Family:Abraham Feaster and Alice Keplinger (2)

Parents: John Feaster and Mary Seiver Abraham Lincoln Feaster b. 27 Jun 1864 Petersburg, Grant, West Virginia d. 12 Apr 1956

Parents: John Keplinger and Dormacelia Keplinger Alice T Keplinger b. 25 Aug 1870 Grant, West Virginia d. 7 Nov 1933 Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana

m. 15 Nov 1893 Maysville, Grant, West Virginia

ABRAHAM LINCOLN FEASTER was the youngest of 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls. The events of the Civil War were very important at the time his birth. Several counties in western Virginia had seceded from that state to become West Virginia and stay in the Union, including Grant County where Abraham was born. Abraham’s parents made their sympathies quite clear with the name they gave their son, yet there were family members in nearby counties that remained in Virginia and were part of the Confederacy.

Abraham’s first wife Margaret died tragically young, just five years after they were married when she was only 23. 29 year old Abraham was a widower with three children under the age of five. By the end of the year he second married ALICE T KEPLINGER, daughter of JOHN KEPLINGER (1841-1919) and DORMACELIA KEPLINGER (~1851-1918), in Maysville, Grant Co WV. It is interesting to note that Alice’s parents were indeed both named Keplinger. There were numerous Keplingers in the Hardy County area so they were almost certainly distant cousins. There was a lot of intermarriage between the families in the area. In fact Alice and Abraham were also distantly related. They were both descendants of Henry Feaster. Alice is the great-granddaughter of his daughter Catherine with his third wife Mary Cornell. Abraham’s grandfather was his son John Henry II with his first wife Susanna.

At some point in the next seven years Abraham and Alice moved from West Virginia to Indiana where they raised their family and would live the rest of their lives. The 1900 census show them living in Sugar Creek, Montgomery county, Indiana. They must have moved soon after to Lafayette because their children were born there.
There is some confusion in the 1900 census and 1910 censuses. Daughter Lucy is missing and son Edgar is listed as a daughter named Edna. In 1900 Alice is listed as the mother of 5 two surviving, in 1910 she is listed as the mother of 7, three surviving. Alice was step-mother to three children and mother to three more. The most likely explanation is that she lost one child before her three were born.

From 1902 on things did go well in Indiana until 1918 when Edgar died. He died a month before the end of WWI so it is possible he was killed in the war, but a search of one casualty database came up empty. It is not currently known how Edgar died. Eight years later 1926 Abraham and Alice lost another young son, when 24 year old Hobert died of Hodgins disease.

Alice died seven years after Hoberts death. She died in 1933 at the age of 63. Abraham eventually remarried. Seventy year old Abraham married his third wife Anna Maus seven years later in 1940. Anna died at 81 in 1952. Abraham died in 1956 at the age of 91, having outlived three wives. Abraham Lincoln died on 12 Apr 1956, he was 91. His life spanned the period from the Civil War, through both world wars, the depression, and ended just after the Korean War. He was buried in Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co, IN. Religion: United Brethren.

• One of the jobs Abraham Feaster held was delivering ice for ice boxes in residences.
• Son Herman Feaster ran a Standard Oil station while he was working Alcoa. Grandson Jack worked there for Frank Elsberry. When Frank died of cancer, Herman bought the station. Jack continued working there and A.L. would come over and visit because he lived a block away. They were working there on V.J. day. Gas rationing was in effect. People drove in claiming gas rationing was over. They were tired of 4 gallons a week. They wanted their cars filled up. If they handed over all of their ration stamps they got a fill-up. They pumped so much gasoline that day that they had to shut down for half an hour to let the pumps cool off.
• Clarence Feaster was well-to-do and lived in Columbus Ohio. Clarence’s nephew Jack Feaster met him for the first time when he visited him with his (Jack’s) father (Herman) the year after his mother (Mildred) died (1957). They continued on to White Plains, New York and visited Lucy.
• Raymond owned and operated the grocery store “Feasters Finer Foods” in Lafayette. Nephew Jack Feaster could always count on him for a job during Christmas vacation.

Lois Feaster Christening

Abe Feaster Children

Abe Feaster Children

Young Ray & Herman Feaster

1. ↑ Larry Veach. Feaster GED Veach. (Larry Veach, March 2000).
2. ↑ Nancy Feaster. Feaster GED Nancy Feaster. (GED File, Received December 14, 2005).
3. ↑ 1920 US Federal Population Census: 3 Wd Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
   
4. ↑ 1930 US Federal Population Census: Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
   
5. ↑ 1910 US Federal Population Census: 3 Wd Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana
   1920.
   
6. ↑ United States. Census Office. 12th census, 1900. Indiana, 1900 federal census : soundex and population schedules. (Washington, District of Columbia: The National Archives, 19--?)
   1900.

   Sugar Creek, Montgomery, Indiana;
   Roll: T623_394; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 108.
   Abraham Feaster Entry

   In the 1900 census daughter Lucy is missing and son Edgar is listed as daughter Edna. It appears that Lucy and Edgar got mixed together.