Tombstone Tuesday: Ezekiel Copper & Jane (Riddle) Chew

My paternal third great-grandfather, Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew and his third wife, Mary Jane (RIDDLE) (ADAMS) (KEISER) SHIRK, are buried in the Lakeville Cemetery, St. Joseph's County, Indiana.

Ezekiel was born January 17, 1822 in Gloucester County, New Jersey, the son of Rev. Nathaniel and Mary (WEST) CHEW.

Mary Jane was born December 28, 1845 in St. Joseph's County, Indiana, the daughter of Wiley and Miranda M. (PRICE) RIDDLE.

Ezekiel died August 27, 1888 in St. Joseph's County, Indiana. Mary Jane died in 1921. After Ezekiel's death, she had married Simon KEISER on September 7, 1889 in St. Joseph's County, Indiana. This marriage ended in divorce, and she married Hiram SHIRK circa 1894.

Ezekiel's occupation was that of a medical doctor. He graduated from Jefferson College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a doctor for many years in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana.

Ezekiel's first wife, Caroline Bishop WOOLSTON (1826-1879) was my 3rd-great grandmother. After her death, Ezekiel remarried to the widow Laura SKAGGS, and after her death married Mary Jane RIDDLE.

Children of Ezekiel Cooper and Caroline Bishop (WOOLSTON) CHEW are:

• Abel Woolston CHEW (1843-1903); married Salome HOLDEMAN; 11 children
• Nathaniel Derby CHEW (1845-aft1920); married Margaret HEISTAND; 7 children
• Mary Keziah CHEW (1847-1927); married Luman Walker LEMASTERS; 11 children
• James CHEW (c1848-c1851)
• Millard F. CHEW (1850-1851)
• Sarah Fidelia CHEW (1852-1935); married David ELEY; 5 children
• Samuel W. CHEW (1852-1852)
• Caroline Bishop CHEW (1854-1920); married Fred E. WHITACRE; 3 children
• Ezekiel Cooper CHEW (1856-aft1920); married Minnie J. SAFFORD; 4 children
• William Anderson CHEW (1858-1914); married Emma Susan STRAIGHT; 9 children
• Charles Alexander West CHEW (1860-1925); married Rebecca F. SHUMAKER; 10 children
• Horace Virgil CHEW (1865- ); married Esther V. ABEL; 3 children
• Donovan R. CHEW (1869- ); married Bertha ADAMS; 4 children
• Jesse CHEW

Children of Ezekiel Cooper and Laura (________) (SKAGGS) CHEW are:

• Edis Playfair CHEW (1883-1915); married Bertha ________

Children of Ezekiel Cooper and Mary Jane (RIDDLE) CHEW are :

• Wiley Riddle CHEW (1888-1959); married Dora Belle LAMB
  

Mrs. Sigler's Funeral

Source: Pitts, Michael R., Deaths Madison County, Indiana 1902. Anderson, Indiana, USA: Anderson Public Library Indiana Room, 2002.

(Citing the Elwood, Indiana Daily Record of September 2, 1902)

Mrs. Sigler's Funeral

After months of patient suffering, Minerva, wife of Dr. D. Sigler, died at the family residence at South B and Anderson streets, Sunday morning at 7 o'clock. For several months she had been a victim of consumption, and although her death was not unexpected, it was none the less a painful shock to her friends.

Mrs. Sigler was in the fifty fourth year of her age, and the greater part of her life had been spent in this immediate community, she enjoying the personal acquaintance of nearly all the older residents of the city. She was a woman of many estimable qualities, devoted to her home and family. One child, Miss Vivian, survives her a son, Bert, having died with the same complaint ten years ago.

The funeral was held at the family residence this afternoon at 2:30, the Rev. J.A. Dunkle officiating. The members of the medical fraternity attended in a body, and hundreds of friends took part in the sad service. Interment was in the city cemetery.

Comment: I found this obituary while doing research at the Anderson Indiana Public Library's Indiana room. This book contains photocopies of obituaries from local papers. Minerva (PIERCE) SIGLER was born December 6, 1846 in Wayne County, Indiana, the daughter of Francis S. and Rebecca (PAGE) PIERCE. She married Dr. Daniel SIGLER on December 31, 1868 in Madison County, Indiana. Minerva's death occurred August 31, 1902 in Elwood, Madison County, Indiana. Minerva was my maternal 3rd-great grandaunt, a younger sister to my Edmund G. PIERCE.

Family Milestones : November 2nd

My paternal great-great grandfather, William P. WEHRLY, was born on this date back in 1845 in Preble County, Ohio, the son of Johannes (John S.) and Barbara (PETRY) WEHRLY. William was the youngest of the family of nine children. Not too long after he was born the family moved across the state line into Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana. William was a man of many talents - his occupations were listed as farmer, mortician and sawmiller. He served in the Civil War in Company I, 130th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. After the war, he married Olive Jane SMITH on August 4, 1866 in Jay County, Indiana. They lived out their lives on the farm in Madison Township where William died on June 16, 1909. He is buried in the Salamonia Cemetery there.

My maternal great-great granduncle, James WRIGHT, married Clara B. HICKS on this date back in 1895 in Madison County, Indiana. James was the son of Joseph W. and Rebecca Ann (HEATON) WRIGHT and the younger brother of my John William WRIGHT. James was the first member of the Wright family to be born in Madison County, Indiana after the move from Brown County, Ohio, being born in 1868. James was a farmer of Monroe Township, living out his entire life there. He died October 14, 1936 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana and is buried in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery there.

My paternal 3rd-great granduncle, Stephen M. YOUNG, married Mary WOODRUFF on this date back in 1847. My data is sketchy on this event, but it probably occurred in Shelby County, Ohio. Stephen was the youngest son of Phillip and Nancy Ann (McLANE) YOUNG, the younger brother of my Nancy YOUNG. Stephen had been born April 27, 1845 and died January 25, 1903. More research in the census records needs to be done to further research his life.