Individual Details

In 1920, Etta listed her mother as born in Illinois! Or whoever talked to the census enumerator gave wrong information. That year Benjamin said she was born in Indiana. Belle, Emma, & Edwin all gave her place of birth as Ohio. Earlier censuses also say Ohio. 1880 gives father born in Indiana, mother born in Ohio.

In Robert T. Wishard's application for his Civil War Pension, Lavinia's name is spelled Kearney. Audrey White Haden, a granddaughter also spelled the name as Kearney. Laura Milton Wishard had listed two of the witnesses of their marriage as Mickle Carney (probably Michael) and Henrietta Mills. Seems a little strange that Henrietta would have written her maiden name, yet I believe she did. This family is being very elusive. Lavinia was born in Ohio, possibly Miami County from the Pension record, but more likely Butler County.

Butler Co OH records contain the marriage of Michael Carney to Henrietta Mills on the 7th day of March 1831. They were married by the Rev. Jacob Kemp. This date seems to be some 4 months after the birth of Lavinia. A Carney family researcher stated to me that Michael Carney was first married to Elizabeth Mills, an older sister of Henrietta. If this is true, than it is possible that Elizabeth was Lavinia's mother, not Henrietta, and Elizabeth died at the birth of Lavinia or soon thereafter, necessitating that Michael find a new wife to help care for an infant and his other small children. Butler Co personnel did not find the marriage record of Michael to Elizabeth. They did find in Marriage Book 1, p.99: 1818, July 3rd. Married on the 19th day of March 1818 by the Reverend Thomas Winters, Michael Karney to Eleanor Mills.

A Carney researcher I contacted [a descendant of Simeon] did not have much documentation for this family, but gave the following information. I have not yet confirmed any of this other than the marriages of Michael. Michael Carney was born 1785 in Maryland and died in Mar of 1871. He married first about 1805 to an unnamed wife and had a son Eli. He married 2nd on 19 Mar 1818 in Butler Co OH to Elizabeth Mills and had a daughter Elizabeth, born at 1820, a son Simeon born 1 Sep 1828, and Lavinia in 1830. [There were possibly other children given the eight year age gap between Elizabeth and Simeon.] Then Michael married Henrietta Mills and had a son John born abt 1832, daughters Mary Ann and Rachel and then twin daughters Malissa and Minerva born in 1844. The twins may have died as infants (they are in the 1850 census - see notes for Michael)


Here is more about Michael Carney:

Michael Karney to Eleanor Mills, 19 Mar 1818 - married by the Rev. Thomas Winters. Son Simeon, b. 1828, and possibly Lavinia, b. 1830, were born to Eleanor. Likely there were other children born before Simeon.

only a single Carney found in Madison, Butler Co OH in 1830
John Carney: 2m under 5, 1m 30-40. 2f -5, 1f 5-10, 1f 20-30.
There were several Mills families in Madison.

Michael Carney & Henrietta Mills were married, 7 Mar 1831, by the Reverend Jacob Kemp. [According to a Carney researcher, Michael was first married to Elizabeth Mills - Elizabeth would have been Lavinia's mother unless there is an error in dates. Possibly Elizabeth died in childbirth, leaving Michael with a tiny baby to raise, in which case he would have remarried as soon as possible. Marriage records from Butler Co OH indicate that Michael was first married to Eleanor Mills.]
Children I believe born to Michael & Henrietta: John - 1832, Rachel - 1835, Julia - 1840, twins Minerva and Melissa - 1844.

1840 Census. Madison Twp, Butler Co Ohio.
No Michael Carney/Kearney found, but I suspect this is he:
Michael Kenny: 1m 5-10, 2m 10-15, 1m 15-20, 1m 40-50 [Michael]
2f -5, 1f 5-10, 2f 10-15 [Lavinia could have been one of these], 1f 15-20, 1f 20-30, 1f 30-40 [Henrietta]

1850 Census. Madison, Butler Co Ohio, Hh 312
Michael Kearney, age 53, b. Maryland.
Henrietta, age 44, b. Ohio
Children all born in Ohio: Lavina, age 20. John age 18. Rachel age 15. Julia A. age 10. Minerva and Malisa, age 6.
Jacob Stimp, laborer, age 38, b. Ohio, was also counted with the family.

1860 Census. Flatrock, Bartholemew Co, Indiana. Family 406
Michael Carney, age 65, b. Maryland. Henrietta, age 56, b. Ohio.
Minerva, age 16, b. Ohio.
James Campbell, age 3, b. Indiana.
Family 404 is that of Simeon Carney, age 31, b. Ohio. Sarah, 27, b. IN
Children born in Indiana: James W. 6, Charlotte A. 3, Amy J. age 5/12
in
Washington Twp, Shelby Co IN, Family 907 is
Edmond A. Lewis, age 24, b. IN. Julia A. age 21, b. Ohio
John, 8 months, b. IN.
They had a Chambers family living with them - a lady and several children.
Harrison St. John, age 24, medical student, also lived with them.

I found Francis M. St. John in Curry Twp, Sullivan Co IN, in 1860. No spouse listed with him. He was age 25, b. Indiana. He had a child Frances, age 7, a girl, and Mathew, age 8 months.

1870 Census. Flatrock, Bartholemew Co, IN, Hh 11
Simeon Carney, age 42, b. Ohio. Sarah, age 38, b. Indiana.
James W. 17, Charlotte 13, Ame E. 10, Francis F. (male) age 5.
Barbara Dickman, domestic servant, age 21, b. PA
Jonathan Cole, farm labor, age 28, b. Ohio
Michael Carney, age 75, b. Maryland.


Some Carney Marriages in Shelby Co IN:
Nancy Carney to William B. Cremens 26 Sep 1839
Joshua Carney to Matilda Nigh 23 Sep 1847
Thomas Carney to Phebe Eliz. Baxter 25 Dec 1852
Simeon Carney to Sarah Collett 6 Jan 1853 [Alfred Phelps, same minister that married Lavinia & Robert T. Wishard]
Eleanor Carney to Jacob Moore 25 Sep 1853
Oliver Carney to Juliet Martha St. John 9 Oct 1853 [Alfred Phelps]
Amanda J. Carney to David Ulrey 1 Dec 1855
John Carney to Susanna Fix 13 Jan 1856
Rachel Carney to Francis M. St. John 20 Jan 1856
Julia Ann Carney to Edmond A. Lewis 20 Jan 1856

Birth	17 Nov 1830	Ohio
Marriage	16 Oct 1853	Shelby County, Indiana - ROBERT THOMAS WISHARD
Death	20 Sep 1904	Ladonia, Fannin County, Texas
Burial		Oak Ridge Cemetery, Fannin County, Texas

Spouse	ROBERT THOMAS WISHARD (1829 - 1907)
Child	Martha Belle Zora Wishard (1854 - 1944)
Child	John Freemont Wishard (1856 - 1892)
Child	Edwin Thomas Wishard (1859 - 1929)
Child	Emmazetta "Emma" Wishard (1861 - 1943)
Child	HENRIETTA "ETTA" WISHARD (1861 - 1956)
Child	James Wishard (1865 - 1865)
Child	Samuel Wishard (1865 - 1865)
Child	Benjamin Franklin Wishard (1869 - 1939)
Child	Arthur Abram Wishard (1873 - 1927)

Father	MICHAEL CARNEY (1795 - 1870)
Mother	Eleanor Mills ( - 1831)
Sibling	Elizabeth Carney (1820 - 1906)
Sibling	Ezra Kearney (1821 - 1905)
Sibling	Martha Ann Carney (1823 - 1886)
Sibling	Mary Ann Carney (1825 - )
Sibling	Oliver Carney (1827 - )
Sibling	Simeon CARNEY (1828 - 1895)