#15 - Matilda Hubbs, Headstone in Berea Cemetery (Morgan County, Illinois)

Matilda; Wife of A. Gray; Died July 26, 1872; Aged 24 Ys. 8M. 17 D.

Matilda Hubbs was the wife of Anderson Gray and the mother of one known child, Anna Gray. Anna Frances Green told me she was told that Anna Gray was "an orphan from Ohio". Research led me to the marriage record of Anna's father, Anderson, to Matilda Hubbs in Morgan County, Illinois, not Ohio. (Family stories are not always accurate, but that's the purpose of research. Anna lost her mother, not her father, and so she was not truly an orphan.) Matilda's family had lived in Indiana but moved to Illinois. Anderson most likely knew the family when they lived in Indiana, and then went to Illinois where he married Matilda. Anna was born in Illinois two and a half years after Anderson and Matilda were married. Matilda died just six years later. After Matilda's death, Anderson and Anna moved back to Martin County where Anderson remarried.

#28 - Michael Gray, Last Known Census Record: 1860

This 1860 Census record shows Michael Gray (#28) on line 15. His his son, Leonard (Anderson's older brother by a couple years), and Leonard's wife, Martha Boswell live with him. Michael is a grocer and Leonard is a baker. They reside in Daviess County, just east of Martin County. This record of Michael is the last found. His date of death has not yet been discovered.

#29 - Nancy Ann Acre, #28 - Michael Gray, Divorce Record

This is a copy of the divorce record for Nancy Ann Acre (#29 ) and Michael Gray (#28 ). To make it easier to read, the transcription is below:

Nancy Ann Gray vs. Michael Gray – Divorce

Now comes the complainant by Dunn and Monson, her solicitor, and the defendant by Mr. Niblack, his solicitor, and by agreement of parties the complainant now files an amended petition, and this cause is now submitted to the court for final hearing and decree on said amended petition and parol proofs and the court being advised of the premises do order, adjudge and decree that the bonds of matrimony heretofore existing between said parties be dissolved, and by agreement of parties it so further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the said petitioner pay the costs of this court; and by agreement of parties it is ordered, adjudged and decreed that said petitioner be forever banned of any interest or claim in and to the real or personal property of said defendant and all claim for alimony hereafter.

#8 - John F. Green, Family Farm

This photo of John F. Green's home was most likely taken in the late 1950's or early 1960's (assuming the car in the foreground is relatively new). The family home was located near Hindostan Falls, Martin County, Indiana. Many generations of Greens lived on the family farm including John F. Green (#8), James Green (#4), Harold J. Green (#2) and Anna, Margo and possibly Marian.

In 1982 or 1983 Anna Green Hunt told me a family story she had heard while she was young. She said that her father’s grandfather, John F. Green, walked to Shoals to draw up a will and on the walk back home he came down with a cold which led to his death. In the will, Anna understood, the farm was left to John F.’s “favorite grandchild”, Harold J. Green. A copy of the will shows that the story isn’t true. John’s estate was divided equally among all of his children. Though the story is not accurate, there could be some basis for the folklore. Harold J. did end up living on the farm while none of the other grandchildren did. Perhaps he was a favored grandchild, perhaps he spent more time with his grandfather than other grandchildren did, or perhaps all the grandchildren felt special to their grandfather. If anyone has any insight to this story, please contact me.

#8 - John F. Green, Three Generation Photo

This is a photo of John F. Green and, we are told, his daughter, Nancy Jane, and her daughter, whose name we don't yet know. If you can identify her, please contact me by clicking on "view my complete profile" and then "email".

#2 - Harold John Green, WW1 Draft Record

This is the WW1 Draft Registration card for Harold J. Green (#2). Though he filled out a card, he was not known to have been drafted. At the time he registered for the draft he was married to Jennie Josephine Hart and had one daughter, Anna. Some records of Harold J. Green give his first name as Harold, others as John. This one says it was John. Family members today remember his first name to have always been known as Harold. If you'd like, you can click on the draft card to open it up in another window. Then click again, if necessary, to enlarge it. Click on the back arrow to return to the blog.

Abbie Hunt (Harold J's granddaughter) and Marian Green Basom (Harold J's daughter) shared information about the answer in Part 3, Page 2 of the registration card where it is stated that Harold is crippled. They said that Harold always walked with a limp. Both Abbie and Marian were told as children that he limped because, as a boy, Harold was stepped on by a horse. They never gave much consideration to his limp. Abbie said, "We never thought of him as crippled - but he was".

#8 - John F. Green, Obituary

This obituary gives us a clue that John F. Green was well liked by those in his community when it is stated that he was called "Uncle John".

Obituaries sometimes contain mistakes. The Death Notice for John F. Green (#8) has a small one that states he's the father of nine, one of them deceased. He was actually the father of ten, with one deceased. The nine living children were correctly named in the obituary.

Transcription of Death Notice for John F. Green:

John F. Green Dead

John F. Green, one of the oldest citizens of Martin county, died at his home near Hindostan Wednesday morning after a long illness from stomach trouble.

            The deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas green and was born in Kentucky.  At the age of seventeen he came with his father and mother to this country and resided at M. Pleasant.  He had four brothers and three sisters.  None survive expect [sic] a sister Mrs. Nancy Williams of this place.

            At the age of twenty-two he was married to Martha E. Greenwell, who only lived a short time.  He lived near Loogootee for some time after his marriage then moved to a farm near Hindostan where he lived until his death.

            In the year 1864 he enlisted in the Civil war but served only a short time.

            Mr. Green was the father of nine children all of whom are living except one.  Those living are Mrs. Nancy Bell, of Rushville, Illinois; Rebecca C. Abels, of Shoals; Mrs. John Brown, Mrs. Ida Waggoner, Mrs. Mary Case, Mrs. Ella Summers, of this city; George, of Cannelburg; James, of Hindostan and John, of Loogootee.

            “Uncle John” as he was familiarly called was a farmer and had many friends.  He was a patient sufferer during his last sickness and was seventy-nine years of age.

            Interment in St. John’s cemetery.

#8 - John F. Green, Pioneer of Loogootee

This photo appeared in a Martin County newspaper. John F. Green (#8) is seated second from the right.

#8 - John F. Green and #9 - Martha Greenwell, Headstone in St. John's Cemetery

This headstone of John Frances Green (#8) and his wife Martha Greenwell (#9) Green has been chalked to make the inscription easier to read. They were buried in St. John's Cemetery in Loogootee, Indiana. Though Martha died about 31 years before John, he never remarried.

#26 - Gideon Coulter, Will



At the time Gideon Coulter (#26) wrote his will, three of his children were living:  Martha Ann, Eliza Jane and William F.  Gideon's personal estate was to be divided up equally between them. His real estate was left to his second wife, Virginia (Betsy) Bowman, until her death, at which time it would be divided up among his children or his children's posterity.



#29 - Nancy Ann Acre, Photos in Old Age

Nancy Ann Acre (#28), mother of Anderson Gray (#14) - The photo on top shows Nancy with some unnamed descendants. Wouldn't it be great if one of them were Anderson Gray (#14)! Hopefully someone can help us identify the people in the photo. 

Nancy was married to Michael Gray(#28) for about five years before they divorced. We don't think of divorce as a frequent occurrence in the mid-1800's, but during the Martin County, Indiana Circuit Court session in which Nancy and Michael divorced (court was held about every 3 months), there were at least five divorces granted in Martin County. Three months after her divorce, Nancy married Moses Denney. They had many children together. See another post for a transcription of Nancy's obituary.

#5 - Myra Brown, Obituary

Myra Brown Green (#5) was the mother of Harold J. Green (aka: Gramps, #2) and the daughter of Thomas Brown (#10) and Julia Ann O'Brien (#11).