For those of you who are interested in the Sterling line, the following family information may be of interest. No Sterlings at all had appeared in the 1820 Federal Census for the entire State of Illinois. The only transcribed volumes I have for the 1830 Illinois Census are Vols. I, II, and IV. They show a John Sterling in Bond County and a William Starling, not an unusual spelling for Sterling, in Sangamon County, although it is possible there are others of those names in the volumes I do not have. In 1840 and 1850 there were no Sterlings in White or Hamilton Counties. This first e-mail contains information of Sterlings in White Co. I will send a second e-mail with Tennessee Sterling infomation. Thomas Sterling, born 29 May 1822, Knox Co, TN; served in the Union Army, Co. B, 56 IL Vol. Inf., but died at home in Sacramento, IL, 2 May 1862, from disease contracted while in the army; son of John Patterson Sterling, Sr. and Sarah Anderson. Thomas was married to Rebecca H. Endsley on 11 Dec 1845 in Blount Co., TN, by Harvey H. C. Caruthers (who had married Nancy M. C. Sterling in Blount Co. on 19 Jul 1832); Rebecca was born 29 Jun 1825 in North Carolina (date of birth listed as Jan 1825 in Vaught's White County, IL Cemeteries). The Endsley family had moved from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1836 (Sumner County, TN, according to family tradition; if true, they moved eastward to Blount Co. before 1845); Rebecca died 4 Jul 1901 Sacramento, White Co., IL; Thomas and Rebecca were both buried at Old Sharon Church, between Enfield and Norris City, White Co, IL. After Thomas died in 1862, Rebecca (Endsley) Sterling married #2 John Sigler on 6 Oct 1864 in White Co., IL; (John Sigler had married #1 Isabella W. Black on 2 Dec 1841, White Co. John and Isabella had been recorded as residents Shadsville, Hamilton Co., IL in the 1860 census.); John Sigler was born 2 Nov 1809 KY; died 28 Dec 1902. My Grandmother Martha Rebecca (Rice) Malone said that Thomas and Rebecca had moved to Illinois soon after their marriage. According to the White Co., IL, History, the move occurred in 1851. John Henry seems to have been the last surviving child born in Tennessee, and the 1900 census gives his birthdate as July 1849. One of Harriet Vaught's White County Cemetery books has a listing in Old Sharon Cemetery of graves near Thomas and Rebecca with inscriptions reading, "James, son of T. & R. J. Sterling, died at age 3 on Aug. 25, 1835" and "Robert P., son of T. & R. J. Sterling, born July 9, 1838 and died Aug. 9, 1838." These dates were most probably read incorrectly with the 5's having been read as 3's. No Sterlings had been recorded in White County prior to the 1850 census. Carl and Lois Shelton's transcription of the 1860 White County census shows that Thomas and Rebecca Sterling must have been enumerated twice in that census. Perhaps the family farmed on two different properties, or perhaps they moved and were counted again in their new location. There were also some discrepancies in information about the children; however a census-taker, on a rainy day, might have asked in the general store about "the people who live up that muddy lane" rather than personally enumerating the family. Below are the two Thomas Sterling family Listings as they appeared in the Sheltons' transcription of the 1860 census, and also the Sterling family listing as it appeared ten years later in the 1870 census. In the first listing, "Sarah E." was probably pronounced "Sarray E." which sounded like Sarah A. E. Please note the discrepancies which evidently occurred by the enumerated, the enumerator, and/or the transcriber. First Listing: 1860 - Household 742/732: Sterling, Thomas 38 TN Rebecca J. 35 NC Sarah A. E. 9 TN John H. 7 TN Mary J. 4 IL Rebecca H. 9/12ths IL James A. 2 IL Second Listing: 1860 - Household 1448/1438 Sterling, Thos. F. 38 TN Rebecca 35 NC Sarah 13 TN John 11 TN Rebecca 4 IL Mary 1 IL 1870 Census, White Co., IL (Thomas Sterling is deceased) Indian Creek Twp. Household 69: Sigler, John 60 KY Sigler, Rebecca (Endsley) Sterling 45 NC Sigler, Maggie 5 IL Lucinda Sigler 10/12ths IL Next Door, Household 70, Rebecca's Sterling children: Sterling, John 21 TN Sarah 24 TN (if actually 24, this corresponds with listing 2, above) Mary 14 IL Rebecca 10 IL Children of "T. and R. J. Sterling" listed in Vaught's White County Cemetery Books are James Sterling, age 3, died 25 Aug 1835, and Robert P. Sterling, born 9 July 1838 and died on 9 Aug 1838. This doesn't make sense as there were most probably no Sterlings in the area at that time, and the initials of T. and R. J. would have been highly improbable. If the James Sterling inscription is for James A. Sterling, two years of age, who is shown in the 1860 census listing above, the dates must have been illegible, or read wrong, and should have been about 1858 - 1861, or his death would have occurred in the first half of 1862 at the latest. The birth and death dates for his infant brother, Robert P. Sterling, might have been 1858 - 1858. Thomas and Rebecca also had a baby named William Thomas Sterling who was born after the 1860 census, named in his father's estate papers in May 1862, but died prior to the 1870 census. James A. Ensley (Endsley), 27, born NC, married Sarah Sterling, 22, born TN, on 10 Feb 1853, White Co., IL. They and their two children, James, 4, and William, 3, lived in Household 1450/1440, two houses away from the second 1860 census listing above. James A. Endsley was most probably Rebecca's brother, and Sarah was most likely Thomas' sister. In addition to the two 1860 listings printed above, there was an enumeration for Robert A. Sterling, born 1836 (per obit.), Knoxville, TN, a brother of Thomas. Robert was born 1836, Knoxville, TN., and his parents were both born in Tennessee according to the 1880 census. Robert died 9 August 1897, at his home in Mt. Vernon, Jefferson Co., IL, a county adjacent Hamilton County on the north; buried at Old Union Cem., Jefferson Co., IL; his surviving siblings were John P. Sterling (see his census information below Robert's data) and Nancy Sterling. Nancy was born September 1825, TN, died 1902, and was buried in West Union Cem., Carmi, White Co., IL; she was living, unmarried, in the home of her brother John in Stokes, IL. According to Legacy of Kin by Harold G. Felty, Robert married three times, but only the last one was named, Miss Louise Compton. Harriet B. Vaught, in her White County Marriages, 1816-1881, records a marriage between Robert A. Sterling and Mary Jane McAllen on 11 Dec 1851. Patricia Davis, in her White Co. Marriages, 1816-1865, lists this same marriage, but corrects Mary Jane's surname to McClellan. Mary Jane was born 29 Feb 1813, TN, and died 23 Feb 1884 near Sacramento, White Co., IL, and was buried in Sharon Cem., White Co., IL. This must have been Robert's first marriage, as his young age at the time of the marriage made it very unlikely he had already been married. There was a marriage in Blount Co., TN (per Blount Co., TN Marriages, transcribed by Will E. Parham) for Robert A. Sterling and Nancy L. Brown on 30 Jan 1855; however, unless the date has been transcribed incorrectly, it is unlikely this could be marriage #2 for our subject, Robert A. Sterling, as Mary Jane (McClellan) Sterling, the bride of his 1851 marriage, continued to be listed in the 1870 and 1880 censuses as his wife. Marriage #2 must have occurred between Feb 1884 and Mar 1886. Marriage #3 for Robert A. Sterlling, per Legacy of Kin, was to Louise Compton, as recorded in Vaught's White Co. Marriages, 1881-1900, on 17 Mar 1886; Louise was from Grayville, IL, born abt. 1846, dau of Joseph Compton and Elizabeth Graybell. White Co. IL Census: 1860 census Sterling, Robert A. 30 TN Mary J. 30 TN John A. 8 IL William B. (V. ?) 1/12th White Co. IL Census: 1870 census Sterling, Robert A. 40 TN Mary J. 41 IL John A. (deceased) William B. (V. ?) 10 IL (Wm. V.) White Co. IL Census: 1880 census Sterling, Robert A. 50 TN TN TN Mary J. 51 IL SC TN John A. (deceased) Wm. V. 20 IL TN IL Robert A. and Mary J. (McClellan) Sterling's children who died young and were not recorded in any of the above censuses: "Martha J. Sterling, dau of R.A. & M.S., died June 28, 1854, at 7 mo. 4 days" "Lucinda Sterling, dau of R.A. & M.S., died Mar. 19, 1857, at 3 wk. 5 days" "John Sterling, son of R.A. & M.S., died Jan. 21, 1861, at 8 yr. 7 mo. 8 days" From 1870 Census: Sterling, John P. (1836-1905) 34 TN Elizabeth (his step-mother) 71 TN Nancy (sister) 40 TN Martha E. (wife) 36 IL IL IL From 1880 Census: Sterling, John P. 44 TN TN TN Elizabeth (prob. dec'd) Nancy (sister) 52 TN TN TN Martha E. (wife) 36 IL IL IL Perlie M. (dau) 6 IL TN IL Mary P. (dau) 5 IL TN TN Ralph B. (son) 3 IL TN IL From 1900 Census: Birthdate Sterling, John P. Mar 1836 64 TN TN T N Elizabeth (dec'd) Nancy (sister) Sep 1826 73 TN TN TN Martha E. (wife, deceased) Perlie M. (dau) May 1873 27 IL TN IL Mary P. (dau) Jan 1875 25 IL TN IL Ralph B. (son) Jun 1876 23 IL TN IL Georgia (dau) Jun 1879 20 IL TN IL John (son) Jan 1882 18 IL TN IL Geno (dau) Oct 1888 11 IL TN IL John P. Sterling was born 1835/36 TN; died 1905; married Martha E. Brockett 14 Mar 1872, White County, IL; she was born 1843/44 IL; her parents were also born in IL. Children of John P. Sterling and Martha E. Brockett: 1. Perlie M. Sterling b. abt. 1873/74. 2. Mary P. Sterling b. abt. 1874/75. 3. Ralph B. Sterling b. abt. 1876/77. ______________________________________________________________________ The children of Thomas F. and Rebecca Jane (Endsley) Sterling: I. Sarah Elizabeth born about 1846, Blount Co., TN; d. 5 Sep 1878, White Co., IL; listed in the 1870 census, at age 24, living with her brother and sisters, next door to her mother and step-father, John Sigler. II. John Henry b 2 Jul 1849 in Blount Co, Tenn; died 20 Mar 1933, White Co., IL (Enfield Cem, White Co.); m 16 Aug 1888 Lezanthea Sheridan; she was born __ Jan 1858; d 17 Jun 1918; dau of Phillip Sheridan and Sarah J. McHenry. John Henry Sterling's children: 2a. Ruby b 13 Sep 1889 Enfield, White Co., IL; died unmarried 12 Feb 1960, Carmi, IL; she was a teacher in White Co., for many years. 2b. Fay b Jun 1892; d __ ___ ____; m __ ___ ____, __________ Morris. Fay Morris' children: 2b,1. Doyle b __ ___ ____; resided in Cleveland, OH, in Feb. 1960. 2b,2. Ruby b __ ___ ____; resided in Forest Knolls, CA, in Feb 1960. (Apparently single, she was still "Ruby Morris" in her "Aunt Ruby Sterling's" obit in Feb. 1960.) 2b,3. Nancy (?) (she was listed in Ruby Sterling's obit as a niece. She could have been the daughter of either Fay Morris or [see "c" below] John Phillip Sterling, as only Nancy's married name was mentioned in the obit.) Nancy was born __ ___ ____; married _______ Franks. She was residing in Glendora, CA in Feb. 1960. 2c. John Phillip b Nov 1894. 2c,1. Nancy (?) See note at "3" above. III. James A. b 1852, probably between June and August; died at age of three, 25 Aug 1855 IV. Mary Jane b 11 Jan 1856; d 4 Sep 1918; m 5 Jan 1876 William Henry Rice. (See VIII, 856.5.7.3. above). V. Robert Patterson b 9 Jul 1858 (?); d 9 Aug 1858. VI. Rebecca Helen (or Helen Rebecca) b 6 Aug 1859 in IL; d 15 Nov 1943 Ridgway, IL; m#1 21 Jun 1882 Garland Kimbro; he was born abt. 1856, Ridgway, Gallatin Co., IL; d 25 Dec 1926; son of Garlin M. Kimbro (born about 1815; d. bet 1855 and 1865) and Nancy Elizabeth Davis (married 19 Mar 1846, Gallatin Co, IL, when Garlin was about 31, and, if the 1870 census data census data is accurate, she was about 16. Nancy married #2 Scipio A. Lamb on 20 Feb 1865, Franklin Co., IL, where they resided.) Rebecca Helen m#2 Edwin Rodgers of Atlanta, GA, in 1933. Rebecca Helen & Garland Kimbro's children: 1. George Sterling Kimbro b 8 Aug 1883 Ridgway, IL; d 10 Oct 1894. 2. Jessie Kimbro b __ ___ ____; m Ralph Drone. Resided in Ridgway, IL. 3. Robb Kimbro b __ ___ ____ Ridgway, IL. VII. William Thomas b 4 May 1862; d. 25 Jul 1864. Sigler children: 1. Margaret ("Maggie") b 1865/66 (per census information, whereas, Grandmother's notes state 24 Aug 1867 for Margaret and 1865 for Frances making Margaret the younger of the two girls.) Maggie married John W. Groves, 22, of Enfield, White Co, IL, 26 Mar 1894 (when her age was transcribed as 29); he was born in IL, the son of Jesse B. Groves of KY, and Elizabeth B_______ of Tenn. (page 361 of Shelton's 1880 White County Census.) Maggie died 26 Aug 1937 in Cottage Grove, OR; John also died there. Margaret & John Groves' children: a. Dale b __ ___ ____ Cottage Grove, OR; d 14 Nov 1918, in Montagne, CA; m __ ___ ____ Maynard Eklund. Dale & Maynard Eklund's children: 1. Helen 2. George 3. Robert b. Alta Groves c. Forest Groves 2. Frances ("Frank") Sigler b __ ___ 1869 (Grandmother's notes state 1865, but 1869 seems to agree with Shelton's White Co. Census for 1870 which gives her age as 10 months; however, her name is given as "Lucinda" either through an error by the transcribers, or because one of the names might possibly have been a middle name); Vaught's White County Cemeteries gives her birth year as 1870 and her death year as 1893; Frances, 23, married 2 Mar 1892 Wilbur Nelson; he was born July 1868, Sacramento, IL; died __ ___ 1949; son of Jefferson Nelson and Lucy L. Darley (both born in Ohio). He m#2 12 Apr 1899 Paralee Qualls, born 1 Dec 1877, Hamilton Co., IL; d 9 Apr 1963 Mt. Carmel, IL; dau of Edgar Qualls and Sarah Elizabeth Harper. Son of Wilbur and Frances: a. Clyde b 31 Dec 1892; d __ ___ 1965, Norris City, White Co., IL; interred I.O.O.F. Cem; m 29 Aug 1915 Nellie Mae Wallace. Nelson child: 1. Doyle His children: a. David b. Diane