Category Archives: Vigo County

James Lee

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Rev. James Lee
b. 1759-1760 in VA or NC, to (unknown) Lee and Jane Jones
d. 3 Mar 1819 at Vigo Co., Indiana
bur. Prairie Creek Baptist Church Cemetery at Vigo Co., Indiana

James Lee gravestone

James Lee gravestone

LEE James

m. abt 1784, Teas Valley, VA
Mary (Polly) Elizabeth Jones
b. abt 1750 at Frederick Co., MD
d. after 1820

Children with Mary Jones

  • John Lee (1785-1849) m. Amassa Lucas
  • Henry Lee (1790-1854) m. Priscilla Long
  • Samuel Lee
  • James Lee Jr. (1802-1877) m. Mary Kerchival
  • Elizabeth Lee (1787-1870) m. Thomas Ferguson
  • Jane Lee (1814-after 1900) m. George Southard
  • Ruth Crawford Lee (1788-1839) m. Isaac Dehman

Rev. James Lee and his family came to Indiana in 1817. They settled in Prairie Creek Twp., Vigo Co. and as a circuit minister, Rev. Lee helped to found the Prairie Creek Baptist Church, which is still active today. His burial marker was placed by the DAR and cites his service in the Revolutionary War as a private in the 10th NC Continental Line.

Submitted by:
Sandra Rackard
Mobile, AL
E-mail: SRackard@bellsouth.net

Emma “Grace” McGrew

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Emma “Grace” McGrew
b. 12 Apr 1877 Patricksburg, Owen Co., IN
d. 11 Mar 1963 Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN
bur. Roselawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN

Emma Grace McGrew

Emma Grace McGrew

m. 18 June 1902 Lewis, Vigo, IN
Zachariah “Zack” Jones
b. 21 Mar 1874 Huron, Lawrence Co., IN
d. 14 Jan 1968 Terre Haute, Vigo, IN

Children with Zachariah Jones

  • Glenn Winter (1903-1973) m/1.) Lois Edsil Eubank; m/2.) Gladys Marie Bryant
  • Richard Hebb (1904-1995) m. Jenny Mae Wilson
  • Clifford (1906-1976) m. Grace Louivier
  • Victoria Nevada (1908-1908)
  • Harold (1910-1962) m/1.)Dema Eberle; m/2.) Ruth M. Wilson
  • Herbert Raymond (1912-2003) m. Sylvia Dicks
  • Wayne Eugene (1915-1951) m/1.)Lorene David; m/2.) Helen Foltz
  • Kermit (1917-1995) m. Michael Kuckewich
  • Donald (1919-1975) m. Mary Ellingsworth
  • Wallace Z. (1921-1993) m. Alice G. Brown
  • Russell Edward (1923-1999) m. Geraldine Mullins

Grace was born to David Bacon McGrew and Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver and spent her entire life in Indiana. She married Zachariah Jones, who was the son of Thomas Jones and Sarah Caroline Reed. She died at the age of 85 after a fall.

Submitted by:
Jennifer Cruse
Terre Haute, IN
E-mail: JenniCruse@gmail.com

Julia Louise Balding Grindle

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Julia Louise Balding Grindle
b. 4 Dec 1854 Vigo Co., Indiana
d. 20 Dec 1895 Vigo Co., Indiana
bur. Kennedy Cemetery, Otter Creek Twp., Vigo Co., Indiana

Julia Grindle and William Bryant

Julia Grindle and William Bryant

m. 7 Apr 1870 William Cleaster Bryant
William Cleaster Bryant
b. 13 Dec 1848 Sullivan Co., Indiana
d. 15 July 1917 Vigo Co., Indiana
bur. Kennedy Cemetery, Otter Creek Twp., Vigo Co., Indiana

Children of Julia Louise and William Cleaster Bryant

  • Minnie F (1873-1881)
  • Elizabeth Ellen (1875-1946) m. William Riley Murray
  • William Edward (1880-1934) m1.) Margaret Sarah Devonald 2.) Dora Lillian Williams
  • Gertrude (1883-1883)
  • Della Estelle (1883-1980) m1.) Lee Center 2.)Omar Safford
  • Frank Verner (1886-1970) m. Elsie Baker
  • Catherine Venora (1890-1968) m. Frederick N. Cartright
  • (also an infant who died young)

Julia was born to Noah Simpson Grindle and Elizabeth Ann Balding. She lived in Indiana for most of her life, except for a brief period when she and her family were living in Iowa. She married William Cleaster Bryant who was the son of Christopher Myers Bryant and Martha Beard. Julia died one year after the birth of her youngest child. William was a farmer born to Christopher Myers Bryant and Martha Beard. He spent most of his time in Indiana except for a period when his family was living in IL and another period where he lived in Iowa briefly before moving back to Indiana. He married Julia Louise Grindle who was the daughter of Noah Simpson Grindle and Elizabeth Ann Balding. He and his wife are buried at Kennedy Cemetery in Vigo County.

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

David Bacon McGrew

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David Bacon McGrew
b. 29 Feb 1832 Ohio
d. 16 Jul 1910 Sullivan, Indiana
bur. Stephens Cemetery, Pierson Twp., Vigo Co., Indiana

David Bacon McGrew

David Bacon McGrew

David Bacon McGrew gravestone

David Bacon McGrew gravestone

m. 5 May 1859 Lewis, Vigo Co., Indiana
Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver
b. 16 Sept 1837 Ohio
d. 12 Apr 1922
bur. Stephens Cemetery, Pierson Twp., Vigo Co., Indiana

Children with Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver

  • Mary Florence (1860-1931) m. John Stickels
  • Nathan Alfred (1863-1951) m. Effie Armilda Trimble
  • Nevada Victoria (1865-1924) m. Richard H. Cochran
  • Eliza Jane (1868-1943) m. Winter Lovette Kimbel
  • Cora Anise (1870-1892)
  • Edward Huston (1874-1952) m. Ruth Rozelle Roberts
  • Emma Grace (1877-1963) m. Zachariah Jones

David was born in Ohio to Nathan McGrew and Mary Huston. After spending a time in Iowa, he returned to Indiana by 1870, settling in Patricksburg before finally moving to Vigo and then to Sullivan counties. He married Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver who was the daughter of Joseph Saltsgiver and Maria Davis Kail. They are both buried at Stephens Cemetery in Vigo County.

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

Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver

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Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver
b. 16 September 1837, Carr, Ohio, to Joseph and Maria Davis (Kail) Saltsgiver
d. 12 April 1922, Lewis, Vigo, Indiana
bur. Stephens Cemetery, Pierson Township, Vigo County, Indiana

Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver

Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver

Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver gravestone

Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver gravestone

m. 5 May 1859, Lewis, Vigo, Indiana
David Bacon McGrew
b. 29 February 1832, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, to Nathan and Mary (Huston) McGrew
d. 16 July 1910, Sullivan County, Indiana
bur. Stephens Cemetery, Pierson Township, Vigo County, Indiana

Children with David Bacon McGrew:

  • Mary Florence (1860-1931) married John Stickels
  • Nathan Alfred (1863-1951) married Effie Armilda Trimble
  • Nevada Victoria (1865-1924) married Richard H. Cochran
  • Eliza Jane (1868-1943) married Winter Lovette Kimbel
  • Cora Anise (1870-1892)
  • Edward Huston (1874-1952) married Ruth Rozelle Roberts
  • Emma Grace (1877-1963) married Zachariah Jones

Rebecca was born in Ohio and spent a short time in Iowa before moving to Patricksburg, Indiana then to Pierson Township in Vigo County, Indiana. She later move to Sullivan County, Indiana. After her husband’s death in 1910, Rebecca lived with her daughter, Mary Stickels and her family.

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

Zachariah Jones

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Zachariah “Zach” Jones
b. 21 March 1874 Huron, Lawrence County, Indiana to Thomas Jones and Sarah Caroline Reed
d. 14 Jan 1968 Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
bur. Roselawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana

Zachariah Jones

Zachariah Jones

m. 18 June 1902 Lewis, Vigo County, Indiana
Emma “Grace” McGrew
b. 12 Apr 1877 Patricksburg, Owen County, Indiana to David Bacon McGrew and Rebecca Ellen Saltsgiver
d. 11 Mar 1963 Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana

Children with Emma McGrew

  • Glenn Winter Jones (1903-1973)
  • Richard Hebb Jones (1904-1995)
  • Clifford Jones (1906-1976)
  • Victoria Nevada Jones (1908-1908)
  • Harold Jones (1910-1962)
  • Herbert Raymond Jones (1912-2003)
  • Wayne Eugene Jones (1915-1951)
  • Kermit Jones (1917-1995)
  • Donald Jones (1919-1975)
  • Wallace Z Jones (1921-1993)
  • Russell Edward Jones (1923-1999)

Zachariah was employed by the railroad for more than 50 years during which he served as a switchman, a brakeman, and a fireman. He was also a member of the brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen for more than 60 years and a member of the Retired Railroadmen’s Association later in life. He enjoyed listening to baseball games on the radio and playing cards.

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

William Anthony Murray

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William Anthony Murray
b. 5 July 1903, Sandcut, Vigo County, Indiana, to William Riley and Elizabeth Ellen (Bryant) Murray
d. 9 December 1995, Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota

m. 28 August 1931, Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota
Anna Mary Johnson
b. 21 May 1905, Yorton, Saskatchewan, Canada
d. 4 November 1998, Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota

Children with Anna Mary Johnson:

  • James Edward (1933-1933)
  • Lola Janice married Donald Mitchell Patnoude
  • Riley Emert (1936-2007) married Olive Jean Flowers
  • Howard Bryant married (1) Barbara Bratland, (2) Ruth Larson
  • Harlee Frank married Marilyn Toma

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

Claude Clinton Bowen

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Claude Clinton Bowen
b. 28 October 1895, Carlisle, Sullivan County, Indiana, to James Marion and Mary Elanore (Booker) Bowen
d. 5 November 1977, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

m/1. 6 June 1917, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
Pearl May Shipp
b. 13 October 1898, Hutsonville, Crawford County, Illinois, to James Nathan and Arena Evaline (Dillon) Shipp
d. 13 July 1928, Merom, Sullivan County, Indiana

m/2. 19 January 1951, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
Gladys Norris Bowman
b. 16 Apr 1897
d. 25 May 1972, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana

Children with Pearl May Shipp:

  • Nathan Clinton (1918-1989) married Bertha Mae (Green) Lackey
  • Charles Edward (1921-1967) married Beatrice Elaine Blackburn
  • Myrtle Irene (1923-1999) married Harley Wilbur Wilson
  • Charles Kenneth (1926-1979)

Claude Clinton’s grandfather Tavner B. Bourne/Bowen, at age 18, with his father Moses Bourne, mother Judith (Branham) Bourne and siblings moved from Jessamine County, Kentucky, in 1836 and settled in Widner Township, Knox County, Indiana. They moved to Sullivan County, Indiana, about 1870 and remained there.

Claude Clinton married and settled in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana. He moved to Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in 1972 after the death of his second wife Gladys to live with his oldest son Nathan. He remained there until his death and is buried in Grandview Cemetery in Terre Haute. His wife Gladys is buried beside him….

He was a veteran of World War I, having enlisted in Carlisle, Sullivan County, Indiana, on 17 August 1918. He was honorably discharged 26 December 1918 at Camp Sheridan, Alabama. He received the WWI Victory Button (Bronze, and the WWI Victory Medal.

Claude worked for the Terre Haute Paper Company, 19th and Penn Railroad, and retired from the Weston Paper and Manufacturing Company, all in Terre Haute, Indiana, in December 1964.

Submitted by:
Nathan Clinton Bowen, Jr.
Fayetteville NC
E-mail: bowenate@aol.com

Robert Earl Lee

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Robert Earl Lee
b. 2 February 1891, Alamo, Indiana, to James Wilson and Martha (Compton) Lee
d. 3 March 1971, Gateswood, Baldwin County, Alabama

m. 5 December 1911, Perdido, Alabama
Mildred Cecil Perry
b. 9 October 1890, Americus, Georgia, to John Edward and Lizzie Craig (Collins) Perry
d. 5 March 1957, Meridian, Mississippi

Children with Mildred Cecil Perry:

  • Sylvia Lucille (1912-2005) married Rufus Theodore William
  • Roy Edward (1913-1976) married Valla Mae Bonifay
  • James Durwood (1918-1920)
  • Bertha Vermell (b. 1919) married (1) Willis Vardaman Newman, (2) Roy Preslar, (3) Denny Roy Ard
  • Cecil Earl (1921-1991) married Alice Ree Lambert
  • Viola Vellina (b. 1924) married Lonnie Lorenza Paul
  • Elver Orlando (b. 1927) married Doris Carnley
  • Imogene (b. 1929) married David Eugene Tolbert
  • Trez Vann (b. 1932) married (1) Phillip Arlen Meetze, (2) John Wayne Rudder

Earl Lee’s great-great grandfather settled in Vigo County, Indiana, in 1817. He came from North Carolina via Kentucky and Ohio. His name was James Lee and he is buried in Prairie Creek Cemetery in Vigo County. The DAR has place a marker on his grave for service in the Revolutionary War.

Robert Earl moved south to Alabama in 1904 as a young boy with his parents. They were looking for a milder climate and cheap land. They found both in Alabama! Earl was a farmer and a carpenter. He is buried in the Clear Springs Cemetery in Baldwin County, Alabama.

Submitted by:
Sandra Rackard
Mobile AL
E-mail: srackard@bellsouth.net

William “Riley” Murray

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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