Category Archives: Genealogy

Squire DeMoss

02 Saturday May 2020

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Squire DeMoss was the seventh of eight children born to William DeMoss and Elizabeth Sarah Lowe.  Squire was born on May 2, 1846 in most likely Reeve Township in Daviess County, Indiana.  He had two sisters, Elizabeth and Mary, and five brothers, Isaac, John, William, Democrat, and Fleming.  His parents were originally from Kentucky and came to Indiana in the early 1830s to pursue better farming.

Squire’s older brothers Isaac and William moved Knox County where they built their farms and families.  His brother John stayed in Daviess County for many years and Squire stayed on with him as a farm hand.  His brother Democrat fought in the Civil War and is buried at the National Cemetery in Port Hudson, Louisiana.  On December 29, 1870, Squire married Mary Jane Davis.  The marriage was very short lived, however, as Squire died at the age of 24 on January 16, 1871.  He was buried at the Hawkins Prairie Cemetery.  Mary Jane remarried a year later.

 

Squire DeMoss was my 4th great-uncle on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1850, 1870
  • Find A Grave website
  • Indiana Marriages
  • Indiana Civil War Soldier Database Index

James Duncan Piety

01 Friday May 2020

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James D and Laurinda Piety

James Duncan Piety was born May 1, 1796, in Nelson County, Kentucky, the third child of thirteen born to Thomas Piety and Mary Duncan.  James married twice during his lifetime.  He married his first wife, Eleanor Harned, on June 29, 1818 in Hardin County, Kentucky.  Shortly after that, the couple relocated to Vigo County, Indiana, where he used the dowry money from Eleanor’s parents to buy land in the area that is now known as Prairie Creek.  James supported his family as a farmer.  He was also an asset to the community in that he helped organize the First Baptist Church, as well as stake out the town.

Eleanor and James brought eight children into the world–Lucinda, David, Thomas, Julia, William, John, James, and Mary.  All but David reached adulthood. In 1838, Eleanor passed away at the age of 36.  Needing someone to raise his family, James married again on October 10, 1839 to Laurinda Thomas.  Together they added nine more children to the fold–Ellen, Emily, Louisa, Nancy, Margaret, Milton, Chauncey, Samuel and Sarah.  Both Margaret and Chauncey left this world as small children.

James continued to work the farm, even into his more advanced years.  He was considered a prominent farmer in the area, amassing over thirteen hundred acres at one time. James passed away on April 19, 1878 and is buried in the cemetery of the First Baptist Church which he helped establish.  His wife Laurinda followed him to the Promised Land a couple short years later on January 1, 1880.

James D Piety

James D Piety was my 1st cousin 6x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census – 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870
  • An Early History of the Piety Family and Kinsmen, 1654-1956, written by Charles R Piety, 1956.
  • A Partial History of James Duncan Piety, written by Walter Piety Morgan, 1948.
  • Indiana Marriages
  • Kentucky Marriages
  • Find a Grave website

William Hutchinson Bailey

30 Thursday Apr 2020

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William Hutchinson Bailey

William H. Bailey was the youngest of five children born to Phebe Richardson and Daniel Bailey.  He made his arrival on April 30, 1823 in Hamilton County, Ohio. In September 1824, Daniel passed away.  Phebe remarried in 1825 to the Reverend George Hildreth, a widower himself.  Together, Phebe and George added five children to their blended family.  George was called to the Promised Land in 1839.

In 1844, William married Margaret Wilson and they started their family in the Cincinnati area.  Emma and Friend James Scott were born in Ohio where their father worked as a news carrier. By 1854, William and Margaret moved their family to Randolph County, Indiana where Wilson, Margaret and William A. were born. William supported the family both as a tailor and a farmer.  Too soon, Margaret was taken from the family in 1861.  A widower with small children, William married Malinda Smithson on September 19, 1863 in Randolph County.  The family was expanded to include six more children–Matilda, Phebe, Martha, Ira, Samuel and Daniel.  At the age of 73, William passed away on March 23, 1897 at his residence near Winchester, Indiana.

William H Bailey

William H. Bailey was my 1st cousin 6x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880
  • Ohio  County Marriage Records
  • Indiana Marriages
  • United States Civil War Draft Registration Records
  • Find A Grave website

Cora Lankford

29 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Cora Lankford was born on April 29, 1875 in Steen Township, Knox County, Indiana to Harrison Lankford and Mary Emeline Gilmore.  There were at least four children born to this union, however, only two reached adulthood–Cora and an older brother William.  Harrison supported the family through farming while Emeline kept house.  They continued to add to the family until approximately 1890 when an unidentified child belonging to Harrison was reported to be interred on February 24th of that year.  It is believed that Emeline passed away sometime in 1890 or 1891, although no documentation has been located.  In February 1892, Harrison married Melissa McCart Morris.  Melissa had three teenage sons with her first husband–Harvey, Allen and Henry–who also joined the family as the result of the marriage.  Melissa and Harrison added to their brood in 1894 with the birth of their only son together, Charles.  Harrison died in 1899.

Cora Lankford

Five years after their parents were married, Harvey and Cora were married on November 16, 1897.  They made there home in Vigo Township near Edwardsport.  Harvey supported the family managing a restaurant, as the watchman at the Edwardsport Power Plant and later as a coal miner.  Together they had three children–Beatrice, Arthur and Genevieve–all who lived to adulthood.  Harvey and Cora continued to live out their lives in Edwardsport for nearly 38 years.  On March 14, 1935, Cora passed away after battling intestinal cancer for several months.

 

Cora Lankford was my 1st cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1880, 1910, 1920, 1930
  • Indiana Marriage Collection
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Find A Grave website
  • Vincennes Daily Commercial, February 25, 1890

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Rachel Cox

28 Tuesday Apr 2020

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On April 28, 1860, Rachel Cox was born in Widner Township, Knox County, Indiana to Alexander Cox and Angeline Sartor.  She was the third child born to this family of at least seven children.  Of her six siblings, two were sisters (Mara Alice and Flora) and four were brothers (Elliott, John, Charles, and Lew).  Alex supported the family through farming until the early 1880s when they packed the house and moved to Elm Grove, Kansas.  It is in Elm Grove where Rachel met Benjamin Franklin Rafferty.  He worked on a neighboring farm and on July 4, 1886, he married Rachel.  In January 1887, Rachel’s mother Angeline died and was buried in Kansas.  Her father died of Bright’s disease in 1905 at his home in Welch, Indian Territory.

Rachel and Frank returned to Indiana and northern Knox County not long after they were married.  Their daughter Roxie Ruth was born in 1888 and their son Charles Russell followed in 1895.  Frank was working as a day laborer in 1900 living outside of Bicknell, Indiana.  The family then moved to Indianapolis prior to 1905.  Not long after, on Jun 16, 1909, Rachel died of breast cancer.

Rachel Cox

Rachel Cox was my 2nd cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900
  • Kansas State Census, 1885
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Find a Grave website
  • Kansas County Marriage Records
  • Vincennes Commercial, December 12, 1905

Hulbert John Bailey

27 Monday Apr 2020

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Hulbert John Bailey was born on April 27, 1911 in Olive Hill, Carter County, Kentucky, the son of John H Bailey and Ona Florence Johnson.  He had two brothers (Ronald and John A.) and four sisters (Arcie, Geraldine, Clara and Wanda).  He was raised in Olive Hill, but lived for a short time in the Cleveland area with his sister Arcie and her husband Frank Behling.  He worked in construction.

Hulbert John Bailey

Around 1931, Hulbert returned to Kentucky where he married Mabel Burchett.  Together they had a daughter, Florence Elizabeth who went by “Betty”.  The marriage, however, did not last long and Hulbert found himself back in northern Ohio by 1935 working as a painter. On November 16, 1935, he married Joan N. Hallam in Ashtabula County, Ohio.  This marriage, too, was short lived.  It is believed that Hulbert died in late 1936, although substantiating documentation has not yet been located confirming this.  Joan did remarry in 1939 and the marriage license does indicate she was a widow at that time.

His daughter Betty was raised by John and Florence and she lived to be nearly 80 years old.

 

Hulbert John Bailey was my 4th cousin 3x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1920, 1930, 1940
  • Kentucky Birth Index
  • Ohio County Marriage Records
  • Find A Grave website

Susan Puckett

26 Sunday Apr 2020

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Susan Puckett GobleOn April 26, 1867 in Lewis Township, Clay County, Indiana, a daughter named Susan was born to George Puckett and Mary Edmonson Puckett.  Susan had at least four siblings–Richard, Sarah, Zirish and Lucy.  Not a lot is known about Susan’s early years.  According to census records from 1880 she attended school.  Her mother Mary passed away in 1898, and the following year at the age of 32 Susan married Joel Goble, a local farmer.

Susan and Joel remained in Lewis Township near the small town of Coalmont.  In 1902, they were blessed with daughter Margaret. Four years later, a son named Fredrick was also born.  For a time, both Joel’s and Susan’s fathers resided with them on their farm.

Through the years, Susan and Joel continued to work the farm.  On March 14, 1948, Joel suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage and passed away.  Less than a year later, on January 8, 1949, Susan passed away from the same cause of death.  Both were laid to rest at the Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery north of Coalmont.

 

Susan Puckett was my 2nd cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Find A Grave Website
  • Indiana Marriage Collection
  • Terre Haute Tribune, January 9, 1949 & March 15, 1948 via Newspapers.com

Arthur Leslie Keith

25 Saturday Apr 2020

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Arthur Leslie Keith

Arthur Leslie Keith was born on April 25, 1874 in Worthington, Indiana.  His parents were John Lawson Keith and Mary Ann Robertson.  He had two sisters–Mattie and Gertie, three brothers–Ison, Thomas and Cecil, and two half-brothers from his mother’s first marriage–Elmer W and John H Bicknell.  As a small boy, Arthur’s  family resided in Van Buren Township in Monroe County, Indiana where his father farmed until his death in 1884.  Mary Ann moved the family to Lancaster, Nebraska, presumably to be somewhat closer to her family who resided in Iowa.

On June 13, 1900, Arthur married Mabelle Homerick in Nebraska City, Nebraska.  At that time, Arthur was living in Saline County, Kansas,  and that is where they made their home.  In 1905 they were blessed with their first child, James Lawson Keith, however, he passed away before he turned two.  A second son, Arthur Leslie II, was born to the couple the following year.  The family then moved from Kansas to Chicago, where the elder Arthur pursued his PhD at the University of Chicago in the Department of Greek Language and Literature. While in Chicago, young Arthur passed away in 1909.

Arthur Leslie Keith

As Arthur finished his doctoral studies, he and Mabelle were blessed with a daughter.  The family moved to Northfield, Minnesota where Arthur taught Latin at Carleton College.  Unfortunately, young Mary Elizabeth suffered a fate similar to her brothers and died as a small child in 1912.  The couple remained in Minnesota until the early 1920s when they relocated to Vermillion, South Dakota.  Arthur continued to teach Latin, now at the University of South Dakota.  After almost 42 years of marriage, Arthur passed away on March 1, 1942 at the age of 67.

 

Arthur Leslie Keith was my 3rd cousin 3x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1880, 1910, 1920, 1940
  • Kansas State Census, 1905
  • South Dakota State Census, 1925, 1935
  • Nebraska Marriage Records
  • Find A Grave website
  • US College Student Lists, 1763-1924
  • World War I Draft Registration Cards
  • Cook County, IL Deaths Index
  • Minnesota Death Index

Michael “Mitchell” Kaiser

24 Friday Apr 2020

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Mitchell Kaiser

Michael Kaiser was born in the Alsace Region on April 24, 1838 to Michael Kaiser and Marie Anne Claussmann.  The younger Michael frequently went by Mitchell as evidenced on various documents bearing his name.  Family stories relate that as a young man, Mitchell was in Army.  With the political turbulence in that region of Europe, he found himself either in the French Army or the German Army at any given time.  As the story would have it, one night he slipped away from the encampment along the Rhine River and met up with a friend who had a boat.  Passenger lists for arrivals into New Orleans indicates a seventeen year old Michel Kaiser arrived from LeHavre, France on the Nuremberg on April 21, 1855.  Also arriving on that ship was his fifteen year old brother John B. Kaiser.

 

Mitchell Kaiser Land Vincennes Twp

Mitchell Kaiser farm south of Vincennes.

By 1860, Mitchell had made his way to Knox County, Indiana where he was working as a farmhand on Lambert Halter’s farm.  On January 15, 1861, Mitchell married Lambert’s daughter Mary Elizabeth. Mitchell acquired about 50 acres of land near his father-in-law south of Vincennes and supported his ever growing family by farming.  Over the course of the next twenty years, Mitchell and Mary Elizabeth were blessed with at least ten children, four of which lived to adulthood–Michael, Rose, Lambert, and Anthony.  In August 1881, their first born daughter Mary Elizabeth died at the age of seventeen.  A few short weeks later, after giving birth to their youngest daughter Elizabeth, Mitchell’s wife passed away on October 10, 1881.  The babe unfortunately died two weeks later.  They were all laid to rest in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

On Jun 14, 1887, at nearly the age of fifty, Mitchell married his second wife, Magdalena Keller.  She was the daughter of John Keller and Magdalena Fleck.  Magdalena gave birth to seven children, three of which reached adulthood–Magdalena, Raymond, and Clara.  Mitchell continued to work the family farm until he succumbed to a bout of pneumonia on February 27, 1912 at the age of 73.  He, too, was laid to rest in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

 

Mitchell Kaiser was my 2nd-great grandfather on my mom’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Indiana Marriage Collection
  • New Orleans, Passenger Lists
  • Find A Grave Website
  • Halter Family History, compiled by Phyllis Vennard Halter, 1979
  • Vincennes Daily Commercial–April 5, 1888 & July 17, 1888
  • The Vincennes Commercial–February 28, 1912

Henrietta Polk

23 Thursday Apr 2020

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On April 23, 1848, Henrietta Polk was the third child born to Isaac Polk and Mary Jane Cox.  She was preceded by Jeannette and Benjamin, and followed by six more siblings–Charles, Rachel, Alice, Harriet, Florence and Jonathan.  The family resided in the Oak Station (Widner Township) area of Knox County, Indiana, where her father apparently had a sizable farm.  When Henrietta was eleven, her mother died, leaving Isaac with many mouths to feed.  Two years later, Isaac married Martha Couchman Ferguson, the widow of John Ferguson.  They added three more daughters to the family–Delilah, Hester and Eva for a total of twelve children born to Isaac.

Henrietta attended school as a youngster and lived on her father’s farm well into her twenties.  On November 8, 1879, she married single father Ellis Hill.  Ellis had been married and widowed twice previously–first to Lavinia Risley and then to Henrietta’s older sister Jeanette.  Both women appear to have died as a result of childbirth complications.  Henrietta, consequently, became a stepmother to nine year old Mary.

Ellis and Henrietta made their home in the north central part of Washington Township in Knox County where Ellis farmed 80 acres of land.  Over the next two decades, they had five children, three of which made it to adolescence–Walter, Fannie and Hallie.  Hallie apparently had some health issues and was sent to live with an aunt in Idaho where the climate was more favorable for her.  Unfortunately, the improvement was short lived and she died in April 1906 in Idaho.  Henrietta, who suffered from paralysis, passed away a few short months later on July 17, 1906 on the family farm on the outskirts of  Bicknell, Indiana.

Henrietta Polk Widner

Isaac Polk farm in Widner Township, Knox County IN

Henrietta Polk Washington

Ellis Hill farm in Washington Township, Knox County, IN

 

Henrietta Polk was my 2nd cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Indiana Marriage Index
  • Find A Grave
  • The Western Sun, April 27, 1906
  • Combined Atlases of Knox County, Indiana, 1880-1903