Esther Malinda "Easter" Ackley (Conklin) (Green) (Gideon) (1812-1890)

Married 1: William James Conklin II (1808-1856) about 1828. He was killed when his throat was cut at the hand of "Easter" and two sons Elijah and Aminadab. (See Below)
There were at least 14 children from this marriage:
Phoebe Ann Conklin (Sade) (1830-1919)
Elizabeth Anna (Ann" Conklin (Wallace) (1831-1917)
Mary B Conklin (Bartholomew) (Sade) (Bourne) (Wall) (1833-1926)
Aminidab M Conklin (1834-1916)
Mahala Conklin (Shumway) (1835-1909)
William James Conklin ((III) (1837-1901)
Friendly Elijah Conklin (1838/9-1932)
Elizabeth "Eliza" Conklin (1840-1840)
Moses Rueben Conklin (1842-1909)
Esther Malinda Conklin (Flannigan) (Beaver) (Kurze) (1844-1908)
John Bunyan Conklin (1847-1923)
Thomas Didymus Conklin (1849-1925)
Julia Etta Conklin (Stalder) (1853-1923)
Nancy E Conklin (Fields) (Haskins) (1856-After 1888)

Married 2: Ira W Green (Abt 1810-1859) Married 23 Sep 1857 at Dubuque, Iowa. Died before Jan 1858. Probate at Delaware County, Iowa 5 Oct 1859.

Married 3: William C Gideon (1796-1875) of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Married 21 Jan 1858 at Dubuque, Iowa. William was a veteran of the War of 1812 and more than 15 years her senior. Died 1 Oct 1875.

In a letter dated 12 Nov 1890, her son-in-law Thomas Jefferson Sade wrote from Iron Hills, Iowa to her son William James Conklin III:
"To W.J. Conklin & Friends. Your letter bearing the date of Oct. 25 came to hand today - But did not rejoice when you said Mother Gideon was dead..."

Although interred at Arbor Cemetery (the plot she owned lot has been identified), no marker currently exists. The only marker on the plot belongs to her infant great-grandson Sanford Conklin (1898-1903), son of William James "Chunky" Conklin IV (1862-1945) and his wife Matilda Jane "Tillie" Underhill (Conklin).
The following information is taken from "History of Jackson Co. Iowa" pages 231,232, by James Ellis.

"In 1850 there was living on the banks and near the mouth of Lytle's Creek in Farmers Creek Twp, a family by the name of Conklin, consisting of William Conklin, his wife, and a large family of children, several of them grown up. Conklin was a rough man and had the reputation of being a hard drinker. Mrs. Conklin was a large muscular woman of the Amazonian type and the progeny of the couple with two exceptions, were a hard lot.

On or about the 1st day of Oct. 1856, the neighborhood was thrown into consternation and excitement by the report that Conklin had been murdered by his wife, assisted by son, Aminadab, and Elijah. The accused parties were arrested and indicted by the grand jury for the crime of murder.

STATE OF IOWA vs. Esther Conklin, Aminadab Conklin, Elijah Conklin, INDICTMENT FOR MURDER.

Witnesses: Esther Malinda Conklin, William Conklin, Ira Edwards, Jesse Said, James H. Said, Ann Wallace.

Presented by the foreman of the grand jury in presence of said grand jury in open court, and filed by me in open court, in presence of said grand jury, this 11th day of July 1857. I.M. Brakey, Clerk.

11 July 1857, the case of the Conklins came on for hearing at the July term of the District Court. R.S. Hadley was appointed the special prosecuting attorney and W.E. Leffingwell defended the Conklins. With the acquittal of Esther Conklin, the indictments against Aminadab and Elijah were quashed.

The witnesses with one exception were members of the Conklin family or related to the Conklins, and their evidence made it appear that the old lady was acting in self-defense when she struck the fatal blow. It was claimed by the Conklins that the old man had attempted to assault the old lady with a butcher knife, but that she wrested the knife from him and struck him in the neck, inflicting a mortal wound.

The old lady and some of the younger boys were residing at Farmers Creek Township about thirty years ago, but they never prospered; the stigma of the murder of the old man clung to them, and they were generally regarded with distrust. The boys were engaged in several escapades which cost the county a good many dollars, and it was a good job for old Jackson when they shook her dust from their feet. William Conklin, Jr., was well respected by his neighbors, as was Phoebe, who married Thomas Said (Sade) and lived on the old Conklin farm until recently. It was said that the little Tom Conklin who could not talk very plain at that time, was being questioned about the killing of his father, and he said: "Minadab held dad by the hair while mam cut his throat."

It has been suggested that Esther Malinda "Easter" Ackley was Native American. In 1956, her great-granddaughter, Sylvia Lucinda Sade (1880-1962) gave an account to relatives including her grandson Freeman L Walker that "Easter" was an Indian and had told her such in about 1885 in Stockville, Frontier County, Nebraska.

However, current research including numerous DNA matches suggest her parents were Philo Moss Hackley (1776-1850) and Almira Griswold (1784-1872). Additional Information Requested.