Originally published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly 101, no. 1 (March 2013). By Paul K. Graham.
Florence knew her origin, but the details were lost to her extended family. Readily-available records provide more miscues than facts: obituaries contradict each other; her death certifi cate does not name her parents, censuses disagree, and her father’s probate records do not mention her. Only obituaries for two siblings clinch her parentage.
FLORENCE (CROUSE) NELSON
Florence’s descendants knew little of her history. She was born January 1862 in Missouri and married Amie Nelson.1 Florence died 14 February 1942 near Elkhart, Indiana, along the Michigan border.2 She is buried in Vevay Cemetery in Switzerland County, Indiana, next to her husband, who predeceased her by almost twenty-four years.3
Florence’s death certificate offers no clues to her parents. With the words “Father’s” and “Mother’s” printed vertically under the certificate border, the informant wrote his own name, James Nelson, for “[Father’s] Name and Birthplace.” For “[Mother’s] Maiden Name and Birthplace,” he wrote the decedent’s information: Florence Crouse, born in Missouri.4
Three newspapers published Florence’s obituary: one in her home town of Vevay; another in Elkhart, where she lived with a daughter; and the third in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where a second daughter lived.5 The Vevay paper
offers a tantalizing clue to her origin:
The deceased was born in Center Square [Switzerland County, Indiana] about eighty years ago. Her parents died when she was very young and she was reared by Mr. and Mrs. John Stewart of that community.6
A young orphan might have no memories of her parents to pass on to her children. Saying Florence was born in Missouri, the Elkhart obituary conflicts with the Vevay one.7 Censuses starting in 1900 consistently list Florence’s birthplace as Missouri, supporting the Elkhart obituary. Her father’s birthplace is consistently given as Germany. All but one indicates her mother was born in Pennsylvania.8
JOHN STEWART
In 1880 John and Isabelle Stewart lived in Cotton Township, Switzerland County.9 The household included John’s wife, three sons, and a “daughter,” Flora, eighteen. John had married Isabella Cooper on 10 September 1856, before Flora’s birth.10 Details suggest she was not their biological child:
- Listed after fifteen-year-old Orod in 1880, Flora appears out of age order.
- She was born in Missouri, but the other children were born in Indiana.
- Flora’s mother’s birthplace was Pennsylvania, but John’s wife, “Isabell,” was born in Indiana.11
In 1870 eight-year-old Flora was enumerated in John and Isabel Stewart’s household. Her details, including her birth in Indiana, offer no indication she was not their biological child.12
At John Stewart’s residence in Center Square, Switzerland County, twenty-six-year-old Missouri native Florence I. Crouse married Amie Nelson on 2 June 1887.13 She was likely the informant for her own marriage return, which names her parents, John Crouse and Sarah Stewart.14 This is the only record that names both Florence and her parents.
STEWART FAMILY
Florence’s mother was Sarah Stewart, sister of John Stewart who raised his niece, “Mrs. Amie Nelson who was the same to them as a daughter, and who to-day mourns his loss as deeply as any member of the family.”15 An 1885 biographical sketch of a third sibling, older brother, Jesse Stewart, describes the Stewart family and corroborates the Crouse marriage. Jesse W. Stewart was born 17 September 1825, son of William and Margaret (Oglevie) Stewart. “The children [of William], all living, are as follows: Joseph A., Sarah, wife of Mr. Crouse, who resides in Missouri; Jesse W., John and Maria, wife of Ezra Hastings.”16
Both Florence and her mother lost their fathers at a young age and were raised by people other than their parents. William Stewart died at a houseraising when he fell from the roof. His widow Margaret died two years later, leaving five orphans “who were brought up by relatives and acquaintances.”17
In 1880 only one Sarah Crouse of the right age lived in Missouri: Sarah M. Crouse of Crawford County, a widow with three children18 She headed a Franklin County, Missouri, household in 1870, again as a widow.19 Her Pennsylvania birthplace agrees with information in Jesse’s sketch and most of Florence’s enumerations.
In 1860 Sarah and John Crouse lived together in Barton County, Missouri. His name matches the father Florence named on her marriage return.20 He also is the only John Crouse with an adult Sarah Crouse in an indexed 1860 Missouri household.21
John Crouse and his wife Sarah are also found together in the 1850 census of Caldwell County, Missouri. Although Sarah’s age is given incorrectly, the household consists of John’s four children with his first wife and Sarah’s first five children.22 John Crouse first appears in Missouri censuses in Caldwell County in 1840 with four children and a woman of the appropriate age to be his first wife.23
DEATH OF JOHN CROUSE
John died in mid-1865.24 If he died in federal military service, his wife and children would have been eligible for pension benefits. No pension file has been found for them, but John may have served.25 He was likely the John Crouse who enlisted in the thirty-eighth regiment of the Enrolled Missouri Militia, a part-time citizen force.26 His company was never federalized nor commanded by a federal officer, and its militia members were ineligible for United States pensions.27
One of two probates was opened for John’s estate in Caldwell County, Missouri, where he had once lived.28 Mathias Crouse, who applied for letters of administration on 3 July 1865, named John’s heirs:
He left Sarah Crouse, his widow, living in
Ray County Mo.Ar-kansas, and Mary Ann Hunter and Phillippa Johnson, his children, living inCaldwFranklin County, Mo., and George W Crouse and Emeline Crouse and [Sarah] Margaret Crouse and Daniel Crouse, living in Arkansas, and Mathias Crouse and Hannah Miller, living in Caldwell County, Mo., his children.29
The widow and family were allowed $125 for a year’s support in September 1867.30 In May 1869 a final settlement of $22.72 was ordered paid to the widow.31 Sarah received the money by 6 September 1869.32 The children received no distribution.
A separate probate was opened in Barton County where creditors made multiple claims against John’s estate until its settlement 1 June 1871.33 No probate documents there name his children, and no other family members appear in the Barton County probate indexes.34
Barton County deeds related to John’s estate mention some of his family. Henry Murphy sued the estate for $370 John owed on land.35 To settle the debt Crouse heirs sold the property back to Murphy. On 4 December 1867 “Sarah M. Crouse, widow of John Crouse, deceased, Harmon Hunter and Mary Ann Hunter his wife, Jessee [sic] Johnson [and] Phillipa Johnson his wife, and Emaline Crouse, all of Franklin County,” quit-claimed the 260 acres for $160.36 Two weeks later Mathias Crouse quit-claimed his interest for $40.37 The two deeds do not mention Hannah, who died in 1863.38 Nor do they name the minor children Julia, George, Emanuel, Sarah M., John, or Daniel, listed in John Crouse’s 1850 and 1860 households. Neither do they list any guardian for Florence.39
Florence’s omission from the administration implies she was not John’s daughter, but the omission of posthumous son John C. Crouse casts further doubt.40 Missouri law allowed a child to be omitted from a will if he or she had already received a share. Such exceptions did not apply to intestacies.41
SARAH STEWART
After 1880 Sarah continued living in Crawford County. She died on 26 July 1895 at her home in Oak Shade. Six of “her eleven children” survived her.42 Crawford County records do not illuminate Sarah’s relationship to Florence.43
Was this Sarah Crouse of Missouri born Sarah Stewart? No marriage record appears in Ripley County, Indiana, where her parents once lived.44 Caldwell County, Missouri, records burned in 1860.45 Database surveys were negative.46
Death certificates for five of John and Sarah’s known children identify Sarah as a Stewart—positive but indirect evidence of the link to Florence. See table 1.
JOHN’S FIRST MARRIAGE
Not all John’s children were Sarah’s. His first four children—Hannah, Mathias, Mary, and Phillipa—were born in 1829, 1832, 1835, and 1838, respectively.47 Sarah, born in the mid 1820s, was too young to be their mother.48 A five-to-six year gap between Phillipa and Julia’s births is sufficient time for one spouse’s death and the survivor’s remarriage. John and Sarah likely married in the early 1840s. Their first five children were born before 1850.49
SIBLINGS
Just as the Crouse children’s death certificates clarify their mother’s maiden name, later records might clarify their relationship to Florence. Local biographical books, however, include no relevant sketches.50 None of John and Sarah’s known children left a Missouri estate.51 No estate was filed for Daniel
in Cherokee County, Kansas, where he died.52 Two of John’s children from his previous marriage left estates.
- Mathias Crouse’s final settlement named no heirs.53
- Mary (Crouse) Douglass’s funds were distributed to her three children.54
Mathias and Mary’s obituaries tell of the family moving to Missouri when they were young children. Neither item names siblings.55
Records of Sarah’s sons provide no further clues. No obituaries were found for George William or Daniel Crouse.56 John C. Crouse’s short obituary mentions his wife and two children but not his siblings.57
Sarah’s daughters link Florence to her parents.
- Sarah Margaret Crouse died in May 1915 as Sarah Greenstreet. She had, “six sisters, Julia, Hanna, Mollie [Mary], Phoebe [Phillipa], Florence and Emma [Emeline], the last two of whom survive her death.” Her obituary states her father was “killed by the Indians” in 1865.58
- Emeline Crouse, Florence’s elder by fourteen years, never married and lived her later years in Jasper County, Missouri, dying there on 8 January 1925.59 Her obituary concludes: “She is survived by a sister, Mrs. Florence Nelson of Indiana, and a brother, Daniel Crouse of Alba [Jasper County, Missouri].”60
CONCLUSION
Florence (Crouse) Nelson was the daughter of John Crouse and Sarah Stewart who lived in Caldwell and Barton counties, Missouri. Born in Missouri, Florence was sent to Indiana to be raised by a maternal uncle. Records from her new home lead back to a likely Missouri family, but evidence of the connection was difficult to come by. Expected documents were destroyed, missing, incomplete, or never created. Two key sources contain significant errors. Despite contradictions, obituaries of a maternal uncle in Indiana and an unmarried sister in Missouri place Florence within the Crouse family.
Why was Florence absent from John’s estate records? Was she already safe in Indiana when he died? Did Civil War conflict in southwest Missouri prevent the family from communicating? Was she omitted because she was already taken care of? Once in Indiana she stayed, but why didn’t her other young siblings join her? Despite confirmation of the genealogical link, the most consequential event of her life—separation from her family—remains unexplained.
GENEALOGICAL SUMMARY
1. William Stewart, of Pennsylvania; died before 1 May 1834 in Ripley County, Indiana.61 He married Margaret Oglevie.62 They had five children:
2 i. Joseph A. Stewart, born 1820 in Pennsylvania; died 23 May 1900 in Pueblo, Colorado.63 He married (1) on 25 January 1849 in Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana, Mary Clark.64 He married (2) on 2 February 1863 in Jefferson County, Indiana, Mary Ann Maria Catharine Fisher.65
+ 3 ii. Sarah Stewart, born 15 July 1824 in Pennsylvania; died 26 July 1895 in Oak Shade community, near Cuba, Crawford County, Missouri.66 She married about 1842 John Crouse as his second wife.
4 iii. Jesse W. Stewart, born 17 September 1825 in Pennsylvania;67 died 27 February 1909 in Cass Township, Ohio County, Indiana.68 He married Louisa Hastings, 2 March 1848, Ohio County69
5 iv. John Stewart, born 11 October 1827 in Pennsylvania; died 30 January 1908 in Switzerland County, Indiana.70 He married Isabelle M. Cooper, 10 September 1856, Switzerland County.71
6 v. Maria Stewart, born 11 February 1830 in Dearborn County, Indiana; died 5 September 1887 in Ohio County, Indiana.72 She married Ezra Hastings, 6 April 1847, Ohio County.73
3. Sarah Stewart had eleven children with John Crouse:
7 i. Julia Crouse, born about 1843 in Missouri;74 likely died before 1860.75
8 ii. George William Crouse, born 1 November 1844 in Caldwell County, Missouri; died 3 September 1916 in Seneca, Missouri.76 He married Mary E. McCall, 20 May 1869 Lawrence County, Missouri.77
9 iii. Emanuel Crouse, born about 1846 in Missouri;78 likely died before 1860.79
10 iv. Emeline Crouse, born 7 February 1848 in Caldwell County, Missouri; died 8 January 1925 in Alba, Missouri;70 did not marry.
 11 v. John Crouse, enumerated in 1850, age one year, but appears on no other records.72
12 vi. Sarah Margaret Crouse, born 15 December 1854 in Caldwell County, Missouri; died 30 April 1915 in Franklin County, Missouri.82 She married James S. Greenstreet, 7 April 1876, Crawford County, Missouri.83
13 vii. [Infant] Crouse, perhaps born 1856; died soon. Sarah was mother of eleven children.
14 viii. [Infant] Crouse, perhaps born 1856; died soon. Sarah was mother of eleven children.
15 ix. Daniel Crouse, born 3 June 1860 in Lamar, Barton County, Missouri; died 26 June 1938 in Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas; buried at Weaver Cemetery, Jasper County, Missouri.84
16 x. Florence I. Crouse, born 19 January 1862 in Missouri; died 14 February 1942 in Elkhart County, Indiana.85 She married Amie Nelson, 3 June 1887 Switzerland County, Indiana.86
17 xi. John C. Crouse, posthumous, born 2 August 1865 in Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas; died 27 March 1916 in Jasper Township, Jasper County, Missouri.87 he married Josie A. Eaton, 27 December 1899, Cuba, Crawford County, Missouri.88John Crouse and his first wife, name unknown, had four children (step-children of Sarah [Stewart] Crouse):
18 Hannah Crouse, born 21 September 1829 in Ohio; died 10 April 1863.89 She married John Miller.90
19 Mathias Crouse, born 15 April 1832 in Richland County, Ohio; died 13 April 1901 near Barwick Chapel, Caldwell County, Missouri. He married Margaret E. Pollard, 5 April 1859.91
20 Mary Ann Crouse, born 8 December 1835 in Ohio; died 7 January 1908.92 She married (1) Harmon Hunter, 28 September 1854;93 (2) Arnot P. Douglass, 11 October 1874 in Caldwell County, Missouri.94
21 Phillipa Crouse, born 1838 in Ohio; died in 1912.95 she married Jesse Johnson by 1860.96
Paul K. Graham, CG, AG; Post Office Box 3223, Salt Lake City, UT 84110; pkgraham@gmail.com; https://www.pkgraham.com. Mr. Graham is a genealogist at ProGenealogists, the research division of Ancestry.com, and is a great-great-grandson of Florence (Crouse) Nelson. He thanks the following for their assistance: Lauren Leeman, Reference Specialist, State Historical Society of Missouri; Reference Staff, Missouri State Archives; Caldwell County Circuit Clerk, Kingston, Missouri; Barton County Circuit Clerk, Lamar, Missouri; Bruce Robertson, Lamar, Missouri; Barry Brown, Switzerland County Public Library, Vevay, Indiana; Jeanine Rhodes, Reference Assistant, Elkhart Public Library, Elkhart, Indiana; Nancy Richey, Special Collections Library, Kentucky Library, Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Marilyn Schmitt, Cherokee County, Kansas, Genealogical-Historical Society, Inc., Columbus, Kansas. All URLs were accessed 27 February 2013.
Table 1 ↩
Death Certificates of Children of John and Sarah Crouse
| Child | Father and Birthplace | Mother and Birthplace | George William Crouse | John Crouse, Penn. | Sarah Stuard, not knowna | Emeline Crouse | John Crouse, Penn. | Sarah Stewart, Ind.b | Sarah Greenstreet | John Crouse, Penn. | Sarah Stewart, “don’t know”c | Daniel Crouse | John Crouse, Penn. | Sarah Stewart, Penn.d | John C. Crouse | John Crouse, Penn. | Sarah Stewart, Penn.e |
a. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death, 1916, no. 35121, George William Crouse; digital image, “Missouri Death Certificates, 1910–1961,” Missouri Digital Heritage (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/).
b. Ibid., 1925, no. 38053, Emeline Crouse.
c. Ibid., 1915, no. 15782, Sarah Margret [sic] Greenstreet.
d. Kansas Office of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, 1938, no. 311-678, Daniel Crouse; Office of Vital Statistics, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Topeka.
e. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death, 1916, no. 14930, John C. Crouse.
Notes
1. Indiana, Certificate of Death, 1942, no. 6666, Florence Nelson, Elkhart Co., filed 14 February 1942; State Department of Health, Indianapolis. Also, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), memorial 46,187,666, Vevay Cemetery (Vevay, Ind.), “Florence Isabelle Crouse Nelson,” digital image of Florence I. Nelson gravestone by Sandra and Bob Brake; 31 December 2009. Vevay is in the southeast corner of Indiana on the Ohio River. ↩
2. Indiana, Certificate of Death, 1942, no. 6666, Florence Nelson, Elkhart Co. ↩
3. Vevay Cemetery, Florence I. Nelson gravestone. Amie’s name and dates appear on the same stone. ↩
4. Indiana, Certificate of Death, 1942, no. 6666, Florence Nelson, Elkhart Co. ↩
5. “Death Claims Former Resident At Daughter’s Home,” Vevay Reveille, 19 February 1942, page 1, col. 3. “Mrs. Florence Nelson,” Elkhart Truth, 16 February 1942, page 2, col. 2. Also, “Services Are Held for Mother of Local Woman,” Park City Daily News, 17 February 1942, page 1, col. 4. ↩
6. “Death Claims Former Resident At Daughter’s Home,” Vevay Reveille, 19 February 1942, page 1, col. 3. ↩
7. “Mrs. Florence Nelson,” Elkhart Truth, 16 February 1942, page 2, col. 2. ↩
8. 1900 U.S. census, Switzerland Co., Ind., pop. sch., Cotton Twp., ED 134, sheet 9B, dwell. 208, fam. 211, Amy Nelson household; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T623, roll 404. Also, 1910 U.S. census, Switzerland Co., Ind., pop. sch., Jefferson Twp., ED 158, sheet 5B, dwell. 125, fam. 131, Amie Nelson household; NARA microfilm T624, roll 381. Also, 1920 U.S. census, Decatur Co., Ind., pop. sch., Saltcreek Twp., ED 62, sheet 12B, dwell./fam. 46, Florence Nelson household; NARA microfilm T625, roll 429. Also, 1930 U.S. census, Warren Co., Ky., pop. sch., Bowling Green, Ward 1, ED 1, sheet 13A, dwell. 288, fam. 318, Vere Graham household; NARA microfilm T626, roll 779. ↩
9. 1880 U.S. census, Switzerland Co., Ind., pop. sch., Cotton Twp., ED 167, sheet 19C, dwell. 336, fam. 344, John Steward household; NARA microfilm T9, roll 313. ↩
10. Switzerland Co., Ind., Marriage Record 1849–1858, 436, Stewart-Cooper; Clerk of the Circuit Court, Vevay; microfilm 1,310,440, Family History Library (FHL), Salt Lake City. ↩
11. 1880 U.S. census, Switzerland Co., Ind., pop. sch., Cotton Twp., ED 167, sheet 19C, dwell. 336, fam. 344, John Steward household. ↩
12. 1870 U.S. census, Switzerland Co., Ind., pop. sch., Cotton Twp., Sugar Branch post office, fo. 245v, dwell./fam. 72, John Stewart household; NARA microfilm M593, roll 361. ↩
13. Switzerland Co., Marriage Records 4:454, Nelson-Crouse; Clerk of Circuit Court, Vevay; FHL microfilm 1,310,442. Also, “Nuptial,” Vevay Reveille, 9 June 1887, page 5, col. 1. ↩
14. Switzerland Co., Marriage Returns 2, entry no. 780, Nelson-Crouse; FHL microfilm 1,310,444. ↩
15. “John Stewart, Dead,” Vevay Reveille, 6 February 1908, page 4, col. 3. Neither the obituary nor John’s death certificate identify his father. See Switzerland Co., Death Certificates, Book C-9:9; Switzerland County Board of Health, Vevay. ↩
16. “John Stewart, Dead,” Vevay Reveille, 6 February 1908, page 4, col. 3. History of Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland Counties, Indiana, from their Earliest Settlement (Chicago: F. E. Weakley, 1885), 922–23. ↩
17. History of Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland Counties, Indiana, from their Earliest Settlement, 922–23. Also, an estate was opened for William and Margaret in May 1834 and closed in February 1837. See Ripley Co., Ind., Complete Probate Order Book A:119–23; Circuit Court, Versailles, Ind.; FHL microfilm 1,311,994. John Steele was “guardian of the minor heirs of said Wm. & Margaret Stewart.” No further record was found through mid-May 1842 in a line-by-line search. ↩
18. 1880 U.S. census, Crawford Co., Mo., pop. sch., Benton Twp., ED 52, p. 14C, dwell. 124, fam. 130, Sarah M. Crouse household; NARA microfilm T9, roll 683. The author used Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org databases for negative census searches. Search terms included Kraus or Crouse, Sarah, Sallie, or “S” with a birth date about 1824. ↩
19. 1870 U.S. census, Franklin Co., Mo., pop. sch., Boeuf Twp., p. 33, dwell. 509, fam. 466, Sarah Crouse household; NARA microfilm M593, roll 775. ↩
20. 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar Twp., p. 36, dwell. 288, fam. 259, John Crouse household; NARA microfilm M653, roll 607. Other women named Sarah Crouse in Missouri in 1860, 1870, and 1880, were too young or too old for Florence’s mother. No Sarah “Kraus” entries were indexed in Missouri for 1860, 1870, and 1880. ↩
21. Multiple John Krauses appear in 1860, 1870, and 1880 Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org census indexes, but none had a wife Sarah. 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Caldwell Co., Mo., p. 187, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household; NARA microfilm M43, roll 393. In this census Sarah is forty-six years old, likely an error for twenty-six. ↩
22. 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Caldwell Co., Mo., p. 187, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household; NARA microfilm M43, roll 393. In this census Sarah is forty-six years old, likely an error for twenty-six. ↩
23. 1840 U.S. census, pop. sch., Caldwell Co., Mo., p. 180, John Crouse household; NARA microfilm M704, roll 221. ↩
24. Mathias Crouse, Application for Letters of Administration, 3 July 1865, in Caldwell County, Mo., John Crouse estate file; Circuit Clerk, Kingston, Mo. Also, Barton Co., Probate Record A:2, public administration, 12 January 1866; Circuit Clerk, Lamar, Mo.; FHL microfilm 932,496. ↩
25. No entry for John, Sarah, or their children appears in General Index to Pension Files, 1861–1934, microfilm publication T288, 544 rolls (Washington, D.C.: National Archives, n.d.), roll 105. Also, Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, microfilm publication T289, 765 rolls (Washington, D.C.: National Archives, n.d.), roll 270. ↩
26. Service Card, John Crouse, private, Co. H, 38th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia; Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; digital image, “Soldiers’ Records: War of 1812–World War I,” Missouri Digital Heritage (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/). ↩
27. Record and Pension Office, Organization and Status of Missouri Troops (Union and Confederate) In Service During the Civil War (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902), 81. For a history of the Enrolled Missouri Militia, see James A. Hamilton, “The Enrolled Missouri Militia: Its Creation and Controversial History,” Missouri Historical Review 69 (July 1975): 413–32. ↩
28. 1850 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., p. 187, John Crouse household. ↩
29. Caldwell Co., Mo., John Crouse estate, Application for Letters of Administration, 3 July 1865. ↩
30. Caldwell Co., Mo., Probate Court Record A:435. ↩
31. Ibid., A:558. ↩
32. Caldwell Co., Mo., John Crouse estate, Final Statement, recorded 6 September 1869. ↩
33. Barton Co., Mo., Probate Record. A:13–14, 24, 29–30, 51, 63, and 379 (settlement). ↩
34. Barton Co., Index to Circuit Court Records A (1866–1884); Circuit Clerk; FHL microfilm 932,494. Also, Barton Co., Index to Probate Records A; Circuit Clerk; FHL microfilm 932,498. Searches were made for John, his wife, and his children under the names Crouse, Kraus, Hunter, Johnson, Miller, and Greenstreet. No searches were made for more extended family. ↩
35. Barton Co., Probate Record A:355 (claim by Henry Murphy) and A:357 (claim dismissed). ↩
36. Barton Co., Deed Book E:111–12, Crouse to Murphy; Recorder of Deeds, Lamar; FHL microfilm 941,974. ↩
37. Ibid., E:110-11. ↩
38. “Brown Cemetery, Caldwell Co., MO,” USGenWeb (http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/caldwell/cemeteries/brown.txt), Hannah C. Miller gravestone transcription. ↩
39. 1850 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., p. 187, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. Also, 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar Twp., p. 36, dwell. 288, fam. 259, John Crouse household. ↩
40. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death, 1916, no. 14930, John C. Crouse, filed 11 April 1916; digital image, “Missouri Death Certificates, 1910–1961,” Missouri Digital Heritage
(http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/). ↩
41. The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri (Saint Louis: State Superintendent, 1835), p. 620, § 30, “Wills,” and p. 223, §1–2 “Descents and Distributions.” ↩
42. “Oak Shade Items,” Crawford Mirror, Steelville, Mo., 1 August 1895, page 8, col. 3. ↩
43. Crawford Co., Mo., Inverted Index to Deeds, A–Z; Recorder of Deeds, Kingston; FHL microfilm 914,152. Also, Crawford Co., Probate Case File Index; Circuit Clerk, Kingston; Missouri State Archives (MSA) microfilm C21315. Also, ibid., Probate Record Index B; MSA microfilm C21314. Searches were made for Sarah M. Crouse, Florence Crouse, and Florence Nelson. ↩
44. Ripley Co., Record of Marriages 1–3; Circuit Clerk, Versailles; FHL microfilm 1,311,944. All three volumes were searched for Crouse entries. ↩
45. History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri . . . (St. Louis: National Historical Company, 1886), 170. The Caldwell County courthouse burned in 1860. ↩
46. Three marriage databases were searched for John Crouse and Sarah Stewart. Each had content deficiencies, but a hand search was impractical. “Missouri Marriage Records, 1805–2002,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com). “Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900,” database, Illinois State Archives (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com). “Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800–1941,” database, Ancestry.com. ↩
47. “Brown Cemetery, Caldwell Co., MO,” USGenWeb (http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/caldwell/cemeteries/brown.txt), Hannah C. Miller gravestone transcription. Also, “Obituary,” Hamiltonian, Hamilton, Mo., 26 April 1901, page 1, col. 5. Also, Find A Grave, memorial 19,218,912, “Mary Ann Douglas,” Prairie Ridge Cemetery (Caldwell Co., Mo.), digital image of Mary Ann Douglas gravestone by J. Wm. Marshall; 4 May 2007. Also, Helen Kimmel, transcriber, “Delhi Cemetery, Crawford County, Missouri,” USGenWeb (http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/crawford/cemeteries/delhi.txt), for Phelipia Johnson. ↩
48. 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar Twp., p. 36, dwell. 288, fam. 259, John Crouse household. 1870 U.S. census, Franklin Co., Mo., pop. sch., Boeuf Twp., p. 33, dwell. 509, fam. 466, Sarah Crouse household. 1880 U.S. census, Crawford Co., Mo., pop. sch., Benton Twp., ED 52, p. 14C, dwell. 124, fam. 130, Sarah M. Crouse household. 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Caldwell Co., Missouri, p. 187, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. In this census Sarah is erroneously listed as forty-six years old. ↩
49. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death, 1916, no. 35121, George William Crouse, filed 10 October 1916; and 1925, no. 38053, Emeline Crouse, filed 9 January 1925. Also, 1850 U.S. census, pop. sch., Caldwell Co., Mo., p. 187, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. ↩
50. History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri. This book was searched at Internet Archive.org, using its optical-character-recognition search feature. Also History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and Gasconade Counties, Missouri . . . (Chicago: Goodspeed, 1888). Also, The History of Jasper County, Missouri . . . (Des Moines: Mills, 1883). Also, History of Newton, Lawrence, Barry and McDonald Counties, Missouri . . . (Chicago: Goodspeed, 1888). ↩
51. No estates were filed for John C., Emeline, or Daniel Crouse. See Jasper Co., Mo., Estates Index, 1914–1950; Circuit Clerk, Carthage. No estate was filed for Sarah Margaret (Crouse) Greenstreet. See Franklin County Probate Index (Washington, Mo.: Four Rivers Genealogical Society, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,424,507. No estate was filed for George William Crouse. See Newton Co., Mo., General Index to Probate Records; Circuit Clerk, Neosho; FHL microfilm 929,810. ↩
52. Cherokee Co., Kans., Probate Files, filed alphabetically; Cherokee Co., Kansas Genealogical-Historical Society, Inc., Columbus, Kansas. ↩
53. Caldwell Co., Mo., Final Settlements. I:47; Circuit Clerk, Kingston; FHL microfilm 2,437,732. ↩
54. Ibid., J:40. Mary’s three children—James M. Douglass, Arnot J. Douglass, and Mary E. Hunter—lived with her in 1880. See 1880 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., Rockford Twp., ED 192, p. 419B, dwell. 89, fam. 92, Arnot P. Douglass household; NARA microfilm T9, roll 677. No estate was filed for Phillipa Johnson, another child of John’s by his previous wife. See Crawford Co., Probate Case File Index. ↩
55. “Obituary [of Mathias Crouse],” Hamiltonian, 26 April 1901, page 1, col. 5. Also, “Mrs. Mary Douglas,” Farmer’s Advocate, Hamilton, Mo., 16 January 1908, page 5, col. 8. Obituary searches for a third sibling, Phillipa (Crouse) Johnson, were not undertaken because her exact death date is not established. ↩
56. For George, see, Jill Hartke, research specialist, State Historical Society of Missouri, to author; e-mail 20 July 2012. No obituary was found in Neosho Daily Democrat, 3 and 11 September 1916; Neosho Miner and Mechanic, 7, 14, and 21 September 1916; Neosho Times, 8, 15, and 22 September 1916. For Daniel, see Marilyn Schmitt, president, Cherokee Co., Kans., Genealogical-Historical Society, Inc., to author, e-mail, 18 January 2013. No obituary was found in Galena Times-Republican, 3 and 10 July 1938. Also, Lauren Leeman, Reference Specialist, State Historical Society of Missouri, to author, e-mail, 23 January 2013. No obituary was found in Jasper Co., Mo., newspapers: Carthage Democrat, 28–30 June 1938; Jasper County News, 30 June and 7 July 1938; Joplin Globe, 27–29 June 1938; and Sarcoxie Record, 30 June and 7 July 1938. ↩
57. “Crouse,” Joplin Globe, 28 March 1916, page 9, col. 4. ↩
58. “Mrs. J. S. Greenstreet Dead,” New Haven Leader, New Haven, Mo., 7 May 1915, page 5, col. 4. ↩
59. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death no. 38053, Emeline Crouse, filed 9 January 1925. ↩
60. “Deaths,” Daily Sentinel, Webb City, Mo., 9 January 1925, page 3, col. 4. ↩
61. Ripley Co., Complete Probate Order Book A:119, William and Margaret Stewart estate. ↩
62. History of Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland Counties, Indiana, from their Earliest Settlement, 922–23. ↩
63. Find A Grave, memorial 36,883,211, “Joseph A. Stewart,” Pueblo Pioneer Cemetery (Pueblo, Co.), digital image of Joseph A. Stewart gravestone by Cindy; 8 May 2009. Also, “Died [Joseph Stewart],” Pueblo Chieftain, 24 May 1900, page 8, col. 4. Also, “Pioneer Pueblo Woman is Dead (Mrs. Mary A. Stewart),” Pueblo Cheiftain, 26 January 1918, page 4, col. 5. Also, 1880 U.S. census, Jefferson Co., Ind., pop. sch., Lancaster Twp., ED 119, p. 36D, dwell./fam. 190, Joseph Steuart household; NARA microfilm T9, roll 287. ↩
64. Ohio Co., Ind., Marriage Records 1:78, Stewart-Clark; Recorder of Deeds, Rising Sun; FHL microfilm 1,311,849. ↩
65. Jefferson Co., Ind., Marriage Records, Book 1861–1865:114, Stewart-Fisher; Recorder of Deeds, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,310,210. ↩
66. “Oak Shade Items,” Crawford Mirror, 1 August 1895, page 8, col. 3. ↩
67. History of Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland Counties, Indiana, 922–23. ↩
68. Ohio Co., Record of Return of Deaths, Book 1882–1910, 1909 deaths, record 9, Jesse W. Stewart; Health Department, Rising Sun; FHL microfilm 1,311,820. ↩
69. Ohio Co., Marriage Records 1:62, Stewart-Hastings. ↩
70. “John Stewart, Dead,” Vevay Reveille, 6 February 1908, page 4, col. 3. ↩
71. Switzerland Co., Marriage Record 1849–1858, p. 436, Stewart-Cooper. ↩
72. D. R. Dorrell, Ohio County Families 1900’s (privately published, 1993), 104. Ezra Stewart Hastings, grandson of Maria, reported Maria’s birth and death dates to Dorrell. ↩
73. Ohio Co., Marriage Records 1:47, Hastings-Stewart. ↩
74. 1850 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., p. 187v, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. ↩
75. Julia does not appear in the 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar Twp., p. 36, dwell. 288, fam. 259, John Crouse household. ↩
76. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death no. 35121, George William Crouse, filed 10 October 1916. ↩
77. Lawrence Co., Mo., Marriage Record ABC: 481, Crouse-McCall; Recorder of Deeds, Mount Vernon; FHL microfilm 930,949. ↩
78. 1850 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., p. 187v, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. ↩
79. Emanuel does not appear in 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar Twp., p. 36, dwell. 288, fam. 259, John Crouse household. ↩
80. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death no. 38053, Emeline Crouse, filed 9 January 1925. ↩
81. 1850 U.S. census, Caldwell Co., Mo., pop. sch., p. 187v, dwell./fam. 256, John Crouse household. ↩
82. “Mrs. J. S. Greenstreet Dead,” New Haven Leader, 7 May 1915, page 5, col. 4. Sarah’s obituary and death certificate conflict over her birthplace. The obituary’s narrative of Sarah’s birth in Caldwell County and later move to Barton County is more convincing than the death certificate’s claim of birth in Barton County. Destruction of both courthouses in the 1860s makes it difficult to prove exactly when the family moved. ↩
83. Crawford Co., Marriage Record C: 216, Greenstreet-Crouse; Recorder of Deeds, Steelville; FHL microfi lm 914,148. ↩
84. Weaver Cemetery (Jasper Co., Mo.), Daniel Crouse gravestone; digital image, Tricia Hembree Guarino, “Daniel Crouse,” memorial 59,244,718, Find A Grave. Also, Kansas Office of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, 1938, no. 311-678, Daniel Crouse, filed 2 June 1938. ↩
85. Indiana, Certificate of Death no. 6666, Florence Nelson, Elkhart Co., filed 14 February 1942. ↩
86. Switzerland Co., Marriage Records 4:454, Nelson-Crouse. ↩
87. Missouri Division of Health, Certificate of Death, no. 14930, John C. Crouse, filed 11 April 1916. ↩
88. Crawford Co., Marriage Record F: 136, Crouse-Eaton; FHL microfilm 914,149. ↩
89. “Brown Cemetery,” Hannah C. Miller gravestone transcription. ↩
90. Ibid., John Miller gravestone transcription. ↩
91. “Obituary [of Mathias Crouse],” Hamiltonian, 26 April 1901, page 1, col. 5. ↩
92. Prairie Ridge Cemetery, Mary Ann Douglas gravestone. ↩
93. “Mrs. Mary Douglas,” Farmer’s Advocate, Hamilton, Mo., 16 January 1908, page 5, col. 8. This identifies her husband as “Hirman,” but legal records clearly show “Harmon.” For example, see Barton Co., Deed Book E: 111–12, Crouse to Murphy. ↩
94. Caldwell Co., Marriage Record. B:74, Douglass-Hunter; Recorder of Deeds, Kingston; FHL microfilm 955,371. ↩
95. Kimmel, transcriber, “Delhi Cemetery,” for Phelipia Johnson. Also, 1900 U.S. census, Crawford Co., Mo., pop. sch., Benton Twp., ED 1, p. 13A, dwell. 250, fam. 255, John W. Johnson household; NARA microfilm T623, roll 851. ↩
96. 1860 U.S. census, Barton Co., Mo., pop. sch., Lamar, p. 36, Philipi Johnson. Also, Barton Co., Deed Book E: 111–12, Crouse, to Murphy. ↩