Kimberly, I couldn't find anything definite about the deaths in a quick search either. Thomas and Mary were disowned 12 July 1849 for allowing "out of unity" meetings in their home, so obviously he didn't die in 1848. I found Thomas and Mary in the same censuses you did. In 1880, Mary Townsend was a widow living with her daughter Roseanna, then married to Alexander Schun, in Douglas, Page Co., Iowa. So it appears you are right: Thomas died after 1870, probably in Lee Co., Iowa, then Mary moved to Page Co. to live with her daughter's family. That was quite a trek for an older woman, almost completely across the southern border of the state, but then at least she would be with family. I wouldn't worry about the age shown in the 1850 census. It is clearly just an error on the census taker's part. As you mentioned, her age is shown consistently in the other census returns. In 1880, she was listed as 69, again consistent with a birth around 1810. I looked for both of them in FindAGrave to no avail. The Lee Co. and Page Co. USGenWeb pages were no help either. You might try deeds and estate records in Lee County, though Thomas was not shown as owning real estate in the 1870 census. Good luck. On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 1:59 PM, Kimberly Spangrude <kimspangrude@mac.com>wrote: > Dear List, > I exchanged emails a few years ago (see email copy/paste below) with a > person named "Robert", who no longer has a valid email address, re: James > and Roseanna Townsend, and Thomas and Mary Hastings Townsend. I am > revisiting them, because of a roadblock in trying to apply for the DAR > membership. The problem: I can't find a place or date of death for Thomas > and Mary. I notice in the old email, that Heiss states that Thomas died 29 > Feb. 1848 but I don't think that is correct, because 1) Thomas shows up > with Mary and family in the 1850, 1860 (Indiana) and 1870 (Iowa) census, > and 2) Rosanna (daughter of Thomas and Mary) Townsend was born in 1855 or > 1856. A couple of strange things that add to the mystery: in the 1850 > census, Mary's age is 29, indicating that she was born in 1819 or 1820, and > in the subsequent census, she is born in 1810 or 1811. If she were born > in 1819, she would only have been 12 or so when she had Nancy, her first > child. If she was born in 1810 or 11, she would have been 45 or 46 when > she had her last child, Roseanna. Either possibility is pretty > far-fetched, but possible. My conclusion is that there is information > missing and that Thomas probably died around 1870 - and that Mary probably > died after 1880. Any suggestions? > > Thanks, Kim Townsend Spangrude > > From: wmsfamrdbrt@insightbb.com > Subject: Re: Hastings and Townsend > Date: January 15, 2006 9:41:26 PM MST > To: kimspangrude@mac.com > > Kim, > > Just looked up the West Grove Monthly Meeting Minutes/Marriages and Birth > and > Death Dates. This is what I found so far. > > Descendants of Thomas Townsend > > 1 Thomas Townsend b: 03 Dec 1808 d: 29 Feb 1848 (this death date > can’t be correct; he was in the 1850 and 1860 census-KS) > .. +Mary Hastings > .. 2 Nancy Townsend b: 30 Jan 1830 > .. 2 William H. Townsend b: 27 Nov 1832 d: 28 Jun 1833 > > .. 2 Elisha Townsend b: 15 Oct 1834 > .. 2 Hannah Townsend b: 16 Apr 1837 d: 24 Aug 1837 > .. 2 James Townsend b: 06 Oct 1838 > .. 2 Richard Townsend b: 24 Dec 1841 d: 02 Aug 1842 > > .. 2 Isaac Townsend b: 05 Jun 1843 > > Taken from pg. 271 of Willard Heiss Vol. II of Abstracts of the Records of > Society of Friends in Indiana > > James and wife Rosannah and children Thomas, Celah, Charlotte, Isaac, > Hannah, > David and Rachel rec'd from MM in Ohio before 1823 > > 7/17/1828 Thomas, son of James and Rosannah married Mary, daughter of > William > and Sarah Hastings at West Grove Meeting House > > 5/12/1838 Thomas and family granted a certificate to Walnut Ridge Monthly > Meeting > > 2/8/1845 Thomas and wife Mary and children Nancy, Elisha, James and Isaac > rec'd from Walnut Ridge MM > > 4/8/1848 Thomas and family granted a certificate to Westfield MM > > This info taken from pg. 293 of Willard Heiss Vol. II of Abstracts of the > Records of Society of Friends in Indiana > > There are more references to Thomas' brothers and sisters and parents in > this > book in all the different monthly meetings they transferred to or belonged > to > in Indiana. Hope this helps. I will be putting in the rest of his > families > information as well. > > Will keep my eyes out for more information! > Robert > > > Hi! I am a descendent of Thomas and Mary Hastings Townsend of Wayne > County Indiana. Mary Hastings b September 26, 1810 Whitewater, Wayne > Co., IN m Thomas Townsend July 17, 1828 Wayne Co., IN. They are both > from very old Quaker families; Thomas's parents were James and Rosanna > Townsend. Grandparents, John and Elvira Cain Townsend were prominent > Quakers. > Mary's parents were also a part of the Quaker community in Wayne > County. Here is some info on them: > Wm. Hastings b January 31, 1773 in NJ and died August 30, 1845 > Centerville, IN and buried West Grove Cem. He married Sarah Evans July > 19, 1798 Stokes Co., NC. > > > Kim Townsend Spangrude > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > QUAKER-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- Rick Davis