~1848 - 1897
Kentucky - Indiana
Mary Polly was Grandpa Rufus's mother, and Duweese is the way he thought her name was spelled, but most people now spell it Deweese. In the early days, it was spelled in all sorts of different ways, but mostly it is pronounced the same: D'weese.
Not much is known about her besides her name and the names of her children. I have the impression that she was a pretty religious person.
She was born in (probably) Ballard County, Kentucky in about 1848. Ballard County is one of the three most western Kentucky counties, all the way over by where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi. She was one of 5 children born to Absalom Deweese and Elizabeth Sams. She had three sisters, Nancy, Lavisa Ann, and Frances, and one brother, William. For some reason she does not appear on the 1850 census with her family, and the main reason - besides location and general probability - we have for thinking she was Absalom's daughter is that brother William remembered having a sister named Mary Polly.
Her youngest sister Frances was born in about 1854, and sometime after that her mother died and her father moved the family up to Warrick County, Indiana, which was 100-150 miles up (and across) the Ohio River. I have no idea why he moved - maybe he was worried about the political situation? - but he did have family up there. His grandmother and aunt and many of their kin had settled there in the 1840s and 50s, and when Absalom first moved there, he farmed out his children to his various cousins.
So - Mary Polly was not on the 1850 census; in 1860 she was with her father's cousin, Francis Shrodes:
1860 Warrick - 94 Greer Twp (taken 24 Aug - 10 days after father's marriage)
Francis Schrodes 28 m carriage maker 100 800 Ind/ Mary 22 f/Theodore J 2 m
Mary Deweese 10 f KY
and by 1870, she was married and with her new husband (Grandpa Rufus's father). Not a lot to connect her to Absalom!
1860 was the year her father married again - his new wife was Mary Ann Armer, who had herself been married once, to a William Sharp, with whom she had a daughter Sarah. Absalom and Mary Ann married on August 14, and so Absalom is listed twice in the census - once as a bachelor (taken 1 Aug), living with Foster Ketcham (a relative, but I haven't figured out exactly how), and once (taken 1 Sept) with his new wife and her daughter. Mary Polly's two sisters, Lavisa Ann and Frances, were living not far from the Ketchams, with William Miller (relationship unknown). I am not sure where Nancy and William were. Nancy could have been married.
I do not know, but I assume Absalom brought all the family together again after his marriage???
Absalom and Mary Ann had three daughters of their own, Sina (~1862), Alice E (~1864), and Phoebe (~1867). Absalom served in the Civil War 1864-65, in the 120th Indiana Infantry, Company E - the same outfit in which Austin Stanton, Grandpa Rufus's uncle, served. His son William was in the same company.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Rufus's father, Michael Edward Stanton, was also serving in the Civil War. He enlisted in 1861 (Company K, 42nd Indiana Infantry) and was a sergeant when he finally got out in July, 1865.
Michael Stanton (I guess he was known as Mike) and Mary Polly got married in 1868.
Stanton, Michael E to Deweese Mary P 18 June 1868 by FA Brown JP
Warrick County Marriage Book 4
Mary Polly was about 20 and Michael about 26.
Together, Michael and Mary Polly had 8 (possibly 9) children. The children and their birthdates were listed on Michael's pension application (besides which, we
have family memories of them).
John, born 5 January 1870 - named after Michael's brother who died in the War
Alice Belle, born 8 December 1872 - named after Mary Polly's half-sister
Michael Edward junior, born 15 October 1874
Rufus born 15 November 1876
Flora born 26 April 1880
Clarence born 23 February 1882
Jonah born 14 February 1885
Agnes Pearl born 3 March 1889
(There is a listing for another child in the Warrick County birth records - a boy, born February 1888 - but if it is not a mistake, he must have died while very young.)
Mary Polly is listed with Michael and their children on the 1870 and 1880 censuses:
1870 Warrick p. 449b l 23 (419-423)
Stanton, Michael 24 mw farmer 100 Ireland
Mary P 20 Ky
John 5/12 Ind (Jany)
1880 Indiana Warrick Boon Twp - taken 14 June 1880 p. 189 line 18 house 214
Stanton, Michael mw 37 farmer Ireland Ireland Ireland
Mary P 26 Ky Ky Ky
John 10 farmer / Alice B 8 / Michael 6 / Flora 2/12 Apr
There is no 1890 census, and by the time of the 1900 census she was dead.
She died in 1897, on the 4th of July, and was buried in Mt. Gilead Cemetery. Her father is buried in that cemetery, but Michael is buried in Maple Grove. I suspect money for grave-sites was not abundant, and they rested where they could.
Her obits are brief, and say very little about her.
Boonville Standard - July 9, 1897
Mrs. Mike Stanton, of this place, died last Sunday, after a lengthy illness of a complication of troubles. The deceased was 49 years of age, and leaves eight living children. Burial took place Monday at Mt. Gilead cemetery, south of Boonville, Rev. E.B. Landis, of the C.P. church, officiating.Boonville Weekly Enquirer - Boonville, Indiana - July 9, 1897
Mrs. Mike Stanton, died, July 4, 1897, after a long and serious illness and much suffering. She professed religion when quite young and died triumphant in the faith. Funeral services were held at her home at 2 o'clock, Monday afternoon, after which the remains were taken to their last resting place, Mt. Gilead burying grounds. Peace be to her memory. The deceased leaves a husband and eight children to mourn her loss. The bereaved family have our deepest sympathy.
Michael was left with several youngish children, and is on the 1900 census with them, but in 1901 he went into the Marion Soldiers' Home and was there for about 18 months. In 1907 he moved in with his daughter Alice Belle, and was living with them in 1913 when he died.
And that's it. A short life, with plenty of sorrow (it seems to me).
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Forward to children: John, Alice Belle, Michael jr, Rufus, Flora, Clarence, Pearl
(Our next ancestor - Rufus)
Questions, comments, additions, corrections? Contact me at: lee@leesgenes.com
Page last updated 31 August 2004