Brown Family Research - Paternal Ancestors - Segment 2

 

Willie Albert Brown and Cliffie Delilah Ferguson

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Early Days

Willie Albert Brown was the first of seven children born to Oliver Martin and Harriett Elizabeth Wilson Brown. Oliver and Harriett (Lizzie) had married on March 2, 1890. The location is uncertain, though oral tradition places the event in southern IN. Shortly after the ceremony, the young couple, Lizzie’s parents (Joseph and is second wife, Nancy), and other members of the family moved from southern IN to Breckinridge Co., KY. Tradition attributes this decision to relocate to a desire to "follow the timber".

Breckinridge Co. was the home to vast stands of virgin timber. One rich area was along the banks of Daniels Creek in the valley (“glen”) first settled by Summers Dean. Dean was a native of Mercer Co., KY, born in 1800 on April Fool’s Day. In 1891 the railroad came to the sleepy valley and the town of Glendean (now Glen Dean) began to blossom. The attraction was access to the lumber. Soon, the Dean Tie Company began to harvest the lumber. Some was shipped ‘raw’ while other logs were hewn by hand to make railroad ties. The Company shipped an average of 1,400 train carloads of lumber and ties annually.[1] It was in Glendean that the Browns and Wilsons settled and found work. It was also there that Willie Albert was born on December 21, 1890.

When the trees were depleted in Glendean, the families moved southward, finally settling in the Cromwell community in Ohio Co., KY sometime before 1900. During the Glendean years, Willie completed the 6^th grade, the only schooling he would have.

Cliffie Delilah Ferguson was born June 24, 1895, in Ohio Co., KY. She was the ___ child and __ girl born to James Alexander and Virginia Brownlowe Reynolds Ferguson. Cliffie would complete only the first eight grades.

Marriage and Family

Willie and Cliffie were married on August 4, 1912. He was 21, and the bride was just shy of her 17^th birthday. The gray-eyed, brown-haired, 5’7” Willie towered over the 4’11” Cliffie. Cliffie would later recall that she weighed but 98 pounds when they married.

The following year, on November 12^th, their first child, Ruby Sherril, was born.[2] Ruby Sherril would be known to family and friends as Shirley. Almost two years would pass before the next daughter, Annie Glendean was born on October 16, 1915.[3] Young Annie would live but three months. In January of 1916, she was discovered dead in her bed.

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[1] Breckenridge County historical website http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/breckinridge/towns/glendean.html

[2] Ruby Sherril was born on November 12, 1913, in Ohio Co, KY. She died on July 12, 2002. She was buried in the Cool Springs Baptist Church, Cemetery, Cool Springs, KY (Ohio Co.).

[3] Annie (or Anna) Glendean Brown was born in Ohio Co., KY, October 16, 1915. She died in Ohio Co., KY, January 16, 1916. Her death certificate is number 31736, volume 64, death volume 16. Her middle name was derived from the town, Glen Dean, in Breckenridge Co., KY where Willie Albert was born. She was buried in the Dennis Cemetery in Ohio Co. 

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In June of 1917, Willie was required to register for the draft. He claimed exemption based on having a wife and one child. He was listed as having black hair and blue eyes, being of slender build with olive skin. As the War ended rather quickly after the US entered the conflict, the draft never reached Willie.

Cliffie next gave birth on October 1, 1919.[4] The oral history does not match the public records. The only thing known by the family was that Adril was born that day and said to have been a 10-pounder, an amazing birth weight for such a small mother. No public record of Adril’s birth from 1919 exists. This was confirmed by Adril’s story that his mom had to attest to his age when he went to enlist in the Army in early 1941. A KY birth record was finally created in 1976, perhaps with the onset of the first indications of his declining health. Adril’s name was chosen by Cliffie in memory of a grade school classmate who had died young. That first Adril had been a favorite of young Cliffie. The official records tell a twisted story. On the same day, a Maxie Brown was said to have been born to Cliffie Ferguson. Unfortunately, this was not discovered until the 2010s, long after that generation had passed. There are a couple of possible explanations. In the day before databases, ledger sheets were used to record births. A Clerk could have easily gotten off one line. The birth record should have belonged to Adril. This would explain why no record of Adril’s birth could be found in later years. Given Adril’s size (10+ pounds), there simply could not have been another child.[5]  

On May 7, 1922, Willie, Cliffie, Shirley and Adril would visit his dad and mom, Oliver and Lizzie.[6]

After a long gap, the couple’s last child, Willie Cebert, was born on August 31, 1925.[7] Cebert, as he was to be called, took his first name from his father. Shirley and Adril were quiet introverts, like Willie. Cebert, in contrast, never met a stranger, young or old. His outgoing personality was much more like Cliffie’s. Cebert was beloved by nieces and nephews for his jokes and antics as much as Shirley and Adril were beloved for their calmness.

Like many men in Ohio Co., Wille Albert made a living as both a farmer and an underground coal miner. After living in the Prentiss community for a few years in a small, clapboard-covered log home with a dirt floor, the couple bought a 38-acre farm in Cool Springs on Rochester Road.[8] The main house had a living room, kitchen, and bedroom on the main floor and an unfinished attic. As the family grew, a bedroom was added to the back of the house. With money scarce and materials expensive, the spare room was built ‘just big enough’ with ceilings of just over six-and-a-half feet. Like most families of the area at that time, the Browns heated with coal.

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[4] Adril was born October 1, 1919, in Ohio Co., KY. He married Garnette Mae Simpson on June 1, 1946. Adril died on December 24, 1978, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Louisville, KY. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Louisville, KY. The KY Birth Index erroneously lists a Maxie Brown, born October 1, 1919, to Cliffie (in addition to Adril’s 1976 certificate), volume 21, certificate 10007.

[5] A copy of Maxie’s birth certificate, 10007, was obtained in June 2025. It did not clarify anything.

[6] It’s not clear why this visit was special enough to make the May 12, 1922, edition of the Hartford Republican.

[7] Cebert Willie was born August 31, 1925, in Ohio Co., KY (volume 61, certificate 30463). He died February 2, 1994, in Evansville, IN. His Social Security number was 403-36-0021.

[8] Ohio Co., KY Deed Book 70, page 241, WA Brown purchased 38 acres from Otis N. and Nora Rock. The farm would eventually be expanded to 53 acres. The house was on the east side of KY 369 less than a mile before its junction with Cool Springs Road. The house no longer stands.

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When the 1940 census was taken in April, the family was living in Cool Springs in the Rockport reporting precinct. Adril (20) was still at home. He and his younger brother, Cebert (14), were running the farm. Willie (49) was working as a rock crusher for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). His experience in the 1930s as an underground coal miner with the Highview Mining Company of Prentiss, KY, where he sometimes might have been paid with company scrip, as shown below.

Highview Coal Company Scrip

His coal mining experience would have made him well qualified for the WPA work.[9] In 1941, the 51-year-old Willie had to register for the draft. The Army noted that he was 5’8”, 160 lbs., with gray hair, gray eyes, and a ruddy complexion. His draft card noted that his WPA job was at Fort Knox in Hardin Co., KY, some 90 miles from Cool Springs. Willie never threw away his WPA Employee Identification Card. It was part of the treasure of two lifetimes discovered after Cliffie’s death. Willie had been WPA employee 2092-1865. His card was issued on March 10, 1941.[10] During the War, the WPA would assist in the construction of 3,000 new buildings and an airfield on the base to house and train the tens of thousands of new recruits who would begin Army life there. Such projects would have required enormous quantities of crushed stone.

By the mid to late 1950s, the living room of the Cool Springs home included a small black and white TV (Willie loved TV). The nearest stations were in Evansville and Louisville, so the Browns had an antenna with a rotator mounted on a tower adjacent to the house. Static in the picture was common and changing stations often meant swinging the antenna around to point at the proper city. The living room walls were hung with various paintings of Biblical settings, and the table tops invariably held a copy of the Bible and perhaps a church periodical.

There was no indoor plumbing. Needed water was drawn from a nearby well. Outbuildings included a smokehouse, corncrib/barn, chicken coop, two-seater outhouse, and garage. In addition to the many acres of corn, the Browns had a small vegetable garden and several fruit trees.

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[9] Highview Mining, owned by Ken Highview, operated at least two mines along the Prentiss Road. Mine #11 was above the cutoff to the Slaty Creek Cemetery. The other was well to the south near the Thoroughfare Stream crossing. The mines were both purchased by the Peabody Coal Company prior to the 1960s. Willie seems to have worked primarily in Mine #1. Both were underground mines at the time. Peabody seems to have converted them to surface mines. According to http://www.coaleducation.org/coalhistory/coaltowns/coalcamps/ohio_county.htm the company operated from 1931 to 1941 and had 68 employees. It is one of 26 ‘coal camps’ listed for Ohio Co. during the period. More examples of the company scrip can be seen at https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/prentiss-ky-coal-scrip-token-highview-4884658936

[10] His WPA Personnel Records were ordered August 29, 2025, from the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis, MO.

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One rather vivid memory is of a day when the men were all gone, and Cliffie was at the house with daughter-in-law Garnette and grandkids Dorothy and Kent. Somehow it was noticed that a snake was in one of the apple trees near where the kids had been playing. Cliffie retrieved a hoe, knocked the snake to the ground, and killed it (leaving the grandkids in awe).

The small white house lacked many things, but it had a nice front porch with a porch swing. There was always quiet competition among the grandkids to see who got to sit in between Willie and Cliffie. The front porch was famous for another reason. It was the setting for one of those family tales that grandchildren never tire of hearing. One evening, Cliffie was home alone (Willie being at the mines) when she heard the distinct sound of heavy footfalls on the porch. This was followed by something or someone trying to break the door down. Being fearless, she grabbed her shotgun and called out for the person or persons to stop and identify themselves. The stomping and crashing continued without a word of reply. Having already given fair warning, Cliffe shot through the door and heard a body fall to the porch floor with a heavy thud. After several unanswered calls, she peeked and saw a dead deer on the porch. It had become rabid and acted erratically. For many years thereafter, her brother-in-law would carefully approach the house. Still hundreds of feet from the house, he called out (in jest), “Don’t shoot Cliffie”.

Willie’s last car was a light-blue 1956 Ford. It was a used car, in perfect shape when bought in 1957.[11] In about the same timeframe, the children pooled their resources and bought their dad his first tractor. Up until then, he had done all the plowing with a mule.

Decline and Death

Willie Albert died in Ohio Co., KY on November 13, 1964.[12] He had been ill and was spending some time at his daughter’s (Shirley) home.[13] The family was watching TV together (one of Willie’s favorite pastimes). At the end of the program or at a commercial break, someone noticed that he had died peacefully. He had been suffering from congestive heart failure compounded by black lung. To a young person, Cliffie and Willie had been like a storybook couple that had grown old together but still very much in love. To witness her grief was awful, for her sense of loss was great. With maturity, we came to understand how blessed they had been regardless of Wars and a Depression.

End Notes and References

1. marriage license

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[11] The purchase date is an estimate based on very fuzzy memories. After Willie’s death, the car sat in the garage for several years and slowly decayed. In 1967, Adril ‘bought’ the vehicle from Cliffie (who did not drive) as a first car for his son, Kent. Kent has vivid memories from the late 1950s of sitting in the backseat of the car behind Willie as he drove Adril and Kent around the coal fields to see some of the huge coal shovels that had recently been introduced at the Peabody mines. Kent kept the car through college and his first few years in TN, adding another 200,000 miles to the odometer.

[12] Death certificate, W. A. Brown, Ohio Co., KY, volume 64, #26409, November 18, 1964. His death certificate incorrectly lists his birthplace as Glyndean, IN. Willie was born in Glendean, KY. Cebert, who provided the information, may not have clearly known or may have simply been under stress.

[13] Ohio Co. News, November 20, 1964, page 2. W. A. Brown, 73, Dies at Daughter's Home, Willie Albert Brown, 73, died at 10:15 pm, Friday, November 13 at the home of Mrs. Shirley Burris, Rt. 1, Beaver Dam. Mr. Brown was born December 21, 1890, in IN and was a son of the late Oliver and Elizabeth Wilson Brown. He was a member of the Cool Springs Baptist Church. He was married on August 4, 1912, to Miss Cliffie D. Ferguson, who survives.

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1. census records
2. Cliffie's Social Security Number was 403-70-2413
3. Willie’s Social Security Number was 400-03-9198, issued December 5, 1936
4. 1900 Ohio Co., KY census, Cromwell precinct, page 82. Oliver and Elizabeth have been married for 11 years and all their children are living. Oliver is listed as a teamster who has been unemployed for four off the last twelve months. Hattie can neither read nor write. The Brown's do not own their home but rent. The property is listed as a house rather than a farm.

·         Oliver, head, born 6/1868, age 31, born Ind., father born Ind., mother born IN

·         Hattie, wife, born 10/1873, age 26, born Ind., father born Ind., mother born IN

·         William, son, 12/1890, age 9, born KY, father born Ind., mother born IN

·         Carl, son, born 3/1896, age 4, born KY, father born Ind., mother born IN

·         Otto, son, born 6/1898, age 2, born KY, father born Ind., mother born IN

5. 1900 Ohio Co. KY census, page 76, Cromwell precinct. All indicate that they were born in KY and that their dads and moms were born in KY. James is a farmer; Arthur is a farm laborer. He owns his home and farm free and clear; their farm is number 198 on the farm schedule. The couple has been married 17 years, has had seven children, and five are still alive.

Name	Relationship	Birthdate	Age	Can Read	Can Write	In School
James A. Ferguson	head	Jan 1863	37	Yes	Yes
Jane B.	wife	Sept 1867	32	No	No
Viola	daughter	Feb 1885	15	Yes	Yes	yes
Oma	daughter	Sept 1886	13	Yes	Yes	yes
Arthur	son	April 1890	10	No	No	no
Cliffie	daughter	June 1895	4
Norma	daughter	Feb 1899	1

6. 1910 Ohio Co., KY census, page 88; the family rents its home, lives on a farm, all seven kids are living, and Oliver is self-employed.

·         Oliver, head, age 47, born Ind, father born?, mother born IN, cannot read

·         Lizzie, wife, age 36, born Ind, father born Ind, mother born IN, reads

·         Willie, son, age 20, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, reads

·         Carl, son, age 14, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, reads

·         Otto M., son, age 12, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, reads

·         Floy, daughter, age 8, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, cannot read

·         Willis T., son, age 6, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, cannot read

·         Iva, daughter, age 3, born KY, father born Ind, mother born IN, cannot read

·         Myrtle, daughter, age 3, months, born KY, father born IN, mother born Ind, cannot read

7. 1910 Ohio Co., KY census, page 85. They own their own house with no mortgage and have been married 26 years. Jennie has had 10 children, six are living. They live on Prentiss Road. All entrants list their place of birth as KY, their dad's place of birth as KY and their mom's place of birth as KY.

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Name

Age

Relationship

Occupation

James	47		farmer
Jennie B.	43	wife
Cliffie D.	14	daughter
William S.	7	son
Edney	6	daughter
Nealy Burden	57	farm hand	laborer
Lottie B.	9	daughter
Richard J.	3	son

1. 1920 Ohio Co., KY census, page 070, they rent, he farms.

Name	Age
William Brown	29
Cliffie	24
Shirley	6
Adril	5/12

2. 
   

 

Willie Albert and his first serious girlfriend, pre-1912

W. A. Brown, Circa 1955

Cliffie Delilah Ferguson Brown, daughter Ruby Sherril Brown Burris and Grandchildren

Wedding Photo - Willie Albert and Cliffie Brown

Willie Albert and Cliffie Brown (late 1950s)

Brown Family Research - Paternal Ancestors - Segment 6, Part 2

 

Samuel Brown and Sarah Francis Craven

Part 2

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While in the service, the poor sanitation and poor food brought on severe, persistent diarrhea. This led to the development of ‘piles’ (inflamed hemorrhoids). Mathias would suffer from these for the rest of his life.[57]

 

Robertson appeared before the Court as Administrator one last time in November 1875 to file his final report regarding Samuel’s estate. He noted that he had $185.14 on hand and that there were outstanding creditors owed $201.33. This left the estate owing him $16.19. With over a year having passed since Samuel’s death and no outstanding debts due to the estate, the Administrator was finally discharged by the Court, with the Clerk ordered to reimburse him the $16.19 on behalf of the estate.[58] Once again, Sarah did not immediately file applications for Pensions for herself and for her Minor children. As will be seen, she will take these actions but only just before her life was cut short. Perhaps she believed that her new marriage was going to bring such improvement to her financial health that the Pensions would be of no account. Perhaps she was simply overwhelmed by the responsibilities of so many children to raise, feed and clothe. We simply do not know.

 

At least three children were born to Mathias and Sarah. Their first was a daughter, Lana. She was born in 1876.[59]

John Robertson appeared before the Perry County Circuit Court during the May 1876 Term to provide a further report regarding his duties on behalf of the minor Franklin Nelson children. As the estate had been ‘distributed to his wards’ when he last appeared before the Court, Robertson continued to report disbursements on a child-by-child basis. George W.’s account began with a total of $123.10. Robertson had paid out $11.77, leaving a balance of $111.33. John H.’s account began with a total of $423.87. Robertson had paid out $48.21, leaving a balance of $375.66. Leonora’s account began with a total of $461.03. Robertson had paid out $69.74, leaving a balance of $391.29. The Court next noted that Mary F. had died. Robertson had filed a receipt from Mary’s mother, Sarah Nelson Brown, for $82.63, the money that would have been due to Mary.[60] 

On March 5, 1877, young Emily Brown, just 4-1/2 years old, died. A son of Mathias and Sarah, Lewis, arrived in 1878.[61] 

On May 28, 1878, Robertson returned to the Circuit Court to file an interim report regarding the Nelson children. First, Robertson noted that he had $122.05 on hand for the account of George W. He provided the Court a receipt from George for the full amount since, as he reported, George had come of age. Accordingly, Robertson asked the Court to be discharged from his Guardianship for this 

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[57] Mathias Beard’s record states, “Unassigned Company”. Microfilm M540, roll 5. The 33rd IN Infantry has a website (http://33rdindiana.org/). When mustering out, he received $35.85 for clothing. He is said to have been born in Adyeville in Perry County, IN (also in Clark Township) on August 25, 1832; however, his mustering out record says he was born in Spencer County, IN. He died on March 6, 1896, in Altoga, Dubois Co., IN. The color of Mathias’ hair is based on a note posted on Ancestry.com by his great-grandson, Roy Davis. The family preserved a lock of Mathias’ hair after his death. That memento has been passed down to Davis.

[58] Probate Order Book 3, page 304, Perry County IN, November 16, 1875. The Order Book for this final action has been overwritten by two notes regarding what seems to be minor additional settlements. The text is written at right angles to the original report and dated October 25, 1876. I have been unable to decipher the text and its full meaning.

[59] Lana Beard was born in 1876, in Perry Co., IN. Her husband died after 18 years of marriage. She was living in Butler Co., MO, in 1910.

[60] Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, May Term, 1876, page 343.

[61] Lewis Beard was born in 1878 in Perry Co., IN. I have been unable to find further mention of him.

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individual. He then reported having $389.74 on hand for the account of John H. Having made disbursements totaling $166.85, he was left with a new balance of $222.89. He then reported having $583.96 on hand for the account of Leonora. Having made disbursements totaling $80.81, Robertson was left with a new balance of $503.15. The court noted that the balances had risen to the point that Robertson’s original $1,000 bond was no longer sufficient for the case and directed him to secure a $1,500 bond. The matter was continued until the next report.[62] On August 26, 1878, Robertson appeared before the Perry Co. Circuit Court to report that he had secured the $1,500 bond as directed in order to remain in his role as Guardian for the Nelsons. The matter was continued until the next report.[63]

1880s

On May 6, 1880, Guardian Robertson appeared for the final time in his role on behalf of the Nelson children. On behalf of John Nelson, he reported that he had $236.26 on hand. As John had reached age 21, Robertson had paid John in full and asked for the relationship to be severed. He further reported that he had $534.33 in hand on behalf of Leonora Nelson. He reported that she had recently married William L. Kellems, who was above age 21. Accordingly, he had disbursed the money into their hands and provided a signed receipt for the Court. Having satisfied all directives of the Court on behalf of the Nelson children, the Guardianship was declared settled and stricken from the docket.[64] 

Then on May 1^st or 2^nd, 1881, the Beards had their last child, Robert.[65] Mathias and Sarah continued to live in Clark Township through the mid-1880s. Sometime thereafter, the family moved just north to Mentor Township in southeast Dubois Co. 

On November 20, 1882, nine years after his death, Samuel Brown’s estate was finally settled. Henry Ludwig, Trustee, acting on behalf of the Court, reported that he had set aside the property allowed by law as exempt, then sold other assets so that all debts might be paid. He reported that there were no other property or assets remaining and that no further claims had come forth. He therefore requested that he be discharged from his duties. The Court accepted this as the Final Report and discharged Ludwig accordingly.[66] 

As Mathias Beard’s health declined, he filed for an Invalid Pension via application number 673536. Upon review, it was approved, and he was issued a pension certificate, number 694284.[67] He began receiving $6 per month on September 26, 1888.[68] Beginning in 1889, the pension file includes medical reports that provide detailed insight into Mathias’ misery and clearly show his life slipping from his grasp. The first, at age 55, was conducted by a three-man board of doctors in May of 1889. They found him with a resting heart rate of 104 (144 after mild exercise) and his respiratory rate was 22, both clear signs of distress. He had diarrhea attacks every two weeks that lasted from three to ten days. During such attacks, he had from three to twenty stools per day. His ‘piles’ (hemorrhoids) had dropped

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[62] Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, May Term, 1876, page 505.

[63] Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 3, 1871-1878, August 26, 1876, page 526.

[64] Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 4, 1879-1885, May 6, 1880, page 128.

[65] Robert Beard was born on May 1, 1881, in Dubois Co, IN. In 1900, Beard lived with Henry and Alice Schroeder in Louisville, KY. Robert married Bertha E. Bird (born in 1866 in IN) on February 13, 1902 (Pike Co. – IN Marriage Records 1859-1905, Book: 10; Page 424). In both 1910 and 1920 he was in Hazelton, Gibson Co., IN. In 1930 he was in Knox Co., IN. He died in 1960 and was buried in the Hazel Cemetery in Gibson Co., IN, north of Evansville.

[66] Perry Co., IN, Probate Court Orders, Volume 4, 1879-1885, November 20, 1882, page 316.

[67] The award of a pension was big news for the aging Civil War veterans. The Indianapolis Journal carried a statewide listing of new recipients on page 7 of the January 13, 1892, issue that listed Mathias.

[68] Pension records

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(a euphemism for extending outside of the body). Such a condition results in extreme sensitivity, pain, and bleeding. In typical 19th-century country-doctor language, the piles were compared in size to large hazelnuts. The doctor noted that his heart showed signs of some enlargement.

 

Mathias’ failing health must have imposed a serious financial strain on the family for about the same time Sarah belatedly filed for a Widow's Pension for Samuel Brown’s service. Her application was number 383970, dated November 19, 1888. On May 21, 1889, she also applied for a Minor's Pension for 21 or 22-year-old Alonzo, file number 395848. As Alonzo was 21 or 22 years old by this time, and not eligible, she may have been trying to obtain retroactive benefits and overcome her tardiness.[69] Trying to merge and raise several distinct families, while adding children of their own, was complicated enough without the burden of multiple legal filings and the search for those who could provide supporting affidavits.[70] Affidavits and certifications went from IN to Washington. Rejections, questions, and occasional approvals flowed back to IN. One of the first responses was the denial of a Minor's Pension for Alonzo, as he was past his age of majority and thus no longer eligible.

1890s

The decade began on an ominous note for the Beards as their last child, Robert, contracted typhoid fever during the summer of 1890. By August, he was on death’s door but somehow made a full recovery.[71] On June 4, 1892, Mathias submitted a request for an increase of his pension. It was denied. Mathias again met with the three-man board in October that year. Mathias complained of pain in the stomach and bowels, dizziness, and fluttering of the heart. The doctors observed that his tongue was coated and fissured. They found his joints very stiff, and his back muscles atrophied. They noted a heart arrhythmia and stated that intermittently it beat in an abnormally violent manner. They concluded that the inflammation resulting from his chronic rheumatism had resulted in heart disease.

 

While Mathias struggled to just stay alive, Sarah learned that her application for Samuel Brown’s Widows Pension was definitively denied by the Pension Bureau on October 30, 1894. She had run out of appeals. 

On January 19, 1895, with his health getting more complicated by the day, Mathias again filed a request for an increase of his pension. He noted that the intestinal symptoms were worse and that his heart was now affected. This time, on June 5, 1895, after a relatively quick review, it was approved. On that day, he had again met with the three-man board of doctors. From that point forward, he received $8 per month. While this eased his finances, his health was at a crisis stage. The doctors found that his bowels were prolapsed, his piles enlarged, and that he suffered from ‘smothering spells’. His resting heart rate was up to 130, 135 when standing, and an astounding 170 after slight exercise. In a note dated September 1, 1900, Dr W.A. Hermanni described Mathias’ last months. He stated that the bouts of diarrhea had begun to alternate with periods of constipation and that he had developed a

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[69] Sarah did not make an application for benefits on behalf of Samuel Brown (Junior), who was 3-4 years younger than Alonzo. The reason for this is not clear but it may have been that he had already married Bell Grant and was thus no longer deemed a minor.

[70] Sarah, or her lawyer, did a credible job tracking down veterans who had known Samuel in the 1^st Cav and even a few who had known Mathias in the 33^rd Inf. Locals who had known or treated the men were also asked to provide affidavits. When Samuel’s doctor died after the war, they worked with his daughter to obtain his office ledger, which confirmed the number of times Samuel had sought treatment.

[71] Huntingburgh Argus, August 8, 1890, page 2.

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granulated liver.[72] Beard had one of his ten-day ‘spells’ after which the doctor believed that his colon, weakened by the prolonged diarrhea, became perforated. This immediately produced chills, violent shaking, delirium, and convulsions. This final stage lasted from four to six weeks. He died on March 6, 1896, at age 63.[73] This time, on March 24, 1896, Sarah promptly filed for a Widows Pension. It became case number 630539.

 

According to family tradition, Sarah Beard and her stepdaughter Alice E. Beard (born in about 1866 to Mathias and Lavina Hensley Beard) did not get along. Following some dispute, Alice left home, telling Sarah as she departed, "I hope you die with your boots on."[74] Later, on November 6, 1896, word came to Sarah that one of her sons was sick and that she should come at once. She left her house in the dark, and while crossing the railroad near the town of Mentor, in Dubois Co., IN, her foot got caught in the tracks. Because she was wearing high button shoes, she couldn't get her foot loose and was hit by a train and died.[75] These details differ from the story that appeared in the Huntingburgh Argus.[76] There it is said that Sarah was starting out to cross the tracks to get a bucket of water. Her daughter claimed that she warned Sarah that the train was due but to no avail. Sarah walked along the rails and appeared not to have heard the train. She was struck and died in a few hours in spite of the care given by Dr W. R. McMahan. Sarah was 61. Sarah’s application for Mathias’ Widow's Pension seems to have been speedily rejected upon receipt of the news of her death.[77]

On May 17, 1897, the Dubois Probate Court approved Fidel J. Morganroth as the legal Guardian of young Robert Beard.[78] Morganroth’s application for Robert’s Minor's Pension was assigned case number 655699.[79]

1900s

Morganroth returned to the Court on March 25, 1890, stating that he had attempted to secure a Minors Pension for his ward but that it had yet to be granted. His report was accepted with the directive to return to Court with an update. Morganroth noted that his ward had no property, no money, and no

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[72] Hepatic granulomas are small abnormal clumps of cells that form in response to the existence of widespread inflammation, which may be a reaction to a medication or to an infection.

[73] Huntingburgh Argus, March 13, 1896, page 3.

[74] The meaning of this idiom has changed over time. At one point, at least in some cultures, it meant to die while still engaged in your task. That expression had somewhat of a positive spin. However, according to Oxford’s Dictionary of Idioms, it was “used in the late 19th century of deaths of cowboys and others in the American West who were killed in gun battles or hanged”. It seems that this latter sentiment was being expressed.

[75] The story of the conflict between Sarah and her stepdaughter Alice (Alice Emma Beard, 1871-1944) is according to an oral tradition passed down through Alice’s family. Alice would go on to marry Henry Schroeder. The story was passed to me by Alice’s grandson, Roy Davis, through Ancestry.com.

[76] The Huntingburgh Argus, Huntingburg, IN, Friday, November 13, 1896, Page 3.

[77] This appears in the combined Brown/Nelson/Beard pension file, retrieved through Samuel Brown’s record.

[78] Probate Court Order Book 15, Dubois Co., IN. page 381, recorded May 17, 1897. Morganroth appears in the census records as a farmer. Articles in the local newspapers indicate that he ran a saloon, an establishment that occasionally brought him into conflict with the Courts for violations of his liquor license. Guardians did not have to be lawyers. They were sometimes just neighbors who stepped in to help and would be there. In the various cases involving these families, the Guardians did sometimes retain a lawyer, usually Noah Moser of Loogootee, IN. A note on an index card, dated 1901, indicates that Morganroth had been appointed due to the death of the prior Guardian. Presumably, that would have been John Robertson.

[79] U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 for Mathias Beard.

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assets of any other kind. The Court was told that Robert had relocated to Bristow (in nearby Perry Co.) where others in the family had a home.[80]

Pension certificate 515107 was subsequently awarded to Robert on October 8, 1901.[81] Finally, in 1902, Morganroth filed a final settlement report of the Guardianship with the Court and requested that he be released from his assignment. The report noted that he was in possession of $168.70 from Mathias’ Minor's Pension. He then listed six individuals or entities who were owed money:

1.    Notary Public - $2.10

2.    Dr W. A. Hermany (Mathias’ physician from Altoga) - $7.50

3.    Fidel Morganroth – $2.72

4.    (illegible) Clerk – $5.95

5.    Guardian, for services - $6.00

6.    Traylor and Traylor (attorneys) – $5.00

Thus, the total expenses were $29.10, leaving a balance of $139.53 for Robert Beard. Morganroth reported that this had been paid to Beard and provided a receipt for the Court. He noted that Beard reached his majority on May 1, 1902. The Court accepted his report and ordered that the Guardianship end.[82]

End Notes and References

1. While mention has been made of some property, no review of deeds in Spencer, Perry and DuBois Counties has been conducted. This is a potential area for research.
2. Charles Weatherholt - It is interesting to note that a Charles Weatherholt, age 7, is living with the newlyweds(Samuel and Mary Polk Brown) in 1850; the Weatherholt name is one of the oldest and most prominent in Perry Co. With Mary 22, it is not likely that this is a child from a previous marriage. At this time, Charles’ connection is not clear. Much earlier in 1816, while future United States President Abraham Lincoln was seven years old, the Thomas Lincoln family spent a few weeks neighboring Breckinridge Co. across the Ohio in KY. Local residents gave them a cow for milk. A few weeks later, the Lincolns left KY by crossing the Ohio River at Cloverport, KY to the township of Tobin in Perry Co., IN. They crossed on a ferry operated by Jacob Weatherholt, perhaps an ancestor of the young Charles who would be born 27 years later. By the 1860 census, Charles Weatherholt, 16, lived just two farms from the Browns. He worked as a laborer for Uriah Weatherholt. Charles enlisted in the 144^th IN Infantry in Indianapolis near the close of the war. The unit was officially mustered into service on March 6, 1865. He apparently died of disease on March 7^th. He was buried in Tobinsport, Perry Co., IN, in the Lamb Cemetery.
3. The 1850 Perry Co., IN census lists three Brown families in the Tobin township in Perry Co.
• Samuel, born 1823 in IN, page 399b
• Crawford, born 1819 in VA, page 398
• William, born 1823 in IN, page 402

Nothing definite can be determined from this search. William could be a twin of Samuel (same birth year), a relative, or just another Brown. Crawford could be an older brother, a relative, or just another Brown. There are a number of other Browns in the county outside of the Tobin township. One of the pioneer settlers in the area was a Samuel Brown from VA, so there are many Browns.

---

[1] Probate Court Order Book 17, Dubois Co., IN., pages 181-182, recorded April 2, 1900.

[2] This appears in the combined Brown/Nelson/Beard pension file, retrieved through Samuel Brown’s record.

[3] Probate Court Order Book 18, Dubois Co., IN., pages 323 and 324, recorded May 20, 1902. 

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1.    4.  Alonzo Brown – Son of Samuel Brown and Sarah Francis Craven Nelson. According to the Browning Genealogy Project http://browning.evcpl.lib.in.us/ Alonzo died Wednesday, November 18, 1942, in Evansville. His address was listed as 1909 Pennsylvania. He was survived by his wife, Amanda, son James of Richmore (sic), CA, daughter Mrs. Laura Hill of “LA”, a half-brother Robert “Berd” of Hazelton, IN, and one grandchild. The Schaefer Funeral Home was in charge.

    5.James Leroy – Son of Alonzo Brown. Noticed that James registered for the WWI draft from the Indiana Reformatory in Jeffersonville. He was noted as medium height and build with gray eyes and brown hair. This record stated his birth date as January 27^th, 1893, rather than September, with his place of birth listed as Mentor. Interestingly, he noted that he served for one year in the Army Artillery. One newspaper article listed him as a deserter. A bit more searching found that he’d been sentenced for 2-14 years for robbery of a clothing store. When Police surrounded his home, he dove out a window to escape, landing in a snowdrift, wearing only his underwear. Police found that he had a hideaway under his floor, accessible via a trap door that was well stocked with food. It seemingly had been used for previous disappearances to evade the Police. He was listed as “at home” in the 1930 and 1940 census. In 1940, the family was living at 1817 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Lon was shown as “unable to work”. James was still in IN in 1942 when he had to register for the WWII draft.

18  6. 1850 Perry Co., IN census, Tobin Township

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Samuel Brown	27	IN	laborer, $75 real estate, born IN, cannot read or write
Mary	22	IN
Charles Weatherholt	7	IN

7. 1860 Perry Co., IN census, Tobin Township. The family next door to Samuel and Mary Polke Brown (age 32) is headed by Stephen Polk, age 35. It is speculation, but this could be Mary’s brother. Charles Weatherholt, 16, no longer lives with the Browns. He is two doors away, working as a laborer. The Polk/Polke family is one of the older/prominent families in Perry Co.

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Samuel Brown	33	born IN	real estate $275, personal property $250
Mary	32	born IN
Mary J.	8	born IN	in school within the last year
Pretina		born IN
James H.		born IN
Nancy		born IN

8. 1860 Spencer Co. IN, Troy or Huff township

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Franklin Nelson	27	born KY	laborer
Sarah	25	born IN
George W.,	1856	born IN
John H.,	1859	born IN

9. 1860 ____,

• Mathias Beard
• 
  

10. 1870 Perry Co., IN, Aydeville Township

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Samuel Brown	47	born IN	farmer
Sarah	37	born IN	keeping house

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Nancy J	19	born IN
Pretina	15	born IN
James	13	born IN
Nancy	11	born IN
Williams	7	born IN
Oliver	5	born IN
Alonzo	3	born IN
Samuel	1 month	born IN
George Nelson	14	born IN	farm laborer
John	11	born IN
Leonora	8	born IN
Mary	7	born IN

11. 1870 Perry Co., IN, Clark Township

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Mathias Beard	37	IN	Farmer, $1200 real estate, $250 personal estate
Lavina	39	IN
William	10	IN
Mary	8	IN
Isaac,	5	IN
Allice E.,	4	IN
Martha E	1	IN
James H. van Winkle	19	IN	farm laborer,
Edward van Winkle	14	IN	farm laborer
Emerine Jackson	30	IN

12. 1880 Perry Co., IN, Clark Township

Name	Age	Born	Comments
Mathias Beard	49	IN	farmer
Sarah F.,	44	IN	housekeeper
William	20	IN	work on farm
Mary	18	IN
Isaac	17	IN
Allice	14	IN
Martha E	11	IN
Nancy K	9	IN
Lana	4	IN
Lowis,	2	IN
Oliver Brown	14	IN
Alonzo	12	IN
Samuel	10	IN

13.     Look at Newspapers.com for all IN papers ‘1^st IN Cavalry’ for the pertinent time

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Mathias Beard

 

Kent W. Brown
9806 Frost Creek Drive
Ooltewah, TN 37363