Stewart

William Stewart and Jenny White b. 1776

/ Kirstin Miller

William and Jenny White Stewart 4th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree

William’s will, his Find a Grave memorial and a letter are all the records for William and Jenny. Both were probably born in Pennsylvania about 1776, then married around 1796 and probably farmed in Allegheny County, PA. Jenny and William had at least 5 kids: sons John and William and 3 daughters, names unknown, all mentioned in William’s will. Son John stayed in Pennsylvania and his sons Alexander and Henry were in the Civil War. Son William married Elizabeth Crooks, their daughter Elizabeth Stewart is the mom Harve and great grandpa of Elizabeth Speedy.

John’s son Henry wrote a letter to his cousins Harve and Ernest Speedy. Henry was a genealogist and was working on his Stewart family tree. He shared his info with his cousins, not sure what his cousins shared back with him.

Stewart, Henry letter to Harve Dec 31 1939

Stewart, Henry letter to Harve Speedy Dec 31 1939

William wrote his will May 7 1813 in Moon Township, Allegheny County, PA. The will names John and William and 3 daughters, names not given, one is probably Francella or Francina. Part of the will, handwritten 3 pages: My body I commit to the dust and my soul unto god who gave it me as to my worldly substance that God has been pleased to bestow me I divide in the manner following. I leave and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Jenny Stewart one of my houses and she is to have her choice of them. -William leaves his wearing apparel and books to his children, at the discretion of his wife. Except the large Bible which he leaves to son William. John receives a saddle. All the remaining is offered up for sale, as his family thinks proper.

William has a Find a Grave memorial at Clinton UP Cemetery- most likely that’s his burial place. Jenny White Stewart’s death and burial place are unknown, it’s likely she remarried.

Sources

William Stewart b. 1804

/ Kirstin Miller

William Stewart 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

William was born in 1804 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1833 or so he married Elizabeth Crooks also of Pennsylvania. William and Elizabeth had 2 daughters and 5 sons. They stayed in Pennsylvania until at least January 15, 1852 when their youngest daughter Elizabeth Stewart, mom of Harve Speedy, grandma of Elizabeth Speedy was born.

Mary and brother James Stewart

Mary b. 1833 and brother James b. 1845

On the 1860 census the family was in Jefferson, Green County, Wisconsin. They lived on a farm. On any census recording occupation William was a farmer. Their neighbors were also farmers, most from Pennsylvania, a couple from Ohio, Ireland and New York. In 1860 sons Thomas, William, James and Jeffrey and daughter Elizabeth were with their parents. Oldest daughter Mary -in the photo- was married to William Royer and oldest son John was married to Martha Graham, all lived and farmed in Jefferson, Wisconsin too.

On the 1870 census William was in Shell Rock, Iowa with wife, daughter Elizabeth and son James. William was still farming. All of his children, spouses and grandkids stayed in Shell Rock or the Butler County area except youngest son James – in the photo- and his wife Anne Elliot who went further west to Nebraska. In 20 years time William and Elizabeth traveled at least 700 miles across the country, maybe common today, but in their time kind of incredible. William died at age 70, in 1874 and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Shell Rock. There are 25 Stewart memorials in Riverside Cemetery, of those 15 are proven in this same Stewart family, the remaining 10 may be somehow related.

Pennsylvania to Iowa

Sources
1850, 60, 70 and 1900 US censuses at FamilySearch.
Google map, Allegheny County, PA to Shell Rock IA
Find a grave memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83687033

Elizabeth Stewart b. 1852

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Stewart 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Elizabeth Stewart was born on January 15, 1852 the youngest child of William and Elizabeth Crooks Stewart. She grew up on a farm in Crawford County Pennsylvania then in 1860 Elizabeth was in Jefferson, Wisconsin. In 1870 Elizabeth was in Shell Rock. Iowa and 18 years old. There on July 4, 1873 she married Manford Speedy, he was a widow with 2 kids. Together Elizabeth and Manford had 7 kids, 3 died at a young age. Elizabeth, Manford and kids lived on a 160 acre farm that included lots of livestock, 14 acres of grassland, 3 acres of apple trees and 10 acres of forest.

Elizabeth belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. On the 1895 census her family has 3 religions, Elizabeth is a Methodist, Manford a Baptist, daughters Eva and Ethel Congregationalists. Before 1905 Elizabeth and family had moved from their farm to nearby Allison, Iowa. Her oldest step daughter Annette was married and in Springbrook, Wisconsin, stepson Oscar was in Stockton, California, two daughters Eva and Ethel and 2 sons Harve and Ernest were at home.

Elizabeth had health problems in her later years and died in 1905, she was 53 and the cause of death was ‘rheumatism’. Elizabeth’s funeral was at the Methodist Episcopal Church, “The funeral was conducted from the Methodist church with a verse from Corinthians selected by Mrs. Speedy: For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face”. Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 13:12 (King James Version) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Sources

  • Clarksville (Iowa) Star, 1872-2017 1904 Nov 16 page 4 of 8 column 2, 3. Death of Mrs. Speedy
  • 1880 US Agricultural Census at Ancestry
  • 1860 United States Federal Census at Ancestry
  • 1895 Iowa census at FamilySearch
  • Iowa county marriages 1838-1934 at FamilySearch
  • Iowa death records 1904-1951 at FamilySearch

Lulu Stewart b. 1870

/ Kirstin Miller

Lulu Stewart 1st cousin 3 times removed or 3 generations away on RootsMagic tree

Lulu was born in Shell Rock Iowa in 1870 the youngest child of John and Martha Graham Stewart who were both born in Pennsylvania. In 1894 Lulu married Daniel Zahniser, also of Pennsylvania. They married in Shell Rock and were living in Mercer, Pennsylvania by 1900 and had at least one child. Daniel was a a bank teller, Lulu managed the home.

 

Lulu Stewart
The Overlook, a Historical Postcard

In her later years or months Lulu lived at The Overlook in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. The Overlook Sanitarium was founded by Dr. Elizabeth McLaughry in 1911. Dr. McLaughry signed Lulu’s death certificate and the Dr. stayed active in her hospital from 1911 to about 1946. “The vast grounds of the sanitarium featured a scenic view and the staff made sure the patients enjoyed the outdoors as a sort of mental therapy.” Read more about The Overlook and Dr McLaughry at Lawrence County Memoirs

Lulu died in 1944, her husband Daniel lived for another 7 years, they’re both buried in the historic Easton Cemetery, in Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg 1863

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Salome Myers, a teacher, was on summer vacation in 1863. She and everyone in Gettysburg knew the war was close so it was on all their minds. Salome probably wondered what would happen over the summer, how her life may be affected by the war. By July 1  the battles to the west of town hit Gettysburg and General Robert Lee and the Confederate army arrived. Instantly Salome’s summer, her whole life was taken over by the war- she began tending to injured soldiers in make do hospitals: her own home on West High Street and the Catholic church nearby. Salome kept a diary: The ties of the past: the Gettysburg diaries of Salome Myers Stewart 1854-1922.

Henry F and Alexander M Stewart

Salome’s first patient was Sergeant Alexander McFarland Stewart (1st cousin 4x removed, or cousin to Elizabeth Stewart 2nd great grandmother). Alexander was seriously injured and knew he was dying. Salome asked if there was anything she could do, he asked her to read from the Bible, so she did. After Alexander’s death Salome received a visit from Alexander’s mother and brother. Henry, the brother, thanked Salome for her kindness and care of Alexander. Henry (1st cousin 4x removed) and Salome would eventually marry and Henry joined as Corporal in the Civil War. The brothers were written up in a memorial book of the Company D, 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers.  The book has a short biography and a photo of each. (Henry’s bio is on page 87, photo on page 86f. Alexander’s bio is on page  86, photo on page 86c.) Alexander the older brother died at Gettysburg in July 1863, Henry died in 1868 from complications of a war injury.

Elizabeth Salome would return to teaching and received national recognition for her service. She was the treasurer of the National Association of Army Nurses for several years.

Elizabeth Salome Myers b. 1842

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Salome (Sally) Myers married Henry F Stewart, 1st cousin 4 times removed, in about 1867. In the midst of the Civil War, Sally was a teacher in Gettysburg, PA. Most in Gettysburg understood the war could come closer to their homes, the Confederate Army was close by at Antietam. On July 1 of 1863  school was out for the summer and the battles began in Gettysburg. Sally was 21 and instantly became a nurse to the wounded and dying soldiers.

Alexander Stewart of the 109th Pennsylvania Volunteers was Sally’s first patient. She asked the soldier what he needed, he answered nothing. He understood he was going to die. Maybe Sally helped Alexander write a last letter to his family, she did this for many soldiers. Alexander’s family met Sally when they came to Gettysburg to pick up their son’s corpse. The Stewart family thanked Sally for all she had done. Later that summer Sally had a letter form Alexander’s brother Henry. Henry Stewart was a minister, he and Sally kept in touch. Eventually Henry and his mom moved to Gettysburg. Henry and Sally continued their friendship and then married.

Parts of Sally’s story are here at Civil War Sources and here at GettysburgTimes.com. I’ve just ordered Sally’s Gettysburg diary The Ties of the Past, on Ebay, thank you SeattleGoodwillBooks.

Stewart, Salome M, and Sarah S. Rodgers. The Ties of the Past: The Gettysburg Diaries of Salome Myers Stewart, 1854-1922. Gettysburg, PA: Thomas Publications, 1996. Print.