Amarilla’s Grandmother Keller Passes 1882!

Amarilla’s grandmother Mary Ann Delano Keller died on 3 Aug 1882 in Morrow Co., Ohio.  I have not found anything in the death records for Morrow County about her death like I did for John Keller, her husband. 

Mary is buried with John Keller in the Hedding M.E. Cemetery in Morrow County, Ohio.  I featured that tombstone in the posted dated March 25, 2011 on John Keller’s death. 

Here is another photo of the tombstone:

Keller Tombstone

Mary Anne Delano and John Keller married on 5 March 1831, per the marriage records of Knox Co. or on 15 Mar 1830 per Hse of Delano book in Fredericktown, Knox Co., Ohio. 

Source:  Marriage Records 1808-1851, Probate Court, Knox Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio, FHL#1294304 1808-1853. 

There is information about the family in the book:  The Genealogy, History and Alliances of the American House of Delano 1621-1899, by Major Joel Andrew Delano, Part IV, New York 1899, pg. 426 to 427. 

Mary was the daughter of Stephen Delano (Jr.) and Lovina Smith.  The Delano’s are an old family and go back to Philippe de Lannoy (Delano or de la Noye) to 1621 and the 2nd boat to Plymouth, Massachusetts, The Fortune.   http://www.alden.org/documents/otherships.htm 

There is one submission application for Stephen Delano (Sr.) at the DAR Library.  It is an original application to DAR under Elizabeth Delano, daughter of Stephen Delano and Mary Shaw, and a sister to Stephen Delano, Mary Anne Delano Keller’s father.  You can search for this information at the DAR website it will cost to purchase a copy. 

Miriam, Amarilla’s niece wrote in her notes:

Miriam's Thoughts On DAR

My Aunt Miriam was a little confused.  She was mixing up membership in the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution 1776) with membership in Mayflower 1620. Two very different and separate hereditary organizations.  Miriam is correct there is DAR and Mayflower in Amarilla’s lineage through the Delano family and the Goss family.  I have found a copy of the source book that Miriam mentions from the Boston Public Library and it is close to what was written.   The date is 1973 and a lot more information and sources are available today.

There are green books from the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1999 that were written by Muriel Curtis Cushing that feature the descendants of Philip Delano of the Fortune 1621 and his descendants for four generations to Stephen Delano born 1748.  The other book is the the fifth and sixth generations numbers 198-367 Part I 2004, which does not cover our family and so far I do not see that Part II has been published at this time.

Miriam writes more:  “Amarilla Spracklin Barclay Dawes Urton, My mother’s mother.  Old line American.  Tried to prove her right to membership in DAR but never made it.  Fine old American names in her lineage — Delano, Keller, Dare.”

I am a member of the Delano Kindred: 

http://www.delanokindred.us/index.html 

They are a hereditary organization for Delano descendants.  Ms. Cushing is up for President of this organization in 2011.  Their membership is not that expensive or is it hard to join.  I have yet to submit my family line to them but plan to soon.  You will find information at their website.  They have annual reunions.  As a member I have access to the membership list, a copy of the Delano book I mentioned above and information on what is going on regarding the research on the Delano family. 

Internet Archive has a copy online of the Delano Genealogy Book:  http://www.archive.org/details/genealogyhistory13dela

Wikipedia has an interesting article about the Delano Family with sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delano_family

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A Tragedy: An Accident – Baby George Dies!

For many years I did not know how little baby George died.  I had been to the cemetery and viewed his tombstone next to his father but I didn’t understand why he had died so young?

On my last trip to Minnesota in 2007, I found a brief article in the Brainerd newspaper that described the whole ordeal.

George Alexander was only 18 months old.  He died on the 19th of June 1881 on the way to Brainerd from Pine River.  Apparently he drank  some German Cough balsam that was filled with probably codeine and his little body could not handle the amount of narcotic and he died en route probably in his mother’s arms as George tried desperately to get them to Brainerd and get help.  They were too late.

There is no mention of the death of the baby in the Whipple papers at the Minnesota Historical Society (Methodist Episcopal).  The papers are very difficult to read and I have actually looked at them twice to see if I could make out anything else. 

The article appears in the Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, June 25, 1881 under Local News – Death of Baby George A. Barclay.

1) Mr. and Mrs. G.A. Barclay desire to express their heartfelt thanks to the citizens of this place for their kind sympathy and attentions manifested during their recent bereavement, and for the assistance rendered during the last solemn rites at the funeral of their lamented child.

2) A sad occurrence transpired in the family of Mr. George Barclay, postmaster at Pine River, last Saturday.  Their infant child, about seventeen months old, had in some manner got hold of a bottle of German cough balsam , and drank the whole of it.  No physician being nearer Pine River than Brainerd, Mr. and Mrs. Barclay immediately started with the child for this place. But the effects of the potion were to speedy, as just upon arriving in town the child expired.  This is a very severe blow to the bereaved parents, and the sympathies of the community are heartily enlisted in their behalf.  The remains were interred in the Brainerd cemetery on Monday.

George Alexander is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd, MN location:  Center N 1/2 Lot 17 Block 7.  He is next to his father and mother, George and Amarilla Barclay.

George Alexander Barclay

Written on the tombstone for baby George is the following: 

Sacred to the memory George A. infant son of G.A. & A. Barclay died June 19, 1881 1 yr. 5 mo. 9 days.  Underneath this stone do lie as much virtue as could die which when alive did vigor give to us much beauty as could live. 

There is a little lamb on the top of the tombstone.  This tombstone is to the right of the father, George A. Barclay in Evergreen Cemetery in Brainered, MN.

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The Death of Amarilla’s Grandfather, John Keller

On 4 May, 1880 John Keller, Amarilla’s grandfather, passed away from stomach cancer.  John Keller was the father of Amarilla’s mother Elizabeth Keller Spracklin and the husband of Mary Anne Delano Keller.  How this death affected Amarilla is unknown and whether she even knew her grandfather is also unknown.  Amarilla was 21 years old at his death or about that age.

The grandparents had settled in South Bloomfield Twp., Morrow County, Ohio.  Morrow County, Ohio was a composite of several counties: Knox, Richland, Marion and Delaware Counties.  It was established in 1848.  Birth and death records were not recorded till 1867, marriage started 1848 by the county.   Apparently there was a great deal of protest about the formation of Morrow County at the time. 

John and Mary Keller had eleven (11) children.  Elizabeth Keller was their oldest and first-born. 

1. Elizabeth Keller born 4 Aug 1831, probably Sparta, Knox Co., Ohio married Daniel D. Spracklin 1 Jan 1853 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio and died in Benson Co., Iowa near Blairstown/Marengo.  Buried in Titler Cemetery northwest of Marengo. This is Amarilla’s mother.

2. Susan Keller born 3 Nov. 1832, Sparta, Knox Co., Ohio d. 20 June 1834, Sparta, Knox Co., Ohio, burial unknown.

3.  Peter Keller born 28 Nov. 1834, Sparta, Knox Co., Ohio married Eliza Ann Everts 6 July 1957 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio.  Peter died 22 May 1869 in So. Bloomfield Twp., Morrow Co., Ohio and is buried with his parents in the Hedding M.E. Cemetery in that location.  His information is listed on the left side of the parents tombstone.   Peter and Eliza had 5 children.  It is possible she remarried to a Mr. Denzer.  Peter served in the Civil War and I believe he died because of his wounds.  I have not obtained his Civil War service or pension record at this time but might when I visit Washington D.C. in June 2011.

NOTE:  The History of Morrow County in various versions is online at Google Books. 

4.  Lovinia Lavinia Keller was born 17 Feb 1837 in Sparta, Morrow Co., married William Golf Helt on 17 Feb 1855 in Morrow Co., Ohio and died 22 Dec 1837 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio.  They had 8 children.  I believe William died before 1883.

5.  Amarilla Keller born 28 Mar 1839 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio and married Harrison Barr on 12 Sep 1858 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio.  They had about 9 children.  Amarilla died 12 May 1915 in Galion, Crawford Co., Ohio and Harrison was before 1910 in Polk, Crawford Co., Ohio.

6.  Caroline Keller born 28 Nov 1841 in Sparta, Knox Co., Ohio married Joseph Higgs Van Houten on 1 Dec 1857 in Morrow Co., Ohio.  They had 5 children.  Caroline died 2 Jun 1902 in Washington Twp. Hardin Co., Ohio and Joseph followed in 29 Jan 1903 in the same location. 

7.  John Delano Keller Jr. was born 22 May 1844 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio and he probably married Mary L. Carson about 6 Dec 1868 in Morrow Co., Ohio.  He died 4 Jun 1876 in Fredericktown, Knox Co., Ohio. 

8.  Mary Ann Keller was born 16 Dec 1846 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio and died sometime after 1900.  She married an Alexander Shaffer on 24 Jun 1866 in Morrow Co., Ohio.  They had about 9 children.   I have reason to believe they moved to Richland Co., Ohio to live.

9.  Henry Keller was born 29 Mar 1849 in Sparta, Morrow Co., Ohio and married Martha Kees (Keyes) 28 Oct 1871 in Morrow Co., Ohio.  Henry died after Aug 1909 in Morrow Co. and Martha followed in about 1927.  They had 2 children.

10.  Harriet Ellen Keller was born 15 Mar 1852 in Morrow Co., Ohio and married 3 Jan 1875 in Morrow Co. to John Lacy.  She died 22 Mar 1920 in Dresden, Muskingum Co., Ohio and he followed after 1930 in the same location.

11.  William Franklin Keller was born 15 Sep 1855 in Fredericktown, Knox Co., Ohio and married on 22 Dec 1880 in Galion, Crawford Co., Ohio to Ida Catherine Riblet.  They had 3 children.  He died 2 Feb 1911 in Morrow Co., Ohio and she followed on 16 Nov. 1930.

Sources for these children have been the U.S. Federal Census 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910 etc for Knox and Morrow Co., visiting cemeteries and tombstones -  Book:  Cemetery Inscriptions for Morrow Co., Ohio Vols 1-6.  A book: The Genealogical History and Alliances of the American House of Delano 1621 to 1899, pg. 426. (This book gives Sparta as the birth place of many of the children), Deeds from Morrow Co., and Knox Co., Ohio., on-line family trees, message boards, marriages – Marriage Records, 1848-1951, Morrow Co., Ohio.  Repositories have been the Family History library, Morrow Co. Genealogical Society and more.  Death records for Hardin Co., Ohio. and Probate/Estate Records for Morrow, Knox and other counties.  These are the highlights of the sources I have consulted for this family. 

Note:  If you are particularly interested in one of these family lines please contact me for more specific source details and family links.   Place a message in the comments to me and I will respond.  I am still trying to learn more about each sibling so the reseach is ongoing. 

I plan to travel again to Ohio in August/September 2011 and hopefully I will learn more about Elizabeth Keller’s siblings, parents and Amarilla’s aunts and uncles. 

The most important search will be to see if I cannot figure out the parentage of John Keller the grandfather and father of these children who have been listed.  He is said to have been born in Washington Co., Pennsylvania and his death record with Morrow Co. states the same but gives no parents names.  So far I have not been able to make a connection.  Washington County, PA was like a pass through to other parts of the country so they could have just stopped to have the baby and then moved on.  At least this is my theory and the real parentage of John Keller is somewhere in the records in Ohio in Knox, Morrow, or one of the nearby counties?  There were lots of Keller families living in Ohio. 

John did have a will and estate that was probated in Morrow Co.  Usually the clerks are very careful but some of the documents from the clerk books for John’s estate are very difficult to read.  Amarilla is not mentioned in any of these estate documents. 

Source:  Probate Records of Morrow Co., Ohio 1848-1926, and General Index 1848-1950 #388711, No. 1376, FHL#388711 for Index, Record of Wills FHL#288713 Vol 3, pg. 297, proof of will pg. 297.  page 298 not titled but probably Proving of the Will.  Pg. 445 FHL#388724 Affidavit (hard to read) probably filing of the will.  Note:  More needs to be done on this estate in the books and packets.

A search of the newspapers in the area did not reveal an obituary on John Keller but the announcement about the estate was found  

Mt. Gilead – Morrow Co. Sentinel Newspaper 1/1/1879 to 4/28/1881 Thurs, June, 10, 1880 Under New Advertisements: Executor’s Notice – Notice is hereby given that the undersigned have been appointed Executors of the last Will and Testament of JOHN KELLER, late of Morrow County, Ohio dec’d. All person indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate settlement. MARY A. HENRY, WM. T. KELLER (Ex’rs. June 10, 1880 (40-3w).

NOTE:  I do not know who Mary A. Henry is?  Did Mary his wife remarry or do we have another error?

Back in 2007 the Federation of Genealogical Societies and Association of Professional Genealogists held their conferences and Ohio was not that far from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  So I visited the counties of Hardin, Knox, and Morrow in Ohio and spent some enjoyable time there.  I will return in 2011 and see if I cannot find more treasures.  

I also found and visited the Hedding M.E. Cemetery in Morrow Co. 

John Keller and Mary Ann Delano with Son Peter

As you can see the bush is trying to topple the arched stone and when I visit again I will make sure that things are okay.  The stone also has a lot of mold on it and Peter’s information is on the left side next to me but covered in this mold and hard to read.  The stone is near a big tree so it is shrouded in shade.  A cousin had sent me a copy of the tombstone years ago (a descendant of William Franklin Keller) and I thought it was huge but you can see that is about my size and rather unique.  Just click on the photo and you can enlarge it to read it and make a copy.  John is on the left and Mary is listed on the right front columns.

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John Barclay’s Two Families

John Barclay, my great great grandfather, was introduced to me by my Aunt Miriam in her family history notes, so I knew about him.  I also had a copy of the book by the city of Pine River, celebrating their first 100 years, and he is mentioned in that book: 

  “…not far from Shakopee where George’s father chose to live “because it reminded him of his native Scotland.”  Apparently the father, John, remarried and had other children…”  

John Barclay had two families.  He was first married to Margaret.  When he married Margaret is not known and where she is buried is also unknown.  She probably died in Connecticut but so far a search of records reveal only one possibility of a Margaret Barclay dying in Enfield in 1848 of about the right age. 

continuing the quote above…” because at the time of Alexander’s death in 1906, there was quite a bit of difficulty in locating all the Barclay heirs from “both families.”" pg. 105 

In my Aunt Miriam’s notes she mentions Alexander’s probate: 

Alex's Probate

 

My great-uncle Alexander Barclay has been very good to me.  I secured his probate file at some expense from the Dakota County Courthouse in Minnesota and it opened up a very big genealogical door!  

From this first marriage came seven (7) siblings that were listed in Alexander’s estate file.  There wasn’t a will so some of the information is carefully taken from the probate file.  Other information such as census searches and indexes were also used.  I am slowly gathering the facts together on the siblings and will present more at a later time. 

1.  John Avery Barclay born abt 1836, died – unknown.  According to Alex’s estate file he disappeared and was presumed dead as stated in an affidavit of his sister Sarah Agnes. He appears in deeds, land records, and court documents in Silbey Co., Minnesota till about 1880.  He may have gone to California.  John Avery Barclay was probably born in Scotland per census information and other sources but that is not yet proven.  John married Minerva  Parks on 3 July 1865 in Henderson, Sibley Co., Minnesota.  Since John Avery Barclay was considered dead his two children where his heirs and they are mentioned in the estate file.  The couple actually had four children:  

1. John Avery Barclay II born 23 July 1867 in Sibley Co., Minnesota and died 8 March 1951 in Seattle, King Co., Washington.   

2. Sarah Ellen born 29 March 1869 in Sibley Co., Minnesota.   

3 and 4. There were two other children twins: Albert and Alice born 1870 Silbey Co.,  Minnesota but it is looking like they didn’t survive.  Some of this information was supplied by another cousin.  

2.  James A. Barclay born about 1838 in Connecticut, he died about 1906 in Bridgeport, Fairfield Co., Connecticut during the probate process of Alexander’s estate.  He married a Maryanne Stewart and had children.  

3.  Sarah Agnes Barclay born about 1840 in Connecticut.  She married Porter Blinn about 1860 in Connecticut.  He was born about 1842 in Connecticut.  They had 6 children and it looks like they stayed in Newington, Hartford Co. , Connecticut. 

Update:  May 26, 2010 – I was at the Family History Library researching when I discovered that the Sarah that I thought was Sarah Agnes Barclay in the census married to Porter Blinn was the Sarah I should be studying for the Barclay’s.  Turns out she is a Griswold and her father is Henry Griswold.  So back to the drawing board on #3.  This is why it is so important to check other sources like marriages and birth records and not totally trust the census. 

4.  Mary J. Barclay born about 1841 in Connecticut and died 28 March 1917 in Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut.  I have her estate file.  She married a Jerome B. Ford and had 3 daughters.  Jerome was born about 1846 in Connecticut. 

5. Alexander A. Barclay was born September 1842 in Hartford, Connecticut and died on 9 December 1905 at the Rochester Hospital for the Insane in Olmsted Co., Minnesota.  He apparently suffered in the end with dementia.  He was only in the hospital about 6 days before he died.  He was buried 17 December 1905 in the Corinithian Cemetery in Farmington, Dakota Co., Minnesota. 

6.  Martha M. Barclay born about 1843 in Connecticut and died around 1920 or later in California.  She married a Jeremiah Ford in about 1859 in Connecticut.  I do not know if Jeremiah and Jerome were brothers.  Martha and Jeremiah had two daughters.  

7.  George Angus Barclay was born 18 August 1844 probably in Connecticut and died on the 28th of October 1898 in Pine River, Cass Co., Minnesota.  George is the subject of our blog and more information will be forthcoming on his life. He married Amarilla Spracklin in 1878 and they had 2 children. 

The second marriage of John Barclay was to Helen in Scott Co., Minnesota.  I have not been able to find their marriage in Minnesota records but it happened prior to 1860 per the census and from this marriage their were four (4) children born. 

8.  Charles Barclay was born about January 1860 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota.  After the death of his mother in 1907 he seems to have moved from Shakopee and might have gone to Minneapolis and died about 1938.  Charles didn’t marry as far as I can determine from census and other documents. 

9.  William Barclay was born about 1863 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota and died 7 Dec 1937 in Gallatin Co., Montana.  He married a Clara E, probably in Minnesota.  She was born about 1859 in Wisconsin and died about 21 March 1919 in Madison Co., Montana.  They had one child name Foster born 1891 and probably died by 1907.  

10.  Mary E. Barclay was born about 1864 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota and died 19 February 1930 in Cascade Co., Montana.  She married Charles B. Clark probably in Minnesota for he was born there about 1856.  He died 28 February 1932 in Deer Lodge Co., Montana.  They had at least one child named Ruth Clark who was born about 1895.   It is interesting that there are two Mary’s named in John’s family a good 20+ years apart. 

11.  Anna Elizabeth Barclay was born 15 April 1870 in Shakopee, Scott Co., Minnesota and died 4 August 1955 in Menominee, Menominee Co., Michigan.  She married David Maurice Carter on 9 July 1885 in Eagle Creek (Shakopee), Scott Co., Minnesota.  David was born 9 January 1860, Marinette, Marinette Co., Wisconsin.  The information for this family was supplied by a cousin and has not been verified.  Anna had 4 children. 

The person that initiated the probate process for Alexander was his niece, my grandmother Grace A. Barclay McDonald.  She was pregnant at the time and lived in International Falls.  She was unable to attend the court sessions because she had the baby and was “indisposed.”  The baby was my Aunt Miriam. 

Book: Logsleds to Snowmobile’s, Pine River Centennial Celebration, 1873-1973, Written by the Citizens of Pine River and edited by Norman F. Clarke, Pine River Centennial Committee, 1979.  A copy is available at the Family History Library.

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Getting to know Amarilla Spracklin Barclay

Amarilla was my great-grandmother and wife of George Angus Barclay.  On the same page of Miriam’s Notes, below George’s paragraph, was a similar one about Amarilla.  As I read for the first time about my great-grandmother I pondered what her life might have been like.   

Here is what my Aunt Miriam shared with me in 1986:  

Amarilla Spracklin Barclay Notes

 

Some thoughts on these notes:   

Her name was Amarilla Spracklin and she was born in 1858 and died in 1942.  It is true that she would change the spelling of her name adding an extra “m” so it could be “Ammarilla.” 

Was she born near Marengo, Iowa, well I think she was born closer to Blairstown which is north of Marengo about 10 minutes by car.  I know this because I traveled there to Iowa in April 0f 2003.  Her father, Daniel D. Spracklin, owned land first in Benton County, then later in Iowa County, Iowa. 

Amarilla was the 4^th child of Daniel D. Spracklin and Elizabeth Keller, this is true.     

Elizabeth Keller died March 10, 1859.  Amarilla was born November 17, 1858.  Amarilla really never knew her mother.  She was a baby when Elizabeth died just months later. 

Her father Daniel D. Spracklin remarried in 1863 and proceeded to have 7 more children.  This is true. 

She did migrate to Brainerd and later in life had a store.  I have not found anything that really states she was a milliner.  She did own a store and helped George run his many enterprises. 

She did marry George on July 27, 1878 but not in the St. Paul Episcopal church.  It was at a friend’s home in Brainerd according to the Brainerd newspaper.  Rev. Root did officiate. 

They had a son George Alexander who was born January 10, 1880 and died a year later on January 19, 1881.  The circumstances of his death were a mystery that unfolded much later. 

Their daughter Grace was born on April 10, 1882 in Pine River and she married and had eight children, six of which lived long happy lives.  

Amarilla was the daughter of Elizabeth Keller who was the daughter of John Keller and Mary Delano.  This is true.  

George and Amarilla are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Brainerd.  I have visited their graves several times.  

With this information from these two paragraphs I was ready to dig in and learn as much as I could about the life and times of my great grandparents Amarilla and George Barclay.

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