Re: henrietta kretzer/solomon smeltzer
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In reply to:
Re: henrietta kretzer/solomon smeltzer
7/07/01
Mella,Some other info
126-1Elizabeth Catherine KRETZERborn 26 Aug 1836 at Shepherdstown
in Jefferson County, Virginia listed in the International Genealogical
Index as daughter of Jacob Kretzer and Mary Ann Show.Census records,
however, indicate this child was born circa 1841.The 1836 birth date
is probably more accurate in view of her wedding date.She was
married on 12 Jun 1852 at Harpers Ferry, Virginia to John KILEY.He
was born on 15 May 1829 in County Waterford, Ireland, the son of
William and Mary KILEY.He came to America in 1851/2 and they moved
to Kansas when it was still a territory.They had nine daughters and
one son.John Kiley died 17 Sep 1906 and Elizabeth Catherine died 1
Aug 1925.They are buried in Mt. Olive Cemetery at Troy, Doniphan
County, Kansas.On a 1912 affidavit for her brother, George R.
Kretzer, Elizabeth made her mark, indicating that she was unable to
read or write.
From notes made by Mr. Morgan Powell, a great grandson:
"Elizabeth Catherine Kretzer was born 26 August 1836 to Jacob Kretzer
and his wife, Mary Ann.She was the oldest of nine children - seven
daughters and two sons.She was born at Shepherdstown, Jefferson,
Virginia (now West Virginia].When she was 16 she married John Kiley
on 12 Jun 1852.After John left for Kansas Territory to file on land
there, she joined him in June 1854.There she made her home on the
Kiley homestead for 69 years until 1923.She was widowed in 1906 when
John died."
"She endured the hardships that were the lot of the pioneer woman,
with the added vicissitudes brought about by the war between the
states.She was a resourceful woman of sternest fiber, the only kind
that could have survived under the conditions she had to face.The
story is told of how she helped her husband hide in a haystack when
band of guerrillas raided the farm.She once took a shotgun and
defied the raiders to take their only horse and successfully protected
her property.Once when she saw raiders approaching as she was
cooking a chicken, a rare treat for her little ones standing around in
anticipation, she quickly gathered a kettle of food and hid it under a
loose floor board with her long skirts covering it and thus she saved
the meal.When the war broke out she had three babies aged five,
three and one.During the four war years Elizabeth gave birth to two
more daughters.There is an interesting sidelight about her. In later
years she always combed her hair with long bangs over her forehead to
cover a deep dent where her pulse could be observed.This injury
occurred when she was struck by a buggy shaft."
"She bore John Kiley nine daughters and a son.Her last daughter was
born 8 Apr 1876.After her husband's death in 1906, she continued to
live on the family farm until 1923.When she moved to the home of her
daughter and son-in-law, Peter McKittrick, she was 87, but even after
that, Elizabeth returned to her old home to plant a garden and do her
canning.As late as 1975, silent evidence of Elizabeth's handiwork
could be seen as old rose bushes, iris and the giant fir that stands
like a beacon on the Pottawatomie road, continued to flourish albeit
without, and in need of her care.She died 1 Aug 1925, and was buried
beside her husband in Mt. Olive Cemetery at Troy, Kansas."
Notes concerning John Kiley, also made by Mr. Morgan Powell [126-123],
a great grandson:
"John Kiley [1829-1906]was born 15 May 1829 at Dungar, Ireland, the
son of Dr. William Kiley and wife, Mary.He was one of five children
- three brothers, Patrick, Michael and Dagleon, and one sister,
Bridget.He came to America either during or immediately after the
great potato famine in Ireland which lasted from 1846 to 1851.He
came, it is believed, with his brothers and perhaps his sister in 1851
or early 1852."
"He married Elizabeth Catherine Kretzer 10 June 1852 at Harpers Ferry,
Virginia [Now West Virginia] when he was 23.They were married by
Father Talty."
"The Kansas Territory was opened to settlement in 1854 and John left
Virginia 1 Jan 1854 to seek his fortune in the new land.He arrived
in northeast Kansas 24 Mar 1854, 61 days before the Kansas-Nebraska
Act was passed by congress.He pre-empted 160 acres of land three and
a half miles southeast of Troy, paying the government $1.25 per acres,
as this was several years before the passage of The Free Homestead
Act.The farm was the southwest quarter of Section 27, Township 3,
Range 21.The Pottawatomie road was its north border.This road was
a very important thoroughfare for the Pony Express and stages going
west from St. Joe, Missouri.The creek that runs through the Kiley
homestead flows southeasterly, and although the land is not as
productive as some of the farms surrounding it, it was chosen because
of the location of a good spring on it.He received a patent on it 1
May 1860, signed by President James Buchanan."
"The years after John and Elizabeth Kiley arrived in Kansas were
turbulent ones.With neighboring Missouri a slave state, the tug of
war between slaves state and free states was bitter.Because the
Nebraska-Kansas compromise left the question of slavery up to each
territory and because of its geographical position, Kansas was
particularly caught in the grips of bitterly opposed factions.Seven
years later Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state - and
that same year the Civil War broke out.These were trying times for
John Kiley.Physically unfit to go to war, and he was reviled by both
sides and guerrilla raids in the area were a constant threat.John
had a retreat hollowed out in a haystack and when he heard of a raid
coming he would hide out there.Many are the tales told by members of
the family of the hardships and hunger and danger they endured with
raiders taking good livestock and other valuables they could lay their
hands on."
"Not a great deal is known of the personality and character of John
Kiley except that he was a good quiet citizen.He apparently had the
proverbial Irish temper for he disinherited his daughter, Sarah Ellen,
for marrying outside the Catholic Church against his wishes.This is
surprising since his wife, Elizabeth, was a Methodist and apparently
remain Protestant until her death.He also was apparently a person
not to hold a grudge, as he later became reconciled with her and his
son-in-law and although it was never accomplished, he planned to have
a new Will made to restore her share of the estate."
The Children of Elizabeth Catherine Kretzer and John Kiley
126-11Mary Mildred Kiley( 19 Aug 1856 -2 Feb 1936)m/1Jacob Miller
m/2Peter McKitteick
126-12Sarah Ellen Kiley( 15 Apr 1858 - 19 Mar 1935)m.Morgan Powell
126-13William J. Kiley( 15 May 1860 -1936 or 1937)m.Mary [?]
126-14Cordelia Agnes Kiley(14 Jul 1862 - 26 Aug 1943) m.Henry Joseph Duffy
126-15Elizabeth Ann Kiley( 31 Aug 1864 - 27 Mar 1953)m.Frank Duncan
126-16Margaret Jane Kiley( 28 Feb 1867 -12 Jan 1932) m.Eoney Asa Jackson
126-17Laura Belle Kiley( 16 Apr 1869 -unknown)m.Frederick L. Rice
126-18Henrietta Kiley(8 Apr 1871 - 29 Dec 1951) m.Leroy B. Jackson
126-19Ida Isadora Kiley(15 Oct 1873 - 12 Jan 1917) m.Will Meidinger
126-1XLucy Virginia Kiley(8 Apr 1876 - 23 Dec 1962) m.Fred H. Manahan
I hope this helps you a little bit.
Jack Warvel.
More Replies:
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Re: henrietta kretzer/solomon smeltzer
7/09/01
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Re: henrietta kretzer/solomon smeltzer
John Warvel 7/09/01
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Re: henrietta kretzer/solomon smeltzer