Civil War Soldier Thomas PEFLEY

As I mentioned in an earlier post, a find in a library 200 miles away made mention of Civil War soldier Thomas PEFLEY of Wabash County, Indiana.  Thomas is my wife's second great-grandfather.


The book, Ledger of Civil War Appointments and Discharges from the Recorder's Office of Wabash County was compiled by local historian, Ron Woodward.  


PEFLEY, THOMAS  page 33 pvt Co G 21 Heavy Art mustered out 10-2-1861 Ft McHenry Md disability; born Washington Oh age 21 height 5' 9 1/4" light complexion grey eyes brown hair was a farmer.  GAR


My records show Thomas as being born in Preble County, Ohio.  There is a Washington Court House, Ohio, but that is in Fayette County.  Nice to have a physical description, and to learn that he was mustered out due to disability.


The regiment was originally the 21st Regiment of Indiana Infantry, later classified as the 1st Regiment of Heavy Artillery.  It was organized at Indianapolis on July 24, 1861.  It left Indiana a week later for Baltimore, where it stayed until 1863.


Thomas is listed on the roster of soldiers in Company G, as "Thomas Pifley".  His residence is shown as Knox County.  He mustered in on July 24, 1861 and was discharged October 2, 1861 due to disability.


I do not have copies of his Civil War records.  His pension records are not with the NARA, he died in 1935 and I was told they were with the VA.  Will have to follow up on that.

Research Updates: August 29, 2011

I was able to spend a few hours yesterday at the Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana and do some research.  This is a great regional library, with a lot of sources that extend outside of their geographic area.  While my main focus was on the the robbery of the New Harmony bank in 1925, I also located information relating to Eileen's and Corinne's lines.

• Searched additional editions of the Evansville Journal from March 1925, looking for additional information on the robbery in New Harmony that Harry Pierpont's gang was involved with.  Did not find anything other than what the library had already provided.
• Found information in abstracts of Tagliche Evansville Union 1865-1885 that included information regarding the Sauer, Ritt, Damm, and Schafer lines.  Once I determine how they are related to Corinne's lines, will request copies of the actual newspaper items.  All of which are published in German script!
• Located record of abstracts of Warrick County, Indiana Will Book I 1831-1859 and Will Book II Feb. 1860-June 1885.  In this work, located Corinne's ancestor Thomas McCool.  Will now be able to request the copy of his will filled April 23, 1869.
• Located the Divorce Record Index 1818-1941 Vanderburgh County Indiana and located several of Corinne's ancestors and relatives, some of whom had filed multiple times, including the Miller, Chivlare and Sauer families. Now there's a story there!
• Found published Ledger of Civil War Appointments & Discharges from the Recorders Office of Wabash County, Indiana which had information about Eileen's ancestor, Thomas PEFLEY.  Nice find in a library over 200 miles from home.
• Made copies from Lagro Township Cemeteries Wabash County Indiana for records of Eileen's Duffey, Lewis, Sills & Pefley ancestors.

For just a few hours of research, it turned out to be a very productive day in a really nice, historic library.  If you ever have an opportunity to research there, I would highly recommend it.

Research Trip : Howard and Wabash Counties, Indiana

Spent yesterday doing a bit of research and ended up having an enjoyable day and some success.  It was a beautiful day, almost a shame to be inside at the library and courthouse.


My first stop was Kokomo to see what I could find out about Harry Pierpont and the 1925 bank robbery there.  I wanted to see what records the circuit court might have.  I could not find a parking spot at the courthouse, so ended up parking at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, just a few blocks away.  It was a good thing that I did.


My research wasn't totally focused on PIERPONT, I did manage to find my maternal 2nd-great grandfather, Charles LAMBERTSON, listed in the 1939 Farmer's Directory of Howard County as well - a source that I'd not previously located.


The library has a very extensive local history and genealogy section, including a large amount of vertical files.  Included in these vertical files was one for Harry Pierpont, as well as one for Pearl Elliott.  I quickly made photocopies of the articles and letters that had been included in the files.  It was interesting to note other researchers had written to the library in the past, including author Ellen Poulsen, author of Don't Call Us Molls:Women of the John Dillinger Gang.


The articles I copied from the vertical files were from the Kokomo Dispatch, a  local paper not found on Ancestry.com.  Armed with this information, I headed over to the courthouse, where I assumed that I would find much more information.


Every courthouse is different, but I've been used to being able to walk into the clerk's office, ask a where certain 'big books' are located, and be left alone to wander through them.  Maybe that has spoiled me.  Not so in Howard County.  However, the clerk there was very helpful, and we struck up a conversation about the wild nature of the city in the 1920s and 1930s, once she found out what I was looking for.  She found the criminal books and came back to tell me that she couldn't find anything on Harry, which seemed strange.


Then, looking at the article in the Dispatch, it noted that he was in city court.  Now why he would have been in city court, which is normally for misdemeanors instead of a circuit court, neither of us could figure out. She told me that Harry's name was familiar, as if she had been looking for him before for someone else.  When I mentioned John Dillinger her eyes lit up. The strange thing was, the criminal book she had included records from multiple judges during that time period, almost as if there might be a missing book.  Intrigued, she offered to do some more searching for me, and I left the details of the case along with my business card.  So glad that I carry them from work - they make a good contact point.


The county clerk suggested that if records from the city court existed, they may be located with the city building.  After a false start at the Kokomo Police Department, I was directed over to the Kokomo city clerk, who was able to find where the records were located.  Problem was, they were microfilmed on 8mm, and they didn't have a reader in that office.  After checking with the city attorney - to see if it was o.k. if I could see the records, she also took down information about the case and my contact information and offered to do some checking.


So, even though I know the disposition of the case, I remain curious to the particulars.  Not sure what records, if any, might be turned up by the court.  Had I not stopped by the library first, I would have probably gone away disappointed at the county clerk's office, thinking that the records were destroyed.  Hopefully, the clerk's will be able to find something.


My next stop was Greentown, where I hoped that their Historical Society was open.  Unfortunately, it was closed, so I headed to their small public library.  I had wanted to visit it for years, thinking that it might have some information on the LAMBERTSON and BEALS families who lived in the area.  Finally able to visit, I was disappointed to find out it was a bust.  The library is so small it is attached to Eastern Howard High School.  Their "local history" section was in a back room, which was being used for storage and I had to fight stacks of shipping boxes to get into the file cabinet that had some vertical files.  Finding nothing there of interest, I did manage to look through the yearbooks from the time period, but didn't find any mention of my grandmother's family.  


After a quick lunch, I headed up to Wabash, Indiana to do some research on Eileen's family, particularly the PEFLEY line.  Their research room allowed me to roam around, and I found several records of interest, including some estate and guardianship records.  Locating them on microfiche for me, I was able to print off an extensive file on Sarah May (PEEPLES) PEFLEY, as well as Albert Duffey PEFLEY. The files offered a fascinating glimpse into the family dynamics, as the husband was seeking guardianship over his wife, who had been declared to have been of "unsound mind".  My only disappointment was that at $1.00/page, I didn't have enough funds to copy all of the files I located for other family members.  Sometimes it's hard to pick and choose what records to focus on.  So, I will have to make a return trip to Wabash County in the future.


All in all, not a bad research trip, and now I have more fodder for future posts...

Tombstone Tuesday: Sarah May (PEEPLES) PEFLEY (1869-1932)

Eileen's maternal great-greatmother, Sarah May (PEEPLES) PEFLEY, is buried in the Washington-Lawson Cemetery, Union Township, Marshall County, Indiana.


Sarah was the daughter of George and Katherine (McMILLEN) PEEPLES.  According to her obituary in the Culver Citizen, she was born on a farm near Maxinkuckee on May 3, 1870, although her tombstone clearly says 1869. Sarah married Albert Duffey PEFLEY, son of Thomas Jefferson and Ruth (DUFFEY) PEFLEY, on October 9, 1898 in Culver, Marshall County, Indiana.  They had 4 children and resided in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah and Albert divorced circa 1924.  Sarah died April 4, 1932 in Argos, Marshall County, Indiana.


Source: Washington-Lawson Cemetery (Marshall County, Indiana), Sarah May Pefley marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 4 September 2010.

Genealogy Juices

There's nothing quite like the thrill of a new discovery to get your genealogy juices flowing again.  This Labor Day weekend has been quite productive for me in this regard.  


On Friday, I placed a call to the Central Records office in Madison County, Indiana, hoping they might have a copy of a marriage record of my 2nd-great grandfather.  During a recent search at the Family Search pilot, I made a possible new discovery of a second wife. The record at Family Search, however, did not indicate which county the marriage occurred, and I was hoping that it was in Madison County. Central Records were able to locate the record, and I'm hoping to pick up a copy of it on Tuesday.  This was the start of my good fortune this weekend. Will be blogging about this as soon as I obtain the copy.


Saturday, Eileen & I headed north to Plymouth for the Blueberry Festival.  It had been 8 years since we had last been able to attend, as my work schedule will not normally allow it.  This year was different, and I had Labor Day free from work. 


After enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of the festival, we headed towards downtown Plymouth, as I wanted to visit the Marshall County Historical Society and see what information they might have on my CHEW family line.  Unfortunately, they were closed so I will have to plan a return trip.  The society has been very helpful in the past by providing a copy of a photograph of my CHEW ancestors.


We grabbed a quick bite to eat just south of Plymouth at the Log House Restaurant, an interesting place, and then continued back towards home. We had time to kill, so we decided we would take a road trip over to Lake Maxinkuckee.


A slight detour of our route of U.S. 31 lead us to Maxinkuckee, where Eileen's maternal PEEBLES line had lived.  I was hoping that we would be able to find the cemetery where her ancestors were buried, and also to see the lake.  It was a most productive drive, as the cemetery we needed to find ended up being right off the highway.  The Washington-Lawson Cemetery is well maintained by the township trustees.  


Her ancestors must have wanted to be discovered, as I stopped the car just inside the cemetery, took two steps and there was the gravestone of my wife's great-grandmother.

As I began walking around, I was able to locate the graves of Eileen's 2nd, 3rd & 4th-great grandmothers - all within a few feet of each other.  Fortunately, I had taken my digital camera with me and was able to snap away.  I will be uploading these pictures later to the FindAGrave website and will write future Tombstone Tuesday posts.  


Right there in one spot all of the data in the family group sheets were coming to life, so to speak, and I was trying to do my best to explain the relationships of everyone to Eileen.  I think she may have caught a little bit of my excitement as well. I tried to photograph as many of the tombstones that were in the same vicinity  and any that appeared to be family. 


Back home, I opened up my Rootsmagic database and began comparing the newly minted photographs with the data I already had.  I was able to identify relationships and discovered that there were other related names at the cemetery that I didn't photograph.  A return trip is in order.


I spent time at Ancestry until late Saturday evening locating more family history for Eileen, and discovered that one of her lines crossed with a collateral line of mine back in Brown County, Ohio in the early 1800s.


Sometimes new discoveries will get my 'genealogy juices' flowing...and this is one of those times.

Surname Saturday: Roof

The ROOF surname is in Eileen's maternal line. The origins of the surname are not yet known.

Stories and history:

Ahnentafel # 49: Frances ROOF (unk-1840). Frances is believed to have been born in Botetourt County, Virginia.  She married before 1823 in Botetourt County, Virginia to Solomon PEFLEY (1798-1879).  Solomon was born January 10, 1798 in Botetourt County, Virginia, the son of Henry and Susan (BORNDRAGAR) PEFLEY. They had 7 children together.  Frances died 1840 in Preble County, Ohio.  Solomon remarried to Hannah HOOVER and moved to Wabash County, Indiana, where he died June 9, 1879.

The information on Frances comes from  "The Peffley, Peffly, Pefley Families in America, A historical and genealogical record of the Peffley, Peffly and Pefley families from 1729-1938", published in 1938, By May Miller Frost and Clarence Earl Frost.

This is another line that has much to be researched and discovered.

© 2010, copyright Travis J. LeMaster http://tjlgenes.blogspot.com

Surname Saturday: Duffey

The DUFFEY surname is Eileen's maternal line.  The ethnic origins of the surname are not known at this time.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel # 25: Ruth Anne DUFFEY (1847-1942). Ruth was born November 17, 1847 in Logan, Hocking County, Ohio.  She married Thomas Jefferson PEFLEY on September 17, 1863 at Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  Thomas was born  May 24, 1840 in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio.  They raised 3 children in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.  Thomas died February 9, 1935 in Dana, Jackson County, Indiana.  Ruth died January 9, 1942 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.

Ahnentafel # 50: Daniel DUFFEY (1815-1879). Daniel was born February 2, 1815 in Virginia.  He married Susanna FREESE before 1843. Susanna was born October 7, 1820.   They raised 8 children in Wabash County, Indiana.  Susanna died Jun 7, 1893.  Daniel died May 17, 1879.

Related blog posts:

• Today in my database: Ruth Anne Duffey (b. November 17, 1847) 

 

Surname Saturday: Peeples

The PEEPLES surname is Eileen's maternal line.  Sometimes the name is spelled as PEOPLES.  The origins of the surname are unknown.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel # 13: Sarah May PEEPLES (1870-1932).  Sarah was born May 3, 1870 in Maxinkuckee, Marshall County, Indiana.  She married Albert Duffey PEFLEY on October 9, 1898 in Culver, Marshall County, Indiana.  Albert was born January 12, 1867 in Wabash County, Indiana.  They had 4 chldren. They lived in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah died April 4, 1932 in Argos, Marshall County, Indiana.

Ahnentafel # 26: George PEEPLES (1836-1918).  George was born September 24, 1836 in Miami County, Indiana.  He married Katherine McMILLEN on October 22, 1867.  George served in the Civil War.  They had 5 children.  They lived in Union Township, Marshall County, Indiana.  George died January 15, 1918 in Culver, Marshall County, Indiana.

Ahnentafel # 52: Hugh A.B. PEEPLES.  Hugh married Patsey FISHER.  

Related blog posts:

• Obituary: George Peeples (1836-1918) 

• Obituary: Sarah May (Peoples) Pefley (1870-1932) 

Surname Saturday: Pefley

The PEFLEY surname is Eileen's maternal line.  The surname has Swiss origins and is spelled a number of ways, a common variant is PEFFLEY.

Stories and History:

Ahnentafel # 384: Nicholas PEFFLEY (c1700-c1748), the immigrant.  Nicholas was born circa 1700 in Palatine and emigrated to Pennsylvania.  Nicholas was married to Barbara BARN.  They had 5 children together.  Nicholas died circa 1748 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.


Ahnentafel # 192: Jacob PEFLEY (c1724-c1778).  Jacob was born circa 1724 in Germany and emigrated to Pennsylvania.  Jacob was married to Esther ________.  They had 5 children together.  Jacob died circa 1778 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.


Ahnentafel # 96: Henry PEFLEY (c1770-1842).  Henry was born circa 1770 in Bethel Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Henry married Susannah BORNDRAGAR.  Susannah was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Andrew and Susannah (________) BORNDRAGAR.  They had 10 children and lived in Botetourt and Roanoke County, Virginia.  Henry died in 1842 in Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia.


Ahnentafel # 48: Solomon PEFLEY  (1798-1879).  Solomon was born January 10, 1798 in Botetourt County, Virginia.  Solomon married Frances ROOF before 1823 in Botetourt County, Virginia.  They had 7 children.  Frances was born in Botetourt County, Virginia and died 1840 in Preble County, Ohio.  Solomon remarried after 1840 to Hannah HOOVER.  They moved to Wabash County, Indiana, where Solomon died June 9, 1879.


Ahnentafel # 24: Thomas Jefferson PEFLEY (1840-1935).  Thomas was born May 24, 1840 in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio.  Thomas married September 17, 1863 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana to Ruth Anne DUFFEY, daughter of Daniel and Susanna (FREESE) DUFFEY.  Ruth was born November 17, 1847 in Hocking County, Ohio.  They had 3 children.  Thomas was a veteran of the Civil War.  Thomas died February 9, 1935 in Dana, Jackson County, Indiana.  Ruth died January 9, 1942 in Dora, Wabash County, Indiana.



Ahnentafel # 12: Albert Duffey PEFLEY (1867-1964).  Albert was born January 12, 1867 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Albert married October 9, 1898 in Culver, Marshall County, Indiana to Sarah May PEEPLES, daughter of George and Katherine (McMILLEN) PEEPLES.  Sarah was born May 3, 1870 in Maxinkuckee, Marshall County, Indiana.  They had 4 children.  Albert died April 20, 1964 in Wabash, Wabash County, Indiana.  Sarah died April 3, 1932 in Argos, Marshall County, Indiana.



Related blog posts:

• Pefley Family Lineages 

 

Obituary: Catherine (McMillen) Peeples (1849-1916)

Source: Culver Citizen, Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, Thursday, May 4, 1916, page 2.

Catherine McMillen was born on April 6, 1849, in Marshall county., Ind. She was the daughter of James and Julia McMillen. She spent her girlhood days until 18 years old with her parents when she was united in marriage to George Peeples. To this union were born five children: Sarah May, Mary Ludema, Edward Allen, Everett Ellsworth and Edna Blanche, the two sons preceding their mother in infancy. She is survived by her husband, three daughters (Mrs. Henry Speyer of Culver, Mrs. Harry Dillon of Green township and Mrs. Sarah Peffley of Dora, Ind.), one sister, Mrs. John Peeples, one brother, Richard McMillen, and 12 grandchildren. In early years she united with the Methodist church of Poplar Grove, but later became a member of the Christian church of Maxinkuckee. She lived a consistent christian life, always being interested in the success of the church. She took the greatest interest in her home where many sacrifices were made with pleasure for those around her. She was taken away April 26, 1916, aged 67 years and 20 days. Funeral services were conducted at her late home April 28 by Rev. J.F. Kenrich assisted by Rev. Whittaker. Interment at Washington.

Comment: Catherine was my wife's maternal great-great grandmother. I have seen her name spelled both with a "C" and a "K".

Obituary: George Peeples (1836-1918)

Source: Culver Citizen, Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, Wednesday, January 23, 1918, page 4.

Geeorge Peeples

George Peeples, son of Hugh and Patty Peeples, was born in Miami county, Ind., Sept. 24, 1836, and died at his home near Culver Jan. 15, 1918, aged 81 years, 5 months and 15 days. He was united in marriage to Catherine McMillen on Oct. 22, 1867. To this union were born five children, two of whom, Edward Allen and Everett Ellsworth, died in infancy. His wife departed this life 1 year and 9 months ago. He leaves one brother, John Peeples of Rochester, Ind., three daughters - Sarah Pefley of Wabash, Ind., Mary Speyer of Culver, and Edna Dillon of Argos; also 12 grandchildren, one great grandchild and other relatives and friends. He began life for himself at the age of 14. He was a soldier in the civil war and served three years from '61 to '64, and received an honorable discharge. He was a good citizen, a good neighbor, a kind husband and a loving father. His funeral was held at his home, conducted by Rev. Schuyler C. Norris, assisted by Rev. Albert Vermillion. Comrades of the G.A.R. acted as pallbearers and buried him with the honors of the order.

Comment: George was my wife's maternal great-great grandfather. His daughter, Sarah, was her great grandmother.

Obituary: Sarah May (Peoples) Pefley (1870-1932)

Source : Culver Citizen, Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, Wednesday, April 6, 1932, page 1.

Mrs. Sarah Pelfey Passes Away From Heart Attack

A second heart attack proved fatal to Mrs. Sarah Pefley, who passed away Monday morning at the home of her sister, Mrs. Harry Dillon, near Argos. She was 61 years of age. She had been ill for several months. Mrs. Pefley had lived in Culver for about seven years, but this winter had made her home with Mrs. Dillon. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Harry Dillon and Mrs. Henry Speyer of Culver; three sons, one daughter, and many other relatives. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Culver M.E. Church, Rev. V. B. Servies officiating, assisted by Rev. W.B. Warringer. Interment will be in the Washington cemetery.

Source: Culver Citizen, Culver, Marshall County, Indiana, Wednesday, April 13, 1932, page 6.

Mrs. Sarah Pefley

Sarah May Peoples, eldest daughter of Geo. and Kathryn Peoples, was born May 3, 1870, on a farm near Maxinkuckee where she grew to womanhood. She joined the Christian Church there in the winter of 1888. She was married to Albert Pefley October 9, 1898. To this union were born four children, Lowell Leslie, Myra Christina, Homer Hanley and Sherman Stewart. She united with the Culver Methodist Church some six years ago. She leaves two sisters, Mrs. H.M. Speyer and Mrs. H.A. Dillon of near Argos, and a host of friends in this community.

These obituaries were provided by The Antiquarian and Historical Society of Culver, Indiana to my mother in law. Sarah was her grandmother. The surname has been found to be spelled alternatively as Peeples in some records.

Lawrence S. Lewis family - Wabash Co., IN

The Lawrence S. LEWIS family was enumerated in the 1910 and 1920 census of LaGro Twp., Wabash Co., IN. Lawrence was Eileen's maternal great-grandfather, the son of Jacob and Marietta (COOK) LEWIS.

Lawrence's occupation was that of a farmer who could read and write. His own was listed as free of mortgage in 1910, but mortgaged by the 1920 census. Wife Ruth Alice was the mother of 3 children, all living in 1910 census, who could also read and write.

The rest of the family included children : Lucille, Ernest, Flossie, Galen, Daniel and Leota in the 1920 census. Next door neighbors in the 1920 census were the PEFLEY family. Daughter Leota would later marry their son Sherman.

Lawrence S. LEWIS b. March 30, 1885 Lancaster, Huntington Co., IN., d. June 26, 1947 Dora, Wabash Co., IN., m. February 24, 1906 Dora, Wabash Co., IN to Ruth Alice SILLS, daughter of Christopher and Samantha (SHELLY) SILLS. Ruth b. March 29, 1889 Dora, Wabash Co., IN., d. February 18, 1959 Wabash, Wabash Co., IN.

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : Susan Kacsits & Mike Pefley

Photo of Susan Kacsits & Mike Pefley taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis reunion held June 23, 2007 at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : Ryan & Ashli Pershing

Photo of Ryan and Ashli Pershing taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis reunion held June 23, 2007 at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : Harvey E. Pefley

Photo of Harvey E. Pefley. taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion held at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : Lawrence S. Lewis Jr.

Photo of Lawrence S. Lewis Jr. taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion held at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : Gariselda Peterson & Eileen LeMaster

Photo of Gariselda (Pefley) Peterson & Eileen LeMaster taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis reunion held June 23, 2007 at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reunion : David & Lee Ann Pefley

Photo of David & Lee Ann Pefley taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis reunion held June 23, 2007 at Wabash, Indiana

2007 Pefley-Lewis Reuion : Bob & Jodie Pefley

Photo of Bob & Jodie Pefley taken at the 2007 Pefley-Lewis reunion held June 23, 2007 at Wabash, Indiana