Rock, Paper, DAR

The Daughters of the American Revolution as a lineage society is well-respected for it's devotion to accuracy. The DAR requires documentation of each link in a family’s lineage to a Revolutionary War Patriot. The connections of each generation in the line must have approved documentation to support the relationships.

Joining the DAR for me was a way of validating my genealogy skills. When I found I connected to a Patriot through each of my Grandparents, I made it my goal to prove each line through DAR and to honor each of them with their proven lineage to a Patriot. My paternal Grandparents are descendants of Asa Corbin and Stephen Bliss. My maternal Grandfather is a descendant of John Adair, Sr (and Jr). My maternal Grandmother is a descendant of Libbeus Simmons, Sr, but after many years of searching, my application was denied due to lack of documentation for two of the links in two generations. DAR had the Scissors to my Paper.

Family notes told me my 2^nd Great Grandparents were John McGrath and Rachel Simmons, Rachel was born somewhere in Pennsylvania. Searching for Rachel in the 1850 Pennsylvania census, when she was a young girl, I found an 8 year old Rachel with parents Lebius and Ruth Simmons. Then I found a Libbeus Simmons listed as a Revolutionary War Patriot. Seeing some information that the Patriot had a son named Lebbeus, who was too old for the father of Rachel, led me to believe there was a line of 3 men named Lebbeus Simmons. Exact spelling having no significance, I am sure of this line of men. The problem is finding any documentation to prove this - a Rock I'm up against.

The records I need fall into a time period where record keeping was sparse in the locations they were living. Births, marriages and deaths may have been recorded at the time, but those records did not survive until they were compiled and published. I have always tried my best to be accurate with my family history research, including finding actual documentation to link each person through the generations. The records I need here just don't seem to exist anymore. There is no contradicting information, nothing that doesn’t make sense. Awritten analysis of the connection between two generations is allowed only once. I wrote an analysis for the link between Rachel and her father Lebius III to no avail. Can there be any prophecy in my naming this blog “Old Trunk in the Attic?” What I need might have to come from someone's personal stash of very old papers, if they have kept them this long. Does anyone have a Simmons Family Bible from the early 1800's? 

Until I can cover the Rock with a Paper that the DAR will accept, the DAR takes this one. But we're going best of 3. 

November Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

When November's leaves fall faster...

November

Bell family ancestors

3rd - Martha Eveline Bell born 1842

4th - Martha Eveline Bell died 1928, age 86

McGrath family ancestors

24th - Rachel Jane Simmons born 1841 

26th - Susannah (Case) Lee born 1822 

Menke family ancestors

2nd - Ole Jorgenson & Caroline Magrethe Peterson married 1866

7th - Charles Albert Menke born 1886

19th - Kenneth Charles Menke & Doris Darle Mann married 1938 

28th - Kenneth Charles Menke born 1917 

Mann family ancestors

Mattingly family ancestors

20th - Joseph Hamilton "Ham" Mattingly & Harriet Elizabeth "Lib" Spalding married 1934 

Boone family ancestors

2nd - John G Ballard & Elizabeth Nally married 1814 

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

7th - Joseph T Spalding & Harriett Elizabeth "Bettie" Thomas married 1879

9th - Joseph Abner Abell II & Martha Nancy Mills married 1819 

13th - Robert S Thomas born 1803 

20th - Harriet Elizabeth "Lib" (Spalding) Mattingly born 1911 

26th - Harriett Elizabeth "Bettie" (Thomas) Spalding died 1896, age 37 

? - Mark Theodore Thomas born 1834

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

28th - Elizabeth (Beaven) Luckett died 1850, age 65 

24th - John Hudson "Hutt" Spalding & Mary Susan Isabelle "Belle" Luckett married 1874 

October Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

for October's golden crown...

October

Bell family ancestors

18th - Benjamin Franklin Spann born 1827 

20th - James Stanley Bell died 1970, age 63

29th - Abner Decker & Mary "Polly" Garner married 1816 

McGrath family ancestors

8th - Arthur Levi McGrath & Sadie Ellen Negley married 1908 

11th - Sarah Maria Matilda (Lee) Negley died 1927, age 78

17th - Arthur Levi McGrath born 1876

25th - Ruth Marie (Smith)(Simmons) Webb died 1863, age about 44 

31st - Charles Lee born 1820 (possibly 1813) 

Menke family ancestors

3rd - Lena M (Jorgenson) Roscoe died 1949, age 91 

18th - Charles Albert Menke & Charlotte Isabelle "Lottie" Roscoe married 1906 

Mann family ancestors

3rd - James Gaisford born 1820 

18th - Clarence Lemuel Mann died 1968, age 90

Mattingly family ancestors

14th - Joseph Hamilton "Ham" Mattingly died 1990, age 81 

Boone family ancestors

2nd - Christopher Boone & Ann Rhodes married 1824 

9th - Walter Boone & Mildred Edelin married 1783

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

10th - Joseph Abner Abell II born 1795

18th - William Thomas "Tunk" Spalding born 1818 

21st - Mary (Fenwick) Abell died 1886 or 1888, age 74 or 76

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

Guardianship of Delilah Simmons

Delilah Simmons was born to Lebbeus & Sarah Simmons in Fulton County, Illinois in 1861. Delilah is the half-sister of my Third Great Grandfather, Lebius Simmons, son of Lebbeus & Esther Simmons.

Delilah appears in the 1870 census with Elias & Melissa Graves and son Henry age 3. She is listed as Delilah Graves. This Petition of Letters for Guardianship was filed on February 26, 1878, when Delilah was 17. According to the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index database online, Delilah and Wilson were married the next day, February 27, 1878.

PETITION

of

<Elias Graves> in the matter of the estate of <Simmons> Deceased, for Letters of Guardianship.

TO THE HONORABLE

<S P Cummings>

Judge of the County Court of Fulton County.

THE PETITION of the undersigned < Elias Graves> respectfully represents that...

<Delilah Simmons> aged <17> years on the <July> A.D. 187<8>

and that said minor <is a> resident of this county; that <s>he ha<s> no father living, or other legal guardian residing in this State; that said minor X-and that said minor-X has no property and wishes this guardianship that she may have legal authority to marry Wilson Casper.

and that your petitioner <having raised said minor> desires <to> be appointed guardian of said minor <Feb 26> 187<8>

<Elias Graves>

STATE OF ILLINOIS, FULTON COUNTY,---SS

<Elias Graves> being duly sworn, deposes and says that the facts averred in the above petition are true, according to the best of _____ knowledge, information and belief.

SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED BEFORE ME, the undersigned, Clerk of the County Court of Fulton County, this <26th> day of <February> A.D. 187<8>

<JCWorley> Clerk.

<Elias Graves>

If Only I Had Rachel's Diary

I have so many questions for my Second Great Grandmother Rachel Jane (Simmons) McGrath about her family. I have often dreamed of finding a diary written by her. I'm sure many of my questions would be answered. If I found a diary written in her own handwriting, I would be so overcome with emotion I'm not sure what I would do. But I would start reading it immediately! I wouldn't be able to put that diary down until I'd read every single page.

She would surely write about the death of her father, Lebius Simmons, when she was about 11 years old. If not written on the date of his death that was somewhere between 1851 & 1854, there would likely be something written about it in later years. She surely remembered that day for the rest of her life. I'm sure there were times when he was especially on her mind, like when her children were born. And when she buried two of them. If she had a diary, I feel that her father's death would certainly be mentioned somewhere in it.

Like their father, I don't know the death date or location of Rachel's younger sister Louisa, who died by the age of 14. I would hope that Rachel would remember her younger sister at some point later in life and write about her. Another sister, Mary Rosilla, died in her twenty's, possibly in childbirth. I would hope to learn about all of these deaths that surely had a lasting effect on Rachel. If she had a diary, she would most likely have written something about these events.

A diary would have made a nice personal wedding gift. It would be fabulous to read about her wedding day! She married John McGrath when she was 17. The year was 1858, but the location and exact date still elude me after 28 years of searching. If she had a diary, that's something that would very likely be mentioned, maybe more than once. It would be so interesting to read about the ways they celebrated their anniversaries. Her youngest sister, Ruth, married in 1868 in the same county where Rachel was living at the time. I'm sure she would have had something to say about Ruth's wedding. Also, anything about her little brother William could be mentioned in her diary. I know nothing about his adult life.  If she had written a diary, the joyous occasions would certainly be something she wrote about.

Rachel's mother, Ruth, remarried when Rachel was 13. I would hope that Rachel would write in her diary about her relationship with her step-father and four half-siblings. She was married by the time the second of those four half-siblings came along. Mother Ruth died with the birth of the last one.  I'd love to read that the two families saw each other often before her mother's death in 1863. 

It would be so nice if Rachel would mention the cemeteries where all of her loved ones were buried, and someday I would be glad to visit them. And if there were no markers I would love to be able to place some. 

To read about my Great Grandpa as a young boy would be so much fun. To read Rachel's point of view about the fire, or the wolf pups or run-away horses incidents I found in old newspapers would be fantastic. To read about the places they lived in Illinois and Nebraska and what Rachel loved about each one would be wonderful. To learn what life was like for Rachel, and how she dealt with her losses and her final months of suffering, and what made her happy...

Oh, if only I had Rachel's diary.

A Transcription Challenge

Kennebec County, Maine Deed #00220532-2

On September 11, 1816, in Kennebec County, Maine Libbeus Simmons sold 80.5 acres to Robert H. Gardiner and Reuel Williams of Augusta for $165.85. Some key words aren't clear to me in that mess, so I'm not sure if this was paid in one lump sum or five equal payments. It states this was where Libbeus lived which I've always heard was "twenty five mile pond near Unity".  In 1816 Libbeus Sr would have been about 67 years old, he died nineteen years later in 1835. Three years after this deed, Libbeus Sr sells another 80 acres of the twenty five mile plantation to Lebbeus Jr. They are my Fifth and Fourth Great Grandfathers.

The description of the land reads "a certain lot of land in said twenty five mile pond plantation being lot numbered twenty on a plan of the gore lying between the Ballard line and the east end of the fifteen mile lots east of Kennebec River..."  Kennebec county is in the southern part of Maine, Augusta is the county seat as well as the state capital. The Kennebec River runs north and south through Augusta and approximately 10 miles west of Unity, which is about 30 miles northeast of Augusta. 

The two assignments written on the right-hand side are: 

On April 15, 1817  Reuel Williams sells his share to Robert Hallowell Gardiner
On March 1, 1827  Robert H Gardiner sells to James Parker, who in 1813 married the youngest daughter of Libbeus Simmons Sr.

Kennebec County has deeds available online. This was very difficult to read, but I've transcribed as much of it as I can.

Know all men by these presents that <I, Libbeus Simmons of the
twenty
five mile pond plantation in the county of Kennebec yeoman>
in consideration of <one hundred sixty five dollars and eighty five cents paid by Robert
H. Gardiner of Gardiner and Reuel Williams of Augusta in said county ?>
(the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge) do hereby give, grant
sell, and convey unto the said <Gardiner and Williams a certain lot of land in said twenty
five mile pond plantation being lot numbered twenty on a plan of the gore lying
between the Ballard line and the east end of the fifteen mile lots east of Kennebec
River made by Charley Hayden esq. Surveyor containing eighty acres and one half
more or less on which I now live>

To have and to hold the <aforegranted premises to the said Gardiner & Williams their>
heirs and assigns, to <their> use and <behoof> forever. And <I>
do covenant with the said <Gardiner and Williams their> heirs and assigns
that <I am> lawfully seized in fee of the <aforegranted premises> that they are free of all
incumbrances that <I> have good right to sell and convey the same to
the said <Gardiner and Williams> and that <I> will warrant and defend the same <premises>
to the said <Gardiner and Williams their> heirs and assigns, forever agains the lawful claims and
demands of <all> persons.

Provided nevertheless <that if the said Simmons his heirs, executors, or administrators ?
to the said Gardiner & Williams their heirs executors administrators or assigns the sum of one
hundred sixty five dollars and eighty five cents in five equal annual payments with
interest accordig to his five promisary notes therefore then this deed avail ?
five notes bearing even date with these presents given by the said Simmons to the
said Gardiner and Williams promising to pay the same sum & interest at the time aforesaid
? shall all be void otherwise shall remain in full force.>


In Witness whereof, <I> the said <Libbeus Simmons>
have hereunto set my hand and seal this tenth day of September in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen.
Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us <Libbeus Simmons Daniel Whitmore>
<Kennebec> ss, <Sept. 11, 1816>  Then the above named
<Libbeus Simmons>
acknowledged <the above> instrument by     subscribed to be <his>
deed before me
<Daniel Whitmore>  Justice of Peace

<KENNEBEC> ss. Received <Sept. 16, 1816> entered and comopared with the original, by
<John Hovey, Registrar>



Written on the right side:

Know all men that I Reuel Williams within named in consideration of eighty two dollars ninety cents paid me by Robert Hallowell Gardiner within named the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, do hereby sell transfer assign & set over to him the said Gardiner, all my right title & interest I demand in and ? the premises within described - To have and to hold the same to sd Gardiner his heirs and assigns forever in the same region? as he & I held the same favor to this transfer. To have and to hold the same to said Gardiner his heirs and assigns forever. In witness whereof I the said Williams have herein set my hand & seal this thirty first day of December whereas A. D. 1816
Done in presence of Fred McAllen, Reuel Williams  {seal} Kennebec ? April 15th 1817 personally appeared Reuel Williams Esq and acknowledged the foregoing assignment, by him figured to be his free act and deed before me Fred K. Allen, Jus Peace - Kennebec
Rec'd Apl 9, 1817 entered and compared with the original by Jno Hovey Reg

Second assignment

Know all men by these presents that I Robert Hallowell Gardiner of Gardiner in the County of Kennebec Esquire in consideration of one hundred and twelve dollars 16 cents to me paid by James Parker of Troy in said county yeoman the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge do hereby transfer assign and make over to sd James Parker the written mortgage deed granting him thereby all the right title and interest I have in and to the same both as original joint ? with Reuel Williams by within named and as assignee of said Williams, To have and to hold the same to the said Parker his heirs and assigns forever. In witness whereof I the said Robert Hallowell Gardiner have herein ?set my? hand and seal this 1st day of March? A. D. 1827. Robert H Gardiner  {seal}  signed sealed and delivered in free ?  Henry B. Haskew Kennebec J. Peace, April 9th 1827 Xcrossed outX

then the above named Robt H Gardiner personally appeared and acknowledged the foregoing assignment his free act or deed before me Soloman Adams Justice of Peace Kennebec Jr Rec'd April 9, 1827 entered and compared with the original by John Hovey, Reg

Three Death Records and a Baby

On the right hand side of this page under "Labels" if you click on "Simmons" you will find other posts I've written on this branch of my family tree. In several of those posts, I mention I had not been able to find death records for some of my direct Simmons ancestors. I plan to prove my line to the Revolutionary War Patriot, Libbeus Simmons, and submit a DAR supplemental application. Last year I focused on this line, and was able to find some information on the deaths of three of these Simmons ancestors. Maybe not exact dates, but good enough for my satisfaction. We'll have to see about DAR.

1. Ruth Webb, daughter of Jonathan Smith and Rachel Simmons; married first to Lebius Simmons;  and second to Cyrus Webb. Ruth's mother and her husband were first cousins, so she married her first cousin once removed.
I was sure that Ruth died in Fulton County, Illinois sometime between 1862 and 1866 when she was the wife of Cyrus Webb. You always read about the importance of military records, but if a man mustered into camp, got sick and died within a month I questioned whether there would be much of any information in his file. The military records site Fold 3 offered a free weekend, so I tried to get the "Minor's Pension" listed for Cyrus but I could not get access. About that time another company offered a sale on obtaining military records, so I took advantage of their offer and got the Minor's Pension. An affidavit from the midwife present at the births of the children of Cyrus and Ruth gave me her death date. In the affidavit, the midwife swears "that she was acquainted with Cyrus Webb and wife for ten years before she died...and that they lived together as husband and wife til Mrs Webb died which was on or about the 25th day of October, 1863." No full name given, but for me this was well worth the money spent.

2. I had the kind of experience that would make a great commercial for Genealogybank, the newspaper subscription site. My SECOND search there lead me to a very short sentence. "In Canton Esther, wife of Lebbeus Simmons, 48". Esther and Lebbeus Simmons were the parents of the Lebius Simmons above. They are my 4th Great Grandparents.
That sentence was included in a long list of deaths from all around the country printed in the Commercial Advertisor, a New York newspaper in 1839. I NEVER would have looked for anything on them in a New York newspaper, they never lived in New York. I'm sure that that newspaper picked up that little bit of news from some Illinois newspaper, likely somewhere close to Canton. Someday I hope to find that Illinois paper and read much more than one sentence. The Genealogybank subscription fee was much less than a trip to Illinois searching through all local papers for her obituary.

3. Genealogy groups on Facebook have become a great resource. I posted a message on The Fulton County Historical & Genealogical Society's page and got a results!  Years ago I had been given the death date for Lebbeus of December 24, 1879, but never knew the source. I tried to get a death record from the Fulton County Clerk with that date, but they didn't have anything. For the reasonable search fee of $5.00 I received this clipping which came from the Fulton County Ledger. There it is! December 24, 1879 in paragraph three:

"At the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Hester Ford, in Canton, Wednesday evening, Dec. 24, 1879, of old age, Mr. Libbeus Simmons.  

Mr. Simmons' age is not positively known, but he was supposed to have been from 93 to 102 years old, according to the best information we can gather from old residents. 

He was born in the state of New York. Came to Canton in 1834. He built the brick home just north of the railroad, near Mr. McBroom's. He was twice married. Six or seven years ago a son came here from New York and took the old man home with him; but last summer he was sent here to his daugher's, Mrs. Ford's, where he died, as above stated."

Lebbeus was actually married three times, and he was born in Maine, not New York, but newspapers do make mistakes. Notice it says "At the residence of his daughter "Mrs Hester Ford". Before I had this obit, and back when Fold 3 had that free weekend, there was another pension I was able to get. The Widow's pension for William H. Mills was accessible (maybe only Widow's pensions, not Minor's pensions were included in "free"?). In his file was another affidavit from a woman who was present at the births of William's children. William's wife was Rosilla Douglas Simmons, who was the daughter of Lebbeus & Esther, and a sister to Lebius Simmons. The "midwife" was Esther Ford, a name at that time I had never before seen associated with Simmons. Looking into who Esther Ford was, I found the marriage record of John Ford and Esther Simmons. She was born in Maine and her birth year was just a few years later than Lebius, so she could easily be his sister. At that point, I assumed she was named after her mother and helped deliver her sister Rosilla's children. After getting this clipping I knew for sure she was another child of Lebbeus and Esther Simmons.

Having the information on these deaths will help with my DAR Supplemental application. I still need one death and two marriage records. This line has been something I've worked on for twenty years. I really hope it will pass the scrutiny of the DAR, but as for me, I have faith in what I've found.

How I Am Related to persons in this narrative:

My Fourth Great Grandparents: Lebbeus Simmons & Esther Kelsey

My Third Great Grandparents: Lebius Simmons & Ruth Smith

My Second Great Grandmother: Rachel Jane Simmons

My Great Grandpa: Arthur McGrath

My Grandma

My Mom

Me

Not Susannah, But Maybe Ruth?

Possibly Ruth Smith-Simmons-Webb

In the past I have written two posts about this photo and that my Grandma thought it was a picture of her Great Grandmother Susannah Case Lee. I have edited those posts - Sarah Mariah Matilda Lee and A Little About Charles Lee and Susannah to note that I don't agree with that anymore, I will explain why.

I have had a professional archivist look at the actual photograph and know now that it IS a "Tin Type". The Tin type process was first started in France in 1853, and was patented in the US in 1856. It's not likely that this is a picture of a woman who died in 1851. Grandma's idea was a good one, but she just didn't know.  

Now I'm looking at other possibilities of who this woman could be. Grandma found the picture in her parents, Art & Sadie McGrath's, house so we feel sure this woman would be someone in the family. Grandma thought she was Sadie's maternal Grandmother, Susannah. I have a photo of Sadie's paternal Grandmother and know that it's not her.  But what if she's one of Art's Grandmothers? 

I'm estimating the date of this photo to be around 1860, give or take a few years. The dress style is similar to what I find from the Civil War time period. I think the woman in the photo looks like she may be in her 30's or 40's.  

Ruth Smith was born about 1820 to Jonathan & Rachel Smith in either Maine or Pennsylvania.  She first married Lebius Simmons about 1840. Their oldest daughter, Rachel, is Art McGrath's mother. Four other children were born to Lebius and Ruth - Mary Rosilla, Louisa, William and Ruth Maria. They all lived in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Lebius died sometime between 1852 and 1854. 

In Ritchie County, Virginia on July 1, 1854 Ruth married Cyrus Webb. Cyrus and Ruth had four more children - Milbourn, Jesse, Sarah and Franklin. I have just learned that Ruth died just 10 days after Franklin's birth at about age 43 in 1863.  So could this photo be of Ruth, taken sometime between 1856 and 1863?

When Ruth Webb died, she had six children under 18. Her husband Cyrus died within a few months.  Her two oldest daughters, Rachel and Mary Rosilla were both married, but Mary Rosilla died within a couple of years.  Rachel is likely the one who first had the photo.

Art was the youngest and last child at home, living with his parents in Cozad, Nebraska when Rachel died in 1896. By 1900, Art had moved to Clay County near his oldest sister. He may have taken this photo (and more that I'm working on) with him when he left home.

Just so I cover all the bases, Art's paternal Grandmother, R. (McCarty) McGrath, would have been at least 49 years old in 1860. (I say "R" because that's all I know, but I'm betting it stands for Rebecca.)  She lived in Ireland and as far as I know, she never came to the US. Does this woman look Irish?

All thoughts are welcome and I apologize for creating any confusion. I was clear in my earlier posts that I wasn't sure who the woman in the photo was and I still can't be sure.

Newspaper Clippings - List of Letters

For anyone who may be interested, the Canton (Illinois) Weekly Register in the mid 1800’s was not a “newsy” newspaper as far as genealogy is concerned. There isn’t much social news. I did an inter-library loan from the Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield and for $5.00 I received 3 rolls of microfilm, all of the Canton Weekly Register from 1850 through about 1872.  I did my best to look at all of it, but so much of the ink was so faded the pages could hardly be read at all. 

I was hoping to find a mention of the marriage of John McGrath and Rachel Jane Simmons, telling where they went to get hitched.  I was also hoping to find mentions of the deaths of Ruth Webb, her daughter Mary Rosilla Davee, and possibly Rosilla Mills or Lebius Simmons.  ANY mention of any of those people or their families would have been great to find.  What did I get?

One name in a List of Letters.

From the Canton Weekly Register, December 21, 1863 (as near as I can decipher):

LIST OF LETTERS

REMAINING in the Post Office at Canton, Ill., on 21st of December, 1863, which, if not called for by the 28th of December, 1863, will be sent to the Dead Letter Office:

Alletal, Isaac                                         Ferrer, E A Mrs
Akin, E M Hutton, Henderson
Burton, A Kent, Geo N
Black, Anson                                        Krifflas, J F
Bailey, B B                                           Kline, J
Copple, David                                      Laurt, Saline Miss
Copple, Syntha Laman, Seman
Clawson, J A                                        Murphy, Wm H
Campbell, N                                         Myres, Mary Miss
Case, Ambrose Mallait, Ralitino
Connelly, Geo                                      Oakley, Daniel
Cantlon, Mary Miss Powell, Jos
Chaffin, Wm                                        Rowe, Ferrington
Dempsey, James Simlet, Alex R
Davee, James 2                   Shaworose, Edward A
Dwell, Wm Smith, Evaline Miss
Davee, Mary R Mrs Schmitt, Anna
Estell, Andrew B Webster, James
Eichelberger, Harry Weaver, Thomas L
Fage, Dwight                                      Wind, Margaret Miss
Francis, T H                                         J P C 2

Persons calling for the above letters, will please say they are advertised.  C. BIDAMON, P. M.

It was nearly Christmas - were they all Christmas cards? Sure wish I knew who the mail was from.  I need to find a death date for Mary R Davee, and this would have helped if it was from a paper after November of 1864, when I know that Mary had a son. But this does tell me that they still lived in Canton in 1863. James, her husband who also has a letter to pick up, remarried in July of 1865 in Jasper county. So I wasn't sure where they had lived, this tells me that they were in Canton not Jasper county, at least in 1863. Mary Rosilla Davee possibly died and is buried there in Canton.

After spending as much time at the library as I could in the three weeks the films were there, this list of letters doesn't do much for me. Maybe it will be of more use to someone else. 

My Relationship to:

Ruth Smith Simmons Webb: Third Great Grandmother

The lineage:
1. My Third Great Great Grandparents Ruth Smith & Lebius Simmons
2. My Great Great Grandmother Rachel Jane Simmons, her sister is Mary Rosilla Simmons
3. My Great Grandpa Arthur McGrath
4. My Grandma
5. My Mom
6. Me

Mary Smith Cook and Her Family

Mary Smith Cook was one of the sisters of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Ruth Smith Simmons Webb.  They were just a few years apart, numbers five and six of Jonathan and Rachel Smith's 10 children.  About 1846, Mary was married to Mathias Cook.  After some quick searching, I have found some things about Mary Cook and her family.  

In the 1850 census, the sisters and their families are living next to each other in Cool Spring Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.  Mathias and Mary had two children, daughter Mary, age 3 and an as yet unnamed son, age 1.  

In 1860, the Cook family was in Ritchie County, Virginia (now West Virginia).  That is where in 1854 Mary's sister Ruth married Cyrus Webb after the death of her first husband.  In the census shown below, Mary's daughter Mariah was born in Pennsylvania and Martha was born in Virginia, so they had moved there between 1853 and 1856.  They were probably there for Ruth's wedding.  Ruth & Cyrus Webb moved to Fulton County, Illinois about 1858.  Ritchie County may have been the last place that the two sisters saw each other and may be where Mary was living when Ruth died.

          Mathias, 41, Blacksmith, born N York 

          Mary, 32 born N Hampshire

          Mary P, 12, born PA

          Matthias W, 10, born PA

          Mariah J, 7, born PA

          Martha S, 4, born VA

          Melissa R, 2, born VA 

Ten years later, the Cook family shows up in York, Noble County, Indiana.  Mathias is no longer a Blacksmith, but a farmer.  Wife Mary is 43, the kids are all ten years older with four additional children - Mason, 10; Miranda, 7; Mosell, 4 and Edith, 2.  

It's interesting here - I think the name Mosell could be Rosella as I found in the 1885 census.  At age 4, she was born very near the time that Mary's niece Rosella Simmons Davee (who was probably named after her father's sister) died in Illinois. 

By 1880 they all moved once again to Rock Creek Township, Saunders County, Nebraska.  That would be about 200 miles east of where Ruth's oldest daughter Rachel, my Great Great Grandma, would moved to about 1886.  Matthias was now 63 and Mary, 52.  The older girls and Mason were not with the family, but Washington, "Maridy", Mosella, and Edith were there. 

The Nebraska State census in 1885 below shows them still living in Rock Creek Township.  Edith, listed as Lenora, Rosell and M. W. are there.  Also a John Hedkins, 27 from Virginia is with them.

Family Search has a database of some Nebraska marriage records (definitely not all for the time period it covers).  I found marriage records that could be for five of the daughters of Mathias and Mary: 

Mariah J. Cook married John J Ingram, January 11, 1872 in Lancaster Co., NE

Mary P. Cook married Thomas Hoover, September 15, 1874 in Lancaster Co., NE
Martha Cook married William Misner, January 1, 1876 in Saunders Co., NE
Melissa R. Cook married Levi Mayfield, March 14, 1880 in Saunders Co., NE 

Miranda married James W. Cheever, June 29, 1881 in Saunders Co., NE

I have not been able to find anything on the death or burial for either Mathias or Mary Cook.  The Saunders County GenWeb page has some cemetery listings and for Mt Zion Cemetery there is one listing for Cook.  "Munson J. dau of M & M Cook, d. 10 SEP 1876 15 Y 11 mo 7 days".   Going by the age that should be the son Mason, not a "dau.", so it may be a different Cook family.

At Findagrave.com, I've found possible memorials.  One for Washington Cook, buried in Potter Field, Omaha, died July 23, 1924.  That memorial has a note "Family: Mrs. Martha Misner.", but they are not linked.  William and Martha are buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln.  Martha died September 18, 1926 and William August 17, 1911.

That's all I've found on the Cook family and won't search for more unless I run across something.  Maybe next spring I can go to the Mt Zion Cemetery and see if there are some other Cook graves not mentioned in that listing.  If you are a descendant of Mathias and Mary, please leave a comment! 

Wedding Wednesday - Stark County, Illinois Marriages 1868

This page from the register of marriages in Stark County, Illinois came from the IRAD facility at Western Illinois University.  Handwriting analysis is not my strong point.  I've transcribed this to the best of my ability.  The numbers on the sides (right on the top copy, left on the bottom) are added to keep names in line across the pages.

Date of Marriage                Male                         Female

1   August 27, 1868         Peter L.  Dawson        Sarah Skelton

2   August 31, 1868         William Holgate          Charlotte A. Kissinger

3   Sept. 2, 1868             Joseph H. Drinnin       Harriet L. Hickok

4   Sept. 4, 1868             Eugene Oviatt            Marietta Edwards 

5   Sept. 5, 1868             William T Shon           Cora M Dick

6   Sept. 9, 1868             William D Cimcliff       Letitice Taylor

7   Sept. 12, 1868           Augusts Hulsizer          Eva M Standard

8   Sept. 12, 1868           Richard Hoadley          Amanda E Nagus

9   Sept. 12, 1868           George W Fuller          Maggie Likes

10   Sept. 12, 1868         Thomas Dewhurst        Emsey E Sollars

11   Sept. 17, 1868         Andrew A Spurbeck      Lydia Shepard

12   Sept. 17, 1868         Hiram Snell                 Lydia Campbell

13   Sept. 15, 1868         William J Gamel          Jane Fowler

14   Sept. 21, 1868         Robert H McKeighan     Amelia A Wright

15   Sept. 26, 1868         Alexander Medearis      Harriet Ann Barber

16   Sept. 26, 1868         David J Davis                Eliza Trickle

17   Sept. 26, 1868         Dr Henry A Cozad          Mary Gay

18   Sept. 28, 1868         William H. Pettit          Ruth Maria Simmonsons {Simmons}

19   October 6, 1868       William W Harvey         Martha Gaston

20   October 6(?), 1868    Charles Graves            Jane Smith

21   October (?), 1868      George Jones               Sarah V Parsons

        When Married                      By Whom Certified                     When Returned

1   August 30th, 1868       Joseph Woodward   Justice of the Peace   September 17, 1868

2   September 3, 1868      G S Taylor   Minister of the Gospel            September 18, 1868

3   September 2nd 1868   David McCance   Minister of the Gospel     Sept. 5, 1868

4   September 6, 1868     Wilson Trickle   Justice of the Peace         Sept. 11, 1868

5   September 16, 1868    H R Halsey   Justice of the Peace              Sept. 29, 1868

6   September 13, 1868    J W Evrett   Minister of the Gospel            Sept. 18, 1868

7   September 16, 1868    R L McCord  Minister of the Gospel            Sept. 16, 1868

8   September 17, 1868    Baxter C Dennis   Minister of the Gospel    Sept. 19, 1868

9   September 17, 1868    F R Boggess   Minister of the Gospel          Sept. 18, 1868

10   September 17, 1868   D M Hill   Minister of the Gospel               Oct. 8, 1868

11   October 11, 1868       Robert McBocock   Justice of the Peace    Oct. 24, 1868

12   September 17, 1868   Peter Stern   Minister of the Gospel          Oct. 9, 1868

13   September 15, 1868   Baxter C Dennis   Minister of the Gospel   Sept. 19, 1868

14   September 22, 1868   R L McCord   Minister of the Gospel          Sept. 26, 1868

15   September 27, 1868   James Snare   Justice of the Peace           Sept. 29. 1868

16   October 4, 1868         G W Gill   Minister of the Gospel               Oct. 13, 1868

17   September 30, 1868   Samuel Dilley   Minister of the Gospel       Oct. 1, 1868

18   October 4, 1868         Robert McBocock   Justice of the Peace    Oct. 10, 1868

19   October 10, 1868       R L McCord   Minister of the Gospel           Oct. ?

20   October 6, 1868        John M Brown   Justice of the Peace          Oct.  ?

21   October 6, 1868        Peter Stern   Minister of the Gospel           Oct. ?

Evidence of the Existence of Ruth Smith Simmons Webb

In the past 20 years, I've worked to find all the information that I can for my 3rd Great Grandmother Ruth Smith Simmons Webb.  I have no birth record, no marriage record (for her marriage to my 3rd Great Grandfather Lebius Simmons) and no death record.   My evidence of the existence of Ruth consists of...


1)  1850 Mercer County, Pennsylvania census
I found this while searching for my Great Great Grandmother Rachel (as I wrote about here.)   Ruth is the 30-year-old mother of four children.  Later I learned that the Cook family listed just before Lebius Simmons is related to Ruth, the mother Mary Cook is her sister.

#986/1000 Lebius Simons, 25, M, Carpenter, born PA 
Ruth Simons, 30, F, born PA   
Rachel Simons, 8, F, born PA, attended school   
Rosilla Simons, 6, F, born PA, attended school   
Loisa Simons, 4, F, born PA, attended school   
Wm Simons, 1, M, born PA

2)  1854 Marriage record from Ritchie County, Virginia
Thanks to a fellow researcher I found this record.  Peggy Johnson contacted me after seeing a post about that family above that I had put on the Mercer County, Pennsylvania GENWEB site.  She was researching the family of Jonathan and Rachel (Simmons) Smith and thought we might have a connection.  Peggy told me about this marriage record which was online.  

1/11 Cyrus R. Webb, farmer, age 25, b. Harrison Co., VA, son of James and Bridgett Webb; m. Ruth Simmons, widow, age 28, b. Mercer Co., PA, dau. of Jonathan Smith; 1 July 1854, by Thomas Stinchcomb. 

3)  1860 Fulton County, Illinois census
I'm listing my evidence here in chronological order, but I had found this census record before I knew about the marriage record from 1854.  This census listing had me wondering when I first found it, but the marriage record seems to confirm it's the same Ruth.  Something had happened to Lebius.  Mary Simmons listed here is Rosilla in 1850, Loisa is missing and another daughter was born since 1850.  Levi Smith is Ruth's brother.  

#813/892 Syrus Webb, 30, M, Farmer, Personal Estate 100, born Virginia   
Ruth Webb, 32, F, born Maine   
Uriah Webb, 5, M, born Virginia   
Jesse Webb, 2, M, born Illinois   
Mary Simmons, 16, F, born Pennsylvania, attended school   
William Simmons, 10, M, born Pennsylvania, attended school   
Ruth Simmons, 8, F, born Pennsylvania, attended school   
Levi Smith, 19, M, Farm hand, born Pennsylvania

   

4)  1866 Will of Jonathan Smith, dated April 18th with a codicil dated February 9th, 1867
Peggy had told me that Ruth was apparently deceased by the date of this Will as her inheritance goes to her "heirs".  I ordered a copy of it from the County Clerk in Davis County, Iowa.  A kind woman from the local genealogy society made the copies for me, but I was a little disappointed by the fact that my copy of this page was cut off at the bottom just as you see here.  I would love to know what the line that got cut off says.

And there is yet due in legacy
To John Smith's Heirs $5.00"
" Ruth Webb's Heirs  5.00

In my last post, I transcribed a page of the Petition for Guardianship of Cyrus Webb's children.   There is no evidence of Ruth in this petition because she is never mentioned.  Four children are listed, Milburn U (I believe Uriah from the 1860 census), Jesse, Sarah and Franklin.  Ruth had two more children since 1860, making a total of 9 children.  Her Simmons children are not mentioned in this petition.  In 1864, her son William Simmons was 15 and his sister Ruth was only 12.  They were orphaned sometime between 1864 and 1866, and young Ruth married at age 16 in 1868.   

One final piece of evidence:
5)  1932 Daughter Ruth Simmons Pettit's death record
Ruth Pettit, the young Ruth Simmons in the 1860 census, is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Sterling, Colorado.  

PETTIT, RUTH SIMMONS, 18 MAR 1852, WV, 1 DEC 1932, H-WILLIAM, P-LIBBIONS SIMMONS and MARIA SMITH 

In 1850 Ruth was 30 years old born in Pennsylvania, in 1854 she was 28, then in 1860 she was 32 years old born in Maine.  Where do I start looking for a birth record?  Mercer County has no birth or death records before 1893.  

Her first marriage to Lebius Simmons would be the marriage record I need, as together they are my 3rd Great Grandparents.  Most likely they were married in Pennsylvania.  The Mercer County Genealogical Society did not have their marriage record.  

Ruth's death most likely occurred in Fulton County, Illinois and I have tried every possible source I've run across to find her death date and/or burial place with no success.

This Simmons line is one that would connect me to a Revolutionary War Patriot named Libbeus Simmons, but there is very little documentation I can find to satisfy the DAR.  This evidence of the existence of Ruth may not be enough.