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In about 1830, when he was but 15 years of age, John migrated west and put down roots in or near Williamson County, IL. After that time, it appears as though the family spelled the name with the "g" at the end.

At the age of 27, on June 16, 1842, John wed 19-year-old Eliza Jane Coble (1823-1863), a native of Tennessee. Eliza could neither read nor write.

They produced 10 children, all born in Illinois: Belinda U. Brack Hoover, William H. Youngkin, Joel S. Youngkins, John R. Youngkin, Lewis Washington Youngkin, Terry Lloyd Youngkin Sr., James C. Youngkin, Clementine Youngkin, Martha Ellen Ogden Watson Burkholz and Arabelle (or "Arabella") Ewell Hill.

When the federal census enumeration was made in 1850, the Youngkins dwelled in Williamson County. He owned a farm along Sugar Creek near Crab Orchard. The region has been dubbed "Bloody Williamson County" for violence that occurred over the years.

Prior to the Civil War, John served as a farmer and teacher and later as a county superintendent of schools. The federal census of 1860 shows this family living in Williamson County, near the post office of Carbondale, with nine children under their roof along with 25-year-old boarder D.P. Fouts, a local school teacher. Their farm was located in Township 10, South Range, 1 East. The 1860 Illinois Agricultural Census lists the John H. Youngkin farm as prosperous and one of the most valuable farms in his township. In 1860, farm commodity prices were rising, and farming was profitable.

Eliza passed away on Jan. 31, 1863, at the age of 42. Her demise is recorded in the 1986 publication Saga of Southern Illinois, published by the Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois.

John spent his final years arranging the transfer of the old family farm to his children. He died at the age of 49 on Feb. 28, 1866, in Williamson. He was buried in Crab Orchard, part of what today is a National Wildlife Refuge.

~ Daughter Belinda U. (Youngkin) Brack Hoover ~

Belinda U. Youngkin (1843-1920) was born on Feb. 23, 1843 on the family's Sugar Creek farm near Carbondale, Williamson County, IL, where she grew into womanhood. She was age 19 when her mother died in 1863, and likely she assumed some of the duties of managing the household and caring for her younger brothers and sisters. At times, her name has been misspelled as "Malinda."

George Brack's grave, 1867 Courtesy Mark T. Youngkin

At the age of 22, circa 1865, Belinda was joined in holy matrimony with George W. Brack ( ? -1867). The nuptials took place in Williamson County.

During their very brief married lives, the Bracks appeard to have resided on her parents' Sugar Creek farm. They produced two offspring, Samantha Brack and George L. Brack.

Tragedy and heartbreak severed the marriage when George died on July 29, 1867. The cause of his untimely death is not yet known. His remains were lowered into eternal rest in what today is known as the South County Line Cemetery in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. His marker is one of the very few remaining visible and fortunately is legible.

After a period of time as a widow, ranging from a few months to several years, a question still needing to be resolved, Belinda was wedded to Indiana native Willis Hoover (1836- ? )whose father was from Kentucky and mother from Virginia. Official records place the marriage date as Oct. 16, 1870. Yet in 1867, at the age of 24, when she was named an heir of her late father's estate, Belinda signed a document as next of kin using the surname "Hoover."

Belinda's signature, 1867 legal document

Willis brought two children to the marriage -- Mariette Hoover and Albert W. Hoover. Belinda and Willis went on to have five children of their own -- Franklin Hoover, Martha J. Hoover, Harrison A. Hoover, Edwin "Eddy" Hoover and Ella Weiss.

When the federal census enumeration was made in 1880, the Hoovers dwelled on a farm next door to Belinda's brother John R. Youngkin and family in Grassy Township. They remained there for several decades as shown in the 1900 census.

Sadly, Willis passed away sometime during the decade between 1900 and 1910. The twice-widowed Belinda then went to live with her daughter and son in law, Ella and John Weiss, in Grassy Township.

Belinda died at the age of 77 on Dec. 1, 1920. Burial was in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Daughter Samantha Brack (1865- ? ) was born in about 1865 in Williamson County.

Son George L. Brack (1867- ? ) was born in March 1867 in Williamson County. He pursued a life of coal mining. In 1900, unmarried at age 33, he lived at home with his mother and stepfather in Grassy Township, Williamson County.

Stepdaughter Mariette Hoover (1862- ? ) was born in August 1862. When she was age 22, she married (?) Walinont ( ? - ? ). Circa 1900, census records show her at age 38 living with her father and stepmother in Grassy Township. The census-taker recorded her as married and that she had birthed eight children, of whom four were living.

Stepson Albert W. Hoover (1865- ? ) was born in about December 1865 in Williamson County. As a teenager of 14, he lived with his father and step-mother in Grassy Township, Williamson County. In about 1885, when he was age 20, he was married, but the identity of his bride is not yet known.

Son Franklin Hoover (1872- ? ) was born in July 1872 in Williamson County.

Daughter Martha J. Hoover (1873- ? ) was born in about 1873 in Williamson County.

Son Harrison A. Hoover (1875 ? ) was born in February 1875 in Williamson County.

Son Edwin "Eddy" Hoover (1880- ? ) was born in July 1881 in Williamson County.

Daughter Luella "Ella" Hoover (1884- ? ) was born in October 1884 in Williamson County. In about 1902, when she would have been 18 years of age, Ella married farmer John Weiss (1864- ? ), who was 20 years her senior and whose parents Simon and (?) Weiss were immigrants from England. They made their home in Grassy Township. The couple had one known daughter, Eva Weiss. Census records in 1910 show this family in Grassy Township, with John's 78-year-old widowed father and Ella's 67-year-old widowed mother in the household.

• Granddaughter Eva Weiss (1903- ? ) was born in 1903 in Williamson County.

~ Son William H. Youngkin ~

Son William H. Youngkin (1844-1867) was born in about 1844 on his parents' Sugar Creek farm near Carbondale, Williamson County, IL, where he grew to adulthood.

At the age of 21 in 1865, with his father only a year away from death, William agreed to buy the family farm for $500. The tract was located in the southwest portion of the southeast portion of Section 1, Township, 10, Range 1.

Sadly, the father succumbed five months after the sale closed, on Feb. 28, 1866. William was named administrator of the estate.

Notice of 1870 administrator's sale of William's possessions

Tragedy rocked the family only a year later. In November 1867, William himself passed away, possibly from an epidemic of cholera. His remains are thought to have been placed into eternal repose in a burying ground on the family farm, now known as the South County Line Cemetery in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. No grave marker is known to exist.

As William's earlier estate dealings had not yet been closed, the family chose local lawyer Charles C. Crain to administer the proceedings. The matter lingered for several years, but on Dec. 17, 1870, at the Youngkin farm, a sale was made from William's inventory of possessions. They included two mares, a crop of corn, one lot of wheat, one bee stand, rifle gun, one cotton crop and some farming tools. The sale proceeds would have been used to pay the taxes and debts of the estate.

Old cemetery on the Youngkins' Sugar Creek farm where William may rest

~ Son Joel S. Youngkins ~

Son Joel S. Youngkin (1845-1922) -- also spelled "Youngkins" -- was born on Dec. 7, 1845 on his parents' Sugar Creek farm in Williamson County, IL. He is not to be confused with his first cousin Joel R. Younkin (1834-1914), also of Williamson County, the son of "Dorcas Jake" Younkin.

In the years after the Civil War, Joel was a longtime farmer in Illinois.

In about 1874 or 1878, when he would have been in his late 20s or early 30s, Joel married Elmira "Myra" Bradberry (July 7, 1840-1923), who was three to five years older than he. The marriage took place in Union County, IL. She was a native of Illinois though her parents were from Tennessee.

They had one known son James Hardy Youngkins, but census evidence suggests that Myra may have had as many as seven, with four alive as of 1910. In 1878, they made their home in Makanda, IL.

Over the years, Joel S. may have gone by a shortened name of "Joe" which others lengthened to "Joseph." In 1871, in a Williamson County Circuit Court case, Joel was named as a witness and was living at the time in nearby Cobden Illinois under the name of "Joseph Youngkin." Many years after his death, the 1960 obituary of his son James Hardy Youngkin names the father of the deceased as "Joseph."

Joel's father died in 1866. Eleven years later, in September 1878 and March 1879, the heirs to the family farm all transferred their ownership rights to Joel's brother James Calvin. In turn, James flipped the property to Joel for the sum of $250 in a deal dated Sept. 11, 1878. Joel acquired additional land nearby in 1884 from William C. Wiley and appears to have continued farming on Sugar Creek.

In 1871, Joel's younger brother, 18-year old James Calvin Youngkin, was listed in a grand jury indictment for the crime of “disturbing the peace” on the night of Feb. 7, 1871. This incident occurred at the height of the Bloody Vendetta in the county. The indictment -- signed by T. M. Youngblood, State’s Attorney for the 26th Judicial Circuit -- stated that a gang of men had threatened a family in their home at night. James was arrested by Williamson County Sheriff Alonzo N. Owen and posted a $100 promissory note for bail. Joel was subpoenaed by the grand jury as a witness and ordered to appear at court on Sept. 13, 1871. Owen noted on the subpoena that Joel was not to be found in Williamson County. Joel likely had moved to nearby Union County where in 1878 he and his family are known to have dwelled. On July 26, 1871, John Jack, James Norris and James Younkin signed an affidavit requesting a continuance of the trial to next term when Joel Younkin (written as "Joseph") could attend as witness from Cobden. According to the affidavit, Joel was the only witness who could testify that no disturbance to the family had occurred. There are no further documents in the circuit court file, and it appears that charges were dropped by the grand jury for lack of evidence.

Carbondale, Illinois, 1920s

At some point before 1920, they relocated to Carbondale, Jackson County, where they made their home in retirement at 504 East College Street.

Joel died at the age of 76 at home on or about Nov. 2, 1922. "General filing in health and advanced years are given as the causes of his death," reported the Carbondale Free Press. "The funeral was held this afternoon and burial made at the Snider cemetery."

Myra survived as a widow for only about a year. In the Carbondale Daily Free Press, she and her family took out a notice, saying "We take this means of thanking our kind friends for help and loving care during the illness and death of our beloved."

She suffered two stroke and her health declined quickly. She passed away at the age of 83 on or about Sept. 15, 1923. The funeral service was held in their home, and an obituary was printed in the Daily Free Press.

Son James Hardy Youngkins (1878-1960) was born on April 10, 1878 in Makanda, IL. He was an educator in local schools in the Carbondale area. In mid-February 1902, when he was age 21, he was named in a Free Press article: "Mr. James Youngkins, who is teaching the Rock Springs school, holds the distinction of receiving the respect and approval of the patrons of his district, both as regards his ability to impart instruction to his pupils and his faculty for maintaining order and discipline in the schoolroom and on the playground. Now that his school is nearing its close the interest of pupils and teacher is unabated and very few are kept at home even by the inclement weather of the present month. Mr. Youngkin's mission is undoubtedly that of an educator, as it is every man's duty to do that which he can do best." At the age of 42, in 1920, he was unmarried and lived at home with his parents, and earned a living as a wagon driver for a grocery store. He eventually was wedded to Nancy Jane Floyd ( ? -1939). They were together until Nancy's passing after a long illness in late November 1939. In an obituary, the Carbondale Daily Free Press noted that funeral services were held under the charge of Rev. Dycus at the Drury Christian Church with interment in Snider Hill Cemetery. The Free Press also stated that Nancy Jane's only other survivor was here sister Cora Rich of Carbondale. James remained in Carbondale and survived his wife by 21 years. After an illness of eight months' duration, James died in the Lentz Nursing Home in Murphysboro on Jan. 31, 1960. Rev. John R. Canedy of the First Christian Church of Carbondale officiated at the funeral and burial in Snider Cemetery. Said the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan, "He leaves no immediate relatives."

[Many thanks to Mark Youngkin, who researched and authored much of the Joel S. Youngkins biography. In an editor's note, he writes: " After changing the spelling of Younkin/Youngkin back and forth several times, I have concluded that the spelling does not appear to be significant for genealogy purposes during this time period. The children of John Harrison Youngkin and also Terry Lloyd Youngkin dropped or added the “g” from the spelling of their surname apparently at random and the two different spellings appear in different records for the same person. This is an old tradition that started with Henrich Junghen in the 18th century. The “g” in the name Youngkin does not appear standardized in public records until the generation of Jesse Herbert Youngkin and his children in the early 20th century. The inconsistency shown in the spelling of Youngkin/Younkin surname in the discussion above is not intentional–I have not determined a way to decide which spelling is the right spelling for each person–birth certificates are not common until the 20th century."]

~ Son John R. Youngkin ~

Son John R. Youngkin (1848- ? ) was born in February 1848 on the family farm near Sugar Creek in Williamson County, IL.

At the age of 25, John was united in wedlock with 17-year-old Paralee B. York (1856- ? ). The marriage took place on Oct. 20, 1873 in Williamson County.

Their five children were Elmer A. Younkin, John H. Younkin, Louella M. Younkin, Mary Younkin and Stella Younkin.

The Youngkins initially were farmers. The federal census of 1880 shows the young family of parents and three children on a farm in Grassy Township, Williamson County. In 1877 and 1878, John was involved in a series of financial transactions with his siblings whereby they sold to their family farm inheritance rights to their brother James.

Sadly, Paralee passed away sometime before the year 1900.

In 1900, the widowed John and four children lived in Marion, Williamson County. That year, he was employed as a coal miner in the "Egyptian coal fields."

By 1910, the 62-year-old John earned a living as a laborer at odd jobs. He resided with his teenage daughter Stella in a rented house at 109 West Main Street in Marion.

He then obtained work as a sewer inspector for the City of Marion, a position which he held in 1920. That year, he dwelled with his married son John and family at 403 West Burnett Street in Marion.

Son Elmer A. Younkin (1874- ? ) was born in 1874 in Grassy Township, Williamson County.

Son John H. Younkin (1875-1932) was born on April 4, 1875 in Grassy Township, Williamson County. He married English immigrant Dottie (?) (1882- ? ). They made their home in Marion, Williamson County, and had two known children -- Glenore Younkin and Gladys Younkin. In 1920, John worked as a coal miner, and the family lived at 403 West Burnett in Marion. That year, John's aged father and eight-year-old nephew John W. Cook lived under their roof. John passed away at the age of 57 on April 13, 1932 and rests for eternity in New Rose Hill Cemetery in Carbondale, IL.

Daughter Louella M. "Ella" Younkin (1877- ? ) was born in March 1877 in Grassy Township, Williamson County.

Daughter Mary Younkin (1880- ? ) was born in July 1880.

Daughter Stella Younkin (1892- ? ) was born in June 1892. At the age of 17, she resided with her widowed father in a rented house along Main Street in Marion, Williamson County, IL.

~ Son Lewis Washington Youngkin ~

Lewis Washington Youngkin (1849-1880) was born in 1849 on the family farm along Sugar Creek in Williamson County, IL. Ne never learned to read or write and signed his name with an "X." As a result, others alternatively spelled his name as "Lewis" and "Louis" as well as his surname "Younkin" or "Youngkin."

At the age of 29, on May 31, 1878, Lewis was joined in marriage with 19-year-old Susan Anne Penland (1859- ? ). The wedding ceremony was held in South Pass near Cobden, Union County, IL. She was a native of Tennessee and the daughter of Noble Alexander Penland of Williamson County.

During their brief period of lives together, the Youngkins had at two children, Harry Louis Youngkin and Daisy Arbella Youngkin.

After the death of Lewis' father in 1869, he was eligible to inherit a portion of the family estate and after that time held a joint ownership with his siblings. Some years later, in September 1878 and March 1879, Lewis and Susan sold their share to his brother James for the price of $5.00.

When the federal census count was made in 1880, Lewis and Susan resided as tenants on the farm of 46-year-old widow Sarah Marsh in South Pass near Cobden. Susan's widowed sister Sarah (Penland) Davis Yancey, age 30, also lived in the household along with her infant son Taylor.

Tragedy broke apart the young family during the dog days of summer in 1880, with Susan expecting their second child. After contracting malaria, Lewis suffered for six weeks as his liver enlarged and ceased to function. He was treated by Dr. B.G. Ross of Cobden, but nothing could be done. Lewis died at the age of 31 years, 10 months and three days on Sept. 17, 1880. The Ben Rithy funeral home handled the arrangements, and burial was in the South Pass Cemetery, otherwise known as the Cobden Cemetery. The grave was not marked, but researchers who have investigated believe that Lewis may rest in the plot of his wife's Penland family.

The month following Lewis' passing, Susan delivered a healthy baby girl, Daisy, in October 1880. After a year and a half as a widow, Susan married again, to her husband's brother Terry Lloyd Youngkin. See his biography for more.

Son Harry Louis Youngkin (1879-1952) was born on July 8, 1879 near South Pass, Union County, IL. He was only one year of age when his father died. He died in West Frankfort, IL on April 14, 1952.

Daughter Daisy Arbella Youngkin (1880-1972) was born on Oct. 4, 1880, several months after the death of her father. On Feb. 4, 1902, when she was 21 years of age, Daisy married Edward Overton (1861-1919), son of Henry C. and Matilda S. Overton. The ceremony was held in Cobden, Union County, IL. This marriage produced seven children -- Leola Overton, Francis Eugene "Frank" Overton, Helen Overberg, Henry Clymore "Harry" Overton, Berthe Juanita Overton, Ruth Lorene Overton and Edward Lee Overton. The family grieved when their youngest son Edward died at birth on June 9, 1918. His tender remains were interred in the Cobden/South Pass Cemetery in the family plot where his paternal grandmother also rests for all time. Sadly, Edward Sr. passed away a year later, on June 17, 1919, in Cobden. Daisy outlived her spouse by more than half a century. She wedded again to (?) Sullivan ( ? - ? ) and remained in Cobden. She passed into eternity on Oct. 7, 1972 in Union County, just three days after her 92nd birthday. Rev. Clifford Heil officiated at her funeral service. At death, reported the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan, she was "the oldest living member of the First Baptist Church of Cobden." She was survived by four grandchildren, eight grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

• Granddaughter Leola "Lee" Overton (1903- ? ) was born in 1903. She is wed Russian immigrant Harry Nevel ( ? - ? ). Circa 1935-1972, they were in The Bronx in New York City, where Harry was employed as a pharmacist in a retail drug store. When the federal census was enumerated in 1940, the Nevels lived on Terrace Street, and 17-year-old John Sullivan of Illinois boarded in their home and worked as a clerk for a clothing manufacturer.

• Grandson Francis Eugene "Frank" Overton (1903-1953) was born on Dec. 30, 1903 in Cobden, Union County. He was married and the father of Helen Carter. After the marriage ended, Frank remained in Cobden, sharing a home with his mother. In autumn of 1953, he was employed by a pipeline company at a construction site in Manhattan, MT. On the tragic and fateful day of Oct. 11, 1953, Francis was killed at work. Reported the Helena (MT) Independent-Record, he and 36-year-old Herb Nichols were "badly burned ... when a crane on the bed of a truck on which they were riding struck a high tension line."  The truck driver, O.R. Smith, "was burned when he jumped from the truck and attempted to release Nichols and Overton." Thousands of volts of electricity surged through the men, and they were instantly killed. The story also was covered on the pages of the Billings Gazette, Butte Montana Standard and Missoula Missoulian. His charred remains were transported back to Cobden for funeral services at the First Baptist Church, followed by interment in Cobden Cemetery.

• Granddaughter Helen Overton (1906-2001) was born in 1906 in Cobden, Union County. At the age of about 22, on Aug. 9, 1928, she was united in matrimony with Herman Overberg ( ? - ? ). Their home in 1968 was in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, IL and in 1972 in Belleville, IL. Helen succumbed to the Angel of Death in Belleville, IL on Jan. 28, 2001.

• Grandson Henry Clymore "Harry" Overton (1906-1931) was born on Nov. 3, 1906 in Cobden, Union County. When he was 24 years of age, he died on Aug. 3, 1931 in Cobden. Details of his untimely death are not known.

• Granddaughter Berthe Juanita Overton ( ? -1968) was born on July 24, 1908 in Cobden, Union County. She did not marry. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Cobden, After a time of residence in Cobden, she relocated to East St. Louis, St. Clair County, IL. On Jan. 2, 1968, at the age of 59, she was struck by a moving automobile in East St. Louis. She was taken to the local St. Mary's Hospital, where she lingered for five days until death enveloped her on Jan. 7, 1968. Her remains were shipped to Cobden to be lowered into eternal repose. An obituary was published in the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan.

• Granddaughter Ruth Lorene Overton (1910-2005) was born on Feb. 26, 1910 in Cobden, Union County. She spent her entire life in Cobden and was twice wed. Her first spouse was (?) Draper ( ? - ? ). Her second husband was (?) Watson ( ? - ? ). Neither marriage resulted in children. Ruth was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church. At the age of 95, while a patient in the City Care Center in Cobden, she died on April 15, 2005. Interment of the remains was in Cobden Cemetery, with Rev. Clifford Heil preaching the funeral, and an obituary appearing in the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan.

Terry Youngkin

~ Son Terry Lloyd Youngkin Sr. ~

Son Terry Lloyd Youngkin Sr. (1851-1914) was born in about 1851 in Williamson County, IL. He also spelled his name in adulthood as "Youngkins."

Terry was age 15 at the death of his father and 16 at the death of older brother William who controlled the family estate. After that time, Terry is believed to have left the family farm and hired himself out as a day laborer on others' farms.

At the age of 24, in 1875, Terry got into trouble at a Fourth of July picnic held at the Wolf Creek School House. The day most likely featured horse racing, games, a picnic and whiskey drinking. While at the event, Terry offended married daughters of the local justice of the peace, Elizabeth (Howell) Stanley and Milbery (Howell) Tippey, as they wrote, "by letting farts right at them." The women filed a legal complaint, and Terry was arrested the next day. He and Truman Hall, who may have been his employer, were forced to post a bond of $200. Within a week or so, he was tried in court in Williamson County. In addition to the plaintiffs, a host of witnesses were called to testify, including Robert Craig, Edward Grimes, Francis M. Click and Albert Norris. Six days later, a jury found him guilty and assessed a fine of $10 plus court costs. The dozen jurors hearing the case were James Collins, W.C. Spence, B. Basnell, P.R. Baker, J.H. Penland, John Grimes, Alec Wyatt, William Claxton, W.A. York, Jesse McGill, L.T. Rushing and James Bayless, all of whom were paid for their service.

Terry's direct descendant Mark T. Youngkin, who has studied the matter extensively, writes that Terry may not have fit in well with the local "autocracy ruled by a small elite of land owners, businessmen and banks which may have specialized in foreclosure of farms." Justice of the peace C.D. Howell, a longtime farmer, had no legal training for his position of authority and would have been elected by other farmers and businessmen. He personally wrote out his daughters' complaint and hand-picked the witnesses and jury.

In 1877 and 1878, he was involved in a series of financial transactions with his siblings whereby they sold to their inheritance rights to the family farm to their brother James.

Evidence suggests that in 1881, Terry shared a home with widow Sarah (Penland) Davis Yancy near Cobden, Union County, IL. While they never married, in February 1881 they produced a son, Terry Lloyd Youngkin Jr.

Appeal bond signed by Terry L. Youngkin in his 1875 misdemeanor case

The couple separated, and Sarah went on to wed Henry Jackson Adams. Henry had been married previously to Mary Graffidy and had a daughter, Lottie Jackson (1885-1981). The story gets more complicated.

Susan (Penland) Youngkin

On Feb. 17, 1882, at the age of 31, Terry married his girlfriend's sister, who also happened to be his late brother's widow, 23-year-old Susan (Penland) Youngkin (1859- ? ). She was the daughter of Noble and Elizabeth (Mchaney) Penland of Tennessee. Their nuptials were held in Jackson County, IL. During that era, it was common for a brother to marry his brother's widow, especially if children were involved. They remained together for the balance of their lives.

The bride was 13 years younger than the groom and brought two of her own young children to the marriage -- Harry Louis Youngkin and Daisy Arbella Youngkin. They also raised the son from Terry's earlier relationship.

Terry and Susan made their home in her dwelling. They went on to produce nine more children of their own, among them Martha Youngkin, Jesse Herbert Youngkin, Nettie M. Younkin, George W. Younkin, Ellie E. Younkin and Grace Younkin, plus three others, including two who died young. A step-daughter was involved with the family, Lottie Jackson.

When the federal census enumeration was made in 1900, the family were farmers living in Cobden, Union County, IL.

He died at the age of 63, in Cobden, Union County, IL, on July 14, 1914.

Son Terry Lloyd Youngkin Jr. (1881-1949) was born on Feb. 21, 1881 in Union County, IL. On July 1, 1906, he was wedded to Ada Felts (1890-1958). The nuptials were celebrated in Carterville, IL. Their children were Harry Younkin, Howard Younkin, Norman Younkin, Dennis Younkin, Leroy Younkin, Lloyd Younkin, Lucille Lewis, Lola Casey and Ruth Drew. The family relocated to Herrin, IL in about 1916, and remained there for more than three decades. Their address in Perrin was 2001 West Tyler Street. Terry was a longtime coal miner in the Herrin area. After suffering an illness for six years, he passed away at home at the age of 68 on Aug. 3, 1949. An obituary was printed in the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan. Ada survived for another nine years and succumbed in 1958.

• Grandson Harry C. Younkin (1908-1982) was born on June 14, 1908 near Carterville. At the age of 20, on Feb. 9, 1929, he was wedded to Virginia Williamson ( ? - ? ). They produced two sons, James Younkin and Donald Younkin. At one time, they lived in Herrin, IL. They relocated to Arvada, CO, where they lived for decades. In about 1946, he was hired by Western Slope Gas Company in Denver, and remained there for 27 years, retiring in 1973. He returned home in 1949 to attend the funeral of his father. Harry died at the age of 74 in Arvanda, CO on Aug. 26, 1982.

• Grandson Howard Wilson "Pete" Younkin (1912-1954) was born on Oct. 10, 1912 in Herrin. On April 9, 1938, he married Ethel Josephine Dewey, with the ceremony taking place in Cape Girardeu, MO. The couple produced one son, Maurice Lea Younkin. They moved in 1921 to Carbondale, IL, where Howard drove a Yellow Cab taxi. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Armed Forces and later joined the Carbondale post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In the winter of 1954, Howard made his home in the Prince Hotel in Carbondale, and there, on or about March 31, 1954, he suffered a heart attack and died in his room. He was found by his brother Norman.

• Grandson Norman "Pappy" Younkin (1915-2010) was born on Sept. 13, 1915. He spent his "early years in the adventures of the Great Depression working in the Civilian Conservation Corps fighting forest fires in the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior areas," said the the Carbondale South Illinoisan. At the age of 27, he was united in holy wedlock on Jan. 11, 1943 with Nellie Walker ( ? -1985). They lived in Herrin, IL and produced two children -- Linda Hargan and John Younkin. He held a variety of occupations over the years, including as a "boiler fireman on a car ferry on Lake Michigan, a taxi driver, a chauffeur and he later retired from the Norge factory in Herrin," noted the South Illinoisan. In 1954, he was employed as a dispatcher for the Serv-U Cab Company of Carbondale. Over the years, Norman was a deacon of the Hurricane Memorial Baptist Church. Sadly, Nellie passed away in 1985. Norman survived her by a quarter of a century. Admitted to the South Gate Health Care Center in Metropolis, IL, he died there at the age of 94 on Aug. 6, 2010. At his death, reported the South Illinoisan, he was survived by six grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. His obituary noted that "His life was one of modest simplicity, dedicated to serving his Lord, his family, his many friends and anyone in need. He was truly a man with a heart of service with a passion for spreading the 'good news' of his Lord and savior, not by a bold and aggressive approach, but by his quiet, peaceful and loving service to others." His motto in life was "If the truth hurts, it ought to." Interment was in East Lawn Memorial Gardens.

• Grandson Dennis Younkin ( ? - ? ) resided in the Carbondale area as an adult. Circa August 1949, he was named head custodian of the Herrin-Prairie American Legion Post, with the building located at 115 West Monroe Street. Then by November 1950, he had become owner and operator of Denny's Place at 109 West Monroe Street in Herrin, and placed advertisements in the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan. He was elected commander of the Williamson County Voiture No. 1397 in May 1953. Then in October 1956, he was named operator of the Reed Factory Outlet dress store in Herrin. He accepted another position as operator of the Arcade Lounge in herrin, and when he did not renew the lounge's liquor license in August 1961, the business closed. He then was named manager of Herrin's Veterans of Foreign Wars Club, located at 108 East Walnut Street. Circa 1977, he owned and operated Denny's Steak Place at Highway 148 North in Herrin.

• Grandson Leroy Younkin was born in (?). On Jan. 31, 1943, in Cape Girardeau, he was united in marriage with Frances Maze ( ? - ? ). They had one known daughter, Brenda Kay Rash. The Younkins lived circa 1950 in Energy, IL. Circa 1949, he and his brother Loyd were employed by Brewster Motors Inc., a Ford dealership in Carbondale. At the age of 28, Leroy was promoted to manager of the Brewster Service Station in Herrin. He eventually joined Container Stapling, a position from which he retired. Frances was self-employed with her own apparel company. In September 1974, he was honored for 25 year of "faithful service" as superintendent of the West Monroe Street Second Apostolic Church. The Younkins celebrated their golden anniversary on Jan. 31, 1993 with a reception at the Herrin Civic Center. A decade later, they enjoyed their 60th wedding anniversary with a dinner at Pioneer Cabin. Daughter Brenda Kaye married Mike Rash in 1962 and had two sons, Scott Rash and Ryan Rash. By 1993, she was married to Don Mansfield and dwelled in Energy, IL.

• Grandson Rev. Loyd Younkin resided in West Frankfort, IL. In 1982, he made his home in Greenfield (IL?).

• Granddaughter Lucille Younkin married John A. Lewis and lived in Herrin in 1949-1982.

• Granddaughter Lola Younkin was wedded to Paul Levi Casey and made their home in the late 1940s into the 1980s in Herrin.

• Granddaughter Ruth Younkin was united in matrimony with (?) Drew. They lived in Herrin for decades.

Daughter Martha Youngkin (1882- ? ) was born in 1882. Nothing further is known, and she possibly could have died young.

Jesse "Jack" Youngkin Courtesy Sue Smith Bugg

Son Jesse Herbert "Jack" Youngkin (1883-1961) was born on Sept. 23, 1883 or 1884 near Cobden. He grew up on the family farm in Illinois. At the age of 24, Jesse was wedded to 18-year-old Georgia Frances "Georgie" Gilbert (1892-1956), a native of Belleville, AR and the daughter of Mary Caroline Gilbert. They produced these known children, Jessie Frances Climer, Susie Caroline Smith, Helen G. Touchstone, Rosella M. Youngkin, Herbert G. Youngkin, George McAdoo Youngkin, Jack Youngkin and William G. "Billy" Youngkin. Initially the family resided in Illinois, where their eldest daughter was born, but left for the North Texas community of Bells in 1911 where Jesse obtained work on the railroad. He became a section foreman and crew leader with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, also known as the "Katy Railroad." Census records for 1920 show the family making their home on Cotton Belt Avenue in Pittsburg, Camp County, TX. They then resided in Little Rock, AR until 1928, when they came to Independent Springs, in beteween Gilmer and Pittsburg, TX. By 1930, with the nation caught in the iron grip of the Great Depression, Jesse left his railroad employment and migrated to Independent Springs, TX, where he labored as a farmer. Heartache blanketed the Youngkins in the summer of 1956 when son Billy Gene died at the age of 10 after receivig a blow to the head while playing with friends. The federal census of 1940 shows the Youngkins living and working on a farm near Ore City, Upshur County, with Georgie's 77-year-old widowed mother living under their roof. (The mother in law died in their home in May 1951, with her grandsons Herbert and Jack Youngkin serving as pallbearers.) That year, their home was along Lafayette Road. In later years, Jesse earned a living as an electrician. The Youngkins often hosted family visiting from out of town, with the details reported in the gossip columns of the Gilmer Mirror. Sadly, Georgia died at the home of her daughter Susie Smith in Gilmer at age 65 on April 6, 1956. Her funeral service was conducted by Dr. D.A. Williams Jr. of the First Baptist Church of Gilmer, assisted by Rev. Herbert Dickey of the Gilmer Church of Christ. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in Pittsburg, and an obituary was printed in the Longview Daily News. Jesse survived her by five years. At the age of 78, he passed away in Dallas on the next to last day of 1961.

• Granddaughter Jessie Frances Youngkin (1910-2006) was born on Nov. 22, 1909 in Cobden, IL. She "grew up around the Bells area of North Texas," reported the Longview (TX) News-Journal, and was valedictorian of the 1927 class of Bells High School. At the age of 17, on Oct. 18, 1927, she was married to her high school sweetheart, Willie Roy "Bill" Climer Sr. ( ? - ? ). The ceremony was held at the chapel of the YMCA in Denison, TX. The couple produced four sons -- Alvin Eugene Climer, Willie Roy Climer Jr., Frank A. Climer and John R. Climer. Sadly, sons Alvin and Willie died at young ages. The family dwelled in Dallas in 1956. Jessie Frances spent nine years working for the Public Health Clinic of City of Dallas, retiring in 1969 and moving to Gilmer, TX. Jessie Frances spent her final years in Denison, TX and died on April 1, 2006 at the age of 96. At her death, the News-Journal numbered her survivors at 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Son Frank was married to Mary Joan Stewart in Dallas in September 1954. Son John was married to Barbara Tanner.

• Granddaughter Susie Caroline Youngkin (1912- ? ) was born in about 1912 in Texas. She lived in the Bells area in 1927. She married A.B. Smith ( ? - ? ). They resided in Gilmer and had three known children -- Virginia "Frances" Smith, Marilyn "Sue" Smith and Jimmy Smith. When Susie's grandmother Mary Caroline Gilbert died in May 1951, Susie and her daughters performed special music for the funeral.She resided in Daingerfield in 1974. Daughter Marilyn Sue Smith married Robert L. Childress in October 1957.

• Granddaughter Helen G. Youngkin (1915-2007) was born on Jan. 2, 1915 in Trenton, TX. In 1932, she was married to her first husband, Edwin B. Smith ( ? - ? ) and they produced two daughters, Edith Elaine Lambert and Eddy Rene Gilbert. They lived in Gilmer, TX. At the death of Helen's grandmother Mary Caroline Gilbert in 1951, Edwin served as a pallbearer at the funeral service. Over the years, Helen was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star of Gilmer and the Rebekah Lodge of Winnsboro. Circa 1959, Helen was a member of the Upshur County Home Demonstration Clubs.  She also was a painter, and twice was a winner of the Yamboree Art Show. In May 1973, she exhibited some of her artworks at the Pine Acres Art Guild. Among them was "a scene of the Youngkin family's old homeplace in the Cox community," reported the Longview News-Journal. " 'Old Jen,' the grey mule was already depicted. Also painted was Mrs. Smith's mother, shown raking leaves in the front yard. Previously, Helen Youngkin Smith has painted six other pictures of the homeplace for her brothers and sisters. One shows a view of the family's old syrup mill and other vanishing East Texas Americana like the storm cellar in the background." On Aug. 4, 1980, when she was 65 years of age, Helen was wedded to 76-year-old William C. Touchstone (1904- ? ). The ceremony took place in Upshur County. In April 2006, Helen was named in a News-Journal obituary of her sister Jessie Frances Climer. Helen passed away at the age of 92 on Oct. 13, 2007 at ETMC in Gilmer. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Todd Kaunitz and Rev. O.D. Oliver. She was survived by six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Daughter Edith Elaine Smith married Wayne E. Lambert in 1956 and resided in Kansas. Daughter Eddy Rene Smith married Alvis Gilbert and lived in Dallas.

• Granddaughter Rosella M. Youngkin (1916- ? ) was born in about 1916 in Texas.

• Mark and Barbara (Corff) Youngkin, 2016

  Grandson Herbert G. Youngkin (1919- ? ) was born in about 1919 in Texas. He was married to (?) Hicks. They produced one known son, Gary Youngkin. Circa May 1951, the Youngkins rented their home from Junior Pilgrim located along Gilmer Highway four miles south of Gilmer. Fire ravaged the dwelling, and all of the family's belongings were destroyed. The couple later lived in Pittsburg, TX in 1955.

• Grandson George McAdoo Youngkin (1922-1974) was born on Sept. 11, 1922 in Pittsburg, Camp County, TX. He grew to manhood on his parents' farm near Ore City, Upshur County, TX. On Sept. 29, 1951, in a ceremony held in Van Buren, AR, the 29-year-old George 23-year-old married Ruth Ann Noennig (1928- ? ), daughter of Joseph Henry and Eunice Alma (Piland) Noennig. The couple had three sons, Mark Terry Youngkin, David Michael "Mike" Youngkin and Scott Douglas Youngkin. Circa 1954, the family resided in Mt. Pleasant, TX; in 1955 in Shreveport, LA and by 1965 in Texarkana. George passed away in Cox Medical Center in Springfield, MO at the age of 51 on Valentine's Day 1974. His remains were placed into repose in the National Cemetery in Springfield, with Dr. T.T. Crabtree officiating from the First Baptist Church. At his death, an obituary was printed in the Gilmer (TX) Mirror, naming him as "M. Youngkin."

Great-grandson Mark Terry Youngkin was born in Pittsburg, TX. He was wedded to Barbara Corff. The Youngkins reside in San Francisco. They are interested in the family genealogy and are active researchers. Barbara attended the Younkin Reunions-West in Salem, OR in the late 1990s and was voted "Coolest Cousin" at the 1998 gathering. For two decades, Mark served on the Presidio Restoration Advisory Board and in April 2016 received an Environmental Achievement Award for citizen participation as awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior. When the board adjourned for good, it created an Internet Archive repository for the documents and final report.

• Grandson Jack Youngkin (1926- ? ) was born in about 1926 in Texas. He was married to Frances Fielden ( ? - ? ), daughter of Buck Fielden, and resided in Garland, TX in 1954. Their two known sons were Jackie "Billy Jack" Youngkin and Stephen Mike Youngkin. After the marriage dissolved, Frances married again to (?) Green and moved to Dallas. Jack also apparently remarried and in 1973 dwelled at 1609 Blackhawk Lane. Billy Jack received a scholarship to attend Texas A&M University in 1965 as awarded by the Gladewater Round-Up Rodeo Association. Stephen Mike Youngkin was wedded to Paula Jeanne Wagoner.

• Grandson Billy Gene Youngkin (1928- ? ) was born on June 28, 1928 in Texas. Sadly, he only lived to the age of 10. While playing with friends on the fateful day of Aug. 20, 1938, he received a blow to the head and died from the injury. Burial followed in Rose Hill Cemetery in Pittsburg, Camp County..

Younkin Family News Bulletin, 1940

Daughter Nettie M. Younkin (1887- ? ) was born in May 1887. Was she the same "Nellie" who married (?) Davie and lived in Herrin?

Son George W. Younkin (1889- ? ) was born in September 1889. He was wedded to Helen Marion Lydecker ( ? - ? ). The couple produced only one son, Worthington Younkin. Helen's ancestors are said to have emigrated to New York City in 1791 from Amsterdam, Holland. George is believed to have moved to Long Island City, NY where, on Sept. 23, 1940, he sent a reply letter and printing plate to a distant cousin, Charles Arthur "Charleroi Charley" Younkin, of Charleroi, PA, who served as secretary of the Younkin National Home-coming Reunion and as editor of the Younkin Family News Bulletin. The plate, which contained a photograph of George's son Worthington, was used to illustrate the Sept. 25, 1940 edition of the Younkin newspaper.

• Grandson Worthington Younkin (1924- ? ) was born in about 1924. Living with his father in New York, at the age of 16, he was a puppeteer who performed marionette shows in churches and community centers, also having given an exhibition at the New York World's Fair. Wrote his father: "Made most of his characters he uses, such as 'Christmas Carols' Hanse and Gretchen, etc., in spare time after school hours. Built his own theatre stage and lighting equipment in portable form, has natural talent for practical electricity and is seriously interested in aviation equipment and maintenance." A photograph of Worthington operating his puppets was published in the Younkin Family News Bulletin edition of Sept. 25, 1940.

Daughter Alice E. "Allie" Younkin (1893- ? ) was born in March 1893.

Daughter Grace Younkin (1895- 1935 was born in December 1895. She married Benjamin W. "Ben" Taylor ( ? - ? ). She died on April 25, 1935.

~ Son James Calvin Younkin ~

Cobden Cemetery. Courtesy Mark T. Youngkin

Son James Calvin Younkin (1845-1935) was born on Oct. 1, 1853 (or 1845) on the family's Sugar Creek Farm in Williamson County, IL.

Research by descendant Mark Youngkin shows that the 1871 circuit court case (no. CR013) is interesting and provides insight into the chaos of “Bloody Williamson” County following the Civil War. In 1871, the 18-year old James was named in a grand jury indictment for the crime of “disturbing the peace” on the night of Feb. 7, 1871. This incident occurred at the height of the Bloody Vendetta in the county. The indictment -- signed by T. M. Youngblood, State’s Attorney for the 26th Judicial Circuit -- stated that a gang of men had threatened a family in their home at night. This action by the state attorney general’s office may have been one of the first attempts by the state to restore law and order to Williamson County through a grand jury process. In addition to James' name, a “Peoples Subpoena” was issued for James Norris, John Jack, William Jackson and William Bradly, and on April 10, 1871, the grand jury issued a writ for their arrest.

James was arrested by Williamson County Sheriff Alonzo N. Owen and posted a $100 promissory note for bail which he signed along with brother John R. Younkin, W. L. Childers, Willis Keoffer and Calvin Craig. His brother Joel was subpoenaed by the grand jury as a witness and ordered to appear at court on Sept. 13, 1871. County Sheriff A. N. Owen noted on the subpoena that Joel was not to be found in Williamson County. Joel likely had moved to nearby Union County where in 1878 he and his family are known to have dwelled. On July 26, 1871, John Jack, James Norris and James Younkin signed an affidavit requesting a continuance of the trial to next term when Joel (written as "Joseph") could attend as witness from Cobden. According to the affidavit, Joel was the only witness who could testify that no disturbance to the family had occurred. There are no further documents in the circuit court file, and it appears that charges were dropped by the grand jury for lack of evidence.

Williamson County summons to the Younkins for "Disturbing the Peace" - 1871

James Norris, the lead defendant in this case, went on to garner a lengthy record, facing additional lawsuits for alleged assaults in 1874 and 1876, and again in 1876 for murder. Milo Erwin's 1876 book, The History of Williamson County, Illinois, discusses the vendetta at length, stating that Norris was the most notorious and dreaded of the men took part in the vigilante ambush assassination of James Henderson, part of the notorious Russell-Henderson-Sisney gang. Norris, described as a daring outlaw and desperado, who loved all kinds of amusements, was captured in Mr. Poteete's Saloon on Christmas Day, 1875, convicted and imprisoned for 18 years.

Cobden Cemetery. Courtesy Mark T. Youngkin

In 1878, when he was 33, James was wedded to Knoxville, TN native Jane Finchum (1856-1942). The ceremony took place in Johnson County, IL. Groom and bride were a dozen years apart in age.

The Younkins' nine known children were Gertrude "Gertie" Younkin, Delia M. Castleberry, Bertha E. Castleberry, Nellie Ann Clutts, Kate Clark, Leola "Ola" McGinnis, Maggie "Madge" Vest Deane Roles, Guy Youngkins and Elsie Younkin, all born in Illinois.

In the decade after the death of their father, James and his siblings discussed how to best handle the future of the family farm. On March 28, 1879, some 13 years after the father died, four property transactions took place among the siblings. First, John Ewell, Lewis W. Younkin, Terry Lloyd Youngkin and John R. Younkin transfer their ownership to James for $5 each. He then sold all of the ownership rights to their brother Joel for $220.

The federal census of 1880 shows the Youngkins living as farm laborers in South Pass in Cobden Township, Union County, IL, as did James' brother Lewis and his wife Susan. Circa December 1883, when he wrote an affidavit in support of his brother in law Calvin Watson's application for a Civil War pension, his address was Tunnel Hill, Johnson County, IL.

When the federal census enumeration was made in 1900, the Younkins lived in Makanda Township, Jackson County, IL, just a few doors away from James' brother Joel and family. That year, James earned a living as a farm laborer, and 18-year-old cousin John H. Clark, also a farm laborer, lived in their home.

During the decade between 1900 and 1910, they relocated to a fruit farm in Rich Township, Union County, IL. Census records for 1910 show that all of the children worked on the farm except for the youngest, five-year-old Elsie. They were members of the local Methodist church.

James passed away on Christmas Eve 1935 in Road District 4, Pulaski County, IL. His remains were placed into eternal repose in the Cobden Cemetery. [Find-a-Grave]

Word of his death was forwarded to Charles Arthur "Charleroi Charley" Younkin, organizer and secretary of the Younkin National Home-coming Reunion in Pennsylvania. Charley in turn sent a note to reunion official David Franklin Younkin, of Johnstown, PA, stating that James was "a descendant of John Harrison Younkin who was an uncle of friend Colwell [Younkin] of Confluence, Pa."

Jane survived for seven more years as a widow. In 1936, she moved from her home in Anna to Murphysboro.

She died at the home of her married daughter Bertha Castleberry on June 10, 1942, at the age of 86 years, four months and 18 days. An obituary in the Murphysboro Daily Independent spelled her name "Janet" and noted that her death followed an illness of three weeks and that her "husband preceded her in death seven years ago." She was survived by nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and a half brother, Rome Anderson of Vienna, IL. Burial was in the Cobden Cemetery, following funeral services led by Rev. E.C. Phillips.

Mark T. Youngkin pays his respects at James and Jane's graves in 1999.

Daughter Gertrude "Gertie" Younkin (1879- ? ) was born in March 1879 in Cobden Township, Union County, IL. She married (?) Fuller ( ? - ? ). In 1942, they lived in Alto Pass, IL.

Daughter Delia M. Younkin (1880-1946) was born on Sept. 10, 1880. She was joined in wedlock with Ira Herman Castleberry (1874-1958), son of Martin A. and Eliza Jane Castleberry. (The families were close, and Delia's sister Bertha married Ira's brother Virgil.) Their two children were Gladys Rhea Spangler and Earl H. Castleberry. Their home in 1942 was in Murphysboro, and they were members of the Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church. Delia died in St. Andrew's Hospital in Jackson County, IL on Nov. 6, 1946 and rests for eternity in Tower Grove Cemetery in Murphysboro. Rev. J.T. Bryant, of the First Methodist Church, led her funeral service. An obituary was printed in the Murphysboro Daily Independent.

• Granddaughter Gladys Rhea Castleberry married Otto Spangler. In 1946, they lived in Murphysboro. That year, she was employed as a nurse in Peoria, IL. Their only daughter was Beverly Joan Spangler.

• Grandson Earl H. Castleberry married Leona Corwell. They made their home in Murphysboro in the mid-1940s. They had one known son, Harold Eugene Castleberry. On April 3, 1949, son Harold was married to Hilda Elaine Wisely, daughter of Ray A. Wisely of Murphysboro.

Cobden Cemetery - Courtesy Rick Vest

Daughter Bertha E. Younkin (1883-1951) was born on Dec. 17, 1883 in Illinois. She married Virgil Monroe Castleberry ( ? - ? ), son of Martin A. and Eliza Jane Castleberry. (The families were close, and Bertha's sister Delia married Virgil's brother Ira.) They apparently did not reproduce and dwelled in Murphysboro. Bertha wrote to Younkin National Home-coming Reunion organizer Charles Arthur "Charleroi Charley" Younkin in Pennsylvania in December 1936, saying that her father was a Younkin and that she was a second cousin of Mrs. Walter Byars of Marion, IL. At the age of 68, Bertha passed away at home on Jan. 17, in 1951. Following a funeral service officiated by Rev. L.R. Gilliland, burial was in Cobden Cemetery. The Carbondale Southern Illinoisan printed a death notice.

Daughter Nellie Ann Younkin (1886-1929) was born on April 30, 1886. She was wedded to John R. Clutts (1880-1949). The couplelived in Cobden and produced two known children, Nellie Bernice Caraker and James Harold Clutts. Nellie died in Cairo Hospital in Cairo, Alexander County, IL on July 17, 1929, at the age of 43. [Find-a-Grave] News of her death was printed in the Murphysboro Daily Independent. Among others, John's brother Clyde traveled from Peoria to attend the funeral.

Daughter Leola "Ola" Younkin (1894-1978) was born on March 8, 1894 (or 1892) in Makanda, Jackson County, IL. Circa 1909, when she was 16 years of age, she and her sister Kate lived in Buncombe, IL, and were mentioned in the gossip columns of the Carbondale Daily Free Press. She married Owen McGinnis ( ? - ? ). They lived in Carbondale and had one son, Clifton McGinnis. Circa 1926, Leola was employed at a garment factory in Carbondale. Later, she supported herself over the years as a waitress. She died in Carbondale's New Haven Center nursing home on Aug. 10, 1978, at the age of 86. She is interred in Snider Hill Cemetery in Carbondale. An obituary appeared in the Carbondale Southern Illinoisan.

• Grandson Clifton McGinnis lived in Las Vegas in 1978 and had one son.

L-R: Horatio N. Vest; baby Darline Beatrice; and Horatio's grave. Below: Kankakee Memorial Gardens. Courtesy Rick Vest.

Lloyd Roles - Courtesy Rick Vest

Daughter Maggie "Madge" Youngkins (1895-1974) was born on New Year's Eve 1895 in Makanda, Jackson County, IL. She was wedded thrice. Her first spouse was Horatio Nelson ("Ratia" or "R.N.") Vest (1875-1923), born on July 15, 1875 in Anna, IL, and the son of James and Matilda (Smith) Vest. The bride was two decades younger than the groom. Rev. Combrink performed the ceremony in Murphysboro on June 4, 1915, and the news was published in the Carbondale (IL) Daily Free Press. (Madge's first name was misspelled as "Maud" and her maiden name spelled "Youngkins.") At the time of marriage, Ratia and his father worked at Anna State Hospital. The couple produced three children -- Hazel Irene Hatch, James Monroe Vest and Darline Beatrice Vest (who died in infancy in 1922). Circa 1919, the young family made their home on Hawkins Street in Kankakee, Kankakee County, IL. That year, 41-year-old Horatio was employed as an "attendant" at the Kankakee State Hospital, a facility for treating the mentally ill. Sadly, Horatio died a year after his baby daughter, at the age of 48, just three days after Christmas 1923. Interment was in Anna. Madge then was wedded to her second husband, Walter Deane (1887-1965). Walter had been married previously and brought an adult son to the marriage, James O. Deane. Circa 1930, the couple made their residence in Kankakee in a combined home of Madge's and Walter's children. Walter worked as a laborer in a local stove factory in 1930. By 1940, the couple apparently had separated, and Madge supported herself through work as a mender at a hosiery mill. In 1940, she headed a household on West Oak Street which contained her married daughter, granddaughter and a boarder, Andrew "Lloyd" Roles and his teenage daughter. Madge eventually was wedded to her boarder, Mr. Roles (1898-1971), a native of Kansas, who was three years younger than she and the son of Samuel Andrew and Bertha Cecelia (Gaughan) Roles. Their home in 1942 was in Kankakee. Andrew died in Kankakee on Aug. 24, 1971. Madge survived him by three years and succumbed in Chicago on March 20, 1974. Burial was in Kankakee Memorial Gardens and Chapel in Kankakee. [Find-a-Grave]

• Granddaughter Hazel Irene Vest (1917-1997) was born in on Oct. 27, 1917 in Kankakee. After the death of her father, she grew up in the Kankakee household of her mother and stepfather Walter Deane. She married Russel Hatch ( ? - ? ) and had one daughter, Sharon Day. Sharon was wedded to Broadus Day and they later lived in Las Vegas, where she died in 1990.

• Grandson James Monroe Vest (1919-1998) was born on Aug. 22, 1919 in Kankakee. James served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1939 to November 1945. He married Virginia Pearl Travis (1924-2010), the daughter of Thomas and Pearl Travis. The couple met while Virginia worked in a munitions factory during World War II, and James was serving in the Air Corps. While James was in training as a B-29 gunner, they were united in matrimony in Salina, KS on June 25, 1944. Their offspring were Donald Vest, Richard Vest, Steven Vest and Kathleen Vest Watson. James passed away in Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ on Oct. 18, 1988. Virginia survived her husband by a dozen years. She died in Tempe, Maricopa County on May 4, 2010.

• Step-granddaughter Maxine Roles (1925- ? ) was born in about 1925. At the age of 15, she and her father lodged in the Kankakee household of her future step-mother.

 

Florence Stove Co., Kankakee, Illinois

 

Son Guy Youngkins (1895- ? ) was born on March 1, 1895 in Madakda. It is possible that he was adopted as census records do not show him in his parents' household until he was age 15 in 1910. Tragically, he was admitted into the Anna State Hospital for "insane" patients where he may have spent the remainder of his life. He died in the hospital more than two decades later of bronchial pneumonia on Aug. 1, 1935.

Daughter Elsie Younkin (1905- ? ) was born in about 1905 in Illinois -- nothing more is known.

~ Daughter Clementine Youngkin ~

Clementine Youngkin (1855- ? ) was born in about 1855 on the Youngkins' Sugar Creek Farm in Williamson County, IL.

Research by Mark Terry Youngkin shows that "The paper trail on Clementine Youngkin goes cold with no census, birth records, death records or other documents having been discovered for her after 1865 and age 10."

~ Daughter Martha "Ellen" (Youngkin) Ogden Watson Burkholz ~

Martha "Ellen" Youngkin (1857- ? ) was born in about 1857 in Illinois. She appears to have been thrice married.

Her first husband was Franklin "Frank" Ogden (Nov. 30, 1851-1877), son of John and Rachel (Hoagland) Ogden. Heartache blanketed Martha Ellen's world when Frank died at the age of 26 on Dec. 22, 1877, making her a widow at age 20. Neighbors John Ogden Jr. and William A. Ogden attended the funeral, with burial in Snider Hill Cemetery in Carbondale, Jackson County, IL.

At the age of 22, on Oct. 20, 1878, in Williamson County, Martha Ellen married a second time to 34-year-old widower Calvin G. Watson (1844- ? ), son of Samuel and Christina Watson. Rev. Thomas W. Chamness officiated at the nuptials, and neighbor James H. Penland is known to have attended. Calvin stood 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, dark hair and blue eyes.

Calvin was a Civil War veteran, having enlisted at Johnsonville, IL on Sept. 15, 1861. He served as a private in the 48th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company I, commanded by Capt. A.T. Galbraith. While at Pittsburg Landing, TN in April 1862, the Sunday after the bloody battle of Shiloh, and in the midst of "exposure and bad water and the vicissitudes of camp life," he was stricken with severe diarrhea, which plagued him for the rest of his life. In October 1863, he was detached from the regiment to drive a team of horses with a division train. At times he was treated at military hospitals in Hamburg, TN and Snyder's Bluff, MS. At East Point, GA, he received an honorable discharge and was mustered out of the service on Sept. 25, 1864.

Upon returning home to Wayne County, IL, he obtained farm work for L.M. Cisne. Cisne called Calvin "a willing hand to work. But very often he would give out entirely and have to quite work for Days at a time" due to the diarrhea and related hemorrhoids.

Calvin and his first wife Ellen moved to his father's farm at Cottage Home in Williamson County in October 1870. Sadly, she died on Feb. 10, 1876, at the home of William Z. and Lavina Holmes in Johnsonville, Wayne County.

Calvin brought a two-year-old son, Columbus Watson, to the marriage with our Martha Ellen. They resided early in their marriage in South Pass and Cobden, Union County, IL. The couple produced a son of their own, William T. Watson, born in 1879. Catharine Perry was present at the birth and may have been a midwife.

The federal census of 1880 shows the family in South Pass, with Martha Ellen's 19-year-old sister Belle living in the household as a "domestic servant."

The Watsons jointly purchased from John Ogden some 155 acres of land in Sections 2 and 11, Township 10, Range 1 East. It adjoined neighboring farm owned by J.H. Penlande. Circa 1897, about 30 of the acres were under cultivation, with the entire property valued at about $500.

Calvin became aware that he could obtain a government pension for his military service. His brothers-in-law Terry Lloyd Youngkin and James Calvin Youngkin signed affidavits confirming his problems with hemorrhoids and related disability. In fact, James Calvin wrote in January 1884: "...have all so worked with him on the farm and his frequent complaining of suffering cause me to inquire what the Disease was and he told me it was hemorrhoids. Since my first knowledge of the disease I have been with him often when he was confined to the house and have been present when the family Physician was with him and since 1870 I have been with or near him all the time up to September last and I feel safe in stating that he has suffered each year since 1870 from hemorrhoids and from my knowledge of the case. I am positive of the fact."

Dr. J.C. Jacques observed that Calvin's bowels protruded out about three or four inches. Calvin himself wrote that he was constipated for five and six days at a time. Dr. Alonzo P. Baker of Cottage Grove noted that the bacteria from the bowel affliction led to deposits of tuberculosis on Calvin's lungs later in life. Baker also advised Calvin that the only way he might have a chance of surviving was to move to the "high latitudes of Colorado." But he stayed put. On Nov. 9, 1881, the pension was approved. [Invalid App. 433.045 - Cert. 442.327]

Sadly, exhausted by his sufferings, Calvin passed away of heart failure at the age of 46 on June 25, 1891 in Williamson County. Henry Ogden and W.A. Ogden were present at the time of death. The remains were laid to rest in the Watson Cemetery, in Marion, Williamson County. [Find-a-Grave] James H. and Harriet Penland and Joshua Cox are known to have attended the funeral.

Immediately following Calvin's death, Martha Ellen petitioned the federal government to receive the pension. Among those friends providing affidavits of support in her case were Henry Ogden of Carbondale, Jackson County (who had lived on an adjoining farm for two decades) and W.A. Ogden of Williamson. The pension was awarded on July 20, 1891. [Widow App. 521.042 - Cert. 462.970.

Cobden, Illinois, East Main Street looking north, early 1900s

Martha Ellen remained Calvin's widow for 11 years. Her address in 1897 was Cottage Home, Williamson County.

On April 13, 1902, at the age of 44, she married her third spouse, 56-year-old August Burkholz (April 23, 1845-1915). Rev. William M. Maxton presided at the wedding, held in Williamson County. In marrying again, she forfeited her right to continue receiving her second husband's Civil War pension.

August was a farmer and a native of Germany, who emigrated at the age of about 27 in 1872. He had been married previously to Julia Blake ( ? - ? ). He brought these known children to the marriage with our Martha Ellen -- Albert F. "Dick" Burkholz, Leo Burkholz and Martha Spires.

After the death of Martha Ellen's brother Joel in 1922, she was named as "Ellen Birkholz" in a Carbondale Daily Free Press notice thanking "our kind friends for help and loving care during the illness and death of our beloved."

The Birkholzes' marriage lasted for 13 years. Sadly, suffering from prostate and rectal cancer, and after surgery to remove the gland, August was cut down by the Grim Reaper on March 30, 1915. Death occurred in Marion, Williamson County, just a few weeks before his 70th birthday.

Martha Ellen survived as a three-time widow. Her home in 1917 was in Carterville, Williamson County. She successfully applied to receive a "remarried widow's pension" for Calvin Watson's Civil War service.

Stepson Columbus Watson (1876- ? ) was born in 1876 in Illinois.

Son William T. Watson (1879-1941) was born on Oct. 13, 1879 in Cobden, Union County, IL. He was wedded to Stella Idell Thomas (1888-1954), daughter of Robert G. and L.I. (Greer) Thomas. They had a family of one or more children. William died on Aug. 3, 1941 in Williamson County. His remains were lowered into repose in Oak Grove Cemetery in Wolf Creek, Williamson County. [Find-a-Grave] Stella followed him to the grave 13 years later in 1954.

~ Daughter Cordelia Arabelle "Belle" (Youngkin) Ewell Hill ~

Daughter Cordelia Arabelle ("Arabella" or "Belle") Youngkin (1861-1919?) was born in about 1861 on the Youngkins' Sugar Creek Farm in Williamson County, IL. She was only a young girl when she became orphaned. Over the years, official documents show her using all three of her names at different times.

On Feb. 25, 1877, at the age of 16, Arabelle married 21-year-old John G. Ewell (1856- ? ) in a ceremony taking place in Williamson County. She was five years younger than her husband.

The couple is not known to have reproduced.

The couple's marriage appears to have dissolved during the decade of the 1870s. By 1880, Arabelle moved into the farm home of her sister and brother in law, Martha "Ellen" and Calvin Watson in South Pass, Union County, IL.

Arabelle married again in Williamson County on May 16, 1881 to Marshall Marcus Hill (January 1860-1904?). Their children were Mary Ellen Hill, Jessie Hill, Minnie Tippett and adopted son Gilbert Tippet. Federal census records for 1900 show the family making its home in Marion Township, Williamson County, with Marshall earning a living as a mine superintendent. That year, Arabelle's name was spelled "Esibell" by the census-taker.

Records on Find-a-Grave suggest that Marshall died on Nov. 21, 1904 in Franklin County, IL, with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion, Williamson County. [Find-a-Grave]

Arabelle is believed to have died in Anna, Union County, IL on March 16, 1919. This needs to be confirmed.

Daughter Mary Ellen Hill (1882- ? ) was born on March 4, 1882 in Carterville, IL.

Daughter Jessie Hill (1885- ? ) was born in April 1885.

Daughter Minnie Hill (1889- ? ) was born in February 1889.

Adopted son Gilbert Tippet (1895- ? ) was born in July 1895.