John C Quein (1823-1890) Urbana,Ohio. Wife Maretta Wilkins, brother R.P. Wilkins
I think I’ve found the link between the Queins who live in the eastern half of the US that my cousin Jim Turner has done so much excellent research on and those who live in the west. I stumbled across an Obituary online for a “John C Quein” who died in 1890 in a newspaper from Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio. The census index from 1880 on ancestry.com lists an I.C. Quein which is the result of the person who indexed the Census misreading the “j” as an “i”. John C. Quein was listed as 57 years old in 1880 which would put his birth around 1823 it also lists his birth place and the birth place of both his parents as Pennsylvania. These facts would fit with this “John C Quein” of Urbana, Ohio being the “John Quein” son of James Quein(1790-1840) and Elizabeth Klingaman Quein (1790-1860) who lived in Honeybrook Chester county PA.
In the 1880 census John C Quein, only has 1 son Charles Quein(born around 1862) at home, along with his wife Maretta, and Stepchild Ella Quick. John C Quein’s 1st wife Frances died in 1868. Maretta’s maiden name was Wilkins. Her brother's name was R.P. Wilkins.
The 1870 Census in Urbana is a different storyin addition to those who were listed in the 1880 census there are two more sons listed “John” and “William” John is listed as 14, birthplace Georgia and William is listed as 13, birthplace Georgia.
Joseph Edward Quein a.k.a. John, J.E. and Joe the newspaper man from Oklahoma is listed in his obituary as being born September, 22, 1858. Now the John in the census of 1870 is listed as 14 which would put his age 2 years older than his year of birth in his obituary. However the Obituary lists his place of birth as Georgia and the 1870 Census lists the14 year old “John Quein’s” birth place as Georgia as well.
Further confirmation comes from an Urbana Newspaper Index, a wedding announcement is listed in the “UrbanaDaily Citizen” for “J.E. Quein andMiss Nannie Hurst were md at the Bride’s parents in Howard, Ks 4th Apr by Rev J T Boyce. He was at one time employee of Citizen.”
From other info online this matches their wedding date and place.
Also the “William Quein” listed in the Census of 1870 is the William Branch Quein (1858-1930 according to cemetery records online), whose name I’ve seen pop up in the past in several places. He like many of these people moved around quite a bit. He is buried in Alabama with his wife Sophie Reed Quein (1848-1923) and daughter Margaret Quein McCrary (1888-1958) I have found mention of their marriage in the same Newspaper index for Urbana, Ohio. William’s Children are as follows
Levi Lathrop Quein (1880-1959)
Margaret Quein (1888-1958)
Mae Quein (no date)
Possibly also a Charles Quein and an Oscar Quein (no dates)
After trying for so long to figure out exactly how the Queins in the East and West of the USA are linked I’m amazed at how all the pieces now seem to be falling into place in Urbana, Champaign County Ohio. So to summarize it appears we share a common ancestor in James Quein (1790-1840) who lived in Honeybrook(Waynesburg) Chester County, PA. Myself and Jim are descended from his son Robert Quein (1820-1904.) While those of you in the west are descended from his son John Quein (C.1823-1890)