MARTIN VAN BUREN WARES, also known as Martin Ware, was named by his foster mother in honor of the U.S. Vice President at the time he was born, Martin Van Buren. He was familiarly called by his middle initials, which friends often reversed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD March 29, 1909
Martin V.B. Wares died Sunday at the home of his son-in-law, Edward Walton, four miles north of town in Perry township. Mr. Ware was 74 years old and has been living here for about two years. He had one son, John Wares living 6 miles east of Loomis. The funeral will be held at the Walton residence at 1:30 Tuesday, Rev. Fred James of the University having charge of the service. The deceased was a member of the GAR and a detachment from the local post will meet the procession of the funeral and escort the body to Graceland Cemetery.
Obituary transcribed and this memorial created by A Sindt on Dec. 9, 2007. Many thanks for placing Martin in the care of family.
~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier great granddaughter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Columbia Station, Lorain County, Ohio, on Monday, February 2nd, Martin Wares was born to an unwed 14 year old with the surname, Belden. The 6 day old infant was placed with adoptive mother Hannah Baxter at Elyria on Sunday the 8th.
citation: Received of Lorain County Recorder, the result of a 1987 adoption record request, the following statement:
"Martin Wares born Feb. 2 by Belden in Lorain County in 1835. The certificate was applied for on the 8th by mother Hannah Baxter in the town of Elyria, Lorain County."
Birth date note:
Included in the photos section is a document Martin signed on January 4, 1908 to explain his birth date for purposes of a pension claim. At that time it was not a certainty to him because he possessed no record of his adoption, nor a family Bible. He estimated, after talking with his sister, Mary Jane Bemis of North Amherst, that he was born in 1835. The Baxter adoption record provides his actual birth date which was Feb. 2, 1835, and is the reason we specifically used it for his memorial stats above. His son, John, informant for his death certificate (also included in the photos section) restated Martin's estimation of 1835, but apparently guessed Feb. 20 as the actual date. Incidentally, Mary Bemis' DOB on her memorial states Apr. 20, 1840, even though she testified to Martin she was 68 in 1905, making her DOB nearer to 1836 or 1837.
His father and mother's surnames were recorded on the certificate, but not their given names. Researching 'Wares' and 'Belden' in 1835 Ohio returned only the following two individuals:
Andrew F. Wares, 23 and 14yo Susan Belden. Susan was Mr. Bildad Belden's daughter, who Andrew met in 1833 when both families were residents of Columbia Township, Ohio (Columbia Station). The Beldens, originally from Berkshire, MA., were residents there from 1830 to 1836. The township in Lorain County was located 13 miles southeast of Elyria. Andrew and Susan were wed on the 8th of April, 1835 (see register), six days after her 15th birthday, and two months after Martin Ware's birth and adoption. The civil ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace, Edwin Byington. Curiously, the couple were not married by Andrew's father, a fire-and-brimstone Baptist Minister, Rev. Moses Wares, who was the head of his household and of the Baptist congregation at Columbia Station.
On the Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio census of 1850, Martin and Mary J. Wares were listed (he at the estimated age of 14) in Hannah's care. In 1855, Mary J. Wares married Francis Bemis in Amherst, while Mrs. Baxter moved to Carthage, Illinois. She took with her 20 yr old Martin and then 14yo Morgan Edgcomb, who, from the age of 4, remained devoted to Hannah until her death there in 1891. According to her obituary, she lived out her life in Webster, a suburb, and raised over 20 children, but never had any of her own.
It was in Carthage on August 14th, 1862, at the age of 27, that Martin V. Wares enlisted for service in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. The Company Descriptive Book recorded his appearance: height, 5 feet 5 1/2 inches; florid complexion; grey eyes and auburn hair.
He was mustered as a Private into Company D, 78th Regiment Illinois Infantry on September 1st, 1862 in Quincy, Illinois; one among 862 other enlisted men. After three years of fighting, he was wounded in the Battle of Bentonville in North Carolina on March 19, 1865. Shot in his left hand, he spent April and May in the hospital. Too damaged to save, the hand was ultimately amputated.
The War ended a month before his hospital discharge. He was mustered out of his unit along with only 392 surviving soldiers on the 7th of June, 1865 in Washington, DC. Under the surnames WARE and WARES, he received a $12 per month military pension #74896 (filed June 19, 1865) for the rest of his life. He sometimes wore a wooden prosthesis.
His 1865 discharge record indicated he was married and his occupation was farming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1870 we next found Martin a resident of Missouri. The only record we have of his marriage to Amelia Sommers is the divorce decree dated April 5th, 1870 in Worth County. No children were mentioned.
One month later in the same county, on the 8th of May, he wed Virginia Ann Garner.
Their first child, Ida was born in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri in 1871. Minnie Alice was born in Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa in 1874. Born in Winterset, Madison County, Iowa were William Franklin in 1876, John Denman in 1879, Grace Pearl in 1881, Dora Ellen in 1885 and Maggie Browning in 1888.
Young William died at the age of three in September of 1879 and was buried in Hooten Cemetery in Winterset.
After their last child's birth, eight years passed without record of the family's location or movement. One clue we have is the marriage of daughter Minnie to G. Edward Walton in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa in 1894.
Virginia passed away seven months afterward on February 28, 1895 in rural Ingraham, Mills County, Iowa (census). The Walton's first child Ralph was born there in July. On April 24, 1897, Martin registered at Post 15, Department of Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic at Hamilton in Marion county.
In the winter of 1897-98, Martin relocated his entire family to Letcher in South Dakota where he rented a room for himself in a boarding house. Daughter Minnie, her then 8 year old sister Maggie, and Minnie's spouse, Edward Walton and the couple's infant son 'Ralf' rented a house nearby. In Butler township about 6 miles from Letcher, daughters Dora and Grace stayed with brother John who rented a farm from landlord, William Haden, who with his family and visiting nephew, Jasper Conley, lived on the farm next door.
In March of 1899, Martin's daughter Grace gave birth to Thelma Marie, who she was obliged to give up. In 1901 Grace had another child, Margaret, after which she fled her home with the infant. In the same month, William Haden's nephew was sent back to Missouri. In 1902, Grace met and married Henry Cavier in Tyndall, who adopted Margaret as his own. The couple settled in Wagner, Grace estranging herself from her brother and father.
Baby Thelma, who was renamed Etta May Chase, was my mother. ~Grace F.
Daughter Minnie and son-in-law Edward had four sons, three of which Martin was able to enjoy as a grandfather. He spent the last two years of his life in the Walton's home after they moved to a farm near Mitchell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1909 in Perry Township, twelve miles south of Letcher and four miles north of Mitchell, Martin VB Wares died from complications of "Bright's disease" (acute chronic nephritis and endocarditis). His funeral was held at the Walton's home with a procession to Graceland Cemetery where Martin was laid to rest with military honors.
The stone that the Veteran's Administration erected for him had an incorrect age inscription, based upon the date of his Army discharge and not on the date of his birth. The monument stood for 82 years and was replaced after family notified the Government in 1987 about the error.
The inscription on his old tombstone should have read
AGED 74 Ys. 1 M. 9 Days.
We, his only surviving great grandchildren, Grace, Dorothy and Jack, send a big Thank You to Dave M. for posting a photo of Martin's new headstone!
We wish to thank all of you for reading his story.
Sincerely, ~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family links:
Other Children:
John Denman Wares (1879 - 1930)*
Dora Ellen Wares Murphy (1885 - 1984)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD March 29, 1909
Martin V.B. Wares died Sunday at the home of his son-in-law, Edward Walton, four miles north of town in Perry township. Mr. Ware was 74 years old and has been living here for about two years. He had one son, John Wares living 6 miles east of Loomis. The funeral will be held at the Walton residence at 1:30 Tuesday, Rev. Fred James of the University having charge of the service. The deceased was a member of the GAR and a detachment from the local post will meet the procession of the funeral and escort the body to Graceland Cemetery.
Obituary transcribed and this memorial created by A Sindt on Dec. 9, 2007. Many thanks for placing Martin in the care of family.
~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier great granddaughter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Columbia Station, Lorain County, Ohio, on Monday, February 2nd, Martin Wares was born to an unwed 14 year old with the surname, Belden. The 6 day old infant was placed with adoptive mother Hannah Baxter at Elyria on Sunday the 8th.
citation: Received of Lorain County Recorder, the result of a 1987 adoption record request, the following statement:
"Martin Wares born Feb. 2 by Belden in Lorain County in 1835. The certificate was applied for on the 8th by mother Hannah Baxter in the town of Elyria, Lorain County."
Birth date note:
Included in the photos section is a document Martin signed on January 4, 1908 to explain his birth date for purposes of a pension claim. At that time it was not a certainty to him because he possessed no record of his adoption, nor a family Bible. He estimated, after talking with his sister, Mary Jane Bemis of North Amherst, that he was born in 1835. The Baxter adoption record provides his actual birth date which was Feb. 2, 1835, and is the reason we specifically used it for his memorial stats above. His son, John, informant for his death certificate (also included in the photos section) restated Martin's estimation of 1835, but apparently guessed Feb. 20 as the actual date. Incidentally, Mary Bemis' DOB on her memorial states Apr. 20, 1840, even though she testified to Martin she was 68 in 1905, making her DOB nearer to 1836 or 1837.
His father and mother's surnames were recorded on the certificate, but not their given names. Researching 'Wares' and 'Belden' in 1835 Ohio returned only the following two individuals:
Andrew F. Wares, 23 and 14yo Susan Belden. Susan was Mr. Bildad Belden's daughter, who Andrew met in 1833 when both families were residents of Columbia Township, Ohio (Columbia Station). The Beldens, originally from Berkshire, MA., were residents there from 1830 to 1836. The township in Lorain County was located 13 miles southeast of Elyria. Andrew and Susan were wed on the 8th of April, 1835 (see register), six days after her 15th birthday, and two months after Martin Ware's birth and adoption. The civil ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace, Edwin Byington. Curiously, the couple were not married by Andrew's father, a fire-and-brimstone Baptist Minister, Rev. Moses Wares, who was the head of his household and of the Baptist congregation at Columbia Station.
On the Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio census of 1850, Martin and Mary J. Wares were listed (he at the estimated age of 14) in Hannah's care. In 1855, Mary J. Wares married Francis Bemis in Amherst, while Mrs. Baxter moved to Carthage, Illinois. She took with her 20 yr old Martin and then 14yo Morgan Edgcomb, who, from the age of 4, remained devoted to Hannah until her death there in 1891. According to her obituary, she lived out her life in Webster, a suburb, and raised over 20 children, but never had any of her own.
It was in Carthage on August 14th, 1862, at the age of 27, that Martin V. Wares enlisted for service in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. The Company Descriptive Book recorded his appearance: height, 5 feet 5 1/2 inches; florid complexion; grey eyes and auburn hair.
He was mustered as a Private into Company D, 78th Regiment Illinois Infantry on September 1st, 1862 in Quincy, Illinois; one among 862 other enlisted men. After three years of fighting, he was wounded in the Battle of Bentonville in North Carolina on March 19, 1865. Shot in his left hand, he spent April and May in the hospital. Too damaged to save, the hand was ultimately amputated.
The War ended a month before his hospital discharge. He was mustered out of his unit along with only 392 surviving soldiers on the 7th of June, 1865 in Washington, DC. Under the surnames WARE and WARES, he received a $12 per month military pension #74896 (filed June 19, 1865) for the rest of his life. He sometimes wore a wooden prosthesis.
His 1865 discharge record indicated he was married and his occupation was farming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1870 we next found Martin a resident of Missouri. The only record we have of his marriage to Amelia Sommers is the divorce decree dated April 5th, 1870 in Worth County. No children were mentioned.
One month later in the same county, on the 8th of May, he wed Virginia Ann Garner.
Their first child, Ida was born in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri in 1871. Minnie Alice was born in Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa in 1874. Born in Winterset, Madison County, Iowa were William Franklin in 1876, John Denman in 1879, Grace Pearl in 1881, Dora Ellen in 1885 and Maggie Browning in 1888.
Young William died at the age of three in September of 1879 and was buried in Hooten Cemetery in Winterset.
After their last child's birth, eight years passed without record of the family's location or movement. One clue we have is the marriage of daughter Minnie to G. Edward Walton in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa in 1894.
Virginia passed away seven months afterward on February 28, 1895 in rural Ingraham, Mills County, Iowa (census). The Walton's first child Ralph was born there in July. On April 24, 1897, Martin registered at Post 15, Department of Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic at Hamilton in Marion county.
In the winter of 1897-98, Martin relocated his entire family to Letcher in South Dakota where he rented a room for himself in a boarding house. Daughter Minnie, her then 8 year old sister Maggie, and Minnie's spouse, Edward Walton and the couple's infant son 'Ralf' rented a house nearby. In Butler township about 6 miles from Letcher, daughters Dora and Grace stayed with brother John who rented a farm from landlord, William Haden, who with his family and visiting nephew, Jasper Conley, lived on the farm next door.
In March of 1899, Martin's daughter Grace gave birth to Thelma Marie, who she was obliged to give up. In 1901 Grace had another child, Margaret, after which she fled her home with the infant. In the same month, William Haden's nephew was sent back to Missouri. In 1902, Grace met and married Henry Cavier in Tyndall, who adopted Margaret as his own. The couple settled in Wagner, Grace estranging herself from her brother and father.
Baby Thelma, who was renamed Etta May Chase, was my mother. ~Grace F.
Daughter Minnie and son-in-law Edward had four sons, three of which Martin was able to enjoy as a grandfather. He spent the last two years of his life in the Walton's home after they moved to a farm near Mitchell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1909 in Perry Township, twelve miles south of Letcher and four miles north of Mitchell, Martin VB Wares died from complications of "Bright's disease" (acute chronic nephritis and endocarditis). His funeral was held at the Walton's home with a procession to Graceland Cemetery where Martin was laid to rest with military honors.
The stone that the Veteran's Administration erected for him had an incorrect age inscription, based upon the date of his Army discharge and not on the date of his birth. The monument stood for 82 years and was replaced after family notified the Government in 1987 about the error.
The inscription on his old tombstone should have read
AGED 74 Ys. 1 M. 9 Days.
We, his only surviving great grandchildren, Grace, Dorothy and Jack, send a big Thank You to Dave M. for posting a photo of Martin's new headstone!
We wish to thank all of you for reading his story.
Sincerely, ~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family links:
Other Children:
John Denman Wares (1879 - 1930)*
Dora Ellen Wares Murphy (1885 - 1984)*
MARTIN VAN BUREN WARES, also known as Martin Ware, was named by his foster mother in honor of the U.S. Vice President at the time he was born, Martin Van Buren. He was familiarly called by his middle initials, which friends often reversed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD March 29, 1909
Martin V.B. Wares died Sunday at the home of his son-in-law, Edward Walton, four miles north of town in Perry township. Mr. Ware was 74 years old and has been living here for about two years. He had one son, John Wares living 6 miles east of Loomis. The funeral will be held at the Walton residence at 1:30 Tuesday, Rev. Fred James of the University having charge of the service. The deceased was a member of the GAR and a detachment from the local post will meet the procession of the funeral and escort the body to Graceland Cemetery.
Obituary transcribed and this memorial created by A Sindt on Dec. 9, 2007. Many thanks for placing Martin in the care of family.
~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier great granddaughter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Columbia Station, Lorain County, Ohio, on Monday, February 2nd, Martin Wares was born to an unwed 14 year old with the surname, Belden. The 6 day old infant was placed with adoptive mother Hannah Baxter at Elyria on Sunday the 8th.
citation: Received of Lorain County Recorder, the result of a 1987 adoption record request, the following statement:
"Martin Wares born Feb. 2 by Belden in Lorain County in 1835. The certificate was applied for on the 8th by mother Hannah Baxter in the town of Elyria, Lorain County."
Birth date note:
Included in the photos section is a document Martin signed on January 4, 1908 to explain his birth date for purposes of a pension claim. At that time it was not a certainty to him because he possessed no record of his adoption, nor a family Bible. He estimated, after talking with his sister, Mary Jane Bemis of North Amherst, that he was born in 1835. The Baxter adoption record provides his actual birth date which was Feb. 2, 1835, and is the reason we specifically used it for his memorial stats above. His son, John, informant for his death certificate (also included in the photos section) restated Martin's estimation of 1835, but apparently guessed Feb. 20 as the actual date. Incidentally, Mary Bemis' DOB on her memorial states Apr. 20, 1840, even though she testified to Martin she was 68 in 1905, making her DOB nearer to 1836 or 1837.
His father and mother's surnames were recorded on the certificate, but not their given names. Researching 'Wares' and 'Belden' in 1835 Ohio returned only the following two individuals:
Andrew F. Wares, 23 and 14yo Susan Belden. Susan was Mr. Bildad Belden's daughter, who Andrew met in 1833 when both families were residents of Columbia Township, Ohio (Columbia Station). The Beldens, originally from Berkshire, MA., were residents there from 1830 to 1836. The township in Lorain County was located 13 miles southeast of Elyria. Andrew and Susan were wed on the 8th of April, 1835 (see register), six days after her 15th birthday, and two months after Martin Ware's birth and adoption. The civil ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace, Edwin Byington. Curiously, the couple were not married by Andrew's father, a fire-and-brimstone Baptist Minister, Rev. Moses Wares, who was the head of his household and of the Baptist congregation at Columbia Station.
On the Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio census of 1850, Martin and Mary J. Wares were listed (he at the estimated age of 14) in Hannah's care. In 1855, Mary J. Wares married Francis Bemis in Amherst, while Mrs. Baxter moved to Carthage, Illinois. She took with her 20 yr old Martin and then 14yo Morgan Edgcomb, who, from the age of 4, remained devoted to Hannah until her death there in 1891. According to her obituary, she lived out her life in Webster, a suburb, and raised over 20 children, but never had any of her own.
It was in Carthage on August 14th, 1862, at the age of 27, that Martin V. Wares enlisted for service in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. The Company Descriptive Book recorded his appearance: height, 5 feet 5 1/2 inches; florid complexion; grey eyes and auburn hair.
He was mustered as a Private into Company D, 78th Regiment Illinois Infantry on September 1st, 1862 in Quincy, Illinois; one among 862 other enlisted men. After three years of fighting, he was wounded in the Battle of Bentonville in North Carolina on March 19, 1865. Shot in his left hand, he spent April and May in the hospital. Too damaged to save, the hand was ultimately amputated.
The War ended a month before his hospital discharge. He was mustered out of his unit along with only 392 surviving soldiers on the 7th of June, 1865 in Washington, DC. Under the surnames WARE and WARES, he received a $12 per month military pension #74896 (filed June 19, 1865) for the rest of his life. He sometimes wore a wooden prosthesis.
His 1865 discharge record indicated he was married and his occupation was farming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1870 we next found Martin a resident of Missouri. The only record we have of his marriage to Amelia Sommers is the divorce decree dated April 5th, 1870 in Worth County. No children were mentioned.
One month later in the same county, on the 8th of May, he wed Virginia Ann Garner.
Their first child, Ida was born in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri in 1871. Minnie Alice was born in Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa in 1874. Born in Winterset, Madison County, Iowa were William Franklin in 1876, John Denman in 1879, Grace Pearl in 1881, Dora Ellen in 1885 and Maggie Browning in 1888.
Young William died at the age of three in September of 1879 and was buried in Hooten Cemetery in Winterset.
After their last child's birth, eight years passed without record of the family's location or movement. One clue we have is the marriage of daughter Minnie to G. Edward Walton in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa in 1894.
Virginia passed away seven months afterward on February 28, 1895 in rural Ingraham, Mills County, Iowa (census). The Walton's first child Ralph was born there in July. On April 24, 1897, Martin registered at Post 15, Department of Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic at Hamilton in Marion county.
In the winter of 1897-98, Martin relocated his entire family to Letcher in South Dakota where he rented a room for himself in a boarding house. Daughter Minnie, her then 8 year old sister Maggie, and Minnie's spouse, Edward Walton and the couple's infant son 'Ralf' rented a house nearby. In Butler township about 6 miles from Letcher, daughters Dora and Grace stayed with brother John who rented a farm from landlord, William Haden, who with his family and visiting nephew, Jasper Conley, lived on the farm next door.
In March of 1899, Martin's daughter Grace gave birth to Thelma Marie, who she was obliged to give up. In 1901 Grace had another child, Margaret, after which she fled her home with the infant. In the same month, William Haden's nephew was sent back to Missouri. In 1902, Grace met and married Henry Cavier in Tyndall, who adopted Margaret as his own. The couple settled in Wagner, Grace estranging herself from her brother and father.
Baby Thelma, who was renamed Etta May Chase, was my mother. ~Grace F.
Daughter Minnie and son-in-law Edward had four sons, three of which Martin was able to enjoy as a grandfather. He spent the last two years of his life in the Walton's home after they moved to a farm near Mitchell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1909 in Perry Township, twelve miles south of Letcher and four miles north of Mitchell, Martin VB Wares died from complications of "Bright's disease" (acute chronic nephritis and endocarditis). His funeral was held at the Walton's home with a procession to Graceland Cemetery where Martin was laid to rest with military honors.
The stone that the Veteran's Administration erected for him had an incorrect age inscription, based upon the date of his Army discharge and not on the date of his birth. The monument stood for 82 years and was replaced after family notified the Government in 1987 about the error.
The inscription on his old tombstone should have read
AGED 74 Ys. 1 M. 9 Days.
We, his only surviving great grandchildren, Grace, Dorothy and Jack, send a big Thank You to Dave M. for posting a photo of Martin's new headstone!
We wish to thank all of you for reading his story.
Sincerely, ~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family links:
Other Children:
John Denman Wares (1879 - 1930)*
Dora Ellen Wares Murphy (1885 - 1984)*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daily Republic, Mitchell, SD March 29, 1909
Martin V.B. Wares died Sunday at the home of his son-in-law, Edward Walton, four miles north of town in Perry township. Mr. Ware was 74 years old and has been living here for about two years. He had one son, John Wares living 6 miles east of Loomis. The funeral will be held at the Walton residence at 1:30 Tuesday, Rev. Fred James of the University having charge of the service. The deceased was a member of the GAR and a detachment from the local post will meet the procession of the funeral and escort the body to Graceland Cemetery.
Obituary transcribed and this memorial created by A Sindt on Dec. 9, 2007. Many thanks for placing Martin in the care of family.
~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier great granddaughter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Columbia Station, Lorain County, Ohio, on Monday, February 2nd, Martin Wares was born to an unwed 14 year old with the surname, Belden. The 6 day old infant was placed with adoptive mother Hannah Baxter at Elyria on Sunday the 8th.
citation: Received of Lorain County Recorder, the result of a 1987 adoption record request, the following statement:
"Martin Wares born Feb. 2 by Belden in Lorain County in 1835. The certificate was applied for on the 8th by mother Hannah Baxter in the town of Elyria, Lorain County."
Birth date note:
Included in the photos section is a document Martin signed on January 4, 1908 to explain his birth date for purposes of a pension claim. At that time it was not a certainty to him because he possessed no record of his adoption, nor a family Bible. He estimated, after talking with his sister, Mary Jane Bemis of North Amherst, that he was born in 1835. The Baxter adoption record provides his actual birth date which was Feb. 2, 1835, and is the reason we specifically used it for his memorial stats above. His son, John, informant for his death certificate (also included in the photos section) restated Martin's estimation of 1835, but apparently guessed Feb. 20 as the actual date. Incidentally, Mary Bemis' DOB on her memorial states Apr. 20, 1840, even though she testified to Martin she was 68 in 1905, making her DOB nearer to 1836 or 1837.
His father and mother's surnames were recorded on the certificate, but not their given names. Researching 'Wares' and 'Belden' in 1835 Ohio returned only the following two individuals:
Andrew F. Wares, 23 and 14yo Susan Belden. Susan was Mr. Bildad Belden's daughter, who Andrew met in 1833 when both families were residents of Columbia Township, Ohio (Columbia Station). The Beldens, originally from Berkshire, MA., were residents there from 1830 to 1836. The township in Lorain County was located 13 miles southeast of Elyria. Andrew and Susan were wed on the 8th of April, 1835 (see register), six days after her 15th birthday, and two months after Martin Ware's birth and adoption. The civil ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace, Edwin Byington. Curiously, the couple were not married by Andrew's father, a fire-and-brimstone Baptist Minister, Rev. Moses Wares, who was the head of his household and of the Baptist congregation at Columbia Station.
On the Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio census of 1850, Martin and Mary J. Wares were listed (he at the estimated age of 14) in Hannah's care. In 1855, Mary J. Wares married Francis Bemis in Amherst, while Mrs. Baxter moved to Carthage, Illinois. She took with her 20 yr old Martin and then 14yo Morgan Edgcomb, who, from the age of 4, remained devoted to Hannah until her death there in 1891. According to her obituary, she lived out her life in Webster, a suburb, and raised over 20 children, but never had any of her own.
It was in Carthage on August 14th, 1862, at the age of 27, that Martin V. Wares enlisted for service in the Civil War on the side of the Union Army. The Company Descriptive Book recorded his appearance: height, 5 feet 5 1/2 inches; florid complexion; grey eyes and auburn hair.
He was mustered as a Private into Company D, 78th Regiment Illinois Infantry on September 1st, 1862 in Quincy, Illinois; one among 862 other enlisted men. After three years of fighting, he was wounded in the Battle of Bentonville in North Carolina on March 19, 1865. Shot in his left hand, he spent April and May in the hospital. Too damaged to save, the hand was ultimately amputated.
The War ended a month before his hospital discharge. He was mustered out of his unit along with only 392 surviving soldiers on the 7th of June, 1865 in Washington, DC. Under the surnames WARE and WARES, he received a $12 per month military pension #74896 (filed June 19, 1865) for the rest of his life. He sometimes wore a wooden prosthesis.
His 1865 discharge record indicated he was married and his occupation was farming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1870 we next found Martin a resident of Missouri. The only record we have of his marriage to Amelia Sommers is the divorce decree dated April 5th, 1870 in Worth County. No children were mentioned.
One month later in the same county, on the 8th of May, he wed Virginia Ann Garner.
Their first child, Ida was born in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri in 1871. Minnie Alice was born in Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa in 1874. Born in Winterset, Madison County, Iowa were William Franklin in 1876, John Denman in 1879, Grace Pearl in 1881, Dora Ellen in 1885 and Maggie Browning in 1888.
Young William died at the age of three in September of 1879 and was buried in Hooten Cemetery in Winterset.
After their last child's birth, eight years passed without record of the family's location or movement. One clue we have is the marriage of daughter Minnie to G. Edward Walton in Logan, Harrison County, Iowa in 1894.
Virginia passed away seven months afterward on February 28, 1895 in rural Ingraham, Mills County, Iowa (census). The Walton's first child Ralph was born there in July. On April 24, 1897, Martin registered at Post 15, Department of Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic at Hamilton in Marion county.
In the winter of 1897-98, Martin relocated his entire family to Letcher in South Dakota where he rented a room for himself in a boarding house. Daughter Minnie, her then 8 year old sister Maggie, and Minnie's spouse, Edward Walton and the couple's infant son 'Ralf' rented a house nearby. In Butler township about 6 miles from Letcher, daughters Dora and Grace stayed with brother John who rented a farm from landlord, William Haden, who with his family and visiting nephew, Jasper Conley, lived on the farm next door.
In March of 1899, Martin's daughter Grace gave birth to Thelma Marie, who she was obliged to give up. In 1901 Grace had another child, Margaret, after which she fled her home with the infant. In the same month, William Haden's nephew was sent back to Missouri. In 1902, Grace met and married Henry Cavier in Tyndall, who adopted Margaret as his own. The couple settled in Wagner, Grace estranging herself from her brother and father.
Baby Thelma, who was renamed Etta May Chase, was my mother. ~Grace F.
Daughter Minnie and son-in-law Edward had four sons, three of which Martin was able to enjoy as a grandfather. He spent the last two years of his life in the Walton's home after they moved to a farm near Mitchell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1909 in Perry Township, twelve miles south of Letcher and four miles north of Mitchell, Martin VB Wares died from complications of "Bright's disease" (acute chronic nephritis and endocarditis). His funeral was held at the Walton's home with a procession to Graceland Cemetery where Martin was laid to rest with military honors.
The stone that the Veteran's Administration erected for him had an incorrect age inscription, based upon the date of his Army discharge and not on the date of his birth. The monument stood for 82 years and was replaced after family notified the Government in 1987 about the error.
The inscription on his old tombstone should have read
AGED 74 Ys. 1 M. 9 Days.
We, his only surviving great grandchildren, Grace, Dorothy and Jack, send a big Thank You to Dave M. for posting a photo of Martin's new headstone!
We wish to thank all of you for reading his story.
Sincerely, ~Grace (Mitchell/Wares) Fortier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family links:
Other Children:
John Denman Wares (1879 - 1930)*
Dora Ellen Wares Murphy (1885 - 1984)*
Inscription
Original Headstone inscription:
AT REST
MARTIN
WARES
CO. D. 78 REG. ILL.
VOL. INFT.
DIED MAR 28,1909
AGED 44 YS. 8 MS.*
26 DAYS.
*should have read:
AGED 74 Ys. 1 M. 9 Days
---
New headstone inscription:
MARTIN V WARES
CO D
78 ILL VOL INF
MAR 28 1909
Gravesite Details
* Martin's original headstone was replaced by Veteran's Administration after family informed them of the date error. Thank you to Dave M. for posting a photo of the new headstone.
