Neosho County, Kansas Family Histories

Edward Maher was born Dec. 11 1845, Cook Co., Il. Died Jul 3 1922, Neosho Co., Ks. He was reared in Stephenson Co., Il. Attended schools of Stephenson Co. and entered collage at Cedarville, Il. At the age of 17, in April, 1862, he joined to fight in the Civil War in Co. H., 67th Il. Infantry. He was in the battles of Belmont, Island No. 10, and Vicksburg. According to a bibliography of Neosho Co., Edward was in poor health and was advised to "go West". He took his widowed mother, Anna, and four brothers and reached Sacramento, Ca. in Sep. 1864. Edward spent the next two years working in mines, trading and railroading. He returned to settle in Neosho Co., Ks. He took a claim near Ft. Roach which he later sold for another tract of public domain 4 miles north of Parsons. The Maher homestead consisted of 480 acres. He married Harriet Higginbotham at St. Paul, Ks. They had children: Frank, John, Edward, Anna.

Edward operated a Merchandising business in Parsons along with one of his sons.

He is buried in the Civil War section of Oakwood Cemetery, Parsons. (Submitted by Ann Baughman)

JOHN MAKEMSON & MARGARET ANN WELLS FAMILY

James W. Makemson

Charles Thomas Makemson

John Makemson--born 1830 Falmouth, Pendleton Co., Ky. Died Feb 8 1906, Neosho Co., Ks.

Married Margaret Ann Wells in Pendleton Co., Ky. She died there in 1877. They had children: Robert Lee, Nancy, Charles Thomas.

His parents were: Robert & Ann Robinson Makemson.

John is listed in the Pendleton Co., Ky. 1894 atlas owning 200 acres. He was also a Justice of the Peace there.

John served in the Civil War in Co. D., 4th Ky. Calvary, Confederate Army where he was later promoted to Lt.

In 1894, John, along with his sons, Robert Lee and Charles Thomas, and his sister, Nancy Makemson Ewing & her husband W. N. Ewing, came to Neosho Co. where they settled on adjacent farms.

James, a brother to John, had come earlier to Kansas to live in Neosho Co. by 1880. James married Sarah Garber, daughter of Joseph & Mahala Sheets Makemson. He contributed a part of his farm on Hwy 69 which now contains the West Bethel Cemetery.

Charles Thomas continued living on the farm after his marriage in 1902 to Anna Maher, daughter of Edward & Harriet Higginbotham Maher. Charles was struck by lightening while in the fields and killed.

His son was Howard Makemson who lived on the farm with his mother & sisters, Edith, Mildred and Helen. (Submitted by Ann Baughman)