Person:Sarah Vincent (3)

Sarah Vincent was born on 11 July 1855 in Hastings (Dakota County), Minnesota. She was the daughter of William and Ellen (Marks) Vincent (or Vinson) Both of her parents immigrated to the United States as young adults. Some family stories say that they may have married in Pennsylvania and may have lived in Ohio before moving to Minnesota. When Sarah was very young her family moved to Illinois. It was probably after this that her father left the family and went west never to return. Sarah’s two younger siblings and mother died in Illinois and according to family records were buried in Illinois near an area called “the bottoms”. This is a name given to an area along the Mississippi River, near St. Louis.

The 1857 Minnesota state census shows Sarah as born in Minnesota. The 1870 US census shows her living with the Ross family in Jersey County, IL Twp 7 Range 11. She lived in the home of Henry and Mary Jane Ross. They had a son W. Sanford Ross. Henry Ross was the brother of Charlotte Ross Conklin, Sarah's future mother-in-law. Sarah was 14 yrs in the 1870 census. A letter from her Aunt Mary Marks Black of Welch, Minnesota in 1869 suggests that Mary first found out at this time that Sarah was orphaned. A reply must have come to Minnesota as in January 1870 as Mary Black wrote back saying that Sarah could continue to live with the Ross family in Jerseyville. The letter said that Sarah had been living there for 6 years and that Sarah had not seen her father for six years.

Notes of her daughter, Etta Conklin say: Sarah Vincent Conklin born 11 December 1855 in Hastings, MN. Father William Vincent from England and mother Ellen Marks from Ireland. Mother died about 1860. Younger sister William and Emma. Sarah was with the Ross family from about age 6 or 7 and had been with a family in Staunton, IL before that. Her mother and the 2 younger children are said to be buried in Illinois in the bottoms around Alton or St. Louis. Father buried in Omaha, Neb. Jan. 1907.

(Research):Letter of Mary Marks Black of Welch, Minnesota dated January 11, 1870 says: "My dear Sarah, I should like to see you very much but I would not ask you to leave those that have been such kind friends to you during the past years. I feel thankful that you have had such tender care. It grieves me to hear that your mother being dead so long and I not knowing that she was dead. She was my favorite sister. There were four of us. Your mother was the oldest. I was next and AnJane was the next and Margret the youngest. Margret died when she was 17 years old. She was married about 2 years. Your Aunt AnJane was married and she went to Indiana and your mother and I were moving at the same time (seems to mean at the same time as AnJane) and neither of us knew how to write to each other so I don't know where she is or whether she is dead or alive. She married a man by the name of James Lane. Margret married your Uncle Dan's (Daniel BLack, Mary's husband) brother, James Black. I must close. Your loving aunt , Mary Black.

Sarah's name can be found as Vincent and as Vinson. Sarah and her family are not located in the 1860 census but the 1865 Illinois state census shows a Mrs Vincent with 1 boy under 10 and 2 girls under ten living in the city of Sangamon, Piatt County. The demographics of this family fit Sarah's family.

Wm Vincent may have bought lands Edwards Co. IL