Ruth Ann Johnson1

F, #15918, b. 28 February 1811, d. 26 December 1901
Pedigree
Father*Thomas Johnson1 b. b 1775, d. 2 Nov 1826
Mother*Hannah (__________)1 b. 26 Jul 1768, d. 29 Sep 1858
Birth*28 February 1811 Ruth Ann Johnson was born on 28 February 1811 at Tennessee date calculated from age at death.1 
(Witness) Census18201820 She is assumed to be one of the household of Thomas Johnson in the 1820 census, Nicholas Co., Kentucky, who has 2m0-10 (1810-1820, Asahel & Thomas)
1m16-26 (1794-1804, Joseph)
1m45+ (before 1775, Thomas)
1f0-10 (1810-1820, Betsy)
2f10-16 (1804-1810, Susan, Ruth & Polly but which is missing?)
3f16-26 (1794-1804, Hannah, Rachel, Nancy)
1f45+ (before 1775, Hannah)
2 in agriculture (Joseph & Thomas). 
Marriage*before 24 August 1837 Ruth Ann Johnson married Samuel Knight before 24 August 1837 as she's referred to as Ruth Ann Knight in deed of that date. 
(Grantor) Deed24 August 1837 Ruth Ann Johnson sold land to Stacy Reeves on 24 August 1837 at Deed Book F (SLC 1315555) Page 191-192, Putnam Co., Indiana:      This indenture made this 24th day of August one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven between Joseph Johnson, Asahel Johnson, Mary Wright and Ruth Ann Knight, heirs of Thomas Johnson dec’d of the one part and Stacey Reeves of Putnam County Sate of Indiana of the other part witnesseth [sic] that the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of four hundred dollars current money of the United States to them in hand have paid the receipt where of is hereby acknowledged have granted bargained and sold and by these presents do grant bargain and sell unto the said Stacey Reeves his heirs and assigns forever their undivided interest in a certain tract or parcel of land situated lying and being in the County of Putnam and the State of Indiana being the southeast quarter of section twenty seven in township fifteen north and range four west
     Page 192
     to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with all the appurtenances unto the said Stacey Reeve his heirs and assigns to hi only proper use and benefit and behalf forever and the said party of party the first part do covenant and agree with the said Stacey Reeves and his heirs and assigns that the promises hereby bargained and sold are now and forever here after shall be and remain free and clear of and from all right and title of dower or other encumbrances whatsoever and that they the said party of the first part will and their heirs executors and administrators shall warrant and for ever defend there interest in said tract of or parcel of land with all the appurtenances unto he said Stacey Reeves and his heirs and assigns against all and every person or persons whatever lawfully claiming or claim the same
     In testimony where of the said party of the first part have here unto set their hands and seals the day and year above written.
     Signed sealed and delivered
     Joseph Johnson seal
     Asahel Johnson seal
     Mary Wright seal
     Ruth Ann Knight seal
     In presence of
     Thomas Johnson
     Enos Lowe
     State of Illinois McDonough County October 3 1837
     I Harrison Hungate an acting Justice of the Peace of said county do hereby certify that Joseph Johnson, Asahel Johnson, Mary Wright and Ruth Ann Knight the grantors in the foregoing deed and who are personally known to me to be the person subscribing and who executed the same deed severely acknowledge that they have executed the said conveyance for the use and purposes there in mentioned.
     Given under my hand and sea this 26th day of August 1837
     Harrison Hungate JP     seal
     State of Illinois McDonough County
     I James A. Campbell, Clerk of the County Commissioners Court in and for the County of McDonough and State of Illinois do hereby certify that Harrison Hungate Ezqr whose name is subscribed to the foregoing certificate of acknowledgement was at the time the same was made an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified and that as such, full faith and credit are and ought of right to be given to all his official acts.
     In testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and     affixed the seal of the County Commissioners Court of seal     said county at my office in Macomb this thirtieth day of August A.D. 1837 and of the Independence of the United States the
     James M. Campbell     seal.      
Divorce* Ruth Ann Johnson and Samuel Knight were divorced;      24 Aug 2007 - Yesterday I went to the Putnam County Court house to look at records that are not on microfilm at the state library. I was determined to find out what happened to Samuel Knight. As you know, the deeds (where the 10 kids and Hannah sell their property) show Nancy Hill, Ruth Ann Knight, and Mary Wright without husbands leading me to believe they were widows. After rechecking everything in the probate and deed books I went to the probate order books, still nothing about Ruth Ann's husband. I was beginning to think he had died after they went to Illinois. Then I checked the Civil records. I remembered your story and there it was!! Ruth Ann Knight divorced Samuel Knight. Very interesting considering it was in the 1830's. She said he beat her and she went to live with her mother then he said he would be nice so she went back but he was worse. Apparently he left town (or the state) so the judge had Ruth Ann put an ad in the Rockville Indiana newspaper for 3 weeks. There, apparently, was no newspaper in Putnam County at that time or at least the archives says none exists from that time. There was no answer from the ad so the judge granted the divorce. Next week I will go to the archives and see if I can find those notices in the Wabash Herald newspaper. There is mention that Ruth Ann had "infants" but no mention of their names. I still think Ruth Ann later married Isaac N. Seevers but just not enough proof at this point.
     There was also a notice in the civil order book about a Joseph Jackson vs Lenox Knight (I thought he might be Samuel's brother) and Samuel Knight but the case was continued because no one could locate Samuel. So I will go back to the courthouse in a few weeks and see if I can find more info. The suit between Jackson and the two Knights is for "convenance." My husband says that is like breech of promise and it could be that they sold Joseph Jackson land and he never got the title or something to that effect.
     I wonder what happened to Samuel. I still found no info about his land in Putnam County and I checked from the 1830's to the 1860's and didn't find where it was ever sold. They do have land transfer books that start in the 1860's but I really couldn't figure out how to use them and the courthouse employee wasn't much help. This was in the auditor's office. They are not as helpful as the recorder's or the clerk's office. Those two offices are really nice. Next trip I might see if the plat office can help me and I can see who owns it now. Though I really don't know if it will prove anything and it might take awhile to go from 2007 back 170 years. I thought it might be possible (given my Thomas Johnson's behavior in later years) that Samuel disappeared for good. Lenox Knight was a physician and he was in Putnam County in the census for 1850. Samuel probably married someone else and made their life miserable.1 
Marriage*28 July 1842 Ruth Ann Johnson married Isaac Newton Seevers, son of Henry Seevers and Hannah Grapes, on 28 July 1842 at Henderson Co., Illinois, Marriage Book A Page 4 #32. License: 27 Jul 1842. Isaac N Severs and Ruth Ann Knight. The minister was Robert Mays M.G. Return 4 Aug 1842.1
Association1844 Ruth Ann Johnson and Elizabeth "Betsy" Johnson were shown as sisters in 1844 at Brazelton neighborhood near Mt Pleasant, Henry Co., Iowa: The author of the source book states: "In the summer of 1844, when I was teaching school in the Brazelton neighborhood near Mt. Pleasant, one evening just as I was leaving the school-house for my boarding place, two women came along on horseback.
     Each had a pair of saddle-bags thrown across her horse, and a bag or bundle hanging on the horn of the saddle. They halted a little and spoke to me. I immediately became interested in them and we entered into conversation. They informed me that they were trying to reach Trenton that evening; had come from somewhere in Illinois that day, and had crossed the Mississippi at Burlington. I asked them where they lived. One of them said, 'We are sisters and live away up in the New Purchase.' We became more interested in each other when I told them about my relatives who were also living in the New Purchase. They were well acquainted with my relatives, and as I walked along the road and talked with them they told me about their husbands and children, and how they came to go back to Illinois where they moved from to Iowa. Business and pleasure combined had taken them back to the old neighborhood after living a year in the wilds of the New Purchase.
     Their husbands had to take care of their claims and crops, and they were brave enough to make the journey alone and on horseback. One of those ladies was Mrs. Newton Seevers, who said she had two daughters old enough to keep house for their father in her absence. The other lady was Mrs. John W. Cunningham.
     She lived nearer my uncle's and could tell me much about them. Those women had a genuine, respectable, kindly appearance which drew me toward them, and made an impression on me at once which has lasted through all these years. There seemed to be little prospect at that time of my ever seeing them again, though Mrs. Cunningham remarked when we parted, 'I wish you would come up to the New Purchase and teach school, for I have a boy and two little girls that I would like to spend to school to you.' We bade each other goodbye, all expressing the pleasure it had given us to have met in so unlooked-for a way, and hoped that we would meet again."
     (Researcher Donna Cook, who reported to Angela then said) This article goes on for several pages, all of which I will not type in this report. She states that she did eventually go to the New Purchase as a school teacher and had as students the children of Elizabeth Cunningham - Joseph and his sisters, Lizzie and Ella. She also states that Lizzie married a gentleman by the name of Barr and they live in Illinois. Ella married Dr. J. F. Smith, a Virginian, now a successful business man. She further states that
     "Mrs. Seevers has been a widow for many years. She is now well on toward ninety, but quite well preserved, both physically and mentally. Her home is with her son, Thomas Seevers, who is one of Oskaloosa's most prosperous business men. Thomas Seevers owns and lives in one of the most beautiful homes in the city."
     She gives also provides a description of the Seevers family tree, beginning with Henry Seevers, the father of Isaac Newton and James Seevers. Coming to Iowa at the same time as Newton and James was a cousin, Alfred, and later Alfred's brother, George. James and Newton were from Virginia, but Alfred and George were from Ohio.2,1 
Note1844 Note(s): in 1844 states that she "has two daughters old enough to keep house for their father in her absence."2 
(InHomeOf) Census18501850 Ruth Ann Johnson appeared on the 1850 census in the household of Isaac Newton Seevers, pg 167 #169-169, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Her info on the census included - Seevers, Ruth 37 b.TN. 
Divorce*between 1850 and 1856 Ruth Ann Johnson and Isaac Newton Seevers were divorced between 1850 and 1856; assumed divorced since they are both living when he married Martha Wallace. 
Census*1856 Ruth Ann Johnson appeared on the census of 1856 at pg 1018 #341-353, Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa; Seevers, Ruth A 45 b.TN widowed (Isaac still living so divorced, not widowed)
Also living in the household are these unknown family members. Lewis and LL are probably children of Louisa
Seevers, Louisa 25 b.IN widowed
Seevers, Lewis E 4 b.IA
Seevers, L L 2 b.IA. 
(InHomeOf) Census18701870 She appeared on the 1870 census in the household of Thomas Seevers, pg 356 #7-8, Oskaloosa Ward 1, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Her info on the census included - Seevers, Ruth Ann 58 b.TN keeping house $0-$200. 
(MentionedIn) Probate11 January 1872 Ruth Ann Johnson was mentioned in a probate of Joseph G Johnson on 11 January 1872 at Henderson Co., Illinois; The $30,000 bond says that his personal estate will probably amount to $16,000, that he left at his decease no widow, and Asahel Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Elizabeth Cunningham, Susan Wright, Ruth A Severs, Olivia Dickenson, and Anna Temple, daughters of Mary Wright, Allen J Hill, son of Nancy Hill, Rachel R Epler and Hannah Spangler, his brothers, sisters, nieces & nephew.3 
Death*26 December 1901 Ruth Ann Johnson died on 26 December 1901 at Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa. Her death record is in a ledger book and gives her age as 90 years 9 months and 26 days. Per source book written in 1900 she was a widow who lived with her son, Thomas Seevers. (buried in Lot 24 section 45 of Forest Cemetery beside Isaac.)1 
Burial* She was buried at Forest Cemetery, Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., Iowa, [EMAIL:]http://www.forestcemetery.org/burialrecords.php?q=Seevers&start=30[:EMAIL]. 
Background* She has the following backgound information available "As you know, Isaac N. Seevers is found in Leavenworth, Kansas in the 1860 and 1880 census. The 1860 census shows his wife as Martha. The Mahaska County Marriage Register shows the marriage of Isaac N. Seevers and Martha Wallace on 20 April 1856. The 1880 federal census shows Isaac at 70 years of age as divorced, working as a gardener. Isaac N. Seevers died 3 May 1888 and is buried in Lot 24, Section 45, of Forest Cemetery, beside Ruth Ann Seevers. I searched the Oskaloosa newspapers for an obituary for him but did not find one.

     The marriage of Anna Louise Knight and Thomas F. Seevers occurred on 25 December 1850 at the home of Mr. Newton Seevers. Anna married second to Benjamin F. Brown. She appears as Ann L. Brown in the 1870 federal census in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, in the home of her mother. The census shows Ruth Ann Savers [sic], 58, born Tennessee; Thomas Savers [sic], 23, both Iowa, a machinist; Ann L. Brown, 39, born Indiana; Sarah A. Weary, 24, born Iowa, and Ada Weary, 1, born Iowa. Anna Louisa Brown died 4 January 1918 in Oskaloosa at the age of 86 years, 9 months, 15 days, and her obituary reads, in part: "Ann Louisa Knight was born in New Castle, Ind., Jan. 30, 1831. At the age of 10 years, she and an elder sister, with the widowed mother, came to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where the mother united in marriage with Isaac Newton Seevers. She lived with her mother until 1850 when she was united in marriage to Thomas Seevers, nephew of her step-father, and son of James Seevers. They located on a farm southeast of Oskaloosa. Three children were born to this union, all of whom are deceased. The husband died in 1857. She then went to Henderson county, Ill, to live with her mother's brother, Ace Johnson, and remained there until 1868 when she was married to Benjamin F. Brown. . . . the husband preceded the wife in death by only a few months. She leaves to mourn her loss, one sister, Mrs. Weary of Colorado, brother Thomas Seevers of Oskaloosa, a niece Mrs. Francis E. Noe of Oskaloosa. . ."

     Sarah Ada Seevers married Conrad Weary in Oskaloosa, Madison County, Iowa, on 25 March 1866. Sarah, aged 35, appears in the 1880 census in the home of her father, I. N. Seevers, in Leavenworth, Kansas, with her daughters Ada Weary, 12, born Iowa, and Blanche, 8, born Iowa. She also appears again in the 1880 federal census in North Platte, Lincoln County, Nebraska, as "Mary" Weary, 36, born Iowa, with two daughters, Ada, 13, born Iowa, and Blanch, 9, also born in Iowa. Conrad Weary, aged 54, appears alone in the same precinct, listed as a Merchant. I believe the census taker wrote down Sarah and daughters at their home, and recorded Conrad at his place of business.

     [Note: a Conrad Weary also appears in the 1856 Kansas census in Leavenworth and appears in Leavenworth on a voter registration list of 1859. This connection may explain why Isaac Newton Seevers was in Leavenworth and why Sarah appears there in 1880.] The 1885, 1886 and 1887 City Directories for Leadville, Colorado, show Conrad and S. A. Weary with a tea, coffee and spice business. The 1910 federal census shows a Sarah A. Weary rooming with a family in Denver, Colorado. Her age is shown as 48 which is six or seven years younger than she would have been, but census ages are often wrong. It shows her as a widow, born in Iowa, with her father born in Virginia and her mother in Tennessee.

     Thomas H. Seevers, 36, the son of Isaac N. Seevers and Ruth A. Johnson, married Ellen Myrick, 26, the daughter of E. W. Myrick and Mary J. Grant, on 4 June 1883, by A. V. Kendrick, Minister. This was the second marriage for Thomas H. Seevers. The records also show a marriage on 28 September 1876 of Thomas H. Seevers and Dora J. Dutton. The 1910 and 1920 census shows Thomas with a wife by the name of Grace. Since the 1910 census states that Thomas and Grace have been married for 14 years (indicating a marriage in about 1896), this was perhaps the 3rd marriage for Thomas. The 1925 Iowa census shows Grace Seevers, 55 years old, a widow, the daughter of Amaziah Kellogg (born Canada) and Emma Crawford (born Virginia). Thomas H. Seevers died 12 December 1921 at the age of 73 years and is buried in Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa. The Oskaloosa newspaper for this year, if it has survived, is not available at the State Historical Library so I could not search for an obituary."1 
Relationships2nd great-grandaunt of David Lee Bassett
Grandaunt of Martha Belle Spangler

Family 1

Samuel Knight
Marriage*before 24 August 1837 She married Samuel Knight before 24 August 1837 as she's referred to as Ruth Ann Knight in deed of that date. 
Divorce* Ruth Ann Johnson and Samuel Knight were divorced;      24 Aug 2007 - Yesterday I went to the Putnam County Court house to look at records that are not on microfilm at the state library. I was determined to find out what happened to Samuel Knight. As you know, the deeds (where the 10 kids and Hannah sell their property) show Nancy Hill, Ruth Ann Knight, and Mary Wright without husbands leading me to believe they were widows. After rechecking everything in the probate and deed books I went to the probate order books, still nothing about Ruth Ann's husband. I was beginning to think he had died after they went to Illinois. Then I checked the Civil records. I remembered your story and there it was!! Ruth Ann Knight divorced Samuel Knight. Very interesting considering it was in the 1830's. She said he beat her and she went to live with her mother then he said he would be nice so she went back but he was worse. Apparently he left town (or the state) so the judge had Ruth Ann put an ad in the Rockville Indiana newspaper for 3 weeks. There, apparently, was no newspaper in Putnam County at that time or at least the archives says none exists from that time. There was no answer from the ad so the judge granted the divorce. Next week I will go to the archives and see if I can find those notices in the Wabash Herald newspaper. There is mention that Ruth Ann had "infants" but no mention of their names. I still think Ruth Ann later married Isaac N. Seevers but just not enough proof at this point.
     There was also a notice in the civil order book about a Joseph Jackson vs Lenox Knight (I thought he might be Samuel's brother) and Samuel Knight but the case was continued because no one could locate Samuel. So I will go back to the courthouse in a few weeks and see if I can find more info. The suit between Jackson and the two Knights is for "convenance." My husband says that is like breech of promise and it could be that they sold Joseph Jackson land and he never got the title or something to that effect.
     I wonder what happened to Samuel. I still found no info about his land in Putnam County and I checked from the 1830's to the 1860's and didn't find where it was ever sold. They do have land transfer books that start in the 1860's but I really couldn't figure out how to use them and the courthouse employee wasn't much help. This was in the auditor's office. They are not as helpful as the recorder's or the clerk's office. Those two offices are really nice. Next trip I might see if the plat office can help me and I can see who owns it now. Though I really don't know if it will prove anything and it might take awhile to go from 2007 back 170 years. I thought it might be possible (given my Thomas Johnson's behavior in later years) that Samuel disappeared for good. Lenox Knight was a physician and he was in Putnam County in the census for 1850. Samuel probably married someone else and made their life miserable.1 
Children

Family 2

Isaac Newton Seevers b. 1811
Marriage*28 July 1842 Ruth Ann Johnson married Isaac Newton Seevers, son of Henry Seevers and Hannah Grapes, on 28 July 1842 at Henderson Co., Illinois, Marriage Book A Page 4 #32. License: 27 Jul 1842. Isaac N Severs and Ruth Ann Knight. The minister was Robert Mays M.G. Return 4 Aug 1842.1
Divorce*between 1850 and 1856 Ruth Ann Johnson and Isaac Newton Seevers were divorced between 1850 and 1856; assumed divorced since they are both living when he married Martha Wallace. 
Children
Last Edited9 Mar 2013

Citations

  1. [S1647] "email from Angela to Kathryn," e-mail message from Angela McLaughlin, private email address to Kathryn Bassett, Apr 2007+.
  2. [S1702] Proud Mahaska, 1843-1900: Iowa, Semira Ann Hobbs Phillips.
  3. [S1779] Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1970 on Family Search, Administrators bond 1859-1880 vol A pg 163.