52 Ancestors 2020 – 13 – Nearly Forgotten – Ezra Albertson

When I checked the listing of names for this week to find someone who was “Nearly Forgotten,” I chose Ezra Albertson, because I had basically forgotten about him. Ezra died as a young teenager, so there are no descendants to honor him.

Still he was my 2^nd great-granduncle and I expect my 2^nd great grandfather, Benjamin Albertson, would remember his little brother. Benjamin was born in January of 1826 while the family still lived in Perquimans County, North Carolina. Naturally he was with them when they moved to Indiana in 1832 and were charter members at Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting in Hancock County in 1836. Benjamin would have been 15 years old when Ezra was born 30 Mar 1841 there in Hancock County, Indiana. Ezra would have been 6 years old when his oldest brother Benjamin was married to Sabina Marsh 25 Nov 1847.

And surely Ezra's parents, Nathan and Phariby (Nicholson) Albertson, would remember their child. He was listed as being with them as the family moved from Hancock County to Hamilton County, Indiana in mid 1850. Since they were in the process of moving, this may explain why I have not been able to locate them in the 1850 census.

The Westfield Monthly Meeting in Hamilton County mentions Ezra twice. In 1850 he was included with the family received at Westfield from the Walnut Creek Monthly Meeting. Then these Quaker death records show that Ezra H. Albertson died 15 Nov 1854 at age 13 years, 7 months and 16 days old.

It was the next spring, 1 May 1855, when Nathan & Phariby requested a certificate to move to Iowa. By the fall of 1855 Nathan had purchased property in Hardin County Iowa and the family moved there. I have discovered that often in my family after a child dies, the family moves to a new location. Maybe this is to escape the sad memories. Hopefully that child will never be totally forgotten.

Ezra's brother Alpheus, who was just 10 years older than him, did remember Ezra in a positive way. He named his only son, Ezra A. Albertson, when he was born in Iowa in 1866. I hope Alpheus told his son Ezra about his uncle Ezra so he would not be forgotten for many years, since this second Ezra lived to age 71.

Quaker Cousins - Elias Nathan Perisho - 1853 - 1916

Yesterday, 13 Jun 2017, I wrote about 3 cousins who shared the name Elias. Today I will continue with another 1st cousin of my great-grandfather, Nathan Elias Albertson, who also was named Elias.

Elias Nathan was the son of one of Sabina (Marsh) Albertson's sisters, Fanny (Marsh) Perisho, the wife of John C. Perisho. Elias N. was the 2nd child of 9, born 12 Mar 1853 probably in Hamilton County Indiana, since the family was there for the 1850 census. About 1855 the Perishos, as well as the Albertsons and Marshes, moved west to Hardin County, Iowa. They were there in time for the 1856 Iowa State Census. John was a blacksmith, so I wonder if Elias as the oldest son helped his father with his work. By the 1870 census John was listed as a farmer and Elias was a worker on the farm. His mother died in 1873 and his father remarried and Elias gained some half-siblings.

Elias himself was married 25 Oct 1880 to Emily Baldwin. The Quaker Honey Creek Monthly Meeting in Hardin County, Iowa, has recorded 6 children for Elias and Emily, born between 1881 and 1894. Looking at the Find A Grave entry for Elias it appears that all of his children lived to adulthood as they died between 1947 and 1967. Elias died 24 Jun 1916 and was buried at Honey Creek Cemetery in Hardin County Iowa. Emily died in 1940.

An obituary appeared for Elias Nathan Perisho in the Quaker periodical, The American Friend, 11 of 9th month 1916, page 883.