Searching for more information on Andrew Jackson b. 1875 : d. 1935. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Lineville, IA, but lived in Decatur County, I think. His parents were Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth Juett/Jewett. After Elizabeth's husband died she married Jacob Crum. I am also interested in any info on Elizabeth, she and Jacob are also buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Thanks Carmelita

This is part of a statement by Joseph E. WHETSTONE made from Fremont Co. Iowa advocating for my ancestor John James BENTLEY. They had both served in the Civil War in Co. H, 5th Regiment, Kansas Cavalry. They both lived in Decatur Co. ~~~~~~~~~ I Joseph E. WHETSTONE being of lawful age being first duly sworn say that I was a member of Co. "H", 5th Regiment Kansas Cavalry that I was with the Company at the time John J BENTLEY was ... I lived in Decatur County Iowa and so did BENTLEY and I resided in Decatur County until the year 1872 and I saw BENTLEY frequently ... In the year 1872 I moved to Fremont County Iowa and so did BENTLEY move to Fremont County the same year and from that time we have lived neighbors and I saw him frequently and know that he is and has been unable to perform hard labor and believe the same to be from the disease he contracted in the army. Joseph E. WHETSTONE Subscribed and sworn before me this tenth day of April 1880. W [?] Templeton Clerk of the District Court of Fremont Co., Iowa ~~~~~~~ submitted by Elaine

This is an Affidavit by John SNYDER on 4 Dec 1882. It was written to advocate for my ancestor, John James BENTLEY. John J Bentley, a carpenter and a farmer, was in Decatur County before and after the Civil War so this piece places John SNYDER in Decatur County those years too. ~~~~~~~~ State of Missouri, County of Mercer. In the matter or Pension claim of J J Bentley [ John SNYDER ] personally comes the affiant who being first sworn, on oath says: that he was acquainted with claimant J J Bentley before he enlisted in the U S army in the war of rebellion and that I know that his hearing was good before enlistment and that after being discharged he was almost entirely deaf being deaf in one ear and nearly so in the other. I know the above facts from personal observation he the said J J Bentley having worked for me and also living in the same neighborhood both before and after the said war and affiant further swears that he is not interested in the presentation of the claim, and his Post Office address is Mercer, Co. of Mercer, State of Missouri Affiant's Signature John SNYDER ~~~~~~~~ sent by Elaine

Looking for someone who has information about my COONTZ/KOONTZ line My email address is grannysandy@insight.rr.com Thanks for your help. Sandy Anthony bornJan 18,1801died Nov 16,1856 Elizabeth born Dec 30,1802 died Aug 27,1847 Absalom born Aug 11,1811 died Feb 1, 1891 They were born some where in VA Anthony and Absalom moved to Pickaway county Ohio mid 1820's Anthony and Absalom married Sisters Anthony married Rebecca Dechert Sept 13,1827 Absalom married Hesther Dechert Nov 5,1835 Sister Elizabeth lived most her life in IA She married Erhard LENTZ Nov 14,1825

Hi Bill. There is a website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/map.html that lists all the twp in Decatur County, and if you click on one, it will give you a plat map. (Also, if you go to the Decatur County Website that Stacey takes care of, then scroll down to the "books", you can get to the above website also.) (Incase you are needing the website address for Decatur County, it is http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/ ) (If you go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/mapDocs/blumpne.html it will give you a better idea where High Point Twp is. ~ High Point Twp is about a mile South of Garden Grove, or about 4? miles East of Leon.) Leon is in Center Twp, and High Point is next to it. ) Stacy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Overholtzer" <grandriver@webtv.net> To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 8:02 PM Subject: [IADECATU] high point township > can anyone help me as to where that town ship is in decatur co. ? as > that is where my grandfather Benton Latta lived in early 1900 thanks for > any help your a grand group on this site will try to make it back to the > area this year for my 62 nd alumini reunion in Grand River Bill in the > state of Wash. > > > ==== IADECATU Mailing List ==== > Stacey Dietiker, Momdit@aol.com: Decatur County List Administrator, > Website Coordinator, Decatur County IA Genweb - http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu > > ============================== > New! Family Tree Maker 2005. Build your tree and search for your ancestors at the same time. Share your tree with family and friends. Learn more: http://landing.ancestry.com/familytreemaker/2005/tour.aspx?sourceid=14599&ta rgetid=5429 > >

can anyone help me as to where that town ship is in decatur co. ? as that is where my grandfather Benton Latta lived in early 1900 thanks for any help your a grand group on this site will try to make it back to the area this year for my 62 nd alumini reunion in Grand River Bill in the state of Wash.

Birthday Anniversary E. J. Sankey, civil war veteran and a resident of Decatur county since 1856, was 92 years old Thursday of last week. His son, Carl Sankey, and wife of Davis City, and his daughter, Mrs. T. J. Smith, of Lamoni, assisted him in celebrating the day at his home in Leon. He received the congratulations of many friends. Mr. Sankey came to Decatur county in 1856 with his mother, his father having passed away in 1849 at Burlington where the family had arrived from Pennsylvania on their way to settle in Iowa. August 15, 1861, he enlisted in Co. L, Third Iowa Volunteer cavalry. He re-enlisted as a veteran in January, 1864, and was wounded at the battle of Guntown. He was sent to Memphis and later home but he rejoined his regiment soon after. He was honorably discharged February 26, 1865. On his return to Decatur county he bought land in Franklin township. He was elected sheriff in 1867 and two years later was re-elected. He was a fearless and competent peace officer. He purchased land in Grand River township after leaving office and operated it until 1878 when he returned to Leon, having been elected county treasurer. He has since been a resident of Leon. In 1885 he was elected clerk of the courts and served four years. He was elected as representative from this county to the state legislature in 1903, serving in the thirtieth and thirty-first general assemblies. In 1908 he was again chosen as representative. He was a leader in democratic circles and was always active in the affairs of his home town, the county and the state and nation. He was married in Center township on the sixth day of May, 1866, to Miss Mary M. Gillham. She passed away in 1907. There were ten children in the Sankey family. Four of them, Mrs. T. J. Smith of Lamoni, Mrs. Lois Lea of Nampa, Idaho, Miss Orra Sankey of Los Angeles, and Carl of Davis City, are living. [Copied 3/10/2005 from a photocopy of a newspaper (unknown) obituary by Stephen Ray Puckett, grand-nephew of his son Carl Sankey. There is a photo with the article. Read more about him at http://lserver.aea14.k12.ia.us/iacivilwar/Resources/sankey_diary.htm ]

Good-Bye to Our Old Friend, John A. Hamilton At about 8:30 o'clock, June 18, 1927, the wheels of life stood still and ceased to move and the spirit of John A. Hamilton, of Davis City, took its flight to the realms of glory, and to the paradise of God, there to remain until the great morning of eternity when the sleeping millions of earth will arise from their graves and go to meet the blessed of all lands in the Saviour's everlasting kingdom of God, in the sweet bye and bye. 72 milestones Brother Hamilton has planted along the pathway of life, sometimes I feel sure was through sorrow and tears and the clouds of trouble would flee away and after the storm was passed, the beautiful rainbow would span the horizon and the glorious sun would shine again in all his glory and beauty, dispelling the clouds of sorrow and anguish, and again make glad the heart of man. My wife and I have known the Hamilton family for nearly a third of a century, being neighbors and fast friends during all these years, living just across the street from where my beloved wife and I have lived happily together in Davis City for nearly forty years. O, how kind and true to him in all his long sickness and sore affliction, were his beloved wife, Sarah Hamilton and his children so kind to him, doing all they could to alleviate his suffering. But I imagine Brother Hamilton in his last hours could hear the beautiful songs of angels singing, "Coming Over the Mountains" to bear him away to the mansions of gold, the immortal spirit of man, that goes to live in heaven through the long cycles of eternity. So I can only say, good-bye, till we meet again, where we will never sorrow any more, and we will meet all our loved ones where the sun will go down no more. Joseph Tharp. [Copied 3/10/2005 from a photocopy of a newspaper (unknown) obituary by great-grandson Stephen Ray Puckett, grandson of his daughter, Maude Fern Hamilton Puckett]

Sarah Ann Burrell, daughter of George and Arminta Burrell, was born May 22, 1859, in Burrell township, Decatur county, Iowa. She died at her home in Davis City, Iowa, April 18,1947, at the age of 87 years, 10 months and 26 days. She was united in marriage to John A. Hamilton, March 26, 1876. Together they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, March 26, 1926. To this union 12 children were born. Her husband and five children preceded her in death. She leaves to mourn her loss seven children, twelve grand-children and three great-grand-children. She united with the Methodist church many years ago and was a faithful Christian throughout her entire life. She was beloved by all who knew her and affectionately called "Aunt Sarah" by her many friends. Her children and granchildren were at her bedside throughout her illness and gave her all the loving care possible to alleviate her suffering. The funeral service was conducted at the Methodist chapel in Davis City, April 20, at 2 p. m. by evangelist Wm. J. Campbell and the body laid to rest in the new cemetery beside that of her husband. [Copied 3/10/2005 from a photocopy of a newspaper (unknown) obituary by great-grandson Stephen Ray Puckett, grandson of her daughter, Maude Fern Hamilton Puckett]

The Decatur County, Iowa WPA Records for surnames beginning with "I", "J" and "K" are now online at: _http://iowawpagraves.com/index.php?cid=27_ (http://iowawpagraves.com/index.php?cid=27) Enjoy! Stacey Dietiker

http://www.michiganufos.com/airships.html Decatur County is not mentioned specifically but nearby towns are. Let me know if you run across any articles specific to Decatur. Thanks. Steve Puckett

The "H" surnames of the WPA Records for Decatur County, Iowa are now online at _http://iowawpagraves.com/index.php?cid=27_ (http://iowawpagraves.com/index.php?cid=27) "I", "J" and "K" should be online tomorrow! Happy Hunting! Stacey

I received this email today. Anyone out there want to help this fellow out? I think it would be nice for him to receive info from several different sources. I'm going to point him to the history section of the website. - Stacey My name is Joshua Harms, I am a 6th grader at Postville Community School. We are studying Iowa history in our social studies class. I am doing a chapter on Decatur County and would like any information I could get if you or some one you know could send me some that would be awesome. My adress is Joshua Harms, PO Box 411 Postville, Iowa 52162. thank you very much I would love to hear back from you soon the project is due April 12

Sherry Balow wrote Sunday: >I've started digging around in HAMILTON roots---finally connecting through >Sarah Hamilton, a sister of John Alexander Hamilton, who married George >Acton. Most of my information is from family history. My family notes say that Sarah was an aunt of my g grandfather JA Hamilton. He did have a sister Mary Martha Hamilton who married James H. Acton. Perhaps we should get together offlist and work on this. <wink> >"Notorious" is one of my favorite words so look forward to hearing more. >Afterall, black sheep are people too. I was researching great grand-uncle Sam Hamilton a few days ago and found the interesting and colorful articles about him that Nancee (McMurtrey) Seifert, Stacey McDowell Dietiker, and Cordelia Suzann had kindly copied for the IADECATU files. I put them together and sent them to my family for their enjoyment. I then decided to join the list and say Hello... Here are the article URLs for you, arranged in chronological order by date of article: http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/crime/disgracefulrowhamiltongrimes.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/crime/francesamhamiltoncrime2.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/crime/samhamilton.html http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/IADECATU/2003-09/1064452356 http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/crime/samhamiltonshooting.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu/crime/hamiltonfrancenotguiltyplea.html There are many more interesting articles at http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu Steve Puckett, non-notorious

Does anyone recall or have any information on the SUCKOW FARM? One of my ancester's Nelson SUCKOW b: 1854 and died 1943 married Olena Lena OLSEN. If anyone can give me further information on this family line it would greatly be appreciated. Nelson became Mayor at one time in Decatur, Iowa. Gwen

Lamoni's Passing Parade Page 146 J. O. Moon With the coming of the first cement sidewalks to Lamoni there were many residents who foresaw a rapid decline of the old board sidewalk then universally in use, and an immediate switch in favor of this more attractive and also more permanent type. The difficulties in making this anticipated change were many, and when one who contemplated adding the new improvement investigated the possibility of proceeding with the project, he found the prospects anything but encouraging. Among those interested in the new project was J. O. Moon, a successful retired farmer and a veteran of the Civil War, who maintained a neat little home on North Linden street. He had watched with interest the installation of the first sidewalk of this kind when it was installed in front of the George Derry & Son harness shop, and he decided that such an improvement would add value to his home; but when he tried to contract with workmen to make the installation he found there was no one in Lamoni who had sufficient experience in working with cement to justify them in laying the walk for him. The first sidewalk in the business district had been laid by contractors from out of town and apparently it was not convenient to engage them, but he was determined to find a local man who would undertake the project. At that time thee were several residents who had experience in the plastering trade and who followed this line of work as their means of livelihood, but concrete construction was a new thing in this part of the country and very little of it had been done. Finally he persuaded one of these men, who though hesitant about it finally agreed to undertake the job, and work got under way shortly afterward. My knowledge of these activities came through my associations with the youngest member of the Moon family, an auburn-haired lad named Fred, with whom I developed a great comradeship which holds a very bright spot in my memory. We were there together that day when the men came to begin work on the new sidewalk, but for some reason the father decided Fred should go on some sort of errand to his brother Charlie's farm, a short distance south of town. We would much rather have stayed to see the work on the new sidewalk get under way; but if Fred must go, I of course chose to go with him, so we mounted our bicycles and departed. When we arrived at the farm, instead of going directly to the house and taking care of the errand with which we had been instructed, we went out into the orchard. Once there we found the shad so cool and inviting that we spent considerable time there just lying in the soft grass beneath the spreading leafy branches, recuperating from the exertion put forth in pedaling the distance between town and the farm. We were thus occupied when we heard the sound of voices and a moment later saw two little boys, carrying a little tin pail, coming out into the orchard, apparently headed directly toward the spot where we were resting. "It's Walt and Willard," whispered Fred, endeavoring to avoid attracting their attention. "Let's hide behind a tree before they see us." And a moment later he had crawled to a concealed position behind a large apple tree, where I quickly followed. Then a few moments later when the two little fellows advanced to a position but a few feet from us and started filling their pail with apples which had fallen upon the ground, he began making a series of noises intended to throw a scare into them. Of course I joined him in the effort and like two mischievous older boys trying to frighten two younger ones, each tried to outdo the other in the hideousness and gruesomeness of these sounds. Our efforts were rewarded far beyond our expectations, for the two little fellows dropped their pail and stood as though paralyzed with fear while they screamed in terror as loudly as two husky voices were capable of screaming. Genuinely startled by the success of our efforts, we immediately emerged from our place of hiding, where Fred, really an affectionate uncle, gathered them in his arms and tried by every means in his power to reassure them. At first they were too badly frightened to recognize him, which only added to their terror; but in time his soothing words began to have effect and in time he had them sufficiently quieted that we felt it safe to accompany them to the house. Through all this I was an interested but uncomfortable observer, for I feared Charlie might hear their cries and appear upon the scene before Fred could complete a reconciliation; however, my fears were groundless, and as a comforter I think Fred was a complete success, as I have met Walt and Willard many times since that day, and even though these meetings have been face to face they bear no visible indication of being afraid of me. When we returned to town that day we made our report to Uncle John, mentioning only the incidents of the trip which had bearing upon the errand upon which he had sent us, and for our diligence and strict observance of duty he repaid our efforts by giving each of us a large lump of maple sugar. John Moon had come to Lamoni from Michigan, where maple sugar was a local product, and he considered it so essential to the family diet that each year he received direct from the makers with whom he was personally acquainted a large shipment of this incomparable delicacy-enough for his own use and some to sell to his neighbors. For this reason, in my early acquaintance with Uncle John Moon I knew him best as the maple sugar man. The new sidewalk did not turn out to be a success. Made by inexperienced hands, its construction was not favorable to successful concrete manipulation, and with the freezing and thawing to which Iowa soil is constantly subjected, in a short time it became cracked and broken; and sometime later, when Lamoni workmen became more familiar with modern concrete construction, it was finally replaced with one similar to the kind we have today. The fact that John Moon was an active member of the G.A.R. at that time kept him very much in the public eye, and then, too, he was one of the type who made many friend and was known by everyone-grown-up and youngster alike. The veterans' organization was very much alive in those days and had a prominent part in all of the patriotic events of the community; and between times these old wearers of the blue often met in informal groups in the business houses or upon the streets, where the main topic of conversation was generally war experiences. I remember especially one summer when we had been having quite a protracted hot spell-when it was really too hot to put forth any energy that was not absolutely necessary. Each afternoon a small group of these old soldiers congregated in the shade just outside of the store where I happened to be employed, and there, day after day, they whiled away the time in much the same manner. In fact, I think the heat wave lasted long enough that they had about exhausted their supply of stories, but upon this particular day I stepped out where they were lined up in chairs along the sidewalk just as Uncle John Moon started telling one of his favorite experiences. I was always interested in hearing war stories, so I stopped to listen. "We had been in camp for several days with but little action taking place," he began, while his companions gave him their undivided attention. "We knew there were plenty of Rebs in the woods, because some of our detachments had encountered scattered groups upon several occasions, and we knew an attack was coming, but just when it would come we did not know. The weather turned terribly cold and during the night several of our mules froze to death, and the following morning we received the order to advance. In a short time there was a sharp battle which lasted but a few minutes, and the Rebs took to their heels. Some of us were walking cautiously through the timber in pursuit when we came upon a couple of wounded Confederate soldiers so badly shot up that they were unable to travel. Someone had given them small branches off a tree, with which they were trying to brush the flies away from their wounds----" "Just a minute, John," interrupted one of his companions derisively. "You said the mules froze to death the night before. Where were the flies then?" "Oh, by gal, I didn't mean that," exclaimed Uncle John confusedly while all his comrades laughed uproariously and kidded him unmercifully. Nevertheless he started anew and tried bravely to correct the error to make the continuity of his story more consistent, but he never did recapture the complete attention of his hearers that he had held at the beginning of the story. But what of it? The embarrassment of this moment would quickly pass. Tomorrow one of his comrades might probably made an error and then it would be his turn to laugh. In this way these boys of '61 relieved those days which to them were so all important and which today brought forth memories which furnished the undying spark of youth in bodies now growing worn with age. Uncle John Moon, in spite of his years, retained much of the old spirit of vigor and aggressiveness. He enjoyed mingling with the youth of the community and was quite a favorite with all, and the spirit of fight that had prompted him to volunteer for service in the army in '61 remained with him throughout life. He was one person who was determined not to be pushed around, and at a ripe old age he demonstrated that spirit to quite a degree, especially when he and one of his aged friends crowded a friendly argument to the point that they attempted to settle it with a display of fistic technique, which terminated about as quickly as it began when Uncle John's wife appeared upon the scene and seized him by the collar. "By gal, I had him coming," exclaimed Uncle John in telling of the affair sometime later. "If the woman had stayed out of it I would have soon convinced him who was right." This scrappy instinct was probably more or less responsible for the existence of circumstances which robbed John Moon of associations which at his age were sorely needed, and which he craved above anything else in the world. Like many fathers he felt he had failed in retaining the comradeship of his son Fred, and realizing that I was one of Fred's closest friends, he often came to me in the hope that I might in an inconspicuous way help to bridge the gap he felt existed between them. Some years later, when Fred contracted an incurable disease, he had opportunity in measure to make up for some of the differences which had existed and to provide every attention within his power. But when, after a long illness, his son, who had so recently matured into manhood, passed away, the old man's hear was broken. From that time on he redoubled his efforts to make friends with all the youngsters about town. He interested himself in their activities, he bought them treats, he loaned them money-anything that would in a measure relieve his conscience regarding any neglect he felt he might have shown his son. But scars upon the heart are slow to heal, and from that time on he was never a happy man. As a long-time resident of this community John Moon was well and favorably known. As one of the pioneers in this locality he assumed his part in the developing of the community and was one of the essential cogs in its wheels of progress. He lived a long and useful life, made many friends, and left to his descendants many traits of character they treasure as worthy of emulation. As a personal friend, I consider any memories of Lamoni and Lamoni people of those days as incomplete which fail to include J. O. Moon. I prize those memories of his friendship and his confidence, and I think of him as an honorable resident and a true veteran in Lamoni's passing parade. Copied from Lamoni's Passing Parade

Welcome to the Decatur Co,List. It is the greatist list ever. I have no family connections to the Hamiltons.Maney of my ancestors were very early Decatur Co, settlers and I am Still here in Decatur Co. Good Luck, -- Betty Waller Wallace 208 2nd Ave. Wi Weldon, IA 50264 641 445-5146

Hello, everybody. I just joined the Decatur County mail-list and am sending you an introduction. My name is Steve Puckett, descendent of several Decatur County families, especially the Hamilton family. I am just starting my genealogical researches and am gathering family documents, etc. Yes, I am a great nephew of the notorious Sam Hamilton about which the family doesn't talk much except to say that he was a black sheep. My line: William Hamilton III m. Susannah Willis William Alexander Hamilton IV m. Malinda Lay John Alexander Hamilton m. Sarah Ann Burrell Maude Fern Hamilton m. Rutherford Hayes Puckett Ray Lincoln Puckett m. Shirley Marie Stagg Stephen Ray Puckett (me) Please write me for any information. Thanks. Steve Puckett Menands NY

Welcome Steve, I've started digging around in HAMILTON roots---finally connecting through Sarah Hamilton, a sister of John Alexander Hamilton, who married George Acton. Most of my information is from family history. I've not documented much. There are so many helpful people at this site---lots of info at the website---so imagine you'll feel right at home in no time. "Notorious" is one of my favorite words so look forward to hearing more. Afterall, black sheep are people too. Sherry (on the other side of the country) Balow > [Original Message] > From: Steve Puckett <spucket1@nycap.rr.com> > To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 3/6/2005 7:01:21 PM > Subject: [IADECATU] Introduction > > Hello, everybody. I just joined the Decatur County mail-list and am > sending you an introduction. My name is Steve Puckett, descendent of > several Decatur County families, especially the Hamilton family. I am just > starting my genealogical researches and am gathering family documents, etc. > > Yes, I am a great nephew of the notorious Sam Hamilton about which the > family doesn't talk much except to say that he was a black sheep. > > My line: > William Hamilton III m. Susannah Willis > William Alexander Hamilton IV m. Malinda Lay > John Alexander Hamilton m. Sarah Ann Burrell > Maude Fern Hamilton m. Rutherford Hayes Puckett > Ray Lincoln Puckett m. Shirley Marie Stagg > Stephen Ray Puckett (me) > > Please write me for any information. > > Thanks. > > Steve Puckett > Menands NY > > > > > > > > > ==== IADECATU Mailing List ==== > Stacey Dietiker, Momdit@aol.com: Decatur County List Administrator, > Website Coordinator, Decatur County IA Genweb - http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadecatu > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

Hi all, A copy was sent to me of the page, thank you all Deborah