In Olmstead Township is found in the home of Mirium Hickard:
Isaac Curtis age 12 born in Ohio student
We find Isaac Curtis in Dixon City in the same census married to
Selia age 28 born in Ohio
With their children:
Harry Curtis age 3
Jennie Curtis age 2
James Curtis age 5 mo--born in Jan.
Andrew Curtis was born in 1829/30 in Ohio. He was married in 1850/51 to Sarah Porter. (Andrew is first found in the 1850 census of Middleburgh Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio which was taken on 21 September 1850. Information is on microfilm 432, roll 673.) They were married in a double wedding with Sarah's Mother's sister Betsy Hulet and Nathan Foster. Sarah had a brother, Frank, who died at the age of 19 on Pike's Peak in Colorado.
On June 20, 1852 their first child, Adelbert, was born to them.
The 1860 census shows Adelbert's name as Joel A. Curtis. He went by 'Del' and his tombstone reads A. J. Curtis. He had a brother named Martin born in August of 1853 and thought there are no official records to prove the theory, it is said that Martin's middle name was Ray. This would account for Del's naming his first son Martin Ray.
During the school year the family would live near Dixon, Illinois so that the children could attend school there.
In the summer of 1873 Del and Martin returned to Harmon ahead of their parents and sister. Martin had just graduated and was looking forward to college in the fall. On July 4 the boys were still awaiting the arrival of the rest of the family. They decided to go swimming at Stone's Grove in Nelson along with Willie Bach, a friend of theirs. At 4 in the afternoon they decided to swim out to a sand bar in the river. Since Willie couldn't swim, they got a plank and had Willie hold on to it in the middle while Del and Martin hung on at each end and swam. Once in the deep water Willie began to panic. Del swam over to him with the intent of helping Willie back to shore. Willie, in his panic, grabbed Del in such a way that Del could do nothing to help him to the nearby shore. Del finally succeeded in getting Willie to hang onto his shoulder. When he began to swim toward the shore however, Willie slipped an arm around Del's neck and they both went under. Martin swam over to assist. When they came up Willie, while still holding onto Del, grabbed Martin by the throat and they all went under together. Del managed to free himself and surface once again. Martin was not as lucky. He and Willie never resurfaced. A boat was sent from Sterling as soon as the news was spread. They managed to recover the bodies of the two unfortunate boys. Andrew and Sarah had the painful task of burying their son upon their return home. He was laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery in Harmon. His dreams of college and a bright future laid to rest with him.
Del also had a sister born in January of 1857 named Sarah Jenny. She was called by her middle name 'Jenny'. On January 1, 1875 at the age of 18 Jenny began keeping a diary in which she wrote faithfully every night. Her father was gone quite a bit due to his job and had hired a young man by the name of Winnie Hopkins to help out around the home. By the summer of 1875 Jenny and Winnie had fallen in love. In July of that year Jenny's parents had decided to move back to Harmon, Illinois -- into a house that was rumored to be haunted. The move was hard for Jenny. She had to leave her friends and her Beau behind. She thought about hiring out as a housekeeper so that she could stay in Rock Falls but Winnie voiced his objection to her working out of the home and so, with a sad heart, she made the move with her parents. She and Winnie corresponded and Winnie would make frequent trips to visit her.
Within a month of the move, Jenny became ill and was diagnosed as having consumption. (At that time both TB and Leukemia were called consumption.) Shortly, Jenny could no longer write in her diary and her Mother, Sarah, finished it for her, recording the events and agony of Jenny's last days on earth. She told how Jenny's belief in God helped her to accept her fate and tolerate the agony of the pain and the medicines. She told of Winnie's sorrow at losing his beloved future bride and of her own grief at having to helplessly watch her only daughter slowly die in tremendous pain. She told of Jenny's Grandma's grief and of John and Merinda Porter and Jenny's friends coming by the house to say their goodbys to Jenny before her death. On August 25, 1875 the pain finally came to an end for Jenny. She was laid to rest next to her brother Martin.
The family moved to Rock Falls where Andrew became a house mover. Their only remaining son, Del, went to Wheaton College and became a teacher. He met Isabelle Jane Fox, fell in love and they were married in Rock Falls on the 15th of December 1878. Five children were born to them with Merinda and Mrs. Balch attending the birth of the last child. His birth was later documented by Dr. William Henry.
Del moved his family to Fort Scott, Kansas in about 1893. They used a covered wagon for their transportation, which Del had built himself. He had extended the cover over the wheels so that the beds lay crosswise and his family could all fit into it at night. It took six weeks for them to arrive at their destination as the trip had been delayed in Ottumwa, Iowa.
the two horses had been turned loose for the night to graze at Ottumwa. During the course of the night, they strayed onto the nearby railroad track and were hit by a train and killed. The horses were replaced and the journey continued. Within a few months after their arrival in Kansas City, Del traded 'sight unseen' for a farm east of Vienna, Missouri. Although the Curtis family no longer lives there, it is still known as 'The Curtis Place' in that area.
In 1903 Andrew and Sarah moved to Nevada, Missouri. They lived in a house located at 729 East Hickory Street near the Nevada mill. Andrew operated a store and is buried there. His wife Sarah is buried at Vienna, Missouri.
Adelbert's property east of Vienna, Missouri covered about 1 square mile bordering Vienna) On 30 March 1908 Adelbert was a sheep farmer and had taken his
sheep to market. His wife, 'Belle', had taken the children to Nevada to attend school.
Adelbert had decided to stay in a small outbuilding which had a stove and bed rather than
to stay in the main house. Early in the day on Tuesday, March 31 Del got into an argument with John King. Late in the night he was awakened to find a man standing over
him. The man fled but Adelbert was afraid for his life. Early the next day, he mailed a
letter to his wife telling her of the occurance and that he had buried the money which he
had obtained from selling the sheep. On Thursday, 02 April, 1908 this account was in the
Maries County Gazette:
The load had torn away a portion of the unfortunate man's chin, entering the neck towards the left side and ranging downward, piercing the trachia and esophagus and one shot entering the left lung. Two felt gunwads were found, one embedded in the right side of the neck and the other adhering to the skin near by..
Mr. Curtis lived alone in a one room house. The murderer or murderers, it is thought, went to his house about 10 P.M. just as he was preparing to retire, as he was in his stocking feet and wore nothing but pants and shirt, he got up and lighted......... body overturned with the chimney broken, and when the door was opened the fatal shot was fired.
Wednesday morning at about 7 O'clock Ellis, the 11-year-old son of Mrs. Anna King, who lives in one of Mr. Curtis' houses half a mile north of the scene, went to the latter's place to get a horse. The door was ajar; the little fellow peeped in and saw Curtis lying on the floor. Thinking the old gentleman was asleep the boy pushed the door open a little further, saw the pool of blood and naturally frightened, ran home and told his mother, and they hurried to town and gave the alarm.
A number of our citizens, among them Sheriff Finn, went to the house and a glance told them that foul murder had been done. It was generally known that the dead man had money, but a search of the clothes and the premises failed to reveal a cent and it was almost certain that robbery was the motive for the deed.
Justice of the Peace McGee, acting Coroner, empaneled a jury composed of the following gentlemen: A.S. Henderson, R.J. Holmes, I.H. Burns, J.P. Jones, Carlos Terrill and Logan McDaniel. An autopsy was held in the room where the murder was committed. Dr. Jose, with his surgical instruments, following the direction of the balls and descibing to the jury the nature of the wounds which caused death.
The inquest is still in progress as we go to press, but no definite evidence as to the identity of the guilty one or ones has been adduced. Our people are greatly stirred over the occurrence, the first of this nature to happoen in Maries county within our memory. Efforts were made to secure bloodhounds but they could not be obtained. It was a dastardly deed and the guilty one or ones should feel the heavy hand of the law.
The father, wife and sons of A.J. Curtis, the unfortunate man who was murdered at his
home half a mile east of town Tuesday night, arrived yesterday morning from Nevada, and
departed for that place the same afternoon, taking the remains there for
interment.
Adelbert's wife Isabella Jane Fox lived at the family home, finished raising her children there and was laid to rest:
"Mrs. I.J. Curtis died on Sunday morning, Feb 18th 1917. She was born at Balstanopa (sic) (Ballston Spa), NY. Oct 30, 1855, and removed to Illinois with her parents when three years of age. In 1878 she was married to Adelbert J. Curtis and moved to Maries county(Missouri)in 1896. They had four sons and one daughter. M.R., Glenn, Harry H., Carl F. and Mrs. Mabel Gillispie.
She was converted and joined the M.E. church at the age of 14 and during all these years she lived a devoted christian and did her full duty to the church and to the community in which she resided.
Mrs. Curtis was a true and humble disciple of the church. She was prompt to see her duty (next part is unreadable).... conscientiously and with true regard for her churchly obligations. The funeral sermon was conducted by her pastor, Rev Polston, and on Monday, Feb 19th, she was laid away to await the resurrection of the just."
After Bell's death Sarah lived with Ray and his family. She had buried all of her children and her daughter in law.
A year after Bell's passing Sarah was reunited with her children and her husband in death on October 3, 1918 and was buried the following day in Vienna.
Del's third child, Mable, met and married Fred Gillispie. She remained in Vienna until her death on 18 February, 1975, 58 years to the day after the death of her Mother. She and Fred had 7 children, 17 Grandchildren, 32 Great Grandchildren and at last count, 3 Great Great Grandchildren.
Del's fourth child Harry, spent some time in Montana before moving to Washington state. There he met and married Nettie Laura Hiles A page of memories of him and his family will be on this site soon.
Del's fifth child Carl moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota when he and his brother sold the farm. He joined the military services at the age of 27. He received an honorable discharge and then worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Hospital until his retirement then obtained work in a dental laboratory. He went to his death on February 7, 1963 and is remembered with great fondness by his many nieces and nephews.
From Andrew and Sarah's marriage in 1850 until 1990, 140 years later they were blessed with 3 children, 5 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, 57 great great grandchildren, 119 great great great grandchildren and 24 great great great great grandchildren. There has been no accounting since 1990 but as of that time there were a total of 234 descendants of Andrew and
Sarah Curtis.
Curtis Lineage
Photo Of Harry and Nettie's Family
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