Person Sheet

Name David Lynn WILSON Birth 12 Jun 1834, Dayton, Ohio Death 1900, Highland Township, Guthrie Co., Iowa Father Thomas L. WILSON
Spouses
1 Sarah Jane HAZEN Birth 1 Dec 1842, Lawrenceville, Indiana Death 8 May 1906, Atlantic, Iowa Father Isaac HAZEN (1813-1891) Mother Rebecca STEWART (1813-)
Marriage 22 Mar 1859, Ainsworth, Washington Co., Iowa
Children Isaac Thomas (Tom) (1860-1880) Lydia Rebecca (1861-1952) John Edward (1863-1943) William Willis (Will) (1865-?) Henry Milton (Died as Child) (1866-1870) Fred Warren (Twin) (1868-1949) Frank Walter (Twin) (1868-1949) Emma Belle (1870-1913) Minnie Ella (1874-1960) Jennie Chilena (1880-?)
Notes for David Lynn WILSON
David Lynn Wilson and Sarah Jane Hazen were married for about 15 years. They separated during hard times in the winter of 1875-76. Since Sarah Jane was left with the farm and children, we have only a very sketchy one sided story of the separation. Indeed, most family stories describe David as having "run off," "disappeared," or "abandoned" his family. As yet, we have not found a legal record of divorce. Some creditable stories indicate he moved away (possibly Guthrie Co.) and had a second family. There is considerable evidence that David did not completly disappear on the spur-of-the-moment; property records of their 80 acre farm in the Cass Co. Iowa Recorders Office are as follows: 1. A deed dated Sept. 13,1873 from Isaac Dickerson & Olivia Dickerson to David Wilson - - - (W_,NW_,Sec.10,T77N,R37W, etc.) - - - for $800.00. 2. A mortgage dated Sept. 13,1873 David Wilson & Sarah J. Wilson to Isaac Dickerson $700 acknowledged Pd. for same 80 ac. AND David Wilson to pay $175 on Sept. 1st of 1874,75,76 & 77 with 10% interest annually, this sum being the balance of purchase money etc. 3. On Jan. 13,1876 David Wilson deeded the same 80 acres to Sarah J. Wilson for $1100 acknowledged paid. 4. A deed dated March 9,1876 from Sarah J. Wilson and David Wilson to Henry Johnson - - (W_,NW_, - - etc.) - for $1950. 5. A Mortgage dated March 9,1876, Henry Johnson to Sarah J. Wilson $485 acknowledged paid for the same 80 acres, AND, Henry Johnson to pay $485 to Sarah J. Wilson on Jan. 1,1877 --, etc. (ED. Carrie Davis is certain that the mortgage release, dated Jan. 6,1877, is signed in Sarah Janes' own handwriting.) An undated letter (c. 1970) from Clara (Wilson) Fox to Agnes (Wilson) Williams states in part " - - Grandma Wilson died in - - Atlantic. Her tombstone is in Atlantic cemetary and did have the dates on - - . - - David & Sarah W. were divorsed (sic) - - - and I don't know where Grandpa David lived - - he married again and had at least 3 boys. - - " Thus, for whatever reason, we know that David Wilson deeded his farm to his wife, Sarah Jane, and left her in 1876. The most creditable family story of those times is that when the twins were about 10 years old, David and two of his eldest sons left home to work on a big construction project (possibly a canal?); these sons were Isaac Thomas (Tom) and William Willis (Will). Will returned home to visit from time to time. Tom drowned about 4 years later and David "brought him home in a wagon" to be buried. We should also note that their youngest child, Jennie C. was born in 1880. So it would appear that David did not disappear all-of-a-sudden. From the nature of the unconfirmed stories (remarried, other children, etc), uncle Will surely continued to visit back and forth between the families, and through him we have only a sketch of Davids character - "typical Scots-Irish, independent, enjoyed a round with the boys, ladies man, etc. etc." (ED. My grandpa, Frank W. said, "...the worst lickin' he ever got from his dad was when he told his ma what his dad had said to a saloon-girl in town".)