Name: John A Foster
Born: 7 Nov 1818
Place: Abbeville Co., SC
Died: 3 Apr 1893 101
Place: Arkansas City, Cowley County, KS
Buried:
Married: 30 Oct 1845
Place: Warren Co., IL 117
The following is from an 1877 history of Warren County, IL.157
FOSTER, JOHN A. Farmer; Sec. 18; P. O. Spring Grove; born in Abbeyville
[sic], S. C., Nov. 7, 1818; came to this Co. in 1837; Rep; 232 acres,
value $12,760; came here by team from South Carolina, and was eight weeks on
the road; arrived May 18, 1837; married Martha J. Struthers, Oct. 30,
1845; she came from Green Co., Ohio, and died June 7, 1854; children
Elizabeth S., married F. M. McClenahan; Margaret L., married Martin McKee;
Nancy J., married Robert Hogue; Mr. F.
married the second time Mrs. Rachel W. Mitchell, April 5. 1855; she has
one son, John A. Mitchell, M.D.
From
Portrait and Biographical Album of Warren County, Illinois (Chicago:
Chapman Brothers, 1886); 755.
GERLAW post office was established about the 1st of January, T871, with A.
Elder as Postmaster. Mr. Elder had a long service, remaining until Aug.
1, 1883, when J. A. Foster took charge. It was established soon after the
advent of the St. Louis branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad. Gerlaw was founded by R. W. Gerlaw, who owned the land about
here, and was platted by Thomas S. McClanahan, May 2, 1871. It is located
on the northwest corner of section 34. (See view, page 356.) A. Elder
opened the first store in the town. He deals in general merchandise and
grain. Mr. Elder sold out to Parker & Hart and Hart sold out to Parker, in
1883. Subsequently he took in J. A. Foster as partner.
John's second wife, Rachel W. Rodgers, was the daughter of Aniel
(1786-1864) and Rachel W. Rodgers (1790-1869).117 She had previously been married
to John Mitchell. Their son, Dr Mitchell, was born c1851.116 Dr Mitchell and his wife,
Harriet, later resided in Kansas and had at least one child, John Lewis
Mitchell, born c1888 in Kansas.
Obituary
The following obituary was located and contributed by Richard Gess.101
The Monmouth Review, 11 April 1893
John A. Foster, an old resident of Warren county died at his home in
Arkansas City, Kansas 3 April 1893. He was born in South Carolina 7 November
1818. He came to Warren county when quite young and resided here until the
fall of '88, when he removed to Kansas. He was twice married, first to
Martha J. Struthers and to them were born three daughters and one son, the
son dying in infancy. The daughters are Mrs. Frank McClanahan of Mt. Ayr,
Iowa, Mrs. Martin McKee of Gerlaw, Illinois and Mrs. Robert Hogue of
Tingley, Iowa. He was united in marriage the second time to Mrs. Rachel
Rodgers Mitchell who is left to mourn his loss. She has one son, Dr. J. A.
Mitchell of Arkansas City, Kansas. One sister, Mrs. Jane McCrery of Gerlaw
survives him. Mr. Foster had been an invalid for the past few years, but his
last fatal illness was of but about ten days duration. He bore his
afflictions with marked patience and was often heard to say: "My blessings
far outnumber my afflictions."
John and Martha had the following children:
Samuel A Foster |
1845-1846 |
|
Elizabeth Saville Foster |
1846-1934 |
Elizabeth was born in Warren county IL and died in
Ringgold county IA. She married Francis McClanahan in 1865. Find A Grave
Memorial# 9057532 |
Nancy Joanna Foster |
1847-1916 |
Married Robert Irwin Hogue. Find A
Grave Memorial# 16591793 |
Margaret Lavina Foster |
1850-1929 |
She was born in Warren County IL on 2 May 1850. and
died in Rice county KS, 12 September 1929. She married Thomas Martin
McKee in her father's home in 1873. Find A Grave Memorial
#22152569 |
John and his second wife, Rachel Rodgers Mitchell, had one daughter who
died young.
Martha Jane Foster |
1856-1857 |
Evidently named for John's first wife, Martha died
in infancy. |
Notes on John and Martha's daughter, Margaret KcKee:
Census
1880 - Spring Grove, Warren, Illinois, United States
Thos M McKee Head 39 Ohio
Maggie McKee Wife 29 Illinois
Edith McKee Daughter 6 Illinois
John W McKee Son 0 Illinois
1900 - Spring Grove Township Alexis village, Warren, Illinois
Thomas M McKee Head 60 Ohio
Margaret L McKee Wife 50 Illinois
John W McKee Son 21 Illinois
Twila C McKee Daughter 15 Illinois
Gertrude McKee Daughter 11 Illinois
1910 - Sterling, Rice, Kansas
Thomas M McKee Head 68 Ohio
Margaret L McKee Wife 58 Iliinois
Ciscelia T McKee Daughter 23 Illinois
Myrtle G McKee Daughter 20 Illinois
Son John Wilson Orr McKee married in Tingley, Ringgold County, IA, 5 Sep
1907 to Ollie Ellen Lorimor. Other sources give her name as Allie Storwalt.
He died after 1940.
Thomas Martin McKee, #22152539 m Margaret Lavina Foster, #22152569
..John Wilson McKee (1879-1954) m1 Alice Storwalt m2 Ollie Ellen Lorimor
....William Clarence McKee (1903-) m Leota Lizzie Harvey
....Opal C McKee (1908-1918)
....Gean D McKee (1916-)
..Twila Cicelia McKee, #106471626 (-1936) m George Guy Gordon
..Edith Elizabeth McKee, #105890102 (-1940) m Dr William Ebenezer Currie
....Margaret C Currie, #106214997 (1901-1953) m Benjamin F Ficken
....unk Currie
..Myrtle Gertrude McKee, #107389494 (1889-1989) m1 Robert Neil Lawhead m2 Vern A Martin
....stepson Harlan R Martin, #107568147 (1916-2005) m Maurine Barnes
Edith, Twila, and Myrtle are buried in Sterling Cemetery, Rice County,
KS.
William and Leota are found on the 1940 census for Monmouth, Warren,
Illinois with several children. They almost certainly have descendants
living today.
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