John Graham's Probate II

Filed 18 April 1814 John Graham Estate Inventory

Although it pains me to say this, Dwight is probably right. This is not the estate of William Graham's father but of his brother. There is a cemetery record for "Old Cathedral" that says "Jean 22 Dec. 1813 s/Jean & Marie McGauley" Translated into English that should read "John. . .son of John and Mary McGauley"

Buried nearby was "Margurite Graham 1 June 1818 18 yr wife of N. 23 Oct. 1807" I'm not sure what a lot of that means, but I do know that John Graham, Sr. had a daughter Margaret that eloped. The marriage only lasted a few years, because her husband Michael Connel re-married in 1819. So, that might have been her grave.

John Graham's Spanish Land Grant

So, if John Graham was in Missouri in 1805 to witness a burial, I wondered how early he could have been there. In Historical Records of St. Ferdinand (p.109) it stated that April 1803 John Graham attended the sale of Hezekiah Land (deceased) property along with Vincent and Denis Carrico. On 13 Sep. 1808 he gave testimony (p. 36):

"John Graham sworn says that Ezekial Land made an improvement on the place claimed in 1797 and began to build a grist mill and saw mill in 1798, cleared a field, raised corn, and finished his mills; that said land has been inhabited and cultivated ever since."

That land in dispute was at Coldwater Creek and Bellefontaine near Fort Bellefontaine.

John Graham's Probate I

We were pretty excited when David M. found this at the Carondelet Historical Society. I included a lot of the page so others can see the names listed on this same page: Chouteau, DeMun, Labaddie, St. Cyr, Soulard,Valle, Howdershell---all names of places, streets in the St. Louis area.
I was little nervous that this wasn't really our William Graham, but the document below convinced me---who else would be living around Big River in Jefferson County?

Jacob Stein and William Graham

There are several hints that William Graham was a well-respected member of his community. But, having Jacob Stein /Stine as the executor of his estate is the best one. Although we don't know why William Graham died in Carondelet rather than in Jefferson County where his farm was, we have recently found a possible clue.

Jacob Stein (Click here for more information on him) and William Graham lived in Carondelet which was separate from St. Louis at that time.
It was a French river town. Although we don't know where William Graham lived, we do know where Jacob Stein lived in the 1840's.

Morgan Family Photos

One of the nice things about this blog is when people google a name, they find my blog. SOMETIMES, those people contact me and send me stories and photos which I wouldn't have otherwise had. The photo above is my husband's great-grandfather Harvey Morgan.

Tracie who is the great-great-grandchild of Felix Morgan (Harvey's son and Harry B. Morgan's brother) sent me these photos. She is not sure who the photo above is---because it's tin-type, no name was written on it. She thinks it may also be Harvey.

G.E. Graham Bible owner?

There were a few other things in this Bible bought at a garage sale in Arizona.
A clipping of Benjamin Graham and his wife Viola Deputy's 68th Anniversary.
But, the big clue was the marriage certificate of Edith Graham and Ben Hagen.
The obituaries were found through 1956, so it belonged to someone who lived longer. Edith Estella Graham Hagen did not die until 1963. Since her marriage certificate was found in the Bible, I think she or one of her children had the Bible.

Obituaries from G.E. Graham Bible

The obituary above is for Ephraim Graham (1882-1935) who was married to Myrta Kizzire who boren him one son Loren Graham. After his wife died, he married Ethel DeRock.(double-click to enlarge the obituaries) This does name his grandchildren: Thomas Edward Graham, Patricia Louzanne Graham and Ronald Eldon Graham.

G. E. Graham Family Bible

David (whose wife is a Graham descendant) went to a genealogical bulletin board and started corresponding with a gentleman who had recently purchased a Bible at a garage sale in Arizona.
We aren't sure how the Bible made it to Arizona or why it would be sold in a garage sale but it had belonged to someone in the George Erastus Graham family.