Wakefield and Davis families in Brookville, IN in late 1810s

I knew that the Davis and Wakefield families were close but it never really occurred to me how close they could or would be. In the miscellaneous records for Franklin County, Indiana found at the LDS Genealogy Library the following was found:

 

The Wakefields were living with the Davis family on Market Street in Brookville. The families did not stay here long as they moved to Bartholomew County, Indiana and then to Tennessee. Not surprisingly, the Wakefields and Davis family are found living next door to each other in the 1830 census in Tennessee.

Meeting the Parks

It is a small world. While at the Burke County Library doing research (in 2008), I was fortunate to run into some fellow Wakefield descendents and researchers. Barbara Parks and her husband, Dr. James Parks, a former resident of Burke County, were back in town to do research on the Wakefield and Parks families. Quite a coincidence that we were both there at the same time and were able to share information.

Barbara and James have completed a tremendous amount of research on the Parks family and families associated with the Parks. In the hills of Burke County, the Parks family and the Wakefields are very closely related with generations after generations of cousins marrying one another going back to the 1700s. Barbara’s research on the Parks and Wakefields can be found on her husband’s Dr. James Parks’s website.

 

 

It was quite a surreal experience seeing Wakefield material they shared with me include content from this site. Barbara and James, I hope we are able to meet sometime in the near future to get to know each other better and share information on our families.

Old Bethal Cemetery Near Hanover, IN

This cemetery is the resting place for several family members. Buried here include:

Bruther, Bertha
Bruther, Caleb
Bruther, Charles
Bruther, Charles E.
Bruther, Dave
Bruther, Elizabeth
Bruther, Ella
Bruther, Emily (Burgtal – Caleb’s wife)
Bruther, Eva
Bruther, Jesse F.
Bruther, M. Frances
Bruther, Omer
Bruther, W. W.
Turner, Mattie M. (Omer’s Wife)
Wakefield, Loretta
Wakefield, Willard Totten

For a complete list of individuals buried at Old Bethal Cemetery:
Old Bethal Cemetery Records

 

 

Obituary of Elizabeth Ann (Boggs) Wakefield

This is Elizabeth Ann (Boggs) Wakefield’s obituary. Annie was born February 5, 1866 in Warsaw, Kentucky. She died on November 26, 1936.

 

Wakefield Boggs Wedding Announcement

This is the wedding announcement of Isaac Faries Wakefield and Elizabeth Ann ‘Annie’ Boggs. They were married on October 27, 1892 in Switzerland County, Indiana. This was Isaac’s second marriage.

 

Birth Certificate of Willard Totten Wakefield

The following birth certificate, record #757, was located in the Madison, Indiana’s Record Of Births, Jan 1897 to June 1905.

Date Of Birth: March 16, 1903 (Released March 31, 1903)
Place Of Birth: Madison, Indiana

Father: I. Wakefield, age 42, Farmer
Place of Birth is Craig, Indiana

Mother: Anna Boggs, age 38
Place of Birth is Warsaw, Kentucky
Residence is City (Madison)
# of children of this mother: 6

Post Office is Madison

Obituary of Elizabeth Ann (Jones) Wakefield

This article is from the Thursday, December 5, 1895 edition of the Vevay Reveille.

Elizabeth Ann (Jones) Wakefield was born on March 6, 1811 in Ohio, died, according to this article, on November 23, 1895, and was the wife of James Wakefield. Eliza passed away at the home of her daughter, Evaline A. Wakefield and, son-in-law, Isaac F. Banta.

 

Abraham Lincoln and John Wakefield, BFFs?

Hon. W.H.T. Wakefield

Mr. Wakefield, our first witness, is a son of the distinguished jurist, Judge J.A. Wakefield. He is a prominent journalist, and was the nominee of the United Labor party, for Vice-President, in the Presidential contest of 1888. In a letter to the author, dated Lawrence, Kan., Sept. 28, 1880, Mr. Wakefield says:

“My father, the late Judge J.A. Wakefield, was a life-long friend of Lincoln’s, they having served through the Black Hawk war together and been in the Illinois Legislature together, during which latter time Lincoln boarded with my father in Vandalia, which was then the state capital. I remember of his visiting my father at Galena, in 1844 or 1845. They continued to correspond until Lincoln’s death.

“My father was a member of the Methodist church and frequently spoke of and lamented Lincoln’s Infidelity, and refereed to the many arguments between them on the subject.

“The noted minister, Peter Cartwright, boarded with my father at the same time that Lincoln did, and my farther and mother told me of the many theological and philosophical arguments indulged in by Lincoln and Cartwright, and of the fact that they always attracted many interested listeners and usually ended by Cartwright’s getting very angry and the spectators being convulsed with laughter at Lincoln’s dry wit and humorous Comparisons.”

Lincoln’s legislative career at Vandalia extended from 1834 to 1837. It was about the beginning of this period that he wrote his book against Christianity. He was thoroughly informed and enthusiastic in his Infidel views, and it is not to be wondered at that on theological questions, he was able to vanquish in debate even so eminent a theologian as Peter Cartwright. Ten years later, Lincoln was the Whig, and Cartwright the Democratic candidate for Congress. In this campaign a determined effort was made by the church to defeat Lincoln on account of his Infidelity. But his popularity, his reputation for honesty, his recognized ability, and his transcendent powers on the stump, carried him successfully through, and he was triumphantly elected.

Bruther Reunion (1983) in Madison, Indiana

From 8-25-1983 Madison, Indiana newspaper.

Bruther Reunion held at family farm

The Bruther family reunion was held last Sunday, Aug 21, at the shelter house on the Bill and Lee Bruther farm, with a lavish pitch-in dinner enjoyed.

Gifts were later presented to the person traveling the greatest distance, Mrs. Thomas Bruther, Fort Myers, Fla., whose husband died this past April 22, the oldest one present, William J. Means, 86, Seymour, and the youngest, Chad Watson, three months, two days.

Those attending from Hanover area were Gordon Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Smythe, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Bruther and Gene, Mr. and Mrs. William Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Danny Bruther, Jimmy, Jeremy and Jerrod, Mr. and Mrs. David Bruther, Tonia and Mike, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Webster, Lori and Andy, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Bruther, Kristie and Kendra, Mrs. Delinda Barber, Keveie and Carrie, Tony Monroe and Stephanie James, Mrs. Nancy Bruther, Rev. and Mrs. Ron Bruther, Dana and Stephanie, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Jackson and Rachel, J. C. Clem, William Douglas Bruther and Julie Brown, Jimmy Bruther and Sheryl Vaught, Josh and Aaron, Todd Bruther, Gary Hamilton and Vicky Shirmer.

Madison area residents present were Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Alva Vestal, John Vestal and Robert Vestal, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Liter and Brian, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Watson, Angie and Chad, Mr. and Mrs. John Steinhardt and Christy, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cline, Joshua, Marie and Joseph.

Present from other locations in Indiana in addition to Mr. Means were: Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Murphy, David Terry and David and Mary Chasteen, Seymour; Mrs. Dorothy Griffith, Ernest Bruther, Deputy; Mr. and Mrs. Cecil J. Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Pollard, and Miss Peggy Bruther, Indianapolis; Mr. and Mrs. Millis Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kloepfer, Amber and Kirstie, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Wooten, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Wilson, Heather, Bob, Jessica, and Amanda, Mr. and Mrs. Louie Bruther, Mrs. Phyllis Ponder, Lori and Tray, Jay Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Gassert, Amy and Lance, Tracey Wyne and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clark, all of the Lexington area.

Attending from other states in addition to Mrs. Thomas (Isabelle) Bruther, were Mr. and Mrs. Woodie Bruther and Tina, Bedford, Ky.

Index:
Barber, Carrie
Barber, Keveie
Barber, Mrs. Delinda
Brown, Julie
Bruther, Dana
Bruther, Ernest
Bruther, Gordon
Bruther, Gene
Bruther, Jimmy
Bruther, Jimmy
Bruther, Jeremy
Bruther, Jerrod
Bruther, Kendra
Bruther, Kristie
Bruther, Mike
Bruther, Miss Peggy
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil J.
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Danny
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. David
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Delbert
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Donnie
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Louie
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. William
Bruther, Mr. and Mrs. Woodie
Bruther, Mrs. Nancy
Bruther, Mrs. Thomas (Isabella)
Bruther, Rev. and Mrs. Ron
Bruther, Stephanie
Bruther, Tina
Bruther, Todd
Bruther, Tonia
Bruther, William Douglas
Chasteen, Mary
Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Clem, J.C.
Cline, Joseph
Cline, Joshua
Cline, Marie
Cline, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Gassert, Amy
Gassert, Lance
Gassert, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Griffith, Mrs. Dorothy
Hamilton, Gary
Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry
Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Millis
Jackson, Rachel
James, Stephanie
Kloepfer, Amber
Kloepfer, Kirstie
Kloepfer, Mrs. Steve
Liter, Brian
Liter, Mr. and Mrs. Steve
Lynch, Jay
Means, William J.
Monroe, Tony
Murphy, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
Pollard, Mrs. Ted
Ponder, Lori
Ponder, Mrs. Phyllis
Ponder, Tray
Shirmer, Vicky
Smythe, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy
Steinhardt, Christy
Steinhardt, Mr. and Mrs. John
Terry, David
Vaught, Aaron
Vaught, Josh
Vaught, Sheryl
Vestal, John
Vestal, Mrs. Alva
Vestal, Robert
Watson, Angie
Watson, Chad
Watson, Mr. and Mrs. Keith
Webster, Andy
Webster, Lori
Webster, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce
Wilson, Amanda
Wilson, Bob
Wilson, Heather
Wilson, Jessica
Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Roy
Wooten, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard
Wyne, Tracey

Wakefield’s Temple of Health

Near the Abbeville-Anderson County Line is a home that was once known as the Temple of Health. In the South Fork of the Waken – Fields: A History of the Southern Families of Wakefields who descended from Thomas Wakefield who came to America in 1635 by Wayne E. Wakefield there is a reference to an article by Louise G. Ervin that appeared in South Carolina’s historical magazine “The Sand Piper” in September, 1970. The house was owned by the Wakefields in the 1800s and possibly in the late 1700s as well. If the Wakefields owned the house in the late 1700s I believe it probably would have been the home of Abel Wakefield and Mary Anne Bronson as Abel and Mary were the grandparents of Conrad Wakefield who was supposed to have sold the house to Frank Clinkscales in the late 1800s. The following four pages are from the Waken-Fields book:

 

 

 

 

 

According to the article, Frank Clinkscales sold the property to the Gables family in 1904. A 1890s map of Abbeville County shows F. C. Clinkscales as the owner of The Temple of Health with Wakefields, Norris, Bowen, Hall, and McAdams families close by.

The house is located at the following coordinates (34 19′ 8.11″ N 82 32′ 13.17″ W) and can be seen in the following satellite images and map: