Individual Details

This man gave his name as Elphena, not Elpenor.
Some databases say that Elphenor died about 1852 in Montana - this is obviously wrong. He died after the 1880 census. Did he even die in Montana as reported?

Wife said to be Elvira E. Thompson

1856 Iowa State Census. Liberty, Buchanan Co., Hh 3
Living in the household of F. M. Lewis - E. A. Alexander, age 23, b. Ohio, Merchant

1860 Census. Liberty Township, Buchanan County, Iowa, P.O. Quasgluton, Hh 309
Elphena A. Alexander, age 26, b. Ohio
Alvira, age 25, b. New York.

Civil War Draft Registration, Iowa, June 1863
Liberty, Buchanan Co. Alexander, E. A., age 29, farmer, married, b. Ohio

1870 Census. Independence Ward 1, Buchanan Co, Iowa, Hh 152
Elphena A. Alexander, age 36, clerk, b. Ohio
Viva C. age 35, b. NY
Virginia K. age 10, b. Iowa
Jessie, age 8 [female], b. Iowa

1880 Census. Independence, 4th Ward, Buchanan Co, Iowa, Hh 287 [Hotel]
E. A. Alexander, age 45, Agent, b. VA, father b. MD, mother b. Ohio
Viva, age 42, b. NY, parents b. NY
Jessie, age 18, b. Iowa

In 1900, in Washington, D. C., I found Viva C. Alexander living with her sister Julia Thayer. She was born Apr 1836, age 63, a widow who had had two children. She was born New York, as were their parents. Also in the household was a son, Alexis A., born May 1872, age 28, a clerk in a shoe store - although he is listed after Viva, I expect he was a Thayer, not an Alexander. Margaret Branson, a servant, age 17, also lived in the household.

Birth	1834
Death		Miles City, Custer County, Montana

Father	Peter Alexander (1804 - 1862)
Mother	Catherine Mitchell (1809 - 1885)
Sibling	Albert James Alexander (1832 - 1839)
Sibling	Ross Wilson Alexander (1835 - 1839)
Sibling	Josephine Catherine Alexander (1837 - 1852)
Sibling	Elvira Isabella Alexander (1839 - 1920)
Sibling	Lorinda Adelade Alexander (1840 - 1911)
Sibling	James Wilson Alexander (1844 - 1914)
Sibling	Martha Melissa Alexander (1847 - 1919)
Sibling	Mary Sanders Alexander (1849 - )