John Cooley, Sr
Birth 1784
Montgomery County, Virginia, USA
Death Jan 1845 (aged 60–61)
Kankakee, La Porte County, Indiana, USA
Burial
Rolling Prairie Cemetery
Rolling Prairie, La Porte County, Indiana, USA
John was the son of Thaddeus and Elizabeth Cooley from Wythe County, Virginia. John married Martha Snodgrass c1808 in Christiansburg, Montgomery, VA.
About 1823, John and Martha crossed the Cumberland Gap from Virginia into Kentucky, then northwards into Fayette County, Indiana. John lived in Orange Township, and donated land to a local school in Orange. In 1837, John purchased 200 acres of land in La Porte County, in Kankakee Twp.
In September 1843, John wrote his Last Will, which was probated in Feb 1845 in La Porte County, where he list his wife, sons John W and Joseph, and daughters Polly Williams, Jane McCormick, and Martha. He also lists Margaret Snodgrass, his niece, who was raised by John and Martha.
John is presumed to be buried in Rolling Prairie, along with his wife Martha and other relatives. Rolling Prairie Cemetery has been active since 1835.
The children of John and Martha Cooley:
Mary 'Polly' Cooley, 1810 – 1870, m. James Williams
Jane W Cooley, 1813 – bef 1850, m. William McCormack
John Wesley Cooley Jr, 1818 – 1866, m. Sarah Albright
Joseph Stewart Cooley, 1824 – 1898, m. Hannah Azuba Outcelt
Martha Ann Cooley, 1827 – 1896, m. Enoch Preston
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103441285/john-cooley
