What Happened to James Pogue? A Theory in Progrss

James Pogue is my 3rd great-grandfather. I know very little about him. He was likely born about 1807, probably in Kentucky. I'm not sure who his parents were. He married at least twice. First in 1831, in Gallatin County, Illinois, to Lydia Medlin, and second in 1839 in Franklin County to Nancy Plaster. Some trees also speculate about a marriage to Nancy Taylor. It's unclear if that's an additional marriage or if Nancy Plaster and Nancy Taylor were the same person.

James, along with a group of others in his neighborhood, served briefly in the Black Hawk War in 1832. He was part of Captain Archilaus Coffey's Company, 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade of Illinois Volunteers.

James had at least four children: William R., George W., L.E. (possibly Lydia), and Josiah Pogue. There may have been two others - David and James. It's not even clear who the children's real mother is. The family, minus David and James, is enumerated in the 1850 Franklin County census. But after that, they seemed to have disappeared. 

In 1860, Josiah was living with the John M Foster family. George hasn't been found, but he enlisted in the Union Army in May of 1861 in Anna, Illinois. I've seen no sign of L.E. Pogue, the family's only daughter. She would have been about 15 or so in 1860, so likely too young to get married. Perhaps she was adopted by someone and changed her name. And I don't even really know what her first name was. I've always assumed it was Lydia because her brother Josiah named his first daughter Lydia. But in truth, I don't know.

William R. Pogue was a 22-year-old living in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon. He married and stayed in Oregon, buying land and raising a family. He eventually ended up in an asylum, where he died in 1921. 

For years, I assumed that both James and his wife had died sometime after 1850, since they could not be found in the 1860 census. But I found a land purchase in 1851, and later that year, an interesting abstract of a court record in Franklin County, Illinois.

The court record, which gave the last name as Page (a common mis-transcription of the name), noted that one James Page had willfully neglected his minor children - George W, aged 9, Lyenin, aged 7, and Josiah, aged 4. One Joseph Swafford was made their guardian. I haven't been able to locate the original of this court record. The interesting thing is that this transcript does not mention William R., who would have been 11 or 12 at the time, and still a minor.

In April of 1852, James Poague of Franklin County sold the land he had purchased just a year ago. And this was the last record I've been able to find for James Pogue.

So what happened to him? And why wasn't William listed in the court case? 

In the fall of 2025, I took a SLIG course, Tracing Westward Journeys: Events that Paved the American West (1787-1890), coordinated by Katherine Willson. One of the instructors, Amber Oldenburg, discussed the Oregon Trail, noting that it was unknown how many people actually died along the trail as they traveled west.

I got to thinking about William R. Pogue, the young man who ended up in Oregon. How and why did he travel out there? Was he traveling alone, working his way out there? That led me to wonder whether his father might not have taken him and headed west, perhaps dying somewhere along the way, leaving a young William to fend for himself. 

So this is my Theory in Progress--the possibility that James Pogue and his son William traveled west to Oregon once he sold his property in 1852. He may have only had the capacity to take care of one child and chose the oldest. He may have been lured by the stories of others who travelled west, found gold or good land. 

My next step will be to revisit the 1860 census records to see whether James Pogue is listed anywhere. Since I don't know for sure when they might have made the journey, I want to check manuscripts, diaries, etc., to see if there is any mention of James Pogue and, perhaps, how and where he died. 

While this is just a theory, some parts of it make sense. It may be a theory that is very hard to prove. But it's a place to start!

_______________________________________________________________

This week's #52Ancestors Prompt is Theory in Progress

The Two Moses Jones - The Same Name but Very Different People

As genealogists, we often encounter people with the same name. Many times, it's father and son or uncle and nephew or some relation or the other. We learn, sometimes the hard way, that 'senior' and 'junior' don't always mean 'father' and 'son'. There can be two people with the same name in the community, and they are just designated as the older and younger.

But sometimes we encounter people with the same name in totally different places, with no relationship between them at all. Jones is one of the most common names, but encountering two different men named Moses Jones was fun!

THE FIRST MOSES JONES

Moses Jones is my 5th great-grandfather. He is my DAR patriot. Moses was born about September 1762 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He married twice -- first to Hester Thomas in 1791 in Gates County, North Carolina, and second to Elizabeth Allen Thomas in 1806 in Wilson County, Tennessee. I descend through Moses and Elizabeth. 

Moses was a private in the Revolutionary War, serving from North Carolina. He served first in a Regiment commanded by Captain Walton. After the war, he moved to Wilson County, Tennessee, where he served again in the War of 1812. 

Moses Jones moved his family to Illinois in 1819, a year after Illinois became a state. He settled in Franklin County, Illinois. He applied for a pension in 1831, which is how we learned more about his life. He died in April of 1851 at the age of 89, having survived two wars, multiple moves, and the rigors of frontier life. He is definitely a man that I am proud to call an ancestor. 

THE SECOND MOSES JONES

The other Moses Jones I've encountered is not my ancestor. He is the 3rd great-grandfather of my friend Steve. Steve's family was heavily involved in the American Revolution, living on Long Island during the war, serving in various military units, and having involvement in Washington's Culper Spy Ring. 

His Moses Jones was born too late to be involved in the war. And I know little about him. It's possible his father served, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. But this Moses Jones was born in 1773 in New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Van Sickle at the Old Clove Dutch Reformed Church in Wantage, New Jersey, in 1793. He and Elizabeth had eight children before he died in 1813 at the age of 40. I haven't found any record of him serving in the War of 1812, but that is a possibility. 

Two men named Moses Jones - one from the south who lived a long life despite fighting in two wars. A second in the north, who was not as fortunate. Both left a legacy that lives on today. 

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is "Names the Same."

The "Family" Cemetery

While we do not have a real family cemetery, I've always kind of thought of County Line Cemetery as a "family" cemetery. Situated next to County Line Baptist Church, it is located on the county line between Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois, and is sometimes known as Zion Grove Cemetery.

The church was founded in 1867, and the first burials at the cemetery were around 1870. They continue to this day. When I was younger, I would always go to southern Illinois (from Chicago) with my grandmother to visit and put flowers on the graves. I didn't pay too much attention at the time, and now I wish I had. I suspect my grandmother could have told me many stories about people who were buried there. 

Both my grandmother and her husband are buried there. I always thought it was odd that my grandmother's name was engraved on the stone - long before she died. It was something I didn't understand as a child. The monument is more elaborate than I expected from my grandmother. She was always a plain, practical woman, but she obviously splurged when setting up the grave marker for my grandfather. 

Looking through the names of graves listed on Find a Grave (587 of them, which is likely most of the graves), I recognize name after name — either as a relative, a collateral relative who married into the family, or friends and neighbors of the family. These include:

• Armes
• Beasley (by marriage)
• Blades (neighbors)
• Cardwell (by marriage)
• Davenport (by marriage)
• Edwards (including uncles, aunts, cousins, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents, 3rd and 4th great-grandparents, etc.)
• Finney (by marriage)
• Fletcher (by marriage and neighbors)
• Jordan (by marriage)
• King (by marriage)
• Parker (by marriage)
• Plaster
• Pritchard (neighbors)
• Rains (cousins, uncles, aunts, and some great-grandparents, etc.)
• Rotramel (by marriage and neighbors)
• Smith (by marriage)
• Striplin (by marriage)
• Summers (by marriage)

These names were selected through a brief review of the burials posted on Find a Grave. But I suspect that more than half of the people buried there have some kind of relationship to my family. And that's why I've always considered it the family cemetery. 

This week's #52Ancestors prompt is Cemetery.

The Day the "Black Monster" Came

 

One hundred years ago, on 18 March 1925, the United States’ deadliest tornado roared through Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana. When it was all over, 695 people were dead, over 2000 more were injured, and 15,000 homes were destroyed. Known as the Tri-State Tornado, this F5 storm destroyed entire towns as it made its way for over 200 miles. It lasted for almost four hours before it finally died out. 

Late in the afternoon, the “Black Monster,” as some newspapers called it, struck Franklin County, Illinois. It directly hit the town of West Frankfort, destroying the northwest part of town. West Frankfort was a town I knew well — both my parents grew up there, but my great-grandparents hadn’t yet moved from Iowa. My mother’s family lived on farms and in small communities outside town.  

As the storm hit West Frankfort, it destroyed Central School. The windows shattered, and everything crumbled. Children hid under their desks, and many were buried under the rubble for hours before being rescued. Parents raced to the school — some found their children alive. Others were not so lucky - at least 15 children were dead.

In the town of Orient, the Orient No. 2 coal mine was destroyed, killing many miners. While being in the mines provided some protection from the storm, the apparatus and buildings above ground were all destroyed. The tornado hit as a shift was ending. Miners coming to the surface were hurled into piles of rubble. Survivors described walking through the wreckage and seeing twisted steel and bodies. Many miners who had been underground throughout the storm came to the surface only to find their homes destroyed and their families dead. 

The City of West Frankfort https://www.westfrankfort-il.com/page/tornado-of-1925

The tornado destroyed entire neighborhoods throughout the county. Telegraph lines, railway facilities, and other infrastructure were devastated impacting communication and delaying rescue efforts. Families started the search for their missing loved ones, digging through the rubble with their bare hands and whatever tools they could find. 

Medical staff was overwhelmed with the number of casualties. Makeshift medical facilities were set up in undamaged buildings, including the high school in West Frankfort. Doctors arrived from nearby towns, but the damage to roadways and rail facilities made it hard to get into town. Buildings were turned into makeshift morgues. Families had the sad task of identifying their loved ones. Local funeral homes were overwhelmed, and funeral homes throughout southern Illinois offered assistance. Some were buried in mass graves. 

A particularly sad story was noted in a newspaper article.

"Storm Freaks," Herald and Review (Decatur), 20 March 1925, p.2, col.5.

After the storm, a downpour hit the devastated areas. Most of the streets were unpaved then, and the mud further impacted the rescue efforts. The Red Cross arrived the next day to distribute food and clothing and provide medical aid. The National Guard was deployed to prevent looting and help with the cleanup. Martial law was briefly instituted but not needed. Hundreds of families lived in tents for weeks after the tornado while housing was rebuilt. At the time, there was no formal disaster relief. Help came from private donations, charity, and fundraising. The mining companies helped to rebuild homes for their workers. 

Throughout the county, more than 150 people lost their lives, including at least 40 small children. Many people left the area after the storm and did not return. But the community came together to rebuild and recover. My grandparents moved to West Frankfort within a couple of years after the tornado — my dad was born there at the end of 1929. My grandparents remained there for the rest of their lives.

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is Historic Events. 

George Elmus Edwards (1880-1923)

My great-grandfather, George Elmus Edwards, was born 145 years ago on 7 February 1880 in Williamson County, Illinois. He was the third child and oldest son of Hugh Richard and Martha (Rains) Edwards. There is some confusion surrounding George's birthdate. 

GEORGE’S BIRTH DATE

The family has always celebrated the birthday as 7 February 1880, but the birth certificate dated 7 February 1880 lists the child’s name as John.[1]

• The 1900 census lists Elmus' birth as February 1882 and Marshal (John Marshall was the next son) as October 1883.[2] 
• When he married in 1907, he gave his age as 27, which puts his birth year as 1880.[3]
• When he married again in 1910, he gave his age as 30, again putting his birth year as 1880. The 1910 census also lists his age as 30.[4]
• In 1918, George confused things even more when he registered for the draft. He listed his age at 38, which indicates an 1880 birth date. But he lists his date of birth as 7 February 1882.[5]
• In January of 1920, he is listed as 39 on the census, which would agree with a February 1880 birth date.[6]
• A death certificate has not been found, but his tombstone reads 1880-1923. [7]

When presented with conflicting evidence, his daughter Stella Edwards Butzek was adamant that his birthdate was 7 February 1880. This mystery may never be sorted out—the name John on the birth record can't be explained. But it is clear that George was born before John. George may not have really known what year he was born in, and his parents may have decided to change his name after it was registered. (Or the registrar just made a mistake.) 

GROWING UP 

George grew up on a farm in the Northern Township of Williamson County. He had seven siblings; two (Mary and Henry) died at birth, but the others all lived to adulthood. He was called both George and Elmus throughout his life. It's unclear where the name Elmus came from. There doesn't appear to be any familial connection to the name, and it seems an uncommon name in Illinois at the time. And there was only one Elmus Edwards found in the area.[8]

THE QUAIL PROBLEM

 In 1900, the Lacey Act was adopted, which prohibited shipping live or dead animals across state borders without a federal permit, and in the early 1900s, many in southern Illinois ran afoul of this law.[9] In 1903, Noah Moore attempted to ship 1,200 quail from nearby Franklin County to St. Louis -- in a coffin.[10] In 1904, a man with two trunks containing 700 quail was arrested near Creal Springs.[11]  A 1905 article noted that J.P Odell was arrested for shipping 556 quail to St. Louis. The penalty was $12,300 [12] Others were arrested for shipping large amounts of quail to St. Louis.[13]

George Elmus Edwards was in the middle of all this. He was arrested for shipping several hundred quail out of Williamson County. Out on bond, he was arrested again in January of 1905 for attempting to ship more quail. The bond for the second offense was set at $2,800.[14] When shipping the quail, he apparently used the alias W.W. Stone and, in April, was found guilty of twenty counts of violating the Lacey Act. He still faced an additional 172 counts.[15] No further mention of his quail shipping exploits has been located.

WHO IS LOREN EDWARDS?

The next bit of trouble George Elmus got into was apparently fathering a child out of wedlock. On 12 September 1906, Loren Henry Edwards was born in Franklin County, Illinois. His birth certificate listed his mother as Alice Stubblefield, maiden name Alice Stubblefield. His father was listed as Elmas Edwards, a farmer.[16] Alice was the daughter of Thomas James and Louisa (Kirkpatrick) Stubblefield. She may have married, around 1900, to a James or Hiram Stubblefield, who was a next-door neighbor in 1900. She married a second time in 1919 to Louis Cloyd. Loren used the name Stubblefield in his early life. In 1940, he gave his name as Loren Edwards on the census. His surname had been written as Stubblefield, but it was crossed out. Loren was the informant.[17] In 1940, he used the name Loren Henry Edwards when registering for the draft.[18] His obituary stated he was born to Elmas and Alice Stubblefield Edwards.[19] No record of a marriage between Elmus and Alice has been located. DNA evidence seems to bear out the fact that Loren was related to George’s family. 

AMANDA WILLIAMS, A MYSTERY WIFE

In September of 1907, Elmus Edwards, aged 27, married Amanda Williams, aged 19.[20] It is unclear what happened to Amanda, but there is an unphotographed entry on Find a Grave for Amanda Edwards, who died on 22 March 1908 at the age of 19 years, 7 months, and 3 days. This would fit with the age given at marriage. It also lists the inscription as the wife of C.E., but since there is no photograph, that can’t be verified, and it could likely be G.E. Whatever happened, Amanda seems to have disappeared. 

MARRIAGE TO MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

In March of 1910, 30-year-old G.E. Edwards of Corinth married 17-year-old Belle Pogue of Thompsonville. They were married by  John Borum, a clergyman in Williamson County. His parents are listed as Richard Edwards and Martha Rains. Her parents are listed as Joseph Pogue and [illegible] McClaran. It was his second marriage, her first.[21] They set up house in Corinth, where they were enumerated in the 1910 census less than a month after marriage. Elmus, as he was listed, was working as a farm laborer, and they were renting. They lived next door to Elmus’ father, Richard.[22] George Elmus Edwards had finally settled down to a wife and raising a family. 

When he registered for the draft in September of 1918, the family was living in Thompsonville, Franklin County, Illinois. He was self-employed as a farmer.[23] By 1920, they had three children, son George, and daughters Stella and Hazel.[24] Ruby Laura was born shortly after the census was taken in 1920. The following year, his five-year-old daughter Hazel died from burns suffered when her clothes caught on fire while she was drying her hair in front of the fire.

George Elmus Edwards died in March of 1923. No death record has been found. His widow, Belle, went on to marry at least two more times. 

GENEALOGICAL SUMMARY

GEORGE ELMUS EDWARDS, born 7 February 1880 or 1882 in Williamson County, Illinois; died 12 March 1923 in Williamson County. He married 1) 20 September 1907 in Williamson County to Amanda Williams, daughter of Millard M and Edna J. Williams. He married 2) 31 March 1910 in Williamson County, Illinois to Olive Isabel Pogue (1892-1959), daughter of Josiah and Mahala Jane (McClerran) Pogue.  He is buried in County Line Cemetery in Franklin County, Illinois. They had four children.

Children of George and Olive Isabel:

1. George Everett Edwards, born 1 October 1910, Corinth, Williamson County, Illinois; died 15 July 1939, Corinth, Williamson County, Illinois. Married 3 July 1931 in Cook County, Illinois to Clara Jane Martin (1912-2009), daughter of William and Caroline (Clayton) Martin. No children.
2. Stella Mae Edwards, born 23 July 1912, Corinth, Williamson County; died 1 January 1989 in Blue Island, Cook County, Illinois. Married 9 May 1931 in Chicago, to Anton Marcinek/Butzek (1907-1943). Two children.
3. Hazel Lucille Edwards, born 23 July 1916, Corinth, Williamson County, Illinois; died 12 November 1921, Corinth, Williamson County.
4. Ruby Laura Edwards, born 22 April 1920, Corinth, Williamson County; died 29 April 2011, Bartlett, Cook County, Illinois. Married 22 June 1940 in Chicago, Cook County to Charles A. Kroll (1919-1974) son of Francis and Anna Kroll. Five children.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] "Birth Records, 1877-1925," digital image, Family Search  (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9KE-XWGM : accessed 11 September 2024); Williamson County, p 99-100, #1294, entry for John Edwards, 7 February 1880; FSL Film #7621362, image 114 of 748.

[2] 1900 U.S. census, Williamson County, Illinois, population schedule, Northern Township, e.d. 119, sheet 7a, dwelling 126, family 134, Richard Edwards household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3809691:7602: accessed 11 September 2024).

[3] “Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-LB2L-KFR: accessed 11 September 2024); Williamson County, Book L, p. 358, #2209, Edwards-Williams, 1907; DFN 5204408, Film #965419, image 549. 

[4]“Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940,” digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF25-NZK: accessed 11 September 2024); Williamson County, Book M, page333, #3854, Licesen for Edwards-Pogue, :Digital Fold Number 5204409, Film #965420, image 202. For census, 1910 U.S. census, Williamson County, illinois, population schedule, Corinth Township, e.d. 154, sheet 10b, dwelling 146, family 146, Elmus Edwards household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6127180:7884: accessed 11 September 2024).

[5] “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/84317:6482: accessed 11 September 2024); card for George Elmus Edwards, Order #A292, Williamson County IL Local Board No 1, 12 September 1918.

[6] 1920 U.S. census, Williamson county, Illinois, population schedule, Corinth Township, e.d. 162, sheet 5b, dwelling 103, viist 104, Elmus Edwards household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/90055261:6061: accessed 13 October 2022).

[7] Photo of tombstone, County Line Cemetery, Franklin County, Illinois. Photo taken by author and in personal archive.

[8] Derivation of the name Elmus and use in southern Illinois in the time period, ChatGPT-4 (https://chatgpt.com : accessed 7 February 2025). 

[9] 18 U.S.C. 42.

[10] "Quail Shipped in Coffin," Free Press (Carbondale IL), 7 January 1903, p.5, col.2.

[11] "Quail hunter Arrested," Free Press, 21 December 1904, p.2, col.3.

[12] "Untitled," Free Press, 3 February 1905, p.4, col.4.

[13] "Quail Shippers Arrested," Free Press, 24 February 1905, p.2, col.2.

[14] "Local News," Free Press, 24 January 1905, p.3, col.2.

[15] "Game Law is Violated," McHenry Plaindealer, 20 April 1905, p.7, col.6. 

[16] "Franklin County Register oof Births," digital image, FamilySearch; Volume 2-3, 1888-1915, Entry for No name child 1906; Film #4002901, image 291 of 6

[17] 940 U.S. census, Franklin County, Illinois, population schedule, Barren Township, e.d. 28-1, sheet 4b, visit #121, Loren Edwards household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/139333475%3A2442 : accessed 7 October 2024).

[18] “World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/40110818:2238 : accessed 7 October 2024); Serial #1935, card for Loren Henry Edwards, 1940, Franklin County Local Board #1, Benton, Illinois.

[19] “Loren Edwards,” Southern Illinoisan,” 24 October 1978, p.24, col. 1; digital image, newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com: accessed 7 October 2024).

[20] See footnote #3.

[21] See footnote #4.

[22] 1910 U.S. census, Williamson County, illinois, population schedule, Corinth Township, e.d. 154, sheet 10b, dwelling 146, family 146, Elmus Edwards household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6127180:7884: accessed 11 September 2024).

[23] See Footnote #5.

[24] See Footnote #6.

The Challenging Family

 This week's #52 Ancestors blog prompt is Challenging. While I have many challenging families that I'm working on, the one that came first to mind was my POGUE family.

Olive Isabelle "Belle" Pogue, born 9 September 1892 in Franklin County, Illinois, was married at least three times. (1) She had four children with her first husband, George Elmus Edwards, including my grandmother (and another son with her second husband Joseph Kehder). I don't remember her, but I do remember that when she died in 1959, my grandmother went to southern Illinois for the funeral.(2) (Not sure why that memory sticks in my mind - I was pretty young at the time.)

Olive's father was Josiah Pogue. Josiah was born in March 1848, likely in Franklin or Williamson County (or possibly Saline or Gallatin). He is listed throughout his life as Josiah, Si, Cy, Cyrus, Silas, Josirus, and Joe. Josiah was married to Mahala Jane McClerren in 1886, and they had four children. He was only 52 when he died in 1900 in Franklin County Illinois. 

Here's where things start to get really murky. Josiah's father is James Pogue, born about 1807, somewhere in Kentucky. He appears to have been married three times - to Nancy Taylor, Lydia Medlin and Nancy Plaster - I've only found records for his marriage in 1831 to Lydia and in 1839 to Nancy Plaster. But Josiah's 1886 marriage record lists his mother as Nancy Taylor. So I'm not sure who his mother really was because it seems it should be either Lydia Medlin or Nancy Plaster. No death record has been found for Josiah - there are a couple of missing years on the Franklin County death register, including most of 1900 and all of 1901. It's like the registrar stopped entering records for a couple of years and no one knows why.

James Pogue served in the Black Hawk War briefly (as did many others from the area). He was in Captain Archilaus Coffey's Company of the 1st Regiment, 1st Brigade of Illinois Volunteers. A large group from Gallatin County Illinois enlisted in June of 1832.

In 1850, James "Pouge" and his wife Nancy lived in Franklin County, along with 10-year-old Wm. R, 7 year old Geo. W, L.E., aged 3 (a female), and Josiah, aged 2. The page is faint and hard to read. But they lived next door to John Foster and his family. 

In 1851, James bought land in Franklin County using the Bounty land scrip he received from his Black Hawk War service. He sold the land one year later. Things really get confusing after that.

In a book of abstracts of Early Franklin County Court records, in December of 1851, there is a record that I believe belongs to this family. (3) I have not been able to locate the original record. The abstract says 

"William Foster represents that James Page, father of George W., 9, Lyenin, 7 and Josiah Page 4, has for six months past wilfully neglected to provide for his minor children. A jury was called and found James Page guilty. It is ordered by the court that Joseph Swafford be appointed guardian of George Washington Page, aged 9 years on 9 April 1851, Lyain Page, aged 7 years and Josiah, aged 4 years, minor children of James Page."

 Is this James Pogue? I believe it is and was either mis-abstracted or written incorrectly in the original. I suspect the name may have been written as POGE. The last name is often misspelled for some reason. The ages closely match. The names match. It's always been unclear what L.E.'s name was - my assumption was it may have been Lydia since Josiah named a daughter Lydia. But maybe not. I'm also unclear about Joseph Swafford - there doesn't appear to be a Joseph Swafford in Franklin County, but there are many others, so perhaps it's one of those. There is no mention of William R. Pogue, who would have been around 11 or 12 - was he already living with someone else? 

So the mystery -- is the above a court record for my family? I don't know, but James disappears after this. There's no sign of his wife Nancy. In 1860, Josiah Pogue, aged 13, lived with John M. Foster and his family. John and his wife had been next-door neighbors to the then-intact Pogue family.

So my hypothesis, which still needs proving, is that James Pogue lost his wife right after that 1850 census. She likely died, but it's possible she ran off or they got a divorce. He could not, or would not care for his family and was taken to court because of his actions. He gave up the guardianship of his family to others, sold his land, and then just seemed to disappear. 

It's also unclear as to who the parents of James were - possibly James and Maran Pogue - but maybe not.  James may also have had two earlier children, David and James - but maybe not. He may have been married before he married Lydia Medlin -- but maybe not. There are still so many mysteries to be investigated. The work is impacted by the lack of records and the various spellings of the Pogue name.

So what about the rest of the family? They led challenging and sometimes troubled lives and they deserve their own posts which will follow in the future.

_________________________

(1) Olive's death certificate lists her birth date as 9 September 1893. The 1900 census gives her birth date as September 1892, and her Social Security Claims Index lists her birth date as 9 September 1892. Marriage records have been found for her first and second marriages but not for her third. 

(2) Death Certificate and obituary. It does list her name as Belle Hedges, that of her last husband.

(3)Pulliam, Carla, comp. Early Court Records, Franklin County, Illinois (Self-published, 1995) V. 1 1836-1876, V 2, 1877-1900. FHL library has vols 1-2 into 1 volume.

Mike Martin

George "Mike" Michael Martin was my grandfather. At some time after 1940 he was injured while working in the coal mines so my memories of him are colored by his crippled leg and the constant pain he was in. Although he could be gruff and short-tempered, as a grandpa he was always loving and kind. My main memories are of him sitting in his recliner by the large picture window, watching what was going on in the neighborhood and watching tv.

Parents: Michael "Mike" Philip Martin^1,2 and Mary Theresa Kausalick². He was their 2nd child but 1st son.

Birth Date: Probably 20 September 1900². Also listed as 28 September 1900¹² and May 1900¹. No record has been found for birth except for the FamilySearch index record. The SSDI ¹⁴ lists 20 September 1900 as his birthdate. Apparently one must show a birth certificate or some proof to verify birth date when applying for a social security number.

Birth Place: Hocking, Monroe County, Iowa.^1,2All sources appear to agree that Hocking is the correct birth place.

Baptism: Mike was baptized on 6 October 1900 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Albia, Monroe, Iowa². His parents were listed as Mike Martin ad Mary Kausilick and his sponsors were George Sherba (Sherbo) and Anna Brobouski. It is unknown what the relationship is with the sponsors. Is it possible that Mike is named after George?

Marriage 12 September 1925 at Albia, Monroe, Iowa. Married Florence Edwards⁸, nee Halliday. Florence had been previously married to Harold Edwards and was divorced from him. She had a son, Richard Eugene Edwards, who was living with Florence's mother.

Death 1 January 1973, West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois in the Union Hospital in West Frankfort. George died 4 days after his first great-grandson was born.

Children

1. June Lorraine Martin, B. 31 January 1926, Albia, Monroe, Iowa. ¹³ Died January 1978 West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois. Never married.
2. George Robert Martin, Still Living.

Residences

1. 1905 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa³. No age listed. Living with grandparents Frank and Barbra, parents Mike and Mary and siblings Tressie and Mary Martin.
2. 1910 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa⁴. Aged 9. Living with parents Mike and Mary, siblings Theresa, Mary B. Frank and Carl. Living next door to grandparents Wenzel and Theresa Causlic.
3. 1915 - Hocking, Monroe, Iowa ⁵. Aged 14.
4. 1917 - Missouri - brother Eugene was born in Missouri in 1917.
5. 1920 - DeKalb, DeKalb County, Iowa ⁶ Living with parents Mike and Mary, siblings Bertha, Francis, Carl, James, Barbara, Vincent, Eugene and Dorothy. Also with his brother-in-law Emil Pesut and Emil's daughter Theresa. (Husband and daughter of sister Theresa who died in childbirth.)
6. 1925 -Albia, Monroe, Iowa⁷. Living with mother Mary, siblings Frank E., Carl W, James E., Barbara L., Vincent, Eugene, and Dorothy. Father has died. Also married in Albia in 1925.
7. 1927 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ⁹
8. 1930 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹⁰ Living with wife Florence, daughter June and brother James. Son George Robert who was born 1929 is missing.
9. 1940 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹¹ Living with wife Florence, daughter June and son George.
10. 1973 - West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois ¹²

Occupations:

• 1915 - Clerk (not at work)
• 1920 - Miner Coal Mine
• 1927 - Received Certificate of Competency of Coal Miner
• 1930 - Coal Loader - Mine
• 1940 - Miner - Coal Mine
• Worked Old Ben No 15, Pershing, Illinois
• Member UMWA Local 8317

Sources
¹"Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XVH9-R8X :accessed 09 July 2013), Michael Martin, 1900.
² St. Mary's Catholic Church (Albia, Monroe, Iowa), Baptismal Certificates (privately held by Cathy Naborowski, 1960), George Michael Martin baptismal Certificate (1900), issued 1960.
³ Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925, Monroe County, Iowa, Troy Township, p. 1, number 8, Mike Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http:///www.Ancestry.com: accessed 8 July 2013).
⁴ 1910 U.S. census, Monroe County, Iowa, population schedule, Troy Township, p. 5951, dwelling 144, family 144, George Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com; accessed 8 July 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, Roll 414.
⁵Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925, Monroe County, Iowa. Troy Township, Card No. A992, Mike Martin: digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2013); microfilm of Iowa State Censuses.
⁶ 1920 U.S. census, Dekalb County, Illinois, population schedule, Dekalb City, p. 2B, dwelling 31, family 42, George Martin; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 8 July 2013); Microfilm T265, roll 303.
⁷ Ancestry.com, Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925 (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2007), www.ancestry.com, Line 8 Roll: IA1925_1854.
⁸Certificate of Marriage for George M. Martin & Florence Edwards, This certifies that on the 12 day of September 1925 at Albia in Monroe County, Iowa, according to law I joined in Marriage George M. Martin and Florence Edwards, 12 day of September 1925. E.M. Gillaspie, Justice of the Peace. Witnesses: Mary Halliday and Robert Smillie.
⁹ Certificate of Competency of Coal Miner, State Miners' Examining Board, West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, Certificate No. 88203. (privately held by Cathy Naborowski), Mike G. Martin, 1927.
¹⁰ Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1930; Census Place: Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image: .. Birth date: abt 1901 Birth place: Iowa Residence date: 1930 Residence place: Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois.
¹¹Ancestry.com, 1940 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Year: 1940; Census Place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois; Roll: T627_803; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 28-22.. Birth date: abt 1901 Birth place: Iowa Residence date: 1 Apr 1940 Residence place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States.
¹² Various unsourced obituaries. (privately held by Cathy Naborowski). George M. Martin, 1973.
¹³ Monroe County, Iowa, birth certificate, Book 5, Page 126 (1926), Female Martin; Monroe County District Court, Albia
¹⁴Ancestry.com, Social Security Death Index (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011.Original data - Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security D), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Number: 343-07-7625; Issue State: Illinois; Issue Date: Before 1951.. Birth date: 20 Sep 1900 Birth place: Death date: Jan 1973 Death place: West Frankfort, Franklin, Illinois, United States of America.