George T. Downen 1860 - 1932
George was the son of Timothy Downen (1830-1927) and Rachel Mills (1831-1866). He was born 12 February 1860 in Posey County, Indiana, USA.
He married Taphenas Allyn (1861 - 1955) in 1881 in Posey County. They had the following children:
Bertis Downen (1881-1959)
Alanson "Lant" Downen (1884-1956)
Ernie Downen (1893-1959)
George first appeared with his family in the 1860 census, living in Robinson Township in Posey County. (census image here)
Between the 1860 and 1870 censuses, George's mother Rachel died and his father remarried Mary E. Keeling, who is found with much of the rest of the family in the 1870 census, still in Robinson Township. Three of George's older sisters were gone; Lucretia had married David Wilson in 1867, Harriet married James Edwards (also in 1867), and Angeline married Charles Keeling in 1868. Mary brought along her daughters Julia and Amanda Powell, ages 10 and 8, from her previous marriage. (census image here) (View neighbors in html)
George was still living at home as of the 1880 census in Robinson Township. His older brother Joseph had gotten married and had two children, but then Joseph's wife Ellen died and Joseph moved back in along with his infant daughter, although his infant son was staying with relatives in Gallatin County, Illinois. (census image here)
George married Taphenas Allyn in 1881 and the couple moved to Gallatin County either at the time of their wedding or shortly thereafter, because their oldest son Bertis who was born in December 1881 was born in Illinois, not Indiana. They had two more sons, Alanson and Ernie, and all five of them are in the 1900 census in Ridgway Township of Gallatin County. (census image here)
By 1910 Bertis had married Minnie Goforth and was living with her, still in Ridgway Township, probably not far away from George and Taphenas. Ernie was still at home. I was having great difficulty finding Alanson and feared for the worst, but by doing some serious digging I found he started going by a nickname, "Lant", and was able to find him, he married a woman named Carrie (maiden name unknown so far) and was still living in Ridgway Township with his wife and daughter Ruby. (census image here)
Between 1910 and 1920 Ernie married Mabel Jones, so the 1920 census found George and Taphenas living by themselves, still in Ridgway Township. (census image here)
1930 was status quo, but it would be the last census that George and Taphenas would be found together in. (census image here)
George died on 25 March 1932 in Gallatin County at the age of 72 and was buried in Old Cottonwood Cemetery, Cottonwood, Asbury Township, Gallatin County, Illinois, USA.
Taphenas lived on for another 20 years before she died at the ripe old age of 93. She is buried next to George in Old Cottonwood.
Other Links
George Downen page at Find A Grave
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