The picture on the left is probably taken around that time since she still had
dark hair.
The
picture on the right is probable taken in Missouri when she is in her
70's.The Pemberton Family
page 2
Stephen Pemberton and Nancy Watson Pemberton
Stephen Pemberton was born August 27, 1798 in Kentucky and died January 18, 1838 in McDonough County, Illinois. He was only 39 years old. Nancy Ann Watson was born April 29, 1800 in Tennessee and died September 18, 1880 in DeKalb County, Missouri. They were married December 9, 1819 in in Adair County, Kentucky and had five children: John Watson (my 2nd great grandfather), Martha, Sarah Ann, Nancy Ellen, and Mary Elizabeth. For some reason around 1830 Stephen and Nancy decided to move the family to McDonough County, Illinois which is close to the western boarder of the state by Iowa. The youngest daughter Mary Elizabeth was born in 1837, so Stephen died shortly after she was born. In talking with the McDonough County Historical Society most people moved to McDonough County at that time because the Government had recently opened up that area to homesteading. Although Stephen owned land in Adair County, Kentucky he may have wanted the opportunity to have more. For whatever reason, the family moved.
(I have been fortunate enough to connect with Cal Sale of Des Moines, Iowa. Cal is a descendent of Nancy Ellen Pemberton Stephen and Nancy Watson Pemberton's daughter. He has shared with me his family's photos of Nancy Ann Watson Pemberton and some of their children. Thank you Cal for this rich addition to our family history.
In the 1840 Census for McDonough County, Illinois Nancy
Pemberton is listed as the head of the household.
The picture on the left is probably taken around that time since she still had
dark hair.
The
picture on the right is probable taken in Missouri when she is in her
70's.
John Watson Pemberton was 21 when his Father died. It can be assumed he took on the role of Head of the House. For some reason the Pemberton's decided that McDonough County, Illinois was not where they wanted to settle. Maybe they didn't like the open prairies of western Illinois, so they moved on to the Andrew/DeKalb County, Missouri area in north-west Missouri. Again, why they chose this area is not known. Maybe they had relatives or friends that had settled there. There was nothing to tie them to McDonough County, Illinois so sometime in the early 1840's they picked up the family and moved south and west to Missouri by St. Joseph.
In the 1850 Census Nancy Watson Pemberton was living with John Watson and Sarah Jane along with his sisters Nancy and Mary Elizabeth. Nancy Watson Pemberton lived with John Watson and Sarah Jane the remainder of her life. During the Civil War John Watson served in the Union affiliated 44th Regiment Provisional Enrolled Militia Infantry and the 88th Regiment Enrolled Militia Infantry. He served his duty in northern Missouri. After his death Nancy applied for a federal Civil War Widow's Pension and was denied because John had served in a state militia.
In the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census John Watson's occupation is listed as farmer. During that time period he accumulated wealth growing from $150 of Real Estate owned in 1850 to $3,750 in 1870. Sometime in the 1870's he and Sarah Jane retired to St. Joseph, Missouri where he lived until he died at 68 years old in 1888. In the 1880 Census he listed his occupation as Laborer. Sarah Jane continued to live in St. Joseph with her son Sherman until she died in 1905. They are both buried in the High Prairie Cemetery in Andrew County, Missouri.
Sarah Jane's Obituary read:
"Mrs. Sarah J. Pemberton, aged seventy-six years, widow of J. W. Pemberton, died
at 1:30 o'clock this morning at the family home 315 Middleton street. Mrs.
Pemberton was a resident of St. Joseph for the last thirty-five years, and is
survived by six children as follows: Mrs. Nancy E. Williams, Union Star,
Missouri.; Mrs. J. R. Frook, Chandler, Okla.; Miss Emma Pemberton, St. Joseph;
James M., Union Star, Missouri.; Thomas, Newkirk, Okla. and Sherman Pemberton,
St. Joseph.
John Watson Pemberton was born Sept 9, 1817 in Adair County, Kentucky and he died September 26, 1888 in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 71. For more information about John's family go to the next page.
Martha was born October 14, 1821 in Green County, Kentucky and died January 21, 1893 in Buchanan County, Missouri. She married James Marion Campbell March 1841. The picture to the left is believed to be Martha and James. They were married in McDonough County, Illinois but followed the Pemberton Family to northern Missouri. James was a farmer.
Sarah Ann was born in 1822 in Adair
County, Kentucky. It is not known when she died
.
She married Alfred Coffman in Andrew County, Missouri on February 1, 1844.
The picture to the right is of Sarah Ann and Alfred.
Nancy
Ellen was born July 23, 1833 in Adair County Kentucky. She died
December 29, 1906 in Union Star, DeKalb County, Missouri. She married
William H. Spangler on June 3, 1852. William was born December 1819 and
died January 20, 1877 in Union Star, Missouri. Below to the right is of
Nancy Ellen. probably taken around 1860. There are more pictures of Nancy
on the Pemberton picture page.
Mary Elizabeth was born in 1837 in McDonough County, Illinois. It is not known when she died. She married Nathan Livingston on September 20, 1855 in Andrew County, Missouri. Below is a picture of Mary Elizabeth on the left and Nancy Ellen on the right. It is not known who the young girl in the middle is - assuming the picture was taken in the middle to late 1850's it could possibly be Nancy E. - John Watson's daughter or Mary Campbell - Martha Pemberton Campbell's daughter.
For more information about the Stephen and Nancy Watson Pemberton's children please go to the Pemberton Genealogy Reports.
To understand our family history in north-west Missouri it is helpful to see a map of the area.
Andrew - DeKalb - Gentry - Buchanan Counties, Missouri
Please
double click on the map to enlarge
The area where all of my ancestors on my Mother's side settled in the late 1800's - the Pemberton's, Elmore's, Wilkerson's, Myer's and Kelley's is right at the junction of Andrew - Gentry -DeKalb Counties. Some of the cities they lived in are Savannah, Avenue City, Rochester, and Rosendale in Andrew County. Union Star and Maysville in DeKalb County. King City and Berlin in Gentry County and St. Joseph in Buchanan County. It is not a very large area.
It was probably a cold winter day in February 1837 when local tribes signed a treaty giving up their rights to land east of the Missouri River in what is now northwestern Missouri. Until then all of the territory west of a line extending northward from Jackson County, through Clay County, etc., was Indian territory and not open to settlement by the white man. Some men had ventured into the area before that time, but were not allowed to remain. The Platte Purchase consisted of the area covered by the present counties of Platte, Buchanan, Andrew, Holt, Nodaway and Atchison Counties in Missouri.
Four years later, on another cold January day in 1841, Andrew County was formally organized from part of the "Platte Purchase". The Pemberton's and the Elmore's came shortly thereafter. Before the end of that decade, Andrew County was just north of one of the hot spots (St. Joseph, MO) for taking off on the Oregon Trail.
After the year 1844 settlement of the county was quite rapid. A great many families came in, some from neighboring counties, and some direct from Kentucky, Tennessee and other States south and east. The early settlers sought the timber counties for various reasons. First, because they had been reared in a timbered country, they knew nothing of the prairies, and thought if the soil was too poor for forests, it was too poor to be cultivated. Second, they thought it impossible to survive the cold winters in such an exposed situation. Third, they preferred to remain where food was abundant. Fourth, they concluded to locate near some water course. Some of the early settlers learned the value of the prairie lands, and pushed out on the broad expanse despite the opposition of those who pretended to be wiser. Many of the first families merely squatted upon their farms, being too poor to pay the entry price until after the harvest of the first or second crop. Some had barely sufficient means to reach the new country; others had considerable means, and found it no difficult task to begin life in the backwoods."
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