Elender “Ellen” Gragg Crabtree
BIRTH 29 Jun 1818
Greene County, Tennessee, USA
DEATH 5 Jan 1896 (aged 77)
Cherokee County, Kansas, USA
BURIAL Fairview Cemetery
Melrose, Cherokee County, Kansas, USA
Elender was married (1) to George Cowen/Cowan, (2) to James Roberts, (3) to Unknown Crabtree*. Elender was the mother of nine children and she raised the children of her daughter, Sarah Jane Roberts Turney.
Inscription
As I am now, so
you must be.
Remember this,
and follow me.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22677054/elender_crabtree
* Note: Many researchers have mistakenly stated this man's name was Job Crabtree because of a 1857 Kansas Territory voting census. There was a Job Crabtree mentioned and near his name Ellen Crabtree's name was mentioned. But the record clearly states she was a non voting "Head of Household." So I believe she was a widow when this census was taken. The Job Crabtree mentioned was the young man who married her daughter Mary Elizabeth Cowan on Nov. 8, 1860. They already had a daughter Lavina "Ellen" Crabree who was born in 1859. Many have mistakenly stated that this Lavina Crabtree was the daughter of Job Crabtree and Elender Gragg. I can prove this is an research error based on probate records and Civil War pension records. Lavina was clearly the daughter of Job Crabtree and Mary Cowan. This Job Crabtree died at Fort Scott on Dec 11, 1861. He wasn't the husband of Elender Gragg. He was her son in law and possibly related to her unknown Crabtree husband.
The only child known to be born between this unknown Crabtree and Elender was Robert M. Crabtree who was born in Linn County on Oct 9, 1857. I believe this unknown Crabtree was still living in January of 1857 but must have died sometime before Kansas voting census was enumerated in Feb of 1857.
There seems to be at least one more son belonging to this unknown Crabtree and another wife before he married Elender. James A. Crabtree was born March 28, 1853 at Butler, Bates County, Missouri. I can't find James in the 1860 census but he was listed living with another family in the 1865 Kansas State Census. He was living with other members of this same family in the 1870 census. And he was living with another member of the same family in the 1875 Kansas State Census. So it is believed that he was orphaned as child. There seems to be evidence that he was the son of this unknown Crabtree and a half brother to Robert M. Crabtree, the son of this unknown Crabtree and Elender. Census records indicate that James Crabtree's father was also born in Virginia. There are a couple of newspaper articles that refer to James Crabtree going to Miami, Oklahoma to visit his brother. The brother was unnamed in the articles but Robert M. Crabtree was in the Miami area during this time. So it is very possible James Crabtree was visiting his half brother Robert Crabtree.
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243209599/unknown_crabtree
