- Francis John Lindesmith -

Son of John Lindesmith and Anna Mary Boyer
Grandson of Joseph Lindesmith and Nancy Bauman

Francis John was my ggg-grandfather. He was born June 3, 1816 in the SE corner of Hanover township, Columbiana County, Ohio, in or near Dungannon. His mother died when he was 8 and his father, when he was 14.
In 1839 at age 23, he married in neighboring Carroll County, Ohio to Elizabeth Lucetta Momenteller (marriage record at right says "Elizabeth" though she normally went by "Lucetta"). 

    In 1840 they were in Columbiana Co, Ohio near his only brother, Joseph.  They also lived in Carroll Co, Ohio, maybe near John Downs Jr., whose wife, Mary Anne, was Lucetta's sister.  In 1850 John Downs (21 Oh) and Mary A (21 Pa) had Ellen Lindesmith (3 Oh) living with them. Ellen was the daughter of Lucetta's sister Louisa, who died in 1848.

    They do not appear to be anywhere on the 1850 census. Sometime in the early 1850's they moved to Indiana.  It is uncertain whether they moved to Logansport (Cass Co), Ind. where his brother Joseph lived or to New Castle (Henry Co), Ind. (where some say his son, Newton Jasper, was born).  Joseph didn't move to Cass Co., Ind. until about 1855-58.

    Around 1857 the family moved to Casner twp, Jefferson Co, Ill. (P.O. Mt. Vernon) where in June, 1860 John became the postmaster at the Blue Ridge post office (which after being closed in 1858, was re-established May 31, 1860, and closed again July, 1861).  
1860 census, Jefferson Co, IL:
(1613-1553) John Lindesmith - 43 born OH,  carpenter,  value $200
Lucetta - 39 PA (can't read and write)
Jeremiah - 19 OH, farmer
Ebenezer B. - 16 OH, farmer
Aly A. - 14 OH, attends school
John M. - 12 OH, attends school
Jasper N. - 4 IN
Mary A. - 8/12  IL

    John shook hands with Stephen Douglas and was so impressed with him that he voted for him in the Presidential Election of Nov., 1860, instead of Abraham Lincoln.  (See letter he wrote)
    In 1870 they must have been living in Fayette County, IL because son Ebenezer married there in 1869.

    John talked of moving to Missouri (which all of his children later did), but instead he & Lucetta moved 2 counties north to Fayette Co, IL where they died in 1878. Lucetta died of Typhoid (age 55) Aug. 23, 1878 and was buried near Shobonier (Kaskaskia twp.), south of Vandalia in Fayette Co, Ill.   John died 4 months later in Dec. and was also buried there.  [Cemeteries near Shobonier: Pinhook, Britton, Heckethorn, Lee, McConnell. the 1st 2 are NE of Shobonier, towards Vandalia, and the last 3 are SE of Shobonier, towards Patoka.  Since her obit was in the Vandalia newspaper, I think it's more likely that she was buried in one of the first two. A book of county cemetery listings, however, does not show any Lindesmith graves.]

Obituary from the Fayette County Democrat (Vandalia):
"Mrs. Lucetia Lindersmith (sic), to whom former reference has been made as being dangerously ill, quietly breathed her last on the morning of the 23d inst., aged about fifty-six years. She leaves four sons and two daughters, all of whom are grown, one sister and brother, together with hosts of friends to mourn her loss. She was born in Pennsylvania and moved to this state twenty odd years ago, where she has lived a quiet life and died at peace with all mankind."
[The sister would have been Barbary or Mary Ann and the brother, Jacob.]

Many or most of their children had already moved to Missouri because their son Jeremiah had a baby (Johnny) born in Missouri in April 1878, 4 months before his mother Lucetta died.

    All of their children moved to Missouri about 1880. Jerry, John, Eb and Aley were married by then (Newton & Mary were still unmarried but must have moved with their siblings to Missouri). With the exception of Eb, who stayed in Missouri, the family moved around quite a bit, living in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, often near each other:
    Newton moved to Hutchinson, Kansas about 1883 where he stayed until about 1891. John & Jerry moved to Galena, Kansas (near Joplin, MO) where they were in 1889 when there was evidently a big going-away party for John & Mary, who were moving to Oklahoma. Eb was also there in Galena, probably visiting for the party, as was their Momenteller cousin, John H. Morledge.  (They all signed Mary’s autograph book with goodbye messages Sept 29/30, 1889)
    After burying 3 small children in Hutchinson, KS, Newton moved back to the Joplin area about 1891, settling in Carterville, MO. Then he was back in Douglas Co., MO in 1894, while John was still in Oklahoma. But in 1896 Newton and John were both living in Ravenna, Fannin Co., TX, and sister Alice was there in 1898.
    Jerry also moved back to Douglas Co, MO, where he was in Nov, 1899 when his son Johnny married Myrtle Pease. In March, 1899 John was moving back to Oklahoma when he died on the trip (age 52). Perhaps his widow, Mary, decided not to continue on because in 1901 she was back in Ravenna, TX and in 1901 Jerry was also living there.
    Johnny & Myrtle went down to visit the Lindesmith clan in Texas in 1901. Their first child, Maymie Joyce, was born there in Dec., 1901. They stayed there for 3 years.
    In 1906 Newton (whose wife died in 1902) married John's widow, Mary.  All of them (Newton, John's Mary, Alice, Jerry & Jerry's son Frank) probably moved to Oklahoma soon afterward where they worked in the oil fields. Newton visited his nephew Johnny in Missouri and tried to convince him to move to Oklahoma, too. He almost did, but decided to stay. Eb was the only one who did not move around. He said Missouri was good enough for him.
    About 1910 Jerry & Frank moved back to Missouri again and lived near Johnny. Newton and Alice both died in Oklahoma in 1933 & 1935.

Children of Francis & Lucetta:

1.     Hiram LINDESMITH b: 26 Mar 1840 in Carroll Co, Ohio, Died of paralysis, Aug, 1859, age 19. Buried Locust Grove Cemetery, Casner twp, Jefferson Co, IL.  His tombstone seems to say: "Hierom, son of J & L Lindesmith - 1859 - age 16". See picture.

2.     Jeremiah LINDESMITH. Jerry was my gg-grandfather.  He was born 13 Nov 1842 in Columbiana Co, OH.  
In Jefferson County, IL he met and married Amanda Doolen.  Her father would not consent to their marriage so in 1867 when Amanda was only 16, Jerry stole her from her father's house by having her climb out the kitchen window and then he took her away on horseback.  They apparently rode 70 miles to St. Louis to get married because their marriage license was recorded in St. Louis as being performed on Oct. 16, 1867. When she was found to be missing her several older brothers followed in pursuit on their horses.  They failed to overtake them, however, and later accepted their brother-in-law.        
    In 1874 they were in Fayette Co, Ill (Jerry's parents died there in 1878). In 1878 & 1880 they were in neighboring Marion Co, IL in Foster.
    They moved to Missouri Douglas Co., Mo. about 1880, probably with his brothers and sisters. Sept. 29, 1889 they were living (or possibly visiting) in Galena, KS (near Joplin, MO). They were in Douglas Co, Mo. in 1899 where their son, Johnny met and married his wife, Myrtle Pease.  In 1900 they were in Brush Creek township of Douglas Co.  About 1901 Jerry & Amanda moved to Texas near Newton, Alice, and John's widow Mary. All the Lindesmiths (Newt, Alice, John's Mary, Jerry & Jerry's son Frank) probably moved to Oklahoma as soon after that and worked in the oil fields.
    Jerry & Frank moved "back from Oklahoma" about 1910 and settled in Bethany, Douglas Co., MO. Jerry died in the fall of 1920 (of cancer of the mouth). His obituary spoke of his religious conversion.  Jerry & Amanda were both buried at Mt. Ararat Cemetery in Douglas Co. beside their son Johnny & his wife Myrtle; their son, Frank;  their granddaughter Maymie & her husband, Albert Willard; and their great-granddaughter Mary Frances Willard Kohler.  Also is this cemetery is their granddaughter Eva Bea and her husband, C.L "Jack" Wood.



This is a Sunday School class picture at Bethany Church in Douglas Co, MO:
At right front is Jeremiah Lindesmith. The broken off piece at back right would have been his wife, Amanda. 
Picture on the right is his wife, Amanda, along with their son Johnny and his wife Myrtle.

3.     Ebenezer Benson LINDESMITH b: 15 Jan 1844 in Ohio. He married Minerva Olive Campbell, June 20, 1869 in Fayette Co, IL. In 1880 they were in Douglas Co, Mo. Eb seems to have stayed in MO while his brothers and sisters moved around, but he did live or visit them in Galena, KS in 1889.  He died in 1925 in Missouri.
1900 MO census: Douglas Co, Brush Creek twp, p 179:
Lindesmith, Ebenezer (head) - 55, b Jan 1845 OH (par b OH/PA)
. . . . .  Olive (wife) - 49, b June 1850 IL (par b OH/KY)
. . . . .   Hiram (son) - 29, b July 1870 IL
. . . . .  Lucinda (daug) - 24, b March 1876 IL
. . . . .  Franklin (son) - 17, b Oct 1882 MO
. . . . .  Leroy (son) - 16, b Jan 1884 MO
. . . . .  Francis (son) 13, b Oct 1886, MO
Campbell, Dorcus (mother-in-law) - 80, b Jan 1820 Ky (par b Ky)

4.     Aley Adline LINDESMITH b: 8 Feb 1846 in Ohio.  She was probably named for her uncle Jacob Momenteller's wife Alia "Aley".
    She married Apr 25, 1865 in Marion Co, IL to John Hundley. Aley & John lived in Willow Springs, Mo probably early in their marriage. In 1880 they were in Salem, Dent Co, MO (36 & 32, no children).
.
Pictured at left is John Momenteller Lindesmith

5.     John Momenteller LINDESMITH b: 12 Jan 1847 in Carroll Co, Ohio. John married Alice Wimberly in 1874, Fayette Co, IL (she died within 4 years, no ch).  He married 2nd, 1878, Kaskaskia, Fayette Co, IL to widow Mary Hunter (Dunn) Manion.
Maybe they were the first in the family to move to Missouri. In 1880 they were in Richland, Ozark Co, Mo.  In 1889 they were moving from Galena, KS to Oklahoma. In 1896 they were in Ravenna, TX, then in 1899 they were moving back to Okla. when John (age 52)  died on the trip in Asher, Ok; buried Sacred Heart Cem. Mary was back in TX in 1901 where she married her brother-in-law Newton Lindesmith in 1906. Then they later moved to Okla. where Newton died in 1933.

6.     Loretta Barbary LINDESMITH b: 13 Dec 1850 in maybe Indiana.  died before 1860.

7.     Joseph Harmon LINDESMITH b: 15 Nov 1853. Died before 1860.

8.     Newton Jasper LINDESMITH b: 1 May 1856 in Logansport, Cass Co, Ind.  He married 1st to Louisa Barnes. Newt & Louisa lived in Willow Springs, MO in 1882.  In 1884 they were in Hutchinson, KS (still there in 1890). They buried 3 small children (Clydie, Lillie & Bessie) in Hutchinson, then in 1892 they were in Carterville, MO (near Joplin. In 1894 they were in Douglas Co., MO; in 1896, Ravenna, TX; 1901 in Mulberry, TX (both in Fannin Co). Louisa died in 1902 (age 41) in Ravenna, TX; they had been married 22 years.
    Newt married his brother John's widow, Mary, in 1906 in TX. They later moved to OK where he died in 1933, in Stroud, Okla.
    Pictured at right is Newt and Mary

9.     Mary Alice LINDESMITH b: 11 Oct 1859 in Jefferson Co, IL. She married James Benton Clark in 1880 in Howell Co, Mo.  He was working as a butcher in 1889 in Willow Springs, Mo. They were still in MO in 1891, but by 1898 they were living in TX near her brothers Newton & John.  In 1920 they were in Carter Co, OH. Buried Hennepin Cemetery, Hennepin, Carter Co, OK