My great grandfather, Louis A. Harper, was a Methodist circuit rider preacher who pastored in a number of places in southern Illinois. He kept a record of all the funerals and marriages he performed. From 1889 up to 1901, he was in Mt. Erie. Here is his information
Yours truly,
Eileen Mandley
Harper Journal
INTRODUCTION
Lewis Adam Harper was a Methodist circuit riding preacher for 1858 until 1901. During all these years he kept a daily journal. The majority of these journals or a photocopy are now in the McKendree College Archives, Lebanon, Il. Shortly before he died, L. A. Harper went through the eight books he had and made a list of 1830 names whom he had mentioned in the journal. They are listed according to the Circuit in which he was living at the time. I have now gone through all the volumes to which I had access and have listed the weddings and Funerals at which he presided. Some of the dates are dates of death but the majority are of the funeral dates. Funerals normally occurred the day after the date of death unless they were postponed and conducted as a memorial service. This of course, does not help in pinpointing an exact date of death but hopefully may help some genealogist in finding a time frame for their ancestor’s death. It is my hope that some genealogist will be able to locate an ancestor for whom they have looked without success in all the normal resources.
NOTE: Lewis A. Harper was born in Edwards County Illinois and died January 28, 1902 Mt. Erie, Wayne County Illinois he was 74 years 2 months and 16 days old and is buried in the Scotts Cemetery in Wayne county, Illinois.
Weddings and Funerals recorded by L. A. Harper
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WEDDINGS |
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DATE |
GROOM |
BRIDE |
LOCATION |
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Sept 30, 1883 |
Lewis W. Galbraith |
Mattie Karr |
Johnsonville |
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Oct 4, 1883 |
Hallack Johnson |
Nannie E. Hale |
Johnsonville |
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Feb 2, 1884 |
William A. Wilson |
Mrs. Sarah Harris |
Johnsonville |
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Feb 14, 1884 |
Oscar E. Earhart |
Mary Ann Taylor |
Johnsonville |
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Feb 27, 1884 |
Robert B. Butler |
Ninnie O. Mabry |
Johnsonville |
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Mar 12, 1884 |
Joseph S. Matchett |
Louisa Schultz |
Johnsonville |
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Aug 12, 1884 |
Lewis A. Baldwin |
Carrie E. Dunlap |
Johnsonville |
Both from Fremont, Neb. |
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Sept 11, 1884 |
Robert T. Forth |
Fannie E. Hill |
Round Prairie |
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Oct 30, 1884 |
Lewis Walter Senter |
Loretta Purdue |
Rinard |
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Dec 21, 1884 |
Edward Morris Ray |
Ollie Belle Spalding |
Johnsonville |
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June 10, 1885 |
James William Armstrong |
Lou E. Karr |
Johnsonville |
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Sept 30, 1885 |
James M. Haney |
Mary E. Tenny |
Johnsonville |
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Oct 1, 1885 |
Asa H. Ross |
Dora Belle Evans |
Johnsonville |
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Feb 20, 1887 |
Rissho Roberson |
Eva B. Harrell |
Jeffersonville |
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March 21, 1888 |
B. F. Everett |
Maggie M. Stanley |
Jeffersonville |
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Apr 12, 1888 |
Lawrence Borah |
Ettie Matthews |
Jeffersonville |
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July 12, 1888 |
William H. Curry |
Caturiah McCoy |
Jeffersonville |
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Dec 29, 1889 |
Joseph Mann |
Belle Kramer |
Mt. Erie |
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Feb 14, 1889 |
Thomas E. Harper |
Mollie Johnson |
Arkansas |
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Jan 24, 1890 |
James W. Miller |
Annie Westfall |
Mt. Erie |
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Mar 16, 1890 |
George L. Camp |
Ida Karns |
Mt. Erie |
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Apr 9, 1890 |
Andrew T. Bleakly |
Josie B. Daubs |
Mt. Erie |
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Oct 28, 1890 |
Charles Smith |
Rhonda Miller |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 26, 1891 |
J. J. Carson |
Alice Seneff |
Mt. Erie |
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Sept 3, 1891 |
Franklin T. Porterfield |
Celia Ann Blakley |
Mt. Erie |
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Jan 6, 1892 |
Wm. H. Daubs (age 48 |
Martha Jane Roberts (age 19) |
Mt. Erie |
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Nov 13, 1892 |
Samuel R. Jessop |
Ella Harper |
Mt. Erie |
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Nov 13, 1892 |
Joe L. Vanfossen |
Rosa L. Best |
Mt. Erie |
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May 2, 1894 |
Thomas A. Bleakley (age 24) |
Cora Cameron (age 20) |
Mt. Erie |
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June 28, 1894 |
Frank Harper |
Rose Breeze |
Irvington |
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Feb 8, 1896 |
Wm. M. Daubs (age 21) |
Katie Porterfield (age 21) |
Mt. Erie |
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April 19, 1896 |
J. Lewis Hays (age 24) |
Mollie O. Douglas (age 20) |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 4, 1896 |
Jacob Walker (age 23) |
Rose Streneker (age 21) |
Mt. Erie |
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Nov 24, 1898 |
J. L. Bushong (age 31) |
Nellie Mae McDowel (age 18) |
Mt. Erie |
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Sept 10, 1899 |
Virgil Lucas (age 22) |
Ethel Kerr (age 20) |
Mt. Erie |
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Feb 8, 1900 |
Frank E. Roberts |
Sarah J. Phelps |
Mt. Erie |
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July 1, 1900 |
G. A. Hunt (age 20) |
Myrtle Shelton (age 19) |
Mt. Erie |
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Nov 13, 1900 |
Edgar Howard (age 25) |
Mattie Daubs (age 20) |
Mt. Erie |
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Feb 22, 1901 |
Myrtle R. Gibson (age 24) |
Lizzie M. Caw (age 18) |
Mt. Erie |
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April 21, 1901 |
William M. Porterfield |
Lillian M. Blakely |
Mt. Erie |
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April 24, 1901 |
Robert C. Merrick |
Eva I. Yamble |
Mt. Erie |
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May 3, 1901 |
Calvin Hendricks |
Annie Hendricks |
Mt. Erie |
Remarriage for the couple |
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Nov 3, 1901 |
Alvah A. Swift |
Lillie Runyon |
Mt. Erie |
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ADDED INFO NOT IN JOURNAL |
IN SHADED GRAY |
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DATE |
NAME |
PLACE |
Full Name |
Newspaper Information |
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Nov 26, 1876 |
Sister Fillkill (died several weeks prior) |
Johnsonville |
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Jan 12, 1877 |
Iserael Foreaker & Wife |
Johnsonville |
Isreal d. Jan 5, Julia (wife) d. Jan 11 James E. (son) d. Jan 15 |
Wayne Co. Press Jan 25, 1877 |
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May 1877 |
Sister Graham |
Johnsonville |
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May 16, 1877 |
Sister Haws d. Jan 17, 1873 |
Johnsonville |
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July 10, 1884 |
Saluda Allgood |
Johnsonville |
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Sept. 7, 1884 |
N. N. Blake |
Johnsonville |
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Wayne Co. Press Sept 18, 1884 Norman Blake |
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Aug 11, 1885 |
Child of Edward Cariens |
Johnsonville |
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Oct 25, 1887 |
C. Bestow |
Jeffersonville |
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Wayne Co. Press Oct 27, 1887 John C. Bestow d. Oct 24, 1887 |
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Nov 26, 1887 |
Son of Caleb Crewes |
Jeffersonville |
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Dec 2, 1887 |
Grandfather Ward |
Jeffersonville |
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Feb 3, 1888 |
Samuel Allison (age 18) |
Jeffersonville |
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Feb 19, 1888 |
Sister Galligher |
Jeffersonville |
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April 1, 1888 |
Christina Galleger |
Jeffersonville |
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June 26, 1888 |
Charles Sutton accidentally shot while celebrating Benjamin Harrison’s nomination |
Jeffersonville |
18 year old son of Wm. Sutton |
Wayne co. Press June 28, 1888 |
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July 1, 1888 |
Rachel Brown |
Jeffersonville |
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Mar 21, 1891 |
Roy O. Brooks (age 10) |
Mt Erie |
Buried McKendrie Cemetery |
D. Mar 19, 1891 10y 2m 25d |
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Mar 26, 1891 |
Sister Butter |
Mt. Erie |
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April 4, 1891 |
Child of Underwood |
Mt. Erie |
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April 9, 1891 |
Catherine Forbes |
Mt. Erie |
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Sept 3, 1891 |
Nancy Jane Crews |
Mt. Erie |
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Nov 30, 1891 d.o.d. |
Maline Jane Young |
Mt. Erie |
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Dec 4, 1891 |
Dosha Kinney |
Mt. Erie |
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Dec 10, 1891 |
Hariet McClary |
Mt. Erie |
d. Dec 9, 1891 63y 9m 13d |
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Dec 12, 1891 |
Sister Underwood |
Mt. Erie |
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Dec 13, 1891 |
Joseph Manashe Larimer |
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Dec 17, 1891 |
Mrs. Farley died in Fairfield buried Mt. Erie |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 23, 1892 |
Bertha Ellen Neely |
Mt. Erie |
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May 16, 1893 |
Claud Traverse (age 15) accidentally shot himself |
Mt. Erie |
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Oct 15, 1893 |
Son of Wheeler Sayler (age 6) |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 9, 1894 |
Child of Theo Forbes |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 14, 1894 |
Rosana Galbraith |
Mt. Erie |
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Aug 22, 1894 |
Mr. M. W. Fishel (age 77) |
Mt. Erie |
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Sept 4, 1894 |
James Edward Crews (19) |
Mt. Erie |
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