Recollections from Cloah Bivin about her grandparents Coleman and Elizabeth Deatherage as added to Family Search by Leanne Harvey.

My grandparents, Coleman and Elizabeth Deatherage, were born in Stokes County, North Carolina, and moved to Kentucky with his mother (his father was deceased). When in the prime of manhood, young Coleman with two of his brothers and families moved to Illinois in 1826, and settled in Morgan County, about 2 miles west of Waverly, Illinois. I don't think there was much of any town of Waverly, but there was a blacksmith and I think a few other little stores where the farmers could buy some supplies. Coleman settled on a place one quarter of a mile south of the little village of Appalonia, which has long since been removed. If I understand it correctly, part of it was moved to where Waverly is now. The schoolhouse and church were close. It was where I started school. My grandmother died when my father was in his teens. He had lived on this farm for fifty-five years and I was born in the same large log house, with two large rooms and one bedroom and a long kitchen. The house also had two rooms upstairs. They were used only as storerooms, but they were nice play rooms for us children in the winter when we could not be outdoors. The large fireplace downstairs with the chimney going up in the center of the house between the two rooms kept it warm in those rooms above unless it was too awful cold outside.
One of the large rooms was called "Grandpa's room." There were two beds, a fireplace, and a large cedar chest where he always kept his tobacco and a glass jar of cubed sugar, which he used in his gin and took when he felt bad. Mama would fill a glass with some water and put a spoonful of gin in it and he drank it. And the sugar was always divided with us children. After we were cleaned up after breakfast, we always ran to grandpa for our lump of sugar, and then when the jar was getting low we got our treat every Sunday morning, but never with a dirty face. I can see we kids yet, how we ran to wash our faces and hands when we saw grandpa go toward the chest, for we knew he would ask us if we were clean. Ha! We played in that room a lot and grandpa would play with us. My brother Newt would be the preacher, and we would all kneel down by the chair and our dear grandpa would pray for us. We thought he was playing but Mama said when I was converted his prayer was being answered. She said she often would step close to the door to listen to his prayers for us children and all. He was a dear grandpa. He died when I was ten years old. That was a sad time for we children. For he was in our house fifteen years and we were born in his home and we loved him dearly. [The 1870 and 1880 federal censuses for Morgan County, Illinois, show the James Stephen Deatherage family living with Coleman Deatherage.] After his death the next year, we moved to Kansas and our lives began over in a new country which we all loved.
[Some grammar and punctuation edited for readability.]

Contributor: Sister Act (47583936)

Son of George and Mildred (Bingham) Deatherage was born 10 Aug 1795 in Stokes Co., North Carolina [Obituary]. Coleman died on 30 Apr 1881 [Tombstone, 85-8-21] in Morgan Co., Illinois, of a "paralytic stroke." His funeral was held at Appalonia Church. The Rev. E.P. Carlile delivered the funeral oration. Coleman is buried in Rogers Cemetery, Waverly, Morgan County.

Coleman married Elizabeth Deatherage on 6 Jan 1820 in Logan Co., Kentucky [County Record]. Elizabeth, the daughter of Philip and Milly Deatherage, (see #14) was born 4 Dec 1798. Elizabeth died on 25 Feb 1860 [Tombstone, 61-2-21] and is buried in Rogers Cemetery, Waverly, Morgan County.

Coleman and Elizabeth moved to Morgan Co., Illinois, in 1826 with two of his brothers. He was a farmer. We are fortunate to have some personal details about Coleman's life as related by his granddaughter Cloah Bivin, daughter of James Stephen Deatherage.

"My grandparents Coleman and Elizabeth Deatherage were born in Stokes County, North Carolina, and moved to Kentucky with his parents [it was with his mother, his father was dead]. When in the prime of manhood young Coleman with 2 brothers and families moved to Illinois in 1826. Settled in Morgan Co. about 2 miles west of Waverly, Ill. I don't think there was much of any town of Waverly but there was a blacksmith and I think a few other little stores where the farmers could buy some supplies. He settled on a place one quarter of a mile south of the little village of Appalonia, which has long since been removed. If I understand it right part of it was moved to where Waverly now is. The schoolhouse and church were close. It was where I started school. My grandmother died when my father was in his teens. He had lived on this farm for fifty-five years and I was born in the same large log house, with two large rooms and one bedroom and a long kitchen. Also had two rooms upstairs but they were used only as storerooms. But they were nice playrooms for us children in winter when we could not be outdoors. The large fireplace downstairs with the chimney going up in the center of the house between the two rooms kept it warm in those rooms above unless too awful cold".

"One of the large rooms was called grandpa's room. There were two beds, a fireplace, and a large cedar chest where he always kept his tobacco, a glass jar of cubed sugar, he used in his gin, taken when he felt bad. Mama would fill a glass with some water and put a spoonful of gin in it and he drank it. And the sugar was always divided with us children. After we were cleaned up after breakfast we always ran to grandpa for our lump of sugar, and then when the jar was getting low, we got our treat every Sunday morning, but never with a dirty face. I can see we kids yet, how we ran to wash our faces and hands when we saw grandpa go toward the chest for, we knew he would ask us if we were clean. Ha. We played in that room a lot and grandpa would play with us. My brother Newt would be the preacher and we would all kneel down by the chair and our dear old grandpa would pray for us. We thought he was playing but Mama said when I was converted his prayer was being answered. She said she often would step close to the door to listen to his prayers for us children and all. He was a dear grandpa. He died when I was ten years old. That was a sad time for we children. For he was in our house fifteen years, and we were born in his home, and we loved him dearly. [The 1870 and 1880 federal census for Morgan Co., IL, shows the James Stephen Deatherage family living with Coleman Deatherage]. After his death the next year we moved to Kansas and our lives began over in a new country which we all loved".

The will of Coleman Deatherage of Morgan Co., IL, age 82 years, is dated 5 Nov 1877. He made specific gifts to daughters Nancy Rice, Emily M. Rice, Martha Piercy, Lydia F. Hardman, son Milton W. Deatherage, heirs of son Wm. L. Deatherage, heirs of daughter Minerva Wood, heirs of daughter Louisa Rodgers, son James S. Deatherage. He then divides his estate among all his children or their heirs. He named his son James S. Deatherage his executor. Witnessed by J._. Meachum and George W. Bradley, M.D.

Contributor: Richard Norriss McPherson (46601001)