Does anyone else know of Walters Cemetery? I do not and would like to help Linda. Earliene [email protected] ---------- From: [email protected][SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, December 10, 1998 8:43 pm To: [email protected] Subject: Walters Cemetery I just received some information that said that my great-great grandfather, Napolean Mayall, is buried in Walters Cemetery in DeWitt County. I've never heard of it and wondered whether you were familiar with it. Some other Mayalls are supposed to be buried there also. Napolean died in 1856. Thanks for any help you can provide. Linda McGovern

Jeannie, I believe both Farmers City and Mansfield are in Piatt county but it is not real clear on my map. Cheri

Is Farmer City and Mansfield in DeWitt County? Jeannie

Whoever is wanting to know. Farmer city is in DEWitt county but I think Mansfield is in Piatt Co. Hope that helped someone. FamWalt

Seeking any information about CLARENCE FERNELEY STAGGERS, my grandfather. Family lived in Waynesville, (Dewitt County) Illinois in eary 1900s' Entered Army during military buildup for WW1. Assigned to H Co., U.S. 14th Infantry (Golden Dragons). Fathers' name : F.G.STAGGERS Mothers' maiden name: SARA HORNSBY

>Would someone please send address to >DeWitt County Courthouse to the >list. I promise to put it on file so I have it! Earliene, Unfortunately the stately old courthouse is no longer at the Lincoln Square (Center and Main, Clinton). This is the site of the Lincoln-Stevens debate where Honest Abe gave his "fool some of the people" retort to Steven Douglas. Douglas went on to win that Senatorial Campaign, which introduced Lincoln to the other states, the majority of whom elected him in the next (1860) presidential election. The new courthouse is a block northwest of Lincoln Square, at 201 West Washington. Any letter would probably get delivered anyway, so long as "DeWitt County" features prominently in the address header. You don't even have to parallel park in Clinton. Glen

State has death records after 1962, before that date you apply to County: Illinois State Vital Records Office Division of Vital Records 605 West Jefferson Street Springfield, IL 62702-5097 (217) 782-6553 Make money order, certified check or personal check payable to Illinois. .If your request is mailed via regular US Mail the turn around rate is 3 Weeks..If your request is sent via a speedy service (eg: Overnight, second day etc) then it is processed immediately and requested document is sent to you within 2 business days. The fee for a search of the State files is $15.00. If the record is found, one certification is issued at no additional charge. DeWitt County Clerk P.O. Box 439 Clinton, IL 61727-0439 (217) 935-2119

Would someone please send address to DeWitt County Courthouse to the list. I promise to put it on file so I have it! Thank You. Earliene Kaelin [email protected]

I thought I would try one more time before giving up to locate information on the BAUMGARDNER family that lived in Clinton IL. Fred Manford Baumgardner and Anna May Bender had four children. Ethel, Carl, Lois (born 1914 in Clinton IL), and Lloyd. Lloyd is the puzzle, I can not find out when he was born. The Baumgardner's lived in Clinton IL until about 1920 and Fred Manford Baumgardner worked high up in the Illinois Railroad. I have sent for documents on Lloyd and always come up with the wrong family. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Lori

How would I get obituaries from DeWitt county? I would be looking for Lulu Lightcap died in 1966. I also need a daughter, Mary Lightcap Burnham. I don't know when she died, surely sometime after 1940's. Jeannie

Where was the Dunkard Church near Blue Ridge, IL. I think this is DeWitt county. My great uncle was minister in the 1920's, I think? Jeannie

I'm researching William C. MILLER who was married to Mary Ann BARNETT. They had at least the following children: Frank, Ella(?), and Hattie/Harriet. Ella and Hattie both married into the STOUTENBOROUGH family. If any of these names ring any bells please drop me a line for specifics or comparison! ***julie***

Is anyone researching the Felix B. Tait line in Clinton, Ill? If so, please contact me. ---------- > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Emaline Winslow Story > Date: Thursday, December 03, 1998 9:45 AM > > Clara, > > Hope you don't mind but I am sending this story out through the DeWitt List. > It was interesting enough that I though others would like to see the info on > Indentured Servants. > > DWCGQ: Fall 1987 Vol. III No 3 Page 87 > > AN INDENTURED SERVANT IN 1845 -- EMALINE WINSLOW > > The following document was transcribed and submitted by Lola > Hidden, Clinton, IL. > > June 1845 -- Orin Wakefield came into court and presented a bond or > Indenture of which the following is a copy: > > “This indenture made and entered into this Second day of > June in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred > and forty-five between James Vandeventer and Franklin > Barnett Commissioners of the County of DeWitt and State of > Illinois of the first part and Orin Wakefield of the same > County and State of the other part. Witnesseth that said > County Commissioners by virtue of the Law of the State of > Illinois in Such Cases made and provided have placed and by > these presents do place and bind out as a servant a poor > child named Emaline Winslow an orphan daughter of Jeremiah > Winslow late of said County deceased to dwell and serve > the said Orin Wakefield from the day of the date hereof > until the first day of January AD 1854 at which time the > Said Servant girl will be Eighteen years old according to > best Information during all of which time or term the Said > Servant her said Master well and faithfully Shall Serve > his Secrets Keep and his Lawful commands every where and > at all times readily obey. She Shall do no damage to her > Said Master nor knowingly Suffer any to be done by others > She shall not waste the goods of her Said Master nor tend > them unlawfully to any. At cards or dice or other unlaw- > ful games She Shall not Play. Matrimony She Shall not > contract during the said term. From the Services of her > Said Master She Shall not absent herself but in all things > and at all times She Shall demean and behave herself as > a good faithful Servant ought during the whole term > aforesaid. > > And the said Orin Wakefield binds himself to cause Said > Servant to be taught to Read and write and the ground > Rules of Arithmetic and shall give unto Said Servant a > new bible and two new suits of clothes suitable to her > condition at the expiration of her said terms of service. > In Testimony whereof we have hereunto set Our Hands and > Seals this 2nd day o6 June AD, 1845.” > > James Vandeventer (LS) > Franklin Barnett (LS) > Attest John J. McGraw Orin Wakefield (LS) > County Clerk > > > December, 1845 -- Orin Wakefield came into court and wished court to annul > Indenture wherein an orphan Emaline Winslow was bound to Wakefield. Court > granted same. > > Emaline Winslow was then bound to John Dawson. She was to be taught > to read and write and the ground rules of arithmetic. To learn and perform > various duties of housewifery. To receive a new bible 2 new suits of > cloths suitable to her condition at expiration of her term of service. > > November, 1854 -- Marriage records show Emaline Winslow and Benj. Day were > married 15 November 1854. > > Bob Halsey > [email protected] > Viera, FL

Forgot to say. Looking for: Sprague Lyon/Lyons, Harrison wife, Nancy "Whitt" Whitaker Terrell Lyon/Lyons Children: Herbert, Zena Harcourt, Minnie Carle. >From what I can find out, the Lyon/Lyons family lived in that area in late 1870's & early 1880's. The Sprague families lived in that area for ages and ages. Thanks again Hallie

Would love to have Mr. Harp & Mr. Barnett's obit's. I really appreciate your time and trouble. If there is any cost involved, please let me know & I will reimburse you. Thanks again Hallie Martinson [email protected]

Kaylynn, I have seen that on several state census's and if it is like the early (ie 1840-1830) it means No township listed for those individuals. They must have been really rural or right on a border of two. Earliene [email protected] ---------- From: Kaylynn[SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, December 04, 1998 6:06 am To: [email protected] Subject: NC Township As I was going over the 1850 Census index to Illinois, I noticed several listings to different counties as "NC Twsp". I found a Loomis (hopefully mine!), listed as Henry County, page 120, NC Twsp. It was listed in almost every county I checked. Anyone know? Thanks..... Kaylynn

As I was going over the 1850 Census index to Illinois, I noticed several listings to different counties as "NC Twsp". I found a Loomis (hopefully mine!), listed as Henry County, page 120, NC Twsp. It was listed in almost every county I checked. Anyone know? Thanks..... Kaylynn

DWCGQ: Fall 1992 Vol. XXIII No 3 Page 80 SOME DEWITT COUNTY POLITICIANS IN 1882 In its 6 October 1882 edition, the Clinton Register published brief biographical sketches of the local candidates on the democratic ticket. Excerpts from those biographies appear below. GEO. B. GRAHAM Candidate for County Judge, 33 years ago, when 8 years of age came with his father and family to this county from Ohio. He was reared on a farm in this county, near Waynesville. He attended the district school in winter and worked on the farm in summer. In this way he acquired a sufficient education to begin teaching, at the age of 19. He taught and attended school alternately Until he acquired an education equal at least to any lawyer in this county. He volunteered in 1862 and for a short term became a member of the 68th regiment, Illinois Volunteers. Returning with his regiment he again began teaching and farming until February 1865 he married the oldest daughter of John D. HUTCHIN, deceased. After marriage he farmed one year and then moved to this city and began the study of law. Two years later he was licensed by the supreme court and immediately formed a partnership with Wm. FULLER and has ever since been engaged in the active practice of the law . . . . A. V. LISENBY The candidate for County Clerk, was born in this county, September 11th, 1850. When only four years old his mother died, leaving him desti- tute of the child's best earthly friend; but he had the good fortune to be placed under the care and guidance of his grandmother, a most estima- ble Christian woman. In 1857 his father married a second time, when the little family were brought together again, but after a few years the family circle was once more ruthlessly broken up by the relentless mon- ster, death, first a half brother was taken, followed soon by the step mother. Gus, as he is familiarly known, was again deprived of a home, and this time, was thrown on his own resources, but he was now old enough to make his own way and maintain a more independent living.... by work- ing as a farm hand for his uncle and others. At the age of 15, he come to Clinton and entered the public schools, where he received a fair com- mon school education, and at the age of 21 years was appointed deputy County Clerk under his father, which position he held until the close of his father's term in November 1873. W. W. GRAHAM, his present competitor, was then elected County Clerk, and Gus continued as deputy with him for six months, when he engaged with B. W. HAND in the hardware business in Clinton, where he continued until 1877. In that year he was elected County Clerk by a majority of over five hundred votes . . . . JAMES A. WILSON The subject of this sketch, Mr. James A. WILSON, the present in- cumbant of the county treasurers office, of DeWitt county. . . . was born in what is now known as Wilson township, DeWitt county, October 30, 1839, in which township he continued to live until he was elected county treas- urer in the fall of 1878 and in the fall of 1878 he removed to Clinton, where he has lived for the past 4 years. Mr. WILSON began business for himself in 1861. In 1862 he married, and with untiring industry, the couple, after 15 years of hard work on the farm succeeded in making for themselves and children a comfortable home In 1877 he was elected county treasurer, by a large majority THOMAS GARDINER The democratic candidate for sheriff of DeWitt county, is the third son of Thomas and Elizabeth GARDINER, who moved from Indiana to Illinois in 1843, and settled in Hurley's Grove, a short distance south from the present site of Farmer City, when the subject of this brief sketch was in his sixteenth year . . . . [He] still lives near the spot where his father settled, 39 years ago, and where he has grown to mature manhood . . . . In 1851 Mr. GARDINER was married to Miss S. E. McKINLEY, and in 1862 . . . he volunteered to fight the battles of his country in this wise: When company I was ready to join the 107th at Clinton, there being no railroads, the neighbors hitched up their wagons to take the boys to Clinton. Mr. GARDINER, among the rest, fur- nished a wagon and team and went with the soldiers. After they got to Clinton, he concluded to volunteer and share the fortunes of war with company I. A friend drove his team home, and he sent word to his family that he had volunteered . . . . He was discharged in the winter of 1864 . . . . In the year 1870 the constituents of Mr. GARDINER elected him [as sheriff] . . . . He was reelected in 1872 MISS MAGGIE E. WRIGHT Candidate for superintendent of public schools, of DeWitt county, was formerly a scholar at the Methodist Female College, of Jacksonville, Ill., and ever since her departure from that college in 1862, she has been identified with the educational interests of this county and most of the time been engaged in teaching, she having had charge of different schools in this county for the past 16 years . . . . During the last 6 years she has been teaching at Sprague school house, about 5 miles northwest of Clinton . . . . A. J. MORROW Mr. A. J. MORROW, familiarly known as Jack, the democratic candi- date for coroner, is a native of Kentucky, but has been identified with the interests of DeWitt county for about thirty years, about twenty years of that time has been spent farming, after which he learned the carpenter's trade which he has since followed supporting a large family by hard work and rigid economy . . . . Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

DWCGQ: Summer 1990 Vol.XVI No2 Page 58 A HISTORY OF ROCK CREEK CHURCH The following article appeared in the 16 May 1879 issue of The Clinton Register. The Oldest Church in the County. Perhaps a few lines in regard to the old Rock Creek church may be interesting to many readers, especially the old settlers. Old Rock Creek church, the oldest Christian church in the county, was organized in April, 1829, Peter CRUM and William BOLIN (the old sheriff) being elders, and Samuel P. GLENN and John MAXWELL deacons. The young society rapidly in- creased its membership until it numbered one hundred and seventy, an extra- ordinary membership for those early days. Notwithstanding the many diffi- culties they had to encounter, they immediately set to work to erect a house to worship in. A site was selected on the east skirt of Rock Creek timber a short distance from the little stream of Rock Creek, on land owned by Samuel P. GLENN, one of the pioneers of the county, who yet re- mains to bless the new house with his usual benediction, and who for over half a century has been a constant and liberal contributor to the church, and has filled all the different offices of the church, although for seve- ral years past his powers for administering the word has been somewhat in- terrupted in consequence of a stroke of the palsy. The deed for the ground was given to Martin SCOTT, Harrison LANE, James SCOTT, John W. SCOTT and Elihu LANE, as trustees, and was acknowledged by John MAXWELL, J. P., April 26, 1879. The house was about twelve years in building, some of the material being brought a long distance, having to be gathered up here and there at distant saw-mills. In connection with the church is a ceme- tery of equal antiquity with the church where now repose the mortal remains of many of the pioneers of the county and soldiers of the cross, among whom is John W. SCOTT, who fought for our independence at King's Mountain, in the revolutionary war, and who did much for the people of this county in an early day. But, alas! the old building where Hugh BOWLES, Wadda BOWLES, James HUGHES, Ryan OWENS, and others, of later years, proclaimed the glad tidings of great joy in obedience to their Master's commands, has waxed old as doth a garment and was changed. But the old society, organized over fifth years ago, stands firm, and recently built a new house, which is situated directly in front of the cemetery and a few rods south of the old site - notwith- standing the hard times and the opposition of a few dissenting and expelled members, together with a few stray Methodists, who were not satisfied with the plain, slow and steadfast standard of their fathers, and who organized a society about two miles north of the old standard of time, and like Rome in her infancy, eager for strength, threw open their gates to all banished exiles and refugees. But the old church scarcely felt the blow, but Issued a proclamation that a new house was needed at Rock Creek, and with Amos DICK, Samuel P. GLENN and John MAXWELL at the Helm in one week stock enough was subscribed, the lumber ordered and the work in progress. It appeared as if the thought of the old church and grave yard filled all the old settlers with emotion and opened their hearts. In four months the house was completed and was dedicated in September, 1877. Although there was ample preparations to meet all contingencies, the use of the house was delayed several months on account of a difficulty between the building committee and the carpenter. But the time has come when they can sing: Lift up your heads, desponding brethren, Fling to the winds your needless fears, For some who sailed in the old ship Zion Have stood the blast for fifty years. Services are held in the church every Lord's day as follows: Sabbath School at half-past nine o'clock, meeting at eleven o'clock, singing school at three o'clock. On the last Sunday in this month Elder JERMAIN is expected to fill the pulpit at eleven o'clock. The Society contemplates procuring the services of the Elder for the ensuing year. Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL

We have just added a list of Grand Jurors from the 1800s to the Eli Halsey Homepage: http://members.aol.com/rehfla/elihalsey/index.html Link = "LOOKUPS" DeWitt County Bob Halsey [email protected] Viera, FL