I realize there is another site for Orpha. A very distant cousin, Kaye put it on after I did. Unfortunately, Kaye has passed away. Therefore, we cannot get together to make one site for Orpha. Since there is so much to add, I am taking the liberty of doing so. Rest in Peace, Kaye.
********
The story of Orpha Elvia Ballou and her husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes, is well documented by two of their children, Mary and Jessie, who wrote a family memoir in 1941. Quotes used are from Mary's and Jessie's journal.
Orpha Elvia Ballou Barnes was born April 15, 1842 in Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, near Wheaton, to Levi and Mary Marble Ballou.
In 1836/37 Levi, Mary, their first child and friends made an arduous covered wagon trip from Oneida, NY to Lombard, IL.
"Grandpa Ballou was a carpenter by trade. When his first born was a mere babe, he and some of his neighbors packed all of their belongings into covered wagons and started for the new West. There were many hardships along the way, including almost impassable roads. One day, just at its close, they camped on swampy ground near a great lake--Michigan. It was the spot where a great city was to stand someday...the city of Chicago. In the morning Grandpa Ballou drove on west to Lombard. Here, years later, April 15, 1842, our mother, Orpha, was born. When she was a babe, they moved to Wheaton just north of where Wheaton College now stands."
Orpha, along with six siblings, was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, where her father specialized in building caskets and new houses, but also did some farming.
"She had a happy childhood, seven children to romp and play together, while they shared in the work of the home. Mother (Orpha) often said there was no play until each had completed his allotted task. It might be a hundred rounds of knitting on a stocking, it might be to husk so many bushels of corn."
In the early 1860's at age 20, Orpha met her future husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes. He was an itinerant farmer, who about 1851 had left his parents farm in Rutland, Vermont, to make a new life in DuPage County, IL, where his brothers had emigrated as educators. Orpha and Charles married November 11, 1863 near Wheaton. Orpha was 21, Charles, 46.
Age difference (25 years) was no matter. They owned four farms, two in DuPage County, two in Whiteside County. They were blessed with four children, Nellie (b 1864, Mary (b 1866), Jessie (b 1868) and Charles Jr. (b 1876). The children were raised by Orpha and Charles with strong religious devotion, instilled with a strong work ethic and raised with a high standard of ethics.
By the early 1900's, when Charles had retired from farming, he and Orpha lived in Morrison, IL. His health was declining. Orpha continued to farm in a small way...garden variety crops, raising chickens and selling eggs.
After his death in 1909, age 92, Orpha's health started slowing declining. Mary and Jessie took care of her at her home in Morrison. Orpha suffered a stroke in 1916, but lived until June 16, 1922.
...biography by Ralph Barnes Davidson, great grandson of Orpha Ballou Barnes
Her daughters on FAG are;
Nellie Mosher #99328078
Mary Barnes #99333050
Jessie Barnes #99333107
********
The story of Orpha Elvia Ballou and her husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes, is well documented by two of their children, Mary and Jessie, who wrote a family memoir in 1941. Quotes used are from Mary's and Jessie's journal.
Orpha Elvia Ballou Barnes was born April 15, 1842 in Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, near Wheaton, to Levi and Mary Marble Ballou.
In 1836/37 Levi, Mary, their first child and friends made an arduous covered wagon trip from Oneida, NY to Lombard, IL.
"Grandpa Ballou was a carpenter by trade. When his first born was a mere babe, he and some of his neighbors packed all of their belongings into covered wagons and started for the new West. There were many hardships along the way, including almost impassable roads. One day, just at its close, they camped on swampy ground near a great lake--Michigan. It was the spot where a great city was to stand someday...the city of Chicago. In the morning Grandpa Ballou drove on west to Lombard. Here, years later, April 15, 1842, our mother, Orpha, was born. When she was a babe, they moved to Wheaton just north of where Wheaton College now stands."
Orpha, along with six siblings, was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, where her father specialized in building caskets and new houses, but also did some farming.
"She had a happy childhood, seven children to romp and play together, while they shared in the work of the home. Mother (Orpha) often said there was no play until each had completed his allotted task. It might be a hundred rounds of knitting on a stocking, it might be to husk so many bushels of corn."
In the early 1860's at age 20, Orpha met her future husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes. He was an itinerant farmer, who about 1851 had left his parents farm in Rutland, Vermont, to make a new life in DuPage County, IL, where his brothers had emigrated as educators. Orpha and Charles married November 11, 1863 near Wheaton. Orpha was 21, Charles, 46.
Age difference (25 years) was no matter. They owned four farms, two in DuPage County, two in Whiteside County. They were blessed with four children, Nellie (b 1864, Mary (b 1866), Jessie (b 1868) and Charles Jr. (b 1876). The children were raised by Orpha and Charles with strong religious devotion, instilled with a strong work ethic and raised with a high standard of ethics.
By the early 1900's, when Charles had retired from farming, he and Orpha lived in Morrison, IL. His health was declining. Orpha continued to farm in a small way...garden variety crops, raising chickens and selling eggs.
After his death in 1909, age 92, Orpha's health started slowing declining. Mary and Jessie took care of her at her home in Morrison. Orpha suffered a stroke in 1916, but lived until June 16, 1922.
...biography by Ralph Barnes Davidson, great grandson of Orpha Ballou Barnes
Her daughters on FAG are;
Nellie Mosher #99328078
Mary Barnes #99333050
Jessie Barnes #99333107
I realize there is another site for Orpha. A very distant cousin, Kaye put it on after I did. Unfortunately, Kaye has passed away. Therefore, we cannot get together to make one site for Orpha. Since there is so much to add, I am taking the liberty of doing so. Rest in Peace, Kaye.
********
The story of Orpha Elvia Ballou and her husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes, is well documented by two of their children, Mary and Jessie, who wrote a family memoir in 1941. Quotes used are from Mary's and Jessie's journal.
Orpha Elvia Ballou Barnes was born April 15, 1842 in Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, near Wheaton, to Levi and Mary Marble Ballou.
In 1836/37 Levi, Mary, their first child and friends made an arduous covered wagon trip from Oneida, NY to Lombard, IL.
"Grandpa Ballou was a carpenter by trade. When his first born was a mere babe, he and some of his neighbors packed all of their belongings into covered wagons and started for the new West. There were many hardships along the way, including almost impassable roads. One day, just at its close, they camped on swampy ground near a great lake--Michigan. It was the spot where a great city was to stand someday...the city of Chicago. In the morning Grandpa Ballou drove on west to Lombard. Here, years later, April 15, 1842, our mother, Orpha, was born. When she was a babe, they moved to Wheaton just north of where Wheaton College now stands."
Orpha, along with six siblings, was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, where her father specialized in building caskets and new houses, but also did some farming.
"She had a happy childhood, seven children to romp and play together, while they shared in the work of the home. Mother (Orpha) often said there was no play until each had completed his allotted task. It might be a hundred rounds of knitting on a stocking, it might be to husk so many bushels of corn."
In the early 1860's at age 20, Orpha met her future husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes. He was an itinerant farmer, who about 1851 had left his parents farm in Rutland, Vermont, to make a new life in DuPage County, IL, where his brothers had emigrated as educators. Orpha and Charles married November 11, 1863 near Wheaton. Orpha was 21, Charles, 46.
Age difference (25 years) was no matter. They owned four farms, two in DuPage County, two in Whiteside County. They were blessed with four children, Nellie (b 1864, Mary (b 1866), Jessie (b 1868) and Charles Jr. (b 1876). The children were raised by Orpha and Charles with strong religious devotion, instilled with a strong work ethic and raised with a high standard of ethics.
By the early 1900's, when Charles had retired from farming, he and Orpha lived in Morrison, IL. His health was declining. Orpha continued to farm in a small way...garden variety crops, raising chickens and selling eggs.
After his death in 1909, age 92, Orpha's health started slowing declining. Mary and Jessie took care of her at her home in Morrison. Orpha suffered a stroke in 1916, but lived until June 16, 1922.
...biography by Ralph Barnes Davidson, great grandson of Orpha Ballou Barnes
Her daughters on FAG are;
Nellie Mosher #99328078
Mary Barnes #99333050
Jessie Barnes #99333107
********
The story of Orpha Elvia Ballou and her husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes, is well documented by two of their children, Mary and Jessie, who wrote a family memoir in 1941. Quotes used are from Mary's and Jessie's journal.
Orpha Elvia Ballou Barnes was born April 15, 1842 in Lombard, DuPage County, Illinois, near Wheaton, to Levi and Mary Marble Ballou.
In 1836/37 Levi, Mary, their first child and friends made an arduous covered wagon trip from Oneida, NY to Lombard, IL.
"Grandpa Ballou was a carpenter by trade. When his first born was a mere babe, he and some of his neighbors packed all of their belongings into covered wagons and started for the new West. There were many hardships along the way, including almost impassable roads. One day, just at its close, they camped on swampy ground near a great lake--Michigan. It was the spot where a great city was to stand someday...the city of Chicago. In the morning Grandpa Ballou drove on west to Lombard. Here, years later, April 15, 1842, our mother, Orpha, was born. When she was a babe, they moved to Wheaton just north of where Wheaton College now stands."
Orpha, along with six siblings, was raised in Wheaton, Illinois, where her father specialized in building caskets and new houses, but also did some farming.
"She had a happy childhood, seven children to romp and play together, while they shared in the work of the home. Mother (Orpha) often said there was no play until each had completed his allotted task. It might be a hundred rounds of knitting on a stocking, it might be to husk so many bushels of corn."
In the early 1860's at age 20, Orpha met her future husband, Charles Ebenezer Barnes. He was an itinerant farmer, who about 1851 had left his parents farm in Rutland, Vermont, to make a new life in DuPage County, IL, where his brothers had emigrated as educators. Orpha and Charles married November 11, 1863 near Wheaton. Orpha was 21, Charles, 46.
Age difference (25 years) was no matter. They owned four farms, two in DuPage County, two in Whiteside County. They were blessed with four children, Nellie (b 1864, Mary (b 1866), Jessie (b 1868) and Charles Jr. (b 1876). The children were raised by Orpha and Charles with strong religious devotion, instilled with a strong work ethic and raised with a high standard of ethics.
By the early 1900's, when Charles had retired from farming, he and Orpha lived in Morrison, IL. His health was declining. Orpha continued to farm in a small way...garden variety crops, raising chickens and selling eggs.
After his death in 1909, age 92, Orpha's health started slowing declining. Mary and Jessie took care of her at her home in Morrison. Orpha suffered a stroke in 1916, but lived until June 16, 1922.
...biography by Ralph Barnes Davidson, great grandson of Orpha Ballou Barnes
Her daughters on FAG are;
Nellie Mosher #99328078
Mary Barnes #99333050
Jessie Barnes #99333107
