LIST: Here is Peggy's article from the newspaper column she writes every week. It's on one of my favorite families, The Martins. I have a report card of my mother's from 1912 Burns School where her teacher was Roudy Martin. My mother was born lefthand, but Roudy made her write with her right hand because everything in the world was made for right-handed people. Mom suffered a stroke that left her left arm close to being paralized. She always said "Thank God for Roudy Martin" for making me use my right hand. DeVere ----- Original Message ----- From: Peggy Hake To: devere@onemain.com Sent: Friday, July 27, 2001 8:40 AM Subject: Window to the Past----"James Oliver Martin" James Oliver Martin was born near Tavern, Maries Co., MO on 15 May 1844, a son of John Martin and his first wife (name not found). His father had 8 children by 3 wives including William Martin, James Oliver Martin, Lucinda Martin, Louisa Martin, Lee Martin, Elijah Martin, and Benjamin Martin........James Oliver Martin married Margaret E. Rowden on 5 Mar 1868. Margaret was born c/1848, a daughter of Rufus and Mary Rowden. She and James were parents of 7 children: Josephine Martin b. 1870 m. Elbin Duncan; Mary Isabella Martin b. 1872 m. Joseph Rowden; Bertha A. Martin b. 1874 m. Everett Gardner; George Monroe Martin b. 1878 m. Laura Ferguson; William Elmer Martin b. 1881 m. Maggie Koester; Chester A. Martin b. 1885; and Elva D. Martin (1889-1901)..............In the Maries County census of 1880, James & Margaret were living in Boone township. According to census records his parents were natives of Georgia and Kentucky while Margaret's parents were from Alabama and Missouri. The Rowdens were from Roane Co., TN but some of the family members did venture down to DeKalb Co., Alabama. Perhaps her father was born while they lived in Alabama. The neighbors of the Martins in 1880 were the families of Wilson, Rowden, Lawson, Shelton, Kinworthy, Crismon, and Barr...........By 1900, James and Margaret had moved to Miller County and were living in the village of Iberia. Their three older daughters probably married in Maries County because no record of their marriages were found in Miller County. The oldest son, George Monroe Martin, married Laura Ferguson in Miller Co. on 22 June 1902. She was a daughter of Squire and Dorcas (Shelton) Ferguson. William Elmer Martin married Maggie E. Koester in Miller Co. in 1903. No record of a marriage was found for Chester Martin and evidently the youngest child, Elva, died at the age of 12 years in 1901............James Oliver Martin was a Union soldier during the Civil War. He was a private in Co. M. 3rd Regiment of the MO Cavalry. He enlisted on 15 Aug 1862 and was discharged 29 May 1865. During his time of military service he incurred a gunshot wound to the ankle. In 1890, his address was Tavern, Maries Co., MO. Apparently the Martin family moved to Miller County during the decade of the 1890s. James Oliver Martin was a member of the Iberia Miles Carroll G.A.R. Post for several years before his death. This post of old Civil War soldiers was an active organization for many years in the Iberia community............Margaret (Rowden) Martin died in 1903 at her home in Iberia and James then married Mrs. Susan Meredith in 1905. I believe Susan was the widow of Zachariah Meredith whom she married in 1877. Susan was a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Wilson of Glaize township............James Oliver Martin died on January 12 but I haven't been able to find the exact year of his death. He was living in Eldon with his second wife when he died. Susan died in 1933 and is buried at Eldon Cemetery but there is no record of James there. I suspect he was brought back to Iberia and perhaps buried in the cemetery there. Several members of his family were laid to rest in Iberia Cemetery.