Martha Demirus (Lucas) Ford was the daughter of James Lucas (1804-1900) who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Missouri; and Charity (Bennett) (Baldwin) Lucas (1822-1874) who was born in Kentucky and died in Missouri.
Martha went by the nickname of Mat. She was one of two children of both her mother and father's second marriages.
The family of Mat's mother Charity, the Bennetts, had moved from Kentucky to Macon County, Missouri, then to Schuyler County, Missouri where Charity's father, Ezekiel Bennett, Sr., farmed until he died in 1846, leaving Charity's mother with young children and many hardships. Charity was the second oldest child in the family and she got married the next year after her father died.
On February 7, 1847, when Charity was 25, she married Elisha Baldwin who was 22 years older than her. He was a Justice of the Peace and a principal member of the Schuyler County Court. Elisha Baldwin had been married twice before and had 5 known children (most names are unknown to this writer). He and third wife Charity Bennett had 4 known children, and these were Mat's half-siblings:
William Baldwin 1848 – 1900
James Wesley "Wes" Baldwin 1849 – 1921
Jackson Douglas "Dug" Baldwin 1851 – 1932
Elisha Henry "Lan" Baldwin 1852 –
Elisha Baldwin died in about 1852 leaving Matt's mother, Charity, with these children who were all very young. Elisha Baldwin was reportedly a very wealthy man. Much of his wealth was in gold which he kept in a large metal box. Charity said he used to play with his sons to see if any of them could lift the box of gold, but none could. The Baldwins lived in a large house on a farm near Glenwood and Coatsville, Missouri. But, in the mid 1850's, Elisha fell ill and did not feel he would live long.
In the same community lived a widower named James Lucas who had 8 children, some of whom were grown at this time. His wife had died in about 1850. He began to visit the Baldwins, and Elisha strongly suspected that he was interested in marrying Charity after he was gone. Elisha told Charity his suspicions and said he would never let her and James Lucas use his money and would bury it where no one could find it. He gave his sons only a few gold coins to keep. Charity told family members that one day Elisha came in the house exhausted and fell across a bed. She knew that was the day he buried his gold. It was never found, though the family searched for it for many years after Elisha died.
Charity was married to James Lucas on October 6, 1856 in Schuyler County, Missouri, by John C. Bass, Justice of the Peace. They lived in the big Baldwin house, but Charity said she could not live in peace because she believed she was bing haunted by Elisha Baldwin. Many stories were told through the years of these hauntings.
James and Charity Lucas had two known children:
Franklin Baldwin 1855–1871
Martha Demirus "Mat" Lucas 1860-
Sadly, Mat's older brother Franklin was said to have died at about the age of 14 in an accident, but this writer does not know what kind of accident it was. [This information came from The Lucas Family History.]
Mat's half-siblings from her father's side were:
Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin 1831 – 1924
Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur 1834 –
George Allen Lucas 1837 –
Jane Martha Lucas 1839 –
Samuel Jefferson Lucas 1840 –
Permelia Frances (Lucas) McCartney 1842 – 1925
Margaret Ellen (Lucas) McCartney 1844 – 1943
Susan Lucas 1846 –
Sadly, Mat Lucas' mother, Charity, died in 1874 when Mat was only 14. For a time, Mat lived with her half-sister Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur and her husband and children. However, it is revealed in a letter from Mat's half-brother, Lan Baldwin, which is now in the possession of this writer, that apparently Mat was not treated well there.
Mat then went to live with her elderly maternal grandmother, Lydia (Asbell) Bennett. Lydia was now living in Macon County, Missouri. It is unknown how long Mat lived there, but by 1880, she had gone to live with another half-sister, Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri. Mat was 20 years old at that time. Within the next two years, she met a widower in Schuyler County named George W. Ford whose first wife Mary Jane (Mock) had just died in 1882, leaving him with two toddler boys Tom age 1 and Harvey age 2.
On September 3, 1882, in the home of her half-sister Sarah Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri, Mat, age 21, married George Ford, age 29, and assumed the responsibility of mother to his young children.
Mat and George Ford had the following known children of their own; however, sadly, 3 of those died as children:
Jessie L. (Ford) Bowling 1883-1964
George J Ford 1886 – 1890
John E. Ford 1888 – 1889
Clara E. Ford 1889 – 1965
Glen Walter Ford 1891 – 1924
Lewis Logan Ford 1894 – 1938
Kate Ford 1897 – 1898
George and Mat Ford were successful farmers in Schuyler County, Missouri. They lived on the same property that her mother had obtained from her marriage to Elisha Baldwin, and which presumably fell to her father James Lucas at her mother's death. According to family fokelore, the house was still haunted when Mat and her family lived in it.
Mat died in 1922 and was laid to rest beside her children who had died young, at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Glenwood, Missouri in Schuyler County. George died 15 years later and was buried beside Mat.
Missouri Death Certificate 25370 for Martha Lucas.
Note: This writer was a third cousin to Mat (Lucas) Ford. Her mother Charity's youngest sister, Paulina (Bennett) Thurman was my great grandmother. My grandfather, Ira Thurman, was Mat's first cousin but because of the large age difference between their mothers, Ira was the age of the Ford boys. Ira told stories of going to visit the Fords on his horse, riding all the way from rural Atlanta, Macon County, Missouri to their home in Schuyler County. He also experienced haunting events while visiting at the old Baldwin/Lucas/Ford house.
- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis
Martha went by the nickname of Mat. She was one of two children of both her mother and father's second marriages.
The family of Mat's mother Charity, the Bennetts, had moved from Kentucky to Macon County, Missouri, then to Schuyler County, Missouri where Charity's father, Ezekiel Bennett, Sr., farmed until he died in 1846, leaving Charity's mother with young children and many hardships. Charity was the second oldest child in the family and she got married the next year after her father died.
On February 7, 1847, when Charity was 25, she married Elisha Baldwin who was 22 years older than her. He was a Justice of the Peace and a principal member of the Schuyler County Court. Elisha Baldwin had been married twice before and had 5 known children (most names are unknown to this writer). He and third wife Charity Bennett had 4 known children, and these were Mat's half-siblings:
William Baldwin 1848 – 1900
James Wesley "Wes" Baldwin 1849 – 1921
Jackson Douglas "Dug" Baldwin 1851 – 1932
Elisha Henry "Lan" Baldwin 1852 –
Elisha Baldwin died in about 1852 leaving Matt's mother, Charity, with these children who were all very young. Elisha Baldwin was reportedly a very wealthy man. Much of his wealth was in gold which he kept in a large metal box. Charity said he used to play with his sons to see if any of them could lift the box of gold, but none could. The Baldwins lived in a large house on a farm near Glenwood and Coatsville, Missouri. But, in the mid 1850's, Elisha fell ill and did not feel he would live long.
In the same community lived a widower named James Lucas who had 8 children, some of whom were grown at this time. His wife had died in about 1850. He began to visit the Baldwins, and Elisha strongly suspected that he was interested in marrying Charity after he was gone. Elisha told Charity his suspicions and said he would never let her and James Lucas use his money and would bury it where no one could find it. He gave his sons only a few gold coins to keep. Charity told family members that one day Elisha came in the house exhausted and fell across a bed. She knew that was the day he buried his gold. It was never found, though the family searched for it for many years after Elisha died.
Charity was married to James Lucas on October 6, 1856 in Schuyler County, Missouri, by John C. Bass, Justice of the Peace. They lived in the big Baldwin house, but Charity said she could not live in peace because she believed she was bing haunted by Elisha Baldwin. Many stories were told through the years of these hauntings.
James and Charity Lucas had two known children:
Franklin Baldwin 1855–1871
Martha Demirus "Mat" Lucas 1860-
Sadly, Mat's older brother Franklin was said to have died at about the age of 14 in an accident, but this writer does not know what kind of accident it was. [This information came from The Lucas Family History.]
Mat's half-siblings from her father's side were:
Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin 1831 – 1924
Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur 1834 –
George Allen Lucas 1837 –
Jane Martha Lucas 1839 –
Samuel Jefferson Lucas 1840 –
Permelia Frances (Lucas) McCartney 1842 – 1925
Margaret Ellen (Lucas) McCartney 1844 – 1943
Susan Lucas 1846 –
Sadly, Mat Lucas' mother, Charity, died in 1874 when Mat was only 14. For a time, Mat lived with her half-sister Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur and her husband and children. However, it is revealed in a letter from Mat's half-brother, Lan Baldwin, which is now in the possession of this writer, that apparently Mat was not treated well there.
Mat then went to live with her elderly maternal grandmother, Lydia (Asbell) Bennett. Lydia was now living in Macon County, Missouri. It is unknown how long Mat lived there, but by 1880, she had gone to live with another half-sister, Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri. Mat was 20 years old at that time. Within the next two years, she met a widower in Schuyler County named George W. Ford whose first wife Mary Jane (Mock) had just died in 1882, leaving him with two toddler boys Tom age 1 and Harvey age 2.
On September 3, 1882, in the home of her half-sister Sarah Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri, Mat, age 21, married George Ford, age 29, and assumed the responsibility of mother to his young children.
Mat and George Ford had the following known children of their own; however, sadly, 3 of those died as children:
Jessie L. (Ford) Bowling 1883-1964
George J Ford 1886 – 1890
John E. Ford 1888 – 1889
Clara E. Ford 1889 – 1965
Glen Walter Ford 1891 – 1924
Lewis Logan Ford 1894 – 1938
Kate Ford 1897 – 1898
George and Mat Ford were successful farmers in Schuyler County, Missouri. They lived on the same property that her mother had obtained from her marriage to Elisha Baldwin, and which presumably fell to her father James Lucas at her mother's death. According to family fokelore, the house was still haunted when Mat and her family lived in it.
Mat died in 1922 and was laid to rest beside her children who had died young, at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Glenwood, Missouri in Schuyler County. George died 15 years later and was buried beside Mat.
Missouri Death Certificate 25370 for Martha Lucas.
Note: This writer was a third cousin to Mat (Lucas) Ford. Her mother Charity's youngest sister, Paulina (Bennett) Thurman was my great grandmother. My grandfather, Ira Thurman, was Mat's first cousin but because of the large age difference between their mothers, Ira was the age of the Ford boys. Ira told stories of going to visit the Fords on his horse, riding all the way from rural Atlanta, Macon County, Missouri to their home in Schuyler County. He also experienced haunting events while visiting at the old Baldwin/Lucas/Ford house.
- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis
Martha Demirus (Lucas) Ford was the daughter of James Lucas (1804-1900) who was born in Pennsylvania and died in Missouri; and Charity (Bennett) (Baldwin) Lucas (1822-1874) who was born in Kentucky and died in Missouri.
Martha went by the nickname of Mat. She was one of two children of both her mother and father's second marriages.
The family of Mat's mother Charity, the Bennetts, had moved from Kentucky to Macon County, Missouri, then to Schuyler County, Missouri where Charity's father, Ezekiel Bennett, Sr., farmed until he died in 1846, leaving Charity's mother with young children and many hardships. Charity was the second oldest child in the family and she got married the next year after her father died.
On February 7, 1847, when Charity was 25, she married Elisha Baldwin who was 22 years older than her. He was a Justice of the Peace and a principal member of the Schuyler County Court. Elisha Baldwin had been married twice before and had 5 known children (most names are unknown to this writer). He and third wife Charity Bennett had 4 known children, and these were Mat's half-siblings:
William Baldwin 1848 – 1900
James Wesley "Wes" Baldwin 1849 – 1921
Jackson Douglas "Dug" Baldwin 1851 – 1932
Elisha Henry "Lan" Baldwin 1852 –
Elisha Baldwin died in about 1852 leaving Matt's mother, Charity, with these children who were all very young. Elisha Baldwin was reportedly a very wealthy man. Much of his wealth was in gold which he kept in a large metal box. Charity said he used to play with his sons to see if any of them could lift the box of gold, but none could. The Baldwins lived in a large house on a farm near Glenwood and Coatsville, Missouri. But, in the mid 1850's, Elisha fell ill and did not feel he would live long.
In the same community lived a widower named James Lucas who had 8 children, some of whom were grown at this time. His wife had died in about 1850. He began to visit the Baldwins, and Elisha strongly suspected that he was interested in marrying Charity after he was gone. Elisha told Charity his suspicions and said he would never let her and James Lucas use his money and would bury it where no one could find it. He gave his sons only a few gold coins to keep. Charity told family members that one day Elisha came in the house exhausted and fell across a bed. She knew that was the day he buried his gold. It was never found, though the family searched for it for many years after Elisha died.
Charity was married to James Lucas on October 6, 1856 in Schuyler County, Missouri, by John C. Bass, Justice of the Peace. They lived in the big Baldwin house, but Charity said she could not live in peace because she believed she was bing haunted by Elisha Baldwin. Many stories were told through the years of these hauntings.
James and Charity Lucas had two known children:
Franklin Baldwin 1855–1871
Martha Demirus "Mat" Lucas 1860-
Sadly, Mat's older brother Franklin was said to have died at about the age of 14 in an accident, but this writer does not know what kind of accident it was. [This information came from The Lucas Family History.]
Mat's half-siblings from her father's side were:
Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin 1831 – 1924
Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur 1834 –
George Allen Lucas 1837 –
Jane Martha Lucas 1839 –
Samuel Jefferson Lucas 1840 –
Permelia Frances (Lucas) McCartney 1842 – 1925
Margaret Ellen (Lucas) McCartney 1844 – 1943
Susan Lucas 1846 –
Sadly, Mat Lucas' mother, Charity, died in 1874 when Mat was only 14. For a time, Mat lived with her half-sister Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur and her husband and children. However, it is revealed in a letter from Mat's half-brother, Lan Baldwin, which is now in the possession of this writer, that apparently Mat was not treated well there.
Mat then went to live with her elderly maternal grandmother, Lydia (Asbell) Bennett. Lydia was now living in Macon County, Missouri. It is unknown how long Mat lived there, but by 1880, she had gone to live with another half-sister, Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri. Mat was 20 years old at that time. Within the next two years, she met a widower in Schuyler County named George W. Ford whose first wife Mary Jane (Mock) had just died in 1882, leaving him with two toddler boys Tom age 1 and Harvey age 2.
On September 3, 1882, in the home of her half-sister Sarah Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri, Mat, age 21, married George Ford, age 29, and assumed the responsibility of mother to his young children.
Mat and George Ford had the following known children of their own; however, sadly, 3 of those died as children:
Jessie L. (Ford) Bowling 1883-1964
George J Ford 1886 – 1890
John E. Ford 1888 – 1889
Clara E. Ford 1889 – 1965
Glen Walter Ford 1891 – 1924
Lewis Logan Ford 1894 – 1938
Kate Ford 1897 – 1898
George and Mat Ford were successful farmers in Schuyler County, Missouri. They lived on the same property that her mother had obtained from her marriage to Elisha Baldwin, and which presumably fell to her father James Lucas at her mother's death. According to family fokelore, the house was still haunted when Mat and her family lived in it.
Mat died in 1922 and was laid to rest beside her children who had died young, at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Glenwood, Missouri in Schuyler County. George died 15 years later and was buried beside Mat.
Missouri Death Certificate 25370 for Martha Lucas.
Note: This writer was a third cousin to Mat (Lucas) Ford. Her mother Charity's youngest sister, Paulina (Bennett) Thurman was my great grandmother. My grandfather, Ira Thurman, was Mat's first cousin but because of the large age difference between their mothers, Ira was the age of the Ford boys. Ira told stories of going to visit the Fords on his horse, riding all the way from rural Atlanta, Macon County, Missouri to their home in Schuyler County. He also experienced haunting events while visiting at the old Baldwin/Lucas/Ford house.
- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis
Martha went by the nickname of Mat. She was one of two children of both her mother and father's second marriages.
The family of Mat's mother Charity, the Bennetts, had moved from Kentucky to Macon County, Missouri, then to Schuyler County, Missouri where Charity's father, Ezekiel Bennett, Sr., farmed until he died in 1846, leaving Charity's mother with young children and many hardships. Charity was the second oldest child in the family and she got married the next year after her father died.
On February 7, 1847, when Charity was 25, she married Elisha Baldwin who was 22 years older than her. He was a Justice of the Peace and a principal member of the Schuyler County Court. Elisha Baldwin had been married twice before and had 5 known children (most names are unknown to this writer). He and third wife Charity Bennett had 4 known children, and these were Mat's half-siblings:
William Baldwin 1848 – 1900
James Wesley "Wes" Baldwin 1849 – 1921
Jackson Douglas "Dug" Baldwin 1851 – 1932
Elisha Henry "Lan" Baldwin 1852 –
Elisha Baldwin died in about 1852 leaving Matt's mother, Charity, with these children who were all very young. Elisha Baldwin was reportedly a very wealthy man. Much of his wealth was in gold which he kept in a large metal box. Charity said he used to play with his sons to see if any of them could lift the box of gold, but none could. The Baldwins lived in a large house on a farm near Glenwood and Coatsville, Missouri. But, in the mid 1850's, Elisha fell ill and did not feel he would live long.
In the same community lived a widower named James Lucas who had 8 children, some of whom were grown at this time. His wife had died in about 1850. He began to visit the Baldwins, and Elisha strongly suspected that he was interested in marrying Charity after he was gone. Elisha told Charity his suspicions and said he would never let her and James Lucas use his money and would bury it where no one could find it. He gave his sons only a few gold coins to keep. Charity told family members that one day Elisha came in the house exhausted and fell across a bed. She knew that was the day he buried his gold. It was never found, though the family searched for it for many years after Elisha died.
Charity was married to James Lucas on October 6, 1856 in Schuyler County, Missouri, by John C. Bass, Justice of the Peace. They lived in the big Baldwin house, but Charity said she could not live in peace because she believed she was bing haunted by Elisha Baldwin. Many stories were told through the years of these hauntings.
James and Charity Lucas had two known children:
Franklin Baldwin 1855–1871
Martha Demirus "Mat" Lucas 1860-
Sadly, Mat's older brother Franklin was said to have died at about the age of 14 in an accident, but this writer does not know what kind of accident it was. [This information came from The Lucas Family History.]
Mat's half-siblings from her father's side were:
Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin 1831 – 1924
Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur 1834 –
George Allen Lucas 1837 –
Jane Martha Lucas 1839 –
Samuel Jefferson Lucas 1840 –
Permelia Frances (Lucas) McCartney 1842 – 1925
Margaret Ellen (Lucas) McCartney 1844 – 1943
Susan Lucas 1846 –
Sadly, Mat Lucas' mother, Charity, died in 1874 when Mat was only 14. For a time, Mat lived with her half-sister Rebecca Anna (Lucas) Spargur and her husband and children. However, it is revealed in a letter from Mat's half-brother, Lan Baldwin, which is now in the possession of this writer, that apparently Mat was not treated well there.
Mat then went to live with her elderly maternal grandmother, Lydia (Asbell) Bennett. Lydia was now living in Macon County, Missouri. It is unknown how long Mat lived there, but by 1880, she had gone to live with another half-sister, Sarah Elizabeth (Lucas) Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri. Mat was 20 years old at that time. Within the next two years, she met a widower in Schuyler County named George W. Ford whose first wife Mary Jane (Mock) had just died in 1882, leaving him with two toddler boys Tom age 1 and Harvey age 2.
On September 3, 1882, in the home of her half-sister Sarah Franklin in Putnam County, Missouri, Mat, age 21, married George Ford, age 29, and assumed the responsibility of mother to his young children.
Mat and George Ford had the following known children of their own; however, sadly, 3 of those died as children:
Jessie L. (Ford) Bowling 1883-1964
George J Ford 1886 – 1890
John E. Ford 1888 – 1889
Clara E. Ford 1889 – 1965
Glen Walter Ford 1891 – 1924
Lewis Logan Ford 1894 – 1938
Kate Ford 1897 – 1898
George and Mat Ford were successful farmers in Schuyler County, Missouri. They lived on the same property that her mother had obtained from her marriage to Elisha Baldwin, and which presumably fell to her father James Lucas at her mother's death. According to family fokelore, the house was still haunted when Mat and her family lived in it.
Mat died in 1922 and was laid to rest beside her children who had died young, at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Glenwood, Missouri in Schuyler County. George died 15 years later and was buried beside Mat.
Missouri Death Certificate 25370 for Martha Lucas.
Note: This writer was a third cousin to Mat (Lucas) Ford. Her mother Charity's youngest sister, Paulina (Bennett) Thurman was my great grandmother. My grandfather, Ira Thurman, was Mat's first cousin but because of the large age difference between their mothers, Ira was the age of the Ford boys. Ira told stories of going to visit the Fords on his horse, riding all the way from rural Atlanta, Macon County, Missouri to their home in Schuyler County. He also experienced haunting events while visiting at the old Baldwin/Lucas/Ford house.
- Written by Blytha (Dennis) Ellis
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