The Brooks Men

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't posted on here since April!! But, I got busy with selling my Ohio home, having an auction to get rid of stuff, moving permanently to Sanibel, Florida and settling in here, spending time with my other blog, Sand Between My Toes, and getting hooked on Facebook. Ok, so much for the excuses.

I went back over my genealogy posts and thought about what I could post on today. I had posted some old pictures on Facebook of my dad. He was one good looking man! My nieces and daughter felt the same way. One of them mentioned that many of the Brooks men were good looking. OK, so some were and some weren't! My dad was the youngest of 10 children, 8 of which were boys. I guess my dad's mom was saving up all the good looking genes for the last kid. What do you think?

Anyway, here are a few more of him over the years.

OK, so I suppose I should show you some more of the Brooks men. Each pretty good looking in their own way.

This picture was taken at my dad's funeral of his 4 remaining brothers-Knols, Charlie, Earl and Hobert.

My dad and his brother Knols in their younger days.

My Uncle Hobert

My Uncle Harry

My Uncle Earl

This handsome dude was my Uncle Delbert. Would you believe that he was a Lieutenant in Panco Villa's army?

My grandfather, Edwin Amos Brooks
And this handsome devil was my great grandfather, Nicholas Brooks Jr.

OK, so he wasn't quite so much the handsome devil when he got older!

And then there was Nicholas' brother, Benjamin Franklin Brooks.

Oh yeah, there is one other Brooks man I should mention. My big brother Bill. OK, so this was taken a few years ago--actually quite a few years ago--but I have always loved this picture.

And there you have The Brooks Men

Williams and Keen

It has been forever since I have posted on this blog. I have been busy doing an online search for a friend of mine. She gave me her parent's and grandparent's names, places of birth and death and a few dates. I took it from there and went back 18 generations on one line. Unfortunately I couldn't get her two main lines-Williams and Keen-back too far.

Her Williams line goes back to Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. Charles A. Williams was born in 1904 in Norwich to Calvin C. Williams and Margaret Anderson. Calvin was born in 1869 in Norwich and Margaret was born about 1869 in Scotland. I have been unable to find when she immigrated or who her parents were. They had three children: Charles A, James A. and Margaret Elizabeth.

Calvin C. Williams was the son of Calvin P. (Potter?) Williams born 1836 in Norwich and Elizabeth Atcheson Kilroy. Elizabeth was born 1838 in Ireland. She immigrated about 1850 and had a brother, Alexander Kilroy born about 1832 in Ireland and died 1870 in Norwich. I couldn't find their parents. Calvin and Elizabeth had 5 children: Elizabeth Susan, Frances Lilly, Erastus A., Calvin C., and Alexander Porter (Potter?).

Calvin P. Williams was the son of Erastus D. Williams and Alice Lucinda Potter. Do you have any idea how many Erastus Williams' there were in the area in the early 1800's?? Erastus was born about 1815 in Connecticut and Alice was born in 1814 in Voluntown, Connecticut. They had at least 4 children: Calvin P., Luther, Sidney and Charles. Alice died in 1845 and Erastus married Lydia A. ? soon afterwards. They had two children: Arthur Anson and Julia A. I think but can't prove that Erastus is the son of William Williams. I would love to find some proof of his parentage so I can extend this line.

As for the Keen ancestry, I can only go back 3 generations. Leslie Lee Keen was born in 1897 in Henderson County, Tennessee. He married Addie Mae Hays who was born 1901 in Tennessee. Addie is listed in the 1910 census with her grandparents James Buckingham "Buck" Hays and Laura Jane "Sis" Massey. I have no idea who Addie's parents were. I am assuming she was illegitimate but don't know for sure. Leslie and Addie had 13 or 14 children. I think I have accounted for all of them but I'm not sure.

Leslie Lee Keen was the son of Doctor Marvel (or Marvin) Keen and Sena Ann Gilbert. The Doctor is a name rather than a title. In some places he is listed as Marvin but he signed his WWI registration as Doctor Marvel Keen. He was born 1874 in Tennessee. Sena was the daughter of William "Old Billy" Gilbert and Minerva Renfroe. (This is apparently the same Renfroe family who settled Renfro Valley, Kentucky.) Doctor Marvel and Sena had 3 children: Leslie Lee, Essery S. and Ruby M. Sena died in 1922 and he married Haudie Mae Sego. They had three children: Dorothy Fay, Jerry, and Loudean.

Doctor Marvel/Marvin Keen was the son of Jerry Keen and Mary Elliot. I can't prove that Elliot was her last name but found it on a message board online. I found them in the 1880 census in Decatur County, Tennessee with the name spelled Kune. Jerry was born about 1808 in North Carolina and Mary was born 1836 in Tennessee. Also listed was a daughter Adeline born 1866 in Tennessee. Due to the gap in ages of both Jerry and Mary and of Adeline and Marvel, I am assuming that Mary was a 2nd wife. There may have been children born between Adeline and Marvel who died. I have no idea if Jerry was actually Jeremiah, Gerald, Jerrold or what. My friend stated that she had native American ancestry but didn't know from where. Marvin/Marvel is listed with black hair and eyes on his WWI registration. I'm wondering if Jerry Keen could possibly have been Cherokee. I cannot find Jerry or Mary on any other census although I did find a Jeremiah Keen (listed under Jessica Keen) and a Mary Keen in Henderson County, Tennessee in 1870 which would fit. Children were Josepha age 23 suggesting a first wife, Mary A (or Nancy A) age 5 which could be Adeline, Jeremiah age 3 and C. Keen age 7 months. The two youngest children are not listed with Jerry and Mary in 1880 so possibly died-thus the gap between Adeline and Marvel.

I would love any help I can get to extend the Williams and Keen lines or to find out who Addie Mae Hays' parents were as well as Mary Elliot's.

My Morgan Ancestors

Ok, it has been forever since I posted on this blog. I guess I had better get back at it and what better way than to talk about my Morgan ancestors. My grandmother (second from the left in the photo above) was Clara Ethel Morgan. She was one of 13 children but only the four pictured above lived to reach adulthood. Pictured are Hazel Gladys, Clara Ethel, Mary Luanna "Mayme", and Albert Earl. They were the children of Calvin Douglas Morgan and Laura Belle Roberts.

Calvin Douglas Morgan was born April 29, 1861 in Lancaster, Wabash County, Illinois. He married Laura Belle Roberts January 11, 1882 at Gards Point, Wabash County, Illinois. She was born January 30, 1865 in Mt. Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois and was the daughter of Archibald Ruddle Roberts and Lucinda Montgomery. Calvin died August 22, 1910 in Allendale, Wabash County, Illinois following an appendectomy performed on his kitchen table of all things!! Laura Belle died June 8, 1930 in Evansville, Indiana. Calvin Douglas and Laura Belle had the following children:
#1. Infant Child Morgan born and died June 22, 1882 in Lick Prairie, Wabash County, Illinois.
#2. Clara Ethel Morgan (my grandmother) born October 14, 1884 Lick Prairie, Illinois. She married Elkanah Richards Clark June 3, 1903 and died May 14, 1960 in Rockford, Illinois.
#3. Flora Belle Morgan born November 19, 1886 in Lick Prairie and died March 15, 1896 in Lick Prairie.
#4. Nellie Maud Morgan born July 13, 1890 Lick Prairie died January 31, 1892 Lick Prairie.
#5. Albert Earl Morgan born September 23, 1892 Lick Prairie died April 17, 1948 Allendale, Illinois. Married Eva Elizabeth Wolfe December 24, 1912 Allendale, Illinois.
#6. Infant Girl Morgan born and died June 23, 1893 Allendale, Illlinois.
#7. Mary Luanna "Mayme" Morgan born January 8, 1895 Allendale Illinois died January 12, 1968 Berwyn, Illlinois. Married Joseph T. Williams June 14, 1913 Wabash County, Illinois.
#8. Thirza M. Morgan born April 8, 1897, Allendale, Illinois died June 30, 1897 Allendale.
#9. Talmah R. Morgan born December 22, 1898 Allendale, Illinois died January 8, 1900 Allendale, Illinois.
#10. Hazel Gladys Morgan born October 14, 1900 Allendale, Illinois died October 7, 1974 Mt. Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois. Married Rienza Wolfe September 1, 1917 Wabash County, Illinois.
#11. Infant Boy Morgan born January 8, 1903 died January 25, 1903 Allendale, Illinois.
#12. Clinton C. Morgan born March 7, 1904 Allendale, Illinois died August 14, 1904 Allendale.
#13. Addie Sybil Morgan born December 7, 1906 Allendale died October 13, 1907 Allendale.I can't even begin to imagine what these parents went through each time they lost a child. It must have been devastating. These are the tombstones of all of the children who died in infancy or childhood in the Lick Prairie Cemetery.

Calvin Douglas Morgan was the son of George W. Morgan and Mary Eliza Preston. George W. was born February 5, 1836 in Wabash County, Illinois. He died September 4, 1906 in Wabash County. Mary Eliza was born March 5, 1837 in Wabash County and died November 9, 1898 in Wabash County. George W. and Mary Eliza were married September 3, 1857 at her home in Edwards County, Illinois. They had 11 children, 4 of whom died in infancy.
#1. Franklin Morgan born August 21, 1858 Lancaster, Wabash County, Illinois. Died January 30, 1916 West Salem, Edwards County, Illinois. Married #1 Emma Hedrick December 18, 1879 Edwards County, Illinois; #2 Elzira Greathouse March 7, 1888 Edwards County, Illinois; #3 Martha "Mattie" Bogard January 15, 1895 Edwards County, Illinois.
#2. Infant Boy Morgan born and died April 18, 1860 Lancaster, Wabash County, Illinois.
#3. Calvin Douglas Morgan (my great grandfather listed above)
#4. Nancy Ann Morgan born April 17, 1863 Lancaster, Illinois died November 3, 1865 Lancaster.
#5. George W. Morgan Jr. born March 14 1865 Lancaster, Illinois died October 30, 1897 Wabash County, Illinois. Married Della Talley November 22, 1888 Wabash County, Illinois
#6. Jacob Morgan born January 26, 1868 Lancaster, Illinois died October 14, 1933 West Salem, Edwards County, Illinois. Married Lenora R. Nading November 7, 1889 Wabash County. They both died on the same date. They were killed when their car was hit by a train. (My grandfather, Elkanah Richards Clark who married Clara Ethel Morgan was killed in April of that same year when his truck was hit by a train.)
#7. Joseph Morgan born February 8, 1870 Lancaster, Illinois. Died May 2, 1946 in Illinois. He married #1 Ida Elizabeth Myers January 24, 1894 in Wabash County, Illinois. #2 Lydia (last name unknown) between 1910-1913 Wabash County.
#8. Infant Girl Morgan born and died January 26, 1876 Lancaster, Illinois.
#9. Eli Morgan born January 16, 1873 Lancaster, Illinois died January 1, 1934 Homer, Illinois. Married Stella Tarpley January 8, 1896 Wabash County, Illinois.
#10. Infant Boy Morgan born and died April 2, 1875 Lancaster, Illinois.
#11. Nellie Morgan born July 7, 1876 Lancaster Illinois, died June 14, 1945 Mt. Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois. Married John Lewis Bradham January 29, 1893 Wabash County, Illinois.

My great great grandfather, George W. Morgan was the son of Calvin Morgan and Nancy Gupton. I will write about Calvin and my theories on his parentage in my next post.