May 1826 Oliver Counter is born in Maine (per 1900 census) but his age ranges on various sightings and he could be younger or older

 

20 Mar 1836  Mary Ann (Counter)  is born in  KY  - birthdate from U.S. Soldier's Home Cemetery, Orting, Pierce County, WA

abt. 1856 Oliver is supposed to marry Mary Ann (married 44 years in 1900) 
this seems doubtful because:

1860 census Brooklyn Ward 11 Dist 2  Kings Co. NY  HH 1133
J. Olive Counter  Clerk $150 Maine
Cornelia Counter  age 32 b. NY
Thomas Counter age 13 b. NY
Emanuella/Emanuetta Counter age 12 b. NY
Theodore Counter age 8 b. NY

 

6 Sep 1862 Olive/Oliver Counter enlists as private at Brooklyn, NY - Company C, 131st Infantry.  He is first sent to Annapolis but in November his unit is sent to New Orleans & Baton Rouge and in December he is promoted to Corporal.  Before long he is promoted to  Full Sergeant.

May 1864 Oliver's infantry unit is moved to Fortress Monroe Virginia and to the Petersburg VA & Washington D.C. area.  Late in the year they are at Winchester Virginia.

January 1865 Oliver's unit is moved to Savannah Georgia to meet up with the Army of Ohio and Gen. Sherman's forces.    On the 26 Jul 1865 Oliver Counter is mustered out at Savannah Georgia.

This is the year Jessie is born.  Had Oliver really had time to get back to Brooklyn and impregnate Cornelia or has he found Mary Ann somewhere along the way and they deliberately tell people they are married longer than they are?  What becomes of his earlier family?  Did he simply not go home to them?

abt. 1866 son William Counter is supposed to be born in California - if this were true it only gives Oliver  a year to migrate west from the time he gets out of the army.  If it is true they do not seem to be IN California for the 1870 census.

 

1879 Puyallup, Pierce Co. Washington Territory
J. O. Counter age 53 Farmer Maine
Mary Counter age 44 Housewife Kentucky
(it is in alpha order so you can't see neighbors)

 

1880 census Puyallup, Pierce Co. WA
Oliver Counter age 54 (?) head farmer ME ENG ENG
Mary Counter age 47 (wife) Keeping House KY TN IRE  (need to recheck & make sure the father wasn't b. PA - hard to read)
William Counter (son) age 14 CA U.S. CAL
John Counter (son) age 9  ENG ENG ENG 
Edward Dingman (grandchild) age 4  ENG ENG ENG

It seems extremely doubtful that John & Edward are born in England?

This is the first place we see the birth place of Mary Ann.  1885 Slaughter, King Co. Washington Territory
O. Counter age 58 b. ME
M. age 52 b. KY
W. age 19 b. CA

J. age 14 b. CA
E. age 10 b. CA

1887 census "INDIAN RESERVATION" in King Co. - where is this? what is this?
Olive Counter age 61 Farmer b. ME
Mary Counter age 54 b. Tenn or Penn

1890 Oliver Counter appears on the 1890 veterans schedules - age 56 - he had served as a Sergeant in Co. C 131st New York Infantry, Civil War

 

1892 Sep 19  Michel Genner marries "Mrs. Jessie Hollands"  in Sumner, Pierce Co., Washington.  O. Counter and Mary Counter were the wits.

 

1900 census Orting Dist 156  Pierce Co.  WA  HH 188
Oliver Counter (head) born May 1826 age 74 m. 44 yrs ME ENG ENT
Mary Ann Counter (wife) b. Mar 1833 KY TN KY
Edward Dingman (grandson) b. Nov 1878 age 24 CA MI CA

 

6 Mar 1901 Mary Ann Counter dies at Orting, Pierce Co. WA  "wife of Oliver Counter, gone but not forgotten"

9 May 1909 Oliver Counter  dies in Pierce Co. WA - presumably at the Soldier's Home where informants could not give his parents or any other information on the death certificate