Branch 24

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LAST NUMBER USED: 44
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1 JAMES (1) LATTA
Born abt. 1780; d. ____; m. ____. Lived in Stark Co., Ohio. An account of the life of John Swigart printed in the Ohio Liberal stated that in 1806, Stark County was "a perfect wilderness. There was only one cabin in Canton and that was a tavern. I was then about 13 years old and remember well the hardships and privations which attended our life in the woods. Wild beasts and wild men roamed the forest in all directions. I helped my father to clear out two farms of about fifty acres on each. I had many encounters with bears and wolves, the howls of the latter being kept up nightly the year round. I have also killed many deer and wild turkeys. Rattlesnakes were abundant, thousands being scattered over the woods." www.rootsweb.com/~ohstark/settlers.html states that James Latta held Presbyterian services in his cabin and is listed as an early Tuscarawas Township settler.

On 13 February, 1808 by an act of the State Legislature, Stark County was drawn from land originally in Columbiana County. It was organized on 1 January, 1809. Prior to 1815 Stark County consisted of eight townships; Canton, Green, Tuscarawas, Sandy, Plain, Osnaburg, Nimishillen, and Perry. The County was named after one of George Washington's Revolutionary War Generals, John Stark.

Had at least one child:
2 WILLIAM ELIHU (2) b. August 31, 1806 in Stark County, OH.

April 22, 1822 - John Reed, Alex'r Snodgrass & Thomas Latta witnessed the will of Hugh McNamara, dated April 22, 1822.

Starklibrary.org states: Stark Co. Tax Index (1817 - James Latter; 1818 - James Lattor; 1819 - James Latta at Tuscarawas, and 1820 - Thomas Latta at Brown)

                                              2 WILLIAM ELIHU (2) LATTA
     James (1). Born in Stark Co., Ohio on August 31, 1806. Died in Polk County, Iowa on January 10, 1892. Buried in the Union Cemetery with his second wife, Mary. Married twice. First to Deborah Oliver (b. 1810 - d. before 1848), daughter of Gallaudet Oliver and Mary Ann Bogard Oliver, by whom he had seven children. Deborah's siblings were: Anore Catherine, Mahala, Nancy, John, Eliza, Malinda, Susan, Julia Ann, Barzille M., Minerva, and Matilda. Her parents were married in Randolph County, VA (now WV), and lived in Harrison Co., WV in 1810; Muskingdom Co., OH in 1820; Licking Co., OH in 1823, and Putnam Co., OH in 1850. http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~yvonne/oliverg-i.html It is believed that Deborah Oliver Latta died in Putnam County, OH since that is the county that her last child was born in, and also the county where William's next child by his second wife was born. William Elihu Latta's second wife was Mary Mercer born in Rockridge Co., Va. on January 28, 1810, by whom he had three children. Mary died on March 25, 1892. William went to Iowa in 1854 and settled near Polk City, Iowa. He later moved 12 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa and settled on a farm when his children were young. He later lived in Madrid, Iowa.
Children by first wife:
8     ROBERT (3) lived in Polk City, Iowa. Not married. Died in Canada. Spent his last days with his brother William. There is a "Robert L. Latta" who married a Margaret Edson on April 7, 1857 in Page County, Iowa. http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ia/page/vitals/m1-groom.txt (Could this be this Robert?)

9 NANCY (3) b. abt. 1834 in Ohio. m. Marshall Kennard. Both lived and died in Omaha, Neb. Two children. Laura died young. The other daughter m. Dr. John D. Peabody and lived in St. Petersburg, Florida. In the 1880 census, N. W. Kennard and Nancy Kennard are listed as living in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska. Living with them was their daughter, Jennie, age 21, born in Nebraska, a servant named Katy Mallosh, born in Bohemia, and Nellie Kennard, a 21 year old niece listed as "visiting". N. W. Kennard was 48, and his occupation was "Propt. Omnibus Line". Nancy was 46 years old.
10 MARY (3) b. 1835 in Ohio; m. Elijah Coons. One child: Clara Belle who m. Joseph McBride. They live on a farm 12 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa near Ankeny. Mary later married Hezekiah Conley Pennell (see bio) on June 24, 1871. They had one daughter Minnie Adella who was born Nov. 30, 1874, and had a second daughter, Ora Alma who died in infancy. The 1880 U.S. Census states that H. C. Pennell and Mary Pennell were living in Crocker, Polk County, Iowa. Their children were listed as Clara Belle Pennell, age 20, teaching, born in Iowa, and Minnie A. Pennell, age 5. Note: Clara Belle was going by Pennell and not Coons.

Hezekiah Conley Pennell was born October 20, 1829 to James D. and Margaret M. Pennell, at Lexington, Ohio (Richland County). H. C. Pennell enrolled at Otterbein University in 1848, just one year after the founding of the school. According to the school records, he was listed as a student from 1848-1858, although available records indicate he signed a contract to teach for a period of three months in the Washington Township, Richland County Schools in 1849. The last two years Pennell was at Otterbein University he was listed as a “student in a scientific course. Hezekiah C. Pennell graduated from Otterbein University in the Scientific Department on June 23, 1858. He was one of the first members of the Philomathean Literary Society at Otterbein University. Hezekiah Pennell married sometime between graduation and 1860. His wife's name was Elizabeth, but she was known as Lizzie. Hezekiah Pennell got into trouble for whipping a school boy. On February 25, 1859 Rachael Bowman states, "Quite a number of boys are down to Columbus to hear Mr. Pennell's trial for whipping a school boy." Hezekiah Pennell served in the Civil War as part of the 13th Maryland Volunteer Infantry, Company K. He attained the rank of First Lieutenant on February 24, 1865. Pennell and his wife Elizabeth had one daughter Hatty. No record was found as to what happened to Elizabeth, but when Hezekiah homesteaded to Polk City, Iowa, in 1870, he took with him his daughter Hatty. Assumption would be that Elizabeth had died. Polk City is located seven miles north of DesMoines in the center of Iowa. He met and married a woman named Mary (Latta) Koons on June 24, 1871. Her parents were William and Mary Latta. It appears as if they are buried in the Polk City Iowa Cemetery. Mary had been born in 1835. She had a daughter from a previous marriage whose name was Clara Belle Koons. Clara Belle, who had been born March 16, 1859 was the mother of Beulah Mc Bride. A daughter, Minnie Adella, was born on November 30, 1874 to Hezekiah and Mary. A second daughter, Ora Alma died in infancy. About 1887 or 1888 Hezekiah decided to homestead in southwestern Nebraska. In a letter to his step-daughter Clara Belle, Hezekiah indicates Mary and Minnie were with him in Nebraska. Clara Belle presumably stayed in Polk City, Iowa when her step-father went to Nebraska. Being she was almost 30 years old, she may have already been married to Joseph McBride. Hezekiah Pennell lived in several towns in Nebraska. In 1891 he was named postmaster of Eddy, Nebraska, a town no longer in existence. Hezekiah Conley Pennell died June 2, 1904. Death was caused by a kick from a horse. http://www.answers.com/topic/hezekiah-conley-pennell

11 MINERVA (3) b. abt. 1838 in Ohio; m. John Wesley Cassaday in Des Moines, Iowa in 1862. He was born in 1832 in Indiana and died in 1890 in Iowa. She died in Tacoma, Wash. on May 13, 1932 at the age of 74 years. Four children: William Elihue m. Emma Adams. Harriet d. at age of 3 years. Annie May m. Henry Weston. Four children. Hazel m. Bert Kinkaid. The 1880 U.S. Census lists John W. Cassaday and Minerva Cassaday living in Saylor, Polk County, Iowa. John was 46, Minerva was 42. He was listed as a "brick moulder". Their children were William, age 18, RR laborer, Annie, age 11, Charlie, age 8, and Mary, age 6.
12 SOPHIA (3) b. abt. 1844 in Ohio; m. Wills Beighler (also seen as Wilson A. Biegler). Lived in Page County, Iowa. One son: William living at Eugene, Oregon. 1865 Census, Page County, Iowa, Nodaway Township: Wilson Bighler, 30, M, PA; Sophia, 21, F, OH; Mary D., 4, F, Iowa; Wm., 3, M, Iowa; Charles E., 5/12, M, Iowa. In the 1880 U. S. Census, W. H. Bieghler and Sophia Bieghler were listed as living in Nodaway, Page County, Iowa. Wills was 50, and Sophia was 40. Their children were: William L., age 22, Charlie C., age 20, James S., age 18, Ira O., age 14, all listed as farming, and Benjamin F., age 3. They also had a daughter, Mary Delilah who married Albert Clarence Harland on March 22, 1877. http://www.rootsweb.com/~iafgs/harlandac.txt

13 HARRIET (3) b. _______; d. abt. 1862; m. John Wesley Leggett. She died soon after and a few years later he married her half-sister, Margaret in Des Moines, Iowa.
14 DEBORAH ANN (3) b. January 7, 1842 in Putman County, OH; d. January 15, 1921 at Clarinda, IA; m. Joseph Davis on August 28, 1859. He was born in 1836 and died in 1919. They lived on a farm near Clarinda, Page Co., Iowa. They are both buried in the Davis Cemetery, East River Twp., Page Co., Iowa. Several of their children are also buried there. Ten children: Alice May (1864-1865); George E. (1868-1934), R. Oscar (1871-1903), Cora Belle (1873-1879), Laura (1876-1909), Ollie Mabel (1878-1879), Nellie, William E., Herbert, and an infant who died at birth. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapage/cem/CHAP10.HTM

Children by second wife:
3    JAMES ELIHU (3) b. April 12, 1849 at Polk City, Iowa; d. Dec. 8, 1922.
4    WILLIAM EDISON (3) b. Oct. 9, 1851 in Putnam Co., Ohio; d. Nov. 25, 1925.
15   MARGARET (3) b. Oct., 1849; died March 17, 1935; m. John Wesley Leggett after her half sister, Harriet, died. One of her daughters, Sandy, married Mr. Porter and lives at St. Charles, Iowa. Another daughter, Cora, married Frank James and lives Route 6, Des Moines, Iowa. A son, William Leggett, lives at Des Moines, Iowa. The History of Polk County, Iowa, published by the Union Historical Company in 1880 stated that J. W. Leggett was a farmer, the owner of a farm of 85 acres, improved. In January of 1864 he enlisted in the First Iowa battery, and served until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged. He married Miss Margaret Latta on January 13, 1864. They had four children, Charlie E., Mary G., Cora E., and William L.