The Doctor's Daughter, Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters (1847-1927), 52 Ancestors # 14

Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters

The 14th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great-grandmother, Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters (1847-1927).  Mary is number 17 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

I am descended through:

* her son # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), married # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930) in 1886.  

* their son, # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents.

Mary was born February 13, 1847 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey^1,2, the daughter of Dr. E.C and Caroline B. (Woolston) Chew.  She was the oldest daughter of the family.

Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Ohio, where in 1850 they were living in Jackson Township of Montgomery County³.  By 1860, the family was living in Neave Township of Darke County, Ohio⁴, where her father was a doctor.

At age 17, Mary married Luman Walker Lemasters Jr. on October 2, 1864 at Versailles, Darke County, Ohio⁵. Luman was a Civil War veteran who had been discharged on May 4, 1864 due to injuries he had received in battle.  Luman had enlisted from Jay County, Indiana, which borders Darke County, Ohio to the northwest.  The distance between Versailles, Ohio and Portland, Indiana is about 52 miles.

While it is possible that the families knew each other before the war, my theory is that they met during Luman's convalescence, perhaps when Mary's father, Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew, was treating him for his war wounds.   Tax records show that E.C. Chew was listed as a physician on January 25, 1864 in Lancaster, Jay County, Indiana⁶.  Lancaster is the former name of the village of Salamonia, near where the Lemasters family was from.

After their marriage, the family alternated between living in Ohio and Indiana.  Their daughter Beulah was born in Ohio in 1865, but son Luman was born in Jay County, Indiana in 1867.  Mary and Luman lived in Darke County, Ohio, renting land where they were enumerated in 1870 in Allen Township⁷.  By 1876, they were back in Jay County when their son Ord was born, and the family was enumerated in 1880 in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana⁸.

Mary was the mother of 11 children, 10 of whom survived into adulthood.  The family was affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church of Salamonia, and led to its organization in 1876.  As mentioned in the biography in the 1922 county history, Mary was a Sunday school teacher for several years.



When Mary died in Salamonia, Jay County, Indiana on February 22, 1927², she was 80 years old.  She and her husband are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery.

Sources:

1. Mary K. Lemaster obituary, Commerial-Review, Portland, Indiana, February 22, 1927, page 1.

2. Mary K. LeMaster, death certificate Book H-8, page 144 (1927), Jay County Health Department, Portland, Indiana.

3. Ezekiel Chew household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Jackson Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, dwelling 901, family 901; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 714.

4. Ezekiel Chew household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Neave Township, Darke County, Ohio, dwelling 1166, family 1128, page 164.

5. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana: including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana : Historical Publishing Company, 1922), page 196.

6. Ancestry.com. U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data:National Archives (NARA) microfilm series: M603, M754-M771, M773-M777, M779-M780, M782, M784, M787-M789, M791-M793, M795, M1631, M1775-M1776, T227, T1208-T1209; Chew, E.C., District 11, Monthly Tax Lists, January 1864.
7. Luman Lemasters household, 1870 U.S. census, population schedule, Allen Township, Darke County, Ohio, North Star P.O., sheet 21, page 12, dwelling 79, family 79; National Archives micropublication M593, roll 1194
8. Walker Lemasters household, 1880 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, ED 161, SD 6, page 4, dwelling 47, family 48; National Archives micropublication T9, roll 287.
9. 

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

The Young Soldier, Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931), 52 Ancestors # 13

Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931)

The 13th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-great grandfather, Luman Walker Lemasters, Jr. (1842-1931).  Luman is number 16 on my Ahnentafel list, and previously I've written about the details of his life in an Exploratory Analysis post.

I am descended through:

* his son # 8 Luman Cooper LeMasters (1867-1933), married # 9 Barbara Isabel Wehrly (1869-1930) in 1886.

* their son # 4 Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971), married # 5 Ruth Pauline Haley (1911-1990) in 1932 - my grandparents.

Luman was born October 19, 1842 in Shelby County, Ohio^1,2.  The Lemasters family lived in Salem Township near Port Jefferson until 1854 when the family moved to Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana near Salamonia³.

In the 1860 census of Madison Township, he was listed as Walker Lemaster, aged 17, born in Ohio, and had attended school within the year⁴.

On April 14, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call for troops to aid in putting down the Rebellion, and Luman was one of many from Jay County to answer the call.  The county history gives the details of the formation of Company C, 39th Regiment Indiana Infantry, in which Luman enlisted on July 21, 1861^2,5.

Luman's unit participated in some hard fought battles in the Western Theatre of the war, including Shiloh and Stone's River.

In May of 1863, the 39th Regiment was mounted and armed with Spencer rifles and renamed as the 8th Indiana Cavalry.  On July 3, 1863 at Decker's Forge, near Winchester, Tennessee, Luman was severely wounded when he was shot through the left breast⁶.

I have often thought about how fortunate that Luman survived this injury.  If he hadn't, I might not be here today.  The bullet passed through the first and second ribs (left side) and lodged within the thorax.

After recuperating in the field hospitals, Luman was discharged on May 4, 1864 at Tyner's Station, Tennessee.

Discharge of Luman Walker Lemasters, 1864

Within a few months of his discharge, Luman was married on October 2, 1864 at Versailles, Darke County, Ohio to Mary Keziah Chew^6,7.  Mary's father was a physician, Dr. Ezekiel Cooper Chew, and I've often wondered if Luman met her during his rehabilitation period.

I have records of Luman's military service during the war and his pension records afterwards.  I intend to share these records in future posts.  One thing that I found interesting was the physical description given for my great-great grandfather. 

At the time of his enlistment, Luman was described as standing 5 feet 3 inches tall with black hair and blue eyes with a dark complexion.  He enlisted at Portland, Indiana for a term of 3 years.  Certainly not a tall man, but a brave one.

Company Descriptive Book
Luman W. LeMaster

8th Indiana Cavalry

Sources:

1. Young, L.I.C. Biography of the Young Family 1759-1904, Fremont, Ohio: Fremont Printing Co., 1904, p. 51.
2. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana: including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: Historical Publishing Company, 1922), p. 195.
3. Jay County Indiana Deed Records, Book I page 116, Jay County Recorders Office, Portland, Indiana.
4. Luman W. Lemaster household, 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana, Salamonia P.O., page 2, dwelling 10, family 10; National Archives micropublication M563, roll 269.
5. L.W. Lemaster obituary, Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, November 18, 1931, p. 1.
6. Milton T. Jay, History of Jay County, Indiana : including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: Historical Publishing Company, 1922), p. 196.
7. Lemaster, Howard M, & Margaret Herberger, Lemasters, U.S.A., 1639-1965, Carlinville, Illinois, 1965, p. 196.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.

Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley (1868-1955), Hardships & Photos, 52 Ancestors # 12

Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley

The 12th ancestor in my 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project is my paternal great-grandmother, Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley (1868-1955).  Previously, I'd written about the details of her life in an Exploratory Data post.

Metzner cabin where Cora was born

Cora was born in 1868 in Wayne Township, Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of John Adam & Clara (Moulton) Metzner¹.

Eli & Cora (Metzner) Haley

After her marriage to Eli Weldon Haley in 1888, Cora lived as a housewife in Noble Township, Jay County, Indiana.  She was the mother of seven children, only five of whom survived into adulthood.  The five girls were Vera, Mary, Nora, Carrie and my grandmother, Ruth.  Son Charles (1903) and daughter Orpha (1899) died at age 6 months and 7 years, respectively.

Losing a child was a more common occurrence over a hundred years ago, but I'm sure it was a heartbreaking experience.  I do not have the cause of death for Orpha, but Charles died of acute pneumonia.  This funeral photo is the only known photo of him.

Charles Leo "Charlie" Haley (1902-1903)

Orpha's memory was captured in this family photo of the Haleys.  Since daughter Mary was born in 1895, this photo likely dates just before Orpha died in 1899.

Eli (seated), Cora (standing), Vera, Orpha & Mary Haley

The family farm was the scene of many family gatherings and Sunday dinners after church.  Eli was still farming at the time of the 1940 census, when he was  74 years old. In 1939, after an unfortunate fire, my grandmother & grandfather's family had to move back in with Cora and Eli for a time.  The family was always a close one.

The Haley girls

The Haley girls

After many years of living on the farm, Cora and Eli moved in with their daughter & son-in-law, Vera and Clarence Stuber.  The Stubers lived in Madison Township, where Cora died on April 28, 1955².  I had previously posted about her funeral record.

Cora (Metzner) Haley on the farm

My dad remembers that his grandma Haley in her later years suffered near blindness from glaucoma.  She could only make out shadows.  Yet she was still able to fix a plate and feed herself.  He mentioned my aunts helping to braid her hair. Dad was only 11 years old when she passed, so I need to speak with my aunts and uncle to see if they have other memories of grandma Haley.

Sources:

1. Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, April 29, 1955, page 1, Obituary of Mrs. Cora B. Haley.
2. Ancestry.com. Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Indiana State Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1900–2011. Microfilm. Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana. , Cora Belle Haley, 4-28-1955, Jay County, Indiana.

The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge was created by Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small blog.  The premise is to write once a week about a specific ancestor - whether it be a story, a biography, a photograph or a research problem.