Martha V. Wilson was born Sept. 8, 1835 near Elizabethtown in Lancaster County, PA, the 3rd of 5 children of William James (8/28/1801 - 1/4/1870) and Sarah (Byrod) Wilson (8/23/1804 - 11/28/1878). Martha grew up in Lancaster Co. then at about age 20 (mid-1850s) moved with her family to Covington, IN (Fountain County). According to family history, the last part of their trip - from Fort Wayne to Covington - was on a canal boat down the old Wabash & Erie Canal that ran along the Wabash River.
She met David R. Layton in Covington and they were married there on Feb. 21, 1861 (she was 25 and he was 32). In 1863 or 1864 Martha and David moved from Covington to Potomac, IL where David's uncle Aaron Mercereau Layton and his family were living. David worked with his uncle and eventually he and Martha saved enough money to buy a 167-acre farm near the town of Blue Grass (about 3 miles NW of Potomac) where they farmed and raised livestock. Martha and David lived on the farm the rest of their lives. We have a photo of her standing in front of their farm house about 1900. Their granddaughter, Alma (Layton) Prillaman (born 1888, daughter of their son Coburn Grant Layton) visited them often and had very fond memories of them. Martha and David died just 3 months apart - she on May 16, 1904 and he on Aug. 22. They are buried in the Potomac Cemetery next to their son Willie who had died in 1884 at age 15.
Martha and David had four children, two born in Covington and two after they moved to Potomac:
1) Charles "Charley" born 12/--/1861. Was a farmer and lived in the Potomac area all of his life. No indication that he ever married or had children. Died 9/25/1935 at age 72 and is buried in the Potomac cemetery.
2) Anna Elizabeth "Annie" born 3/20/1863. Married Charles McClellan Cordell 12/22/1886 and moved to Cass County, IN. She died at Logansport, IN 6/11/1846 at age 83 and is buried there.
3) Coburn Grant born 5/20/1865. Married Nellie Messner 1/20/1887 and ran a drug store and grocery in Potomac. He died 1/27/1953 at age 87 and is buried in Potomac.
4) William Mercereau "Willie" born 5/9/1868. Died of typhoid fever 3/14/1884 at age 15 and is buried in Potomac.
(Bio provided by K Gregg Prillaman)
She met David R. Layton in Covington and they were married there on Feb. 21, 1861 (she was 25 and he was 32). In 1863 or 1864 Martha and David moved from Covington to Potomac, IL where David's uncle Aaron Mercereau Layton and his family were living. David worked with his uncle and eventually he and Martha saved enough money to buy a 167-acre farm near the town of Blue Grass (about 3 miles NW of Potomac) where they farmed and raised livestock. Martha and David lived on the farm the rest of their lives. We have a photo of her standing in front of their farm house about 1900. Their granddaughter, Alma (Layton) Prillaman (born 1888, daughter of their son Coburn Grant Layton) visited them often and had very fond memories of them. Martha and David died just 3 months apart - she on May 16, 1904 and he on Aug. 22. They are buried in the Potomac Cemetery next to their son Willie who had died in 1884 at age 15.
Martha and David had four children, two born in Covington and two after they moved to Potomac:
1) Charles "Charley" born 12/--/1861. Was a farmer and lived in the Potomac area all of his life. No indication that he ever married or had children. Died 9/25/1935 at age 72 and is buried in the Potomac cemetery.
2) Anna Elizabeth "Annie" born 3/20/1863. Married Charles McClellan Cordell 12/22/1886 and moved to Cass County, IN. She died at Logansport, IN 6/11/1846 at age 83 and is buried there.
3) Coburn Grant born 5/20/1865. Married Nellie Messner 1/20/1887 and ran a drug store and grocery in Potomac. He died 1/27/1953 at age 87 and is buried in Potomac.
4) William Mercereau "Willie" born 5/9/1868. Died of typhoid fever 3/14/1884 at age 15 and is buried in Potomac.
(Bio provided by K Gregg Prillaman)
Martha V. Wilson was born Sept. 8, 1835 near Elizabethtown in Lancaster County, PA, the 3rd of 5 children of William James (8/28/1801 - 1/4/1870) and Sarah (Byrod) Wilson (8/23/1804 - 11/28/1878). Martha grew up in Lancaster Co. then at about age 20 (mid-1850s) moved with her family to Covington, IN (Fountain County). According to family history, the last part of their trip - from Fort Wayne to Covington - was on a canal boat down the old Wabash & Erie Canal that ran along the Wabash River.
She met David R. Layton in Covington and they were married there on Feb. 21, 1861 (she was 25 and he was 32). In 1863 or 1864 Martha and David moved from Covington to Potomac, IL where David's uncle Aaron Mercereau Layton and his family were living. David worked with his uncle and eventually he and Martha saved enough money to buy a 167-acre farm near the town of Blue Grass (about 3 miles NW of Potomac) where they farmed and raised livestock. Martha and David lived on the farm the rest of their lives. We have a photo of her standing in front of their farm house about 1900. Their granddaughter, Alma (Layton) Prillaman (born 1888, daughter of their son Coburn Grant Layton) visited them often and had very fond memories of them. Martha and David died just 3 months apart - she on May 16, 1904 and he on Aug. 22. They are buried in the Potomac Cemetery next to their son Willie who had died in 1884 at age 15.
Martha and David had four children, two born in Covington and two after they moved to Potomac:
1) Charles "Charley" born 12/--/1861. Was a farmer and lived in the Potomac area all of his life. No indication that he ever married or had children. Died 9/25/1935 at age 72 and is buried in the Potomac cemetery.
2) Anna Elizabeth "Annie" born 3/20/1863. Married Charles McClellan Cordell 12/22/1886 and moved to Cass County, IN. She died at Logansport, IN 6/11/1846 at age 83 and is buried there.
3) Coburn Grant born 5/20/1865. Married Nellie Messner 1/20/1887 and ran a drug store and grocery in Potomac. He died 1/27/1953 at age 87 and is buried in Potomac.
4) William Mercereau "Willie" born 5/9/1868. Died of typhoid fever 3/14/1884 at age 15 and is buried in Potomac.
(Bio provided by K Gregg Prillaman)
She met David R. Layton in Covington and they were married there on Feb. 21, 1861 (she was 25 and he was 32). In 1863 or 1864 Martha and David moved from Covington to Potomac, IL where David's uncle Aaron Mercereau Layton and his family were living. David worked with his uncle and eventually he and Martha saved enough money to buy a 167-acre farm near the town of Blue Grass (about 3 miles NW of Potomac) where they farmed and raised livestock. Martha and David lived on the farm the rest of their lives. We have a photo of her standing in front of their farm house about 1900. Their granddaughter, Alma (Layton) Prillaman (born 1888, daughter of their son Coburn Grant Layton) visited them often and had very fond memories of them. Martha and David died just 3 months apart - she on May 16, 1904 and he on Aug. 22. They are buried in the Potomac Cemetery next to their son Willie who had died in 1884 at age 15.
Martha and David had four children, two born in Covington and two after they moved to Potomac:
1) Charles "Charley" born 12/--/1861. Was a farmer and lived in the Potomac area all of his life. No indication that he ever married or had children. Died 9/25/1935 at age 72 and is buried in the Potomac cemetery.
2) Anna Elizabeth "Annie" born 3/20/1863. Married Charles McClellan Cordell 12/22/1886 and moved to Cass County, IN. She died at Logansport, IN 6/11/1846 at age 83 and is buried there.
3) Coburn Grant born 5/20/1865. Married Nellie Messner 1/20/1887 and ran a drug store and grocery in Potomac. He died 1/27/1953 at age 87 and is buried in Potomac.
4) William Mercereau "Willie" born 5/9/1868. Died of typhoid fever 3/14/1884 at age 15 and is buried in Potomac.
(Bio provided by K Gregg Prillaman)
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
