Individual Details

1820 Madison Co KY Census, p.134:
Ross Asbell, 1m 16-26; 2f -10; 1f 26-45.

1840 Census. Goshen, Macon Co, MO,
Ross Azbell: 2m 5-10, 2m 15-20, 1m 40-50. 1f 5-10, 1f 15-20, 1f 20-30, 1f 40-50

1850 Census. Dodge Co, MO, Hh 3
Ross Asbill, 48, b. NC
Margaret J., 24, b. IN (Jaley?)
John 16, b. KY
Thomas, 16, b. KY
Mahalia, 18, b. KY
Joseph W., age 2, also dittoed as b. KY, but I doubt that he was

In Crawford Co AR in 1860, there is a family that is very confusing. Ross Asbill is listed as age 40 [he would instead be almost 70]. There is no mistaking this number. He was born in KY. His spouse is Margret, age 30, b. in Ohio. There is a strange mix of children. James age 17, b. Ohio [too old to be a child of Margret's unless she fudged a bit on her age], Lewis age 11, b. Ohio, George age 6, b. MO, Mary age 10, b. MO [out of order, but placing the family in Missouri in 1850], and Lydia J. age 2, born in Arkansas. Various Asbell researchers have given Ross four marriages including the last to Margaret Dresler Wyse in 1857 in Putnam Co MO - I have no information as to her age or origins. There is no mention of Ross Asbell having lived in Ohio. The child Mary does match with a known child, Mary Frances born in 1850, to Ross and his 3rd wife Elizabeth Cornelius, who he's said to have married in 1849. She's the only child presented for Elizabeth so that does not explain George age 6, born in 1854. Then the 2nd wife, Patsy, surname unknown, is thought to have died at the birth of twins in 1832. This doesn't leave a mother for James age 17 [b. 1843] and Lewis age 11 [b.1849] Asbell researchers do say that James, Lewis & George were stepsons and the enumerator failed to note the correct surname.

Del Asbill sent a probable time line for the life of Ross Asbell.
1816 - he married Elizabeth Becknell in Madison Co KY and had the following children: Orvella, an unkown daughter, Charles W., Alexander, William and Jaley. After Elizabeth died, the young child Jaley lived with the Thomas Wood family.
1828 - Ross' father, William died and he took his Cherokee mother, Narnee, to the old Cherokee Nation in Oklahoms. He may have taken a second wife, Patsy, while there. [She is thought to have been perhaps Cherokee]. Daughter Mahla, and twin sons, Thomas & John were born. The family moved to Macon Co MO where Patsy died.
1844 - Ross & his cousins Tyre & John Asbell went to Oregon and California
1849 - Ross returned to Putnam Co MO and married Elizabeth Cornelius in Atchison Co MO. They had a daughter, Mary Frances. Elizabeth died and Mary Frances was taken to live with Elizabeth's family.
1851 - Ross returned again to California, but came back to Missouri 1855-57. He married Mrs. Margaret Dressler Wyse and had a daughter, Lydia.
1858 - Ross and blended family moved to Crawford Co AR where many members of the Asbell, Wood, & extended families had gone. He is there in Jasper Twp on the 1860 census with his age given as 40 - he was more likely 70.
1864-5 Ross Asbell died in Ft. Scott, KA. He had to leave Arkansas after killing bushwackers who had ambushed the husband of his daughter Mary Frances Asbill Greathouse.

Birth	Abt 1792	Hangingdog, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina
Marriage	27 Dec 1816	Madison County, Kentucky - Elizabeth Becknell
Marriage	Abt 1825	Kentucky - Patsy [ASBELL]
Marriage	Abt 1849	Missouri - Elizabeth Cornelius
Marriage	11 Oct 1857	Putnam County, Missouri - Margaret DRESLER Wyse
Death	Abt 1864	Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas

Spouse	Elizabeth Becknell ( - 1824)
Child	Orvella "Arvalee" Asbell (1818 - 1877)
Child	Daughter Asbell (1820 - )
Child	Charles Asbell (1821 - 1909)
Child	Alexander Asbell (1823 - )
Child	William Asbell (1824 - )

Spouse	Patsy [ASBELL] ( - 1832)
Child	Jaley Asbell (1826 - 1893)
Child	Mahala Jean Asbell (1830 - 1880)
Child	Thomas Asbill (1832 - 1862)
Child	John D. "Black John" Asbell (1832 - 1876)

Spouse	Elizabeth Cornelius ( - 1850)
Child	Mary Frances Asbell (1850 - )

Spouse	Margaret DRESLER Wyse ( - )
Child	Lydia Asbell (1858 - )

Father	William Asbill (1760 - )
Mother	Elizabeth "Nar-nee" Ross (1770 - 1851)
Sibling	Mary Nancy Asbell (1787 - 1869)
Sibling	William "Old Billy" Asbell Jr. (1788 - 1873)
Sibling	Joseph Asbell (1789 - 1872)
Sibling	John Asbell (1790 - 1864)
Sibling	Lydia Asbell (1804 - 1882)
Sibling	Elizabeth "Betsy" Asbell (1808 - 1890)
Sibling	Sarah "Sally" Asbell (1811 - 1880)

Notes