George W Thompson

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George W Thompson
b. 14 February 1850, Parke County, Indiana, to Alfred and Martha (Nevins) Thompson
d. 12 May 1902, Vernon County, Missouri

m/1. 13 February 1870, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
Martha Ann Rukes
b. 16 May 1850, Parke County, Indiana, to William and Mary Jane (Adams) Rukes/Rooks
d. 24 August 1885, Vernon County, Missouri

m/2. November 1885, Vernon County, Missouri
Julia Etta Rukes
b. 30 January 1866, Vigo County, Indiana, to William and Sarah (Ellensworth) Rukes
d. 13 January 1952, Cedar County, Missouri

Children with Martha Ann Rukes:

  • Clara Etta (1871-1959)
  • Franklin Charles (1872-1938) married Emma Matilda Weide
  • William (1875-1906)
  • Benjamin Perry (1882-1958)
  • Lulu (b. 1883/4)
  • Edna May (1885-1885)

Children with Julia Etta Rukes:

  • Wilbur Ernest (1866-1942)

George emigrated from Vigo County, Indiana, to Walker, Vernon County, Missouri, in 1872. When Martha and baby Edna died in 1885, George married Julia, who raised Martha’s children. Julia was Martha’s half-sister.

Submitted by:
Betty Jane Lagerquist
Loves Park IL

Eli Bird Thomas

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Eli Bird Thomas
b. 5 October 1855, Milroy, Rush County, Indiana, to Eli and Mahala (Neale) Thomas
d. 16 December 1936, Carbon, England County, Texas

m. 7 August 1881, near Kinsley, Edwards County, Kansas
Elizabeth Angeline King
b. 16 July 1864, Madison County, Indiana
d. 27 February 1890, Rushville, Rush County, Indiana

Children with Elizabeth Angeline King:

  • Estella Mahala
  • Albert Eli
  • Chase Sexton

Eli emigrated from Rush County, Indiana, about 1880 to Edwards County, Kansas.

Submitted by:
Eugene F. Gray
East Lansing MI

William Tennis

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William Tennis
b. 30 September 1832, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, to Samuel S. and Jane (Crow) Tennis
d. 14 March 1914, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma

m. 5 September 1878, Forest City, Iowa
Laura C. Westbury
b. 6 July 1860, Forest City, Iowa
d. 15 May 1937, Kingfisher County, Oklahoma

Children with Laura C. Westbury:

  • Lloyd A.
  • Lillie E.
  • Jennie
  • Sam
  • Bertha
  • Mabel
  • Everett
  • Nora
  • Angie

William was the first settler in Norway Township, Winnebago County, Iowa, in 1856. He spent four years, 1860-1864, in Colorado with two partners mining for silver and gold. They were isolated from the world and lived off the land. Arriving in Denver, Colorado, still a tent city, to record and claim their mine in 1864, they discovered that there had been a Civil War but that it was now just over.

William lost the Humboldt silver mine, the largest silver mine in Colorado, when papers were destroyed in a house fire in Forest City, Iowa, in 1892. He and his family then migrated to Kingfisher, Oklahoma, where he again homesteaded during the Oklahoma Land Rush. He never had the chance to return to Denver, Colorado, to renew the burned papers showing his one-third ownership in the Humboldt mine due to his large family of seven children by 1893.

Laura (Westbury) Tennis was a fourth cousin to Gene Stratton, the original “Tom Thumb”. She was the midwife for at least six of her grandchildren. After William’s death in 1914, she made her home with one of her sons.

Submitted by:
Glen R. Tennis
San Angelo TX

Samuel S Tennis

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Samuel S Tennis
b. 14 January 1790, Pennsylvania
d. 15 September 1888, Forest City, Winnebago County, Iowa

m. 25 March 1831, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Jane Crow
b. 17 April 1806, Pennsylvania
d. 24 April 1886, Norway Township, Winnebago County, Iowa

Children with Jane Crow:

  • Philip
  • Eliza married B. F. Wellman
  • William (1832-1914) married Laura C. Westbury
  • Joseph Tennis (1837-1909) married Carrie Belle Johnson
  • Mary married J. J. Kewley
  • Harriet Catharine “Kate” (1841-1942) married George Washington Strong
  • Lora married H. S. Botsford
  • Samuel W. (d. 1864)
  • Elsa Ann (1850-1908) married Egbert D. Skinner
  • Margaret

Samuel resided at Eel River Township, Allen County, Indiana, and Union Township, LaPorte County, Indiana. In 1859 he emigrated from Indiana to Forest City, Winnebago County, Iowa, and in 1861 he moved to Norway Township, Winnebago County.

According to family tradition, Samuel had a previous marriage to a woman who was the mother of Philip.

Samuel was elected county judge in Winnebago County, Iowa, in 1863 and re-elected in 1865 and 1867. When that position was abolished in 1867, he became the county auditor for one year.

Samuel’s son, Samuel W., died on 9 June 1864, while serving during the Civil War. He was marching with Company B of the Iowa Volunteers en route to Memphis, Tennessee.

Submitted by:
Kay Shoenwalk Shariff
Casper WY

Caroline Ermina Taylor

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Caroline Ermina Taylor
b. 16 July 1854, Indiana, to William H. and Eunice (Day) Taylor
d. 12 August 1914, Coldwater, Branch County, Michigan

m. about 1880
Edwin L. Dunham
b. 12 September 1852, Penfield, Monroe County, New York, to Lorenzo A. and Ruth (Miller) Dunham
d. 29 January 1890, Coldwater, Branch County, Michigan

Children with Edwin I. Dunham:

  • Jesse Edith (1879-1961) married Frank Hall
  • Julia Grace (1880-1902) married J. Alton Wentworth
  • Bernice Adell (1882-1910) married Charles Edwin Arnold
  • Mark T. (b. 1883)
  • Blanche O. (b. 1885) married Robert Howard Watson

Caroline emigrated from Indiana about 1860 to Butler Township, Branch County, Michigan.

Edwin I. Dunham, a mechanic, was the first in his city to succumb to “La Grippe,” which developed into pneumonia. Dying at 37 years old, he left his wife with five young children, the oldest of whom was nine years old.

Submitted by:
Marilyn Lane
Mountain View CA

William Thomas Tarpey

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William Thomas Tarpey
b. 27 February 1879, Indiana, to John and Ellen (Sheridan/Sherman) Tarpey
d. 10 April 1962, Vermillion, Ohio

m. 18 September 1927, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Delia Brigit Kelly
b. 8 May 1876, Indiana
d. 7 March, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Children with Delia Brigit Kelly:

  • Helen Tarpey married [–?–] West
  • John

Submitted by:
Mary Mathewson
Rocky River OH

John George Targett

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John George Targett
b. Somerset, England

m.
Margaret Morris
b. Scotland

Children with Margaret Morris:

  • Janet (1886-1971)
  • Ann (1890-1949)
  • George (1883-1977)
  • Henry (1897-1975)
  • Robert (1899-1969)

John immigrated to the United States in 1880. He was a coal miner and settled in Donaldsonville, now Brazil, Clay County, Indiana, where he met and married Margaret Morris.

Submitted by:
Janet Satterfield
Hyattsville MD

George Targett

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George Targett
b. 8 April 1893, Brazil, Clay County, Indiana, to John and Margaret (Morris) Targett
d. 29 August 1977, Wilmington, New Hanover, North Carolina

m. 1914, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Alice Adeline Piper
b. 22 February 1893, Leetonia, Columbiana County, Ohio
d. 23 December 1962, Washington, D.C.

Children with Alice Adeline Piper:

  • Louis Ruth (b. 1922) married [–?–] Swartz
  • Janet Ann (b. 1932) married [–?–] Satterfield

George emigrated from Indiana in 1920 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then moved to Washington, D.C., in 1927.

After graduating from school, George worked in the coal fields while attending business school at night. In the early 1900’s, the family moved to Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, where George obtained a job in the auditor’s office of the Vandalia Railroad. After the Vandalia Railroad was absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad System, he was transferred to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In the mid-1920’s, a railroad unit was formed in the Internal Revenue Service, and George moved his family to Washington, D.C. When the railroad unit was abolished in the 1930’s with the formation of the Railroad Retirement Board, he opted to remain with the Internal Revenue Service. According to his daughter, he co-authored the IRS Tax Forms 1040 and 1040A. Throughout his life, he was very proud of his Hoosier background.

Submitted by:
Janet Satterfield
Hyattsville MD

Sylvanus Sylvester Tackett

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Sylvanus Sylvester Tackett
b. 4 October 1849, Morgan County, Indiana, to Jeremiah and Rosanna Matilda (Kilgore) Tackett
d. 18 February 1908, Jefferson County, Illinois

m. 5 July 1869, Morgan County, Indiana
Debrah Asher
b. 16 March 1851, Morgan County, Indiana, to Robert and Catherine (Moser) Asher
d. 23 February 1907, Leech Township, Wayne County, Illinois

Children with Debrah Asher:

  • Walter (1869-1874)
  • Goodlet Elmer (1872-1880)
  • Willis (1878-1879)
  • William Watson (1879-1937)
  • Viola Belle (1881-1943)
  • Albert A. (1884-1955)
  • Mary Jane (1888-19965)

Sylvanus emigrated from Morgan County, Indiana, to Moultrie County, Illinois, about 1870.

Submitted by:
Terry L. Harper
Albion IL
E-mail: terryharper@verizon.net

Mary Jane Tackett

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Mary Jane Tackett
b. 7 February 1888, Morgan County, Indiana, to Sylvanus Sylvester and Debrah (Asher) Tackett
d. 7 August 1965, Heyworth, McLean County, Illinois

m/1. 15 August 1903, Mt. Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois
Albert A. Nesler
b. about 1877, Wabash, Illinois

m/2. 25 March 1908, Golden Gate, Wayne County, Illinois
Charles Headley
b. 24 August 1871, Leech Township, Wayne County, Illinois
d. 6 June 1959, Anna, Union County, Illinois

Children with Albert A. Nesler:

  • Elva Ester

Children with Charles Headley:

  • Freda Vivian
  • Marjorie Opal
  • Lester Leon
  • Charles Alan
  • Elsie Mae
  • Lois June

Mary Jane emigrated from Morgan County, Indiana, to Moultrie County, Illinois, about 1890.

Submitted by:
Terry L. Harper
Albion IL
E-mail: terryharper@verizon.net