John Akers Lewellen/Lewellin
Clete Ramsey - Feb 22, 2012
Billie,
As I’ve noted in other posts, the Missouri State Archives has a database of digitized Missouri Certificates of Death. As death certificates collectively reach 50 years old, they’re added to the database. Death certificates from 1961 have recently been added, so the database now runs from 1910 to 1961. The database has a searchable index that links to a digitized image of the original death certificate. You can search the database by last name, first name, county (114, plus St. Louis City), and death year.
On or about 11 February, looking at the death certificates database, an 11 February 1923 death certificate from Linn County for Edgar Lee Lewellin caught my eye. Starting with it, I worked my way back through several generations and forward about two. As you’ve been worried about a dearth of posts lately, I thought I’d post my results here. Virtually at least, I’ve traveled from north-central Missouri to northeastern Kentucky, to west-central Indiana, to central Arkansas, and out to California. I think I’ll save that last virtual trip for a follow-on post. I’ve rediscovered mysteries that Martha Abby noted in the June 1990 issue of “Llewellyn Traces,” and made some unexpected connections. Perhaps you or other readers can add some names, other details, and/or more connections.
This is most of the information from Edgar Lee Lewellin’s death certificate [my additions in brackets]:
Full Name: Edgar Lee Lewellin
Date of Death: 11 February 1923
Place of Death: B. B. Putnam Memorial Hospital, Marceline, Linn County, Missouri
Usual Place of Abode: Ethel, Missouri [In Macon County, about 15 miles northeast of Marceline.]
Cause of Death: Lobar Pneumonia
Age at Death: 43 years; 5 months; 17 days
Date of Birth: 24 August 1879
Place of Birth: Randolph County, Missouri
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Married
Occupation: Merchant
Wife: Lizzie Lewellin
Name of Father: J. F. Lewellin
Birthplace of Father: Randolph County, Missouri
Maiden Name of Mother: Mary C. Huntsman
Birthplace of Mother: Randolph County, Missouri
Place of Burial: Ethel, Missouri
Undertaker: Jas. McLaughlin, Marceline
Informant: J. F. Lewellin, Ethel, Missouri
For those not familiar with Missouri (my native state), Linn County is in north-central Missouri. It’s about midway between the Missouri River to the south and the Iowa border to the north. Linneus, not Marceline, is the county seat. As an aside, Marceline, where Edgar Lee Lewellin died, was Walt Disney’s boyhood home. Randolph County is southeast of Linn County, separated from it by the northeast portion of Chariton County. Macon County is immediately east of Linn County. The city of Macon is the Macon County seat.
I couldn’t find a Missouri death certificate for a Lizzie, Elizabeth, or Liza Lewellin among the seven Lewellin death certificates in the database. She must have died in another state, remarried, or is the database under some Lewellin variant surname spelling I haven’t found.
I did find Missouri death certificates for both of Edgar Lee Lewellin’s parents, as well as his paternal grandmother.
His father:
Full Name: J. F. Lewellin [Joseph Fayette Lewellin]
Date of Death: 19 September 1919
Place of Death: Macon, Macon County, Missouri
Usual Place of Abode: Macon [County or city?]
Cause of Death: Carcinoma of rectum
Age at Death: 70 years; 2 months; 14 days
Date of Birth: 5 July 1857
Place of Birth: Kentucky
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Married
Occupation: Retired
Wife: Mrs. J. F. Lewellin
Name of Father: Chas. Lewellin
Birthplace of Father: Kentucky
Maiden Name of Mother: Mary E. Riding [Ridings]
Birthplace of Mother: Kentucky
Place of Burial: Ethel, Missouri [In Linn County, about 15 miles northeast of Marceline.]
Undertaker: Albert Skinner, Macon, Missouri
Informant: Mrs. J. F. Lewellin, Macon, Missouri
His mother:
Full Name: Mary C. Lewellin
Date of Death: 7 July 1949
Place of Death: 607 N. Jackson, Macon, Macon County, Missouri
Usual Residence: 607 N. Jackson, Macon, Macon County, Missouri
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemorrhage
Age at Death: 92 years
Date of Birth: 26 April 1857
Place of Birth: Randolph County, Missouri
Personal Particulars: Female; White; Widowed
Usual Occupation: Housewife
Name of Husband: Unknown
Name of Father: Benjiman Huntsman [As given; not Benjamin.]
Mother’s Maiden Name: Sarah Brock
Burial: 9 July 1949, Ethel Cemetery, Ethel, Missouri
Undertaker: Albert Skinner, Macon
Informant: Mrs. J. R. Phipps, Macon, Missouri
His paternal grandmother:
Full Name: Mary Elizabeth Lewellin
Date of Death: 13 September 1911
Place of Death: Shelbina, Shelby County, Missouri
Cause of Death: Chronic Diarrhoea [as spelled], Probably Tubercular
Age at Death: 78 years; 10 days
Date of Birth: 20 February 1820
Place of Birth: Martinsburgh [Martinsburg], W. Virginia [Martinsburg, chartered as a town in 1778, was the seat of Berkeley County, Virginia, in 1820.]
Personal Particulars: Female; White; Widowed
Usual Occupation: Housekeeper
Industry: Housework
Name of Father: Joseph Ridings
Birthplace of Father: Winchester, VA
Maiden Name of Mother: Rosana Roush
Birthplace of Mother: Martinsburg, W. Va.
Burial: 15 September 1911, Osceola [St. Clair County], Missouri
Undertaker: John T. Bailey, Shelbina, Missouri
Informant: J. C. Lewellin, Shelbina, Missouri [James Curtis Lewellin, her grandson?]
I found this two-person household in Macon, Macon County, Missouri, on the 1930 census:
LEWELLIN Mary C. 73 (b. ~1857) Head Female White Widowed MO MO MO
PHIPPS Marjorie 16 (b. ~1914) Granddaughter Female White Single MO MO MO
I found this two-person household in Macon County, Missouri, on the 1920 census:
LEWELLIN Joseph F. 62 (b. ~1858) Head Male White Married MO
LEWELLIN Mary C. 62 (b. ~1858) Wife Female White Married MO
I found this household in Ethel, Macon County, Missouri, on the 1910 census:
LEWELLIN Joseph F. 52 Head Male White Married MO VA KY
LEWELLIN Mary C. 52 Wife Female White Married MO IN KY
HUNTSMAN Ben77 Father-in-Law Male White Widowed IN KY KY
There this household in Cairo village [about 17 miles south of Macon], Randolph County, Missouri, on the 1900 census:
Dwelling 243
HUNTSMAN Benjamin 68 (b. Oct. 1831) Head Male White Married IN KY KY Farmer
HUNSTMAN Sarah E. 64 (b. Mar. 1836) Wife Female White Married KY KY KY
HUNTSMAN Clifford R. 21 (b. Jul. 1878) Son Male White Single MO IN KY Saw Miller
There also are these two Missouri death certificates:
Full Name: Benjamin Huntsman
Date of Death: 24 November 1916
Place of Death: Ethel, Macon County, Missouri
Former or Usual Residence: Cairo, Missouri
Cause of Death: Cerebral Hemorrhage & Broken Thigh Bone
Age at Death: 86 years; 1 month; 9 days
Date of Birth: 15 Oct 1830
Place of Birth: Kentucky
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Widowed
Occupation: Farmer Retired
Name of Father: Unknown
Birthplace of Father: Kentucky
Maiden Name of Mother: Sarah E. Brock [Sarah was Benjamin’s wife, not his mother.]
Birthplace of Mother: MO
Place of Burial: Liberty Cemetery
Date of Burial: 25 November 1916
Undertaker: H. C. Young, Ethel, Missouri
Informant: J. F. Lewellin, Ethel, Missouri
Full Name: Clifford Huntsman
Date of Death: 22 February 1927
Place of Death: Woodland Hospital, Moberly, Randolph County, Missouri
Usual Place of Abode: Ethel, Missouri
Cause of Death: Lobar Pneumonia/Cardiac Failure
Age at Death: 48 years; 7 months; 22 days
Date of Birth: 20 July 1878
Place of Birth: MO
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Single
Occupation: Farmer
Name of Father: Ben Huntsman
Birthplace of Father: MO
Maiden Name of Mother: Sarah Brock
Birthplace of Mother: MO
Place of Burial: Liberty near Cairo.
Date of Burial: 25 February 1927
Undertaker: Mahan and Son, Moberly, Missouri
Informant: Thomas Huntsman, Monroe, Missouri [Ben and Sarah Huntsman’s son.]
A biographical sketch of Charles E. Lewellin, the grandfather of Edgar Lee Lewellin and father of Joseph Fayette Lewellin, appeared in a “History of Randolph & Macon Counties, Missouri,” published in 1884 by the National Historical Company of St. Louis:
CHARLES E. LEWELLIN
(Of Moore & Lewellin, Lumber Dealers, La Plata)
Mr. Lewellin, born in Lynchburg, Va., May 15, 1826, and reared in Fleming county, Ky., came to Missouri in 1849, after having traveled extensively and worked at various occupations, as well as having served in the Mexican War, and located at Woodville, in Macon county, where he engaged in teaching school. From that time up to 1855 he continued to teach in Macon, Randolph and Monroe counties, except one year, during which he worked at the blacksmith’s trade, at Woodville, when he located at Patton’s mill, now Levick’s mill, and engaged in merchandising, selling goods at that point for about four years. He then went to Petersburg, Ill., where he was engaged in the grocery trade for about 18 months. Selling out in Illinois, he located at Cairo, in Randolph county. Mo., where he was engaged in merchandising until 1870. He then settled on a farm, and soon afterwards bought an interest in the lumber yard at Cairo, continuing only one year in the lumber interest, but farming until the fall of 1881, when he came to La Plata. Here, during the following winter, he engaged in his present business, and in the summer of 1882 he and his partner established a branch yard at Millard, which they still conduct. They have an exceptionally fine stock of lumber and building material of all kinds, and are doing a thriving business. Low prices and cash payments is their motto, and, living up to this closely, they have succeeded even beyond their expectations. Accommodating and honorable in their dealings, they are more than ordinarily popular with the trade. December 4, 1851, Mr. Lewellin was married to Miss Mary E., daughter of Joseph Ridings, one of the pioneer settlers of Randolph county and formerly of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Lewellin have four children: James C, Charles, Joseph F. and Major. Mr. and Mrs. Lewellin are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and he is a member of the Masonic order. He served for eight years as justice of the peace, in Randolph county. Mr. Lewellin is a son of John A. and Lydia Hart Lewellin, who made their permanent home in Fleming county, Ky. Charles E. served two years’ apprenticeship, from the age of 15, at the blacksmith’s trade; he then went to Arkansas and worked on a cotton farm one year. Returning to Kentucky, he worked in a carriage factory, at Louisville, about 12 months. Following this, he worked in Arkansas another year at cotton planting, and then worked in a plow factory at Madison, Ind., then went to Bloomington, Ind., and worked in the foundry and clerked. In 1847, he enlisted in the Mexican War and served for 18 months, being honorably discharged at the expiration of that time. He then ran a restaurant about a year at Bloomington, Ind., and after that attended high school at that place. Prior to enlisting in the Mexican War he worked in a foundry at Bloomington and clerked in a store. After quitting the restaurant business he learned the daguerreotype business and took pictures in Indiana for some three months. He then went to New Harmony and engaged in flatboating walnut logs down the Mississippi to New Orleans. After that he came to Missouri and began teaching school in Woodville, in Macon county, as stated above.
“Googling” for more information on John A. Lewellin and Lydia (Hart) Lewellin, I found this biographical sketch of David Alpho Petrie, whose wife was Hannah C. (Lewellin) Petrie, Charles E. Lewellin’s sister and the daughter of John A. Lewellin and Lydia (Hart) Lewellin. The sketch appeared in the “History of Menard & Mason Counties, Illinois” published in 1879 by O.L. Baskin & Company of Chicago. David A. Petrie and his family lived in Greenview, a village in Menard County:
DAVID A. PETRIE, dealer in lumber, and builder and contractor, Greenview; was born in Herkimer Co., N. Y., Dec. 21, 1828, where he lived until 26 years of age; he then went West, and located in Fleming Co., Ky. There he was married April 30, 1855, to Hannah C. Lewellin. She was born in Fleming Co., Ky., March 24, 1832. Mr. Petrie’s father was a native of Holland, and died when David was a child. His mother, whose maiden name was O’Connell, was a niece of the famous Irish patriot, O’Connell, and a native of New York. Mrs. Petrie’s father was a native of Virginia, and in early life came to Kentucky, where he was united in marriage with Lydia Hart. Mr. D. A. Petrie has had eight children, six of whom are now living - John A., whose biography appears in this work, born Feb. 8, 1856; Clarence A., April 21, 1859; Frank H., June 25, 1861; Lucy G., May 4, 1863; Lydia A., March 21, 1867, and Claude, Sept. 22, 1873; deceased - Phebe A., born April 20, 1869, and died Oct. 8, 1870, and Charles A., born Dec. 28, 1871, and died July 18, 1872. Mr. Petrie lived in Fleming Co., Ky., until 1865, at which time he came with his family to Greenview, Menard Co., Ill., where he has since resided. Mr. Petrie, with his family, lived in Kentucky during the late war, where he was a strong Union man, although he took no active part. He was a soldier in the Mexican war, and in one of the engagements was wounded five times. He is a self-made man, and owes his success in life to his close attention to business, industry and economy. He is the owner of several nicely improved properties in the town of Greenview, and one of its prominent and leading citizens.
I found this household in on the 1880 census in Cairo, Randolph County, Missouri:
LEWELLIN C. E. Head Married Male White 54 VA VA KY Farmer
LEWELLIN Jane Wife Married Female White 47 VA VA VA Keeping House
I strongly suspect head-of-household C.E. Lewellin was Charles E. Lewellin, the son of John A. Lewellin and Lydia (Hart) Lewellin. I assume Jane was Mary (Ridings) Lewellin, as the biographical sketch in history of Randolph and Macon Counties identifying his wife as the former Mary E. Ridings was published four years after the 1880 census.
I found this household in on the 1880 census in Greenview, Menard County, Illinois:
PETRIE David A. Head Married Male White 50 NY NY NY Carpenter
PETRIE Hannah C. Wife Married Female White 48 KY VA KY
PETRIE Clarence Son Single Male White 21 KY NY KY At Home
PETRIE Frank H. Son Single Male White 18 KY NY KY At Home
PETRIE Lucy G. Daughter Single Female White 17 KY NY KY
PETRIE Lydia A. Daughter Single Female White 13 IL NY KY
PETRIE Claud Son Single Male White 6 IL NY KY
Several accounts name Hannah C. (Lewellin) Petrie as Hannah Corilla (Lewellin) Petrie (1832-1911). In the June 1990 (p. 33) issue of “Llewellyn Traces,” Mary Abby notes that a sister of John Akers Lewellin was Nancy Corilla Lewellin. Was Corilla a family name?
Back to John and Betsey Lewellin. On several online family trees, I found mention that a John Akers Lewellen, not Lewellin, had had three sons with Betsey Hart: James Lewellen (b. ~1836, IN); Thomas Lewellen (b. ~1839, IN); and Jonathan Lewellen (b. ~1844, IN).
Only one online family tree I found noted that John A. Lewellin and Lydia Hart had a son. It named him as John, not Charles, but gave no date or place of birth for him. Another online family tree named Hannah Corilla Lewellin (b. 1832, KY) as a daughter of John A. Lewellin and Lydia Hart., while a separate online family tree named the parents of Lydia Hart (b. 1802, Fleming County, Kentucky) as David Hart and Matilda (Kemer) Hart, who married in Berkeley County, Virginia, on 29 September 1798.
Did John Akers Lewellin have three children with Lydia (Hart) Lewellin before she died: John, Charles, and Hannah?
I found the reference to Berkeley County, Virginia, in the marriage of David Hart and Matilda Kemer interesting as Charles Lewellin’s wife, Mary Elizabeth (Ridings) Lewellin, had been born there. Was that coincidence or evidence of a link?
Searching the 1850 census, I found this household in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana:
Dwelling 166
LEWELLEN Elizabeth 48 Female PA
HART Richard 21 Male OH Farmer
LEWELLEN James 14 Male IN
LEWELLEN Thomas 11 Male IN
LEWELLEN Jonathan 6 Male IN
The next household was this one:
Dwelling 167
LEWELLEN Jesse 30 Male OH Cooper
LEWELLEN Grace 26 Female OH
LEWELLEN Sarah 9 Female IN
LEWELLEN Mahala 6 Female IN
LEWELLEN Jesse 3 Male IN
In the June 1990 issue of “Llewellyn Traces” (p. 33 again), Mary Abby noted both of the above households, observing that Montgomery County marriage records reported widower John A. Lewellin as marrying widow Betsey (--?--) Hart on 3 March 1835, about six weeks before Julia (Hart) Lewellin’s headstone said she died on 19 April 1835. That’s one mystery. Were the dates of death or marriage wrongly reported, or did John A. Lewellin “jump the gun” by marrying the widow Betsey before Lydia died? I’d bet on the former (wrong dates of marriage or death) rather than the latter (jumping the gun). Was Betsey the widow of one of Lydia’s brothers or cousins?
Mary noted that no one had connected head-of-household Jesse Lewellen with any other Lewellen or Lewellin family. That’s another mystery. However, I doubt his presence next to Elizabeth Lewellen’s household in 1850 was coincidence.
Like Mary Abby, I can’t connect head-of-household Jesse Lewellen to any Lewellen/Lewellin line, but I have found out more about Richard Hart.
I strongly suspect the Richard Hart living in Elizabeth Lewellen’s household in Montgomery County in 1850 was the head of this household there in 1880:
HART Richard Head Married Male White 50 OH OH OH Farmer
HART Lavisa Wife Married Female White 52 KY KY KY Keeps House
HART Willis S. Son Single Male White 22 IN OH KY Farm Renter
HART Mary E. L. Daughter Single Female White 20 IN OH KY At Home
Using Willis Hart as a marker, I searched further. I found an individual I’m certain was the same Willis Hart as head of this household in Fourche Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas, in 1900:
Dwelling 134
HART Willis L. 42 (b. Apr. 1868) Head White Male Md./19 yrs. IN PA KY Farmer
HART Rosa E. 37 (b. May 1863) Wife White Female Md./19 yrs.IN VA IN
HART James A. 17 (b. Oct. 1886) Son White Male Single AR IN IN At School
HART Willis M. 9 (b. Oct. 1890) Son White Male Single AR IN IN At School
HART Earl 6 (b. Nov. 1893) Son White Male Single AR IN IN
HART Minnie A. 2 (b. Dec. 1897) Daughter White Female Single AR IN IN
HART Lavisa 79 (b. Apr. 1821) Mother White Female Widowed KY KY Unk
SAMMONS Andrew B. 62 (b. Mar. 1838) Boarder White Male Widowed AL NC AL Farm Laborer
Rosa Hart was listed as having had five children, four of whom were still living.
The widow Lavisa Hart was listed as having had seven children, two of whom were still living.
On the same census page were these two households listed one-after-the-other:
Dwelling 126
LEWELLEN James 64 (b. Apr. 1836) Head White Male Md./35 yrs. IN PA IN Druggist
LEWELLEN Rebeccah C. 55 (b. Nov. 1844) Wife White Female Md./35 yrs. PA IRE TN
Rebeccah had had four children, with two still living in 1900.
Dwelling 127
LEWELLEN Edward 32 (b. Aug. 1867) Head White Male Md./4 yrs. IN IN PA Teamster
LEWELLEN Mattie B. 27 (b. Jan. 1873) Wife White Female Md./4 yrs. TN TN TN
LEWELLEN Willie 1 (b. Jan. 1899) Daughter White Female Single AR IN TN
E. L. Lewellen (28, b. 1868, Mabelvale, Pulaski County, AR), is recorded as marrying Mattie L. Bright (22, b. 1874, Halstead, Pulaski County, AR) in Pulaski County on 4 March 1896.
This Hart household was nearby:
Dwelling 140
HART James M. 45 (b. Jan. 1855) Head White Male Md./13 yrs. OH PA OH Farmer
HART Francis E. 35 (b. Aug. 1864) Wife White Female Md./13 yrs. AR GA MS
HART John F. 10 (b. Jan. 1890) Son White Male Single AR OH AR At School
HART Flora L. 5 (b. Sep. 1894) Daughter White Female Single AR OH AR
James Hart, 32 (b. 1855), is reported to have married Francis Wade, 22 (b. 1865), in Pulaski County, Arkansas, on 15 May 1867.
A WorldConnect entry for John Frances Hart, notes his birth on 16 January 1890 in Mabelvale [Pulaski County], Arkansas, and his marriage on 7 April 1905 in Ottawa [Franklin County], Kansas, to Pearl Alexander. John Frances Hart’s parents were listed as James Madison Hart and Francis “Fanny” Wade. The entry did not identify the groom’s parents.
I suspect Willis L. Hart and James M. Hart are related in some way, I just don’t know yet how.
Looking back at the 1880 census, I found this household in Fourche Township, Pulaski County, Arkansas:
LEWELLEN James Head Married Male White 44 IN --- OH Physician & Surgeon
LEWELLEN Rebecca Wife Married Female White 38 PA PA PA Keeping House
LEWELLEN Eddie Son Single Male White 13 IN IN PA At School
LEWELLEN Mary A. Daughter Single Female White 12 IN IN PA
LEWELLEN Jennie Daughter Single Female White 6 IN IN PA
I’m convinced the physician/surgeon/druggist James Lewellen was the James Lewellen listed in Elizabeth Hart’s household in Montgomery County, Indiana, in 1850, and that Willis L. Hart was the son of James Lewellen’s suspected half brother, Richard Hart.
Mary Abby reported in the September 1992 issue (p. 57) of “Llewellyn Traces” that Edward L. Lewellin (1868-1934), James Lewellen (no dates), Corporal, Company G, 11th Indiana Infantry, Jennie Lewellen (1874-1882), and Rebecca Lewellen (1844-1923) were buried at the Martin Cemetery in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Mary cited Billie’s book as her reference.
I’m convinced the James Lewellen (no dates) buried at the Martin Cemetery was the son of John Akers Lewellin and Betsey (--?--) Hart Lewellin. The National Park Service’s Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss) reflects the same service (Company G, 11th Indiana Infantry) for a James Lewellen.
I’m convinced the Rebecca Lewellen (1844-1923) buried at the Martin Cemetery was James Lewellen’s wife (b. Nov. 1844).
Jennie Z. Lewellin (1874-1882) was a daughter of James and Rebecca Lewellen. She appeared in James Lewellen’s household in Fourche Township on the 1880 census.
The Edward L. Lewellen (1868-1934) buried at the Martin Cemetery was a son of James and Rebecca Lewellen. He was the Eddie Lewellen listed in James Lewellen’s household in Fourche Township on the 1880 census.
Willis Lucas Hart (1858-1914) and Rosa Elizabeth Hart (1867-1917) are also buried at the Martin Cemetery.
I also found this unexpected connection in the Martin Cemetery. Martha Ann (Hart) Bumpass (1830-1905) and her husband, Pleasant Bumpass (1820-1899), are buried there. Martha Ann (Hart) Bumpass was a daughter of John Kemer Hart and Harriett (Burress) Hart. John Kemer Hart was Lydia (Hart) Lewellin’s brother.
I did find another unexpected connection. An online family tree, the “Lineage of Robert Akers” (http://pages.suddenlink.net/akersgenealogy/LINEAGE_OF_R0BERT
_AKERS.HTM), maintained by David L. Akers of Ripley, West Virginia, notes the marriage of Mary Akers (b. 1783, Campbell County, VA; d. 1831) to Charles Lewellen.
There are two other descendents of Robert Akers who are of interest to me.
One is Mahala Ann Lavinia Akers (1849-1934), who is listed as marrying Davis Willey (1849-1935) in 1870. The other is Mahala’s younger brother, William Riley Akers (1850-1880), who the “Lineage of Robert Akers” reports, incorrectly I believe, as marrying Jane Adams, identified only as the second wife of Nathaniel Adams.
Mississippi-born William Riley Akers actually married Arkansas-born Caroline McMillin, a daughter of William P. McMillin and Adaline (Cooley) McMillin, in Arkansas in 1875. William and Caroline Akers had at least two daughters before William died in 1880. Soon after that, the widow Caroline (McMillin) Akers married Marion C. “Mack” Willey, a nephew of Marion Davis “Davey” Willey, Mahala (Akers) Willey’s husband. I’ve long assumed that Mahala likely was the matchmaker between Mack Willey and Caroline (McMillin) Akers. One child of Mack and Caroline Willey was Neal F. “Mac” Willey. Mac Willey married Bessie Mae Jackson in Boone County, Arkansas. Bess was the daughter of William B. P. Jackson and Mary Jane (Lewallen) Jackson. Mary Jane (Lewallen) Jackson was my mother’s maternal grandmother. Granny Jackson, who died in 1954, was alive when I was a tyke. She lived with my mother’s Uncle Berry and Aunt Virginia Jackson in Fort Scott, the seat of Bourbon County, Kansas.
William Riley Akers was the son of Nathaniel Akers, whose first wife is reported to have been Jane Adams. William Riley Akers was the son of Nathaniel Akers’ second wife, Vincey (Polk) Akers.
There’s more. I’ve traced descendents of John Fayette Lewellin, including from California, and will do a follow-up post on them, once I’ve sorted out that information.
In the June 1990 issue of “Llewellyn Traces,” Mary Abby said there would be more information about the family of Charles and Mary Akers Lewellin. Was there? I’m still reading through (slowly) the issues of “Llewellyn Traces” to find out.
Regards from Virginia,
Clete
Billie Harris - Feb 23, 2012
W O W. Will take some time to digest this. And in answer to your very last question - I don't know. Hopefully you'll find out if you continue reading Llewellyn Traces. I'm not sure when the last one was compiled and printed.
Clete Ramsey - Feb 24, 2012
A quick peek at lunchtime leads to an apology, a correction, and a question.
The apology. I should have credited authorship of the “Llewellyn Traces” cites to Martha Jewett Abbey, not the incorrect Mary Abby. My apology to Mary for the incorrect cites and misspelling of her surname. The “Llewellyn Traces” issues are a goldmine of information.
The correction. In the paragraph where I mentioned a WorldConnect family tree entry for John Frances Hart and noted his marriage in Kansas to Pearl Alexander, I said, “The entry did not identify the groom’s parents.” It obviously did, as I named them. The WorldConnect family tree entry also identified the bride’s parents as Charles Lloyd Alexander and Sarah Adeline Kennedy. I think what I meant to say was that the WorldConnect entry did not identify the parents of the groom’s father, James Madison Hart. Had it, it might have helped make the connection I suspect was there between Pulaski County contemporaries Willis Lucas Hart and James Madison Hart.
Senior moments both.
I’m sure I’ve made other mistakes, either typographical or substantive. I welcome corrections.
The question. Are there any descendents of John Akers Lewellin/Lewellin among our members?
Barbara Hensley - Feb 26, 2012
Martha Ann Hart Bumpass was the granddaughter of Benjamin Burress and Elizabeth Mahan through her Mother, Harriet Burress. Benjamin Burress died in Phillips County, Ark.
Clete Ramsey - May 6, 2012
Billie,
This is a follow-up to my 22 February “John Akers Lewellen/Lewellin” post to “History.”
Not surprising for me, this post is rather long and rambling. It’s the result of one of the many detours I’ve taken examining other Llewellyn (etc.) lines looking for connections to Mary Jane (Jackson) Lewallen (1861-1954), my mother’s maternal grandmother. Like other detours I’ve made, it started with something that caught my on the Missouri death certificates database (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates).
The biographical sketch of Charles E. Lewellin in the “History of Randolph & Macon Counties, Missouri” (National Historical Company, St. Louis, 1884), which I cited in my 22 February post, reported: Charles E. Lewellin’s parents to be John A. and Lydia Hart Lewellin; his marriage on 4 December 1851 to Miss Mary E. Ridings; and his and Mary’s four children as James C., Charles, Joseph F., and Major. I’ve tried to find out more about the four children, their spouses, and progeny, with mixed results.
Here’s a list of surnames I ran across in my search: Akers, Barnes, Bird, Bohn, Brock, Brown, Cherry, Concklin, Conklin, Cook, Dobbins, Dunn, Field, Finknaur, Gore, Hart, Hookstra, Hudson, Huntsman, Jeff, Ladd, Lanier, Lewellen, Lewellin, Lewellins, Lewellyn, Liewellen, Llewellyn, Lueallen, Luellen, McKee, McQuie, Neal, Nelson, Oliver, Park, Phipps, Randle, Reavis, Ridings, Riley, Robertson, Roush, Sophr, Swanson, Thorley, Tillma, Wendall, Wendell, Wheeler, Wilkins, Windel, Windle, and Wunderlick.
CHARLES E. LEWELLIN (1826-1901) & MARY E. (RIDINGS) LEWELLIN (1833-1911)
On the 1860 census, I found this household in Salt River Township, Randolph County, Missouri [as usual, my additions in brackets]:
Dwelling 257/Family 254
LIEWELLEN Charles 34 Male VA Merchant
LIEWELLEN Mary E. 26 Female VA
LIEWELLEN James C. 6 Male MO [James Curtis]
LIEWELLEN Charles 5 Male MO
LIEWELLEN Joseph 3 Male MO
No son Major yet.
On the 1870 census, I found this household in Union Township (Cairo Post Office), Randolph County, Missouri:
Dwelling 185/Family 184
LEWELLEN C. C. [not C. E.] 46 Male White KY Farmer
LEWELLEN Mary 36 Female White MO Keeping House
LEWELLEN Curtis 17 Male White MO [James Curtis]
LEWELLEN Charley 15 Male White MO [Charles]
LEWELLEN Joseph 13 Male White MO
LEWELLEN Major 9 Male White MO
I found these households, which I’ve numbered to set them apart, headed by Charles E. Lewellin and his son Joseph on the 1880 census of Cairo Township, Randolph County, Missouri:
Household 1
LEWELLIN C. E. Head Married Male White 54 VA VA KY Farmer
LEWELLIN Jane Wife Married Female White 47 VA VA VA Keeping House [Mary E. = Jane?]
Household 2
LEWELLINS J. F. Head Married Male White 22 MO KY VA Farmer [Joseph Fayette]
LEWELLINS M. C. Wife Married Female White 22 MO KY KY Keeping House [Mary C.]
LEWELLINS Susie Daughter Single Female White 1 MO MO MO
I found this household in Mason city, Mason County, Illinois, on the 1880 census:
WINDLE Nathan A. Head Married Male White 51 OH VA MD Farmer
WINDLE Susie R. Wife Married Female White 28 IL OH IRE Keeping House
WINDLE Mary C. Daughter Single Female White 5 IL OH IL At Home
WINDLE James F. Son Single Male White 2 IL OH IL
LUELLEN James C. Other Single Male White 27 MO VA VA Servant-Farmer
LUELLEN M. Other Single Male White 19 MO VA VA Servant-Farmer
I suspect, but can’t yet be certain, that James C. Luellen and M. Luellen were brothers James Curtis Lewellin and Major Lewellin. I’m not exactly sure what might have taken them to central Illinois, but there is a Lewellin-Windle connection that might explain it. However, I’m getting well ahead of myself if I explain that connection now. I’ll wait a bit.
Nathan A. Wendall, not Windle, is reported by the Illinois online marriage index (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/datab
ases/marriage.html) to have married Susie Randle in Logan County, Illinois, on 10 June 1873. They show up on the 1900 census as Nathan A. Wendell (b. Dec. 1829, OH) and Susan R. Wendell (b. Oct. 1855, IL) in Lincoln city, Logan County, Illinois. In 1900, there were four children in the household headed by Nathan A. Wendell: son James F. (b. Mar. 1876, IL); son William J. (b. Sep. 1881, IL); son John A. (b. Oct. 1885, IL); and, daughter Agnes B. (b. Jul. 1889, IL). There were no Luellens or Lewellins in the household in 1900.
The USGenWeb Project site for Shelby County, Missouri, has an Excel spreadsheet containing probate “abstracts” dating back into the 1800s. Here is the entry for “LEWELLEN, Mary E.” as it appears under a “Probate Records” link on the Web site (http://shelby.mogenweb.org):
Name: LEWELLEN, Mary E
Death: 1910
Heirs: son Joseph F LEWELLEN dec’d (widow Mary LEWELLEN, dau Mertie PHIPPS ch/o dec’d son Edgar LEWELLEN d. 1927: Letha BARNES, Ester ROBERTSON), son James C LEWELLEN d. 5 Nov 1931 no heirs, ch/o son Major LEWELLEN: Carl LEWELLEN, Bert C LEWELLEN, Ola CONCKLIN life tenant of property Miss Virginia C RIDINGS d. 28 Mar 1945 age 99:
The entry can’t be a true probate abstract, as it contains information from as late as 1945. It has to be an annotated abstract. Regardless, for simplicity, I’ll still refer to it as a probate abstract.
In my original post about John Akers Lewellin/Lewellen, I included this information from the Missouri death certificate of Mary Elizabeth (Ridings) Lewellin, the wife of John’s son Charles and the subject of the probate abstract:
Full Name: Mary Elizabeth Lewellin
Date of Death: 13 September 1911
Place of Death: Shelbina, Shelby County, Missouri
Cause of Death: Chronic Diarrhoea [as spelled], Probably Tubercular
Age at Death: 78 years; 10 days
Date of Birth: 20 February 1833
Place of Birth: Martinsburgh [Martinsburg], W. Virginia [Martinsburg was the seat of Berkeley County, Virginia, in 1833, when Mary Elizabeth Ridings was born.]
Personal Particulars: Female; White; Widowed
Usual Occupation: Housekeeper
Industry: Housework
Name of Father: Joseph Ridings
Birthplace of Father: Winchester, VA
Maiden Name of Mother: Rosana Roush
Birthplace of Mother: Martinsburg, W. Va.
Burial: 15 September 1911, Osceola [St. Clair County], Missouri
Undertaker: John T. Bailey, Shelbina, Missouri
Informant: J. C. Lewellin, Shelbina, Missouri [James Curtis Lewellin, her grandson?]
I made two typographical errors in my earlier post. I noted Mary Elizabeth (Ridings) Lewellin’s date of birth as 20 February 1820. It should have been 20 February 1833. I also meant to say that Martinsburg was the seat of Berkeley County, Virginia, in 1833. I’ve made those corrections above.
You’ll note that the death certificate records Mary Elizabeth (Ridings) Lewellin’s date of death and burial respectively as 13 and 15 September 1911. While it’s possible the will that went through probate was dated in 1910, she clearly died in 1911.
I know from his Missouri death certificate that Charles and Mary Lewellin’s son, J. F. (Joseph Fayette) Lewellin, did not die until 19 September 1927. He was not “dec’d” in 1910, as the probate abstract implied.
JOSEPH F. LEWELLIN (1857-1927) & MARY C. (HUNTSMAN) LEWELLIN (1857-1949)
This is the household headed by Charles and Mary Lewellin’s son, Joseph Fayette Lewellin, in Ethel village, Macon County, Missouri, in 1900:
LEWELLIN Joseph 42 (b. Jul. 1857) White Male Md./23 yrs. MO --- --- Lumber Dealer
LEWELLIN Nettie C. 43 (b. Apr. 1857) White Female Md./23 yrs MO MO MO [Mary C.]
LEWELLIN Snoda 21 (b. Dec. 1878) White Female Single MO MO MO School Teacher
LEWELLIN Edgar 19 (b. Aug. 1880) White Male Single MO MO MO Clerk Hardware
LEWELLIN Myrtle 14 (b. May 1886) White Female Single MO MO MO
I’ve seen Snoda Lewellin’s name on an obituary index at the MoGenWeb Macon County site. It gives no date, but I suspect she died between 1900 and 1910, before the Missouri death certificates database began. She’s not mentioned in the probate abstract.
Like his father Joseph, Edgar Lee Lewellin was not “dec’d” in 1910, as the probate abstract implied. In 1920, Edgar was head of this household in Macon County, Missouri:
LEWELLIN Edgar L. Head 39 Male White Married MO
LEWELLIN Lizzie M. Wife 37 Female White Married MO
LEWELLIN Letha Daughter 19 Female White Single MO
LEWELLIN Esther 10 Daughter Female White Single MO
As I noted in my earlier post, Edgar Lee Lewellin’s Missouri death certificate shows he died in 1923:
Full Name: Edgar Lee Lewellin
Date of Death: 11 February 1923
Place of Death: B. B. Putnam Memorial Hospital, Marceline, Linn County, Missouri
Usual Place of Abode: Ethel, Missouri [In Macon County, about 15 miles northeast of Marceline.]
Cause of Death: Lobar Pneumonia
Age at Death: 43 years; 5 months; 17 days
Date of Birth: 24 August 1879
Place of Birth: Randolph County, Missouri
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Married
Occupation: Merchant
Wife: Lizzie Lewellin [Lizzie May (Wilkins) Lewellin]
Name of Father: J. F. Lewellin
Birthplace of Father: Randolph County, Missouri
Maiden Name of Mother: Mary C. Huntsman
Birthplace of Mother: Randolph County, Missouri
Place of Burial: Ethel, Missouri
Undertaker: Jas. McLaughlin, Marceline
Informant: J. F. Lewellin, Ethel, Missouri
Note that father Joseph (d. 1927) outlived son Edgar (d. 1923), serving as the Informant on Edgar’s death certificate.
I believe Myrtle (Lewellin) Phipps was the Mertie Phipps mentioned in the probate abstract. Mertie Lewellin married John R. Phipps, a son of William R. and Martha B. Phipps of Ethel village. In 1920, John R. Phipps was head of this household in Macon County, Missouri:
PHIPPS John R. 37 Head Male White Married MO
PHIPPS Mertie M. 31 Wife Female White Married MO
PHIPPS Louise 10 Daughter Female White Single MO
PHIPPS Margery 6 Daughter Female White Single MO
According to information drawn both for the Wisconsin Death Index and the Social Security Death Index, Mertie M. Phipps died in Janesville, Rock County, Wisconsin, on 27 July 1979. The Social Security Death Index reflects her date of birth as 12 May 1886.
According to information drawn both for the Wisconsin Death Index and the Social Security Death Index, John R. Phipps died in Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin, on 9 November 1972. The Social Security Death Index reflects his date of birth as 6 January 1883.
Both Mertie and John Phipps had Social Security Numbers issued in Missouri.
Joseph Fayette Lewellin’s widow, Mary E. (Huntsman) Lewellin, did not die until 7 July 1949:
Name of Deceased: Mary C. Lewellin [Mary Catherine, I suspect.]
Date of Death: 7 July 1949
Place of Death: 607 N. Jackson, Macon, Macon County, Missouri
Usual Residence: 607 N. Jackson, Macon, Macon County, Missouri
Cause of Death: Cerebral hemorrhage with hemiplegia.
Age at Death: 92 (years at last birthday)
Personal Particulars: Female; White; Widowed
Date of Birth: 26 April 1857
Birthplace: Randolph County, Missouri, USA
Usual Occupation: Housewife
Father’s Name: Benjamin Huntsman
Mother’s Maiden Name: Sarah Brock
Name of Husband: Unknown
Burial: 9 July 1949; Ethel Cemetery, Ethel, Missouri
Funeral Director: Albert Skinner, Macon, Missouri
Informant: Mrs. J. R. Phipps, Macon, Missouri
On the 1930 census, Mary C. “Nettie” (Huntsman) Lewellin was the widowed head of this household in Macon, Macon County, Missouri:
LEWELLIN Mary C. 73 (b. ~1857) Head Female White Widowed MO MO MO
PHIPPS Marjorie 16 (b. ~1914) Granddaughter Female White Single MO MO MO
I assume Mary C. Lewellin’s granddaughter, Marjorie Phipps, was the Margery Phipps listed in John R. Phipps’s household in 1920.
I also assume Mertie (Lewellin) Phipps was the Mrs. J. R. Phipps of Macon, Missouri, listed as the Informant on the 1949 Missouri death certificate of her mother, Mary C. (Huntsman) Lewellin.
I assume the Letha Barnes mentioned in the probate abstract was the former Letha Lewellin, the daughter of Edgar Lee Lewellin and Lizzie May (Wilkins) Lewellin noted above living with her parents and sister Esther in Macon County, Missouri, in 1920. Letha married Norris L. Barnes, a son of Jonathan O. Barnes and Meda C. Windle, between 1920 and 1930.
I suspect Letha’s mother-in-law Meda may have been the Windle connection between Nathan A. Windle of Mason County, Illinois, from the 1880 census, and the residents of Nathan’s 1880 household I suspect were Charles and Mary Lewellin’s sons and Letha’s uncles, James Curtis Lewellin and Major Lewellin.
According to her Missouri Certificate of Death, Meda (Windel) Barnes was born on 4 January 1873 in Ethel, Macon County, Missouri, and died there on 28 February 1936. In addition to noting her husband as John O. Barnes [not Jonathan O. Barnes], her Missouri death certificate listed her parents as Gabriel Windel (b. IL) and Nancy Chapman (b. KY). The Informant was N. L. Barnes of Marceline, Missouri; no doubt Letha’s husband Norris. Meda Barnes was buried at the Ethel Cemetery, on 1 March 1936.
The Missouri State Archives’ Soldiers’ Records database (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers) holds a World War I record for Norris Lowell Barnes of Ethel, Missouri, who enrolled at the Naval Recruiting Station, Kansas City, on 3 June 1918, aged 21 years and 3 months,. He served at Naval Training Station Great Lakes, Illinois, from 9 June 1918 until 14 July 1918. A Musician 2nd Class, he was assigned from 27 August 1918 until 11 November 1918 to the battleship USS Utah. He was discharged as a Musician 2nd Class on 26 September 1919 at the Naval Recruiting Station in Denver, Colorado.
In 1920, Norris Barnes, 23, was listed in the household of Jno. O. Barnes (52, b. MO) in Macon County, Missouri. Meda Barnes (46, b. MO) was listed as Jno. Barnes’ wife. The other members of the household were four Missouri-born sons: Norris, 23; Harold, 16; Jewel, 13; and Drew, 7.
A 1950 Missouri death certificate from Macon County identifies Norris’ father as Jonathan Ozias Barnes, a widowed painter, born in Missouri on 10 September 1867. The death certificate names only Jonathan’s father, O. A. Barnes, who I believe was Ozias Asa Barnes. The Informant was N. L. Barnes of Marceline [Linn County], Missouri.
In 1930, Jonathan O. Barnes appears as John O. Barns, 62, head of a household in Ethel, Macon County, Missouri, that included wife Meda (56), and sons Harold S. (25), Jewel G. (23), and Drew L. (17).
Norris Barnes was out of his father’s household by 1930, when he was head of this household in Marceline, Linn County, Missouri:
BARNES Morris [Norris] L. 33 Head White Male Married MO MO MO
BARNES Letha L. 28 Wife White Female Married MO MO MO
BARNES Robert L. 4 Son White Male Single MO MO MO
LEWELLIN Lizzie M. 48 Mother-in-Law White Female Widowed MO MO MO
Letha’s widowed mother Lizzie was a daughter of Robert Lee Wilkins (1854-1934) and Victoria Armada (Cook) Wilkins (1856-1940). I assume Norris and Letha Barnes’ son Robert was named after his great-grandfather. Was his middle name Lee, Lewellin, or Lowell?
Norris L. Barnes (1897-1979) is buried at the Mount Olive Cemetery in Marceline. A “Find A Grave” memorial for him carries this biographical sketch:
“Norris served in the Navy during World War I. He was a train dispatcher for the Santa Fe Railway for 55 years prior to his retirement in 1967. He was a 50 year life member of the Ararat Shrine Temple Kansas City and was an active member of the Shrine Band for many years. Also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.”
His membership in the Shrine Band no doubt evidences a link to his status as a Navy bandsman in World War I.
According to the Social Security Death Index, Letha Barnes (b. 18 July 1896) died in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, in April 1974. A Railroad Retirement Board record lists Norris L. Barnes, with a date of birth as 13 February 1897, and a date of death as 11 October 1979. Both dates are consistent with the birth and death years on his “Find A Grave” memorial.
Letha (Lewellin) Barnes’ sister, Esther Lewellin (b. 1910, MO), was the Ester Robertson mentioned in the probate abstract.
From Ancestry.com postings made by “LindaLidburg” to the Lewellen and Robertson Family History & Genealogy Boards, plus other information I was able to piece together, I’ve learned that Edgar and Lizzie Lewellin’s daughter Esther married Harold James Robertson (b. 3 March 1906, KY), a son of James Leslie Robertson and Kathryn M. “Katie” (Lanier) Robertson.
Harold and Esther Robertson were living in Walla Walla, the seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, in 1930. In 1920, Harold Robertson, single then, was living with his widowed mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I don’t know how or where Esther Lewellin and Harold Robertson met. I don’t know why Katie Robertson moved with her children from Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky, to Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, between 1910 and 1920. Harold’s mother Kathryn (1880-1948) and his sister Irma (1897-1916) are buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Albuquerque.
JAMES CURTIS LEWELLIN (~1853-1931)
After 1880, when I suspect he was a member of Nathan A. Windle’s household in Mason County, Illinois, I don’t know what became of Joseph and Mary Lewellin’s son, James Curtis Lewellin. The probate abstract reports he died without heirs on 5 November 1931. It does not say where.
A James C. Lewellin is reported to have married Sarah C. McKee on 9 January 1893 in Adams County, Illinois. On the Mississippi River northeast of Hannibal, Missouri, Adams County is about 75 miles or so west-southwest of Mason County, Illinois, where the individual I suspect was James Curtis Lewellin [James C. Luellen] was living in 1880. I have no information to connect the Mason County, Illinois, James C. Luellen of 1880, who I suspect was Charles and Mary Lewellin’s son, to the James C. Lewellin who married Sarah C. McKee in Adams County, Illinois, in 1893.
There is no entry for a James Lewellin, James Lewellen, James Liewellen, or James Luellen in the Illinois Death Certificates Database (1916–1950) (http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/idphdeathsrch.jsp) for Adams or any other Illinois County.
According to an Individual Record submitted to the LDS FamilySearch database by Martin Dunn of Brooksville, Florida, James Curtis Lewellen (b. Feb. 1855, Randolph County, Missouri), a son of Charles E. Lewellen and Mary (Ridings) Lewellen, married a woman named Aillen (not further identified) in Missouri in 1877. So far, my attempts to locate them in 1880 or later have failed.
CHARLES LEWELLIN (~1855-?)
I haven’t yet determined where Charley Lewellen, the 15-year-old in C. C. Lewellen’s Randolph County household in 1870, was living, if still alive, in 1880.
A Missouri-born Charles Lueallen of the correct age (25) and birth state (Missouri) was living in this household in Buffalo Township, Pike County, Missouri, in 1880:
MCQUIE Wm. A. Head Married Male White 53 KY Farmer KY KY Farmer
MCQUIE Rebecca R. Wife Married Female White 43 PRS PRS PRS Keeping House
OLIVER Orpha J. Other --- Female White 32 MO MO MO Servant
JEFF Lucy Other Single Female Black 13 MO MO MO Servant
LUEALLEN Charles Other --- Male White 25 MO MO MO Farm Laborer
The birthplace of Rebecca, who was William Alexander McQuie’s second (or third?) wife, and her parents was Prussia (PRS), which would not become part of the German Empire until 1871.
There was no entry under “Marital Status” for either Orpha Oliver or Charles Lewellen.
While his given name, approximate age, and Missouri birth are matches for the Charley Lewellin living with his parents Charles and Mary in 1880, so far I’ve found nothing to connect the Pike County Charles Lueallen to Charley Lewellin, the 15-year-old living in C. C. [Charles E.] Lewellen’s household in Randolph County, Missouri, in 1870. The Missouri death certificates for William and Rebecca McQuie provide no hint of a Lewellin/Lewellen/Lueallen connection. There are Missouri death certificates for members of the Lewallen, Lewellen, and Lewellyn families from Pike County, but none for an individual with the given name Charles. However, there is a Missouri death certificate for Ester Fincknaur Lewellen (1909-1951), of Louisiana, Pike County, which lists her husband as Charles P. Lewellen. The Informant on the death certificate is C. P. Lewellen of Louisiana, Missouri. I believe he was Charles Preston Lewellen, a physician and son of Cecil Milner Lewellen and Alice Grey (Reavis) Lewellen, and I’ll add a separate post about him.
MAJOR LEWELLIN (~1871-?)
I don’t know for certain what became of Charles and Mary Lewellin’s son Major, who I suspect was the M. Luellen living in Nathan A. Windle’s household in Mason County, Illinois, in 1880. Major Lewellin disappears from census records after 1880, and may have died before the 1900 census. However, there is evidence of Major Lewellin having lived past 1880.
A Majors [not Major] Lewellin is reported to have married Mollie Cherry in Macon, Missouri on 23 March 1884.
In 1880, Major Lewellin’s future bride Mary was a resident of this household in Walnut Creek Township, Macon County, Missouri:
CHERRY Elizabeth Head Widowed Female White 45 VA VA VA Keeping House
CHERRY Tlitha Daughter Single Female White 24 MO VA VA
CHERRY Mary J. Daughter Single Female White 22 MO VA VA
CHERRY Jesse Son Single Male White 21 MO VA VA Farmer
The Index of Judgments listing divorces from La Plata, Macon County, Missouri, between 1884 and 1900 (http://www.mogenweb.org/macon/divorce5.htm), records a 28 November 1893 judgment involving Major Lewellin and Molly J. Lewellin.
Mollie or Molly (Cherry) Lewellin actually was Mary Jane (Cherry) Lewellin, a daughter of Peter F. Cherry and Mary E. (Riley) Cherry. She was born at La Plata, Macon County, Missouri, in 1865. Some of that information comes from an Iowa marriage record. On 27 October 1897, Mary J. (Cherry) Lewellyn, 32, is reported to have married George P. Neal, (45, b. OH), a son of Benjamin G. Neal and Elizabeth (Gore) Neal, in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa. The groom’s marital status was listed as “Unknown,” while the bride’s marital status was listed as “Widowed,” raising the possibility that Major Lewellin died before his divorce, if that was the case, from Mary Jane (Cherry) Lewellin was final.
Major and Mary/Mollie/Molly Lewellen had at least three children: sons Carl and Bert, and daughter Ola, all named in the curious Macon County probate abstract of their paternal grandmother, Mary E. (Ridings) Lewellin.
There is a Missouri Standard Certificate of Death from Jackson County for Carl E. Lewellin in the Missouri death certificates database. It names his father as Major Lewellin:
Name of Deceased: Carl E. Lewellin
Date of Death: 16 June 1959
Place of Death: 7300 Paseo, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.
Length of Stay at Place of Death: 50 yrs.
Usual Residence: 7300 Paseo, Kansas City, Jackson, City, Missouri
Cause of Death: Coronary occlusion due to arteriosclerotic heart disease.
Age at Death: 72 yrs.
Date of Birth: 13 November 1886
Place of Birth: La Plata [Macon County], Missouri
Personal Particulars: Male; White; Married
Usual Occupation: Retired Contractor
Father’s Name: Major Lewellin
Mother’s Maiden Name: Mary Jane Cherry
Name of Wife: Jessie I. Lewellin
Burial: 9 June 1959; Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri
Funeral Director: D. W. Newcomer’s and Sons, Kansas City, Missouri
Informant: Mrs. Jessie Lewellin, 7300 Paseo
In 1900, Carl Lewellin was living with his mother, sister, and stepfather in the latter’s household in Fort Madison city, Lee County, Iowa:
NEAL George Head (b. Nov. 1882) White Male Married/3 yrs. OH VA MY
NEAL Mollie J. Wife (b. Feb. 1866) White Female Married/3 yrs. MO KY ---
LEWELLYN Carl Step Son (b. Nov. 1886) White Male Single MO MO MO
LEWELLYN Ola Step Daughter (b. May 1890) White Female Single MO MO MO
Mollie Neal had had three children, all then still alive.
There is a Kansas marriage record noting the marriage of Carl E. Lewellin, 24, to Jessie I. Neal, 24, in Marshall [County], Kansas, on 29 December 1908.
I found whom I’m certain was Carl Lewellin’s future bride (she of the varied middle initial; I., L., or S.) in this household in Franklin Township. Marshall County, Kansas, in 1900:
Dwelling 57/Family 57
TILLMA Dow 45 (b. Dec. 1854) Head White Male Married/7 yrs. NY HOL HOL Farmer
TILLMA Lavina C. 44 (b. Apr. 1856) Wife White Female Married/7 yrs. OH VA PA
NEAL Jessie S. 15 (b. Jul. 1884) Niece White Female Single IA IA OH
Dow Tillma’s parents were born in Holland. I shortened HOLLAND to HOL to fit on one line. His wife had had one child, who had died.
I believe Carl Lewellin’s bride actually was Jessie L. “Jess” Neal, and that she was his step sister. Lavina Catherine (Thorley) Tillma was Jessie’s aunt, a sister of Jessie’s mother, Maria E. (Thorley) Neal.
This biographical sketch of Dr. George P. Neal appeared in a “Portrait & Biographical Album of Louisa County, Iowa,” from the Acme Publishing Company, Chicago, 1889:
DR. GEORGE P. NEAL, Postmaster of Columbus Junction, was born in Lawrence County, Ohio, Nov 10, 1852, and is a son of Dr. B.G. and Elizabeth (Gore) Neal. When but two years of age George came to Iowa with his parents, who settled in Columbus City, Louisa County. His literary education was obtained at the public schools of that city, where he was reared to manhood. He studied medicine with his father, who was a pioneer physician of Louisa County, and took three courses of lectures at the medical department of the Iowa State University at Iowa City, being graduated in the class of ‘74. He pursued the practice of his profession at Columbus Junction until Jan 1, 1886, when he bought the Louisa County Times, in company with his wife, under the firm name of G.P & M.E. Neal, and conducted that paper until August 1887, when for want of sufficient support publication was suspended. At Columbus City, Iowa, Dec 31, 1876, Dr. Neal was united in marriage with miss Maria E. Thorley, daughter of Samuel Thorley. Mrs. Neal was born in West Salem, Wayne Co., Ohio, Jan 15, 1857. Three children graced their union, one son and two daughters: Emma J., born June 29, 1878; George H., born Nov. 30, 1882, died at the age of two years, and Jess L., who was born July 30, 1884. Mrs Neal, who was a woman possessed of many excellencies of character, and a member of the Christian Church, died Sept 20, 1887, of typhoid fever. Dr. Neal is also a member of the Christian Church, and has been a lifelong Democrat. He was appointed Postmaster at Columbus Junction in Aug 1886, and was confirmed by the United States Senate Feb. 14, 1887.
Out of curiosity, I searched for and found these three households, which I’ve numbered, on the 1880 census. The first two were in Columbus City, Louisa County, Iowa, and the third (Hookstra) was in Bone Creek Township, Butler County, Nebraska:
Household 1:
NEAL George P. Head Married Male White 27 OH VA MD Physician
NEAL Maria E. Wife Married Female White 26 OH VA PA Keeping House
NEAL Emma J. Daughter Single Female White 1 IA OH OH
Household 2:
THORLEY Samuel Head Married Male White 75 PA PA PA Retired Farmer
THORLEY Elisabeth Wife Married Female White 65 PA GER GER Keeping House
THORLEY Lavina C. Daughter Single Female White 24 OH PA PA Dressmaking
Household 3:
HOOKSTRA Tennis Head Married Male White 57 HOL HOL HOL Farmer
HOOKSTRA Ella Wife Married Female White 57 HOL HOL HOL Keeping House
HOOKSTRA Henry Son Single Male White 22 IA HOL HOL At Home
HOOKSTRA John Son Single Male White 20 IA HOL HOL At Home
HOOKSTRA Katie Daughter Single Female White 18 IA HOL HOL At Home
TILLMA Dow Other Single Male White 25 NY HOL HOL Farming
Back on a Lewellin track, Carl and Jessie Lewellin were living in Jackson County, Missouri, which includes Kansas City, in 1900:
LEWELLEN Carl E. 25 Head Male White Married MO MO MO
LEWELLEN Jessie 25 Wife Female White Married IA OH OH
They were still in Jackson County in 1920, when Carl was head of this household:
LEWELLIN Carl E. 33 Head Male White Married MO
LEWELLIN Jessie I. 35 Female White Married IA
DOBBINS James C. 37 Male White Married KS
DOBBINS Hazel I. 30 Female White Married MN
DOBBINS Shirley E. 4 Female White Single OR
I don’t know what kinship connection, if any, there was between Carl or Jessie Lewellin and the three Dobbins residents of his household. They could have been boarders.
In 1930, Carl was head of this Dobbins-less household, still in Jackson County, Missouri:
LEWELLIN Carl E. 43 Head Male White Married MO MO MO
LEWELLIN Jessie 45 Wife Female White Married IA OH OH
In 1900, Bert Lewellin, a son of Major Lewellin and Mary Jane (Cherry) Lewellin, was living with his paternal grandparents in Osceola Township, Osceola city, St. Clair County, Missouri:
LEWELLEN Charles 74 (b. May 1826) Head White Male Married/49 yrs. VA KY VA Capitalist
LEWELLEN Mary E. 67 (b. Feb. 1833) Wife White Female Married/49 yrs. VA VA VA
LEWELLEN Bert 14 (b. Dec. 1885) G-son White Male Single MO MO MO At School
The census lists Mary as having had two children, one of whom was still living. That doesn’t add up, as the biographical sketch of her husband Charles in the “History of Randolph & Macon Counties, Missouri” named her four (not two) children as James, Charles, Joseph, and Major. While it’s possible only Joseph (d. 1923, MO) was still living in 1900, she had had four sons. It’s a minor mystery.
In 1910, Bert Lewellin, was living in Assembly District 71, Los Angeles County, California, as head of this household:
LLEWELLYN Bert L. 25 Head White Male Single MO MO MO
NEAL Mary F. 44 Mother White Female Married MO KY MO
NEAL Geo. P. Step Father 57 White Male Married IA VA MY
LADD Ada M. 59 --- White Female Widowed IA VA MY [George Neal’s widowed sister.]
LLEWELLYN OLA 19 Sister White Female Single MO MO MO
Bert Charles Lewellin is reported to have married Jenney Nathalia Nelson in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, on 30 November 1911. The groom’s father was listed on the marriage record as Major Lewellin, with the maiden name of the groom’s mother listed as Cherry. The bride’s father was listed as S. P. Nelson, and the maiden name of the bride’s mother was listed as Swanson.
This was Bert C. Lewellin’s household in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, on the 1920 census:
LEWELLIN Bert C. 35 Head Male White Married MO
LEWELLIN Jennie 35 Wife Female White Married SWEDEN
LEWELLIN Mary 7 Daughter Female White Single CA
LEWELLIN Eleanor 7 Daughter Female White Single CA
NELSON Lottie 45 Sister-in-Law Female White Single SWEDEN [Jennie’s older sister.]
This was Bert Lewellin’s household in San Diego, San Diego County, California, in 1930:
LEWELLYN Bert C. 45 Head Male White Married MO MO MO
LEWELLYN Jenny 45 Wife Female White Married SWEDEN SWEDEN SWEDEN
LEWELLYN Mary O. 17 Daughter Female White Single CA MO SWEDEN
LEWELLYN Eleanor G. 17 Daughter Female White Single CA MO SWEDEN
According to the Social Security Death Index, Bert Lewellin, born 19 December 1884, died in San Diego, San Diego County, California, in February 1968.
Ola Lewellin, who had been living with her brother Bert in Los Angeles in 1910, married there on 8 May 1912 to Royall Walter Wheeler, 28, a son of Royall Engledow Wheeler and Beulah Brown (Park) Wheeler. The bride, 21, was listed as the daughter of Major Llewellyn and Mary Jane Cheny. It’s not clear to me if the Cherry/Cheny confusion reflects the actual marriage record or was a mistake made in its transcription.
Ola’s 1912 marriage to Royall Walter Wheeler, who went on to become a real estate agent and developer in Los Angeles, appears not to have lasted long. She appears on the 1920 census in this household in Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles City Precinct 331, Los Angeles County, California:
WUNDERLICK Melitta 37 Head Female White Single IN
LEWELLYN Ola W. 29 --- Female White Divorced MO
According to Justice Brown Detwiler’s “Who's who in California: a biographical directory, 1928-29,” published in 1929 by the Who’s Who Publishing Company, San Francisco, Royal Walter Wheeler married again on 26 June 1923 to Nellferne Sophr of Los Angeles. Census and California death records name Nellferne “Nellie” (Sophr) Wheeler as the daughter of Christopher C. Sophr (b. 31 July 1873, MO; d. 3 March 1963, CA) and Margaret C. (Bohn) Sophr (b. 1 June 1875, IL; d. 5 May 1955, CA). Royall and Nellferne Wheeler had had two children by the time Detwiler complied the 1928-1929 directory: Royall Cornelius Wheeler and Maryann Wheeler.
The California Death Index lists Nellfern S. Wheeler [not Nellferne] as having been born in Missouri on 24 September 1895, and as having died in Los Angeles, California, on 3 March 1966. The death index lists her mother’s maiden name as Bohn.
The California Death Index lists Royall W. Wheeler as having been born in Texas on 15 March 1884, and has having died in Los Angeles, California, on 11 July 1961. The death index lists his mother’s maiden name as Park. Detwiler reports Royall Walter Wheeler as having been born in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde is both a Texas county and that county’s seat.
The California Death Index lists Royall C. Wheeler as having been born in California on 23 May 1924, and as having died in Los Angeles, California, on 9 March 1977.
I don’t know Maryann Wheeler’s fate.
As did Royall Walter Wheeler, his former wife Ola married again.
Between 1920 and 1930, Ola (Lewellin) Wheeler married newspaperman Sidney Strong Conklin. It’s not clear exactly when or where they married. This was Sidney S. Conklin’s household in Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California, in 1930:
CONKLIN Sidney S. 52 Head Male White Married NY NY NY
CONKLIN Ola L. 39 Wife Female White Married MO MO MO
The California Death Index (1940-1997) reports Sidney S. Conklin, born 23 February 1878, New York, died in Los Angeles, California, on 1 May 1962. His mother’s maiden name was Bird.
This was Sidney S. Conklin’s obituary, as it appeared on page B-2 of the Long Beach Press-Telegram on Wednesday, 2 May 1962:
“Last Rite Set Friday for Conklin”
“Funeral service for Sidney S. Conklin, 84, for many years an executive of Long Beach newspapers, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Dilday Family Funeral Directors. Rev. F. C. Benson Belliss, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, will officiate. Entombment will be in Angeles Abby Mausoleum.
Conklin, part-owner and publisher of the Long Beach Telegram in the early 1920s and secretary-treasurer of the Press-Telegram Publishing Co. from 1924 until 1952, died Tuesday.
Survivors include his widow Ola; sisters Mrs. Grace Hudson of Lantana, Fla., and Mrs. Edith Brown of Miami, Fla.; niece, Miss Dallas Conklin of Long Beach; nephews, Capt. Ben P. Field of East Islip, N.Y., Clarence Fulton Field of Taipei, Formosa, Drew Conklin of New York and Roger Conklin of Morro Bay.”
The California Death Index reports that Ola L. Conklin, born 10 May 1890, Missouri, died in Los Angeles, California, on 8 August 1870.
I’ve found no mention of Sidney and Ola Conklin as having had children.
Finally, the Virginia C. Ridings named in Mary Elizabeth (Ridings) Lewellin’s probate abstract as “life tenant of property” was Mary’s “baby” sister, who never married. She died in Missouri not long before what would have been her 100th birthday:
Full Name: Virginia Ridings
Date of Death: 28 March 1945
Place of Death: Shelbina, Shelby County, Missouri
Usual Residence: Shelbina, Shelby County, Missouri
Length of stay in this community: 40 years
Cause of Death: Acute nephritis
Age at Death: 99 years; 10 months; 6 days
Personal Particulars: Female; White; Single
Birth date: 22 May 1845
Birthplace: Randolph County, Missouri
Usual Occupation: Housekeeper
Name of Father: Joseph Ridings
Birthplace of Father: Not Known
Maiden Name of Mother: Not Known
Birthplace of Mother: Not Known
Burial: 30 March 1945; Shelbina, Missouri
Funeral Director: E. Hayes, Shelbina, Missouri
Informant: Stella Ridings, Shelbina, Missouri
I’m sure I’ve made mistakes in this account, both substantive and typographical, and would welcome corrections and additions.
Regards from Virginia,
Clete