Hannah Fowler JOHNSTON ¹

   Other names for Hannah were Mrs. Hannah Fowler MIERS and Mrs. Isaac Freeman MIERS.

   User ID: P00050802.

  General Notes:

These are Lucille (Miers) Webster's Great Grandparents.

Janice Orth, descended from Isaac and Hannah's daughter Florence, had a
written note that Hannah's parents were Irish, French, Scotish, Irish
(again) and Dutch. Note: This is not entirely correct as Hannah's
Grandmother, Hannah (Rusling) Johnston, was born in England.

The 1860 census for Galesburg, Illinois, lists Isaac as 23 years old,
having one child, Harriet, wife Hannah. He was a farmer, value of real
estate was $600, value of personal estate was $400. He had one person
living in their household by another name: Wiliam Edwards born in Ohio,
12 years old and in school.

Isaac and Hannah and family moved from Adams County, Iowa, to Marion
County, Iowa, after June 21, 1880. (see reference 11 below)

Isaac and Hannah were married by Rev. J. Young.

Per family legend, a brother of Isaac's went west from New York.
Hannah is buried in Knoxville, Graceland Cemetry, Marion Co., Iowa
Reference: The year 1913 was on Hannah's tombstone, Knoxville, Iowa
A marker on Hannah's grave, showed that Hannah belonged to the Women's
Relief Corp number 170 in 1883.

The 1880 census for Jasper Township, Adams County, Iowa, recorded Isaac
as 43 years old, married, a farmer, born in New York, his father born in
New Jersey, and his mother born in Maryland. His wife Hannah was 43,
keeping house, born in Ohio, her father and mother were both born in New
Jersey. Their daugher Della was 13, at home, attended school, and was
born in Illinois. A son James A. was 11, at home, attended school, and
was born in Iowa. Their daughter Florence was 9, attended school, and
was born in Iowa. Their daughter May was 6, attended school, and was born
in Iowa. Their son Joseph was 4, attended school and was born in Iowa.
(Four is a little young to attend school. That was probably a mistake.)

Note, after writing the following paragraph, Lucille Miers Webster
received a copy of a land deed where Mary Ann, Isaac Freeman Myers/Miers
sister, and Jacob C., Isaac's brother, both sold land to Jacob Creager in
Seneca, Ontario County, New York. Mary Ann's and Jacob's names were
spelled Miers and Mires within the same deed. Mary's middle name was
spelled An in one place on the deed.

This is the first time period that Lucille Miers Webster has known of the
spelling of Miers with the i instead of a y as in Myers: January 9,
2000, a diary of Robert Lincoln Young was read by Margaret Young Rice,
his great-granddaugher, of Knoxville, Illinois. In the diary, Robert
wrote entries for December 1893. On the 8th, he and his wife, Emma, went
"up home. Mr. E. (Mr. England - her father) was sick with Ia grippe.
Our folks went to Ed Young's and brought home Aunt Nancy Johnston and
cousin Hannah Miers with them." On the 12th, "Father and mother took
cousins over to Collins." (Collins married the Youngs) Dec. 16th:
"Father went for Aunt Nancy and Hannah at the AM" Dec. 20th: Aunt Nancy
and Cousin Hannah left for good." Also in the diary is a note for Nov.
8, 1893: "Charlie Myers married." It is not known if he is part of the
Miers family or not but may not have been since the spelling is Myers in
the same book as Hannah's spelling of Miers. May 11, 1892 through June
25, 1892, Robert's parents took a trip which included Texas, Col.,
Kansas, Neb., Iowa.

Isaac was German Dutch, per family legend. His occupation was
carpenter. The newspaper obituary, saved by Hannah's sister Mrs. W. P.
Fowler (Janetta) of Pella, IA, stated that Isaac had enlisted during and
served his country in the Civil War - enlisted Aug. 9, 1862, Private Co.
I. 83 Illinois. June 26, 1865 was discharged. He was a member of the
John C. Ferguson Post (Grand Army of the Republic) G.A.R. of Knoxville
Iowa and member of Co. I. 83 Illinois Infantry Regiment - Died running to
a fire. Funeral held at M.E. Church. Isaac's veterans marker number
61-65 has initials FCL inscribed on it.

Hannah's birthday is listed as March 6, instead of the 26th, in "History
of Marion County, Iowa" published in Des Moines, Iowa, by Union
Historical Company, Birdsall, Williams & Co., 1881. She is also listed as
buried at Breckenridge Cemetery by the Cemeteries of Marion County,
Iowa. This is not correct as she is actually buried in Graceland
Cemetery in Knoxville, Iowa, Section 9 (North part of old cemetery), Lot
2.

Hannah belonged to the Women's Relief Corp No. 170 in 1883 (a millitary
wifes organization). Isaac was in the GAR, Grand Army of the Republic.

In a telecon on February 12, 2000, between Lucille Miers Webster and her
cousin, Lois (Miers) Peters, Clarence Miers' daughter, Lois related that
Clarence had told Lois that Hannah lived in a particular house in
Knoxville after her husband died. The house was six houses from where
Clarence and his family lived near the eastern end of Robinson Street.
Clarence had also told Lois that Hannah died in a Soldiers home.

Isaac and Hannah's son was Joseph Freeman. Joseph's daughter, Velta
Miers Kunkel said that Joseph used to speak of an Aunt Lydia and Uncle
Jake Probaco. However, this was probably Isaac's sister Mary Ann and her
husband Joseph Probasco's son Jacob, called Jake. Lydia was probably
confused with Isaac's mother Lydia or Jacob Probasco's wife Elizabeth
could have been called Libby or Lydia.

Jacob Creager had no children of his own or they died young, so on Nov.
17, 1887, his heirs were from his sister's, Lydia Miers, children. Those
heirs are all grand-nephews and nieces of Jacob: (reference 6):
1. Jacob M. Probasco, age 33 Seneca, Ontario Co., NY
2. Catherine A.J. Cramer, age 35, Corning, Adams Co., Iowa
3. John Mires, over 21, Clayton, Lenawee Co., MI
4. Adelbert Mires, over 21, same as above
5. Hattie L. Ford, age 29, Iliff (spelled: ILIFF), Weld Co.,
(presently LoganCo.), Colorado
6. Mary N. Gay, age 27, Corning, Adams Co., Iowa
7. Isetta Betterton, age 25, Knoxville, Marion Co., Iowa
8. Della Johnson, age 21 Milford, Dickinson,Co., Iowa
9. James A. Mires, age 19, same as above
10. Florence A. Johnson, age 17, same as above
11. May Mires, age 14, same as above
12. Joseph F. Mires, age 12, same as above
13. Lydia James, age 35, Toulan, Stark Co., IL.
14, Joseph Mires, age 25, Jackson, Jackson Co., MI
15. Frances Mires age 30, same as above
16. Hannah Mires, mother of #9-12. (Note by Lucille: Hannah was
actually mother of #5-12)

References: (1) The data about the Rusling and Fowler families has been
obtained from Velta Miers Kunkel, and from "The Rusling Family". When I
(Lucille Miers Webster) was a little girl, Grandma (Lulu) Miers had told
me about the book and I finally traced it down and got a copy. It is
written by James Fowler Rusling, A.M., L.L.D., who is actually decended
from Hannah Miers' brother Gershom. This James is Gershom's son. The
book was published in 1907 by J.B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia. A copy
can be purchased in 1999 from Higginson Book Co. at E-mail:
higginsn@cove.com or mail to 148 Washington Street, P.O. Box 778,
Salem, MA 01970. (2) Data about Joseph Freeman Miers Father's family was
provided by Velta Miers Kunkel. (3) "History of Marion County, Iowa"
published in Des Moines, Iowa, by Union Historical Company, Birdsall,
Williams & Co., 1881. (4) Cemeteries of Marion County, Iowa, 1776-1976
book by Marion Co. Genealogical society, published by R.C. Booth
Enterprises, Harlan, Iowa, with a publication date of 1974. (5) Index
to Male Marriages, Book Number 1, Knox County, Illinois, Continued from
Vol. 8, No. 1, Compiled by Louise A. Jencks, listed in the Knox County
Genealogical Society Quarterly, published in Galesburg, Illinois, Book 8
1979-80, as found in the Public Library in Galesburg, Knox County,
Illinois, on April 15, 2000. No day of the month is recoded on this
index. (see also references 7 and 8 below) The index references the
Marriage licenses Vol. 2, Page 97, Knox County, Illinois, Access number
0497092. (6) Geneva, New York, newspaper article: A citation to appear
in Surrogate's Court in the Village of Geneva, New York, On Nov. 17,
1887, for the probate of the last will and testament of Jacob Creager of
Seneca, Ontario County, NY. In the article, Jacob's heirs are listed.
(7) Illinois Marriage Record Index, Illinois State Genealogical Society,
run date July 16, 1998, Page 20,856. The marriage date is given in this
index as Nov. 10, 1857. (8) Miers Family Bible recording Isaac and
Hannah Miers wedding day as November 12, 1857. The page was copied for
Lucille Miers Webster in 1999 by George Gross, former husband of
Lucille's cousin who also descended from Isaac and Hannah Miers, Mildred
(Miers) (Gross) Snyder. Mildred and George live in Vero Beach, Florida,
in 2002. Mildred has the Miers Family Bible. (9) 1880 federal census
for Jasper Township, Adams County, Iowa, for Lydia and Isaac
Miers'/Myers' son Isaac and Hannah Miers and their family, records that
Isaac, the father who had lived in New York, was born in New Jersey and
his wife Lydia was born in Maryland. (10) Telecon between Lucille Miers
Webster and Janice Orth who descended from Lucille's grandfather Joseph
Freeman Miers' sister Florence. February 9, 2002. (11) Obituary for May
(Miers) Anderson (Clara May) in the newspaper, The Express, Knoxville,
Iowa, Thrusday, February 8, 1940. May was a sister to Joseph Freeman
Miers.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Military: Hannah Belonged To The Women's Relief Corp Number 170, 1883.

Hannah married Isaac Freeman MIERS on 12 Nov 1857 in Knoxville, Illinois. (Isaac Freeman MIERS was born on 9 Sep 1836 in Wayne Co., New York, died on 4 Nov 1883 in Knoxville, Iowa and was buried in Graceland Cemetery, Knoxville, Iowa, Block 10, Lot 2.)