Adaline D. Cunningham b. Abt 1844 Indiana, USA d. Between 1893 and 1895 Gove County, Kansas, USA: Our Family History

Abt 1844 - 1895 (~ 49 years)

Name	Adaline D. Cunningham [1]
Born	Abt 1844	Indiana, USA [2]
Gender	Female
Census	17 Sep 1850	Elkhart township, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA [3]
	1. Cunningham, James, 38, male, miller, [no real estate value], Pennsylvania 2. _____, Martha, 37, female, Pennsylvania 3. _____, Betsy, 13, female, Indiana, attending school 4. _____, Emeline, 12, female, Indiana, attending school 5. _____, Adaline, 6, female, Indiana, attending school 6. _____, Geo W., 4, male, Indiana 7. _____, W. H., 2, male, Indiana
Census	3 Aug 1860	Elkhart township, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA [4]
	1. Cunningham, James, 5[7?], male, labor, real estate value $300, personal $60, Pennsylvania 2. _____, Martha, 47, female, housework, Pennsylvania 3. _____, Adaline, 16, female, housework, Indiana 4. _____, George [M.? W.?], 13, male, Indiana 5. _____, William, 12, male, Indiana 6. _____, Sophia, 9, female, Indiana 7. _____, Emeline, 21, female, housework, Indiana
Residence	Apr 1861	Goshen, Elkhart County, Insiana, USA [5]
	Adeline's 1861 marriage record to Lafayette Stauffer indicates that although they were married in Cass County, Michigan, they were both "of" Goshen, Indiana.
Residence	Aug 1865	Goshen, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA [6]
Pension	2 Jun 1866 [7]
	Approved for a widow's pension, backdated approval to July 1864. $8 per month.
Census	10 Aug 1870	Orland (post office), Greenfield township, LaGrange County, Indiana, USA [8]
	1. Blackmer, John, 29, male, white, farmer, real estate value $8000, personal, $500, Indiana 2. _____, Adaline, 24, female, white, keeping house, Indiana 3. _____, Charles, 3, male, white, Indiana 4. _____, Jim, 1, male, white, Indiana 5. Hart, Irwin, 18, male, white, Michigan
Census	7 Jun 1880	Wayne St., LaGrange, LaGrange County, Indiana, USA [9]
	1. Blackmer, John, white, male, 38, married, laborer, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia 2. _____, Adaline, white, female, 36, wife, married, keeping house, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania 3. _____, Burgess, white, male, 5, son, Indiana, Indiana, Indiana
Pension	24 Apr 1887 [10]
	Approval of pension for the minor child of Adeline with second husband John W. Blackmer, son Burgess R. Blackmer.
Died	Between 1893 and 1895	Gove County, Kansas, USA [11]
Pension	8 Dec 1894 [10, 12]
	Adeline's CW pension file indicates that on this date letters of guardianship were received for Joseph F. Mendenhall of Gove County, Kansas, guardian for Burgess R. Blackmer. This probably indicates that Malcolm Burnham, step-father, deserted him after Adeline's death, as he is found living with his son in Nodaway, Missouri, in the 1900 census.
RESEARCH	The apparent 1887 marriage record of "Adeline Blackmer" to "Malcolm D. Burnham" is puzzling. A Union pension file for John W. Blackmer (Pvt., Co J, 74th Indiana Inf.), filed in Indiana Sept. 1885 was refiled by the widow, Adeline Blackmer inIndiana in June 1886, and by minor child Malcomb D. Burnham in Kansas in 1891. [File being pulled by Nicole (nikkisbc@yahoo.com)] Supporting this filing, is FindAGrave entry for "John W.Blackmier" in Lagrange Co IN, died 1886 (no specific dates). An entry on the Indiana Digital Archives site lists John W. Blackmer (Co. I, 74th Ind. Inf.), age 21, as enrolling for service on 9 August 1862 in Elkhart County, Indiana, which places him near Adeline Cunningham. [13, 14, 15]
Person ID	I1674	Full
Last Modified	17 Mar 2015

Father	James Cunningham, b. Abt 1812, Pennsylvania, USA , d. Aft 1870 (Age ~ 59 years)
Mother	Martha Hayden, b. Abt 1812, Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania , d. 30 Dec 1874 (Age ~ 62 years)
Married	13 Apr 1835	Elkhart County, Indiana, USA [16]
	Who is Sarah Cunningham, age 59, in the home of James in the 1870 census? Could it be Martha? The letter from her son indicates Martha's death in 1878. Could they have divorced and James remarried? Could it be an error on the part of the census enumerator? George Hayden's letter to his niece Emeline Cunningham regarding her inheritance (dated 25 June 1878, from Eldora, Hardin County, Iowa), stated that the deceased "Aunt Jane Hammon" had left one-third of her estate to "the heirs of your grandmother." He went on to say "as your mother is now dead, you will be heir to one-sixth of one-fifth. . . . " This makes it clear that in 1878 there were 6 living children of Martha (Hayden) Cunningham.
Family ID	F657	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1	Lafayette Stauffer, b. Abt 1834, d. Jul 1864, Camp Sumter (Andersonville Prison), Andersonville, Sumter County, Georgia, USA (Age ~ 30 years)
Married	25 Apr 1861	Cass County, Michigan, USA [5, 17]
	Their marriage had no issue.
Last Modified	15 Mar 2015
Family ID	F2268	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 2 John W. Blackmer, b. Abt 1842, Kosciusko County, Indiana, USA , d. 14 Feb 1886, LaGrange, LaGrange County, Indiana, USA (Age ~ 44 years)

Married 23 Dec 1865 Kiosciusko County, Indiana, USA [18, 19]

Divorced Y [20]

Possible divorce prior to 1882? Marriage records indicate the marriage of John W. Blackmer to Adeline Blackmer on 19 May 1882 in St. Joseph County, Michigan. An official marriage license for John W. Blackmer to Adeline Stauffer, 23 December 1865, Cass County, Michigan, attests to the earlier marriage.

Children

1. Burgess Blackmer, b. 7 Dec 1874

Last Modified 17 Mar 2015

Family ID F2269 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Family 3	Malcom D. Burnham, b. Abt 1818, New York, USA , d. Aft 1895 (Age ~ 78 years)
Married	23 Apr 1887	Gove County, Kansas, USA [21, 22]
	I believe this must be the correct couple, although I am at a loss to explain Adeline's surname of Blackmer, unless it was from a previous marriage; or unless she was perhaps not Adeline Cunningham, but another Adeline in the family. Clearly she wrote to Cora Emma Roush and talked about mutual relatives. It is unlikely, particularly given the scarcity of the name Burnham in the Gove County records, that there could have been another Burnham married to an Adeline. The date of the marriage coincides more or less with the known earliest date of their residence in that area.
Last Modified	16 Mar 2015
Family ID	F658	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Documents

James Cunningham and Martha Hayden, census, 1860 Elkhart County, Indiana
1860 U.S. census, Elkhart County, Indiana, population schedule, Elkhard township, Goshen (post office), p. 189 (penned), p. 367 (penned), dwelling 1768, family 1768, James Cunningham household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 18 February 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 256.

Notes

Letter from Adeline mentions "Mary Ford's out in Iowa" Letter from Adeline mentions "your Uncle Will"; I believe this letter was written to Cora Emma ROUSH. Possibly it refers to a Will CUNNINGHAM, who might have been Cora's mother's brother? There was a Wilson CUNNINGHAM early in Howell Co. Could it have been him? 1870 census - found a W.H. BURNHAM in the 1910 Calloway Co MO census, with wife A.D., parents b KY., I was hopeful this was them, but checked the 1880 census for Calloway Co, and found the wife's name to be Angie, not Addie or Adeline. Eliminated as a possibility. From a look-up volunteer re Gove Co KS census ------------------------------ I have transcribed both the 1880 and 1900 Gove county census. I am sorry to report that the Burnham family does not show up on either census. In the other references I have there is one small reference to Burnham. I will quote the reference so that you can see it isn't much. "In the year 1884, father [father is William Blackwill] put up the first windmill, erected in Collyer for the purpose of grinding feed. It was a Holliday with a large twelve foot wooden wheel and built on the ground which Pete Meier now owns. It was used for a year to grind feed, although the Kansas winds were hard on it. Along with this mill, father ran an implement store, selling mowing machines, breaking plows and so forth. He sold more breaking plows than anything else. I remember one time when he got half a carload of mowing machines, and Burnham took the other half. ..."

From this I would guess that Burnham also sold farm implements. Since Collyer is in Trego County, just east of Gove County, maybe your family can be found there.

I'm sorry there wasn't more.

Clark
(Research):Marriage found in Gove County, Kansas:
Malcom D. Burnham to Adeline Blackmer on 23 April 1887. Could this be them? Found at
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/gove/marriages/bride1886.html - website hosted by the Kansas Skyways info net.

Civil War Pension app - John W. Blackmer and wife Adeline, fought from IN
1860 Lagrange Co Census, Adaline & John Blackmer, with 2 children

Sources

[S738] Burnham, Adeline - letter (24 March 1893, copy Roley DeBoard), (Adeline Burnham (Gove County, Kansas) to her niece, (possibly Cora Emma DeBoard), letter, 24 March 1893. Provenance: the letter was in a group of letters that came through Louie DeBoard, from his mother Cora Emma (Roush) DeBoard; from Louie they passed to his son Roley DeBoard (California), who sent copies of the originals to the author, Janis Walker Gilmore (Pawleys Island, SC); copies remain in my possession.).
[S210] Indiana, Elkhart - 1850 U.S. Census, Indiana, Elkhart County, Elkhart township, Elkhart County, Indiana, pg 180 (penned), Dwelling 1222, Family 1261, James Cunningham household, jpeg image (Reliability: 3).
[S4746] 1850 U.S. census, Elkart County, Illinois, population schedule, Elkhart township, p. 180 (penned), p. 90 (stamped, verso), , dwelling 1222, family 1201, James Cunningham household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 17 February 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 144.
[S4748] 1860 U.S. census, Elkhart County, Indiana, population schedule, Elkhard township, Goshen (post office), p. 189 (penned), p. 367 (penned), dwelling 1768, family 1768, James Cunningham household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 18 February 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 256.
[S4808] Certification of marriage in Cass County, Michigan, Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, subsequent widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [Other pertinent file numbers include Inv. no.. 550,441, John H. Blackmer; Malcome D. Burham, gdn. (step-father), for minor Burgess W. Blackmer, service of John W. Blackmer, cited above.] [p. 26].
[S4806] Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, subsequent widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [Other pertinent file numbers include Inv. no.. 550,441, John H. Blackmer; Malcome D. Burham, gdn. (step-father), for minor Burgess W. Blackmer, service of John W. Blackmer, cited above.] [p. 8].
[S4807] Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, subsequent widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [Other pertinent file numbers include Inv. no.. 550,441, John H. Blackmer; Malcome D. Burham, gdn. (step-father), for minor Burgess W. Blackmer, service of John W. Blackmer, cited above.] [p. 14].
[S4764] 1870 U.S. census, LaGrange County, Indiana, population schedule, Greenfield township, Orland (post office), p. 13 (penned), p. 213 (stamped, recto), dwelling 83, family 88, John Blackmer household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 21 February 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 333.
[S4763] 1880 U. S. census, LaGrange County, Indiana, population schedule, LaGrange (Wayne St.), enumeration district (ED) 18, p. 22 (penned), p. 373 (stamped, verso), dwelling 228, family 250, John Blackmer household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : downloaded 21 February 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 291.
[S4810] Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, Adeline Blackmer, widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Burgess R. Blackmer, minor child, cert. no. 400,532; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [p. 32].
[S1119] Kansas, Gove - census 1895 (Kansas State Historical Society), State of Kansas, ((http://www.kshs.org/index.htm)).
The only Burnham in the county is W. D., making it likely that Adeline has died. She wass in bad health at the time that she wrote the letters, and had already had one stroke.
[S4818] 1900 U.S. census, Nodaway County, Missouri, population schedule, White Cloud township (South part), enumeration district (ED) 128, sheet 3A, p. 347a (stamped), dwelling 47, family 48, W. Robert Burnham household, for Malcom Burnham, father; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 March 2015); citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 878.
[S4761] "Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934," database,Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 February 2015), entry for John W. Blackmer and widow Adeline, minor Malcolm D. Burnham.
[S4762] PAULA, creator, ?John W. Blackmier," (Greenwood Cemetery, Lagrange, Lagrange County, Indiana, USA), 1886, memorial no. 32373855, FindAGrave (http://www.findagrave.com/ : viewed 21 February 2015). .
[S4765] State of Indiana, "Search the Digital Archives," Indiana DigitalArchives (https://secure.in.gov/apps/icpr/search/ : accessed 21 February 2015), for search result John Blackmer, record series Military, Collection Civil War, accession no. 1938001, reference no. CIV015037. [http://secure.in.gov/apps/icpr/search/Home/Detail?rid=1139804].
[S4747] Elkhart County, Indiana, Marriage Book A: 90, James Cunningham-Marthy H. Haden [Hayden] (1835); "Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959," digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 17 February 2015); FHL film no. 1845,552. [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXBH-5RM].
[S4805] Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, subsequent widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [Other pertinent file numbers include Inv. no.. 550,441, John H. Blackmer; Malcome D. Burham, gdn. (step-father), for minor Burgess W. Blackmer, service of John W. Blackmer, cited above.] [p. 5].
[S4809] Request for confirmation of remarriage, Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, subsequent widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [Other pertinent file numbers include Inv. no.. 550,441, John H. Blackmer; Malcome D. Burham, gdn. (step-father), for minor Burgess W. Blackmer, service of John W. Blackmer, cited above.] [p. 29].
[S4814] Marriage license exhibit, John W. Blackmer-Adeline Stauffer; Adaline Stauffer, widow's pension application no. 105,081,. W.C. no. 75,428; service of Lafayette Stauffer (Orderly Sgt., Co. B, 29th Ind. Vol. Inf.., Civil War, Union); remarried, Adeline Blackmer, widow's certificate no. 340,064, service of John W. Blackmer (pvt., Co. J., 74th Ind. Inf., Civil War, Union); Burgess R. Blackmer, minor child, cert. no. 400,532; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications . . ., 1861-1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D. C. [p. 114].
[S4817] "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3NW-4QN : accessed 16 March 2015), John Blackmer-Adaline Cunningham Blackmer, 19 May 1882; citing Sturgis, St Joseph, Michigan, vol 3:239, record no. 219, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2,342,471. [Image 336].
[S135] DeBoard - Misc Letters written by the DeBoard family (Roley), (Letters written by members of the DeBoard and Roush families, 1878-1915; in the possession of Roley DeBoard [address and e-mail for private use]; the letters passed from Snoden S. Deboard to his son, Louis DeBoard, then to Louis's son Roley DeBoard, grandson of Snoden S. DeBoard; Roley DeBoard sent the author color copies of the letters in the late 1990's; the copies remain in the author's possession (2007).).
[S199] Kansas, Gove - Marriage Records 1886 - 1929, (Kansas GenWeb project, "Gove County, Kansas, Marriage Index"( No other Blackmer or Burnham marriages in the 1886 - 1899 section.