Clyde Manion

I've made it a goal to "meet" at least one descendant of each of William Graham's children (not counting Adeline who had no children.) Clyde Manion was my grandfather Roy's 3rd cousin, great-grandson of Susan Graham Manion. But, Clyde's uncle William Clinton Manion married one of Roy's aunts (Elizabeth Reiter), so they were sort of doubly related. (Yes, this sort of thing happened a lot in Jefferson County, MO)

Although this baseball card (valued at around $50) says he was born in St. Louis, that was just the closest big city. He was born in Big River Twp, Jefferson County, Missouri where William and Margaret Graham (his g-g grandparents) settled in the early 1800's. His family moved to Eaton, Colorado around 1901 where he grew up with his 9 siblings.

His full name was Clyde Jennings Manion, but his family called him "Rick". Oddly, he was known as "Pete" in baseball circles. No one knows why he had two different nick-names. According to Lynda, a cousin:

I just remember when he came home to Colorado he was just one of the gang. We called him Rick; who knows why, but he was called Pete on the teams. Our cousins in Detroit did not know he was called Rick by his family out here. Clyde's first wife was a beautiful woman, we understand. She was killed in a car accident on her way to meet him at one of his games.

After the death of his first wife, he re-married.  The following is from one of their grandchildren:

We all grew up calling her "Mommadoll."  Momadoll's name was Marion.  Clyde was referred to by us grand kids as "clyde-dee-dy-dee."  All of that was her idea.  Mommadoll died in 1994.  She met Clyde as a baseball player.  She fancied herself somewhat of a socialite and no doubt, thought ball players while stars and popular people, were shady people.  When Clyde finished his career in 1934 he wanted to move to coaching but, from what I have heard, she wanted him to have a more respectable job.  He became an insurance agent for the Equitable Life Insurance Co.

 
Clyde stayed in Detroit because she was there and he was well known there (help with insurance business) She was always well dressed and proper.

He began his professional career in 1920 with the Detroit Tigers where he played catcher. His last four years, though, were with the St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds. But, he considered the Detroit Tigers his team. He lived and died in Detroit where he has a brick with his name on it at the stadium. Click here for his statistics.

Although those stats don't give his salary at the time, there is a web-site called "What If" that projects what his salary would have been if he were playing today (based on his stats).
Clyde Manion died in 1967 and is buried in Holy Sepulcher Cemetery. Click here for a photo of his tombstone and more information.

Rev. James Graham

Reverend James Graham (pictured above) is often cited as the father of our ancestor William Graham. While we believe they are probably related (they are from Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania and, as Dwight pointed out, he resembles Theodore (William's son) pictured below), there are several reasons Rev. James Graham can not be our ancestor.

The documents that say Rev. James Graham is William Graham's father also say that Rev. James Graham was born in 1756 (which worked out great since William Graham was born in 1784), but Rev. James Graham, first full-time pastor to Beulah Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh was born in 1775. I feel pretty certain this is a correct date since I found a great deal of information about him in Annals of Old Wilkinsburg and Vicinity, with much of the information from his grand-daughter Martha Graham. According to her, his installation as pastor of the Beulah Church, "took place October 16, 1804. This was James Graham's twenty-ninth birthday." His installation date is a matter of church record.

The year of his death is also inaccurate---it's often stated as 5 June 1848, but again this book Annals of Old Wikinsburg and Vicinity, describes his death:

Riding home from a visit to a parishioner June 12, 1845, James Graham's horse was frightened and he was thrown, receiving injuries on head and knee from which he never recovered. He rested at the house of John Shaeffer near which the accident occurred. . .

After riding home to reassure his family he was all right, he fell asleep and never regained consciousness. He is buried in the Beulah Cemetery and his tombstone has the date June 12, 1845.

In fact, Reverend James Graham had no sons named William. By his first wife Elizabeth Martin: Mary, Robert, Matilda, Eliza, James and Priscilla. By his second wife Rachel Glenn: Rebecca and "a little son Thomas."(I assume that means he died young. Although he is not in that cemetery, there is nothing more about him in the chapter. But, someone had to be Martha Graham's father. . . ). By Rev. James Graham's third wife, Martha McCullough (often named as the mother of William Graham), he had two daughters Margaret and Rachel---no sons. His only sons were James, Robert and Thomas.

His son James died in 1849; this same document states that, "Eliza and James Graham, Jr. had four daughters, Martha, Evaline, Elizabeth and Margaretta. James died of typhoid fever when his youngest daughter was 6 weeks old. And, his son Robert "never married."

To read this document, click here. Then, search "Rev. James Graham", you can see what pages look interesting and can go to those pages. Or, you can simply scroll down to the chapters on "Beulah Church II", "Graham Family", "The Death of Reverend James Graham."
There may well be a James Graham (1756-1848) who had a son named William, but it wasn't this James Graham. And, this Martha McCullough was not his mother, either.

I wish I could say poor research led genealogists down this wrong path, but I've gone down that path, too. The internet and digitizing old documents has changed research tremendously---I'm excited to be able to find new and interesting information about my family each day on the internet.

Graham Family, Early Settlers, Part III

Theodore Graham, uncle of Charles W. Graham and half-brother of Thomas Jefferson Graham was born in Jefferson County, Missouri. His mother died at his birth. As a lad, he joined his brother Thomas J. to Waddam Grove. As already stated, he went to California in 1849 searching gold. He returned to Warren in 1851 and exchanged some of his gold for 80 acres of land two miles southwest of Warren where he built his home. The place now in 1922 is occupied by the Papoon brothers. Theodore Graham married Alethea Tucker, daughter of Benjamin Tucker. He was born in Virginia in 1796. Benjamin's wife was his cousin, Elizabeth Tucker. The Tuckers lived in Adams Co. Ohio and in 1836 moved in near Waddams Groves, their farm being, however in Stephenson Co, Ill. The four children of Tuckers were: Alethea who married Theodore Graham and she was born Aug. 16, 1819 and died May 18, 1876. Jesse, born in 1822, died in 1876, Delia (Ibbie?) who married Josephus Cooper and lived at Mason City, Iowa; and John Tucker who lived in Kansas.

Ten children blessed the union of Theodore Graham and Alethia Tucker. William Harrison Graham, the 1st child was born at Waddams Grove on Jan 2, 1842 and died Lamoni, Iowa. He married Melvina Baird. Their daughter Allie married Wm. Smith.

Graham Family, Early Settlers, Part II

Charles William Graham

Charles William Graham, the first child of Thomas J. by his first marriage to Mary Ann Gilmore was born at Morris [Morse] Mill, MO on May 21, 1834 and died in Warren on Dec. 17, 1917. He came to Jo Daviess Co. in 1837. Warren was the trading center and his post office from 1847 when Fredman A Tisdale opened up the office until his death in 1927 except for a short time when he lived near Lena.

When Charles W. Graham was a lad of station, he left Millville on April 14 1850 with his uncle Theodore Graham, John Baker and Isom Atkinson in a 4 horse covered wagon for the California gold fields. They crossed the Mississippi at Savanna, Illinois and joined a west bound caravan. On October 27 1850, they reached Georgetown, California. The route was around Council Bluffs, up the Platte to Ft. Laramie thence up the North Fork of the Platte and along the Sweet Water River through Devil's Gate thence coming the Bear River and on in to Salt Lake. They crossed the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming on June 17th and followed the Humboldt River until it spread out over the sands and disappeared. The trip of 41 miles over the Humboldt Desert [for photos, click here If this looks like something you might want to try, click here.] was negotiated. . .

Graham Family, Early Settlers Part I

Leota, a descendant of Theodore Graham sent me the following newspaper article about Thomas Jefferson Graham and Theodore. It's very hard to read so I'm transcribing it---parts may be too unreadable, so bear with me. The dates are exceptionally hard to read because I can't guess. There's no date on the article, but I'm guessing sometime in the 1920's because of the ads with stockings and Velveeta cheese. HA! I found in the text that it's 1932!

As with many of these biographies, there may be some inaccurate statements. Grandchildren of the parties were probably interviewed and the stories might not have been remembered correctly, but. . .there is undoubtedly a great deal of truth here.

The Warren Sentinel Leader Warren, Illinois
"Graham Family, Early Settlers"

Thomas Jefferson Graham

William Graham was born in Virginia and went to Kentucky at an early age. He first married Margaret McCarroll. He was the father of six daughters and five sons. Of his sons, Thomas Jefferson Graham, the 4th child and his half-brother Theodore Graham, the eleventh child became early settlers near and in Warren. The father moved from Kentucky into Missouri where he died.

Thomas Jefferson Graham was born in Kentucky in 1808 and came from Missouri in Millville, Jo Daviess Co. Ill in 1827 were he secured two sections of land in exchage for a drove of cattle which he had brought from Missouri. He took Thomas and George W. Wiley into partnership for a short time in this land deal as noted in the Wiley "warm up" in the Sentinel Leader of March 9, 1????. Graham remained on his property for six years and then returned to Missouri and married Mary Ann Gilmore, the "beauty of Richwoods." He remained in Missouri until 1837 his children being born. The eldest child Charles William Graham was born at Morris Mill [Morse Mill], Mo. on Mar 31 1834 and the youngest was Mary Ann Graham whose birth in June 1835, the mother did not survive. This daughter married Benjamin Miles and lived in Gratiot Township[Wisconsin] over the line from Warren, Ill.

In 1836, Thomas Jefferson Graham married Margaret AuHavre Juneau as a second wife and brought his family to Jo Daviess Co. in 1837 and bought two farms at Waddam's Grove. In 1844 he moved into his Millville holdings. In about 1850 he moved into Warren and engaged in teaming from there to Galena, etc. before the construction of the railroad. He, also, was a partner with Arnold in the meat business in Warren before John W. Bedford became Arnold's sole partner in 1858.

Thomas Jefferson Graham continued to live in Warren until 1865 when he moved to Salem, Nebr. and later into 1864 and was with Daniel Clark Allen and Manley Rogers on the first board of elders.

Thomas Jefferson Graham had twelve children by his second wife, they being----

Sarah Graham, the first child born in Jefferson Co. Mo married Charles Smith, a widower. Smith's first wife had died of cholera in Warren in 1854. The Smiths moved to Salem Nebr. where both died. their daughter Belle, first married a Mr. Wesley and later Charles Stewart. She is a widow living in Lincoln Nebr. Another daughter Ann Smith married Wm Wertz and resides in Omaha now in 1932.

The next children of Thos. J. Graham by his second marriage were Ary who died in 1840, aged 3 1/2 years and an infant who died in 1846 and Laura who was born in Millville in Nov. 1849 and died in Warren in Jan. 13, 1853.

Ambrose Graham, Thomas J's 4th child by his second marriage, lived in Salem, Nebr. His widow who was Kate Malone who resides in Dawson, Nebraska. His daughter Stella is a Mrs. Vandivort of Salem and another is Bessie Rash, living in Salem, Nebr.

Edward and George Graham, twins, were born while Thomas J. Graham was in Waddam's Grove Farm, George died on Sept 17, 1845 at Millville and Edward lived in Salem, Nebr. where he married Annie Malone. Both are dead.

Orphelia Graham, Thomas J's 8th child 2nd marriage, married Frank Wickham of Salem and moved into Kansas where he died. The widow remarried and lives in Okla. Jessie [Jane], the 9th child was born in Millville and married Henry Hare in Salem, Nebr. She now resides in ????,??, the mother of ???? Hare. Delos, the 10th child died young. Frederick, the 11th child of Thomas J. Graham by the second wife was born in Warren in 18?? and died in 18??.

For Part II of the article, click here and for Part III, click here. A variation of this article given to me by David M. says:

Andrew, the 10th child, lived in Salem, Neb. Delos, the 11 child died young. Frederick, the 12th child was born in Warren in 1858 and died in 1882.

Defendants to Graham Lawsuit

Several Graham descendants and spouses are in this photo. The woman in a dark dress with no hat and white hair is Mary Wilson Trimble (granddaughter of Mary "Polly" Graham). The woman in the white dress with big white hat is Bertha Graham Wilson (granddaughter of William Kane Graham).

There are over 200 defendants for the lawsuit fighting Adeline Graham Wilson's will---I'm going to try to identify as many of them as possible by which of Adeline's siblings they descend from. Since many of them weren't named in the will, I don't really understand why they were defendants, but I'm listing these purely for genealogical reasons. For those named in the will, click here. For information on the lawsuit and the plaintiffs, click here. PLEASE, contact me if you have any corrections.

Adeline's Will and Lawsuit

1913, (standing r-l) Bertha Graham Wilson(white), Abner Medley (white suspenders), Rev. George Steel(white beard), Rev Brown (kneeling in front of them), Gladys Wilson Long is seated on the ground with a black band around a white hat. Bertha Graham Wilson (named in the will below) and George Steel defendants.

Section 7 of the Will basically says "no part of my real estate shall be sold to pay any portion of the legacies bequeathed by this will."

Section 8--If a surplus shall remain after all the costs of the settlement of my Estate, and all the money's directed paid out of my Estate . . . .the surplus shall be paid by my Executor share and share alike to the following persons to wit: Samuel Lee, son of my deceased nephew, James Lee, to nephew Martin V. Graham, to my nieces Margaret V. Blake, Catherine Eaves, and Bertha Wilson, and Ruth Frost and Maggie Maupin, daughter of my deceased niece Arah J. Williams.

Adeline Graham Wilson's Will, Section 6

Adeline Graham Wilson mentioned 3 heirs in the previous post: Thomas J. Miller, Frederick A. Harbison (her brother Madison Martin Graham's grandson) and Ann Liza Wilson (her former-slave). Between this will and the subsequent lawsuit, we know almost all of her nieces, nephews for two generations. But, first, I probably need to list the children of William Graham and Margaret Graham (Adeline's brothers and sisters whom she outlived):

Thomas Jefferson Graham (1809)
Thompson Graham (1810-1843)
Mary "Polly" Graham (1811-1858)
Madison Martin Graham (1814-1882)

Susan Graham (1815-1880)

Lucinda Graham (1816)

Arah Graham (1818-1847)
Theodore Graham (1820-1882)
Adeline Graham (1822-1900)
Margaret Julia Graham (1824-1889)
William Kane Graham (1825-1880)

James Stephen Graham

Section 6: To Margaret V. Leeper---my niece four hundred dollars.
To Margaret Carrow, widow of John J. Carrow one hundred and fifty dollars.
To my niece Sarah I. Carnell one hundred and fifty dollars.
To my niece Sophronia Winer one hundred dollars.
To my niece Lydia Oles one hundred dollars.

Adaline Graham Wilson's Will and "Lize"

Ann Eliza Wilson, 1913

Adaline Graham (1822-1900) was one of William and Margaret Graham's youngest daughters. She and her husband John M. Wilson had no children who lived beyond infancy. But, they "took in" many children to raise. They were fairly affluent and well-respected in the community. Adaline's will and subsequent lawsuit, is like having your genealogy handed to you on a plate. For these two documents, I will highlight the names of the individuals so genealogists can find their ancestor easily. But, my favorite part of the will concerns "Lize" her former slave.

Last Will of ADALINE WILSON deceased

I, Adaline Wilson of Jefferson County and State of Missouri do make and publish the following which is my last will and testament.