JAMES MADISON BUSHONG Born: 12 October 1833, Hancock County, Ohio, s/o Jacob and Elizabeth Bushong Died: 12 August 1912, McComb Township, Hancock County, Ohio Burial: 14 August 1912, Pleasant Hill Cemetery, McComb Township, Hancock County, Ohio Married Twice: M/1: 7 February 1858 to Elizabeth Foreman Born: 1838, Born Pennsylvania Died: Before 1870 Three children from this union: Almina W., Eliza M., and Charles J. M/2: Julia Whitney One child from this union: Edward Bushong, died 1877 Divorced: 1876, Ionia County, Michigan Case #1262, Julia Bushong VS James Bushong Born: About 1840, Ohio Died: unknown ----------------------------- 1850 Federal Census: Ohio Portage Township, Hancock County Enumerated 24 July 1850 Page 41B Lines 14-25, HH 31/31 Jacob Bushong 43/Male/Farmer/$2000/OH Elizabeth Bushong 40/Female/OH Catharine A. Bushong 20/Female/OH Andrew Bushong 19/Female/AttendedSchool/Farmer/OH MADISON BUSHONG 17/Male/AttendedSchool/Farmer/OH Angeline Bushong 14/Female/AttendedSchool/OH Delilah Bushong 12/Female/AttendedSchool/OH Elizabeth Bushong 10/Female/AttendedSchool/OH William J. Bushong 8/Male/AttendedSchool/OH John Westly Bushong 6/Male/AttendedSchool/OH Martha Jane Bushong 4/Female/OH Emily Selina Bushong 1/Female/OH ------------------------------- 1860 Federal Census: Ohio Portage Township, PO Van Buren, Hancock County Enumerated 20 July 1860 Page 181 Lines 32-34, HH 1298/1258 MADISON BUSHONG 26/Male/Carpenter/$400-$450/OH {James Madison Bushong} Elizabeth Bushong 22/Female/PA Almina W. Bushong 2mos/Female/OH --------------------------------- 1870 Federal Census: Michigan Village of Portland, Ionia County Enumerated 8 July 1870 Page 649A & B Lines 39-40 & 1-4, HH 49/49 JAMES M. BUSHONG 36/Male/White/MakingDoorsInFactory/$1500-$180/OH {James Madison Bushong} Julia A. Bushong 29/Female/White/KeepingHouse/OH Almina W. Bushong 10/Female/White/AttendedSchool/OH Eliza M. Bushong 8/Female/White/AttendedSchool/OH Charles J. Bushong 6/Male/White/OH Edward Bushong 2/Male/White/Michigan --------------------------------- Ionia County Michigan Death Record Ledger Page 258, #106 Date of Record: 19 June 1878 {1877?} Name: Edward Bushong Male, White, Aged 9 years 8 months 6 days Date of Death: 19 April 1877 Place of Death: Portland, Ionia County Cause of Death: Enlargement of Spleen Born: Ohio Father: James Bushong {James Madison Bushong} Mother: Julia Whitney ------------------------------------- 1880 Federal Census: Could not find anywhere ------------------------------------- 1900 Federal Census: Ohio Allen Township, ED 47, Hancock County Enumerated 6 June 1900 Page 4B, Sheet 4 Lines 56-60, HH 74/75 Elvira Trout Head/W/F/March1857/49/Widowed/3children3living/Farmer/OwnsFree/OH/VA/OH Alvin I. Trout Son/W/M/July1877/22/Single/LaborerOilPump/OH/OH/OH Wesley B. Trout Son/W/M/March18879/21/Single/FarmLaborer/OH/OH/OH Frank A. Trout Son/W/M/Feb1881/19/Single/FarmLaborer/OH/OH/OH MADISON J. BUSHONG Brother/W/M/Oct1833/66/Widowed/DayLaborer/OH/VA/OH --------------------------------- 1910 Federal Census: Ohio Portage Township, ED 84, Hancock County Enumerated 30 April & 2 May 1910 Page 159B, Sheet 4 Lines 82-84, HH 73/73 Robert W. Cloud Head/M/W/75/Md54yrs/OwnsHmFree/OwnIncome/OH/OH/VA Kathern M. Cloud Wife/F/W/76/6children4living/OH/Germany/Germany JAMES BUSHONG Male/White/76/MdTwice/LaborerOddJobs/OH/OH/OH ------------------------------- The Weekly Jeffersonian Thursday, 15 August 1912 Page 1 ENDS LIFE IN CEMETERY. MADISON BUSHONG, FARMER, DRINKS CARBOLIC ACID IN TOOL HOUSE OF PLEASANT HILL BURIAL GROUND. PROPPED DOOR OPEN CAREFULLY. McComb, 12 August (special) ---Having reached the age of 79 years, unable to work and feeling himself of no more use in life, Madison Bushong, farmer, residing five miles east of McComb, entered the tool house of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery Monday afternoon, carefully propped open the door so his body could be seen and drank a bottle of carbolic acid, dying in agony in a few minutes. Despondency was given as the cause of the deed. The act was planned with deliberation by Mr. Bushong who was careful to see that his body would be found after death. He was discovered by Edward Kempher, Sexton of the cemetery, who noticed the tool house dorr open and went to close it. He found mr. Bushong lying unconscious, and still breathing. As soon as he realized his condition, Mr. Kempher notified Coroner Calvin S. Todd of McComb, who arrived just as Mr. Bushong breathed his last. Mr. Bushong had no real home, but resided for the most part, with a sister, Mrs. William Spitler, a short distance north of the cemetery. He had been able to work only at odd jobs for a number of years, owing to his age, and it is believed that his dependent condition prayed on his mind until he sought relief in death. He is also survived by a daughter, Mrs. Fannie M. Kimmel, of New Mexico, a brother, Wesley Bushong of Mobile, Alabama, and four sisters, Mrs. Alvina Trout and Mrs. Saline Murns of Van Buren, Mrs. Israel Spitler, residing near Pleasant Hill, and Mrs. William Spitler. ------------------------------- Researched and Submitted by Gloria Bushong