Tag Archives: Illinois

2025 Week 6

09 Sunday Feb 2025

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This week was a busy non-genealogy week, and I’m surprised I was able to find much time to work on the family tree. While I met my people goal, I was not as successful with the completion of the Jarboe family. I still have two of Sara Rhodes Jarboe’s children left to research. I’m confident that I can finish that task in the coming week. This will also wrap up the Rhodes family as well. Sara was the youngest daughter of Sylvester and Martha. I can then move on to the fourth known daughter of Luke and Martha Cox Cassidy…yet another Sarah.

For the most part it was a fairly unremarkable genealogy week. No DNA matches added to the tree. No murders, tragic accidents, or unusual deaths. Just very large farm families who made their roots in Central Illinois. Maybe the coming week will be more exciting!

This week in the past…
I’d like to take an opportunity to celebrate the anniversaries of births, marriages, and deaths of my bloodlines which will occur during the week ahead.
292 years ago – Death of Susanna Whitehead Bunnell (10th ggm)
257 years ago – Marriage of Hannah Sanderson (6th ggm) and William Johnson (6th ggf)
255 years ago – Birth of John Coppock (4th ggf)
214 years ago – Birth of Sarah Ireland Reeve (4th ggm)
200 years ago – Death of Margaretha Nikolaus (5th ggm)
191 years ago – Marriage of Eva Korz (4th ggm) and Michael Keller (4th ggf)
185 years ago – Birth of Apollonia Braun Keller (3rd ggm)
171 years ago – Death of Nicolaus Sievers (4th ggf)
152 years ago – Death of Francis W Gravel (4th ggf)

Goals and progress…
Beginning of Week: 27,112 people
End of Week: 27,182 people
Change = +70 people – GOAL MET!
Goal for coming week: Add 50 new people and finish up Sara Rhodes Jarboe’s family.

2025 Week 5

02 Sunday Feb 2025

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I was a little overly optimistic thinking I could finish up Martha Cassidy Rhodes family this week. Her youngest daughter Sara Rachel Rhodes Jarboe had eight children. I’m not quite half way complete on fleshing out her descendants.

The Jarboes originally remained in Perry County, Indiana, but then moved to east central Illinois in the late 1910s. The family initially settled in Piatt County, but as the children started families of their own, they were mostly concentrated in Champaign County, with farming as the main means of support. Up to this point, very few from the younger generations have moved away from the area.

My place name clean up was focused on Champaign County this week. In addition to the county in Illinois, there were several locations in Champaign County, Ohio that were standardized as well. As a result of my efforts, nearly 40 place records were removed. The changes impacted facts for more than 100 people so it wasn’t for naught.

I also had a new DNA match that I documented in my tree. She is a third cousin on my mother’s side of the family. There wasn’t much to add since I had her parents in my tree already.

This week in the past…
I’d like to take an opportunity to celebrate the anniversaries of births, marriages, and deaths of my bloodlines which will occur during the week ahead.
375 years ago – Birth of Daniel Quincy (9th ggf)
359 years ago – Death of Charles Garnier (10th ggf)
225 years ago – Birth of Rebecca Pea Catt (5th ggm)
199 years ago – Death of Lydia Smith Ireland (6th ggm)
199 years ago – Birth of Mary Sievers Gravel (3rd ggm)
181 years ago – Birth of Josephine Lankford Winkler (3rd ggm)
172 years ago – Death of Mary Westerfield Vanderipe (5th ggm)
169 years ago – Birth of Magdalena Keller Kaiser (2nd ggm)
155 years ago – Marriage of Caroline Nagley (3rd ggm) and Joseph Nagele (3rd ggf)
149 years ago – Death of Sarah A Catt Cardinal (3rd ggm)
132 years ago – Death of Mary Caywood Cox (3rd ggm)
126 years ago – Birth of Zeda Mattox Fielden (ggm)

Goals and progress…
Beginning of Week: 27,037 people
End of Week: 27,112 people
Change = +75 people – GOAL MET!
Goal for coming week: Add 50 new people and finish up Sara Rhodes Jarboe’s family.

Roland Rudolph Willard

01 Monday Jun 2020

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Roland Rudolph Willard was born June 1, 1816 in St Louis City in what was then the Missouri Territory. His parents were Elinor McDonald and Alexander Hamilton Willard. Alex Willard was the youngest member of the Expedition of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806) which attempted to find a waterway that connected the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Led by Sacagawea, more than one hundred new animals and almost 200 new plants were documented during the first trip that explored the western territories of the United States.

Roland was one of twelve children born to Elinor and Alex. Those that have been identified include: Austin, Alexander II, Eliza, Christiana, Joel, Narcissa, Ellen, Lewis, George, and Nancy. The family lived in Missouri until about 1826 at which time they relocated to the Wisconsin Territory, living in Grant County.

Alex and four of his sons, including Roland, fought in the Black Hawk War. The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict between the United States and the Native Americans residing in the state of Illinois and Michigan Territory. The war lasted from April to August 1832. Other notable figures who also participated in the fighting included Abraham Lincoln, Zachary Taylor, and Jefferson Davis.

For a period of time around 1835, the family lived in Morgan County, Illinois, however, that was brief and they returned to Wisconsin Territory. Roland and his brother-in-law John Crawford purchased land in Iowa County in 1839. Roland sold off his lands in Wisconsin in 1847 and it is believed he, along with his brother Alex and John Crawford, headed west for California during the time of the Gold Rush. Alex and John were in Placerville listed as traders in the 1850 Census.

Roland’s whereabouts are a bit of a mystery until the state census of 1852. He is listed in Sacramento next door to John Crawford and family with the occupation of farmer. Little else can be found about Roland until his sudden death on Jun 11, 1859. He is buried in the Franklin Cemetery. His brother Lewis served as executor of his estate which appeared to be rather extensive. Probate documents indicated that his father Alex was the sole heir to the estate which would indicate that Roland was not married and had no children. However, there is a twelve year old Jackson Willard born in California listed in the 1860 Census with Alex and Elinor. It’s not clear who’s child he is, but some researchers have assigned him as Roland’s son.

Roland Rudolph Willard was my 2nd cousin 5x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census: 1850, 1860
  • California State Census, 1852
  • Illinois Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835
  • California County Birth, Marriage and Death Records
  • California Wills and Probate Records
  • US Army Indian Campaign Service Records
  • US General Land Office Records
  • Find a Grave website
  • The Black Hawk War at Wikipedia
  • Lewis and Clark Expedition at Wikipedia

Zeresh Puckett

24 Sunday May 2020

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Zeresh Puckett was born in Shelby County, Illinois on May 24, 1833, the daughter of Elihu Puckett and Rebecca Wilks.  She had an older sister Jamima and two younger brothers, Lewis and George.  Zeresh may also have had an older brother James Hughes from her mother’s first marriage.  Zeresh is a Biblical name from the Old Testament.

In 1836, Elihu and Rebecca moved the family from Illinois to Clay County, Indiana in the area served by the Coffee Post Office in Lewis Township. In 1853, Zeresh married Benjamin Coppock and they settled into farming in Lewis Township.  Zeresh helped support the family as a seamstress.  Later, Benjamin was employed as a grocer.

The couple had five children during their marriage: Jemima, Rebecca, Mary, Ida, and Thomas.  All lived long lives, reaching their seventies or beyond.   Zeresh, unfortunately, did not see her children to adulthood.  She died on February 27, 1873 at the age of thirty-nine.

 

Zeresh Puckett was my 3rd-great grandmother on my dad’s side

REFERENCES

  • United States Census: 1850, 1860, 1870
  • Find a Grave website
  • History of Clay County, Indiana, Volume II, William Travis, 1909.

Mary Emma Cardinal

22 Friday May 2020

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Mary Emma Cardinal was born May 22, 1874 in Knox County, Indiana to Franklin Cardinal and Mary Henrietta White.  She had three older siblings: William J, Eliza, and Charles.  Her family lived in Johnson Township near Decker where they worked the family farm.  It is believed that she went by her middle name Emma.

On August 18, 1892, Emma married Henry McGaughey across the river in Lawrence County, Illinois.  They made their home in Johnson Township were Henry farmed the land.  They had at least five children, four of which have been identified:  Jeremiah, Levi, Florence, and Lorene.

In 1904, typhoid fever was nearing epidemic levels in cities such as New York City.  Rural areas, such as Knox County, were not immune to the bacterial infection.  There were regular reports in the local paper of citizens, both old and young, who succumbed to the disease.  Unfortunately, the McGaughey family was hard hit by the bacteria in 1904.  Young Florence at the tender age of seven, died in September.  Emma fell victim on November 2, 1904 and eleven year old Jeremiah followed five days later.  All three are buried in the City Cemetery.

 

Mary Emma Cardinal was my 2nd cousin, 4 times removed on my mom’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census: 1880, 1900
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
  • Find A Grave website

Rosanna Ishmael

09 Saturday May 2020

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Rosanna Ishmael

Rosanna Ishmael was born on May 9, 1848 in Fleming County, Kentucky to John A Ishmael and Margaret Keel.  Rosanna had three siblings–John, Laura and Samuel–although when exactly John was born is not clear.  In the early 1850s, John and Margaret packed up the family and moved to Illinois.  According to the 1855 Illinois State Census for Cole County, they were accompanied by other Ishmael families, likely brothers or cousins of John Sr.  Margaret was counted in the July 1855 census, however, it would appear that she died not long after that, although it is not known whether she was laid to rest in Illinois or Kentucky.  Also, Laura may have also perished during this time as her whereabouts are unknown after 1855.

The 1860 census indicates that John Sr has taken a second wife, likely in early 1856.  It’s assumed the marriage between John and Mary A Hunt occurred in Kentucky since she was a native of Bath County. This marriage added eight more children to the family as half-siblings to Rosanna–Margaret, Nancy, John Thomas, Martha, James, George, Sarah, and Minnie.

As the last of Rosanna’s siblings were being born, she married and started her own family.  She married farmer Timothy Ishmael around 1868 and they settled in Nicholas County, Kentucky.  Together they brought twelve children into this world, Nine of those offspring would live to adulthood–Margaret, Lilly, Eugene, Anna Belle, Lucy, Gertrude, Charles , Rosa and Ethel.  Both Clara and John Samuel died as toddlers while Liddie only survived a couple months.

Rosanna’s father John passed away in 1898 and a few years later in 1906, her husband Tim also left this world.  Rosanna’s children continued to grow up and move on with their lives.  In 1921, her daughter Lilly Alexander preceded her in death after a year long battle with liver cancer.  Rosanna joined them in the afterlife on September 6, 1923 at the age of seventy-five.

 

Rosanna Ishmael is my 2nd cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1910, 1920
  • Kentucky Death Index
  • Find a Grave website
  • Fleming County, Kentucky marriage index
  • Illinois State Census, 1855

Bernice Fredericka Ireland

06 Wednesday May 2020

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On May 6, 1888 in Brownstown, Jackson County, Indiana, Bernice Fredericka Ireland was born to Frank and Lillie Wacker Ireland.  She and her older brother William were the only children born to Frank and Lillie.  Bernice received her middle name from her maternal grandmother Fredericka Rush Wacker.

Frank Ireland supported his family as a school teacher while his children were growing up.  Bernice graduated from Brownstown High School in 1904 and later attended Indiana University in Bloomington where she studied to also be an educator.  On February 20, 1919 at the age of thirty-one, Bernice married Walter Greger.  Immediately following the wedding, the couple moved to Chicago where Walter worked as a mail clerk.  On January 20, 1920 in Chicago, Bernice gave birth to their only child Janet.  While living in Chicago, Bernice put her training to good use and taught in the Chicago Public School System.

In 1932, Bernice lost her father to cancer of the lymph glands.  He was seventy-two.  A decade later, her mother succumbed to heart disease mere days after her eighty-first birthday.

Bernice and Walter continued to live in Chicago until their retirement in the mid-1950s when they returned to Jackson County.  Based on the numerous mentions in the local newspaper, Bernice was quite active in the community in various organizations upon their return.  Unfortunately, Walter’s life was taken to soon, as he suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1957.  Bernice continued to keep busy for a few more years, before suffering a fatal stroke in February 1965.  She and Walter are laid to rest in the Fairview Cemetery in Brownstown.

Bernice Ireland

Bernice Ireland Greger was my 2nd cousin 4x removed on my dad’s side.  She is also a first cousin 1x removed of William Puloski Ireland who was previously the subject of a biography.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930
  • Indiana Death Certificates
  • Indiana Marriages
  • Find A Grave website
  • Jackson County Banner, February 19, 1913, February 26, 1919, September 7, 1932, April 3, 1957 via Newspapers.com