Weston Wagons West - Ep. J20 - The Fourth Decade of the Kinnick family in Bureau County, Illinois

Everett and Hannah Weston had daughter, Allison, born in April of 1875. In 1877, Susan Kinnick affiliated with the United Brethern Church. Fanny Alice Kinnick was born to Walter and Mary in Buda, in March of 1878. Another son, their sixth, was born to John and Catharine Fletcher, Frank William, in early December of 1878. In December of 1879, Fanny Susan, Susan Kinnick's youngest daughter, married William Eugene (he went by Gene) Lyon. The Lyons moved to Ness county, Kansas, in 1882, and located on a homestead south of Utica, where they lived the rest of their lives. Their only son, Harry, was born in March of 1887. He only lived for seven years, six months and ten days. He died 15 Sep 1894. He was the first person to be buried in the Utica Cemetery. In April of 1880, Susan's other grand-daughter living with her, Mary A. Harrison, became ill, and died.

While her children, and two wards, were now all gone, Susan was not alone. She was living with her son, Jacob, and his wife, Fannie. Also resident in the household in June 1880, when the census taker stopped by, were Fannie's mother, Susan Fletcher, age 82, and a 16-year-old niece of Jacob, Lovina Weeden, going to school. Susan Kinnick was listed as age 71, Jacob, age 34, and Fannie, age 40. Later in 1880, in November, Walter and Mary Kinnick had a son, John. He only lived a few days past his first birthday. John and Catherine Fletcher became parents of their fourth daughter, Nellie E. Fletcher, in December of 1880, bringing their total number of children in the home to ten.

Maggie and Jacob Weise gave Susan another grandson, Roy Weise, in August of 1881. In May of 1883, John and Catherine Fletcher also provided another grandson, Clark Eugene Fletcher. Susan (Schwyhart) Kinnick passes away on 27 Sep 1884, at 75 years, 4 months, and 25 days. She was buried beside her husband, Walter W., at Forest Hill Cemetery, in Wyanet, Bureau County, Illinois. She was survived by three sons (Joseph, Walter, and Jacob) and four daughters (Sarah Ann, Catharine, Maggie, and Fanny), and numerous grandchildren.

Jasper Weston reached 58 years of age in 1884, with two sons still affiliated with his business: Everett, age 35 and Marcus, age 33. Among them, they knew that Marcus would continue the practice that Jasper had begun and grown in Bureau County. They also agreed, that when the right opportunity came along, Everett, and his son, Sherman, now age 12, would be setting out on their own. They continued to work together well, to serve their customers, and raise their horses, but they also could feel a split approaching.

Over the winter of 1886-87, John Fletcher began to plan a move to Crawfordsville, in Washington County, in southeastern Iowa. He learned of desirable land that was available, and decided to make the move, with his wife and eleven children. However, a part of their decision to move was to leave 13-year-old son, Ora Layton Fletcher, to live and work with his uncle, Jacob Kinnick. This ended up being an excellent decision as Ora flourished in this farming and personal opportunity.

This was also the opportunity that Everett Weston and his family sought, as well. As was the case when Joseph Kinnick moved, they ended up with a wagon train of six wagons and four families who made the move together in the Spring of 1887. It was learned later, that the Fletchers had one more daughter born in December of 1887, at their new farm, near Crawfordsville. They named her Grace A. Fletcher.

Walter and Mary Kinnick had two more daughters in the years shortly after their grandmother had died. Mary Etta (they called her Etta) was born in May of 1885, and Gracie Irene was born in October of 1887. In the spring of 1888, their son, Alonzo, had completed high school and went on a trip to Adair County, Iowa, with his maternal uncle, Alfred O. Van Aken (married to his mother's sister, Rachel Simmons). Neither of them returned to Illinois.

The first family wedding was in January 1891, when Maggie married Lee Brewer. They continued to make their home in Buda. They had no children. In January of 1894, Emma married Will Carper. They also continued to live in Buda, as well. They had no children. In June of 1895, Katie married Levi Hamrick, in Buda. Joseph Erastus lived until 1925, never married, and had no children. George Walter lived until 1942, never married, and had no children.

Daughter, Fanny Alice, in May of 1894, at age 16, became ill, and died in the family home in Buda. Ira, Etta and Gracie each eventually married, but after the turn of the century.

In Iowa, Alonzo Palmer Kinnick met the daughter of a stone mason in Coon Rapids, Carroll County, Margaret Jeanette Williams (they called her Nettie). They were married in July of 1891, in her parents' home in Coon Rapids. They farmed near Coon Rapids, less than 25 miles from the place of his birth. Their first son, Paul Harold Kinnick, was born there in August of 1892. A daughter, Helen Lucile, followed in March of 1894, and a son, Robert Haydn, in March of 1896. After the turn of the century, Mary Gertrude was born in October of 1902 and Lillian Roberta was born in May of 1908, to complete the family of five children. (Paul Harold Kinnick is the grandfather of the author.) Back in Buda, the mother (and grandmother), Mary (Simmons) KInnick died in the home of Will Carper, her son-in-law, in Buda, in January of 1909. Walter Watson Kinnick lived until March of 1919. He had continued to live in Buda.

All members of the Weston family are fictional, of course. Each Kinnick, Fletcher, Richmond, Harrison, Lyon, Simmons, Brewer, Hamrick, Van Aken, Williams, Carper, Schwyhart, Weise, and Hornsby and were historical figures, but were used here fictitiously. The relationship between the Kinnick and Weston families therefore were created fictionally for this story. These families (and the families related by marriage) were historical, but the details of their birth dates and early lives are filled in fictionally. They each played key roles in the life of Walter Watson Kinnick, a 2nd great-grandfather of the author, Alonzo Palmer Kinnick, his great-grandfather, and Paul Harold Kinnick, his grandfather. Each of the relationships within which these historical figures appear in these episodes is totally consistent with known historical facts for each such person in the official records of the State of Iowa and Illinois.

Also relied on was continuing family history research as this is a direct line ancestry of the author, of course.