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THE BLOOMFIELD NEWS, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana, Thursday, September 10, 1925, Volume XLIX, Number 44, Page 1, Columns 4 & 5, “SECOND ANNUAL REUNION IS HELD—Descendants of William T. and Nancy QUILLEN Meet at Lyons Park..” [Transcribed 25 Dec 2001 from Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library’s IHS Microfilm Records.]
According to plans and arrangements which were perfected last year at the first meeting of the QUILLEN family, the second annual reunion was held last Sunday, September 6, in the Lyons Town Park.
The day was ideal, but a trifle sultry in the forenoon. After noon a slight shower of rain relieved the sultriness and made the occasion an enjoyable one.
Over two hundred of the family, including a number of friends of the family, with well-filled baskets, gathered at the beautiful park. The ladies were soon busy emptying the baskets, and when all was ready W. H. QUILLEN returned thanks, and all partook of the bountiful spread.
The occasion was to commemorate the lives and memory of those sturdy pioneers, William T. and Nancy QUILLEN, and to give the large family of descendants some information as to the origin of the family. Mrs. Margaret BOGARD, the only surviving daughter of a large family of thirteen children born to this union, furnished some history of its origin. After all had partaken to the utmost of the good things to eat the crowd was called together, and W. H. QUILLEN, of Indianapolis then made a short talk, after which officers for another year were chosen. They were F. A. QUILLEN, president, and J. T. JEFFERS, secretary. Plans were then formulated for the care and upkeep of the little family cemetery in Taylor Township. After the transaction of the business spent in social conversation, eating ice cream and watermelon, and renewing acquaintances with the family and friends and talking over old times.
It was impossible to get the names of all present, but there were families there from Indianapolis, Bloomfield, East Alton, Illinois; Decatur, Illinois; Palestine, IL; Vincennes, Switz City, Lyons, Dugger, Linton and numerous other places, and Taylor Township, the old home of these two sturdy pioneers, was well represented.
An old-time enlarged photograph of “grandpap and grandma” was hung on one of the large oak trees, and to those who had a remembrance of the old days, this old photo looked as natural as life.
Along toward the close of the afternoon, good-byes were said and all departed for their homes with the full intention of being there again next year on the same date—the first Sunday in September, at Lyons Park.
The history of the family as read by W. T. QUILLEN, follows:
“Prior to the Revolutionary war and on account of the English oppression of their Irish subjects, four brothers migrated from County Cork, Ireland, and fought in the Revolutionary war under General Washington. They settled in Virginia, and from which state two brothers, John and William went to the state of Kentucky, where William T. QUILLEN was born. In 1819 the family moved to Indiana, settling in Lawrence County, at which time William QUILLEN was four years of age. His father died within three months after they settled in Lawrence County. The widow then moved to Taylor Township, Greene County, and resided at what is now known as the old homestead of Samuel FOSTER. The family was composed of six children, and at the time of their settlement there the region was a wilderness, overrun by Indians, wolves, bears, panthers and other wild life then common in Indiana.
“The family name was originally ‘MCQUILLEN,’ which is still retained by some branches of the family, but the prefix was dropped when William QUILLEN left Kentucky.
“William T. QUILLEN was left motherless at the age of sixteen, and he left the home place, going to live at the home of Thomas PLUMMER, near the present site of PLUMMER station. While at the home of Mr. PLUMMER he worked for 37 ½ cents a day, and through thrift and economy he accumulated sufficient funds to enter a tract of government land under President Martin VanBuren, consisting of 105 acres, where now the old QUILLEN homestead stands.
“In 1840 he married Nancy STONE, and moved at once upon his farm, which was then covered with a very valuable growth of timber, he having cleared sufficient ground for his home of hand-hewed logs and for a potato patch.
“From this union were born thirteen children—Thomas, James, Riley, Ellen, Nelson, Margaret and Samuel, the other six dying in infancy. The only survivor of this large family is Margaret BOGARD, of Linton, who is aged seventy-four years.
“The present descendants consist of the one daughter, named above, forty-five grandchildren and seventy-seven great-grandchildren, exclusive of the descendants of Thomas QUILLEN, who are unknown. There are also a number of great-great-grandchildren.
William QUILLEN and his lovely wife lived upon the old home place until their death, he dying November 10, 1896, and she dying November 12, 1903, having each rounded out lives of usefulness and service as honored and respected citizens, and whose lives we can fittingly emulate.”
Another of the family by marriage was William JEFFERS, who is nearing his fore score and ten, and is still quite hale and hearty for his advanced age, and he sure enjoyed the day.
—
NOTES—RLJ: (1) The original article was written by the newspaper using QUILLIN,which I believe was a misprint. I have corrected the article using QUILLEN, the name as is found in the QUILLEN Cemetery and is referred to in the article. (2) CEMETERIES OF EASTERN GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA, Taylor Township, Section 1 T6N R5W, QUILLEN Cemetery, Page 199—200: QUILLEN, William 14 Feb 1808—9 Jul 1890; QUILLEN, Sarah, w/o William, 30 Jun 1810—10 Sep 1872; QUILLEN, William {JR}, 15 Oct 1816—10 Nov 1896; QUILLEN, Nancy A. {STONE}, 5 Dec 1825—{15 Nov 1903}, QUILLEN, Thomas J., s/o William & Nancy A., 11 Dec-1841—6 May 1867, 21ST REGT INF Pvt, Civil War; QUILLEN, Nelson M. 8 Aug 1848—1886; QUILLEN, Mary E., w/o S.C., 17 Jun 1856—21 Apr 1897; QUILLEN, Samuel C. 21 Apr 1861—18 Jun 1891.
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