STEPHEN6 MAXFIELD (probably Moses,5 David,4 Eliphalet,3 Nathaniel,2 John1) was born at Vermont on 7 July 1816 a probable son of Moses Maxfield and his wife Elizabeth Hill. He died at Oakfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, on 10 September 1870.[1] He married by 1836 (birth of child) LOVICA POLK. She was born at Vermont on 11 August 1826, and died at Wisconsin on 20 February 1913.[2] Lovica married second at Fond du Lac County on 26 September 1880 JOHN WHITAKER, who was born at England and died before 1910 (census). The birth and death dates for Stephen come from undocumented on-line family trees.
Stephen's parentage is not proven. He is placed here as a child of Moses and Elizabeth because of (1) proximity in the 1850 Census, and (2) in the 1820 and 1830 censuses Moses has a son, not otherwise accounted for, in the correct age range for Stephen. This is not proof; it is our best guess until further information is discovered. A significant amount of information on this family comes from undocumented on-line family trees.
Stephen Maxfield's family was reported at Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont in the 1850 Census, consisting of Stephen, 33, sawyer, Lovica, 22, James, 4, and Louisa, 1.[3]
Based on the birth-states of their children, this family migrated to Wisconsin sometime between 1851 and 1856. The 1860 Census reporterd them at Lamartine, Fond Du Lac County, Wisconsin, as follows (ther census taker reported their surname as Maxwell but all of the information is consistent with this family):[4]
| Line | Name | Age | Sex | Occupation | R.E. | P.E. | Birthplace |
| 34. | Stephen Maxwell | 44 | M | farm laborer | $100 | VT | |
| 35. | Louisa Maxwell | 33 | F | wife | VT | ||
| 36. | James Maxwell | 14 | M | VT | |||
| 37. | Louisa Maxwell | 12 | F | VT | |||
| 38. | Polly Maxwell | 10 | F | VT | |||
| 39. | David Maxwell | 3 | F | WI | |||
| 40. | Levi Maxwell | 2 | M | WI |
Louisa, Polly and David were attending school.
One undocumented source states that Stephen was struck by a train and killed while walking the tracks. I can no longer find that message board.
The 1870 Census reported Lovisa Maxfield, head of household, at Oakfield (Waupun Post Office), as follows:[5]
| Line | Name | Age | Sex | Race | Occupation | R.E. | P.E. | Birth |
| 29. | Maxfield, Lovisa | 42 | F | W | keeping house | $200 | $150 | VT |
| 30. | Maxfield, David | 14 | M | W | at home | WI | ||
| 31. | Maxfield, Levi | 12 | M | W | attending school | WI | ||
| 32. | Maxfield, Allen | 7 | M | W | WI | |||
| 33. | Maxfield, Julia | 6 | F | W | WI |
This record is followed immediately by the household of James Maxfield, his wife and one-year-old son.[6]
Widow Lovina Maxfield married at the Methodist Episcopal Church of Fond du Lac in 1880 John Whittaker, a pedler born in England. Lovina is described as a child of Levi and Lovisa Annis.[7]
Stephen Maxfield and his wife Lovica Polk had the following children:
1"My Trees", database, Family Search (MyTrees.com : accessed 2 February 2024); undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted by pjflick36398.
2"Adams/Miller/Bronson & Tuvell/Brinkman/Meier connected to Wood/Cassel/Noland/Messmore/Graybill & Raitz/Linse/Sauter/Remdee", database, Katherine C. Goodman, Ancestry (trees.ancestry.com : accessed ); undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted 18 February 2003.
3Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population, Milton, Chittenden County, Vermont, p. 196B, household 1107, Stephen Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2012); NARA microfilm record group M432, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
4Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population, Lamartine, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 678, household 843, Stephen Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 17 November 2012); NARA microfilm record group M653; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
5Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population, Oakfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 455A, household 204, Lovisa Maxfield family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 16 February 2013); NARA microfilm record group M593; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.
61870 Census, Oakfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 455A, household 205, James Maxfield family.
7Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Madison, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Marriage Records, 1820-2004, no. 00714, Whittaker-Maxfield, 1880; digital images, Ancestry (: accessed 7 April 2023); ancestry.com.
8Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia, Washington, "Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960," index, Family Search (familysearch.org : accessed 30 January 2014).
91860 Census, Lamartine, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 678, household 843, Stephen Maxfield family.
101860 Census, Lamartine, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 678, household 843, Stephen Maxfield family.
111870 Census, Oakfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, p. 455A, household 204, Lovisa Maxfield family.
12Wisconsin Marriage Records, 1820-2004, no. 00255, Waterman-Maxfield, 1880.
"Adams/Miller/Bronson & Tuvell/Brinkman/Meier connected to Wood/Cassel/Noland/Messmore/Graybill & Raitz/Linse/Sauter/Remdee." Database. Katherine C. Goodman. Ancestry. trees.ancestry.com.
"My Trees." Database. Family Search. MyTrees.com : 2024.
United States Department of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States: 1850, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.
________. Eighth Census of the United States: 1860, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2012.
________. Ninth Census of the United States: 1870, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2013.
Washington Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia, Washington. "Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960." Index. Family Search. familysearch.org : 2014.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Marriage Records, 1820-2004. Digital images. Ancestry : 2023.
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