Updated: 09 June 2009
If you have information on this family (births, deaths, marriages, obituaries, pictures, diaries, letters, etc, please contact Jim Adams (adamsmckain at gmail.com). Let me know if you would like your name added to this page as a "Sykes-Sikes" researcher.
Mary Calista Adams (21 Nov 1875 - ) married Claude P. Sykes (17 Oct 1871 - 16 Oct 1949). They had 4 children:
Descendants of Joseph Knapp, Alexander McCrea & Eliphalet Wyatt at Ancestry.com
Richard Sikes (c.1600 - 1676) wiki (relationship to "our" Sykes line not confirmed yet)
Richard Sikes & His Descendants: The First Seven Generations by Arthur M. Sikes, Jr., Sikes/Sykes Families Association Genealogist. Contact: ArtSikes at aol.com
The Victory Sikes Lineage can be found at the Suffield Historical Society.
Other Sikes/Sykes Families in the U.S.
The Sykes from West Riding of Yorkshire, southwest of Leeds
The Sikes/Sykes Families Association
Sykes Family tree at ancestry.com (LucassenJuly06FTW)
Sykes Family tree at ancestry.com (Wright1968) "The Legacy of My Family"
Sykes Stories (Roswell Adams married Lucy S. Sykes) Roswell was a descendant of Robert Adams of Newbury, Mass.
Descendants of Zenas (1786 - ) and Nancy Janes Sykes (1789 - ). They had 8 children:
Obituary of Mary Calista Adams Sykes
Mrs. Mary Sykes, 94, 618 Main Street, St. Joseph, died at 5:20 a.m. today in Shoreham Terrace nursing home. Mrs. Sykes was born in Porter township, Nov. 21, 1876, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mason Adams. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. William A. (Ruth) Brown of Tyron, N.C., and Mrs. Moulton (Louise) Davis of St. Joseph, with whom Mrs. Sykes had made her home; five grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude P. in 1949; a son, Wayne Sykes; and a daughter, Mrs. Edward (Jane) DeHaven. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the Kerlikowske and Starks funeral home. The Rev. Robert F. Andrews, pastor of St. Paul's Episcopal church, will officiate. Burial will be in the Keeler cemetery. The family has suggested that memorials be made to the Berrien County Cancer Service.
***
Funeral card of Mary Adams Sykes
In Memory of Mary Adams Sykes
Born November 21, 1876 Porter Township, Michigan
Date of Death December 7, 1970
Services from Kerlikowske and Starks Chapel
December 9, 1970 11 A.M.
Clergyman officiating Rev. Robert F. Andrews
Final Resting Place Keeler Cemetary Keeler, Michigan
Casketbearers
R .M. Mitchell L. L. Filstrup M. S. Ross W. A. Preston R. J. Criddle William B. Minary
News article on Loring W. Sykes:
The Morning Call, San Francisco, CA
February 6, 1892
THE DOCTORS PUZZLED.
A Remarkable Case of Death or Suspended Animation.
San Jose, February 5 – There is a remarkable case of death or suspended animation at Santa Clara that is puzzling the medical fraternity of that town. Last Sunday at noon, [January 31, 1892] Loring W. Sykes, an old resident, died, or seemed to have died, and his funeral was appointed for Wednesday morning. Before that time came grave doubts arose as to whether he was really dead or not, but there was no sign of decomposition, and the funeral was postponed until this morning. But yesterday there was still no sign of decomposition. Concerning this case the Herald this evening says:
During his lifetime he had a great horror of being buried alive and made his son Charles promise him that he would not bury his body until proof of death was absolute. Consequently the utmost care is being taken to determine this.
Not only were there no signs of decomposition on the body, but the limbs all remained flexible and the coldness of death did not appear on the surface of the body. Several of the most intimate friends were called in to examine the body, and it was again decided yesterday to postpone the funeral until next Sunday afternoon.
Several physicians visited the house yesterday and they all pronounced it a case of death, but said it was a most peculiar case. Yesterday Dr. McGee cut a vein in one of the legs, and blood continued to flow from it for some minutes. Dr. McNary thrust a needle through a cord above the ankle and let it remain for several hours, to see if it corroded. When it was drawn out last night it was not at all corroded, and this one sign of death was lacking.
The case is being watched with much interest at Santa Clara, especially since the report by telegraph of a recent case of supposed burial alive in New York.
In this case five days have elapsed since the death of Mr. Sykes, and still the signs of decomposition have not set in.
The Morning Call – San Francisco, CA
February 8, 1892
Loring W. Sykes Buried
San Jose, February 7 – Loring W. Sykes, who for seven days lay dead in his home at Santa Clara with all the evidence of life except breath and a beating heart, was buried this afternoon, decomposition having set in yesterday. The case was a most remarkable one.
***
Thanks to Art Sikes, Jr. of Suffield, CT for the following:
Zenas is in the seventh generation of the Sikes family from Richard & Phoebe Sikes of Dorchester & Springfield, Mass.
Family history of Zenas Sikes March 20, 2009
++++++++++++ SEVENTH GENERATION ++++++++++++
1 Zenas Sikes gf10539 S0133231, V7‑113, V7‑125
b. 24 Mar 1791, Westhampton, Ma; d. 28 Jan 1862, Keeler, Van Buren, MI; son of Pliny Sikes & Lucinda Montague; m. 23 Dec 1813, Southampton, Ma, Nancy Janes; dau. of Enos Janes & Hannah Wright; b. 1791, Southampton, Ma; d. 7 Oct 1878, Keeler, Van Buren, MI.
Children:
1 Orrendo Montague Sikes, b. 23 Mar 1815, Westhampton, Ma; m. (1) Ann Elizabeth George; m. (2) Susan P. Parmalee.
2 Loring Wright Sikes, b. 11 Nov 1816, Westhampton, Ma; m. Emma Daniels.
3 Lucina Graves Sikes, b. 15 Jul 1820, Westhampton, Ma; m. John G. Barney.
2‑4 Pliny Parson Sikes, b. 3 Sep 1824, Westhampton, Ma; m. Elma A. Terry.
5 Samuel James Sikes, b. 15 Aug 1826, Westhampton, Ma; m. Lucinda G. Salisbury.
6 Zenas Sikes Jr., b. 28 Dec 1828, Westhampton, Ma; m. Eliza M. Burrill.
7 Charles Wells Sikes, b. 30 Jan 1830, Westhampton, Ma; m. Louisa Harker.
8 John Truais Sikes, b. 12 Jan 1835, Westhampton, Ma; d. 15 Oct 1835, Westhampton, Ma.
Zenas Sikes went from Ludlow to Westhampton, MA where he was a farmer. They removed to Keeler, MI in 1837
Reference Documents: 1, 10, 23, 110
+++++++++++++ EIGHTH GENERATION ++++++++++++
2 Pliny Parson Sikes gf24833 S01332313, V7‑125, V8‑20
b. 3 Sep 1824, Westhampton, Ma; son of Zenas Sikes & Nancy Janes; m. 1 May 1856, Dowagiac, MI, Elma A. Terry; dau. of Joseph Terry.
Children:
1 Mabel Elma Sikes, b. 15 May 1858, MI.
2 Clarence Terry Sikes, b. 28 Dec 1859, MI.
3 Mildren Ethel Sikes, b. 25 Jan 1863, MI.
4 Claude Pliny Sikes, b. 17 Oct 1870, MI.
5 Carleton Zenas Sikes, b. 22 Feb 1874, MI.
Pliny Sikes moved to Keeler, MI with his parents in 1837 and became a farmer. In 1850 he and three of his brothers drove 2 wagons and 5 yokes of oxen to Sacramento, CA, the trip taking 5 months. He stayed two years and then returned to Michigan by way of Niearauga(?).
This family can be found on the 1880 Federal Census in Keeler, Van Buren, MI. Pleny P. Sykes farmer ae. 56 b. MA the same as both parents, Elina A. wife ae. 46 b. OH both parents b. NY, Mable dau ae, 22, Mildred dau ae. 17, Claud P. son ae. 10, & Carlton son ae. 6, all children b. MI.
Reference Documents: 10, 23
REFERENCES
REFERENCE: 1
TITLE: Richard Sikes and His Descendants, the First Seven Generations
AUTHOR: Compiled by Arthur M. Sikes Jr.
DATE: 2000
DESCRIPTION: All known Sikes / Sykes descendants of Richard Sikes
REFERENCE: 10
TITLE: Sikes/Sykes Papers
AUTHOR: George Dimmock
DATE: Life time collection, to about 1920.
DESCRIPTION: George Dimmock collected genealogy information on many families including Sikes's. Includes a unpublished Sikes genealogy, about 1,200 sheets.
LOCATION: NEHGS Library, Boston, Mass.
REFERENCE: 23
TITLE: History & Genealogy of the Montague Family of America
AUTHOR: George Wm. Montague
DATE: 1886
DESCRIPTION: Montague Family in and around Springfield, Mass.
LOCATION: Springfield Historical Library, Springfield, Mass.
REFERENCE: 110
TITLE: The Sykes Genealogy, Descendants of Richard and Phebe Sykes
AUTHOR: Henry M. Sykes
DATE: Collected data up to his death in 1911.
DESCRIPTION: A handwritten Sykes Genealogy in three parts: Richard (male lines only), Increase, & Victory
LOCATION: Connecticut Historical Society Library, Hartford, CT
