My second-toughest brick wall met her maker in Ripley County around 1840-50. Her married name was Tirzah Williams, wife of Simeon Williams. Tirzah was spelled several different ways, which has made searching for her tons of fun.
She was last seen in the 1840 census in Otter Creek, Ripley County, Indiana census, Terzah/Terzah Williams, next to Charles Knapp (her son-in-law) and near Adin Williams (her youngest son.)
In the 1840 census, Charles and Susan (Williams) Knapp live next door to Tirzah Williams, a head of household with members: one female 70-80, one female 50-60, two males 40-50 and 60-70, both engaged in farming. lf one of them were her husband, she probably would not have been the head of household. If Simeon were alive, he would be 77 . Perhaps he was dead and the 70-80 woman is the mother but not named Tirzah. Could the head of household be a daughter in law? Adin Williams was a head of household in 1840 living near them. In January 1836 he bought land in section 12, township 8, north range 10 east. James Williams (perhaps no relation?) bought land in same area in June 1836.
According to an 1896 family letter, she died about 1853, her maiden name may have been Knight (although the letter could have been transcribed incorrectly.) She was born about 1765, in Massachusetts according to the later census data of her children. I have tried to obtain death certificates for all of her children, but only one, my gggrandmother, lived long enough to have a death certificate in her jurisdiction (Rush County, Indiana) and for some reason, the mother's name was left blank on that, although I did obtain the father's name, Simeon Williams, from that.
I have been researching the 'Buchanan Family' for many years. Our Buchanan's came from Pennsylvania to Ripley county before 1840, as they are on the 1840 census. Jane Buchanan (Maiden name unknown) was a widow with two small sons, Cyrus F. Buchanan b. 1827 and John A. Buchanan b.1830. Jane was born 1799 in Pennsylvania.
Cyrus married Elizabeth Jennings in Adams township,(Ripley County) in 1850. In 1859 she died and about 1860 the rest of the family moved to Indianapolis. Cyrus remarried twice, first in Marion County, to Lauretia Davis in 1862, second to our grandmother Elizabeth Kirby in 1863. He was on the civil War register but I don't think he went in but he might have.
I know that Jane Buchanan never remarried and that she was close to the Johnson Family in Ripley, my guess is that she was related somehow and when she was widowed she came there. I have a very hard quest here as I do not know her maiden name, and I do not know her husbands first name. He would have died either while she was carrying John A. or soon after. I don't know if he died in Pennsylvania (I am guessing he might have) or in Ripley because I don't know his name. Jane stayed close to Cyrus and died a couple of years after he did in Indianapolis. She at one time (on census) has a Somerville girl living with her and attending school. So she had a relationship with those people also. I am trying to find out where Jane and the boys came from in Pennsylvania. I believe the Johnson's and the Somerville''s might also have come from Pennsylvania.
Usually when a woman is widowed and has young children they are taken away unless she has means to take care of them. She always had her boys so I am guessing that she was ok financially, especially since she never remarried. Also these boys were taught the skill of Carpentry, so someone there taught them. Can you tell me what I might track down to find anything in Ripley? Was there any kind of a record kept of new people who came into the community? I know there was quite a few Buchanan's there at one time but I have not been able to tie Jane in with any of them. I know she had some kind of tie there or she wouldn't have brought her boys there. All of them were born in Pennsylvania. I know there is a record of Cyrus's marriage to Elizabeth Jennings. but would there have been any record that showed where in Pennsylvania they came from or who their father was?
I very much would like to solve this puzzle, I have a great amount of information from them down. John Buchanan's eldest son Charles became an architect of note in Pasadena Ca, and some of his buildings are on the national register.
Unfortunately, Cyrus died in 1873 and was buried in Indianapolis at Greenlawn Cemetery an extinct cemetery. I have his death record, but they moved that cemetery in the 1930's to Crown Hill, and they lost Cyrus, he is listed no where. Jane is there with another grandson but we have never found Cyrus. He was a Carpenter for the insane hospital in Indianapolis for many years and lived across from the hospital.