John Tratebas

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John Tratebas
b. 14 December 1892, Liberty Township, Porter County, Indiana, to John and Sarah (Taylor) Tratebas
d. 4 April 1960, Quincy, Massachusetts

m/1. 17 November 1914, Porter County, Indiana
Opal Adelia Barber
b. 30 January 1897, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana, to Alpheus James and Elizabeth (Gater/Geater) Barber
d. 31 October 1987, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana

m/2. 4 October 1928, Boston, Massachusetts
Verna Maranda Atkins
b. 3 September 1903, Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
d. 29 September 1971, Quincy, Massachusetts

Children with Opal Adelia Barber:

  • Edmund Wyatt (b. 1915) married Gladys Myrtle Spurr
  • John, III (1919-1998) married Evelyn Louise Cole
  • Russell Lewis (b. 1921) married Edith May Downs

Children with Verna Maranda Atkins

  • son (b. Massachusetts)

John’s family came to Porter County, Indiana, in the 1830’s. There were two mills in Porter County, which were the occupations of John Tratebas, I and John Tratebas II.

Submitted by:
Gladys M. Tratebas
Helmsburg IN
E-mail: tratebas@aol.com

William Vincent Tratebas

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William Vincent Tratebas
b. 10 May 1839, Westchester Township, Porter Counter, Indiana, to Edmund and Hannah (Thomas) Tratebas
d. 6 March 1909, Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois

m. 13 December 1868, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Harriet Arvilla Sanders
b. 23 March 1851, Berrien Springs, Berrien County, Michigan
d. 14 January 1927, Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Georgia

Children with Harriet Arvilla Sanders:

  • Joseph Norman (1869-1942) married Estella Ann Crawford
  • Lovinna Irene (1872-1958)
  • Edmund A. (1876-1951)
  • Emma Jean (1880-1958) married Arthur A. Muller

William’s father, Edmund, was born in France, but was in the United States by 1834, when he married Hannah Thomas in Ohio. They moved to Porter County, Indiana, and Edmund is buried as a pioneer in the Chesterton Cemetery in Porter County.

A further documentation of this family can be found at the Allen County Public Library as well as in various other libraries around the state. The history of two mills in Porter County, which were the occupations of John Tratebas, I and John Tratebas, II, are included in this family history.

Submitted by:
Gladys M. Tratebas
Helmsburg IN
E-mail: tratebas@aol.com

Mary Bryant

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Mary Bryant
b. 5 December 1827, Sullivan County, Indiana, to William and Elizabeth Bryant
d. 5 October 1889, Van Buren County, Iowa

m/1. about 1846
Zephaniah Donaho
b. about 1805, Pennsylvania
d. before 1857

m/2.
William Barr
b. 1813, Ohio
d. 27 February 1882, Van Buren County, Iowa

Children with Zephaniah Donaho:

  • John William (1846-1909) married (1) Margaret Jackson, (2) Amanda Florence Hurst
  • Josiah (b. 1848)
  • Elizabeth (1850-aft. 1900)

Children with William Barr:

  • Amelia (1860-aft. 1900) married Charles Schooler
  • Emil (1862-aft. 1920) married Bertha Long
  • Emily (b. 1862)

Mary’s family immigrated to Turman Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, before her birth in the early 1800’s.

After her first husband died, Mary moved to Van Buren County, Iowa, where her sister Elizabeth Bryant and husband, John Baird, had settled. Her brother, Thomas Bryant, a disabled Civil War veteran also lived there.

In 1882, Mary was again widowed and her married daughter, Amelia, is living there as well.

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

Richard Hebb Jones

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Richard Hebb “Dick” Jones
b. 30 September 1904, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, to Zachariah and Emma Grace (McGrew) Jones
d. 25 May 1995, Detroit, Michigan

m. 14 June 1928, Monroe, Monroe County, Michigan
Jenny Mae Wilson
b. 5 December 1907, Winchester, Clark County, Kentucky
d. 25 December 1993, Detroit, Michigan

Children with Jenny Mae Wilson:

  • Richard Lewis (1931-1984) married (1) Marjorie Leachman, (2) Marjorie Nance

Richard was the next to the oldest in a large family of eleven children. He was born in Indiana and remained here until the 1920’s when he relocated to Michigan, near Detroit.

Richard was a successful businessman, venturing into the hardware and grocery businesses. Both he and his wife worked together in these operations.

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

James D. Lewis

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James D. Lewis
b. 1 August 1862, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, to William and Mary (Griffiths) Lewis
d. 12 February 1940, Royalton, Franklin County, Illinois

m. 22 June 1891, Pulaski County, Kentucky
Litha Emmaline Strunk
b. 15 May 1863, Kentucky
d. after 1945

Children with Litha Emmaline Strunk:

  • Florence (b. 1892) married Keith Hayne
  • Mary Jane (b. 1894) married George Williams
  • Clementine (b. 1896) married John Barbee
  • Emerson (b. 1898)

James immigrated to Indiana from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, in 1881. He first lived in Otter Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, and then moved to Nevins Township in Vigo County. He left Indiana between 1910 and 1920, going first to Henderson County, Kentucky, and then settled in Royalton, Franklin County, Illinois.

While living in Wales, James worked in the mines. When he came to the United States, he continued in the mining industry and was superintendent of the mines while in Kentucky.

James was very fond of dogs and was an avid hunter.

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

Thomas Lewis

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Thomas Lewis
b. 1 April 1856, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, to William and Mary (Griffiths) Lewis
d. November 1932, Sandoval, Marion County, Illinois

m. about 1880, Wales
Margaret [–?–]
b. October 1852
d. before April 1930, Sandoval, Marion County, Illinois

Children with Margaret [–?–]:

  • Mary (1881-bef 1932) married [–?–] Schmidt
  • Margaret (b. 1892)
  • Harriet Jane “Etta” (ca. 1895-1964)

Thomas adopted Harriett’s son, Richard Thomas Lewis, who was born about 1920 in Illinois.

Thomas emigrated from Wales to Indiana in 1888. His wife Margaret followed in 1890, with their daughter Mary. They lived in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, and later moved to Patoka Township, Gibson County, Indiana, before leaving Indiana and settling in Sandoval Township, Marion County, Illinois. According to his niece, Gladys Elaine Devonald, he was a very quiet man who loved his family very much. He was a coal mines in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and continued in that line of work in both Indiana and Illinois.

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

Jackson Jones

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Jackson Jones
b. 17 May 1869, near Huron, Lawrence County, Indiana, to Thomas and Sarah Caroline (Reed) Jones
d. 1 January 1964, St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri

m. 15 October 1892, Daviess County, Indiana
Nancy Ella Hammersley
b. September 1872

Children with Nancy Ella Hammersley:

  • Herman (b. aft 1900)
  • Monroe (b. aft. 1907)

Jackson was born in Indiana, and lived in Washington, Spice Valley, and Center townships while in Indiana. He eventually moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Jackson had two brothers, Zachariah and Louis, and one sister, I. May Jones. He also had half-brothers and sisters; Mary Jane, William, Henry Jones; Henry Clay, Mary Elizabeth, and William Harrison Redyard.

He was a lather by trade and is buried in Memorial Park, St. Louis, Missouri.

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

Edward James Roberts

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Edward James Roberts
b. about 1899, Glam Treorhy, Wales, to William John and Elvira (Llewellyn) Roberts
d. 1958, near Avery, Michigan

m.
Florence [–?–]
b. about 1905, Ohio

Children with Florence [–?–]:

  • Betty J. (b. ca. 1920)
  • Richard (b. ca. 1923)
  • William (b. ca. 1924)
  • Dorothy A. (b. ca. 1925)

Edward immigrated to the United States from Wales in 1904. He lived in Otter Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, with his parents. After his mother died in 1912, his father remarried and the family moved to Michigan. William was killed in an auto accident on the Michigan turnpike.

Edward was a dye maker for a steel mill.

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

William John Roberts

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William John Roberts
b. 20 June 1878, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales, to Thomas and Sarah (Devonald) Roberts
d. 22 February 1958, Detroit, Michigan

m/1. 7 July 1897, Pontypridd, Wales
Elvira Llewellyn
b. 1876, Glam Bridgend, Wales
d. 30 June 1912, West Terre Haute, Indiana

m/2.
Laura A. [–?–]
b. about 1875, Indiana

Children with Elvira Llewellyn:

  • Edward James (1899-1958) married Florence [–?–]
  • David W. (b. 1898)
  • Blodwyn (b. 1905)
  • Llewelyn (1907-1984) married Rosalia M. “Sally” [–?–]
  • John E. (b. 1901)

William John arrived in the U.S. in 1903, settling in Otter Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, where his half-brother, James L. Devonald, and James’ wife, Margaret Sarah (Lewis) Devonald were residing.

After Elvira passed away in 1912, two of his children, Blodwyn and Llewellyn, went to live with their uncle, James L. Devonald. Later the children were placed in the Rose Orphans Home in Terre Haute but their father eventually was able to retrieve them. He remarried and moved to the Detroit, Michigan area to live, where he had family.

William John’s three oldest children were born in Wales while the youngest two were born in Indiana. He was a coal miner in Wales and in Indiana. He worked as an inspector for a brass company in Michigan.

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

Thomas Bryant

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Thomas Bryant
b. 17 July 1824, Sullivan County, Indiana, to William and Elizabeth Bryant
d. 20 May 1893, Van Buren County, Iowa

Thomas’ family arrived in Turman Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, in the early 1800’s from Kentucky, but Thomas later left Indiana to live with other family members in Van Buren County, Iowa. He served during the Civil War in Company H, 21st Missouri Volunteer Infantry, where he became disabled. He suffered from dysentery for the remainder of his life. Thomas never married.

Thomas is buried in Harness Cemetery in Van Buren County, Iowa

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