Elmina Wise Mohler

A researcher (Janette) in Meade County, Kansas has provided copies of obituaries and biographies, links to online data on the William P. Mohler family, and contact information for several of his descendants. Janette is trying to find the death date for Elmina Wise Mohler so that we can get her obituary and possibly her death record. I have written to one of the descendants that still lives near Meade. He also happens to be involved with the Meade County Historical Society and his mother provided family information for the compilation of the Eckhoff Family History, so I am hopeful that he will respond to my inquiry. If not, I have the addresses for three other descendants of William.

Elmina Wise Mohler, probable daughter of Peter and Christina Wise, was born in 1846 in Ohio [1] and died in 1932 [1] at age 86.

Elmina is listed as a 5 year old in the 1850 Wayne County, Ohio census with Peter and Christina Wise. In the 1860 census in Miami County, Indiana there is an Emaline listed with them who is 14 years old. I am making the assumption that Elmina and Emaline are the same person. Elmina also went by the name of Ella.

The November 5, 1920 obituary of Eliza Jane Wise Hoffman (published in the Roann Clarion, Wabash County, Indiana) states that Eliza's parents are Peter and Christine Wise, that she "was one of a family of 12 children, and the youngest sister, Mrs. Ella Mohler living in Kansas is the only one living."

Among the four claimants in the October 25, 1887 final report of the estate of Christina Wise is listed John J. Mohler who received $735.09 on January 9, 1885 and $662.00 on March 25, 1885. John was the husband of Elmina Wise Mohler. There is probably additional information in the estate packet and the court books referenced in that journal entry, but the packet and referenced books have not yet been located.

Elmina married John J. Mohler 07 Apr 1870. [2, 3] John was born on 16 Sep 1836 in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, [2] died on 07 Jan 1928 in Meade County, Kansas [2, 4] at age 91, and was buried in Fairview (now Atwater) Cemetery, Meade, Meade County, Kansas. [2] They had two children: Stella Rose and William Peter.

There is a Civil War Pension file available for John J. Mohler [found on www.footnote.com] which shows that he served as a Private in Company D, 68th Regiment Indiana Infantry. He filed Application No. 76997 on July 11, 1865 and was issued Invalid Certificate No. 211778. John died on January 7, 1928 at Meade, Kansas and on January 28, 1928 his widow filed Application No. 1603230 and was issued Certificate No. A2-20-28.

The obituary of John J. Mohler was published in the Meade Globe News, Meade Kansas on Thursday, January 12, 1928. [2]

John J. Mohler, the youngest son of a family of twelve children, was born September 16, 1836 in Wooster county Ohio. Enlisted as a private in Company K, 17th Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps of Company D, 68th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, the 7th day of August 1862 and discharged June 30, 1865 at Indianapolis, Indiana.

He united with the Christian church while a young man and always remained true to his faith. He was a member of the Masonic body at Meade and a member of the order for 63 years. A member of the local G. A. R.

After the war he engaged in the general merchandise business at Gilead, Miami county, Indiana. Was married the 7th day of April, 1870 to Ella Wise to which union were born two children. Estella Rose Gilbert of Wichita, Kansas and William Peter Mohler of Meade.

In the summer of 1885, he moved with his family to a homestead southwest of Meade, on which he lived the remainder of his life, with the exception of a few winters in Wichita, Kansas.

He departed this life the morning of the 7th of January this year. He leaves to mourn his loss, his wife and two children, 11 great grandchildren. Funeral services at the home, Monday afternoon, the Rev. F. R. Guy officiating, with interment in Fairview cemetery.

A biography of John J. Mohler was published in the Pioneer Stories of Meade County, Fourth Edition, Meade County Historical Society, 1983.

I was born Sept. 16, 1836 in Wooster [sic] County, Ohio. When I was a small lad I bound out to another family there. After a short time I ran away from home and worked at most anything I could find until the Civil War of which I took a large part. I served as a private with Company K, 17th Regiment of the Veterans Reserve Corps and in Company D, 68th Indiana Volunteer. In 1885 [sic] I was discharged at Indianapolis. I spent a lot of time in the hospital with varicose veins caused by marching, and the last few years of my life I was confined to a wheel chair. After my discharge I was engaged in mercantile business at Gilead, Indiana. In 1870 I was married to Ella Wise. We had two children, Estella and William.

When William was nine years old we started west in a covered wagon. My wife was in poor health and the change in climate was necessary. I left my family at Wellington for a short while until I could get a sod house built. I went back to get them and on our return we found the long horned steers had gored the corners out of the house and we had to rebuild it.

We settled about 20 miles southwest of Meade. We couldn't get enough water for our cattle and what we did have we drew from a community well. We watered 35 head of cattle that way. We then decided to move closer to the river. We moved to Beaver, Oklahoma near Old Fago and lived there about three years. We moved back to Meade County and bought land one-half mile east of the little town called Atwater, and William homesteaded on land near by.

Meat and food was so scarce Will had to hunt antelope and other wild game to supply the family's needs. We all gathered cow chips enough in the fall to last for fuel all winter. The blizzard that struck in 1886 killed most of the cattle, you could walk across the Cimarron River on dead cattle. In a few years Atwater was abandoned and buildings were torn down or moved away. We bought some of the lumber to build our home. Will lived in a dugout until his claim was proved up.

Estella was married to Frank Gilbert and they made their home in Wichita until her death in 1935. Will was married to Freda Meyer in 1902 and to this union was born Ella in 1904, Esther in 1905, Perry in 1907 and Rosetta in 1912. Will and Freda remained on their homesteads until their deaths, except for the two years spent in Canada. In 1913 Will bought a relinquishment to some land near the Lake of the Woods in Canada and took his family to live there for two years then returned to the home place in Meade County.

John J. Mohler passed away in his home in January 1928, and his wife followed him in 1932. He was a member of the Baptist Church and the G. A. R. and a member of the Masonic Lodge for 63 years. William passed away in 1943 and his wife in 1952. Perry, son of William, now lives on the home place.

Submitted by his daughter, Ella Heinson [rwNote: Ella was the daughter of William and Freda Mohler]

John J. and Elmina (Wise) Mohler had two children:

1. Stella Rose Mohler was born on 01 Apr 1873 in Gilead, Miami County, Indiana [5] and died on 21 Oct 1936 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas [5] at age 63. Stella married Frank Edgar Gilbert 04 Jul 1888 in Meade County, Kansas. [6] Frank was born on 15 Jan 1865 in Clarksville, Butler County, Iowa [7] and died on 05 Nov 1940 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas [7] at age 75. Stella Mohler and Frank Gilbert had eight children: Lulu Mae, Ethel, Minnie Allen, John William, Verne Frank, Freda Viola, Robert Leroy, and Arthur Wesley.
   
2. William Peter Mohler was born on 29 May 1875 in Gilead, Miami County, Indiana, [8, 9, 10] died on 23 Nov 1943 in Cimarron Township, Meade County, Kansas [9, 10] at age 68, and was buried in Atwater Cemetery, Meade County, Kansas. [9, 10] William married Freda Meyer on 25 Apr 1903 in Meade County, Kansas. [11] Freda was born on 07 Nov 1886 in Lake Creek, Benton County, Missouri, [12, 13] died on 06 Feb 1953 in Meade, Meade County, Kansas [12, 13] at age 66, and was buried in Atwater Cemetery, Meade County, Kansas. [12, 13] Freda Meyer and William Mohler had four children: Ella Elmina, Esther A., Perry Orend, and Rosetta R.

The Mohler family was located in the following census records:

1870 Miami County, Indiana (Perry Township, page 41/149)
1880 Miami County, Indiana (District 113, Gilead, Family 14, page 2b)
1895 Kansas State Census (Cimarron Township, Meade County page 2)
1900 Meade County, Kansas (Cimarron Township, page 1)
1910 Sedgwick County, Kansas (Wichita City page 108 sheet 1a)
1915 Kansas State Census (Wichita City, Sedgwick County page 490 line 28)
1920 Sedgwick County, Kansas (4th Ward, Wichita City page 154)

Footnotes:

[1] Online data, Meade County, Kansas Cemetery Index downloaded February 5, 2008 . Elmina Mohler (1846-1932) Graceland Cemetery
[2] Obituary of John J. Mohler published in the Meade Globe News, Meade County, Kansas on Thursday January 12, 1928
[3] WPA Index to Marriage Records Miami County Indiana 1850-1920. Ella Wise to Jno. Moore on Apr 7, 1870 citing Book C-3A p89
[4] Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900, (The National Archives): NARA T289. http://www.footnote.com/image/#737838 John J. Mohler
[5] http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=terrel_hayes&id=I06873
[6] http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/meade/Marriages.htm Meade County Marriages as compiled by the Meade County Genealogy Society citing License No. 151 page 76
[7] http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=terrel_hayes&id=I06871
[8] http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pfsco_2&id=I10415
[9] H. Leonard Eckhoff and N. Dean Eckoff, An Eckhoff Family History : The Family of Freda Ann Moler and William Peter Mohler. Chapter 4 Section 7
[10] Obituary of William Peter Mohler published in the Meade Globe News, Meade, Kansas on Thursday, December 2, 1943
[11] http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/meade/Marriages.htm Meade County Marriages as compiled by the Meade County Genealogy Society citing License No. 387 page 195
[12] http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=pfsco_2&id=I10375.
[13] Obituary of Mrs. William P. Mohler (Freda A. Meyer) published in the Meade Globe News, Meade, Kansas on Thursday February 12, 1953

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