Elsie Louise Sears

Family/Spouse: Robert Bruce Saunders. Robert was born on 28 Jun 1892 in Stockdale, Wilson Co, Texas; died on 19 Apr 1958 in Riverside County, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

His name probably derived from his uncle Charles Madison Carver born in Hebron, Tolland Co, Connecticut on 28 Jun 1825.

Obituary

Former Pioneer Resident Dies In California
Charles M Sears 93 Dies Suddenly in Long Beach
Lived Here 1880 to 1919
Charles M Sears, for many years a prominent farmer and livestock feeder of the Aurora community passed away suddenly in his home in Long Beach, California August 2, 1944 The Sears family came to Aurora in 1880 and lived for many years on their farm one mile north of Aurora. In 1918 Mr Sears sold his farms and the family moved to Aurora proper for about a year. He then moved to Long Beach, California June 10, 1851 and passed away August 2, 1944 at the age of 93 years 1 month and 21 days. Mrs Sears [Mary L Weeks] died in 1934 at their Long Beach home shortly after injuries received in the Long Beach earthquake. He is survived by five children: two sons, Nelson of Akron Colo, and Robert of Long Beach Calif; three daughters, Mrs Vera Readl of Grand Junction Colo, Elsie of Los Vegas, New Mexico, and Marion of Barstow, Calif; one brother Sherman Sears, now of Sweeney Texas, formerly of Hyannis, Nebraska. One brother and three sisters preceded him in death. Mrs F. C. Mather was a sister. Myrl Mather of Aurora Nebraska is a nephew. The deceased was a member of the Aurora Masonic lodge for many years.

Aurora News-Register
Aurora, Nebraska
11 Aug 1944, Fri

(Medical):Death due to external causes: Accident on 7-23-44 at home in Long Beach, L.A. county, California (tripped over watering hose).

Charles married Mary L. Weeks on 1 Dec 1896 in Probably Plano, Kendall Co, Illinois. Mary was born on 2 Mar 1868 in Pittsfield, Pike Co, Illinois; died on 20 Jul 1933 in Long Beach, Los Angeles Co, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Archibald Sears, noted in the pioneer days of Kendall county, was born February 23, 1802 in Putnam County [then Dutchess County], N.Y., and for his time possessed an exceptional education as he was a successful teacher and a competent surveyor. For a period he was engaged in merchandising and in 1836 started for the West, going by way of the Canal and Great Lakes. After prospecting throughout this region he concluded that he could not find better land for farming purposes than in Kendall County. He settled on section 13 and there built a log house. He located one section of land situated on the banks of the Little Rock Creek and in 1842, when there was a land sale, he bought the six hundred and forty acres. He made a specialty of raising wheat and swine, as better prices were realized on these products than on any other farm produce at that early day and it was necessary to haul things to Chicago as the railroad was not constructed until long afterwards. There being great demand for surveyors, Mr. Sears found plenty of employment as such, and laid out farms and roads and did general government surveying throughout this portion of the state. In this way he was enabled to pay for his large landed estates and to make necessary improvements. He was the first supervisor of this township after its organization and continued to fill that office for several years. He also served as a justice of the peace and county surveyor. In 1866 he retired from active life and for twenty years dwelt in the town of Sandwich. His last years were spent in Plano where his death occurred in November, 1893 [28 Oct 1893]. The first marriage of Archibald Sears took place in the Empire state in June, 1833, his choice being Miss Susan Hadden. She was a native of the same county as her husband, a daughter of Morris and Sarah (Nelson) Hadden, both natives of New York. Susan Hadden died June 10, 1845 in Plano. On the 23d of August 1850, Archibald married Mrs. Rachel Smith, daughter of David T. and Charlotte (Tarbox) Carver. Six children were born to his union, namely, Charles M, Albert H, Sherman S, Mary E Henning, Alice M Mather and Ada A Miller. - Genealogical and Biographical Record of Kendall and Will Counties, Illinois
SEARS, Archibald (deceased), for so many years a factor in the development of different sections of Illinois, came early to Kendall County, interested himself in its agricultural and manufacturing development and after an unusually long life, passed away at Plano in November 1893 [28 Oct 1893] when aged ninety-two years. He was born in Putnam County [then Dutchess County] N.Y. February 23, 1802, a son of James Sears and Mehetabel Sherwood and a grandson of Thomas and Mary (Baldwin) Sears. Grandfather Thomas Sears was an officer in the Revolutionary War from Massachusetts. To James Sears and wife were born: Eli, Archibald, Thomas, Isaac, Caroline, Melanchthon [Melanthe], and Sally. When twelve years old, Archibald Sears accompanied his parents in their removal to Wayne County, New York and there helped his father to clear pioneer farm, meanwhile acquiring sufficient knowledge of books to enable him to teach school at the age of 22 years. He also followed surveying which entailed considerable mathematical knowledge and at that time was a very profitable profession. In June 1833 he was married to Susan Hadden who was born in New York, December 25, 1815 daughter of a merchant at Westchester, Putnam County, New York. In 1836 with a capital of $1,500 Archibald Sears accompanied by Joab Austin, a relative, came to Illinois by way of sloops on the Hudson River as far as Albany and then by Erie Canal to Buffalo, crossing the lakes to the swampy village of Chicago. There he bought surveying tools and came on to Kendall County where he was soon engaged in assisting contractors in making surveys, working in as many as four counties laying out sections and townships. He was so engaged for about seven years, this region by that time having been covered by surveys but Mr. Sears kept his instruments and was ready to do a job of surveying even when an old man and his services in this direction were valued because of their absolute accuracy. He surveyed public and private roads and several State roads, farm lines, woodland tracts, and in fact, anything the correct dimensions of which came under the ordinary work of one of his profession. In the meanwhile, Mr. Sears invested in property as land came into the market and owned 550 acres on Big Rock Creek. Because his time was mainly occupied with surveying he rented out that land until 1863 when he sold his farm and retired to Sandwich where he resided for twenty years, moving to Plano about 1890. He became a stockholder in the Sandwich Manufacturing Company and assisted in solidly establishing what is one of the most substantial industries to Illinois, one that now has a capital stock of a half million dollars and his interest is still retained by the family. Mr. Sears was recognized to be not only a man of irreproachable life and incorruptible intergrity, but also one of sound business judgement and active public spirit. After townships were organized in Kendall County, he was elected the first Supervisor. He was also the first County Surveyor when Kendall was cut off from Kane County [1841] and served also as Commissioner and County Surveyor. He also served as a Justice of the Peace. When the old political parties broke up and the Republican party was organised, he, with other true-hearted patriots, identified himself with the new movement and gave support to the political campaign of Gen. John C. Fremont. The death of Mr. Sears' first wife occurred in June 1845 when her age was thirty years. His second marriage took place August 23, 1850, to Rachel M. Carver, born October 26, 1818 in Connecticut, daughter of David T. and Charlotte (Tarbox) Carver. To the first union a family was born one son, James M., surviving, one daughter, Mrs. Frances Beard, died at Bedford, Iowa in 1892, and others died in infancy. To the second union the following children were born: Charles M. who lives in Hamilton County, Nebr, Mary E. who lives at Plano, Ill, is the widow of Edgar Henning; Albert H. who is in the banking business at Plano; Alice M. who is the wife of Frederick Mather of Aurora, Nebr; Sherman S. also of Nebraska; and Mrs. Ada A. Miller. - Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, History of Kendall County
Plano was not founded on a desolate terrain as were many villages. This area had been occupied by a few early Kendall County settlers who had been here for several years. A Mr. Ball had built a saw and grist mill on the Big Rock Creek one mile south of Plano in 1835. He sold this mill to John Schneider two years later. Mr. Schneider had built the first mill at Yorkville in 1832, being an early settler there. Other mills were built nearby along the creeks and Fox River. David and Benjamin Evans were among the first settlers who claimed land where Plano is now located. Plano is the Spanish word for plain. They sold out to Marcus Steward in 1838. Archibald Sears and Cornelius Henning settled in 1836 from New York State. - http://www.cityofplanoil.com/
Kendall County came into being on February 19, 1841, being named for Amos Kendall. The bill, at first introduced in the state legislature, provided that the county be called "Orange" County. Many early settlers here came form Orange County, New York, which undoubtedly had its in influence on that name. When the bill was finally read, the name Kendall was substituted and passed as such. The county was formed by taking six townships from LaSalle County and three from Kane. Yorkville was designated as the county seat until 1845, when it moved to Oswego. Yorkville finally became the county seat again in 1864, and no further changes were made. The first settlers in the county were Robert Beresford and his wife and two sons. They settled in what was later known as Holderman's grove in 1826. - http://www.cityofplanoil.com/history.html

(Research):E: letter Darnell to Arnold, 27 Oct 1960: "Archibald Sears was born in Putnam County [DBC note: It was still Dutchess County, Putnam formed out of Dutchess later], New York, the son of James and Mehitabel (Sherwood) Sears."


Sears-Sherwood Timeline
1735
1738/9 b. Jehiel Sherwood in Fairfield CT
1740
1745 1745 b. Thomas Sears in Yarmouth MA?? or South East NY??

1750

1755

1760 1763 m. Jehiel Sherwood (age 24/5) + Sarah Squire in Fairfield CT
1765 1767 m. Thomas Sears (age 22) + Deborah Baldwin ?in South East NY??
1770

1775
1778 b. James Sears in South East New York
1780

1785
1790 1790 Census Jehiel Sherwood (age 51/2) in Fairfield CT 1790 Census Thomas Sears (age 45) in Dutchess Co NY
1795 1797 m. James Sears (age 19) + Mehitable Sherwood where?? 1800 1800 Census James Sears (16-26) (age 22) Stanford Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1800 Census Jehiel Sherwood (45+) (age 61/2) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1800 Census Thomas Sears (45+) (age 55) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1802 b. Archibald Sears in Carmel (Dutchess or Putnam Co?) NY
1804 d. Thomas Sears (age 59) in South East NY
1805 1807 d. Jehiel Sherwood (age 68) in South Eash NY 1810 1810 Census James Sears (26-45) (age 32) South East Twp, Dutchess Co, NY 1814 Moved James (age 36), Mehitable (age ?), Archibald (age 12) to Western NY (N.E. Sears notes) 1815

1820 1820 Census James Sears (45+) (age 42) Seneca Co NY 1820 Archibald (age 18) starts school (N.E. Sears notes) 1824 Archibald (age 22) a school teacher "for a number of years" N.E. Sears notes
1825
1830 1830 Census James Sears (50-60) (age 52) Savannah Twp, Wayne Co, NY 1831 m. Archibald Sears (age 31) + Susan Hadden in probably Wayne Co, NY
1835 1836 (fall) Archibald (age 34), wife, one child move to Plano IL
1840 1841 ref Archibald Sears (age 39) County Surveyor (History of Kendall Co)
1845 1843 d. Susan Hadden (Archibald age 43) in probably Plano IL 1850 1850 Census James Sears (age 72), Phebe, 3 children, Seneca Co 1850 Census Archibald Sears (age 48) + Elizabeth (age 30) Plano IL 1850 m. Archibald Sears (age 48) + Rachel Maria Carver in Plano IL
1851 b. Charles Madison Sears in Plano IL
1855 1857 d. James Sears (age 79) in Tyre, Seneca Co, NY
1860
1865 1865 Archibald Sears (age 63) moves to Sandwich, DeKalb Co, IL (The Voters & Taxpayers of DeKalb Co)
1870 1874 m. Charles Madison Sears (age 23) + Katherine Evans
1875

1880

1885 1887 Archibald Sears (age 85) moves back to Plano IL (N.E. Sears notes)
1890
1893 d. Archibald Sears (age 91)
1895

1900
1905 1905 d. Rachel M. Carver 10 Mar 1905 (age 86) in Aurora NE

Archibald married Rachel Maria Carver on 23 Aug 1850 in Plano, Kendall Co, Illinois. Rachel (daughter of David Taylor Carver and Sharley Tarbox) was born on 26 Oct 1818 in Hebron, Tolland Co, Connecticut; died on 10 Mar 1905 in Aurora, Hamilton Co, Nebraska; was buried on 12 Mar 1905 in Plano, Kendall Co, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Another Pioneer Gone; Mrs. Rachel M. Sears died Friday, March 11, at Aurora, Neb.
Mrs. Rachel M. Sears, widow of the late Archibald Sears, died last Friday morning [10 Mar 1905] at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. F.C. Mather, of Aurora, Neb., where she had made her home for the last eight years. Death resulted from the infirmity of old age, Mrs. Sears having been in her 87th year. After a service at Aurora Sunday, the body was brought to Plano accompanied by Mrs. Mather, Charles Sears of Hyannis, Neb., and Miss Ethel Henning, who was upon a visit to Aurora when the death of her grandmother occurred. The final service was held at the residence of the eldest daughter of the deceased, Mrs. E.L. Henning, at 1:30 o'clock Monday afternoon, and besides the relatives was attended by a number of friends from Chicago and Steward and from Sandwich, where Mrs. Sears resided for twenty-two years. The Rev. G.H. Robertson of Sandwich conducted the service. The burial was in the Archibald Sears lot in the Plano Cemetery. Rachel Carver was one of the fast dwindling little band of surviving pioneers who settled the vicinity of Plano. She was the daughter of David T. and Sharley Carver and was born at Hebron, Conn., October 26, 1818. She was one of eleven children of whom Mrs. George Steward of Plano is the sole survivor. In 1836 when a girl of 18 years, Rachel Carver started on the pioneer journey which brought her eventually to Illinois. She stopped first with her sister, Mrs. John Hollister, at Hollisterville, Pa., where she taught school for two years. In the spring of 1838 she joined the party composed of John Hollister's and Marcus Steward's families which was starting for the west. She accompanied the pioneers to Angola, Ind., where she joined her brother William and Dr. Lewis Carver. There she taught school until she was married November 1, 1840 to Adonijah Smith. Two children born in this union died in infancy and in 1844 Mr. Smith died also. In 1845 she started for Illinois to join her sister, Mrs. Hollister, who was then settled on the site of the future Plano. For two years she taught school at Bristol and August 23, 1850, she was married to Archibald Sears. The following sixteen years the family lived on the farm east of Plano removing in 1866 to Sandwich and in 1888 returning to Plano where Mr. Sears died in 1893. Mrs. Sears is survived by one sister, Mrs. George Steward, six children--Charles Sears and Mrs. F.C. Mather, Aurora, Neb., Sherman Sears, Hyannis, Neb., Mrs. E.L. Henning and Albert Sears, Plano, and Mrs W.L. Miller, Crawfordsville, Ind., by a step-son James M. Sears of Plano, twenty grand-children and one great grand-child. - Kendall County News, 15 Mar 1905


(Research):Know All Men By These Presents. That We, John T. Hollister and Sharley E. Hollister, his wife, George Stewart and Mary Ann Stewart, his wife, and Archibald Sears and Rachel M. Sears, his wife, all of the County of Kendall and State of Illinois; the said Sharley Hollister, Mary Ann Stewart and Rachel M. Sears, being heirs at law of David T. Carver, later of the Town of Hebron in the County of Tolland and State on Connecticut, deceased....for divers good causes and considerations thereunto moving, especially for one hundred dollars received to our full satisfaction of Mrs. Sharley Carver, widow of said David T. Carver, decease, have remised, released and forever quit-claimed, and do by these presents for ourselves justly and absolutely remise, release and forever quit-claim unto the said Sharley Carver and to their heirs and assigns forever, all our and each of our right title and interest of, in and to all the real estate of the said David T. Carver, deceased, situate in said Town of Hebron in the said County of Tolland and State of Connecticut aforesaid. And we do hereby relinquish to said Sharley Carver all our right, title and interest of, in and to all the personal estate of said deceased....In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this thirtieth day of Septermber in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five. Signed sealed and delivered (by above G.H. and Mary A. Stewart, John T. and Sharley E. Hollister, Archibald and Rachel Sears)...subscribed before me this 30th day of September A.D. 1855, Lewis Stewart, Notary Public, L.S.

Notes:

Married:
On their marriage certificate her given name spelled "Rachael"

Other Events and Attributes:

• _TODO: Open

Notes:

"James Sears was present in the probate of Jehiel Sherwood's estate" - taken from a letter to Hubert Andrew Arnold from a professional genealogist identified as "Box 480, Salt Point" (Salt Point is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York Route 115, the Salt Point Turnpike). This statement is very important with respect to establishing circumstantial evidence that Mehitible Sherwood, James Sears' wife, was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood.

James married Mehitable Sherwood on 19 Nov 1797 in Probably South East New York. Mehitable (daughter of Jehiel Sherwood and Sarah Squire) was born about Nov 1780 in Fairfield, Fairfield Co, Connecticut; died on 12 Mar 1826 in Wayne County, New York; was buried about 14 Mar 1826 in Hunt's Corners (Briggs Cemetery), Wayne Co, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _TODO: Open

Notes:

Mehitable/Mabel Sherwood was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood. She was born about November 1780. The first solid reference to "Mehitable" wife of James Sears, appears on the 1826 gravestone at Hunt's Corners, Wayne Co, New York. Previous references to the wife of James Sears had her name as "Mabel" Sherwood. Is the "Mabel" of South East, New York the "Mehitable", wife of James Sears, at Hunt's Corners? Circumstantially, it is convincing but no specific documentation exists to verify that Mehitable/Mabel Sherwood was the daughter of Jehiel Sherwood. She died 12 Mar 1826 in Wayne County NY aged 45 years and this inscription on Mehitable's gravestone was what I used to arrive at a birth date of approximately Nov 1780. The central problem with Mehitable is that in a Fairfield Church journal of families (not kept in real time), a list of Jehiel Sherwood's family members does not contain either Abigail or Mehitable. This has caused over a century of consternation even leading 19th century DAR applicants to falsify records (in the New York City Public Library) to enable the inclusion of these two children. In fact, Hezakiah Sherwood's name was erased from the Fairfield Church list in order to get Abigail's name in there. There's no justification for doing this. I am able to "fit" birthdates for all without erasing anyone. The burnng of Fairfield by the British in 1779 could well have prevented the recording of Abigail and Mehitable Sherwood's births. From Wikipedia: "On the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 enemy troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and proceeded to invade the town. When they left the following evening, the entire town lay in ruins, burned to the ground as punishment for Fairfield's support of the rebel cause. Ten years later, President George Washington noted after traveling through Fairfield, that "the destructive evidences of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet."
The gravestone inscription in the Hunts Corners Cemetery in Wayne County NY is "In memory of/Mehitable/wife of James Sears/ who died March 12, 1826 in the 45th/year of her age." At one time there was a dispute about the year, that it could be 1824, but I have closely examined the gravestone picture and the last digit of the year definitely has a curved top thus it could not be a four.

_TODO:
Cutter looks like he got the list that had deleted Hezekiah in favor of Mabel

Notes:

David Taylor Carver lived and died on place at [the] top of [the] hill North of Esq. Strong, [now] Raymond place. His mother, Lucy Taylor, lived with him to her death.
Record of My Ancestry - Bissell Family
compiled by F. Clarence Bissell.

David Taylor Carver was married to Sharley Tarbox daughter of Asenath Tarbox\\\'s brother, Godfrey Tarbox. Asenath Tarbox was Aldric Carver\\\'s wife.

Hebron was in Hartford County prior to 1785 so David was born in Hebron, Hartford Co. but died in Hebron, Tolland Co.

Hebron was incorporated May 26, 1708 but Tolland County was not formed until 1786 when it was formed from the original counties of Hartford (1666) and New London (1666).

As established in 1666, Hartford County consisted of the towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, Hartford, Farmington, and Middletown. The \"Thirty Miles Island\" referred to in the constituting Act was incorporated as the town of Haddam in 1668.

In 1670, the town of Simsbury was established, extending Hartford County to the Massachusetts border.

David married Sharley Tarbox. Sharley (daughter of Godfrey Tarbox and Rachel Wright) was born on 8 Nov 1786 in Hebron, Tolland Co, Connecticut; died on 11 Aug 1867 in Hebron, Tolland Co, Connecticut; was buried in St Peter's Cemetery, Hebron, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

While the name "Sharley" has been mentioned as a nickname (possibly for Charlotte) most documents indicate her first name as "Sharley", a name that is, in fact, inscribed upon her gravestone.

(Research):Hubert Arnold thought her (nick)name was "Sharley" and on his Carver family group sheet he writes "Sharley or Charlotte". Nelson Sears notes her as "Shirley" although upon close inspection, the name "Sharley" was written in light ink in about 1895 and overwritten in darker ink with "Shirley" in the Winter of 1898-99.