So far all the family tree info I have has gone back to one person; Jacob A. Creek (or JA Creek in many documents). According to his military records he was born in Hampshire County, Virginia (now part of West Virginia) in 1809. Since census records were not that detailed before 1850 I cannot tell if the Jacob Creek on the 1830 census for Augusta Co. Virginia is the same Jacob but the age matches. Jacob again appears on the 1840 census (spelled CREAK) this time in the Perry Township of Fairfield Co., Ohio. I know this is correct b/c I know several of his children were born in Lancaster, Ohio. Interesting to note there is a John Creek on the 1840 census living in Fairfield County too that was about 20-30 years older than Jacob. Perhaps this was his father or an uncle? At some point Jacob married a Lydia Lane (as one record shows) but on the 1925 Iowa census Samuel Creek indicates his mother was Mary Lance. One February 27, 1849 Jacob married Catherine Knouchel in Circleville, Ohio. It was about the same time they left Ohio for Iowa b/c the family was present on the 1850 census living in the Liberty Township of VanBuren Co, Iowa (he was actually on the census twice, also living in the Salt Creek Township of Davis Co, Iowa - Being from this area I know that the two townships border each other so this is correct. On the census it indicates that he is a blacksmith by trade. In 1856 he had an Englishman living with the family as an apprentice. Jacob served in the 37th Iowa Infantry Co.H nicknamed the Graybeards. They were mostly men over age 40 who guarded prisons/trains. His pension record shows that he died from dropsy that he suffered from the military. He was medically discharged while in Alton, IL from the dropsy he got while in St.Louis guarding the prison there. Jacob owned land in the Liberty Township in Iowa and also farmed. Another record shows that he was a Justice of the Peace at some point too. His great grandaughter, Ruby Livingston Dryden, supplied some information to the Jefferson Co. library in Fairfield Iowa that says the family was Lutheran. Jacob also had a son name Martin Luther so based up these two I could almost conclude that the Creek name was German. Also on Martin Luther's 1920 census it indicates his father was from Germany; we know this is not correct however there must have been some reason he put Germany. Maybe he thought it meant nationality? Jacob last shows up on the 1870 census as doing agriculture work in Van Buren Co, Iowa. Ruby's family info sheet indicates that he died in "Iron Valley" Stewart Co. TN io July 14, 1873. Doing a little research I found there was a post office around this time called Iron Valley and there was a mine called Iron Valley Mines. I've also been told this area was near the community of Tharpe, TN, which no longer exists. The reason Jacob, his wife, and 5 daughters went to Tennessee is a mystery. I've read that the Stewart Co. area was pretty poor after the Civil War and most of the iron ore mining had stopped. I don't know of any family Jacob had in TN and it seemed like he had a good thing in Iowa? No clue. I'm going to write what I know about each one of Jacob's children below:
1. Sarah Catherine Creek b. May 27, 1836 in Ohio. There is a Jefferson Co. Iowa marriage record for her and a Richard S. Bunker in 1854 but that is the last record I can find of her or Richard.
2. William Allen Creek b. 1837 in Ohio. He is on the 1856 census living in Poweskiek Co.IA, at age 19 with the William Wilson family. Probably as an apprentice but this is the last bit of information I can find about him. Possibly Jacob's middle name was Allen too?
3. Martin Luther Creek b. May 3, 1839 in Ohio. He was a farmer and constible in VanBuren Co. Bought 275 acres of land in Liberty Township in 1868. Married Phoebe Jane Gummere. Kind of suprised he did not serve in the Civil War, being of age. He is found on the 1900 census living in Paxton, Keith Co, NE with his family: William Earl, Otto, Fred, and Daisy. William Earl never married or had children. I found the tombstones for Otto (German name by the way) and Fred and they both died in their teens. Daisy married a Frank McCaig. Martin Luther and wife (and son Wm Earl) are buried in the Paxton Cemetery.
4. Samuel L. Creek b. Feb. 18, 1844. Samuel was my great great great grandfather. Military papers show he was born in Lancaster, Fairfield Co, Ohio. He joined the military at age 17 and served in the 3rd IA Cavalry Co.F - Captured in Florida,Mo. Released. Foughts battles in Memphis, Little Rock, Tupelo, Indepence,Mo, Kirksville,Mo, and Selma, Al. He married Harriett Laughlin in 1867 (appears Harriett had a brother in Samuel's company). He lived in the Village Township and farmed just north of Douds,IA his whole life. In 1906 he auctioned off his farm/property and moved to Fairfield Iowa where he lived the rest of this life. He had Charles E. Creek, Robert W. "Doc" Creek, and four daughters. Robert "Doc" went out west and wasn't heard from for several decades. Ironically he was living in the Seattle, Washington area near his sister who wa living up there too. Charles Edward Creek farmed in the same area and died at his farm near Eldon/Selma, Iowa.
5. George C. Creek b. 1846 also in Lancaster, Ohio according to his military papers. When he was 19 he joined the 7th IA Cavalry and was assigned out west, protecting forts and towns in the Nebraska, Wyoming area from Native Americans. He was marked deserted on his roll call sheet since it was months after the war ended, he was still in Fort Levenworth,KS. He simply vanished after this and never applied for a pension.
There are two more children listed on Ruby's family sheet she submitted to the Fairfield Library for a C.C. Creek and Christine Creek born around 1845. Not sure if these are typos, or two more children. They may have died in infancy and if that is the case are probably buried in Fairfied,Co, Ohio. Otherwise I don't have any information on them.
6. Sophia Anna Creek b. Feb 10, 1850. She was the first children born to Jacob and 2nd wife Katherine. Sophia was born in Ohio right before they came to Iowa. She was one of 5 sisters that moved with Jacob and his wife to Tennessee too. On the 1880 census she is married to an Irish man, John Hensey, and living in Cumberland Works, Stewart Co. TN. In 1885 she marries a Nathan Keel (is listed as Anna Hennessee) in Houston County. She died in 1910 in Cumberland City, TN. Buried in the Andrew Smith/Parrott Cemetery as Sophia Keel. Her son Anderson A. Gudgell is buried next to her. This was a son from an Iowa birth but father unkown. Anderson married into the Reynolds family; many Reynolds are buried here too.
7. Emma C. Creek b. 1852. She died in infancy and is buried in Fell Cemetery outside of Libertyville, Iowa. tombstone says daughter of JA and C Creek.
8. Lydia Jane Creek was another to go to TN. She was b. Oct 28, 1854. It does not show she ever married but she had two children Robert Clarence and Effie Creek. Both children kept Lydia's maiden name. On Robert Clarence's social security information it lists fahter "unkown." (note: I am in touch with a Pamela Bertrand who is related to Robert's side and also in touch with a Rhonda Pavel who is related to Effie's side. Both still have family in Stewart Co. and both have been beneficial in my research). I could not find a cemetery or death record for Lydia but Rhonda Pavel sent me a photograph of Lydia's tombstone and said Robert is buried next to her too. She said it's in a family cemetery and it was called Andrew Smith Cemetery. So Lydia is in the same cemetery as her sister Sophia - there are other unmarked tombstones and rocks so I am hoping to possibly find Jacob or Catherine being buried there too. Both Pamela and Rhonda said that Robert and Effie had farms outside of Erin, TN and that it was a pretty poor area. They also said they thought there was a family cemetery near their relatives homes. This must be the Andrew Smith/Parrott Cemetery.
9. Mary Sophrona Creek - b. March 2, 1857. She did not marry or have children. She is found on multiple censuses living with family members. Once she is listed as a servant, another time she is listed as a cook. Mary lived with sister Amanda for awhile and later lived with a Sarah Baggett. Sarah was the daughter of Amanda and Floyd Livingston. Mary is buried in Ham Cemetery in Carlisle,TN along with other Baggetts. Cause of death is illegible. Interesting note* on one census she lists her mother as born in "the atlantic ocean." I would take this as born on a ship but no other records coincide with this.
10. Amanda Elizabeth (Lizzy) Creek - b. March 31, 1862. Amanda marries Floyd Livingston Sr. in 1885 in Stewart Co.Tn. Dies in 1906 (cannot locate burial place). They had a son name Ralph Livingston who ended up living in Illinois and his daughter is Ruby Lee Livingston-Dryden. Ive spoke to her on the phone once, she is now elderly. She said Floyd was a carpenter and they had a large home near Erin but I can't really verify this information. She didnt remember much about her Grandma Lizzy who died in 1906. Floyd remarried and moved the family to Arkansas and then to Illinois.
11. Nelly Victoria Creek b. Feb 29, 1860. Marries a James P. Dowdy in 1879 in Houston Co, TN. Lives in Stewart Co, then on the 1910 census she is living Humphreys Co,Tn as Nelly Keel. She married a James Keel. Her death certificate says she is buried in Summers County, Humphreys Co, TN and died of pelegra.
If you have any additional information please contact me and I will get you in touch with the family menber doing this research,
soonerbredd66@yahoo.com
