Individual Details
Edward A. Tucker
(8 Oct 1851 - 9 May 1933)
Edward Tucker 30 October 2008
From newspaper obituary of Edward's death:
Edward A. Tucker was born on a farm in Johnson County, Indiana on Oct. 8, 1851. When he was a baby the family moved to Rush County in that state. In the spring of 1852, they moved to Franklin County, Indiana, where they purchased a farm. In 1868, they located in Starke County, Indiana, where on July 4, 1874, Mr. Tucker was united in marriage to Eliza Nelson of the county. Three years later, the young couple moved to Illinois and located in Woodford County, which had been since their home. They lived on various farms and for a time resided in Minonk. Mrs. Tucker died on Dec. 4, 1931, and since that time Mr. Tucker had lived with his children.
When a young boy, O.A. Tucker came with his parents from N. Judson, Indiana to a farm in the Yankeetown vicinity, Woodford, Co., Illinois, where he attended the rural schools. Additional Note: I had never heard of Yankeetown, even growing up in this area, so I checked it out. I found a 1895 Woodford County map which clearly shows Yankeetown, approximately 4 miles due West of Minonk, and approx. 4 miles North of Benson. At the time, Yankeetown had a post office, but no railroad, as Benson and Minonk had. The lack of a railroad is likely the reason Yankeetown did not survive. By 1949, a Woodford County plat map shows the area that was once Yankeetown as privately owned farmland.
Ok, so we know that Edward moved to Illinois in 1877, I went through census data to track his movements, and it seems he moved about a bit. Here's what I found.
1880 census: Edward & Eliza with children Oliver and May are found in Magnolia Township, Putnam County, Illinois. Occupation: laborer. I guess this was their first stop in Illinois, north of Woodford County.
1890 census is unavailable, as it was destroyed in a fire.
1900 census: Now Edward and Eliza, with five children are in Clayton Township, Woodford County. Occupation: farmer. Clayton Township is directly west of Minonk Township, and includes Benson and what would have been Yankeetown. So this fits what I had on him farming west of Minonk near Yankeetown.
1910 census: Now I find Edward, with Eliza and Walter, farming in La Prairie Township, Marshall County, Illinois. In 1910, O.A. Tucker is farming in Minonk Township, Woodford County. I found in Mom's notes that O.A. moved to the Dana farm on March 1, 1910. P.A. Martin bought the farm on July 14, 1909 from Jotham's estate However, looking at my records, I show all of O.A.'s children that were born between 1903 and 1909 as being born in Clayton Township. From 1912 to 1924, they were born in Minonk Township. So, it may be that Edward left Clayton Township when O.A. got married in 1902 and O.A. took over that farm until moving to the Dana farm in 1910 This is just a guess, but Edward moved for some reason. It dawned on me that there may have been other family in Marshall County. Well, listed on the same census page as Edward, with just one household separating them is Roy and Leona Safford, Edward's daughter. Roy is listed as a farmer. Also in Marshall County in 1910, but in Bell Plain Township are Charles and Maggie Antrium, his other daughter. LaPrairie Township and Bell Plain Township are on opposite ends of the county, separated by the Illinois River, so the two daughters did not live very close to each other.
1920 census: In 1920 Edward and Eliza are still in Marshall County. Edward is listed as E. A. in this census. Walter, along with his new wife Margarite are living in the same household as Edward and Eliza. Edward is listed as retired farmer and Walter is listed as farmer, so it seems that Walter has taken over the Marshall County farm from Edward.
1930 census: Now Edward and Elisa are listed as living in the city of Minonk with no occupations. This is the last census either would appear in.
Both Edward and Eliza died in Varna, Marshall County, Illinois. Their daughter, Maggie Mae who married Charles Antrium is living in Varna in the 1930 census, so this explains why they may have been there at the time of their deaths.
Religion: Methodist
From newspaper obituary of Edward's death:
Edward A. Tucker was born on a farm in Johnson County, Indiana on Oct. 8, 1851. When he was a baby the family moved to Rush County in that state. In the spring of 1852, they moved to Franklin County, Indiana, where they purchased a farm. In 1868, they located in Starke County, Indiana, where on July 4, 1874, Mr. Tucker was united in marriage to Eliza Nelson of the county. Three years later, the young couple moved to Illinois and located in Woodford County, which had been since their home. They lived on various farms and for a time resided in Minonk. Mrs. Tucker died on Dec. 4, 1931, and since that time Mr. Tucker had lived with his children.
When a young boy, O.A. Tucker came with his parents from N. Judson, Indiana to a farm in the Yankeetown vicinity, Woodford, Co., Illinois, where he attended the rural schools. Additional Note: I had never heard of Yankeetown, even growing up in this area, so I checked it out. I found a 1895 Woodford County map which clearly shows Yankeetown, approximately 4 miles due West of Minonk, and approx. 4 miles North of Benson. At the time, Yankeetown had a post office, but no railroad, as Benson and Minonk had. The lack of a railroad is likely the reason Yankeetown did not survive. By 1949, a Woodford County plat map shows the area that was once Yankeetown as privately owned farmland.
Ok, so we know that Edward moved to Illinois in 1877, I went through census data to track his movements, and it seems he moved about a bit. Here's what I found.
1880 census: Edward & Eliza with children Oliver and May are found in Magnolia Township, Putnam County, Illinois. Occupation: laborer. I guess this was their first stop in Illinois, north of Woodford County.
1890 census is unavailable, as it was destroyed in a fire.
1900 census: Now Edward and Eliza, with five children are in Clayton Township, Woodford County. Occupation: farmer. Clayton Township is directly west of Minonk Township, and includes Benson and what would have been Yankeetown. So this fits what I had on him farming west of Minonk near Yankeetown.
1910 census: Now I find Edward, with Eliza and Walter, farming in La Prairie Township, Marshall County, Illinois. In 1910, O.A. Tucker is farming in Minonk Township, Woodford County. I found in Mom's notes that O.A. moved to the Dana farm on March 1, 1910. P.A. Martin bought the farm on July 14, 1909 from Jotham's estate However, looking at my records, I show all of O.A.'s children that were born between 1903 and 1909 as being born in Clayton Township. From 1912 to 1924, they were born in Minonk Township. So, it may be that Edward left Clayton Township when O.A. got married in 1902 and O.A. took over that farm until moving to the Dana farm in 1910 This is just a guess, but Edward moved for some reason. It dawned on me that there may have been other family in Marshall County. Well, listed on the same census page as Edward, with just one household separating them is Roy and Leona Safford, Edward's daughter. Roy is listed as a farmer. Also in Marshall County in 1910, but in Bell Plain Township are Charles and Maggie Antrium, his other daughter. LaPrairie Township and Bell Plain Township are on opposite ends of the county, separated by the Illinois River, so the two daughters did not live very close to each other.
1920 census: In 1920 Edward and Eliza are still in Marshall County. Edward is listed as E. A. in this census. Walter, along with his new wife Margarite are living in the same household as Edward and Eliza. Edward is listed as retired farmer and Walter is listed as farmer, so it seems that Walter has taken over the Marshall County farm from Edward.
1930 census: Now Edward and Elisa are listed as living in the city of Minonk with no occupations. This is the last census either would appear in.
Both Edward and Eliza died in Varna, Marshall County, Illinois. Their daughter, Maggie Mae who married Charles Antrium is living in Varna in the 1930 census, so this explains why they may have been there at the time of their deaths.
Religion: Methodist
Events
| Birth | 8 Oct 1851 | Franklin Twp., Johnson Co., Indiana |  | ||
| Census (family)-shared | 1860 | (Samuel Tucker and Jane Speer) Franklin Co., Indiana | |||
| Census (family)-shared | 1870 | (Samuel Tucker and Jane Speer) Starke Co., Indiana | |||
| Marriage | 4 Jul 1874 | North Judson, Starke Co., Indiana - Eliza Ellen Nelson | | ||
| Census (family) | 1880 | Putnam Co., Illinois - Eliza Ellen Nelson | |||
| Census (family) | 1900 | Woodford Co., Illinois - Eliza Ellen Nelson | |||
| Census (family) | 1910 | Marshall Co., Illinois - Eliza Ellen Nelson | |||
| Census (family) | 1920 | Marshall Co., Illinois - Eliza Ellen Nelson | |||
| Census (family) | 1930 | Woodford Co., Illinois - Eliza Ellen Nelson | |||
| Death | 9 May 1933 | Varna, Marshall Co., Illinois | | ||
| Burial | 11 May 1933 | Minonk Township cemetery, Minonk, Woodford Co., Illinois |  | |
Families
| Spouse | Eliza Ellen Nelson (1851 - 1931) |
| Child | Oliver Ashmer Tucker (1875 - 1952) |
| Child | Maggie Mae Tucker (1878 - 1957) |
| Child | Bessie Tucker (1882 - 1882) |
| Child | Leona Belle Tucker (1884 - 1944) |
| Child | Frances Minerva Tucker (1890 - 1972) |
| Child | Walter Lloyd Tucker (1893 - 1958) |
| Father | Samuel Tucker (1824 - 1872) |
| Mother | Jane Speer (1815 - 1910) |
| Sibling | John W. Tucker (1849 - 1928) |
| Sibling | Minerva Tucker (1855 - 1871) |
Notes
Burial
Photo of tombstone in my files.Endnotes
1. death certificate.
2. Newspaper article on 50th anniversary.
3. marriage certificate.
4. , Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 on Ancestry (N.p.: n.p., n.d.).
5. death certificate.
6. death certificate.