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Myers - Nelson Family Tree

FUN FAMILY FACTS

Interesting Info 

FUN FAMILY FACTS

Here's some Interesting Info.....

  • In the 1840's though the Black Hawk War was over, there was still a good deal of nervousness about the Indians. So the Governor of Illinois commissioned Andrew Myers to form a militia (Thus solving the mystery of where he got the title of "Colonel").(Ref: Historicaly Encyclopedia of Illinois & History of Mercer County, 1903)
  • There has been at least one Mary in almost every generation since Andrew and Mary settled in Mercer County. Some generations had two or three and sometimes MORE!
  • William Perry Myers had two wives. He had a daughter named MARY by EACH wife. Mary Orline who died in infancy by his first wife Lousia B. Larrence and Mary Ora by his second wife whose name was...you guessed it ~ MARY!
  • Levi W. Myers published "The Republican", one of the States leading Newspapers until he was appointed vice-counsil to Victoria, B.C., by President Harrison in 1892. Myers then sold the newspaper and moved his entire family to Victoria, B.C.,Canada where his youngest grandson Parke Bean Myers was born.
  • William Perry Myers and his brother Levi W. Myers were good friends of Abe Lincoln. According to (Aunt) Mary Irene Nelson one of them (I Think WM Perry) was invited to join him at the theater the night he was shot and killed. BUT came down ill and was not able to attend! Another family tale says one of the brothers was on the way to visit Lincoln when he passed away on the train. BUT I do believe both brothers died in their families homes.
  • Both brothers also helped start the REPUBLICAN PARTY and bragged in a News paper Article, "They were Republican when Lincoln was still a Whig." (*SEE COPY OF NEWS PAPER CLIPPING)
  • "He (William Perry) was even visited by vigilance committees who warned him that unless he desisted they would hang him from his own apple tree. The Knights of the Golden Circle, who were really secessionists, were then very strong in Southern Illinois."
  • Levi W. Myers was also a PREACHER and owner - editor of an Iowa news paper, The Wapello Republic Published in Wapello Iowa (Louisa County) from 1860 - 1894. Imagine, A Preacher being a politition...LOL  Levi continued to publish the Newspaper until he was appointed vice-counsil to Victoria, B.C., by President Harrison in 1892.  He then sold his news paper and moved to Wahington DC (I found this info @ A History of Louisa County Iowa Newspapers   http://www.rootsweb.com/~ialouisa/newspapers.html)
  • Aunt Jane Myers Mannon was the grandmother of Grace Mannon Histed. Grace became the very first woman to be elected Mayor of New Boston. Which also made her the FIRST WOMAN MAYOR IN NOT ONLY MERCER COUNTY BUT THE WHOLE STATE OF ILLINOIS!
  • Aunt Orpha B. Myers married a man named Benjamin P. Ellott who was a Lumber Merchant and Mercer COunty Sherriff. They built and lived together with their nine children in the "ELLOTT HOUSE" in Keithsburg.
  • Myron A. Myers son of William Perry & first wife Louisa B. Larrence Myers, was the Vice President of the CABLE-NELSON PIANO COMPANY
  • Edwin Earle Myers, Son of Myron Myers, participated in the 1920 Summer Olympic games in Antwerp, Belgium. He took home a bronze medal in Pole Vaulting for the USA.
  • Grandma Mary Elizabeth Westerblo Mattson Myers has the longest name in the family...no just kidding! Her family came to American from Sweden and settled in Mercer County. Once they arrived here they split up and went seperate ways. During the census's taken over the next several years misunderstanding of their Swedish accent led to several different spellings of the last name: Westerblad, Westerbrook, Westercreek, Westacreek.... so it's hard telling who our realatives really are and where they all ended up!
  • Grandpa Nels Nelson also came to America from Sweden! He arrived in the U.S. around 1881 about the age of 18 with an Uncle named Pete at Ellis Island before making his way to Mercer County.  (He named one of his sons ELLIS ~ do you suppose he was named after the Island where he landed in the USA?) 
  • Aunt Mary Irene Nelson never married. Instead she stayed at home with her parents & helped to take care of the farm. After her parents passed away she spent the next few years helping to raise several neices and nephews in at least 2 - 3 generations of Nelson's. She also worked in Nursing Homes taking care of the elderly until she retired.  She never had a Dr's License but would drive the family tractor to town when needed while living on the farm and walked up town almost every day till the day she died once she moved in town. She told some great stories and most of the time was an ornery old cuss... but those of us who knew her well, loved her deeply and miss her even more.

More FUN FAMILY FACTS will be added as I find them....  IF you have some you would like to share ~ I'd LOVE to hear from you! 

 
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