Category Archives: Dubois County

James Morton Stafford

James Morton Stafford
birth: 25 Nov 1876 in Daviess Co., IN to Mahlon James Stafford (1849-1908) and Nancy Emeline Wallace (1848-1891)
death: 5 Jan 1957 at Washington, Daviess Co., IN
burial: Mount Olivet Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery, Washington, Daviess Co., IN

marriage: 23 Dec 1894 at Glendale, Daviess Co., IN
Flora Lenora “Nora” Horrell
birth: 18 Nov 1878, Daviess Co., IN to John Coleman Horrell (1857-1919) and Lucinda Angeline Steen (1858-1925)
death: 5 Aug 1948, Daviess Co., IN
burial: Mount Olivet Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery, Washington, Daviess Co., IN

James Morton Stafford and Nora Horrell on their wedding day, 1894James Stafford on his Wedding Day Nora Horrell Stafford, Wedding Day

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children of James Morton Stafford and Flora Lenora “Nora” Horrell:

  • James Alva Stafford, b. 6 Aug 1896 at Daviess Co., IN, d. 17 Sep 1983 at Berea, Madison Co., KY, m. Vinnie “Olive” Edwards
  • Harley Douglas Starfford, b. 19 Jan 1898 at Daviess Co., IN, d. 18 May 1978 at Petersburg, Pike Co., IN, m. (1) Alma Margaret Brown, (2) Lolita C. Crow
  • John Mahlon Stafford, b. 2 Mar 1900 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 1900, likely in Dubois Co., IN
  • Ralph Mahlon Stafford, b. 2 mar 1900 at Dubois Co., IN, d. 27 Apr 1995 at Washington, Daviess Co., IN, m. Anna Ethel Vance
  • Sadie Elsie Stafford, b. 20 Sep 1901 at Daviess Co., IN, d. 25 Sep 1995, Washington, Daviess Co., IN, m. Martin Luther Allison
  • Esta Emeline Stafford, b. 11 Dec 1905 in Pike Co., IN, d. 5 Oct 1994, Washington, Daviess Co., IN, m. Gene Riker
  • Lucille Irene Stafford, b. 10 Jun 1907 in Pike Co., IN, d. 3 Sep 1935, Washington, Daviess Co., IN
  • Nellie Glenn Stafford, b. 29 Nov 1908 at Washington Twp, Pike Co., IN, d. 3 Feb 1994 at Columbus, Bartholomew Co., IN, m. Herbert John Miller
  • Marie Frances Stafford, b. 25 Oct 1911 at Pike Co., IN, d. 22 Jan 1924 at Veale Twp, Daviess Co., IN
  • Eva Viola Stafford, b. 20 Apr 1912 at Gillett, Arkansas Co., AK, d. 4 Jun 2001 at Jasper, Dubois Co., IN, m. Dale Burris Alford
  • Donald Stafford, b/d. 25 Feb 1914 at Daviess Co., IN
  • Edna Lorena Stafford, b. 3 Mar 1915 at Veale Twp, Daviess Co., IN, d. 10 Jan 1971 at Kankakee, IL, m. (1) Norman Aultman Sharum, (2) William Yarbourgh
  • Lena Nova Stafford, b. 26 Apr 1918 at Veale Twp, Daviess Co., IN, d. 25 Jun 2013 at Washington, Daviess Co., IN, m. James Nelson Martin
  • Dorothy Stafford, b./d. 16 May 1920 at in Veale Twp, Daviess Co., IN

James Morton Stafford Lived In:

  • 1876- Daviess County, Indiana
  • 1880- Clay County, Illinois
  • 1881- Knox County, Indiana
  • 1884- Wheatland, Indiana
  • 1900- Dubois County, Indiana
  • 1901- Union, Indiana
  • 1903- Hazelton, Indiana
  • 1903- Petersburg, Indiana
  • 1910- Pike County, Indiana
  • 1911- Blackburn, Indiana
  • 1915- Washington, Indiana
  • 1920- Veal Twp, Daviess County, Indiana

Other Information:

James Morton Stafford was a mail carrier, a horse breeder, a Presbyterian circuit riding Minister, a miner, an entrepreneur, an inventor with several patents and an author. James held the following patents:

• 740995 Non Refillable Bottle 6 Oct 1903
• 753930 Fire Escape 8 Mar 1904
• 761868 Wrench 7 Jun 1904
• 785186 Coffin 21 Mar 1905
• 806756 Apparatus for Preserving the Dead 5 Dec 1905
• 875567 Mold For Glass Caskets, and Similar 31 Dec 1907
• 930242 Focusing Light Producer 3 Aug 1909
• 1203926 Water Elevator 7 Nov 1916
• 1204605 Device for Locating and Raising Ships 14 Nov 1916
• 1205806 Wood Sawing Machine 21 Nov 1916
• 1207651 Gate Opener 5 Dec 1916
• 1225072 Current Motor 8 May 1917

James rejected an offer of one million dollars for his non-refillable bottle from James Pepper, a whisky distiller of Louisville, Kentucky because as a minister, he did not believe in contributing to the consumption of alcohol.

In 1906, James invented the worlds largest egg incubator which at the time could hold over 2000 eggs. Apparently, no patent was applied for. He managed to strike natural gas in Petersburg and was awarded a contract to supply city of Petersburg a portion of his natural gas find for 25 years. The original purpose of the gas well was to supply gas to fire his glass factory in Petersburg where he intended to manufacture his famed glass coffin. In 1920 the Rev. Stafford owned and operated a family coal mine south of Washington, Indiana supplying coal to that city.

In 1934, the Rev. Stafford shocked the American political scene, announcing that he was considering running for President of the United States. At that time, he was the supreme commander of the Golden Rule Party and party members had rallied to support him, with claims of more than 20,000,000 votes. Newspaper headlines across America read, ” Republicans Ahoy! Man is Loose With 20,000,000 Votes”, “Glass Coffin Inventor Has Eyes On Presidency”, “Indiana Pastor Expects to be the Next President”. It is unclear if he indeed ran for this nation’s highest office, but the headlines can still be found in many newspapers from that year.

Tipton Tribune, 23 April 1934presidential-aspirations-tipton-tribune-23-apr-1934

One of the more interesting aspects of his life was that he loved the automobile. In 1903 he purchased a Zentmobile from the Single Center Buggy Company of Evansville, Indiana. He wrote a check for $750 and the first car in Pike County, Indiana was soon to create a storm. He wrote a story about his escapades with the vehicle and was later instrumental in helping Indiana develop the framework for the rules of the road for the Hoosier state.

Rev. Stafford was heavily involved in the Temperance Movement in the early 1900’s. He worked hard to affect public opinion by organizing and then canvassing the many townships in Pike County, Indiana. He circulated a petition calling on lawmakers to hold a separate elections from all other issues in order to better control the manufacture and sale of intoxicants as merely a beverage.

In April of 1911, Rev Stafford, who at that time was living near Blackburn, Indiana, completed a houseboat. He utilized his automobile to propel the house boat which also towed and additional raft with supplies for his family. He started down the White River with plans to connect to the Ohio River and then navigate to the Mississippi. His plans were to promote his latest invention the light focusing projector to towns along the way and ultimately to end up in New Orleans. He only made it as far as Arkansas, where his daughter Eva Viola was born a year later in 1912.

The Rev. Stafford had quite a following. He was known to not to pass out a collection plate, but rather to share a portion of his wealth with his followers instead. As a circuit riding minister, he routinely helped the needy among his followers, especially during the post depression era. He authored at least two books with deeply religions overtones, on how to solve many of America’s problems. In fact, he composed a paper which was dispatched to president Roosevelt requesting consideration of his ideas to be incorporated as a constitutional amendment, which was designed to help America prosper. Roosevelt’s secretary indicated that the proposal was under consideration. Undoubtedly, it ended up in the round file.

James Morton Stafford was a forward thinking individual who developed his own ideas to link with the future, helping change the way American people would live their lives. He examined his existence and found ways to improve how he and others could better cope with the world at that time. His ideas may not have been absorbed into mainstream America, but the history of his contributions to Daviess County, to Indiana and to the United States, should not be forgotten.

James Morton Stafford and Nora Horrell Stafford, 1934
James Stafford - 1934 nora-stafford-1934

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted by:
Phillip L. Martin
Email: philyroyce@gmail.com

Barbara Lein

Barbara Lein
birth: 18 Jan 1835, Selbitz, Bavaria to Johann Nicol Lein and Margaretha Bauer
death: 8 Dec 1893, Loogootee, Martin County, Indiana
burial: St. Paul’s Cemetery, Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana

marriage: 18 March 1856
Johann S. Huebner
birth: 13 Mar 1835, Wasserkraut, Bavaria to Johann Hubner and Kunigunda Lehren
death: 28 Jan 1892, Loogootee, Martin County, Indiana
burial: St. Paul’s Cemetery, Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana

County of Barbara Lein and Johann S. Huebner:

  • Anna Katherine, 1857-1913, m. Charles Harned
  • Henry, 1859-1861, n.m.
  • John, 1860-1936, m. Martha Matthewson
  • Martin E., 1862-1934, m. Rachel Fraim
  • Margaret, 1864-1952, m. John Allman
  • Anna, 1868-1963, m. Joseph McAtee
  • Harry, 1873-1903, m. Elizabeth Young
  • Philip, 1875-1913, n.m.
  • Augusta, 1878-1932, m. Wiliam Mosier

Barbara was born in Selbitz, Oberfranken, Bavaria. She arrived on the ship “Emma” with her sister Catherine on 22 October 1853. Her brother, Eberhardt, and mother, Margaretha (nee Bauer), came in 1861 after the death of their father, Johann Nicol.  Margaretha is buried immediately to the west of the Hubner plot. She lived in Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana (1853-1860) and Loogootee, Martin County, Indiana (1860-1893).

Submitted by:
Carol Collins
Email: carolcollins65@gmail.com

Johann Huebner

Johann (John) Huebner
birth: 15 Oct 1794, Gesees, Bavaria to Johann Huebner and Margaretha Bohner
burial: St. Pau’s Cemetery, Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana

marriage: 2 Feb. 1827, St. Jacobus, Creusen, Bavaria
Kunigunda Lehren
birth: 10 Sep 1802, Wasserkraut, Bavaria to Johann Geor Lohr and Margaretha Brindel
death: 29 April 1871, Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana
burial: St. Paul’s Cemetery, Haysville, Dubois County, Indiana

Children of Johann Huebner and Kunigunda Lehren:

  • John Henry, 1824-1886, m. Barbara Steger
  • Elizabeth, 1829-1868, m. John Mehne
  • John Jr. 1832-1917, m. Margaretha Neukam
  • John S. 1835-1892, m. Barbara Lein
  • Barbara, 1839-1906, m. John L. Hoffman
  • Magdelena, 1844-1863, n.m.

Johann lived near Haysville, Dubois County and Loogootee, Martin County, Indiana.

The Huebners were in Gesees, Oberfranken, Bavaria for at least six generations. Their spouses came from surrounding area. They moved to Wasserkraut (just outside of Pegnitz) circa 1831 and to Haysville, Indiana in 1845.

Johann was a farmer and was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. The family apparently immigrated as part of a religious movement (Bavaria was to be Catholic at that time).  Additional reasons:  2) Military conscription: John Henry was already in the Army when they came (he came later), and with two more sons it was reasonable.  3) Weather had been very bad for several years – there was a serious draught condition for five years before they migrated.

Submitted by:
Carol Collins
Email: carolcollins65@gmail.com

Jefferson Simmons

Jefferson Simmons
b. 20 January 1860, Pike or Dubois County, Indiana, to Jefferson and Elizabeth (Kinder) Simmons
d. 25 January 1907, New Madrid County, Missouri

m/1. 25 November 1884, Warrick County, Indiana
Sarah R. Isaacks
b. 1863, Pigeon, Warrick County, Indiana
d. 2 May 1898, Como, New Madrid County, Missouri

m/2.
[–?–]

Children with Sarah R. Isaacks:
• Alford/Alfred
• Henry
• William “Bill”
• Hattie married [–?–] Duty

Children with [—?—]:
• Tom
• Jerrie married [–?–] Berg

There were five other children but they all died young.

The family lived in Dubois, Pike, Spencer, and Warrick counties in Indiana before leaving the state in 188l.

Submitted by:
Darlene Jeannette Scott Shawn
Norman OK

Susannah H Mosby

Susannah H Mosby
b. 6 September 1811, Woodford County, Kentucky, to Edward and Sarah Jones (Elliott) Mosby
d. 19 April 1896, Logan County, Nebraska

m. 15 July 1847, Dubois County, Indiana
Hugh McCain
b. 25 August 1806, Georgia, to Hamilton and Ann McCain
d. 10 October 1878, Pike County, Indiana

Children with Hugh McCain:
• Robert (1849-1884) married Adeline Ovanda Chappell
• Lucy (1851-1872)
• Winfield S. (1852-1871)
• Susan Emily (1854-1930) married Milton Simpson Chappell
• Mary F. (1857-1860)

The family lived in Petersburg in Pike County and left there about 1880. Susannah was Hugh’s second wife.

Submitted by:
Larry L. Nielson
Fruitland ID
E-mail: lniel19027@juno.com

Mary Elizabeth Jacobs

Mary Elizabeth Jacobs
b. 6 January 1845, Dubois County, Indiana, to Elisha Peoples and Arena Carolyn (McCarty) Jacobs
d. 23 November 1923, Creek County, Oklahoma

m. 4 January 1866, Crawford County, Indiana
Anderson Ott
b. 10 September 1837, Washington County, Indiana
d. 26 August 1894, Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas

Children with Anderson Ott:
• John W. (b. 1863)
• Willard E. (b. 1871)
• Leora E. (b. 1874)

Anderson Ott served in Company K, 38th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, 1862-63. His first wife was Sara Roberts (married 1857); they had two children, Mary and William. His second wife was Elizabeth Roberts (married 1865); they had no children. Mary Elizabeth Jacobs was his third wife. He took the family to Arkansas after 1874. In 1894 Anderson left Mary Elizabeth and his children, deserting them for nineteenyear- old Lizza Craig. When she had second thoughts about the relationship, Anderson killed Lizza, and then committed suicide. Eventually, Mary Elizabeth went to live with children in Oklahoma. She was able to obtain a widow’s pension for Anderson’s Civil War service.

Submitted by:
Nancy K. Kilbourn
Thousand Oaks CA
E-mail: dushavo@aol.com

Nancy Delilah Freeland

Nancy Delilah Freeland
b. 10 May 1827, Daviess County, Indiana, to Benjamin and Mary P. (Miller) Freeland
d. 30 April 1912, Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska

m. 3 August 1846, Algiers, Pike County, Indiana
Moses Lane Chappell
b. 24 April 1822, Petersburg, Pike County, Indiana, to Jacob and Rachael (Lane) Chappell
d. 13 August 1883-1886, Petersburg, Pike County, Indiana

Children with Moses Lane Chappell:
• Adeline Ovanda (1848-1902) married Robert McCain
• Rachel Elizabeth “Lizzie” (1849-1932) married Albert McCain
• Mary Ann (1851-1935) married Rev. John Henry Derryberry
• Milton Simpson (1854-1924) married Susan Emily McCain
• Deamphard Silsbery (1856-1929) married Laura Frances Heaton
• Martha Angeline “Mattie” (1859-1946)
• Moses Ellsworth (1862-1943) married Sarah Frances “Sallie” Thomas
• James Franklin (1867-1920) married Mary Elizabeth DeMotte
• George W. (1869-1941) married Virginia Hila Perkins

Moses was married 16 June 1842 in Dubois County, Indiana, to Amanda Melvina Susan Twitty, born about 1820 to Buford and Rebeckah (Brittain) Twitty. They had one child, Elvira Demerette (1842-1915) who married Allen Overton Adams.

Three of Nancy’s children moved to Fort Worth, Texas (Mary, Mattie and Moses), while all the others moved to Nebraska. It is not known when they left Indiana.

Submitted by:
Larry L. Nielson
Fruitland ID
E-mail: lniel19027@juno.com

Robert Merrifield Brenton

ROBERT MERRIFIELD BRENTON
b. 9 August 1855, Bainbridge Township, Dubois County, Indiana, to John Borders and Ruth Miller (Heady) Brenton
d. 26 October 1935, Indiahoma, Comanche County, Oklahoma

m. 25 October 1877, Ireland, Dubois County, Indiana
Sarah Belle Dillin
b. 25 March 1859, Bainbridge Township, Dubois County, Indiana, to Samuel and Jane (McMahan) Dillin
d. 19 May 1931, Indiahoma, Comanche County, Oklahoma

Children with Sarah Belle Dillin:

  • Rupert Asa (1878-1962) married Frances T. Carnahan
  • Ruel Obed (1880-1968) married Catherine Emerson
  • Berthel (1882-1883)
  • Sylvan Bryan (1883-1939) married (1) Hannah Marguerite Carnahan, (2) Becky Wooten
  • Altha Belle (1887-1961) married LeGrande Lee Wright
  • Alma Jane (1889-1974) married Frank Goumaz
  • Robert Edgar (1891-1966) married Edna Marie Johnson
  • Ruby Ruth (1893-1941) married Emmet Alvin Jones

Both Robert and his wife, Sarah, were born and raised in the Scotch-Irish community near Ireland, Dubois County, Indiana.

Robert was a carpenter and moved his family west as the railroads opened the west with opportunities for those with building skills. By September 1878, they were in Walton, Kansas, and by March 1891 had moved on to Pueblo, Colorado.

In 1893 they moved back to the Kansas-Oklahoma area where Robert took part in making the Cherokee Strip Run. He homesteaded 11 miles northwest of Enid, Oklahoma, about four miles west and one mile south of Kremlin.

Submitted by:
Radine Brenton Weedon
Stow OH

John Borders Brenton

JOHN BORDERS BRENTON
b. 30 March 1832, Pike County, Indiana, to Robert and Catherine (Borders) Brenton
d. 3 December 1899, Kremlin, Garfield County, Oklahoma Territory

m. 5 October 1854, Centerville, Spencer County, Indiana
Ruth Miller Heady
b. 14 September 1833, Grass Township, Spencer County, Indiana, to Esquire and Susanna “Sucky” E. (Cotton) Heady
d. 13 January 1907, Kremlin, Garfield County, Oklahoma Territory

Children with Ruth Miller Heady:

  • Robert Merrifield (1855-1935) married Sarah Belle Dillin
  • Christopher Julius (1857-1891) married Jessie C. Linnens
  • John Samuel (1858-aft. 1900)
  • Franklin A. (1860-1926) married Laura Evelyn Springston
  • Effa (1866-1884)
  • Clara Flora (1868-1909) married Floyd Dillon
  • Blanche (1872-1904) married Kile R. Ochiltree

John was a carpenter and moved west as the railroads opened the west. He served in the Civil War in Company E, 58th Regiment, Indiana from October 1861 to July 1865.

He lived in Pike County and in Bainbridge and Harbison townships in Dubois County while in Indiana. He left about 1878 from Harbison Township to Harvey County, Kansas, then moved on to Pueblo, Colorado about 1891.

Submitted by:
Radine Brenton Weedon
Stow OH

Riley Main

Riley Main
b. 1 July 1794, Litchfield, to Samuel and Mary (Cleveland) Main
d. 18 February 1881, Aleado, Abington Township, Mercer County, Illinois

m. 16 November 1818, Oil Township, Perry County, Indiana
Patsy Walker
b. 2 January 1797, Green County, Kentucky
d. 2 November 1865, Aleado, Mercer County, Illinois

Children with Patsy Walker:

  • Allen
  • Nancy
  • Eliza
  • Walker
  • Martha
  • William Riley
  • Mary
  • John Wesley

Riley immigrated to Dubois County, Indiana, from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in 1830. He emigrated from Crawford County, Indiana, to Keithsburg, Mercer County, Illinois, before 2 November 1865.

Submitted by:
Patricia Armstrong
Mooresville IN