Funeral Card Friday - Ella Dillon Thompson

In Remembrance of
Mrs. Ella Dillon Thompson
Born March 4, 1872. Birthplace Scotland, Ill.
Passed Away April 6, 1944
Age 72 years 1 month 2 days
City Champaign State Illinois

Personal History
Father R. E. Dillon
Mother Julia Culley
Wedded to D. W. Thompson
Children Mrs. Vernon L. Strange

To the Loving Memory of
Ella Dillon Thompson
Place of Birth Scotland, Illinois
Date March 4, 1872
Departed Into Rest
Date April 6, 1944
Place Houston, Texas
Age 72 years 1 month 2 days

Nephew Kenneth Scott and Ella (Dillon) Thompson
[Old Photocopy]

Ella's husband, Daniel W Thompson:

Dan Thompson
405 East Vernon Ave., Normal
Birth Place Ames, Iowa
Date of Birth November 29, 1868
Deceased
Date   April 18th, 1941
Place Bloomington, Illinois
Age 73 years
Married to Ella Dillon
Children Mrs. Julia Strange, Huston, Texas



 Dan Thompson Funeral Monday
     Funeral services for Dan Thompson, 405 East Vernon avenue, Normal, a retired farmer, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Carmody funeral home.  Burial will be in Stewart cemetery at Randolph.
     Mr. Thompson was born near Ames, Ia., Nov. 29, 1868, a son of William and Mary Thompson.  The family came to Illinois in 1869.  Mr. Thompson engaged in farming near Randolph for many years.
     He married Ella Dillon, who survives.  He also leaves a daughter, Mrs. Julia Strange of Houston, Tex., a sister, Mrs. Anistis Stewart of Normal, and a brother, George of Randolph.  He was a member of the Masonic order and of the Methodist church.


Thompson Funeral Services Held
     The funeral services for Dan Thompson were held at 2 p.m. Monday, at the Carmody funeral home.  The Rev. R. H. Parker, pastor of the Heyworth Christian church conducted the service.  Mrs. E.A. Jensen and Mrs. Wayne Powell sang, accompanied by Mrs. Dorothy Hoppe Olson, organist.
     Pallbearers were William Smith, Hugh Stewart, Frank Custer, Harry Redding, Harry Stewart and Louis Stevenson.  Interment was in Stewart cemetery, Randolph.
     Those present from out of town were Mrs. Julia Strange and Mrs. Bryan Sparks, both of Houston, Texas; Mrs. Frank Williams, Dewey Dawson, Mrs. Helen Russell, Mrs. Eunice Houston and daughter, all of Champaign; Mrs. Helen Tudor, Pekin; Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Graham, Peoria, and Mr. and Mrs. Oral Thrasher of Pittsfield.

Dewey Dawson - Organist

Dewey Dawson
Son of Doug and May (Rodenberger) Dawson

To Aunt Lois!
Taken at the Champaign, Ill. Methodist
Church organ (Austin) about 1935 or '36

Wedding Wednesday - Ken and Aggie Johnston



Kenneth Seibert Johnston and Agnes Stonefelt
January 24, 1953

 They were divorced on August 12, 1970; however, they had separated many years earlier.

Tombstone Tuesday - Dillon at Friends Chapel Cemetery, Edgar Co, Illinois

Friends Chapel Cemetery is also known as Wesley Chapel Cemetery and Prairie Twp. Cemetery.  It is located north of Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois.

Buried at the Dillon gravestone marker is Robert E Dillon, his wife Julia Ann Cully Dillon, and their daughter, Ella Dillon Thompson.

Dillon marker

Robert Edmond
Jan. 1, 1837
Oct. 24, 1908



Julia Ann
1840 - 1920
[Birth year disagrees with 17 Nov 1839 birth listed on Death Certificate and Obituary]



Ella D Thompson
1872 - 1944

Amanuensis Monday - A brother's farewell to his sister.

Page 1

Dr. A.L. Dillon                                                                              Dr. F.A. Dillon
                                                  Drs. Dillon & Dillon
                                                 Clovis, New Mexico

                                                      March 7 - 1944
My Dear Ella,-
          I haven't been doing much this morning but sitting here by the window and looking down upon the street traffic, below.People of our age are more inclined to reflect upon the past rather than to plan for the future.Of course we both know the joys and inspirations of planning and doing,likewise we have had the experience of finishing our lifes chore in a busy world.  I believe we have both recognized this as a part of life's cycle with out undue reluctance--rather, perhaps with grace decorum.We have,each,had a fairly long span of life and been blessed with unusually good health.I have often thought of the declining years as the most beautiful of all life's span,this of course implies good health.I have often takled this phase of life to my patients that they might see and fortify for it.Likewise I have tried to apply it to my self as I am sure you have done.
          In the recent past I have thought much of the life you have lived and the trail you have blazed in upholding the torch of cheer and good will to the world.Your cheerful, busy life with its vast scope of good has ever been an inspiration to me to carry on even tho the going might be hard.It is a consoling tiding that I had you these long years for my sister together with your wonderful inspiration,admonition and comfort.  You have filled your nitch in the world-well,with a firm conviction of justice,mercy and charity for all.How happy I am that I am still your brother.
          To live a clean,useful life is doubtless one of the great privaledges [sic] of man-Yours has been far above the average and so far

Page 2

above the average of your youthful associates who,seemingly had greater opportunities.You made your opportunities and succeeded when many less courageous faltered.
          You have raised Julia with rare foresight and devotion,giving the practical side of an education which,only,a wise and thoughtful mother could do.You are rewarded by her comfort and care as she stands by in the hour of need.The greatest privaledge of woman-to reproduce and rear her kind you have done in a magnanimous way;your reward is priceless.
          We,each,had the privaledge of living through the purest democracy our country has ever known.We knew,well,the somber "horse and buggy days;We have seen all this transormed into the modern days and have hade [sic] the joys of sampleing them both.Each decade has brought its joys and comforts.I doubt,had we been give the choice of picking our sojourn on earth we could have seclected a more interesting time than has been alloted us.  I am sure that we are both ready and willing you pass the hilt of our swords to our posterity with a cirm [sic] conviction that they will carry on with honor to them-selves as well as to our memory.
          We have been blessed all these years by the blessings of a glorious world-We ask no more;We are content.
          In our fading twilight of life I stretch out my hand across the vast open sapces[sic] and say Here God Old Pal we have been Pals for a long,long time; We may not always have done our best but we have never done our worst.God Bless you and Good Bye.
          With love of old.I am
                                        sincerely,
                                                     Fred

Two of the children of Robert E and Julia (Cully) Dillon, Fred was younger by two years to Ella.  Ella (Dillon) Thompson passed away on 6 April 1944 in Houston, Harris Co, Texas.

Uncle Doug's Farm House

This drawing of Uncle Doug's Farmhouse was in Challis C H Dawson's typed manuscript that he mailed to his son, Gerard, who was attending Harvard University.  Challis' enveloped was postmarked Feb. 8, 1947 from Suffolk, Virginia.  The 8 envelopes containing the letters is located at the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society in Suffolk, Virginia.  I have scanned copies of all the pages and the front of the envelopes.

Uncle Doug was Stephen Arnold Douglas Dawson, the younger brother of Challis' father, Taylor Dawson.  Doug and his wife May lived in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois.

FGS - Doug and May (Rodenberger) Dawson

Family Group Sheet of Stephen Arnold Douglas Dawson and Ida May Rodenberger

Husband – Stephen Arnold “Douglas” Dawson

                                Born:                     9 September 1861 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Married:              9 April 1888 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Died:                     27 August 1923 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Father:                 Thomas Lewis Dawson

                                Mother:               Rebecca Ann Taylor

Wife – Ida May Rodenberger

                                Born:                     20 September 1965 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Died:                     15 July 1934 in Barron Co, Wisconsin

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Father:                 John Harland Rodenberger

                                Mother:               Elizabeth Lowry Spring

Child 1 – Drexel Lowry Dawson

         M                   Born:                     6 February 1889 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse:                 Louise Collinge

                                Married:              June 1914

                                Died:                     3 March 1956 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Child 2 – Gail Douglas Dawson

        M                    Born:                     15 November 1892 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse:                Virginia Hazel Newlin

                                Married:              22 February 1914

                                Died:                     27 April 1966 in Oak Park, Cook Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                 Bethany Cemetery, Marshall, Parke Co, Indiana

Child 3 – Wayne Thurlow Dawson

         M                   Born:                     26 September 1894 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse 1:            Mary Dalrymple Cushing

                                Married:              20 February 1929

                                Spouse 2:            Ferne Duree Estes

                                Married:              1 July 1943 in Hinsdale, DuPage Co, Illinois

                                Died:                    November 1980 in Hinsdale, DuPage Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                

Child 4 – Dewey Mitchell Dawson

         M                   Born:                     20 February 1897 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse:                Jewel Reed

                                Married:              11 August 1927 in Hinsdale, DuPage Co, Illinois

                                Died:                     14 June 1990 in Newark, New Castle Co, Delaware

                                Buried:                 Roselawn Memorial Park, Terre Haute, Vigo Co, Indiana

Gail, Virginia, Drexel, Louise, Paul, Doug, May, Wayne Dawson
Probably about 1917

FGS - Wm Taylor and Iona C S (Rodenberger) Dawson

Family Group Sheet of William Taylor Dawson and Iona Celeste Silvana Rodenberger

Husband – William Taylor Dawson

                                Born:                     7 August 1849 in north of Raven, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Married:              13 September 1874 in Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Died:                     17 March 1940 in Suffolk, Virginia

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Father:                 Thomas Lewis Dawson

                                Mother:               Rebecca Ann Taylor

Wife – Iona Celeste Silvana Rodenberger

                                Born:                     13 November 1855 in Brazil, Clay Co, Indiana

                                Died:                     6 August 1924 in Prairie Twp, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Father:                 John Harland Rodenberger

                                Mother:               Elizabeth Lowry Spring

Child 1 – Dottie Maud Dawson

         F                     Born:                     4 June 1875 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Died:                     1 January 1885 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Buried:                 McKee Cemetery, Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

Child 2 – Judge Leighton Dawson

         M                   Born:                     8 February 1877 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Spouse:                 Nettie Maddock

Married:              4 March 1900 in Edgar Co, Illinois

Died:                     24 March 1952 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Child 3 – Lois Lacona Dawson

          F                    Born:                     29 March 1880 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Spouse:                 Albert Leroy Dillon

                                Married:              1 June 1901 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Divorced:             March  1908

                                Died:                     13 January 1932 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Child 4 – Talmage Virgil Dawson

         M                   Born:                     18 January 1882 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Spouse:                 Florence Mabel Osborn

                                Married:              11 May 1902

                                Died:                     17 July 1941 in Harlan, Shelby Co, Iowa

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Child 5 – Dixie Beryl Dawson

         F                     Born:                     1 February 1884 in Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas

                                Spouse:                 John Robert Brooks

                                Married:              10 December 1910 in Fort Worth, Texas

                                Died:                     12 December 1951 in Champaign, Champaign Co, Illinois

                                Buried:                 Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

Child 6 – John Dudley Theo Dawson

         M                   Born:                     11 December 1886 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse 1:             Clara Wheeler

                                Married:             

                                Spouse 2:             Louise M ______

                                Married:

                                Spouse 3:             Ruth Dale Kegley

                                Married:              4 June 1922 in Allegan, Allegan Co, Michigan

                                Died:                     1 April 1969 in Lincoln, Nebraska

                                Buried:

Child 7 – Challis Carmen Haddon Dawson

         M                   Born:                     25 February 1892 in Scottland, Edgar Co, Illinois

                                Spouse 1:             Blanche Evelyn _______

                                Married:

                                Spouse 2:             Yvonne Rosilie Dienne

                                Married:              6 November 1919 in Paris, France

                                Died:                     18 February 1980 in Suffolk, Virginia

                                Buried:                 Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk, Virginia

William Taylor Dawson and Iona C S Rodenberger
Wedding Photo
September 1874

Wednesday's Child - Children of Elsie (Rodenberger) & John Beamer

Elsie Maud Rodenberger and John Archibold Beamer married 4 October 1888 in Cherokee Co, Kansas.  They had seven children.  Three died very early in life:  Baby Daughter, John Harland, and Maurice Christopher Beamer.  All three are buried at McKee Cemetery, Hallowell, Cherokee Co, Kansas.

The John Archibold Family by Lucy Beamer

"The next baby, a little girl, was stillborn.  They always thought her death was caused by a fall Elsie had shortly before term.  The next two little boys, Harlan and Morris died in their second summers of the scourge of early childhood, "summer complaint".  The death of these babies cast a deep shadow over the family.  Raymond came to associate large bouquets of flowers with funerals and to his own death he never enjoyed large arrangements of cut flowers.

I have heard my mother say she thought she never saw so sad a woman as Elsie after the loss of their two little boys.  It remained a cloud over her life.  When some years later Florence was born, she never spoke of the future without saying, 'If we raise her'."

[The Lucy Beamer Memoirs on ray beamer dot com]

Infant Daughter Beamer
Dau of Elsie and John
[Photo by Mary Parmele on FindAGrave]

John Harland Beamer, the 5th child of John and Elsie, was born 9 February 1899 and died 22 July 1901. 

The John Beamer Family
Elsie, John, Raymond, Nellie, Lora, Harland
Lucy Beamer's Beamer Family Album
[Courtesy of Ray Beamer]

Lucy Beamer's Beamer Family Album
[Courtesy of Ray Beamer]



John Harland Son of
John & Elsie Beamer
Died July 22, 1901
Aged 2y., 5m. &13d.
Our Baby
[Photo by Mary Parmele on FindAGrave]



Maurice Christopher Beamer, the sixth child of John and Elsie, was born 28 June 1904 and died 28 April 1906.

Lucy Beamer's Beamer Family Album
[Courtesy of Ray Beamer]

Maurice Christopher
Son of
John & Elsie Beamer
Died Apr. 28, 1906
Aged 1y.10m.
Our Baby
[Photo by Mary Parmele on FindAGrave]

Tombstone Tuesday - Johannes "John" Rodenberger

Zion Reformed German Church is now the home of the Zion United Church of Christ in Poland, Clay Co, Indiana.  Samuel Rodenberger, from posting of July 19th, was buried here in 1845.  Also buried in this cemetery is Samuel's father, Johannes "John" Rodenberger, his step-mother Catherine (March) Schromyer Rodenberger, and 1/2 brother Moses Rodenberger.





Johannes Rodenberger
Born 22 July 1785
Died 22 October 1870



Catherine
Wife of John Rodenberger
Born Nov 6, 1808

Died May 25, 1888

Aged 79Y, 6M, 19D





Moses
Son of J & C Rotenberger
Died Jan 31, 1867
Aged 22Y, 4M, ?



1856 Iowa State Census - Boone Twp, Boone Co.

Samuel and Susannah (Dice) Rodenberger had seven children with six alive in 1850:  Peter, John, Samuel, Mary Elizabeth, Moses, and Levi.  Son William died in 1850.  The father, Samuel, died on 7 October 1845 in Owen Co, Indiana.  Susannah remarried to Joel Anderson on 3 February 1848.  Susannah and Joel had at least one child:  James A Anderson was born about 1850 and died 6 August 1852.



Dec 1855
[Clay Co, Indiana Courthouse Deed Book M]



In December 1855, a deed of sale was written but not entered into the record until December 1856.  This deed sold 200 acres of Owen Co, Indiana lands of Peter Rodenberger and his wife Barbary, John Rodenberger and his wife Elizabeth (Spring) Rodenberger, and Joel Anderson and his wife Susan to Henry Sonnefield for $1,650.00.  Henry Sonnefield is the husband of Mary Elizabeth Rodenberger, the sister of Peter and John, and daughter of Susan Anderson.  An interesting aside is that John Spring, father of Elizabeth Rodenberger, had to approve the sale as guardian and father.  At this time, Elizabeth has been married for over a year and has her first child, Iona, born in November 1855.





Dec 1856
[Clay Co, Indiana Courthouse Deed Book M]



Peter and John sold their family land to their brother-in-law.  They took their families and their 3 younger brothers and moved to Boone Twp, Boone Co, Iowa.  They were enumerated in the 1856 Iowa State Census.

Samuel, age 23, Francis, age 19, and Hortense, age 2, Rodenberger.

John, age 24, Elizabeth, age 19, Sylvana, age 1, and Levi, age 15, Rodenberger

Peter, age 26, Barbary, age 27, Ira, age 7, Lorena, age 5, Ellen, age 4, Susan, 1, Rodenberger, Moses Rodenberger, age 16.

All are listed as living in Iowa for 1 year.  Samuel, John, and Peter are listed as Carpenters.

In addition, the census has John listed as an “Owner of land” with Agricultural Statistics: 33 acres of improved land, 127 acres of unimproved land, 10 tons of hay, 5 acres of spring Wheat - 18 bushels harvested, 2 acres of oats – 75 bushels harvested, 13 acres of corn – 600 bushels harvested, 1 acre of potatoes – 40 bushels harvested, 5 hogs sold - $75 value for hogs sold, 1 cattle sold - $27 value, 40 pounds of butter manufactured, and 80 pounds of cheese. Samuel might have owned 100 acres of unimproved land and had 3 tons of hay.  Peter owned 80 acres of unimproved land and harvested 3 tons of hay.

While living in Iowa, John and Elizabeth had their second child: Charles Clifford Rodenberger was born 18 November 1857.  Peter and Barbara[y] had four more children born in Iowa:  Adelia Elizabeth, Flora Ziphora, Alfred Richard, and Mernerva Jane.

By the 1860 federal census, the family had changed dramatically.  Paul Rodenberger died on 9 February 1860.  His wife Barbary (Anderson) Rodenberger died 20 October 1860, several weeks after Mernerva Jane was born.  Their children are living with many different families in Iowa.  John and Elizabeth (Spring) Rodenberger were living in Bourbon Co, Kansas Territory with their two children.  Samuel and Francis were living with his twice-widowed mother, Susannah (Dice) Rodenberger Anderson in Brazil, Clay Co, Indiana with their son Eugene L, age 1, who was born in Kansas Territory. When and where did Hortense die?  Joel Anderson, Susannah's second husband, died 3 September 1859 in Bourbon Co, Kansas Territory.  Living next door to Samuel, Francis, Eugene and Susannah was Mary Elizabeth (Rodenberger) and Henry Sonnefield with their daughter Laura.

I haven't found Moses or Levi Rodenberger in the 1860 federal census.  Moses' obituary in 1934 stated that he "left Brazil, Indiana in 1859 and drove a six-yoke team of oxen transporting settlers to the far west."  Did Levi go with him?  In October 1861, Levi enlisted in the Union army as a Private in Co. G, 2nd Indiana Cavalry.