Noticeable Trends in Family History

There were some trends that really stood out as I completed the Wellons/Wyant family history, covering a time span from the late 1700’s to the late 1970’s. The trends outlined below are not necessarily in chronological order.

The industrialization of America is fully illustrated by our family history. From almost complete reliance on farming to almost complete reliance on mechanical skilled trades and manufacturing, the Wellons and Wyant clans survived the change really well. Our ancestors ended up in the right place (Anderson, Indiana) at the right time (early 1900’s).

The advent in birth control methods, first with surgical sterilization, and then with the birth control pill and other methods, changed everything. Family size dropped drastically over the course of the 1900’s. Along with this, economic wealth was not divided into ever smaller portions. Almost all of our early ancestors at least owned farm land and a home. But when you have 8-15 kids, there is nothing to inherit or pass on the the next generation. And it’s hard to build wealth when supporting so many people. America, unlike England, did not practice primogeniture, where the oldest child inherited the bulk of any wealth. Eventually, women started working outside the home, although this really didn’t happen until the baby boom generation.

The changes in transportation were drastic, from relying on horse power, to the development of trains, to the development of autos and air travel, folks could move greater distances and more quickly. In some ways however, the nomadic trend in our family branches defied this trend. Our families moved a lot and long distances when horses powered it all, mainly due to the availability of free or really cheap land as Americans drove the Native-Americans west. Although technically purchased by the federal government from the Indians, the deals were anything but fair to the sellers.

Eventually, family members started attending high school and even graduating. Although the move to college education didn’t happen until the 1970’s and later, it has mirrored national trends. Formal education was not required for farming in the early years or for even for skilled trade work and other manufacturing jobs, although some advanced mathematics was required and received as part of apprenticeships.

One thing about health stands out. The family was lucky in that there were a few deaths in infancy, but not nearly what you might expect given the level of medical knowledge in the period before World War II. Most children in our family survived and many lived long lives. There was almost a decline in the mid-1900’s as smoking contributed to early deaths. However, most folks reached middle age and senior status before smoking related diseases killed them. Maternal deaths appear to happen, but again not as frequently as you might expect.

Other Family Information

Religion

There isn’t a lot to know about our ancestor’s religion, but we know a little:

There were no Catholics in the family.

There was at least one Quaker family who settled near Richmond, Indiana.

Two men were described by at least some accounts as ministers: Daniel Hudson and Issac Fallis.


Occupations

Of course, almost everybody prior to 1900 was a farmer. One of the most significant changes in the family was the participation in the industrial revolution by working at Delco-Remy and Hill-Standard  in what are called “the skilled trades”.

There were no doctors (not counting chiropractic as practiced in the mid 1900’s).
There were no lawyers.
The two ministers were actually farmers. The ministry was very part-time.

But we had a few men who were not farmers in the 1800’s:

One ran a tannery.
One was a photographer just after the civil war.

And we get several occupations in the 1900’s other than farming and mechanical skilled trades.

We had no high school graduates until the middle 1900’s and no college graduates until the baby boomer generation.

Our Lucky and Unlucky Ancestors

Jessie Wyant, Bessie’s sister lived to 103.

Jacob Webb died at age 98, earning obituaries in 3 Madison County newspapers.

Aunt Carrie Wellons was divorced from Ralph Musick (and already remarried) when he committed a murder suicide by shooting his second wife and then himself.

Isaiah Lane died at 26 years old with a wife and 3 children. His estate was declared insolvent. Then his wife and her new husband filed to partition the property the survivors jointly inherited.

Harris Gammon died at age 20, with a wife and one child and another on the way.

The wealthiest folks in the family appear to be:

The father and son team of William and Andrew Carson, who have pages of property purchase records documented.

And Henry Wellons, who was granted 200 acres in Kentucky as a young man, plus a large inheritance from his father. A family story says he had 12 slaves on the Pulaski County, Kentucky “plantation”, and that the slaves were freed before the civil war by Henry or his son John Chapple Wellons, but there is no proof of either claim.

Veterans Roll of Honor

Ralph Robert Wellons served in World War II.

War of 1812:

Isaac Fallis
John Henry Shetterly
Andrew Carson

Civil War:

William B. Barnhizer
Isaac Wyant
John Chapel Wellons (Jr.)
And several brothers of direct ancestors.

Fun with Names

The most unusual names among our ancestors:

Three generations of the Nash family... in the Wyant line of our ancestry:

Obediah Nash (grandpa)

Pleasant Nash (pa)

Emaline Nash Carson (I like the name, but they called her Emma)

Cuthbert Webb, who is actually a Junior to Cuthbert Senior.

Mercy Mary Fallis, who named two of her daughters Mercy and Mary, of course!

And Ralph’s brother Branson (actually a first name in five generations in the family).

And his sister Pansy, who married Bessie’s brother Paul Wyant.

And let’s not forget Absolom Davenport, the father of Lucy Davenport (he’s actually another whole generation back)

And we had some old-fashioned names, like:

Delila Webb Lane

Isaiah Lane

And two Isaac’s... Isaac S. Wyant and Isaac Fallis.

The most unusual last name was the maiden name of the wife of Harris Gammon, who was Margaret Krutsinger.

There were some unusual middle names, until you realize that they are using an old custom of using the maiden name of the mother or grandmother. For example, John Chapple Wellons, John Lewis Lane, Jacob Mulford Webb.

Lots and Lots and Lots of Kids

One thing that struck me in pulling together our family trees was the large size of many of the families. Ralph Wellons came from a family with 10 kids. Bess Wyant Wellons came from a family with 8 kids. I thought these were huge families when I recalled all of our Great Aunts and Uncles... the ones we actually met in Anderson growing up. But this is nothing unusual in the 1800’s and early 1900’s for our ancestors.

For example:

Cuthbert and Mollie Webb had 14 kids and maybe 15, although Cuthbert may have had the last child with his second wife.

Thomas and Naomi Lamb had 11 kids.

John Henry Shetterly and Mary Jane Shetterly had 13 kids.

Jacob and Mary Webb had 13 kids.

John Chapple and Sarah “Sally” Wellons, Ralph’s Great Grandparents, had 14 when Sally died and John Chapple Wellons had a 15th later.

John Lewis Lane and Delila Lane had 13 kids (and 37 grandkids) according to her obituary and John Lewis Lane had one more with his next wife.

Pleasant Riley Nash had 11 kids, but with multiple wives.

FYI... the youngest parent appears to be Elisabeth Gammon Nash, Pleasant’s first wife, who had just turned 16 when she had Emma.

Where are We From?

The Wellons and Wyant ancestors described in this blog live in the following states:

Indiana
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Ohio
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
Kentucky
Illinois
Oklahoma
Missouri
Iowa
Tennessee
Kansas

This does not include states that Ralph and Bess Wellons siblings lived in other than Indiana (Aunt Jessie in California, for example). This also does not include moves by their kids (Mary Alice Dixon moving to NC or FL) or grandkids (Lee in FL, Todd in NC, etc.)

There is a most typical route and a couple of alternatives that led to Ralph and Bess and most of their siblings arriving in Anderson, Indiana in the early to mid 1900’s. From the Virginia and North Carolina area to Kentucky and then to Indiana is most common. Kentucky, like Tennessee, was once part of Virginia. Another, less common route is from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Indiana. And then some  get to Indiana and go west (for example, the Wyants end up in Kansas, Oklahoma and finally Missouri where Bess is born...then head back east to Indiana). There is also an Indiana to Illinois connection, with some rebounds back to Indiana.

What we don’t see is anyone coming from New York or the New England states. Nor do we see anyone from the Deep South other than the Carolinas. Nobody came from the west in the early years for obvious reasons. Ditto Florida.  Nobody came from or lived in the upper Midwest (north of Illinois and Iowa).

Also, although there are many early connections to what eventually become Confederate states, our family moved north prior to the civil war and supplied soldiers exclusively to the Union side.

After identifying the great great grandparents of Ralph and Bess, there are still no European born individuals. This covers the time frame starting in about 1750 or 1760. I have not examined individuals further back, although I have preliminary information and we would see some immigration from Europe in the years prior to American Independence.

And it is very possible that there is one branch of the family that is Native American in origin, although we really don’t have any specific information and may never be able to get that information to prove this connection. A DNA test might tell the story.

Elizabeth Gammon Nash

Elizabeth Gammon was the mother of Emaline Nash Carson, the grandmother of Mary Elizabeth Carson Wyant and the great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born after her father Harris Gammon’s death on April 15, 1832 in Orange County, Indiana.

Her parents were Harris Gammon (1811-1831) and Margaret Krutsinger (1812-1894). Her step-father was John L. McCarty.

She married Pleasant Riley Nash on August 12, 1850 in Orange County, Indiana.

Their oldest of 7 children, Emaline Nash, was born in December of 1853.

See Pleasant Riley Nash article for census reports showing their movement from Indiana to Clay County, near Xenia, in Illinois.

She died on January 17, 1865 near Xenia in Clay County, Illinois. She was just 33 years old. She is buried in the Stipp Cemetery in Clay County, Illinois.

Elizabeth’s mother married John L. McCarty on January 18, 1834, before Elizabeth’s 2nd birthday.

Pleasant Riley Nash

Pleasant Riley Nash was the father of Emaline Nash Carson, the grandfather of Mary Elizabeth Carson Wyant, and the great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant, my grandmother.

He was born on May 10, 1827 in Eminence Township, Morgan County, Indiana.

He died on October 30, 1899 in Songer Township of Clay County, Illinois.

His parents were Obediah Nash (1801-1851) and Nancy Edwards (1803-1888).

He married Elizabeth Gammon on August 12, 1850 in Orange County, Indiana.

In the 1850 census, he is 27 years old, still single, and living with the Mullens family. He is a farmer.

Their oldest of 7 children, Emaline Nash, was born in December 1853 in Illinois.

In the 1855 state census, they are counted in Clay County, Illinois.

In the 1860 census, he is 33 years old and living near Xenia, in Clay County, Illinois with wife Elisabeth (sic) and 3 children.

His wife Elizabeth dies on January 17, 1865 in Clay County, Illinois.

He married Nancy A. King on May 29, 1867 in Clay County, Illinois. She appears to have one child already.

In the 1870 census in Xenia, of Clay County, Illinois we have Pleasant, his wife Nancy and 7 Nash children and 1 King child. He is 42 years old.

In the 1880 census they are in Songer Township of Clay County, Illinois. He is age 53. They have 4 additional children, plus the older King child is at home.

His second wife, Nancy A. King died in 1897.

He marries Matilda Turner Gammon, his sister in law and wife of Elizabeth Gammon’s older brother, in Clay County, Illinois.

Pleasant Riley Nash died on October 30, 1899 in Songer Township of Clay County, Illinois.

Probate began on November 6, 1899.

Mary Elizabeth Carson Wyant

Mary Elizabeth Carson was the mother of my grandmother, Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons.

She was born on March 15, 1878 in Bond County, Illinois.

She married Charles Beltred Wyant on October 31, 1895 in Springfield, Missouri.

They had 8 children from 1897 to 1911 and all survived to adulthood. One was my grandmother Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, who was born in 1908.

Her parents were Andrew Jackson Carson (1850-1911) and Emaline Nash (1853-  ).

She died of pulmonary edema due to chronic nephritis on February 10, 1941.

In the census of 1900 in Newkirk, a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, she and husband “Charley” live with their first two sons, Frank and Freddie. She is 22 years old.

In the census of 1910, the family has moved to Ward 2 of Springfield, Missouri (Greene County), where my grandmother grows up. She is 32 years old. They have 7 children.

In the census of 1920, they are still in Springfield, MO and she is 41 years old. They have 4 children still at home.

In the 1930 census they have moved to Anderson, in Madison County, Indiana, my home town. She is 53 years old. She and Charley live with their oldest and youngest sons, Frank and Charlie.

Charles B. Wyant died in 1936 in Anderson, Indiana.

In the census of 1940 in Anderson, Indiana, she is living with her daughter Mary and her husband Roy Foster on Fairview Street in Anderson.

She dies on February 10, 1941 after 14 weeks in the hospital and is buried at Anderson Memorial Park.

Lucy Davenport Lowe

Lucy Davenport was the mother of Julie Lowe Wyant, the grandmother of Isaac S. Wyant, the great grandmother of Charles B. Wyant and the great great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born in 1777 in Powhatan County, Virginia.

Her parents were Absalom Davenport (1736-1821) and Elizabeth Steiger (1742-1826).

She died in about 1824 in Kentucky.

She married William Lowe (Jr.) on March 25, 1799.

Their daughter, Julia Lowe, was born about 1806 in Owen County, Kentucky.

She died in about 1824 in Kentucky.

William Lowe Jr.

William Lowe (Jr.) is the father of Julia Lowe Wyant, the grandfather of Isaac S. Wyant, the great grandfather of Charles B. Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

Note: The name is often spelled Low instead of Lowe.

William Lowe, (Jr.) was born about 1776. The birthplace is unknown, but is likely Powhatan County, Virginia.

His parents were William Lowe or Low (1754-1778) and Nancy Harvey. William Lowe (Sr.) was a private in 1st Troop of Lee’s Legion of the Continental Line during the Revolutionary War.

The date and place of death are unknown.

He married Lucy Davenport on March 25, 1799 in Powhatan, Virginia.

Their daughter, Julia Lowe, was born about 1806 in Owen County, Kentucky.

His wife Lucy Davenport Lowe died in about 1824.

One source of information about William Lowe (Jr.) and Lucy Davenport Lowe is the Family History of Mrs. Maggie May Banner.

Another source is the DAR Magazine, Volune 22, published in 1903, which has a note regarding the father which also connects to the son:

Title: “Low- Revolutionary Service of William Low of Powhatan County, Virginia.

“Family tradition says that he was killed in the Revolutionary War. He left one son, William Low (sic), who moved from Virginia to Woodford County, Kentucky and afterward to Owen County, Kentucky.”

Polly Sarah White Wyant

Polly Sarah White was the mother of Joshua Wyant, the grandmother of Isaac S. Wyant, the great grandmother of Charles B. Wyant and the great great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

As with her husband, documentation for Polly Sarah is very slim.

She was born in about 1765 in Kentucky.

She died in about 1843 in Warsaw, Kentucky, in Gallatin County.

She married Jacob Wyant. The date and place are unknown.

Their son, Joshua Wyant, was born in about 1804. It appears that he was the last of as many as 7 children.

The family is in two different communities in Gallatin County, Kentucky for the 1810 and 1820 censuses.

Husband Jacob Wyant died on February 20, 1821 in Warsaw, Kentucky.

Polly Sarah White Wyant died in about 1843 in Warsaw, Kentucky.

Jacob Wyant

Jacob Wyant was the father of Joshua Wyant, the grandfather of Isaac S. Wyant, the great grandfather of Charles B. Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

Documentation is very slim for Jacob Wyant.

He was born in about 1760 in Frederick County, Maryland.

He died on February 20, 1821 in Warsaw, Kentucky in Gallatin County. Warsaw is across the Ohio River from Indiana.

He married Polly Sarah White. The date and place of marriage are unknown.

Their son, Joshua Wyant, was born about 1804.

The 1810 census has the family in Gallatin Township of Gallatin County, Kentucky.

The 1820 census has the family in New Liberty Township of Gallatin County, Kentucky.

Jacob Wyant died on February 20, 1821 in Warsaw in Gallatin County, Kentucky.

There is a note on the Findagrave.com web site that says there is an unmarked grave for a Jacob Wyant in the Wyant Cemetery near Noblesville. The cemetery is on the property of Valley Forge Farms owned by Sam Harrell. It is more likely that this grave is for an ancestor of this Jacob Wyant since Polly Sarah White Wyant survived Jacob and she died in Warsaw, Kentucky.

Mercy Mary Vaughn Fallis

Mercy Mary Vaughn was the mother of Mary Fallis, the grandmother of Delila Ann Webb Lane, the great grandmother of Florence E. Lane Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born on August 4, 1774 in Halifax County, Virginia.

She married Isaac Fallis in Shenandoah County, Virginia on October 10, 1797.

One of their 10 children was Mary Fallis, who was born on November 24, 1810 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Another daughter was named Mercy!

The family moved from Virginia to Kentucky and eventually to the Bellbrook area of Sugar Creek Township in Greene County, Ohio, where they lived out their days.

Mercy Mary Vaughn Fallis died on August 4, 1834 and is buried in the Fallis Pioneer Cemetery on the site of their former farm in Sugar Creek Township in Greene County. Her headstone, which uses her first name, still stands.

Isaac Fallis

Isaac Fallis was the father of Mary Follis Webb, the grandfather of Delila Ann Webb Lane, the great grandfather of Florence E. Lane Wellons, and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born on May 7, 1779 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. He died on March 9, 1858 near Bellbrook in Sugar Creek Township of Greene County, Ohio.

His parents were Jacob Fallis (1750-1797) and Sarah Springer (1750-1809). Jacob is identified as a Quaker in some family trees on Ancestry.com.

Isaac Fallis married Mercy Mary Vaughn on October 10, 1797 in Shenandoah County, Virginia.

They appear to move to Kentucky for a few years, possibly in two different counties, and then eventually find their way to Greene County, Ohio.

There is a tax list in Mercer County, Kentucky for 1800 listing Isaac Fallis.

Their daughter, Mary Fallis was born on November 24, 1810 in Jefferson County, Kentucky. She was in the middle of a family of at least 10 children.

Isaac Fallis, sometimes referred to as Reverend Fallis, served as a private in the War of 1812 in Lanier’s Independent Battalion of the Ohio Militia.

In the 1820 census, they are in Sugar Creek Township of Greene County, Ohio. This will be their longtime home. We know where the farm was located because there is a family cemetery still in existence on the site of their former farm. In 1820 the family consists of 3 adults and 5 teenage or older children. Some of the children would already have left the home.

The 1830 census shows the family consisted of 6 children under the age of 20; 2 females aged 20-29; and 4 adults aged 40-49.

Isaac’s wife, Mercy Mary Vaughn, died on August 4, 1834.

Isaac married Rebecca Brooster in Montgomery County, Ohio on May 17, 1838. I believe they continued to live in Sugar Creek Township in Greene County.

The 1840 census in Sugar Creek Township enumerates one male aged 60-69 and one female aged 30-39. Issac was 26 years older than his second wife. They have a boy aged 10-14; a girl aged 10-14; and a young man aged 20-29. These would be Isaac and Mary’s children.

In the 1850 census in Sugar Creek Township we see:

Isaac 75 identified as a laborer instead of a farmer
Rebecca 49
Martha 9
Ruth 7
Charlotte 5

These girls are the children of Isaac and Rebecca. Isaac has started a tanning business and lists the number of hides and amount of leather in stock. Although he says he is a laborer, he actually is relatively wealthy and runs a tannery. There is “non-population schedule” as part of the 1850 census which lists amounts and items of value.

Isaac Fallis died at home on March 9, 1858 and was buried in the Fallis Pioneer Cemetery near Bellbrook, in Sugar Creek Township of Greene County, Ohio. There are a couple of good articles, with pictures, about the cemetery history and it’s state today. Isaac’s headstone is said to lay on the ground in 6 pieces. There is a history of vandalism and restoration done by Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs. It is now in the middle of a fairly wealthy suburban area. It is also a source of many ghost stories.

Probate began on April 11, 1858 and the entire file is online.

The information and photos below were posted by Stanley Fallis, an ancestor of Isaac and Mercy.

Mary “Mollie” Jones Webb

Mary “Mollie” Jones was the mother of Jacob Mulford Webb, the grandmother of Delila Ann Webb Lane, the great grandmother of Florence E. Lane Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born in 1770 in Virginia. She died in 1813 in Montgomery County, Ohio near Dayton.

Her parents were Joshua F. Jones (1739-1816) and Hannah Todhunter (1749-1824).

She married Cuthbert Webb (Jr.) on August 17, 1791 in Franklin County, Virginia.

She moved with her husband and family to Montgomery County, Ohio, near Dayton, in 1805 or 1806.

She appears to be the mother of 14 children, the 13th being Jacob Mulford Webb, who was born on July 7, 1810 in Montgomery County, Ohio. Her first child was born 2 years prior to her marriage to Cuthbert Webb (Jr.)

She died in 1813 in Montgomery County, Ohio.

Cuthbert Webb Jr.

Cuthbert Webb (Jr.) was the father of Jacob Mulford Webb, the grandfather of Delila Ann Webb Lane, the great grandfather of Florence E. Lane Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born in 1767 in Franklin County, Virginia.

He died on September 14, 1847 in Posey Township of Rush County, Indiana.

His parents were Cuthbert Webb (Sr.) (1728-1778) and Mary Burton (1741-1820).

He married Mary “Mollie” Jones on August 17, 1791 in Franklin County, Virginia. The marriage bond was executed on March 7, 1791.

They appear to have had 14 named children, with one born a couple of years prior to the marriage. This is probably Mollie’s child by a previous husband.

Their son, Jacob Mulford Webb, the 13th of these children, born on July 7, 1810 in Montgomery County, Ohio, near Dayton. One of Jacob’s brothers is Cuthbert Webb III and census reports in 1830 and 1840 in Rush County are for his household, not his father’s.

There is a well-defined timeline of events for Cuthbert Webb (Jr.) recorded in land deeds and related documents.

On September 14, 1785 Cuthbert Jr. witnessed a deed executed by his brother in Franklin County, Virginia.

On April 4, 1791 he served as a bondsman for his sister Elizabeth’s marriage.

On October 15, 1798 he sold his share of his father’s 229 acre farm. The farm had been granted to his father in 1774.

On October 14, 1799 he was granted 90 acres on Blackwater Creek in Franklin County, Virginia.

They appear to have moved to Montgomery County, Ohio in 1805 or 1806.

His wife Mollie died in 1813 in Montgomery County, Ohio.

Cuthbert (Jr.) moved to Rush County, Indiana and settled on an 80 acre property.

Cuthbert (Jr.) purchased an 80 acre property in Posey Township of Rush County, Indiana on January 19, 1826 and moved to the new property.

On August 5, 1834 Cuthbert (Jr.) purchased 80 acres of federal land in Rush County, Indiana.

Cuthbert Webb (Jr.) died in Rush County, Indiana in 1846.

Grandparents of Mary Hiatt Wyant

The grandparents of Mary Hiatt Wyant, like her parents, are unknown. Mary Hiatt was the mother of Charles B. Wyant and the grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant. Mary Hiatt is not in the historical record until she marries Isaac S. Wyant.

Parents of Isaiah Lane

The parents of Isaiah Lane are the great great grandparents of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather. I have not been able to find any information about them.

Hannah Lewis Lamb

Hannah Lewis was the mother of Naomi Lamb Lane Davis, the grandmother of John Lewis Lane, the great grandmother of Florence Lane Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born on January 18, 1782 in Guilford County, North Carolina. She died in Rush County, Indiana (probably living with a child) on October 19, 1865.

Her parents were John Lewis (Jr.) (1765-1848) and Sarah Ruckman (1761-1847).

She was married to Thomas Lamb of Guilford County, North Carolina. Date Unknown.

They had as many as 11 children.

Daughter Naomi Lamb was born in about 1804 in North Carolina per the 1850 census report.

They moved to Indiana in about 1809 to the Williamsburg area of Green Township of Wayne County, Indiana. Some accounts have them moving a little later to Vincennes at first and then to Wayne County after the War of 1812.

See Thomas Lamb article for census records from 1800 to 1850.

Thomas Lamb died on July 15, 1851 in Wayne County.

Hannah Lewis Lamb died on October 19, 1865 in Rush County, Indiana (presumably at the home of a child), but is buried with her husband in the Williamsburg Cemetery in Wayne County, Indiana.

Thomas and Hannah Lamb were Quakers who were part of a large contingent of Quakers who moved  in the early 1800’s from North Carolina to the Wayne County/Richmond Indiana area. Richmond is the home of Earlham College, which began as a Quaker boarding school for secondary students.

Thomas Lamb

Thomas Lamb was the father of Naomi Lamb Lane Davis, the grandfather of John Lewis Lane, the great grandfather of Florence E. Lane Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born in Center Township of Guilford County, North Carolina on February 11, 1771. He died on July 15, 1851 in Green Township of Wayne County, Indiana.

His parents were Jacob Lane (1742-1800) and Sarah Stone (1746-1799).

He married Hannah Lewis in North Carolina. Date not documented.

In the 1800 census of Hillsboro Township in Randolph County, NC, there are 2 adults and a boy and girl, both under the age of 10.

Genealogies on the web indicate that the family moved to Indiana 1) in about 1809 directly to a blockhouse (protection from Indians) in Wayne County, Indiana or 2) in about 1810 to Vincennes and then moving to Wayne County after the War of 1812. The next census seems to favor the first of these stories.

Daughter Naomi Lamb is born in about 1804 as evidenced by the 1850 census report.

In the 1810 census in either Wayne County, North Carolina or Wayne County, Indiana (seems likely to be the latter), we see 2 adults and 1 boy and 1 girl under 10 years old and one girl aged 10-15 years.

In the 1820 census in Wayne County, Indiana there are 2 adults, plus 8 children in the household. Agriculture is listed as the occupation of Thomas Lamb.

In the 1840 census in Wayne County, Indiana we see 4 adults and 1 teenaged girl.

In the 1850 census in Green Township of Wayne County, Indiana (family histories indicate they always lived near Williamsburg in Green Township of Wayne County... near Richmond) we see:

Thomas 80
Hannah 68

Thomas Lamb dies in Wayne County on July 15, 1851 and is buried in Williamsburg Cemetery. His wife lives on until October 19, 1865.

They appear to have as many as 11 children.

Thomas Lamb and his wife were Quakers who are part of a large Quaker contingent that came from North Carolina to the Wayne County/Richmond area. They are said to be one of the first 5 families in Green Township of Wayne County according to one family history. One source for Thomas Lamb’s date of birth is an actual handwritten item in a Quaker Meeting House Record Book.

Mary “Polly” Louster Hudson

Mary “Polly” Louster is the mother of Sarah E. “Sally” Hudson, the grandmother of John Chapel (sic) Wellons, the great grandmother of James H. Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born about 1787 in Kentucky (per the 1850 census).

She died sometime after the 1870 census.

She married Daniel Henry Hudson on March 20, 1810 in Pulaski County, Kentucky. She would live in the area the remainder of her life.

Her daughter Sarah E. “Sally” Hudson, was born on January 3, 1816 in Pulaski County.

She appears to have 8 children that lived beyond infancy.

See census reports for 1810-1850 in the article about her husband Daniel Henry Hudson.

There is no census record for 1860.

In the census of 1870, she is 83 years old and living with her son William and his family.

There is no record of her death or her burial site.

Daniel Henry Hudson

Daniel Henry Hudson was the father of Sarah E. “Sally” Hudson Wellons, the grandfather of John Chapel (sic) Wellons, the great grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born about 1791 in Virginia. (1850 census data)

His date of death is unknown.

He married Mary “Polly” Louster on March 24, 1810 in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

All of the following census have them living in Somerset, in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

The census of 1810 enumerates just Daniel and his wife in the category of ages (16-25).

Their daughter, Sarah E. “Sally” Hudson is born on January 3, 1816.

The census of 1820 enumerates two adults (ages 26-44) plus 2 boys and 3 girls, all under the age of 10 years. Daniel reports “Agriculture” as his occupation.

The census of 1830 enumerates 2 adults (ages 40-49), 1 young adult (age 20-29) and 8 children under 20 years old.

Daniel receives a land grant of 7 acres on October 23, 1832 near Fishing Creek in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

The census of 1840 enumerates a household of 4 children under the age of 20, 2 young adults ages 20-29, an adult male age 40-49 and an adult female age 50-59.

In the census of 1850 we have:

Daniel 59
Mary 62
Jemima 26
William 22
Berry 19
Amanda 16
Delila (Hudson) Buster 38
Sarah Buster 2

There is no record of his death. There are many Hudson family members buried in or near Somerset.

Rebecca Chapple Wellons

Rebecca Chapple was the mother of John Chapple Wellons, the grandmother of John Chapel (sic) Wellons, the great grandmother of James H. Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

Her date of birth is estimated to be 1770. Her date of death is estimated to be 1825. There is no documentation of either date, nor the places of each.

She married Henry Wellons on December 5, 1801 in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

Their son, John Chapple Wellons, was born on April 22, 1805.

Family trees on Ancestry.com consistently list 4 additional children:

Mary 1810
Nancy 1810
Eleander 1811
Henry J. 1814

There is some logical consistency to these names. Henry was her husband’s name. John Chappel Wellons also has a son that he names Henry J. Eleander was Henry’s mother’s given name and it is an unusual name.

Her husband remarries on November 20, 1826. This is the basis for her estimated date of death of 1825.

Henry Wellons

Henry Wellons is the father of John Chapple Wellons, the grandfather of John Chapel (sic) Wellons, the great grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born around 1776 in Southhampton, Virginia. His parents appear to be Henry and Eleander Wellons of Southhampton, Virginia.

There is no real record of his death. Some Ancestry.com family trees place the date at 1840.

On September 18, 1798 he was granted 200 acres in Kentucky in Lincoln County. That portion of Lincoln county was folded into the creation of Pulaski County. The property was near Fishing Creek, which is now part of Lake Cumberland, a large reservoir. It was also near the town of Somerset.

On December 5, 1801 he married Rebecca Chapple in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

His son, John Chapple Wellons, was born on April 22, 1805 in Pulaski County.

Henry executed a land deed on February 1, 1813 giving his brother Robert Wellons his Power of Attorney for the purpose of selling his land to another brother, John Wellons, a wealthy Virginia land owner who had property on the James River in Virginia.

Henry’s wife Rebecca presumably dies in or near 1825.

Henry married Thirzah Sayers on November 20, 1826 in Pulaski County.

Both weddings are well documented.

A blog article by Leah reports that she was given a biography of John Chapple Wellons, her ancestor. The person who wrote the biography was a grandson of John Chapple Wellons and the biography stated that the family owned 12 slaves in the early 1800’s and that they were freed before the civil war. She found some property owners with names similar to Wellons in the censuses of 1810, 1820 and 1830 which enumerated slaves. There were no slaves when John Chapple Wellons’ household is reported in the 1850 census or for two decades before then. There were possibly four sons of John Chapple Wellons on the union side in the civil war, including our John Chapel (sic) Wellons, Jr.

Martin Barnhizer

Martin Barnhizer was the father of William B. Barnhizer, the grandfather of Sarah E. Barnhizer Wellons, the great grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather. The name is sometimes spelled with an s instead of a z.

He was born on August 6, 1782 in Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. His parents were John “Big John” Barnhizer (1742-1849) and Gertrude Neikirch (1750-1800).

He died in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana. The date is unknown, partly because there is no headstone or grave marker. See below.

He married Sarah McDonald on December 30, 1809 in Washington County, Maryland.

The 1820 census in Washington County, Maryland shows the family, including:

5 boys under 10 years

1 girls under 10

1 girl aged 10-15

1 female aged 26-44

1 male aged 26-44

Their son, William B. Barnhizer, was born on November 17, 1822 in Maryland. He was one of at least 8 kids.

The 1830 census in Frederick, Maryland shows 2 adults and 8 children.

On March 20, 1837 Martin Barnhizer purchased 80 acres of federally owned land in Hamilton County and we have the sales document.

The 1840 census in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana shows 4 boys, 1 male aged 20-29, and 2 adults of parental age.

The 1850 census in Wayne Township shows only Martin, aged 68 and Sarah, aged 64 and no children still at home. Both claim to be born in Pennsylvania.

His wife Sarah died on August 29, 1855 in Wayne Township. She was buried at the Commons-Lennen Cemetery in Hamilton County, Indiana.

A story was shared by a Harvey Barnhizer (sic) of Indianapolis and attached to the FindaGrave web site:  “... we learned that a stone (Ed. Note: a headstone) was taken to the home of Martin’s son William...and used as a part of a sidewalk for many years.” This is the explanation for why there is no grave marker for Martin Barnhizer in the Commons-Lennon Cemetery.

Mary Jane Fisher Shetterly

Mary Jane Fisher was the mother of Mary Jane Shetterly Barnhizer, the grandmother of Sarah E. Barnhizer Wellons, the great grandmother of James H. Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born on April 18, 1793 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.

She died on February 11, 1864 in Perkinsville, Madison County, Indiana.

She married John Henry Shetterly, although the date and place are unknown.

Their daughter, Mary Jane Shetterly, was born on September 16, 1823.

The 1830 census has them in Madison County, Indiana with 9 children under the age of 20. This record may be of another close relative with the name Henry Shetterly.

The 1840 census in Clarmont County, Ohio shows them with 5 children under the age of 20. The husband is listed as “John Shetterly”.

She does not appear in the 1855 state census in Richland Township of Warren County, Iowa with her husband.

In the 1860 federal census she is in Warren County, Iowa and we have Henry 64, Mary 64 and no children in the household.

She died on February 11, 1864 in Perkinsville in Madison County, Indiana. Note that her daughter is with husband John Chapple Wellons and family in the area.

She is buried in Perkinsville Cemetery.

Note: In the History of Goshen Township of Clermount County, Ohio, John Henry Shetterly is said to be an M.E. (Methodist Episcopal) minister and that they married on April 26, 1810 and that they had 13 children.

John Henry Shetterly

John Henry Shetterly was the father of Mary Jane Shetterly Barnhizer, the grandfather of Sarah E. Barnhizer Wellons, the great grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

The historical record is a little confusing, in part because there is another “Henry Shetterly” that is probably an older relative and also because census records use John Henry and Henry interchangeably.

John Henry was born on April 7, 1791 in Mohantango, in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.

He died on December 6, 1871 in Hartford Township of Warren County, Iowa.

He married Mary Jane Fisher. The date and place are unknown.

Their daughter, Mary Jane Shetterly, was born on September 16, 1823.

The 1830 census in Madison County, Indiana shows a “Henry Shetterly” with 9 children under the age of 20 and 2 adults in the household. This might be our John Henry or the older Henry.

The 1840 census in Clarmont County, Ohio, shows 5 children under the age of 20 and 2 adults in the household. The name of the head of household is “John Shetterly”.

In the 1855 state census in Richland Township of Warren County, Iowa, we have two households, one headed by John Henry Shetterly and another by Henry Shetterly.

In the 1860 federal census in Richland Township of Warren County, Iowa, we have: Henry 69 and Mary 64.

Mary Jane Fisher Shetterly died on February 11, 1864 in Perkinsville, in Madison County, Indiana.

In the 1870 census for Hartford, in Richland Township of Warren County, Iowa, Henry is living with a son or grandson and their large family. There are 9 souls in the household.

John Henry died on December 6, 1871 in Warren County, Iowa. He was 80 years old. He was buried at the Hartford Cemetery.

John Henry Shetterly was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving in Captain Daniel Hosbrooks Company of Ohio Militia. There is a history of the unit.

Sarah McDonald Barnhizer

Sarah McDonald was the mother of William B. Barnhizer, the grandmother of Sarah. E. Barnhizer Wellons, the great grandmother of James H. Wellons and the great great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born in 1787 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

She died on August 29, 1855 in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana.

Her parents were Angus McDonald and Mary McClain.

She married Martin Barnhizer on December 30, 1809 in Washington County, Maryland.

She and Martin and 6 children are enumerated in the 1820 census, which was taken on August 7, 1820 in Washington County, Maryland.

Their son, William B. Barnhizer, was born on November 17, 1822, the 7th or 8th of 8 living children at the 1830 census.

They have moved to Frederick, Maryland at the time of the 1830 census. They have 8 children.

On March 20, 1837, her husband purchased 80 acres of federal land in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana.

In the 1840 census of Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana, we have Martin and his wife and 4 minor children and one adult child.

In the 1850 census in Wayne Township, we have Martin, aged 68 and Sarah, aged 64. There are no children in the household.

She died on August 29, 1855 in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana and was buried at the Commons-Lennon Cemetery in Hamilton County.

Margaret Krutsinger Gammon

Margaret Krutsinger was the mother of Elisabeth Gammon Nash, the grandmother of Emaline “Emma” Nash Carson, the great grandmother of Mary E. Carson Wyant, and the great great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born on May 15, 1812 in Greene County, Tennessee. She died on February 11, 1894 in Oskaloosa Township of Clay County, Illinois. She was age 81 when she passed.

She married Harris Gammon on January 28, 1830.

Harris Gammon died on October 15, 1831.

A son, James Mathew Gammon, was born in 1830.

Their daughter, Elisabeth Gammon, was born on April 15, 1832, after her father passed.

Margaret Krutsinger Gammon married John L. McCarty on January 18, 1834 in Orange County, Indiana. He was born on March 4, 1812 in Tennessee and died on September 11, 1897 in Oskaloosa Township of Clay County, Illinois.

They purchased land in Orange County, Indiana on August 10, 1837.

They had 9 children of their own between 1834 and 1850.

In the 1850 census in Orange County, Indiana we have:

John L. McCarty 38, a farmer
Margaret 38
Elisabeth Gammon 18
And 6 McCarty children

In the 1860 census in Marion County, Illinois we have:

John L. 48, a farmer
Mary 36 (sic)
And 3 McCarty girls aged 11-15

In the 1865 state census in Illinois, they live in Xenia, Marion County, Illinois.

In the 1870 census in Singer Township of Clay County, Illinois we have:

John L. 68
Margaret (no age given)

There is a civil war pension record with dates of awarding an invalid pension in 1886 and a widows pension (date illegible). Since Margaret preceded John L. McCarty in death, he may have remarried. Her name does not appear on the document.

Margaret Krutsinger Gammon McCarty was buried in the Stipp Cemetery, in Clay County, Illinois.

Harris Gammon

Harris Gammon was the father of Elisabeth Gammon Nash, the grandfather of Emaline “Emma” Nash Carson, the great grandfather of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant, my grandmother.

He was born on September 9, 1811 in Pittsylvania, Virginia. He died on October 15, 1831 in Orange County, Indiana. He was just 20 years old.

He married Margaret Krutsinger on January 28, 1830.

In the 1830 census of Orange County, Indiana, we have 1 male and 1 female, both aged 15-19.

They had two children:

James Mathew, born 1830
Elizabeth was born April 15, 1832, after her father died.

He was buried at the McElyea Nail Cemetery in Orange County, Indiana.

Nancy Edwards Nash

Nancy Edwards was the mother of Pleasant Riley Nash, the grandmother of Emaline “Emma” Nash Carson, the great grandmother of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons.

She was born on June 15, 1803 in North Carolina. She died November 6, 1888 in Beech Creek Township of Greene County, Indiana.

Her father was William Edwards, also born in North Carolina. Her mother was Delilah Burch, also born in North Carolina.

She married Obediah Nash about 1825. Neither the date nor place is documented.

Pleasant Riley Nash, the first of 8 or as many as 10 children was born on May 10, 1827.

In the 1830, 1840 and 1850 censuses the family lives in Beech Creek Township of Greene County, Indiana.

Obediah died on August 21, 1851.

In the 1860 census, she is living with her son, Jeremiah, who is 16 years old. She reports that she is a farmer and that she is 55 years old.

In the 1870 census, Nancy Nash, aged 66, is living with her son George and his family in Beech Creek Township. The nearest post office is Newark, Indiana.

In the 1880 census of Beech Creek Township, she reports being 76 years old and is living with her sister Sousanna and her husband James.

She died on November 6, 1888 in Greene County, Indiana. She was buried in the Edwards Cemetery near rural Solsberry, Beech Creek Township, Greene County, Indiana.

Obediah Nash

Obediah Nash was the father of Pleasant Riley Nash, the grandfather of Emaline “Emma” Nash Carson, the great grandfather of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie E. Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

He was born on November 28, 1801 in Virginia. Some accounts say he was born in Tennessee. Tennessee was created from a portion of Virginia.

He died on August 21, 1851 in Beech Creek Township of Greene County, Indiana.

His father was Samuel Nash. His mother was Nancy J. Bicknell Gray.

Obediah married Nancy Edwards about 1825. There is no source recording the date or place.

Obediah and Nancy Nash were the parents of at least 8 children and possibly more. The first of these was Pleasant Riley Nash, who was born May 10, 1827 in Beech Township of Greene County, Indiana.

Pleasant’s younger brother George reports that he was one of ten children and that his parents moved to Beech Creek Township in Greene County in 1822 or soon thereafter. The township was formed in 1822. This is when the first white settlers were able to move into former Native American lands in central Indiana.

Source: History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana, page 397. Published 1884. 

In the 1830 census we have:

2 adults ages 20-29

1 boy age <5

1 girl age 5-9

There is a Federal Lands Purchase record showing the purchase of land in Beech Creek Township on October 1, 1840.

In the 1840 census we have:

2 adults ages 20-29

3 boys (2<5; 1 aged 10-14)

3 girls (1<5; 1 aged 5-9; 1 aged 10-14)

In the 1850 census we have:

Obediah 48

Nancy 47

And 5 children (the older children have left home already)

Obediah died on August 21, 1851 in Beech Creek Township and was buried in the Edwards Cemetery there. This is the date on the grave marker above.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Gaston Carson

Elizabeth “Betsy” Gaston, known as Betsy, was the mother of William Carson, the grandmother of Andrew Jackson Carson, the great grandmother of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandmother of Bessie E. Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born in 1796 in Chester County, South Carolina. She died in Bond County, Illinois in 1830 or 1831.

Her father was William Gaston. Her mother is unknown.

She married Andrew Carson on August 17, 1815 in Christian County, Kentucky.

They moved to Bond County, Illinois.

They had four children: John (1817), William (1818), Andrew J. (1824) and Robert G. (1826).

She died in Bond County, Illinois, sometime after being enumerated in the census of 1830. Her husband remarried in 1831.

Andrew Carson

Andrew Carson was the father of William Carson and the grandfather of Andrew Jackson Carson and the great grandfather of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant, my grandmother.

He was born in 1788 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. He died in 1869 in Barry County, Missouri.

His parents were John Carson (1765-1839) and Jane Wilson (1767-1840).

He fought in the War of 1812 in the 6th Kentucky Volunteers, mainly following the Wabash River in Indiana Territory northward starting at Vincennes and fought the Shawnee, Winnebago and Kickapoo Tribes. See the book “Kentucky in the War of 1812”. He later used the Military Bounty Land Warrants he earned by this service to purchase land in Missouri. He enlisted September 1, 1812 and was discharged December 23, 1812 in Henderson, Kentucky.

He married Elizabeth “Betsy” Gaston on August 17, 1815 in Christian County, Kentucky. They had 4 sons, with birth dates of 1817, 1818, 1824 and 1826. William was the second child.

They were enumerated in the 1820 census in Wayne County, Illinois. They moved to Bond County, Illinois and were enumerated there in the 1830 census.

Betsy died shortly after the 1830 census.

He married Temperance “Tempy” Etheridge on December 28, 1831 in Bond County, Illinois. Tempy died in 1834.

He married for a third time, to Elizabeth Hart on October 23, 1834 in Bond County, Illinois. They had three more surviving children as of the 1850 census, although it appears that Elizabeth died prior to the census. Elizabeth Hart lived from 1810 to 1850.

Andrew moves his family to Missouri prior to the 1850 census, purchasing federal land (160 acres) in 1854, using his bounty warrants.

In the 1850 census in District 5 of Barry County, Missouri we see:

Andrew 60, a farmer
Sarah 38 (not sure who this is, but it is not likely to be a fourth wife as the marriage would have been documented)
Andrew 20, a farmer
John 16
Jane 14
Ellen 10
Charles 8

Andrew and two of his sons appear in the book, “History of Bond and Montgomery County, Illinois”, published in 1882.

Andrew died in 1869 in Barry County, Missouri.

There are several legal documents, including documentation of some land sales, for Andrew Carson and his first wife.

Margaret Carson Clark

Margaret Carson Clark was the mother of Mary Ann Clark Carson, who was the mother of Andrew Jackson Carson, who was the father of Mary E. Carson Wyant, who was my grandmother Bessie Ethel Wyant’s mother.

She was born about 1798 in North Carolina. Scott Carson says she was born in Lincoln County.

She died before 1860 per census records. Scott Carson says this was in Marion County, Illinois.

Her parents were John Carson (1769-1839) who is documented by various legal papers, and Jane Wilson (1767-1840).

She married William Clark on June 8, 1819.

Her third of 8 recorded children, Mary Ann Clark, was born about 1825.

Husband William Clark died on Muly 29, 1845 in Bond County, Illinois.

In the 1850 census for Bond County, Illinois, we see:

Margaret Clark 52, a widow, born in North Carolina.
George 18, a farmer
William 16

She died prior to the 1860 census and probably before an 1855 state census.

William Clark

William Clark was the father of Mary Ann Clark Carson, the grandfather of Andrew Jackson Carson, the great grandfather of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons, my grandmother.

He was born about 1798 in York County, South Carolina. This information was provided by the family tree of Scott Carson.

He died on July 29, 1845 in Bond County, Illinois per probate records. He was about 47 years old.

His father was Solomon Clark according to Scott Carson. Mother is unknown.

He married Margaret Carson on June 8, 1819 in Wayne County, Illinois. They had 8 children in 19 years of marriage.

Mary Ann Clark was the third child of record, born about 1825. She was the mother of Andrew Jackson Carson who was the father of Mary E. Carson Wyant who was my grandmother’s mother.

Delco-Remy Division of General Motors

Delco-Remy Division of General Motors employed most of the men in my family for two generations and some for a third generation. Much of Delco-Remy was sold off before the GM bankruptcy at the height of the Great Recession.

I will post more about the specific jobs that my grandfather Ralph Wellons, his son Bob Wellons, my father Jerry Dixon and others in the family performed for Delco-Remy. Some of the females in our family worked there, but usually only until they started having kids.

Delco Remy had about 25 different plants and employed 25,000 workers in my hometown of Anderson, Indiana when I graduated from high school in 1972. My brother was one of the last 100 or so workers when he took an early buyout (as did many relatives) around 2005.

Delco-Remy started as the Remy Brothers Electric company. They made parts that generated or used electricity for cars (and airplanes and tanks and vehicles of all kinds). The Remy Brothers combined with Dayton Engineering Labs Co. from Dayton, Ohio and then the combined company was bought by General Motors. There were plants in several Indiana cities and throughout the country and the world eventually.

I posted the picture above to show just some of the core products that they made for cars when I was a child. They made many other products and made a lot of military related parts during World War II and thereafter.

Employees of Delco-Remy made some of the highest salaries for comparable skill levels in the country. There were assembly line workers, skilled tradesmen, and engineers plus many other kids of workers. They also had, and still have, one of the best benefit packages in the country. There was even a country club for employees only in the early 1900’s when it was just Remy Brothers. When I was growing up there was a huge park (Killbuck Park), complete with golf course, baseball fields, multiple playgrounds, a mini-golf course, a miniature train ride, a creek to fish in and a lodge building for employee gatherings and retiree meetings... solely for the enjoyment of Delco-Remy and Guide Lamp Division employees. There was no cost, except to play golf. The 4th of July fireworks were amazing every year. We lived close by, which was a bonus.

Parents of Mary Jane Hiatt

This space is reserved for the parents of Mary Jane Hiatt, the first wife of Isaac Wyant. They would be the grandparents of Charles B. Wyant, and they would be my grandmother Bessie Ethel Wyant Wellons’ great grandparents.

They are the only unknown individuals on either side of my grandparents family tree through and including the great grandparents of my grandparents. My great great great grandparents.

Mary Jane Hiatt, their daughter, has no historical record prior to marrying Isaac Wyant. It may be possible that she is a Native American, but there is no suggestion of that status other than the lack of a historical record. Isaac and Mary Jane live in and near an area called “The Cherokee Strip” that was purchased by the U.S. government and sold to white settlers.

William Carson

William Carson is the father of Andrew Jackson Carson, the paternal grandfather of Mary E. Carson Wyant, and the great grandfather of Bessie E. Wyant, my grandmother.

He was born on December 22, 1818 in Wayne County, Indiana. He died in 1894 in Bond County, Illinois.

His parents were Andrew Carson (b. 1788) and Elizabeth Gaston (b. 1796).

He married Mary Ann Clark, perhaps his first cousin, on July 14, 1846.

They had two children, Elizabeth was born in 1846 or 1847. Andrew Jackson Carson was born in 1849.

Elizabeth later married 3 times. First to A.J. Austin, then to Orlando Hay, and finally to William F. Steward.

In the 1855 state census, William and his children lived in Township 6 of Bond County, Illinois. The report shows just one adult and two children, both under the age of 10. Presumably, Mary Ann Clark Carson has died.

In the 1860 census in Bond County, Illinois, we have:

William 41, a farmer
Elisabeth 14
Andrew 11

William married Mrs. Rebecca Ann Boyd, a mother of three children, on May 7, 1868.

In the 1870 census in McCord Township of Bond County, Illinois, we have:

William 50
Rebecca 50
James Boyd 9
Elizabeth Boyd 7
Louisa Boyd 4
Mary Carson 1

After William dies in 1894 he is buried in Greenville, Bond County, Illinois.

William and his family (either Andrew the father or Andrew the son or both, plus others) appear to be land investors. Many land transactions are recorded in documents that are now online.

Mary Ann Clark Carson

Mary Ann Clark Carson was the mother of Andrew Jackson Carson, the grandmother of Mary E. Carson Wyant and the great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wellons, my grandmother.

She was born about 1825 in Kentucky. This is not well documented.

Her father was William Clark and her mother was Margaret Carson.

She married William Carson (possibly her first cousin) on July 14, 1846.

Within a short period of time, William and Mary Ann Carson’s daughter Elisabeth is born (1846 or 1847) per later censuses. Elisabeth marries at least three times.

William and Mary Ann Carson’s son, Andrew Jackson Carson, was born on June 4, 1850, in Bond County, Illinois.

Mary Ann Clark Carson may have died in 1852, but I cannot find documentation.

She is not with the family in the state census of 1855. William Carson is living with 2 children and no other adult.

She is not living in the 1860 census when William is living with 14 year old Elisabeth and 11 year old. Andrew.

Julia Lowe Wyant

Julia Lowe was the mother of Isaac S. Wyant, the grandmother of Charles B. Wyant and the great grandmother of Bessie Ethel Wyant, my grandmother.

Relatively little is known about Julia Lowe. Only her daughter-in-law, whom she never meets, is more mysterious.

Julia Lowe was born in 1806 in Owen County, Kentucky.

She marries Joshua Wyant on December 23, 1826 in Owen County, Kentucky. There is a handwritten document related to the wedding, which appears to be submitted to the court by her father.

She gives birth to at least 5 children, the last being Isaac S. Wyant in March of 1839. She does not appear in the 1840 census in Boone County, Indiana. All of her children were born in Indiana, so they have presumably spent several years there. Her husband, Joshua Wyant, remarries in 1841.

Joshua Wyant

Joshua was the father of Isaac S. Wyant, the paternal grandfather of Charles B. Wyant and the great grandfather of Bessie Ethel Wyant, my grandmother.

He was born in 1804 in Kentucky. He married Julia Lowe on December 23, 1826 in Owen County, Kentucky.

In the 1830 census, they live in Gallatin, Kentucky and there are 2 adults, 2 children and one senior adult aged 60-69. All are classified as “free-white”.

Isaac S. Wyant, at least their 5th child, is born in March of 1839.

Julia Lowe Wyant appears to die shortly thereafter, but no records exist to confirm this.

In the 1840 census of Boone County, Indiana, there are 4 boys (under 15 years old), 2 girls (under 10 years old) and only one adult. This fits a scenario wherein Julia has died.

Joshua Wyant marries Telitha James in Boone County, Indiana on February 28, 1841. She is sometimes referred to as “Tabitha”. She is also known as the former “Taletha Coletha James”.

In the 1850 census in My Division, Marshall County, Indiana we have:

Joshua 46, a farmer
Tabitha 41
Ben F 21, also a farmer like his dad
William H, 17
Mary A. 15
Martha E. 14
Isaac S. 12
Joshua 6
Milford C. Dixon 16
James M. Dixon 14

Telitha James may have been married previously to someone named Dixon. Joshua is her child with Joshua.

Everyone above is born in Indiana, except for Joshua the father.

There is no record of Joshua Wyant (father)’s death, although there is a legal document called a Petition for Partition filed in October of 1858 by Telitha James Dixon? Wyant Fletcher and William Fletcher seeking to split up a piece of property. The surviving Wyant children (including Isaac) are named and several of them live out of state. This method is used when someone dies without a will and the property is inherited by a group of children, or in this case, a second wife and a group of children. Splitting a piece of farm land is not normally a practical thing to do and usually one person buys out the others so they can keep farming the land. Especially if the land is not unusually large and can be split into smaller, productive farms. A Petition for Partition is used to split the land or to force a sale of the land, with the proceeds to then be split among the heirs.

Mary Fallis Webb

Mary Fallis Webb was the mother of Delila Ann Webb, the maternal grandmother of Florence Lane Wellons and the great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born on November 24, 1810 in Jefferson County, Kentucky and died on July 31, 1876 near Frankton in Madison County, Indiana.

She married Jacob Mulford Webb on April 21, 1831 in Greene County, near Dayton, in Ohio.

She gave birth to her 4th child, Delila Ann, on September 6, 1837 near Dayton, Ohio. She and Jacob had been once to Indiana, moved back to Ohio, and were soon to move back for good to Indiana.

In the 1850 census, she and Jacob have 8 children. (See Jacob for a listing.)

In the 1870 census, they have only one child, Amanda, who is the 9th on record. His obituary says there were 11 children altogether and there are some gaps between kids where a child could have died in infancy.

Mary died on July 31, 1876 and was buried at the Prewitt Cemetery in Pipe Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Jacob remarried and outlived his second wife, Rebecca Peacock Todd, who had 6 grown children of her own when they married. He was a prominent farmer who became more prominent as he did not die until he was 98 years old in 1908.

Naomi Lamb Lane (Davis)

Naomi Lamb was the mother of John Lewis Lane and the grandmother of Florence Lane Wellons and the great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

She was born in 1804 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Her parents were Thomas Lamb and Hannah Lewis Lamb.

She died on February 2, 1868 in Rush County, Indiana.

She married Isaiah Lane on August 12, 1821 and they moved shortly thereafter to Stony Creek Township in Henry County, Indiana. They had three children, including John Lewis Lane, Mahala Lane (Bryant) and Emily Lane.

Her husband died in 1828 as a young man. His estate was declared insolvent.

She married William Davis on March 28, 1838.

They had a daughter, Naomi Ann Davis on May 11, 1841. She died on March 25, 1921.

In the 1850 census, she is 46 years old and living in Harrison Township of Fayette County, Indiana with the McCarty family.

She died on February 2, 1968 in Rush County, Indiana and was buried in the Center Church Cemetery in Center Township of Rush County, Indiana.

Isaiah Lane

Isaiah Lane was the father of John Lewis Lane, the grandfather of Florence Lane Wellons and the great grandfather of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born in 1802 in Tennessee. He died in 1828 in Henry County, Indiana. He was just 26 years old.

He married Naomi Lamb on August 12, 1821. She was born in North Carolina in 1804.

They had three children:

Mahala Lane (Bright), born April 23, 1822 and died February 22, 1902. We have her death certificate.

John Lewis Lane, born 1825 and died 1933. He was my grandfather’s maternal grandfather.

Emily Lane, born March 5, 1827 and died March 12, 1879.

Isaiah Lane is mentioned in The History of Henry County, Indiana, which was published in 1884. Chapter XXIII covers the history of Stony Creek Township. The first recorded land purchase in Stony Creek Township occurred in 1822. Isaiah Lane is mentioned as one of a handful of pioneers of this era. The first school in the township was not built until 1835.

Henry County  was not formed until 1822, from land included in the Delaware New Purchase, which was a result of the Treaty of St. Mary’s. That treaty is actually a collection of several treaties with various tribes. It added all of what is now central Indiana to the state. The land that became Henry County was probably occupied by the Miami Indians, rather than the Delaware Tribe. Stony Creek Township was created within Henry County in 1828.

On November 2, 1829, we have documentation of his estate being declared insolvent by the probate judge. We also have other documents, including a list of possessions that were sold by the estate.

His wife later married Mr. William Davis. She lived until February 2, 1868.

Mary Jane Shetterly Barnhizer

Mary Jane Shetterly Barnhizer was the mother of Sarah Elizabeth Barnhizer, the maternal grandmother of James H. Wellons, and the great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

Mary Jane Shetterly was born on September 16, 1823 in Indiana and died on August 2, 1897 in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana.

Her parents were John Henry Shetterly and Mary Jane Shetterly, who were both born in Pennsylvania.

She had 4 children, including Sarah Elizabeth Barnhizer, who married John C. Wellons (Jr.) and three sons.

Her husband William B. Barnhizer died on September 10, 1887 and she died almost 10 years later on August 2, 1897. She is buried with her husband and other family at the Hair Cemetery in Hamilton County, Indiana.

William B. Barnhizer

William B. Barnhizer was the father of Sarah E. Barnhizer (wife of John C. Wellons Jr.), the grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great grandfather or Ralph Wellons, my grandfather.

He was born on November 17, 1822 in Maryland.

He married Mary Jane Shetterly. Date Unknown.

His daughter, Sarah E. Barnhizer, was born in 1844.

In the 1860 census, we have:

William 41, a farmer
Mary 37
And 4 children from the ages of 6-16.

They live in Wayne Township of Hamilton County, Indiana. This is the home of Clarksville or Clarksville Village, where my grandfather and his older siblings were born.

On August 29, 1861 he enlists and is assigned to Company E, 8th Indiana Cavalry. He serves 6 months.

On July 1, 1863 he registers for the draft. His prior 6 months service is noted. A military pension document later says that he was in Company E of the 39th Indiana Infantry, but dates of service are not given.

In the 1870 census in Wayne Township of Hamilton County we have:

William 49, a farmer
Mary J. 47
And two Barnhizer children plus Ida M. Bush.

In the 1880 census they live on Walnut Street in Wayne Township of Hamilton County:

William 58, a farmer
Mary J. 50 (sic)

The report says that his father was born in Maryland and his mother was born in Scotland. His mother is the first foreign born member of the Wellons/Wyant family. Mary J.’s parents are both born in Pennsylvania.

William B. Barnhizer died on September 10, 1887.

His will, dated May 21, 1887 gives the farm and house to his wife, with the the farm to be split upon her death and half given to his son, A.W. Barnhizer and half given to his son-in-law, John Chapel Wellons. John C. Wellons is also responsible for compensating some other individuals when they reach the age of majority (probably children of two deceased children of William and Mary Barnhizer.

Sarah Elizabeth Hudson Wellons

Sarah was known as “Sally”. She was the wife of John Chapple Wellons (Sr.) and the mother of John Chapel (sic) Wellons, the grandmother of James H. Wellons and the great grandmother of Ralph Wellons, who was my maternal grandfather.

She was born on January 3, 1816 in Pulaski County, Kentucky.

On December 8, 1831, she married John Chapple Wellons in Pulaski County. She was still just 15 years old at the time.

She gave birth to John Chapel Wellons (Jr.) on February 17, 1839. He was one of her 14, or maybe even 15 children. There were 14 at the 1860 census and she may have had one more after that.

She travels to Indiana and then lives many years in Warren County, Iowa with her family.

However, she died on January 8, 1861, at just 45 years old. I wonder if she died giving birth to her 15th child, Charles. Or Charles may have been born to John Chapple Wellons (Sr.)’s second wife.

Sally was buried at the Hartford Cemetery in Hartford, Iowa, near her husband.

John Chapple Wellons Sr.

John Chapple Wellons (Sr.) was the father of John Chapel (consistently spelled differently) Wellons and the grandfather of James H. Wellons and the great grandfather of my grandfather, Ralph Wellons.

His unique middle name is his mother’s maiden name.

He was born April 22, 1805 in Pulaski County, Kentucky and died on January 23, 1896 in Warren County, Iowa.

On December 8, 1831, he married Sarah Elizabeth “Sally” Hudson in Pulaski County.

His son, John Chapel Wellons, was born on February 17, 1839 in Pulaski County.

They are in Pulaski County for the 1840 census. The family consists of 2 adults and 5 kids under the age of 20, who are all categorized as “free-white”. There are no slaves.

They are still in Pulaski County for the 1850 census and we see:

John C. 45
Sarah “Sally” 44
Nancy E. 18
William M. 16
Mary 15
Rebecca 14
John C. (Jr.) 11
Jemima 8
Sarah E. 5 (Jr confuses the historical record by marrying another Sarah E.)
Daniel H. 3
Henry J. 2
George W. 1

All of the kids are born in Kentucky, except for Mary who is born in Tennessee.

They have moved to Richland Township in Warren County, Iowa for the 1860 census. William M. And Rebecca are presumably adults and have left home. The remainder are still at home and they are joined by:

Samuel M.
Andrew J.
John F.
Ben F.

The first two of these are born in Indiana and the last two in Iowa. So there has been a stop for some period of time in Indiana.

Sally dies on January 8, 1861 in Warren County, Iowa with possibly 14 living children.

On August 27, 1865, John Chapple Wellons (Sr.) married Mrs. Elizabeth Henderson Weaver in Warren County, Iowa.

They have moved to Hartford Township (or townships have been added or changed... it happened), still in Warren County, Iowa.

John 65 is a farmer (and presumably was all along)
Elizabeth
Ben F. 14
Charles Wellons 4 (John’s 15th child; not sure which mother)
And 3 Henderson children from Elizabeth’s first marriage.

They are still in Hartford Township of Warren County for the 1880 census. John, age 75, is a laborer and is living with the Hurst family.

In the 1885 state census, John is in Palmyra, Iowa. He reports being married but there is no wife listed. He lives alone with Charles, now 18 years old.

From these last two census reports, it raises the question as to whether Mrs. Wellons has left with her kids.

John Chapel Wellons (Jr.)... the son... dies on April 27, 1893 in Indiana.

John Chapple Wellons (Sr.) died on January 23, 1896 and is buried in Hartford Cemetery.

His second wife, Elizabeth Henderson Weaver Wellons, died on March 10, 1900 in Avilla, Noble County, Indiana.

Mary Alice Wellons Dixon

Mary Alice Wellons Dixon was my mom. She was born on Memorial Day, back when it was always on May 30th, and not a permanent Monday holiday. I found out later, when I started teaching in Florida, that it was a union holiday... as in Union vs. the Confederacy... and it was definitely not celebrated in southern states. Only federal government offices and the banks closed. That softened some over the years as it became in effect a 2nd Veterans Day.

She was born on May 30, 1929 at the beginning of the Great Depression. And she was 12 when Pearl Harbor was attacked and World War II began for America. Her brother, Bob, was on a destroyer in the Pacific for the last year of the war. She and dad graduated from Anderson High School in 1947 in a class of over 600 students.

They were married on June 4, 1948 at Noble Street Methodist Church in Anderson, Indiana. Dad had dropped out of Purdue, after funds ran out. He was working at Container Corporation, and had not started at Delco-Remy. He was hired later by Delco and began an apprenticeship as a Toolmaker. He later became one of the last of a breed... the non-degreed engineer. Mom worked for a man she thought was the most wonderful boss in the world, Mr. McCrary of McCrary Insurance and Real Estate. She worked until Jay was born. She always said that Mr. McCrary wanted to sell her the business, but she was on “mommy track” and that sort of thing really wasn’t done very often back then. Likewise, she never seriously considered, or had the money at first, to go to college.

Dave Given was the best man. Mary Jo Stanley was the bridesmaid. Barb Given sang at the wedding. Mr. McCrary attended, the only other non-family member in attendance. Mom says that she and dad both worked on the day of the wedding! They borrowed a car from her mom and dad and went to Cincinnati for a quick honeymoon.

They settled in at their new apartment in the 1200 block of West 6th Street. One room. Not one bedroom. Just one room. And a shared bath. They moved up to a better apartment, a walk-up on Madison Avenue that she used to point out to us when we drove through the area. This was better, but the roof leaked onto their bed. The landlord wouldn’t fix it, so mom moved the bed and the water leaked through to the owner’s rooms on the first floor. Roof fixed. They had no car and rode the bus for the first year of marriage. Mom got frostbite one time walking to work. Dad had told her to stay home, but she didn’t have the 15 cents for the bus and had to help with a Christmas party at work at noon.

They moved to Alex Pike into a new white frame house. Not the house at 2833 Alexandria Pike, but right next door. It was smaller. I lived there for my first year, but spent a lot of time there later as the Hudson boys and then the Barber girls lived there and we were playmates with each set of kids. That house was eventually demolished. Mom and dad had the new house built. It was a brick ranch and had 3 bedrooms and still just one bathroom. In fact, I don’t remember ever seeing a house with two bathrooms until I was a teenager. The second bathroom even then was usually a half-bath.

Mom was in many ways a single parent. My dad was always great to us, but not there much as he was very devoted to his career and employer. He felt that working for GM in those years was working for one of the two or three best companies in the world and he was probably right. I’m glad that the bankruptcy of GM happened after he passed. Mom didn’t really complain much about the hours he worked. She knew he was very important to the company and they were good to us. So she was the one who raised us and took us wherever we needed to go. It was a different time and we could roam the neighborhood and beyond before we became teens. It was a pretty safe neighborhood. The last suburbs before the rural area about 5 miles outside of Anderson. Of course, they didn’t know all of the sometimes stupid risks we took. I laughed when my dad’s friend wrote us a letter about his friendship with dad and Jim Drake and described the time they went swimming in a gravel pit. You see, we had a gravel pit across the street when we were kids...

Mom was fiercely loyal to us and was a little bit of a “tiger-mom”. She was very sociable and could dominate most situations. She took us golfing and loved to drive just for the fun, so ice cream trips were great. She even took us camping with our friends, without dad when he had to work. Mom also had the best friends of anyone I have ever known. She and her girls, especially Joy Skiles and Sally Lacey, were a hoot to watch as they played bridge seemingly every week. They even invited the husbands one night each month. And they were serious bridge players.

Alzheimer's is a terrible disease. It affected mom’s personality more than her memory, especially for the first 5 years of so. She turned against friends and family. I suspect she was becoming difficult for Dad to deal with, but he came down with a weird disease and died before we knew she had dementia. She was acting in a bizarre fashion right around the time of his death. Only later did we realize that her odd behavior was connected with her failing cognitive abilities. I was fortunate, probably because of the distance, to be the one she didn’t turn against in later years. That let me help her through the final stages, which included a couple of years of aphasia and failing memory and later the inability to walk or speak at all. It helped that I had previous experience working with dementia patients in a nursing home outside of Bloomington in my college years. She died on July 26, 2018 in a memory care unit here in Gainesville, Florida. Her ashes are buried next to dad’s in Anderson Memorial Park.