November Ancestor: George Sickmon

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday! Well November should mean I focus on a war veteran ancestor because of Veteran's day this month, right? Or perhaps focus on a Mayflower ancestor because of Thanksgiving? Well this is what happens when you make up your blogging schedule in January. Neither of those is my focus ancestor for November. Maybe next year....stay tuned

George Sickmon is my ancestor for November. George was born in Erie county, New York on January 11, 1819, the son of Henry Sickmon and Susan Francis. According to Roy Regnier (George's grandson, and my great-grandfather), Roy thinks George's father (Henry) died when George was young and the responsibility of raising the children fell to him. I have that George was the oldest of 5 boys born to Henry and Susan, so that could possibly be true. I also have that his father died in 1835 in New York, and I believe it was some sort of work accident. So if he died in 1835, that would leave George as being about 15 or 16 years old. Other people have he died as the result of drowing in a creek in Erie county, New York while building a dam. They also have he died in 1852 which seems too late to follow was Roy has about him. George's obituary has that he was the 4th of 12 children so I am missing some of his siblings. George's obituary also has that his father died when he was quite young, although it was the age of 11.

In September 1842 George Sickmon married Sarah Greene at her home in New York. Two years later, they moved to Warren county, Illinois. They settled on a farm 2 miles southeast of Monmouth. George and Sarah had 6 children, 4 girls and 2 boys, namely Sallie M, Susan E, Winfield S, Anna E, Eliza J. and Charles. The Sickmons raised their family on the farm for some time, then moved into town for a short while, back out to the farm, and then retired in town. Dates are a little fuzzy here.

He served several roles while in Warren county, Illinois including city alderman, on the board of supervisors, church deacon, and church elder. He was a member of the Christian church.

George passed away at the age of 89 on May 28, 1908 in Warren county, Illinois. He is buried in the Monmouth city cemetery in the Sickmon plot. I have visited his grave in person several years ago.

I have the photo above labeled as Sickmon family, but I don't think it is George and Sarah and their children as they had 4 girls and 2 boys, not 4 boys and 2 girls. So I am thinking this is Henry and Susan (seated) and some of the children standing. If anyone knows more about this photo, please let me know. I can't remember where I got this photo, probably from the internet unless it was from my great-aunt's stash.

Meanwhile I found this photo on my drive while looking for his gravestone photo. Here it is:

Sickmon gravestone, Monmouth cemetery

So the documents I have for George include the following: US Federal census for 1850, 1880 and 1900, a cemetery photo and his obituary. So I could look for his marriage license and earlier documents. Thanks for reading. 

October Ancestor: Jesse Fields

Okay yes October is over (yesterday if I get this done today) but I'm running slightly behind.
Time to blog about my October ancestor: Jesse Fields
Jesse comes from my paternal side of my tree.
He was born in England about December 16, 1828, the son of Isaac Fields and Jemima Porter. Some records have him born around 1830. I don't know much about his early life. Thanks to a distant cousin, I have a copy of his marriage license. Jesse married Caroline Sealey in England on February 16, 1852 at the Parish church in the parish of Lympsham in the county of Somerset. He is listed as a bachelor, and she a "spinster". His occupation is a miner and his father is listed as Isaac Fields who was a laborer. Emmanuel Field and Jemima Field are listed as witnesses. Jemima is his mother, not sure who Emmanuel is but I would guess a brother.
She was already the mother of one child, and I have presumed he was the father. However this could be wrong. It would be good to see a birth certificate from England, if one exists, or a baptism record. Perhaps this is why she is called a "spinster".
In June 1852 they immigrate to the United States from Bristol, England to New York. Their ship is called the Queen of the Ocean. They are in New York at least for a couple years as their next daughter is born there in December 1853.
Then by 1855 they move to Wisconsin. They are in Wisconsin for many years, at least until 1870 and maybe a few years more. Generally they are in the Beaver Dam area in Dodge county, 1870 census finds them in the town of Fountain Prairie which is in Columbia county, the next county to the east. Fountain Prairie is listed to have post office at Fall River, Wisconsin so it must be near there. While in Wisconsin on March 27, 1865 Jesse enlists for the Civil War as a private in Company A in the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry. He mustered out on July 29th of that same year.
By 1880, they have moved to Madison county, Nebraska near the town of Tilden. Jesse and his wife live in the Tilden area, mostly on the Madison county side until their death.
In all, I have found 8 daughters were born to this union. Of course the first may not be his, as mentioned above. No sons were born. The daughters are Angeline "Annie", Martha E., Sarah J., Emeline, Mary A., Bertha Matilda, Hattie, and Clara.
Jesse's daughter Martha married Charles Hanks in Wisconsin in 1872. Emeline Fields married Walter Elley at her father (Jesse's) home on 25 December 1884 in Madison county, Nebraska. A few other daughters also got married in Madison county. I have a land deed describing land that Jesse bought in the fall of 1884 from the United States.
A few of Jesse's descendants live in the Tilden/Norfolk area for many years, up until this decade. I remember meeting one of them who was from Norfolk with my parents a few years ago.
Jesse Fields passes away on January 31, 1918 at the age of 89 in Tilden, Nebraska. He is buried in the IOOF Tilden city cemetery in Madison county, Nebraska. He has a military gravestone.

copyright Beth (Jorgensen) Sparrow

For records I have on Jesse, I have a copy of his marriage certificate, two land deeds, US Federal census from 1860 to 1910, death certificate and gravestone photo, and I found him on the passenger list for his immigration. So the part I am mostly missing is his early life in England.