Person:John Stockwell (2)

Wilma J. Perin and Nancy A. Miller orphaned at age 14. He was the fifth child born and the only boy. In 1840 John was sent to Williams Co., Ohio, perhaps the town was Edon, to live with one of his sisters, Elizabeth, and her husband on their farm after his father died. He was 9 years old.

John and Lydia moved to Richland Twp. in Steuben Co., Indiana after the birth of their first child. They moved to Michigan before their 4th child, Rachel, was born.

Wilma J. Perin and Nancy A. Miller have that he was 5'9" tall, Brown eyes, Brown hair and fair skin. John enlisted in the army August 25, 1861 at Stryker, Williams County, Ohio 38th Ohio Infantry, Co. C, for a 3 year term. On Oct. 5, 1861 his company was at Nicholasville, Jessamine Co., KY.

   On Feb. 7, 1862 at Millsprings, Wayne Co., KY, they forded an icy stream, his clothing could stand up by themselves.  He and his fellows had no protection from the wintery weather, and their diet was very poor.  They were out doors for a week.  As a result, he developed dysentery.  Orra H. Palmer (probably a relative to Lydia) and Amos Meyers, probably also a relative, who lived in Edon, Williams Co., Ohio, fought with John in the same Company.  They also became sick. (They later declared in a statement that John was a stout, healthy young man before he developed dysentery.)  His Company moved to Somerset, Pulaski Co., KY.  John was sent to a hospital there and at Lebanon, Wilson Co., TN from February 1862.  When the company moved to Clifton, Wayne Co., TN.  May 12, 1862, he was treated at General Headquarters Camp Dennison.  Dennison, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.  He was discharged on June 18, 1862 at Camp Chase near Columbus, Ohio, but was hospitalized until October 1862.
  John returned to his home in Michigan they moved to Southern Michigan, where Henry was born.
  John seemed to have recovered enough, and felt he should again serve his country, he re-enlisted into the 11th Michigan Volunteers for a 1 year period Feb. 14, 1864 at Bronson, Branch Co., Michigan into co. B.  He was 34 years old.  He served until the end of the war.

1860 Steuben County, Indiana Census p. 457 Jno. W. Stockwell 30 M Farmer NY Lydia 27 F Housewife NY Caroline 6 F OH Eunice 3 F Ind Reuben 1 M Ind

1870 Branch County, Michigan Census (Living right next door to Orsamus Palmer who is Lydia's brother and whose wife Elizabeth is John Stockwell's sister) John H. Stockwell 39 M Farmer NY Lydia P. 38 F Keeping House NY Caroline E. 17 F At home OH Eunice 13 F At home IN Reuben 11 M At school IN Rachel 9 F IN Ellsworth 5 M MI Charley 3 M MI Mary 2 F MI

1880 Rush County, Kansas Census p. 536D John H. Stockwell 49 M Farmer NY Con Con Lydia 48 F Housewife NY NY NY John R. 21 M Farmer IN NY NY Henry E. 16 M MI NY NY Charles C. 14 M MI NY NY Mary C. 11 F MI NY NY B.D. 8 M MI NY NY

From A Biographical History of Central Kansas, Vol. I, p. 90 published by The Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago & New York, 1902 found at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/rice/biostockwelljohnh.htm

JOHN H. STOCKWELL

  John H Stockwell, who has passed the seventieth milestone on the journey of life, is now an honored and respected resident of Rice county, Kansas.  A native of the Empire state, he was born in Chenango county, August 24, 1830, a son of Reuben Stockwell, who was born in Connecticut.  He died when our subject was but sixteen months old, and his wife, who was in her maidenhood a Miss Doran, was again married, and her death occurred in 1844.

  John H Stockwell, the subject of this review, was reared on his brother-in-law’s farm in Ohio from the age of ten years.  In the autumn of 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of the Third Ohio Infantry, in which he served for three years, when he was discharged on account of disability.  After regaining his health he re-enlisted for service, in 1865, entering the Eleventh Michigan Infantry, in which he remained until the close of hostilities.  He was a brave and gallant soldier, and his war record is one of which he has every reason to be proud.  In 1853 Mr Stockwell was married, and later, in 1864, he located with his family in southern Michigan.  In 1878 he took up his abode in Rush county, Kansas, where he remained for five years, and then located in Rice county.  After spending a few months in that locality they came to the city of Sterling, where he has since made his home.  Fourteen years ago, on the 9th of September, 1886, he was stricken with paralysis, and this caused him to lose his hearing and his speech, but since that time he has been free from chronic diarrhea, with which he was troubled for years.  His illness has been a long and terrible affliction to him and to his faithful wife, who has been closely confined to his care for the past fourteen years.  They have learned the mute language and are now able to converse rapidly and intelligently.  He is also unable to walk and has to be assisted from his bed to a locomotive chair, in which he wheels himself about the house and on the streets.  He now receives a pension of seventy-two dollars a month.

  In Williams county, Ohio, on the 2nd of January, 1853, Mr Stockwell was united in marriage with Miss Lydia P Palmer, who was born in Jefferson county, New York.  By the death of her mother she was left an orphan at the early age of fourteen years, and from that time until her marriage she was obliged to make her own way in the world.  She has indeed proved to her husband a true and loving companion for the journey of life.  Their union has been blessed with eleven children, eight of whom grew to years of maturity and are still living.  They also have twenty-three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  Mr and Mrs Stockwell are zealous members of the United Brethern church, and socially he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.  His political support is given to the Republican party.  He has ever borne his sufferings with Christian fortitude, and his life is a beautiful example of patience and perseverance.

Obituary of John Henry Stockwell found in The Sterling Kansas Bulletin dated Nov. 27, 1903 John Henry Stockwell Was born in Chenango county, N.Y., August 25, 1830, and died at his home in Sterling, Kansas, November 23, 1903, aged 73 years, two months and 28 days. He was left an orphan in early childhood, after which time he lived with his sister, who still survives him. At the age of 9 years, he removed to Williams County, Ohio; at the age of 23 he was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Palmer, and side by side they have walked life's pathway for more than fifty years. The faithful wife still survives him. To this union eleven children were born, eight of whom are now living, three having died in infancy. In 1861 he enlisted in the Thirty-eighth Reg. O. Inft. On June 18, 1862, he was discharged from service, on account of disability. On February 14, 1865, he reenlisted in the Eleventh Reg. Mich. Inft. Here he remained until the close of the war. He was converted and united with the United Brethren church about twenty years ago, and remained a faithful member until death. He has been an invalid for 17 years, and during all his affliction he has borne his suffering as becomes the child of God, always kind and cheerful. Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 25th, at 10 o'clock a.m., conducted by Rev. D.D. Akin. Interment in Cottonwood cemetery, conducted by Meade Post No. 14, of which he was a member.

Information from Kathleen M. Davis at mail137668@@pop.net John Henry Stockwell was born in New Berlin, Chenango County, New York on August 24, 1830. He was the fifth child born to Reuben and Philenia (Doran) Stockwell and only boy (that we know of).

In 1840 John was sent to Williams County, in Ohio, perhaps the town was Edon, to live with one of his older sisters Elizabeth and her husband Orsamus A. Palmer on their farm after his father died. He was nine years old. His mother Philenia married again, Philenia died in 1844. (Note from Kathleen Wolford Davis, 2-01: John Henry lived with his sister Eunice and her husband Jabez Arnold-see guardianship papers,WmsCo Oh Records Center). He was orphaned at the age of 14 years. John was 23 years old when Lydia P. Palmer and he were married January 2, 1853 (Lydia was the sister of Orsamus A. Palmer. Orsamus A. Palmer was married to John Stockwell's sister Elizabeth -source Kathleen Wolford Davis)

A Mrs. Mary Martin, who lived in Williams County, and was 37 years old in December of 1886, must have been a relative of either John or Lydia. She knew John from infancy, and lived near him in Indiana and Ohio.

The first child of John and Lydia was Caroline Elizabeth born, October 19, 1853 in Williams County. The little family moved to Richland Township (Alvarado Post Office) in Steuben County, Indiana where their second child Eunice, was born 1856 or 1857, their third child, John Reuben, born December 27, 1859. They moved to Michigan and their fourth child Rachel?, born in 1861. The value of their farm in Richland Township was $700.00 in 1860 and personal property was valued at $100.00.

Eight of their eleven children grow to be adults.

John was 5’9" tall, brown eyes, brown hair, and fair skin.

John enlisted in the army August 25, 1861 at Stryker, Williams County, Ohio 38th Ohio Infantry, Company C, for a 3 year term. On October 5, 1861 his company was at Nicholasville, Jessamine County, Kentucky.

On February 7, 1862 at Mill Springs, Wayne County, Kentucky, they forded an icy stream, his clothing could stand up by themselves. He and his fellows had no protec-tion from the wintry weather, and their diet was very poor. They were out doors for a week. As a result, he developed dysentery. Orra H. Palmer (the brother of his wife Lydia ) and Amos Myers, probably also a relative, who lived in Edon, Williams County, Ohio, fought with John in the same company. They also became sick. (They later declared in a statement that John was a stout, healthy young man before he developed dysentery.) His company moved to Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky. John was sent to a hospital there and at Lebanon, Wilson county, Tennessee from February 1862. When the company moved to Clifton, Wayne County, Tennessee. May 12, 1862, he was treated at General Headquarters Camp Dennison. Dennison, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He was discharged on June 18, 1862 at Camp Chase near Columbus, Ohio, but was hospitalized until October 1862.

John returned to his home in Michigan they moved to Southern Michigan, where Henry Ellsworth, was born on October 13, 1864 in Branch County.

John seemed to have recovered enough, and felt he should again serve his country, he re-enlisted into the 11th Michigan Volunteers for a one year period February 14, 1864 at Bronson, Branch County, Michigan into Company B. He was 34 years old. He served until the end of the war.

We have John’s original discharge paper from Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. November 25, 1864.

John was one of the real heroes of the Civil War. He was one of the best known war veterans in that part of the state. He supported the Republican Party and was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic,

Son Charles C. was born in Bronson, on July of 1866, Mary was born in Bronson on April 24, 1868 and B.D. was born on January 2, 1874.

In the 1870 Federal census taken at Bronson, Branch County, Michigan, listed our John and Lydia and family and their farm’s value was given as $1,100.00 and other property being valued at $1,500.00.

On November 28, 1871, daughter Caroline married Charles Williams Barnes, Bethel, Branch County, Michigan.

In March of 1877 John and Lydia purchased 39 acres in Bronson. The price was $900.00. However Caroline and Charles, and Charles’s father Edward Barnes and his family made the decision to move further west. So John and Lydia, in November of 1877, sold their acreage for $1,100.00 (making a profit of $200.00 of it) as they didn’t want to be separated by such a distance from Caroline and her family. As Caroline had a son John and a daughter Gertie by then. So the Stockwells, Caroline and Charles, and Caroline’s in-laws, left Michigan in covered wagons. Along the way Caroline’s darling baby girl (Mertie) died and had to be buried by the side of the road. The baby had been a delight, bright and healthy and able to climb stairs when she was 9 months old.

They all traveled to Mechanicville, Cedar County, Iowa, to stay the winter with relatives. The relative they probably stayed with in Iowa was Belle Grahams who was John’s niece, who was 57 in 1904 and living in Mechanicville, may have been Eunice’s daughter.

In the spring of 1878 John and Lydia left Iowa and pushed west, stopping in Rush County, Kansas. They stayed there for a few months and then moved to Center Towhship in Rush County. They remained in Center township for five years and they moved to Sterling, Rice County, Kansas, in 1882.

They may have been members of the Methodist Church because their daughter Rachel or Amelia was married to Charles Doberenz by a Methodist minister. However, in 1883 John was converted and united with the United Brethren Church.

Dr. F.W. Longacre was the family physician starting in the spring on 1879 and continuing until 1883. Then, starting in January of 1884 their doctor was Dr. M. Van Patten in Rice County. John had also been treated for his dysentery by Dr. Wood in Steuben County, Indiana (they must have visited there after the war was over) and by Dr. Bates in Williams County, Ohio. He must have gotten sick while visiting relatives in Williams County.

In 1880 Caroline and her family moved from southern Kansas, where John worked for the railroad, (going to work for it as soon as he arrived in Kansas from Iowa), to Center Township, and lived at the farm right next door to her parents John and Lydia.

John had been ill with dysentery half of the time after being discharged from the Army and in 1881 applied for a disability pension. He received a large (tidy) sum of money from the government as back pension and he and Lydia bought a comfortable home in Sterling.

John worsened as time went on and couldn’t work. Their son Charles lived with them and we don’t know how much he contributed to the family financially. John became paralyzed in his lower legs and couldn’t speak. His hearing was impaired, probably as a result of rifle and cannon fire while in the army. Lydia had to take in washing as John’s little disability pension was not enough to support them. John had been receiving only $6.00 a month pension, starting in May of 1881. Starting May 5, 1886, he received $8.00 a month. As of March 22, 1888, he received $12.00 a month. That was immediately raised to $50.00 a month. From March 4, 1890, his pension was $72.00 a month.

After John became speechless he wrote on a slate to communicate "readily and intelligibly". He and Lydia could talk rapidly in sign language. He had a degree of mental depression and despondency but his general intelligence and mental condition was unimpaired". This was according to his doctor’s report to the government.

At first he was able to get around outdoors in a wheel chair, Lydia needed help desperately to care for John when he became confined to the home, so her daughter Caroline, who now lived in Nebraska, came to live there for six months. Caroline’s daughter Eva Jane had to drop out of school to help her older sister Gertie with the work at home. Eva Jane, although she loved school and did well there, never went back to school.

Lydia loved to attend her beloved prayer meeting, but she couldn’t get away from the home, as she didn’t want to leave John alone.

John’s last physician was Dr. P.P. Trueheart, who tried his best to help his patient, but there was little he could do.

John died on November 23, 1903, of chronic inflammation of the kidneys, he was 73 years old. Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 25, at 10 o’clock in the morning. They were conducted by Rev. D. Akin. Internment was in Cottonwood cemetery, conducted by Meade Post No. 14, of which he was a member. John had a handsome, cylindrical gravestone.

Meade Post No. 14, might have been the same Meade Post that John’s son-in-law Joseph A. Shyler belonged to. Joseph also was a Civil War veteran.

Lydia applied for a widow’s pension, but the request was denied.

Just before Lydia died she realized, "that the Lord would soon call her higher and expressed" her willingness to go at any time. But Eunice and Charles were desperate in their desire to save her life and they had four physicians care for her.

Funeral services were held in the United Brethren Church on November 8, 1904 and were conducted by Rev. Sill. She also interred in Cottonwood Cemetery along side of John. All of her children attended the funeral.

John and Lydia and their children were respected and thought well of wherever they lived. It was said of John in Volume 1 of Biographical History, published in 1902: "He has ever borne his sufferings with Christian fortitude, and his life is a beautiful example of patience and perseverance."

Lydia left an interesting will, which clearly stated which child should receive what. She left her house to Charles, perhaps because he was unmarried and had no other home. He also was bequeathed the family’s ten pictures, plus some furniture and furnishings. Lydia expressed her desire that Charles not sell the house, but that if he did sell it, she wanted him to buy another one for himself. He later moved to Hobart, Oklahoma. We have a copy of the will.

Besides the comfortable home located on Lots 38 and 40 on east side of Broadway there in Sterling, John and Lydia owned a house on Lots 17 and 19 on Seventh Street and also a house on Lot 9 on Sixth Street. Sterling Ice and Produce Company bought the Sixth Street properties for $360.00 and Alice Clemet bought the Seventh Street property.

1. ↑ Obituary of John Henry Stockwell. (The Sterling Kansas Bulletin Nov. 27, 1903 Vol. 27 #48)
   p. 6.
2. ↑ Obituary of John Henry Stockwell. (The Sterling Kansas Bulletin Nov. 27, 1903 Vol. 27 #48)
   p. 6.
3. ↑ Obituary of John Henry Stockwell. (The Sterling Kansas Bulletin Nov. 27, 1903 Vol. 27 #48)
   p. 6.