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.