Elizabeth Downen 1866-1952
Elizabeth Downen Utley
Elizabeth Utley
Elizabeth Downen was born in June 1866 in Posey County, Indiana, USA, the daughter of William Downen and Rutha Maria Gwaltney Downen.
She married John Henry Utley in 1884 in Posey County. They had the following children:
William Riley Utley (1884-1964)
Flora Utley (1886-1954)
Harry Utley (1888-1959)
Christena Utley (1890-After 1930)
Robert Utley (1893-1969)
Nola Utley (1897-1981)
John Utley (1901-1975)
Elizabeth first showed up in the 1870 census in Robinson Township, Posey County, Indiana, USA. (census image here) (View neighbors in HTML)
At the time of the 1880 census Elizabeth and her family were in Mount Vernon in Posey County. Elizabeth's sister Julia Anna married John Utley in 1877 and had a daughter with him; the three of them showed up in the census that same year in nearby Marrs Township. (census image here)
What exactly happened next is a matter of conjecture. I believe Elizabeth's sister Julia Anna died between 1880 and 1883, because Elizabeth married John Utley around 1884 (according to the 1900 census) and their oldest child was born in 1884. I can't find any trace of Julia Anna after that 1880 census, she is just gone, nothing in the death records, nothing in the burial records I have access to. Elizabeth seems to have taken her place. Julia's daughter Emma married Sherman Carroll in 1895 so she does have descendants.
Elizabeth apparently married in John Utley in Posey County but their oldest son's birtplace was listed as Illinois, indicating they moved around the time of the marriage or shortly thereafter to Gallatin County, Illinois. Or perhaps John was already living in Gallatin County before the time of the wedding, I don't know. In any event, the 1900 census found John and Elizabeth and six of their children living in Omaha Township of Gallatin County. (census image here)
In 1910 the family was still in Omaha Township. Their youngest son John had been born in 1901, but William Riley, Flora and Christena were gone. Riley had married Margaret (maiden name unknown) and was living near the rest of the family in Omaha Township. Flora married Charles Garrett and was living in North Fork Township of Gallatin County. Christena married John F. Endicott and John and Christena were living in Omaha Township, very near the rest of her family. (census image here)
By the time of the 1920 census Elizabeth and John were still in Omaha Township, but they were down to two children, Nola and John. Harry had married Fannie (maiden name unknown) and was living in (you guessed it!) Omaha Township, just a hop skip and a jump away from his parents. Robert had married Mary Eva Anderson and they were also living nearby in Omaha Township. (census image here)
In the next decade, Nola married Ben Davis and moved to Saline County, Illinois. John married Hazel (maiden name unknown) and was living in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. I haven't been able to find Elizabeth and John Sr. in the 1930 census, but they were both still alive.
John died on 14 January 1935 in Gallatin County and was buried in Palestine #2 Cemetery near the village of Omaha, Illinois. Elizabeth lived until 1952, when she too died and was buried in Palestine #2. All of their children (the last of whom died in 1981, unless Christena was still alive at that point) are buried there as well, along with many of their grandchildren.
Other Links
Elizabeth Downen Utley page at Find A Grave
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