Mary E Stockton 1833 - 1891
Mary E Stockton Downen 1833 - 1891
Mary E Stockton Downen Janes 1833 - 1891
Mary E Downen 1833 - 1891
Mary E Janes 1833 - 1891
Mary E Stockton was born 7 October 1833 in Industry Township, McDonough County, Illinois. She was the daughter of Daniel Stockton, Jr., and Elizabeth Franklin Stockton. She had a twin sister Martha Lamira Stockton, two older sisters, Louisa Jane and Julia Ann, and a younger brother, William Stockton.
Mary was united in marriage to Job Downen (ca. 1826-1855) on 5 April 1849 in McDonough County, Illinois. They were the parents of three daughters:
Nancy Jane Downen Hills (ca. 1851 - After 1870)
Martha Ellen Downen Pennington (1853-1913)
Rachel Downen Thomas (1855-After 1900
There is only one census record with Job and Mary listed together, the 1850 census in McDonough county which shows both of them. The family name was rendered as Downer rather than Downen but these are the right people. Here's a link to the census image on Family Search Dot Org (registration required but as of 2019 it is completely free to sign up on the site): Census image here
Mary's obituary says that Job died 5 November 1855. We do know that he had died before the 1860 census so the date is plausible, although I do find some pretty glaring errors in obituaries. In 1860 Mary and the three girls were still in McDonough County. The 1860 census didn't have a column for whether someone was married or single, only if they had married within the last year. So it doesn't explicitly show that Mary was widowed, but Job is conspicuous by his absence. It's a pretty safe bet that the death date above is correct or at least close to correct.
Here's a link to the 1860 census image on Family Search: Census image here
Mary remarried, to Joseph Janes, on 3 October 1861. She had one known child with him, Henry Elmer Janes (1865-1943). I don't know what became of Joseph, whether she divorced him or he passed away, but by 1870 Mary had gone back to Downen as her surname and she was still living in McDonough County with Rachel and Henry (who was listed as being a Downen also, although later on in life he was known by his biological father's surname, Janes). Link to the 1870 census on Family Search: census image here
By the way, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's discuss the daughters. Nancy Jane married Andrew Hills on 8 August 1867 in Schuyler County, Illinois. They showed up in the 1870 census in Oakland Township, Schuyler County. They had a one year old son named Henry. That's the last I've found of Nancy and Andrew, and her mother's obituary from 1891 seemed to be indicating that Nancy had predeceased her mother. Henry showed up in the 1880 census, still in Schuyler County, listed as a nephew to William and Elizabeth Stambach. Without bothering to research it I'm guessing Elizabeth was probably Andrew's sister. Henry later married an Olie or Ollie Smith but a cursory search on him doesn't find anything else obvious to add to the paper trail.
Martha Ellen married Thomas B Pennington on 8 November 1868 in McDonough County. They showed up in the 1870 census in Eldorado Township, McDonough County, with their daughter May Gertrude or Gertrude May (pick your own order). They had at least five more children; Henry, Charles, Fred, Thomas, and Walter. Martha died in 1913 and Thomas died in 1928, they are both buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Macomb, Illinois.
As I mentioned earlier, Rachel Downen was found with her mother and half brother Henry in the 1870 census. She married William H Thomas on 26 May 1872 in Schuyler County, Illinois. They had at least five children; Grace, Walter, Clara, Harry, and Ellen.
The last place I found Rachel was in Macomb Illinois when the 1900 census was recorded. William died in 1918 and it looks as if he is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Joliet, Illinois. I haven't been able to find out yet if Rachel is there as well, apparently this is an old cemetery that is at least partially run with volunteer help and that doesn't bode well for their record keeping prospects.
Getting back to Mary Stockton Downen, in 1880 she was still in McDonough County for the census that year, along with her son Henry. Henry was still recorded as a Downen at this point, I'm not sure when he started using his father's surname but by the time of the 1900 census he was showing up as Henry Janes. He married Linda McKamy before 1888 and had two children with her, Earl and Edith. Linda died in 1894 and Henry married Carrie Gorsuch in 1896 in Schuyler County. They had a daughter Ethel and all three children appear in the 1900 census.
Mary Stockton Downen died 27 November 1891 in Eldorado Township, McDonough County. She is buried in Pennington Point Cemetery in McDonough County. She is memorialized on the same marker as her twin sister Martha Stockton Chandler who is buried with her husband Isaac Chandler.
Mary's obituary follows, although I don't know where it was originally published.
OBITUARY OF MARY E. DOWNEN
Died--Nov 27, 1891, at her home in Eldorado township, Mary E.
Downen, aged 58 years, 1 month and 20 days. Mary E. Stockton was born at
the home of her parents in Industry township McDonough Co., Ill.,
October 7, 1833. She was married to Job Downen, April 5th 1849. To them
three children were born, Jane, who married Andrew Hills, now deceased,
Ellen, wife of T.B. Pennington, of Macomb, and Rachel, wife of Wm.
Thomas of Macomb. Job Downen died Nov 5, 1855. Mrs. Downen again married
Oct. 3rd, 1861, to Joseph Janes. To them one son was born, Elmer, who
now resides on the old homestead, where she had lived over 36 years.She
professed religion and united with the Baptist church near Industry in
the year 1850. The funeral services were conducted by J.E. Roach at the
church at Pennington's Point, and the remains were interred in the
cemetery at that place. Her mother, father, two sisters, and a brother
have gone on before, leaving Martha Chandler, of Adair, Ill., Julie A.
Beck, of Bozeman, Montana, W.H.Stockton, of Larkin, Kansas,
E.H.Stockton, Industry, Ill., Lcycurgus Stockton, Chicago, Ill., M.A.
Stockton, Champion, Arkansas. Emma Landidge, Ray, Ill., O.E. Stockton,
Ray, Ill., Sarah Stockton, Grandmother, age 83 years Ray, Ill.
END OF OBITUARY
Henry died in 1943 and Carrie died in 1945. It looks like they are both buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery in Schuyler County, but from what I can see there is a cenotaph for Henry with his first wife (and probably near his mother's grave as well) in Pennington Point Cemetery.
Other Links:
Mary Stockton Downen page on Family Search Dot Org
Mary Stockton Downen page at Find A Grave
Mary Stockton Downen page at Genealogy Locator System database
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