Category Archives: Parke County

Bert O. Cook

Bert O. Cook
b. 16 July 1879 at Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN to Andrew Cook and Martha Hayth
d. 12 Aug 1944 at Clinton, Vermillion Co., IN
bur. Roselawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN

Bert Cook

Bert Cook

Bert Cook gravestone

Bert Cook gravestone

m. 20 Sept 1899 at Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN
Minnie Puntenney
b. 18 Sept 1880 at Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN to John Guffy Puntenney and Margaret Hixon
d. 30 Jun 1953 at Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN
bur. Roselawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN

Children with Minnie Puntenney:

  • Bereniece Cook (1990–1984), m. George Richardson
  • Maxine Eliza Cook (1903–1991), m. Walter B. (“Tip”) Murphy
  • Madonna Opal Cook (1909–1993), m. Parke Lewman

Bert’s obituary in the Montezuma Enterprise, 17 August 1944, stated that he died of a heart attack in Clinton while on the way to see a doctor in town. He was a farmer and the operator of the Cook Grain company in Mecca. He was a Mason and member of both the lodge in Montezuma and the Scottish Rite at Indianapolis.

Bert was born on his parents’ farm southwest of Mecca and spent most of his life in Parke County. He was survived by his wife Minnie; three daughters, Mrs. George Richardson and Mrs. W. B. Murphy, both of Mecca, and Mrs. Parke Lewman of Montezuma; and three sisters, Mrs. Jennie Carrico of Terre Haute, Mrs. Rose Miles of Rockville, and Mrs. Eva Funkhouser of Hymera. He also had four grandchildren.Rev. Robert Shanklin, pastor of the Montezuma Methodist Church, presided over the funeral service.

Submitted by:
Mikel Lewman
mblewman@yahoo.com

John Guffy Puntenney

John Guffy Puntenney
b. 14 Dec 1834, Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN to Aquilla Puntenney and Elenor (Headley) Puntenney
d. 23 Feb 1917, Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN
bur. Hixon Cemetery, Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN

John Guffy Puntenney

John Guffy Puntenney

m/1.
Liddie Brown

m/2.
Phoebe Miller

m/3. 11 Mar 1875 (probably Parke Co., IN)
Margaret Hixon 
b. 3 Mar 1841, Parke Co., IN to William and Margaret Hixon
d. 8 May 1917, Parke Co., IN
bur. at Hixon Cemetery, Wabash Twp., Parke Co., IN
*Margaret was previously married to Hiram Wiese

Children with Margaret Hixon:

  • Ethel Puntenney (1 Jul 1878 – 15 Sept 1954)
  • Minnie Puntenney (28 Sept 1880 – 12 Aug 1953)

John Guffy Puntenney lived in Wabash Township, Parke Co., Indiana all his life. He was the son of Aquilla and Elenor (Headley) Puntenney, who migrated from Ohio to Indiana in 1818. Aquilla acquired several acres in Wabash Township through a land bounty grant which he received for his service in the War of 1812. As a young man, John ran a general store in Armiesburg, Indiana but soon returned to his family farm where spent the rest of his life as a farmer. John and his wife, Margaret, had two daughters, Ethel and Minnie. John was known among his friends and neighbors as honest, quiet, and unassuming. He was a Republican who supported Prohibition, and was a member of the Methodist Church.

Submitted by:
Mikel Bert Lewman
Montezuma, IN
E-mail: mblewman@yahoo.com

James D Nicholson

James D Nicholson
b. 21 May 1837 at Parish of Bower, Caithnesshire, Scotland to John Nicholson and Catherine Bain
d. 19 Oct 1908 OK
bur. Seceder Cemetery (also called Portland Mills), Parke Co., IN

James Nicholson gravestone

James Nicholson gravestone

m. 25 Dec 1866 Buffalo, MO ?
Susanna Rexrode 
b. 13 Apr 1868 in Virginia to Henry Edmund Rexrode and Maria/Mary Burkholder
d. 16 Dec 1887 at Parke Co., IN
bur. Seceder Cemetery, Parke Co., IN

Children with Susanna Rexrode:

  • Mary (Molly) Belle Nicholson (13 Apr 1868-) m. George T. Johnson 7 Apr 1892
  • Charles T. Nicholson (19 Feb 1870-) m1. Nora Ratcliff m2. Bessie Minaul 16 Feb 1903
  • Ora Alice Nicholson (22 Mar 1874-5 Oct 1875)
  • William M. Nicholson (17 Jun 1876-) m. Bessie Riner 24 Nov 1897
  • John H. Nicholson (23 Aug 1878- ) m1. Cecil Mount 17 Jun 1903 m2. Artie B. Day 14 Oct 1912
  • Carmie Ethel Nicholson (27 Jun 1881-1 Mar 1961) m. William Clarence Wysong 16 Aug 1902
  • Katy Pearl Nicholson (27 Jan 1884-) m. Olan Lecker Williams Jun 1912

James D. Nicholson emigrated from Scotland in 1840. He arrived in Indiana in about 1842. With the exception of two periods in his life – between 1866 and 1882 and between 1907 until his death in 1908 – he spent all of his life in Parke County, Indiana.

Submitted by:
Roberta Wysong
Bloomington, IN
E-mail: rlwysong@aol.com

John Nicholson

John Nicholson
b. 26 Oct 1807 at Parish of Bower, Caithnesshire, Scotland to David Nicholson and Janet Smith
d. 27 Oct 1886 at Parke Co., IN
bur. Seceder Cemetery (also called Portland Mills), Parke Co., IN

John Nicholson gravestone

John Nicholson gravestone

m. 29 Jun 1830 Scotland
Catherine Bain 
b. 1805 at Parish of Bower, Caithnesshire, Scotland to James Bain and Margaret Murray/Murry
d. 1841 Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada

Children with Catherine Bain:

  • Margaret Nicholson (10 May 1831-11 Jul 1905) m. William Porter 31 Aug 1848
  • Janet/Jennet Nicholson (5 Apr 1833-6 Mar 1922) m. James Pyle 10 Sept 1851
  • David Nicholson (23 Jul 1835-5 Mar 1913) m. Mary C. Dickson 6 Mar 1861
  • James D. Nicholson (21 May 1837-19 Oct 1908) m. Susanna Rexrode 25 Dec 1866
  • William Nicholson (9 Jul 1839-31 Jan 1865) m. Mary Ruth Bishop 13 Mar 1862

John Nicholson emigrated from Scotland in 1840. He arrived in Indiana about 1842 and lived briefly in Morgan County, before settling in Greene Township, Parke County, Indiana for the rest of his life.

Submitted by:
Roberta Wysong
Bloomington, IN
E-mail: rlwysong@aol.com

Carmie Ethel Nicholson and William C Wysong

Carmie Ethel Nicholson
b. 27 Jun 1881 at Moline, Kansas to James D. Nicholson and Susannah Rexrode
d. 1 Mar 1961 at Clinton Twp., Putnam Co., IN
bur. Seceder Cemetery (also called Portland Mills), Greene Twp., Parke Co., IN

William Wysong and Carmie Nicholson gravestone

William Wysong and Carmie Nicholson gravestone

m1. 16 Aug 1902 Albuquerque, NM
William C. Wysong 
b. 12 Jan 1881 Missouri, to William Henry Wysong and Harriet Perkins
d. 30 Jun 1906 Greene Twp., Parke Co., IN
bur. Seceder Cemetery (also called Portland Mills), Greene Twp., Parke Co., IN

m2. Sept 1921
James A. Tabor 
b. 29 Sept 1870
d. 3 Feb 1954

Children of Carmie Ethel Nicholson and William C. Wysong:

  • Harold James Wysong (23 Nov 1903-28 Dec 1981) m. France Evelyn Akers
  • Delia Pearl Wysong (29 Jul 1905-14 Jan 1998) m. Frederick W. Oberst
  • Marjorie Alice Wysong (23 Aug 1906-24 Sept 1997) m. Robert Lloyd Neelley

Carmie Nicholson lived in Indiana most of her life. Although born in Kansas, her family returned to Indiana in 1882. She went to Albuquerque, NM in 1902 with her brother, who had lost his wife to tuberculosis. William Clarence Wysong followed her there and they married in Albuquerque. They remained there until 1903 and returned to Indiana in 1905. After William died, Carmie and their children lived in Oklahoma for the years 1907-1922. She married James Tabor in 1921 and soon after returned to Indiana, where she remained for the rest of her life.

William Clarence Wysong lived in Indiana for most of his life. He was born in Missouri but his parents moved back to Indiana when he was about 2 years old. He married in Albuquerque, NM while living there from 1902-1903 and was again in New Mexico between 1905 and 1906. William died from typhoid fever and pneumonia on 30 June 1906 in Parke Co., Indiana.

Submitted by:
Roberta Wysong
Bloomington, IN
E-mail: rlwysong@aol.com

William “Riley” Murray

William “Riley” Murray
b. 27 April 1873, Rosedale, Parke County, Indiana, to Joseph and Mahala (Montgomery) Murray
d. 17 October 1959, Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota

m. 3 July 1893, Rosedale, Parke County, Indiana
Elizabeth Ellen Bryant
b. 24 June 1875, Vigo County, Indiana, to William Cleaster and Julia Louise (Grindle) Bryant
d. 16 July 1946, Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota

Children with Elizabeth Ellen Bryant:

  • Raymond (1894-1894)
  • Grace Ellen (1895-1963) married (1) William Epperson, (2) Forrest E. Cox, (3) S. Alvin
  • Ethel Gladys (1897-1987) married Willard D. Greenleaf
  • Stella (1899-1901)
  • Mary May (1901-1989) married (1) Georg Frison, (2) Claude Allen
  • William Anthony (1903-1995) married Ann Mary Johnson
  • Harry Cleaster (1905-1984) married Myrtle Kline
  • Lee Harvey (1907-1987) married Lillian Standahl
  • Julia Esther (1913-1984) married (1) Walter Horne, (2) Felix Ochose, (3) Arnold Huddleston, (4) Walter Shaver

While in Indiana, Riley worked as a checker in the coal mines. He would take the metal “checks” or brass tags off of each man’s cart of coal as he weighed it and credited the man with the coal he had dug.

In 1914, at the urging of Elizabeth’s brother Bill, the family moved to Devils Lake, North Dakota. Riley worked for Bill, who maintained a coal and feed business, for the first year. In the spring of 1915, Riley went into farming. In 1923, he rented two farms of 500 acres each, with rights to 200 acres of Dry Lake. He used horses and employed quite a few men during the year, especially during harvest time.

The Murray home was noted for its hospitality and was a neighborhood gathering place on Sundays. There would be games of baseball, horseshoe pitching, and other activities with Elizabeth serving hundred of doughnuts and beverages.

In the fall of 1943, the farm machinery was sold at auction, and Riley and Elizabeth retired in Devils Lake. The farm was rented to son Bill Murray. Daughter, Ethel Greenleaf, continued to live in Devils Lake, but the rest of the family spread out from Michigan to Washington states.

Submitted by:
Jennifer Cruse
Terre Haute IN
E-mail: jencruse@msn.com

Charles Mortimer Bryant

Charles Mortimer Bryant
b. 12 August 1894, Rosedale, Parke County, Indiana, to William Cleaster and Julia Louise (Grindle) Bryant
d. 24 November 1959, Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin

m. about 1923, Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin
Lucy Murphy
b. about 1898

Children with Lucy Murphy:

  • William Edward (1925-1982) married Joan Claire Goodreau
  • Elizabeth married Sylvester Campbell

Charles left Indiana in 1914, moving to Devils Lake, North Dakota with the W. R. Murray family. He left to join his brother, William Edward Bryant, but later moved to Superior, Wisconsin where he remained until his death.

For a time, he worked for the Great Northern Railway and The Express Company. He also served as deputy county auditor under J. A. Kramer. He was a clerk of the draft board and enlisted from Devils Lake in 1917. During World War I he served overseas. When he returned to Devils Lake, he resumed his position as deputy county auditor.

Charles was a charter member of the Tim Running Post of the American Legion and served as its first commander. He was also a member of the Masonic bodies and Kern Temple.

After leaving Devils Lake, he resided in Superior, Wisconsin, and was employed in the store department of the Great Northern Railway at Superior. He was married, raised a family, and lived in Superior until his death in 1959.

Submitted by:
Jennifer Cruse
Terre Haute IN
E-mail: jencruse@msn.com

Lucien Andrew Foote

Lucien Andrew Foote
b. 16 December 1824, Batavia City, Clermont County, Ohio, to Andrew and Jane (Tweed) Foote
d. 30 November 1910, Lake Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin

m/1. 3 December 1851
Susan Grier Sunderland
b. 23 April 1833, Rockville, Parke County, Indiana, to John and Elizabeth (Page) Sunderland
d. 1 April 1858, Rockville, Parke County, Indiana

m/2. 9 May 1860, Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.
Ann Amelia Holt
b. 19 February 1832, Harper’s Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia
d. 18 November 1916, Lake Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin

Children with Susan Grier Sunderland:

  • Caroline Esther (1853-1932) married Walter Hiram Curtis
  • Eliza (1855-1915)
  • Ella Louise (1857-1922)

Children with Ann Amelia Holt:

  • Mary Florence (1861-1886) married [–?–] Kimball

Lucien came with his parents and siblings from Cincinnati in April 1833 via steamboat to the rapids below Vincennes, than by land to Rockville, Parke County, Indiana. Their household goods came by keelboat to Montezuma.

Besides being a Forty-Niner and purveyor of supplies in California, he had a bookstore, was Auditor of Parke County, Indiana, was Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Indiana, and Councilman in Crawfordsville, Indiana for three terms. He served on the school board at Crawfordsville for six years, served in the Civil War and became Grand High Priest of Masonic Grand Chapter of Indiana.

Submitted by:
Grace C. Eells
West Allis WI
E-mail: gracedickeells@highstream.net

Catherine Byerly

CATHERINE BYERLY
b. 28 July 1824, North Carolina, to George Joseph and Leah (Sappenfield) Byerly
d. 9 August 1902, Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa

m/1. 27 August 1846, Greene Township, Parke County, Indiana
James Mottern
b. 1823, Carter County, Tennessee
d. 27 August 1853, Greene Township, Parke County, Indiana

m/2. 12 June 1873, Iowa
Nicholas Mottern
b. 20 February 1820, Carter County, North Carolina
d. 19 April 1893, Parke County, Indiana (his first wife was Sarah Sappenfield)

Children with James Mottern:

  • Melissa Jane (b. 1847)
  • Julia Ann Leah (b. 1849)
  • Rachel Martha (b. 1851)
  • Mary Lucy Deborah (b. 1852)

James and Nicholas Mottern were brothers. Catherine Byerly and Sarah Sappenfield were cousins.

The first three children were born in Parke County, Indiana; the last child was born in Knoxville, Marion County, Iowa.

Catherine left Greene Township, Parke County, Indiana, in 1852.

Submitted by:
Lucy F. Katz
Long Beach CA
E-mail: lucy.katz@gte.net

Levi Burton

LEVI BURTON
b. 1767, Maryland
d. 1860, Des Moines, Iowa

m/1. 9 March 1803, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
Elizabeth Lansford
b. 7 January 1786, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
d. 1811, Harrison County, Indiana

m/2. 24 February 1812
Mary Mitchell

Children with Elizabeth Lansford:

  • Thomas (1804-1864)
  • Mary (1806-1886)
  • Nancy (b. 1808)
  • Isham (1811-1899)

The family came to Harrison County, Indiana, about 1810 and moved to Parke County around 1825. In 1842, they moved to West Point Township, Iowa, and in 1848 moved to Des Moines County, Iowa.

Submitted by:
Joe Wood
South Bend IN