| Page content last modified: | January 6, 2009, added detail on William, Charles and James Fortney. |
| HANCOCK COUNTY, ILLINOIS FAMILIES NEWS MEMORABILIA |
AMANDA MELVINA TOWLER 1839-1916
| Samuel M. Fortney was born in 1834 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This is supported by census records and the date of birth reportedly inscribed on his tombstone at the Willmathsville cemetery in Adair County, Missouri: January 11, 1834.
An obituary written by "Chat" and published in The Republican in 1897, stated he was born July 12, 1832. Samuel was the son of McDonough County marriage license #1832 was issued at Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois, on July 31, 1862, to Samuel M. Fortney and Miss Amanda M. "Toler". They were married on the same day by J. C. Reynolds. Accompanying the license was an affidavit signed by Samuel by which he "made oath" that he was over the age of 21 and that Amanda was over the age of 18.
Amanda Melvina Towler was born December 27, 1839, in Kentucky. She was the daughter of William and Frances (Barker) Towler. According to Margaret Westman, Amanda's granddaughter, the Towlers left Greenup County, Kentucky, about 1850 and came to McDonough County. William died in 1855; Frances subsequently married In 1870 Samuel, Amanda and three youngsters were in LaHarpe Township, Hancock County; immediately following them in the census of that year was the household of Amanda's brother, William Towler. In 1880 Samuel and Amanda and their four children were in Hancock Township. In 1885, according to "Chat", they moved to Missouri. An item in "Ishmael's" Fountain Green column in The Republican, published August 27, 1890, noted that Mr. and Mrs. Sam Fortney of Kirksville, Missouri, were visiting in the Fountain Green area. Samuel died January 18, 1897, at his home in Willmathsville according to his obituary. Again there is a discrepancy: a transcription of Willmathsville cemetery records shows he died on January 17, 1887. We believe the year, at least, in that transcription is a typographical error. Amanda returned to Illinois. In 1900 and 1910 she was residing with her daughter, Melvina. Amanda died July 27, 1916, at Carthage, Hancock County. Towler researchers believe she was buried at Willmathsville, but we cannot substantiate this with Adair County cemetery records. Samuel and Amanda's children were probably all born in Hancock County:
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Carthage, Illinois - February 3, 1897 Mrs. Stephen Reed received the sad intelligence recently, of the death of her father, Samuel Fortney, who died at his home near Willmothville, Mo., Jan. 18, 1897. As Mr. Fortney was a former resident of this community, the knowledge of his death will be received with sadness by many old friends and neighbors. Samuel M. Fortney was born in Lancaster county, Pa., July 12, 1832, died January 18, 1897, aged 65 years and six days. He came with his parents to Illinois in 1855, and soon after was married to Amanda Towler. Four children were born to them, namely: William, Charles and James, of Missouri, and Mrs. Vina Reed, of this community. These together with the wife and mother and a host of other relatives and friends are left to mourn the loss of a kind parent, an affectionate husband, and a clever, conscientious friend and neighbor. March 10, 1885, he moved to Missouri to be near his boys, who all have homes there. His last days though filled with pain from that dreaded disease dropsy, were peaceful to the end, and he often told his family he longed to be set free, to go to that land where pain and death never come. The funeral and burial were both at the present home of the family of the deceased, near Willmothville, Mo.
 CHAT.
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enumerated August 24, 1850, dwelling #494 William Toler, 39, male, farmer, value of real estate 360, born VA
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enumerated June 28, 1860, dwelling #2083 Joshua White, 58, male, farmer, value of real estate 4250, value of personal estate 790, born DE
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enumerated July 1, 1870, dwelling #303 Fortney, Samuel, 35, male, white, farmer, value of personal estate 400, born PA, male, citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
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enumerated June 14, 1880, dwelling #104 Calihan, Cyrus, white, male, 27, married, farmer, born IL, both parents born PA
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enumerated June 15, 1900, dwelling #155 Reed, Steven S, head, white, male, Sept 1860, 39, married for 12 years, born IL, father born PA, mother born IL, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage on his farm home, farm schedule 127 Mellvinie, wife, white, female, June 1867, 33, married for 12 years; mother of 4 children, 3 living; born IL, father born PA, mother born KY, could read, write and speak English Brenice, daughter, white, female, Oct 1889, 10, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English Artsoll, son, white, male, Mar 1893, 7, single, born IL, both parents born IL Mary, daughter, white, female, Aug 1898, 1, single, born IL, both parents born IL Fortney, Amanda, mother-in-law, white, female, Dec 1841, 58, widow; mother of 4 children, all living; born KY, both parents born VA, could read, write and speak English
enumerated May 10, 1910, dwelling #409 Reed, Vina, head, female, white, 43, widow, age at first marriage - 23; mother of 4 children, 3 living; born IL, father born PA, mother born KY, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, paying on a mortgage on her farm home, farm schedule 89 Archell, son, male, white, 17, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, assistant, on farm, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 10, could read and write Mary, daughter, female, white, 11, [single], born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909 Fortney, Amanda, mother, female, white, 70, widow; mother of 4 children, all living; born KY, both parents born VA, spoke English, could read and write |
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