Individual Details
Minerva Jane Kirkpatrick
(1813 - 16 Aug 1870)
Minerva (sometimes listed as Jane Minerva) was born ca. 1813, a daughter of Francis and Polly (Gillham) Kirkpatrick. She married another Kirkpatrick named Jesse Milton Kirkpatrick. Jesse was born 26 May 1812 in Tennessee, probably in east Monroe County. He was the eighth of nine children born to the Revolutionary War soldier Charles and Sarah (Edington) Kirkpatrick. Charles was born in 1764 in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and died in 1833 in Adams County, Illinois. Sarah was born in New Jersey and died in Kentucky.
Jesse Milton's family migrated from Virginia between 1815 and 1820 to the Hiawassa Purchase, a tract of land opened to settlement as a result of the 1817-1819 treaty with the Cherokee Indians. The land was located in Northern Georgia, Northern Alabama and Southeastern Tennessee. The family continued its migration through Kentucky, where Sarah died and then on to Morgan County, Illinois, where they stayed for the winter of 1827-1828 near Jacksonville. In 1828, Jesse was the first recorded member of his family to enter and live in Adams County, Illinois, in the township of Lima, where he was reported to be a merchant. Minerva's brother, William Milton Kirkpatrick, is also listed in the same reference with Jesse. It is possible that Jesse and Minerva met through William.
We have no marriage date or place for Jesse and Minerva. Census records show that he held number of occupations: farmer, laborer and chairmaker. Minerva is listed as a housewife.
Land records show that Jesse and Minerva owned several parcels during their lifetimes. The first record of ownership was from Adams County, showing a sale of 80 acres described as the west half of the south east quarter of Section 28, Township 1 North, Range 7 West, to John M. Fawbush of Adams County, 24 September 1834 for $90. No purchase record has been found for this parcel. In December 1837, Jesse and Minerva purchased two parcels of land in Schuyler County from the United States Government, one of 80 acres for $100 and one of 40 acres for $50. Both of these parcels of land were sold in 1839 to David K. Ross, et al. David was Milton's nephew, the son of his sister Nancy. However, Jesse and Minerva must have regained title to these parcels as the records show that they were sold again in 1847. There is no record that Jesse and Minerva ever lived in Schuyler County. They purchased another 80 acre tract in Adams County in 1847, near Ursa for $200, from Jeremiah Selby. They sold this parcel on 28 July 1851 for $700 to Josiah Coleman of St Louis. Although records have not been found, it is believed that Jesse and Minerva owned one other parcel in Adams County, from information found in a journal entry written by America, their daughter.
"In the Spring after my sister died [believed to be Hester] my father became dissatisfied living in Ursa. We had so much sickness that he came to the conclusion that it was not a healthy place. He had relatives at Lima [who they were has not been established] and they insisted on his moving there. Ma was opposed to it. She would rather stay on a farm and not move to town. She said the money would never be put in another farm if we moved to Lima, and sure enough, it never was. We moved to Lima April 1, 1857."
Several glimpses of Minerva, the person, show up in other entries in America's journal. Minerva had high expectations and also held high moral standards. We'll let America tell the story:
"There was a dancing party that night at Mr. Barlow's [in Lima], and Frank Jacobs, a cousin of ours, came to our house and insisted on us going. We had never seen any dancing, and I was anxious to go. Frank kept on insisting; told Ma that we need not dance -- just go and look on. At last to please him, Ma gave up for me to go that night but not to make a practice of it. After we got there, there was not enough of girls for one set without one of us dancing, and Frank said it would be no harm -- that we must dance that night. I told him that I did not know how -- that I had never seen any, but he said he could take me through without any trouble. I tried it at last and had no trouble, but I felt like I was committing a great sin, for I knew that Ma did not approve of it. The next morning, Ma laughed and asked me how I liked dancing. I did not know what to say but studied a moment and told her the truth. I would not deceive her. She said she had not heard a word about me dancing but took that plan to find out. She did not scold me. She said she was glad that I told her the truth and would look over me that time."
In another journal entry, America told the story about the attention the 24-year-old school teacher was giving her and how uncomfortable it made her feel. You can see Minerva's response to the problem in the following entry:
"I became so disgusted with him that it was a burden for me to go to school. I would cry and beg Ma to let me stay home but she would not hear of it. She said that I was too young to think of quitting school; I was not sixteen yet. I would not tell her the reason that I did not want to go."
Religion was a big part of the lives of Jesse and Minerva. There are several entries in the journal that relate church activities both at the church and at many homes of the members of the congregation. These somewhat impromptu gatherings resulted in singing, prayers, Bible reading and meals.
Minerva is absent from the family listings in the 1880 census, and presumably had died before that date. Jesse, however, is shown living in the household of his son Francis in Lima Township. Jesse's obituary was published in the QUINCY DAILY WHIG of Sunday, 14 Jun 1885. Jesse died at the Lima home of his daughter America Tibbitts on 22 May 1885. The obituary further states that "he was a consistent member of the M.E. Church and in politics, he was an inflexible Republican." Jesse was also a member of the Masons, first in the Marcelline Lodge in 1855 and later, in 1871, in the Lima Lodge. He held the offices of Senior Steward and Tyler in the Lima Lodge. The obituary further states that Jesse "was buried with the ceremonies of the order." According to the Lima Lodge records, Jesse was buried in the Woodruff Cemetery, located 1/2 mile due east of Ursa. The Woodruff Cemetery is located on private land and is no longer used. Neither Jesse nor Minerva are listed in the county cemetery records. We can assume that she is probably also buried in the Woodruff Cemetery.
Some researchers believe that Jesse was a cousin of Minerva or at least a close relative. No one, however, has at this writing established any relationship between the Augusta County, Virginia family and the family described in this work.
The Quincy Whig, Quincy, Illinois, Saturday, September 10, 1870, Page 3: In Lima, Ills., August 16th, 1870, of typhoid fever, Mrs. Minerva J. Kirkpatrick, in the fifty-sixth year of her age.
Jesse Milton's family migrated from Virginia between 1815 and 1820 to the Hiawassa Purchase, a tract of land opened to settlement as a result of the 1817-1819 treaty with the Cherokee Indians. The land was located in Northern Georgia, Northern Alabama and Southeastern Tennessee. The family continued its migration through Kentucky, where Sarah died and then on to Morgan County, Illinois, where they stayed for the winter of 1827-1828 near Jacksonville. In 1828, Jesse was the first recorded member of his family to enter and live in Adams County, Illinois, in the township of Lima, where he was reported to be a merchant. Minerva's brother, William Milton Kirkpatrick, is also listed in the same reference with Jesse. It is possible that Jesse and Minerva met through William.
We have no marriage date or place for Jesse and Minerva. Census records show that he held number of occupations: farmer, laborer and chairmaker. Minerva is listed as a housewife.
Land records show that Jesse and Minerva owned several parcels during their lifetimes. The first record of ownership was from Adams County, showing a sale of 80 acres described as the west half of the south east quarter of Section 28, Township 1 North, Range 7 West, to John M. Fawbush of Adams County, 24 September 1834 for $90. No purchase record has been found for this parcel. In December 1837, Jesse and Minerva purchased two parcels of land in Schuyler County from the United States Government, one of 80 acres for $100 and one of 40 acres for $50. Both of these parcels of land were sold in 1839 to David K. Ross, et al. David was Milton's nephew, the son of his sister Nancy. However, Jesse and Minerva must have regained title to these parcels as the records show that they were sold again in 1847. There is no record that Jesse and Minerva ever lived in Schuyler County. They purchased another 80 acre tract in Adams County in 1847, near Ursa for $200, from Jeremiah Selby. They sold this parcel on 28 July 1851 for $700 to Josiah Coleman of St Louis. Although records have not been found, it is believed that Jesse and Minerva owned one other parcel in Adams County, from information found in a journal entry written by America, their daughter.
"In the Spring after my sister died [believed to be Hester] my father became dissatisfied living in Ursa. We had so much sickness that he came to the conclusion that it was not a healthy place. He had relatives at Lima [who they were has not been established] and they insisted on his moving there. Ma was opposed to it. She would rather stay on a farm and not move to town. She said the money would never be put in another farm if we moved to Lima, and sure enough, it never was. We moved to Lima April 1, 1857."
Several glimpses of Minerva, the person, show up in other entries in America's journal. Minerva had high expectations and also held high moral standards. We'll let America tell the story:
"There was a dancing party that night at Mr. Barlow's [in Lima], and Frank Jacobs, a cousin of ours, came to our house and insisted on us going. We had never seen any dancing, and I was anxious to go. Frank kept on insisting; told Ma that we need not dance -- just go and look on. At last to please him, Ma gave up for me to go that night but not to make a practice of it. After we got there, there was not enough of girls for one set without one of us dancing, and Frank said it would be no harm -- that we must dance that night. I told him that I did not know how -- that I had never seen any, but he said he could take me through without any trouble. I tried it at last and had no trouble, but I felt like I was committing a great sin, for I knew that Ma did not approve of it. The next morning, Ma laughed and asked me how I liked dancing. I did not know what to say but studied a moment and told her the truth. I would not deceive her. She said she had not heard a word about me dancing but took that plan to find out. She did not scold me. She said she was glad that I told her the truth and would look over me that time."
In another journal entry, America told the story about the attention the 24-year-old school teacher was giving her and how uncomfortable it made her feel. You can see Minerva's response to the problem in the following entry:
"I became so disgusted with him that it was a burden for me to go to school. I would cry and beg Ma to let me stay home but she would not hear of it. She said that I was too young to think of quitting school; I was not sixteen yet. I would not tell her the reason that I did not want to go."
Religion was a big part of the lives of Jesse and Minerva. There are several entries in the journal that relate church activities both at the church and at many homes of the members of the congregation. These somewhat impromptu gatherings resulted in singing, prayers, Bible reading and meals.
Minerva is absent from the family listings in the 1880 census, and presumably had died before that date. Jesse, however, is shown living in the household of his son Francis in Lima Township. Jesse's obituary was published in the QUINCY DAILY WHIG of Sunday, 14 Jun 1885. Jesse died at the Lima home of his daughter America Tibbitts on 22 May 1885. The obituary further states that "he was a consistent member of the M.E. Church and in politics, he was an inflexible Republican." Jesse was also a member of the Masons, first in the Marcelline Lodge in 1855 and later, in 1871, in the Lima Lodge. He held the offices of Senior Steward and Tyler in the Lima Lodge. The obituary further states that Jesse "was buried with the ceremonies of the order." According to the Lima Lodge records, Jesse was buried in the Woodruff Cemetery, located 1/2 mile due east of Ursa. The Woodruff Cemetery is located on private land and is no longer used. Neither Jesse nor Minerva are listed in the county cemetery records. We can assume that she is probably also buried in the Woodruff Cemetery.
Some researchers believe that Jesse was a cousin of Minerva or at least a close relative. No one, however, has at this writing established any relationship between the Augusta County, Virginia family and the family described in this work.
The Quincy Whig, Quincy, Illinois, Saturday, September 10, 1870, Page 3: In Lima, Ills., August 16th, 1870, of typhoid fever, Mrs. Minerva J. Kirkpatrick, in the fifty-sixth year of her age.
Events
| Birth | 1813 | Madison Co., Illinois |  | ||
| Marriage | Bef 1835 | Adams Co., Illinois - Jesse Milton Kirkpatrick | |||
| Death | 16 Aug 1870 | Lima, Adams Co., Illinois | | ||
| Burial | Not proven, Woodruff Cemetery, Ursa, Adams Co., Illinois | |
Families
| Spouse | Jesse Milton Kirkpatrick (1812 - 1885) |
| Child | Sarah Caroline Kirkpatrick (1835 - 1869) |
| Child | Hester A. Kirkpatrick (1837 - 1857) |
| Child | Nancy J. Kirkpatrick (1839 - ) |
| Child | America Amanda Kirkpatrick (1842 - 1920) |
| Child | Francis Augustine Kirkpatrick (1844 - 1914) |
| Child | Milton Orville Kirkpatrick (1846 - 1895) |
| Father | Francis Kirkpatrick (1772 - 1835) |
| Mother | Mary Gillham (1786 - ) |
| Sibling | Violet Kirkpatrick ( - ) |
| Sibling | Sarah Delinda Kirkpatrick (1808 - 1871) |
| Sibling | William Milton Kirkpatrick (1811 - 1878) |
| Sibling | Susannah Caroline Kirkpatrick (1815 - 1872) |
| Sibling | Mary W. "Polly" Kirkpatrick (1820 - ) |
| Sibling | Margaret D. Kirkpatrick (1820 - 1892) |
| Sibling | Marcus Kirkpatrick (1825 - ) |
Endnotes
1. A Kirkpatrick Genealogy; Melvin Kirkpatrick & David Hudson, 1995.
2. 1870 Census Adams Co., Illinois.
3. A Kirkpatrick Genealogy; Melvin Kirkpatrick & David Hudson, 1995.