of Ballaugh who I hoped was Lettie's brother. Perhaps he went to the US also.

I did find a Reuben D. Perkins (17) on a passenger list for the ship, Scythia. It arrived on 17 May 1882 in Castle Garden (New York, NY, USA). Later I found his naturalization records at Ancestry.com and that substantiated that this was the ship that he arrived on. Reuben was married twice. He married Laura (Windross) O' Donal on 16 of April 1888 in Fairchile, Wisconsin. This record listed his parents as Reuben Perkins and Mary A. Corlett. Reuben was born in England. His wife was born in Pensaukee, Oconto, WI where Lettie would later live. Reuben and his first wife had two sons, Douglas and Corle Perkins according to the 1900 United States Federal Census. They were living in Chicago, Cook, Illinois then. (Ancestry.com) There must have been a divorce than, because on 19 Oct 1901, Reuben married Etta G. Barlament in Ogden, Weber, Utah, USA. This record is listed on Familysearch.org. Reuben and his second wife had two daughters, Ruby Rosella Perkins who died as an infant, (Familysearch.org) and Edith Perkins. Edith went on to marry Frank E. Hill. They are listed with Reuben and Etta Perkins on the 1930 United States Federal Census in West Riverside, Riverside, California.

Finally, I located Lettie's obituary. She had moved to Kenosha, Kenosha, Wisconsin, but was buried back in Pensaukee, Oconto, Wisconsin. Her obituary states that she was born in London on 31 March 1871. She came to the USA in 1888. This was found in the Oconto County Reporter on 3 may 1945. The best news was that her brother, Reuben Perkins of California is listed as one of her survivors. Without following Reuben Perkins, I wouldn't have been able to link Eliza Letita "Lettie" Perkins to her family both in the Isle of Man and in England. Lettie's death record lists her date of death as 28 April 1945. Her father is listed as R. Perkins and her mother's name was listed as unknown.

My daughter-in-law descents through -

Frank Henry Topel and Elsie Bartel
Layton Topel and Ruth E. Greening
Her parents

Kris (Monigal) Kurtz
Oak Creek, Milwaukee, WI, USA