Tombstone Tuesday :: Indiana Sisley & Conrad Stem

Indiana Sisley and Conrad Stem, my 4th great grandparents, are buried in Hively Corners (now known as St. Matthews Cemetery) in Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. Their small gravestones, located just south of the church, are dwarfed by the much larger markers surrounding them. Above photo taken July 14, 2000. The two below were taken two weeks earlier.

On top of marker: INDIANA
On face of marker: Wife of / C. STEM / BORN / MAY 18, 1809. / DIED / DEC. 25, 1888. / Gone but not forgotten.

On top of marker: CONRAD STEM
On face of marker: BORN / MAY 16, 1804. / DIED / JULY 25, 1882. / Not lost, blest thought, but gone before. / Where we shall meet to part no more.

I don't have no number 1,000

Randy seems to have decided that we genea-bloggers need to have more fun! Not a bad idea, Randy. In his post last night (Sunday morning by my clock!), he asks who is Reference Number 1,000 in your genealogy software?

In my database, number 1,000 is missing in action! Number 999 is Birch B. Smeltzer. 1,001 is a living person. The next number in my database is 1006, who is Eleanor Sisley.

What happened to numbers 1000, and 1002 through 1005? Deleted. Gone. Early on in my research I added the names of the parents of spouses of relatives into my database. I have since switched to putting the parents names in the notes for the spouse and deleted them from my database. Less "clutter" in the database that way and fewer people to keep track of too! They aren't related to me and I usually don't have any dates or other information on them. Anyway, it is likely that the "missing" reference numbers are some of those people.

Birch B. Smeltzer was the husband of Fern Carrie Stemm, my first cousin four times removed. Birch was born October 1, 1887 in Elkhart County, Indiana and was the son of Daniel and Ida (Lammond) Smeltzer. Fern was born June 15, 1900 also in Elkhart County and was the last of seven children born to Lewis Austin and Susan Alice (Sevits) Stem. Lewis was the son of Conrad and Indiana (Sisley) Stem. Birch and Fern were married May 9, 1925 in Elkhart County. He died in 1950 and she in 1970. They are buried in Prairie Street Cemetery in Elkhart. I don't know if they had any children or not; I still need to get their obituaries.

Eleanor Sisley, also known as Nellie, is my 4th Great Grandaunt. She is the sister of Indiana Sisley who married Conrad Stem. And they are two of the ten children of Lewis and Margaret (Ellis) Sisley. According to the The Sisley Family Bible, Eleanor was born October 4, 1797 and was "joined in marriage with Robert Lyon September 4th 1819". She died March 15th 1861. Eleanor Lyon(s) lived in Cookstown Borough, Fayette County, Pennsylvania; she was a widow when her father's estate was settled in 1834. The 1840 census for that location indicates that she may have had at least three children. In the 1850 census, John Lyons, a 16 year old male, was listed in the household of Ellanor Lyons.

Walkin' the Land of my Ancestors

With clear skies and 80 degree temps (in October, no less!) I just couldn't stay indoors today. The Crooked Lake Nature Preserve lies mostly in Whitley County on the Noble-Whitley county line about half a mile west of State Road 9.

The southern area, which I explored today, is the Lawrence Bishop Memorial Addition and is located on the south side of Little Crooked Lake, off of County Road 600N. This southern area borders the land where my 3rd great grandparents, Jacob and Malissa (Stem) Wise lived. And where her parents, Conrad and Indiana (Sisley) Stem lived on a neighboring farm.

Below is a portion of the 1889 Plat Map of Thorncreek Township, Whitley County. It shows that M. A. Scott (Malissa Ann, married Jacob Scott in 1876) owned 106 acres of land in Section 3 on the south side of Crooked Lake. This land had been purchased by Jacob Wise in August 1849. To the east of the Scott property was C. Stem, who owned 32.5 acres. Conrad had purchased 152 acres (most of that southeast quarter) in December 1853. Nowadays, the majority of their lands have been subdivided into 2-5 acre lots, several are still available for purchase. Some of the houses being built are ridiculously large, especially in light of the current economic situation.

The map below is from the Indiana DNR (Department of Natural Resources). The outlined area encompasses the Crooked Lake Nature Preserve. As always, click on the images to see a larger version. The dotted line on the right is State Road 9 and the dotted line along the bottom is County Road 600N.

A mowed path meanders along the south and east sides of the meadow. It enters the woods on the north side, weaving in and out several times before emerging into the meadow once again on the west side. This first view is looking to the northeast (from the west side of the trail).

Indiana Sisley Stem :: Show and Tell

The topic for the 55th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is Show and Tell. "Show us and tell us about an heirloom, a special photo, a valuable document, or a significant person that is a very special part of your family history." Ever since it was announced, I've been mulling it over as to what I should highlight. I've already shown some of the things that are special to me and told you about them - family photographs, reunion ledgers, old letters, my grandmother's autobiography - but, thankfully, there are still a few more things left to write about ;-)

My grandmother, Hazlette Brubaker Phend, put together what I call her genealogy book. Included within its pages are the standard pedigree charts (sadly, they are not documented) and family photographs (even more sadly, glued firmly to the pages). They are all precious to me, but there is one page that is extra special.

There are four items on the page, the first two are the topic of this post:
1. A picture of Indiana (Sisley) Stem, my 4th great grandmother! It is a copy, not the original. The quality isn't all that great, but I think it speaks volumes. I'd love to know if it still exists and, if so, who has the original.
2. The calling card of Mrs. Indiana Stem.
3. A photograph of a man with a child sitting on his lap. This too appears to be a copy of the original image. Grandma didn't identify it, perhaps she didn't know who it was, but it's possible that it is Conrad Stem, Indiana's husband, and their son Lewis Austin Stem.
4. A third picture, of the children of Austin Stemm: Earl, Charles, Ben, Hooper, Cresco, Clara, and Fern.

Indiana Sisley was born on May 18, 1809 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She was the eighth of ten children born to Margaret Ellis (1773-1870) and Lewis Sisley (1765-1826). I haven't found a marriage record yet for Indiana and Conrad Stem but when her father's estate was settled in 1834 they were named as "Conrad Stein and Indianee". (As an aside, the Stem surname has been difficult to research due primarily to bad penmanship and misinterpretation of that writing! Stem, Stemm, Stein, Stern, Stenn, etc. Their son, Lewis, adopted the Stemm spelling.)

About 1845, Conrad and Indiana had moved to Chester Township in Wayne County, Ohio. They were there only a few years, coming to Indiana about 1851 or early 1852. Their last child, Lewis, was born in Indiana in August 1852. They settled in the northern part of Whitley County, in Thorncreek Township, less than a mile from the southern border of Noble County. Their daughter and son-in-law, Malissa and Jacob Wise (my 3rd great grandparents) lived on the farm to the west.

From census records I know that Conrad Stem was a farmer. He died in Whitley County on July 25, 1882 at 5 1/2 pm, aged 78y 2m 9d (birth calculates to May 16, 1804 and matches the date on his tombstone).

No obituary has been found for either Conrad or Indiana. I really know very little about her. She was a farmer's wife. She was the mother of six children. Her first child, Malissa was born in 1833, followed by Amanda in 1837, Mary in 1841, Hester in 1844, Sarah in 1845, and, at the age of 43, her last child, Lewis was born in 1852. Her first grandchild, William P. Wise, was eight months old when Lewis was born. A child and grandchild born in the same year.

"Jarrad" studio was located at the "Cor. Berry & Calhoun Sts., Fort Wayne, Ind." A trip to Fort Wayne, 20 miles away, would have been a big deal back in those days, the 1880s. Was it a special occasion? Were pictures of other family members taken at the same time? I look in the mirror and see the "droopy" eyes and the cheek lines, though mine aren't quite as prominent. She looks a bit stern, but I see determination in her eyes.

The Calling Card with decorative embossing and fine lettering. To me, though worn and stained, it quite simply exudes style. Click on the image to view a larger version and you'll see exquisite details in the capital letters, including a stylized fish beneath the S in Stem. The sign of the fish, an ancient symbol of Christianity. Could that be a family bible she is holding in her portrait?

From the picture and calling card we can infer that Indiana Stem was literate. She's holding a book (a bible, maybe?) in her hands. Those are the hands of a farmer's wife, the years and arthritis have taken their toll. I do wish more detail showed, but doesn't that appear to be a lace shawl covering her head and flowing down the front of her dress? I don't have a date for the photograph but Indiana Sisley Stem passed away on Christmas Day in 1888. She is buried beside her husband Conrad in the Hively Corners Cemetery (now called St. Matthews Church Cemetery) in Thorncreek Township, less than a mile from their home.

It wasn't until I moved to the Tri-Lakes area in 1997 that I discovered where Indiana and Conrad had lived. Our new home was less than two miles away. Every time I go into Columbia City, I pass by their place and the cemetery, and I say a silent hello.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself, but this is a two-part post. In June of 2000 I was contacted by a descendant of Amberson Evans Sisley, brother of Indiana Sisley Stem. Please, click on through to discover the treasure I received from her. . .

This post was contributed to the 55th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Show and Tell

Civil War Ancestor - Jacob Wise

Jacob Wise and Malissa Stem were married on June 27, 1850 in Wayne County, Ohio. According to my grandmother's notes, they were living in Miami County, Indiana in 1852 when their first child, William (my 2nd Great Grandfather), was born on January 1st. A year or so later they had moved to Thorncreek township, Whitley County, near Malissa's parents Conrad and Indiana Sisley Stem. Their first daughter, Mary Ellen, was born on March 11, 1854 and five more children would follow: Sarah Jane was born August 17, 1855 and died October 1, 1863; James Roscoe was born on September 5, 1858; Christina was born December 15, 1860 and died January 4, 1870; Sylvester was born December 6, 1862 and died September 1, 1864; Rosilla was born on October 19th 1864.

Jacob was drafted into the Army on October 5, 1864 just a little over a month after his son Sylvester had died and just two weeks before the birth of his daughter Rosilla.

I can't even begin to imagine how his wife, Malissa, felt. Expecting a child, just having lost a son, and her husband being sent off to war... Jacob never returned, he never saw his last child. Family tradition has it that worry and homesickness was the cause of his death and I'm sure that it may have been a contributing factor, however, his Widow's Civil War Pension Records (Application 101.119 and Certificate 75625) show that he died of chronic diarrhea on May 17, 1865 while a patient at the 1st Division Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Jacob is buried at the National Cemetery in Nashville.

The Widow's Pension Application shows that Jacob was a Private in Captain J.D. Likens' Company "C" of the 30th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers; he was born in Wayne County, Ohio; was aged 37 years; he was 5 feet 9 inches high with Dark complexion, Dark eyes, Dark hair, and by occupation a Farmer, who joined for service and was Drafted on the 5th day of Oct 1864, at Kendallville, Indiana by Capt Iddings, for the period of one year; and "having served Honestly and Faithfully with his Company to the present date, is now entitled to a Discharge by reason of Death in Hospital at Nashville, Tennessee on May 17, 1865 of chronic diarrhea."

Jacob had Pay due from Enlistment but had received clothing amounting to $49.48 with $12 still due to the United States. He was indebted to Nellis Rorden, sutler, for 7 dollars. The final inventory of his personal effects showed "None".

Jacob appeared on the Company Muster Roll on February 10, 1865 in Huntsville, Alabama and was listed as present in March and April 1865, but no place was listed.

The record of service of the 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry shows that the regiment was consolidated to a battalion of 7 companies on October 3, 1864. Nashville Campaign November-December. Columbia, Duck River, November 24-27. Battle of Franklin November 30. Battle of Nashville December 15-16. Pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee River December 17-28. Moved to Huntsville, Alabama, and duty there till March, 1865. Operations in East Tennessee March 15-April 22. Duty at Nashville till June. The Regiment lost a total of 4 Officers and 133 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 274 Enlisted men by disease.

A public sale, which raised $602.52, was held on Friday, September 1st, 1865, offering "personal property not taken by the widow, namely: a lot of young cattle, a lot of hogs, wheat in the bushel, corn in the ground, hay, farming utensils, 1 two-horse wagon, and many other articles too numerous to mention." Among the items that were taken by the widow were a pair of harness valued at $10.00, 50 hogs valued at $40.00, 4 sheep $5.00, 1 house $50.00, 20 bushels of wheat $18.00, a stove and furniture $8.00, a sink $3.00, a table $2.00, a bureau $5.00, a clock $3.00, a bed and bedstead and bedding $12.00, a spinning wheel $10.00, a cupboard $2.00, a trundle bed $3.00 and other items. The total value of the things she "took" was $216.37

One of the claims filed against Jacob's estate was by Adam Humbarger who went "to Nashville at request of Widow to see the decedent who was sick and who died before he arrived there 6 days at $2.00 per day $12.00"

Of their seven children, 4 lived to adulthood: William married Sophia Dunfee, remained in Whitley County and had four children: Harry, Maud (my great grandmother), Maurice and Hazlette. William lived to the age of 83. Mary Ellen married David Anspaugh and they had eight children: Clarence, Emma, Simon, Bertha, William, Mary, Charles and Clyde. Mary Ellen and David lived in Whitley County until about 1910 when they moved to Clear Lake in Steuben County, Indiana. She was 82 years old when she passed away. James Wise married Miriam Minerva Blain and had two children, Earl and Ethel. James died in 1890 at the age of 32 of small pox in Chihuahua, Mexico while on a business trip. Rosilla, also known as Rose, married John Zinsmeister and moved to Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio about 1896. She was 90 years old when she died in 1954. Rose and John had four children: Hamer James, Lena Ann, Grace and Ralph Zinsmeister.

Malissa remained unmarried for nearly 11 years. On March 30, 1876 she married Jacob Scott. She was his third wife and he was nearly 20 years older than she. Malissa passed away at the home of her son William on August 6, 1901 at the age of 68. Her obituary, in part, stated: "The most of her life was passed in the vicinity where she died, where all learned to esteem her for her kind and careful life and many virtues. Her last days were fraught with suffering being a helpless invalid for several years, but she endured her suffering with hopeful patience making no complaint, but with faith looking forward to the relief of the coming dawn of Eternal day."

This Saturday, April 28th, Jacob Wise, my 3rd great grandfather, will be inducted into the "charter class" of the Society of Civil War Families of Indiana, a project sponsored by the Indiana Genealogical Society.

Wise Family - Index to Posts