The Dunfee Family :: George and Nancy

This is the second installment on the children of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.

George Dunfee was presumed to be a son of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee due to the fact that he resided in the same area of Dekalb County, Indiana as Sophia (Dunfee) McNabb who was known to be a daughter of James and Sophia. Additional information has been found confirming that he is indeed their son. George could have been named after his (presumed) grandfather, George Dunfee (see The Hazlett-Dunfee Connection :: On to Pennsylvania).

Cemetery transcriptions posted on the Dekalb County GenWeb site show that George Dunfee is buried in Corunna Cemetery in Fairfield Township and that he died November 3, 1871 at the age of 56 years 11 months and 12 days, which puts his date of birth at November 22, 1814. The 1850 and 1860 census records for Dekalb County, Indiana show that he was born in Pennsylvania while the 1870 census shows he was born in Ohio. It is highly likely that he was born in Pennsylvania. His age in those census records was 34, 45, and 55, respectively, which is in the right time frame for a late 1814 birth.

Since the two oldest children of George Dunfee were born in Ohio, is seems most likely that he was married in Ohio. However, I have not yet found a record of his marriage to “Nancy” who is listed in census records (1850-1870) as his wife. In the FamilySearch database of Ohio County Marriages I did find a George B. Dunfee who married Nancy Tipton on April 22, 1837 in Athens County, Ohio. However, the location did not seem to fit in with what was known of the Dunfee family. A search of Ohio Death Records, also on FamilySearch, came up with two records of children of George B. Dunfee that showed that he was born in New Jersey. So he is not the George Dunfee in Dekalb County, Indiana.

A possible clue to Nancy's maiden name came from another FamilySearch database (Indiana Marriages, 1811-1859) with the September 29, 1887 marriage record of their son, David Dunfee in Dekalb County. This record (referencing image 00161 on film 4476455) gives his mother's maiden name as “McKnobb” and his father as Geo. Dunfee. It also states that David was born in Ashland County, Ohio. It is possible that Nancy is related in some way to David McNabb who married Sophia Dunfee. I haven't done the research but McKnobb and McNabb are very close in pronunciation.

In my search for the marriage record of George Dunfee, I did find a more positive, though still indirect, link for George Dunfee to James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.... Shown below in the marriage record for Sophia Dunfee and David McNabb! How cool is that?

Reference Number 208, page 46, FamilySearch image 532 and film number 388736. Richland County, Ohio Marriage Records.

No. 208 David McNabb to Sophia Dunfee
I David McNabb being duly sworn upon and say that I am over the age of 21 years and unmarried at this time. Also George Dunfee being duly sworn depose and say that I am the Brother of Sophia Dunfee and know her to be over the age of eighteen years and unmarried at this time.

Sworn to & Subscribed before me this 25th day of Oct. 1842.
B. Burns Dept Clk.
Signed by George Dunfee and David McNabb.

The other record that provides a link between George and the family of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee is a land record dated February 21, 1848 in which Jonathan S. Dunfee of the county of Holmes, State of Ohio, sold 160 acres of land in Dekalb county, Indiana to George Dunfee of the county of Ashland, State of Ohio for $600. (NW ¼ S24 T35 R12) recorded in Dekalb County, Indiana Deed Book E page 38. This land is in the same section as that purchased by David and Sophia Dunfee McNabb in April 1855. Jonathan S. Dunfee is known to be a son of James and Sophia (Hazlett) Dunfee.

In the 1850 census of Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana (page 466), George Dunfee is a 34 year old farmer who was born in Pennsylvania. He has real estate valued at $800. Listed with him was Nancy, age 33, born in Pennsylvania; John, age 9, and David, age 1, both born in Ohio.

George Dunphey resided in Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana (page 29) in 1860. He was 45 years old and born in Pennsylvania. He was a farmer with real estate valued at $600 and a personal estate of $300. In his household were Nancy, age 44, born in Pennsylvania; David, age 11 and James, 10, both born in Ohio, William, age 6, and Almira, age 2, both born in Indiana.

1870 finds the family still in Dekalb County but now residing in Richland Township (page 346). George Dunfee is 55 and born in Ohio. He is a farmer with real estate valued at $8000 and a personal estate valued at $670. Residing with him were Nancy, age 52, born in Pennsylvania; James, 19, born in Ohio; and William, age 15, born in Indiana.

George Dunfee passed away on November 3, 1871. He is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Fairfield Township, Dekalb County, Indiana along with two of his children, Almira and John.

George and Nancy (McKnobb /McNabb ?) Dunfee were the parents of five known children. There is a nine year gap between the first and second child so it is highly likely that there may have been other children that, perhaps, died before the family came to Indiana.

• John Dunfee. Cemetery transcriptions show that John died Sept. 23, 1855, age 15y, 1m, 15d - son of G. & N. He is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Dekalb County, Indiana. His date of birth calculates to August 8, 1840.

• David M. Dunfee was born about 1849 in Ashland County, Ohio. He married Clara Currant on July 15, 1873 in Dekalb County, Indiana. By 1880 they were divorced and David was living with his brother James and his wife Sarah in Richland township. On September 29, 1887 David was married to Mary E Tod in Dekalb County. (This is the record that gives his fathers name as Geo. Dunfee and his mother as McKnobb.) I have not found David in census records after 1880. However, the Indiana Marriages database on FamilySearch includes records for two of his children, which gives their parents as David Dunfee and Clara Current . If their place of birth is correct, it means that David moved around a bit. There could also be other children.

1. George Clifford Dunfee born December 16, 1875 in Monticello, Indiana (White County). He was married to Sarah (Hudson) McDaniel on October 5, 1923 in Warren County, Indiana.
2. Lillian Claude Dunfee born 1877 in Michigan. She married Raleigh Muir on August 22, 1898 in Marion, Indiana. For whatever reason, it was apparently a marriage of short duration! On May 1, 1899 Lillian C. Muir was married to Martin Kiplinger in White County, Indiana.

• James E. Dunfee was born about 1850/51 in either Ohio or Indiana. He was married on July 3, 1870 in Dekalb County, Indiana to Sarah J. Finch. The 1880 census for Richland Township shows that he had two children: a daughter, Mickey, born about 1872 and a son, John W. born about 1878. Both children were born in Indiana. James and Sarah may have had other children. I have not found them in 1900 or later census records.

• William C. Dunfee was born about 1854 in Indiana. On January 23, 1872 William Dunfee was listed as a minor heir of Geo. Dunfee who “died intestate more than 15 days prior to this time.” Nancy Dunfee was appointed guardian of William. (Dekalb County, Indiana Probate Order Book "C" page 321.) On October 2, 1875 he was declared of full age (Probate Order Book D). A deed record, dated December 5, 1878 provides the name of William's wife. It shows that Nancy Dunfee and William C. Dunfee and Saphronia Dunfee, his wife, all of Dekalb County sold land to Robert Shippy for $3050. (Dekalb County Deed Book DD page 550.) The 1870 census is the last census record I've found for William and I have not found his marriage record.

• Almira Dunfee. Cemetery transcriptions show that Allmira died March 3, 1864, age 6y, 1m, 19d - daughter of G. & N. She is buried in Corunna Cemetery, Dekalb County, Indiana. Her date of birth calculates to January 12, 1858.

In reviewing notes from the early days (1980s) of my “research” I discovered that my deed abstracts were done rather poorly. In some cases I didn't record as much information as I should have. Also, I don't have the records for when George purchased this land. That will, hopefully, be remedied on my next excursion to the Family History Library in February. The following deed records are from Dekalb County, Indiana.

• January 27, 1872 David M. Dunfee released and Quit claim to James E. Dunfee and Sarah J. Dunfee, his wife for $1,000 the E ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 (vol. W p85)

• May 13, 1873 Nancy Dunfee sold to David M. Dunfee for $500 the W ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 (vol. W p444)

• June 29, 1876 Nancy Dunfee sold to James E. Dunfee for $1000 E ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12. (vol. BB p531)

• February 2, 1877 David M. Dunfee and Clara Dunfee, his wife, sold to Lafayette J. Miller the W ½ SE ¼ S5 T34 R12 for $1400 (vol. CC p110)

• February 6, 1877 Nancy Dunfee sold to William C. Dunfee W ½ SE ¼ S6 T34 R12 for $800 (vol CC p114)

• December 5, 1878 William C. Dunfee and Saphronia Dunfee, his wife, and Nancy Dunfee of Dekalb County sold land to Robert Shippy for $3050. (Deed Book DD page 550)

• March 21, 1883 James E. Dunfee and Sarah Ann Dunfee, his wife, and Nancy Dunfee sold land to Lafayette J. Miller for $4000 (Deed Book JJ page 104)

I have not found Nancy, widow of George Dunfee, or their son William in the 1880 census records for Dekalb County. Their sons David M. and James E. were not found in Dekalb County census records after 1880.

If anyone has information on the George Dunfee family, I'd appreciate hearing from you! Leave a comment below or send me an email at kinexxions “at” gmail “dot” com.

See Dunfee Family :: Index to Posts for more information on the Dunfee family.