Person:Zithiry Byars (1)

ZITHIRY BYARS Zithry is a biblical name; To Hide, Demolished; The Lord Protects, a Levite, son of Uzziel (Ex. 6:22)

Evelyn Schmidt of Portage, Michigan, wrote in 1999. She said that Zithry's real name was Sethriah Byars (1828-1870). I found one receipt in his probate file with a similar name: 16 May 1870, W.I. Deason received of PP Massey administrator of Zethriah Beyers estate, $27.18 for his part of timber for the Mt Carbon company. Everything else had the name Zithri or Zithry. He signed notes - Zithri Byars.

1830 US Census: Jackson Co., Illinois; Roll 22, p 82, line 24: Iry Byers 200001-00001 Accounts for Ira & Mariah with sons Zithry & Zeri. Both boys born between 1 Jun 1825 and 1 Jun 1830 if the census taker was strict about Census Day as 1 Jun 1830.

1840 US Census: Jackson Co., Illinois; Roll 61, page 263: Ira Byres 1210001-100001 Could account for: Males: 1 under age 5 Isaac Dan; 2 ages 5-9 Zeri & Irijah; 1 10-14 Zithri; and Ira age 40-49. Females: 1 under age 5 Nancy; and Mariah age 30-30. Census Day was again 1 Jun in 1840 and this time it appears that Zeri & Zithri are in different columns. According to this census (If I'm guessing right) Zithri could have been born between 1 Jun 1825 and 1 Jun 1830 Zeri could have been born between 1 Jun 1830 and 1 Jun 1835.

1850 US Census: South Dist., Jackson Co., Illinois, M432-110, p 247

 212/215 Ira Byers, age 54, farmer, $300, b NC

Mariah Byers, age 47, b Ky Zithri Byers, age 22 [1827-1828], b IL Zeri Byers, age 20 [1829-1830], b IL Irijah Byers, age 18, b IL Dan Byers, age 15, b IL

1850 Oct 12: Illinois Public Land Purchase Records: Zithri Byars Sec 16, Twp 9S, Range 1W, Volume 819 pg 247, six entries. http://www.ilsos.gov/GenealogyMWeb/PublicLandSalesNameServlet

Murphysboro township, Dorchester (Scotchtown), Section 17: A little history on Dorchester - The Jackson County Coal Company began operations at an early date, around 1850. A small mining town sprang from this and was called Dorchester. Since many of the miners were Scotch, it became known as Scotch Town. A large portion of people that lived there were Mormons, but polygamy was not practiced. A mining superintendent by the name of Edward Holden, disliked the Irish and at times treated them unfairly. A minor, Zachariah Byars complained that he was threatened by a group of Irish miners. Holden fired all the men who were implicated. ... http://www.iltrails.org/Jackson/m12.htm

1860 Census: I haven't been able to find him. -jlsm 2007

1862 September Term; Grand Jurors; Circuit court record law book H Oct 1861-May 1864 week two: Zettiri Byars

1868 Mar 5: Marriage of Zeihri Byars and Martha Ann Massey, Jackson Co., IL (CD #250)

1870 Mar 10: Zithry Byars died at his residence in Jackson Co., Illinois on 10 March 18[70]; leaving widow Martha Ann Byars; Ellen Frances Byars and one little child not yet named. Petition for Letters of Administration by Pinckney P Massey dated 15 Apr 1870. [Source: Jackson County, Illinois, Probate at Illinois Regional Archives Depository System (IRAD), (c/o Special Collections, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL), File 172, Box 4, Estate of Zithri Byers]

Pleasant Grove Memorial Cemetery, Murphysboro, IL (veterans list): Zachariah Byars; Civil War; Co. K; 10th Illinois Cavalry; died 11 March, 1870 http://www.iltrails.org/Jackson/murphysb.htm [Note: I'm not finding him on any of the 10th IL Cavalry lists (or any other lists), only Isaac D. Byers -jlsm 2007]

[1999 Posted on Jackson County discussion list; from a book.]
 Pleasant Grove Memorial [Cemetery], Murphysboro
 Robert D. Byars 1873-1927
 Isaac D. Byars, d 4-14-1887, Co. E, 15 Ill. Cav.
 John A. Byars 1871-1927
 Nelle G. Byars 1877-1923
      >Zithri Byars, d 3-11-1873 (sic), age 43y 5m 9d [d 1870, if age is correct, born ca 2 Oct 1826]
 William E. Byars, 4-6-1923 to 3-13-1959, Ill., Tec. 3 Mountain Med. BN, WWII
 Robert D. Byars 1898-1966
 Katie S. Byars 1905-1957

In 1986 I received a letter from (signed) Mary Marolda Mckinney [M.M. Marolda on the SASE]. She said that she was the great-granddaughter of Zithri Byars of Jackson County, IL. We were living in France, Laurent was 2 months old, Nathalie 2 years, and I just wasn't doing genealogy. I never answered her letter; sure wish now that I had!

1. ↑ 1850 US Census
   South Dist., Jackson Co., Illinois, M432-110, p 247.
2. ↑ Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Index. (Jackson Co., IL GenWeb site).
3. ↑ Evelyn Schmidt's Descendant's chart of Sethriah Byers, 4 Jul 1999.