Abigail Poe

Per Find A Grave.com, Abigail Wilson Poe was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Linthicum) Wilson. Abigail was married to David Milton Poe who died in 1860 in North Carolina. Abigail moved to Kansas with her son, Thomas. Note that Find A Grave shows the name of her son as Thomas James Wilson (1841-1923) instead of Thomas James Poe. The grave stone pictured above which is from the Hiattville Cemetery in Hiattville, Bouboun County, Kansas, does list him correctly as Thomas James Poe. They also have her daughter-in-law and Thomas James Poe's wife erroneously listed as Elizabeth Wilson instead of Elizabeth Poe, although the headstone does correctly show her as Elizabeth J. Rayl Poe. Same applies for Elizabeth and Thomas Poe's son, Sammie Eli (1867-1885), since he is shown as Sammie Eli Wilson although the headstone shows his surname as Poe.

Per the North Carolina Marriage Index, Abigail Wilson married David Poe on January 4, 1821, in Guilford county, North Carolina. In the 1850 U.S. Federal Census for the Southern Division of Guilford County, North Carolina, David Poe, 52, and Abigail Poe, 52, were living with their children David M., 18, Phebe E., 14, Richard D., 11, and Thomas J., 9 years old. David Poe was working as a laborer and his son David M. as a farmer. Living next door was William Poe, 26, farmer, and his wife Eliza, 29, and living with them were Martitia Chaplain, 14, and Alphens Chaplain, 11, years old. William Poe was probably David and Abigail's oldest son, but I don't know who the two children were with the surname Chaplain.

Living a few doors down was Elizabeth Linthicum, 52, and her son Albert, 23, and Daniel, 21, who were probably Abigail's mother and younger brothers. Her father may have already passed away by that time. Albert was working as a farmer and Daniel was working as a laborer.

Living next door to the Linthicum's was Thomas Osborne, 61, and Celia (Poe) Osborne, 57, (David Poe's sister) and daughter, Mary Ann Osborne, 17, and probably Celia's younger sister, Rachel Poe, 40. Thomas was also working as a farmer.

Abigail's son, Thomas James Poe, married Elizabeth Jane Rail or Rayl November 3, 1866, in Henry County, Indiana. By the 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Virginia, Warren County, Iowa, Abigail Poe, 82, was living with her son Thomas, 39, and wife Elizabeth Jane, 33, and children Samuel, 12, Lydia, 10, Abigail, 8, Ulysses, 6, Mary, 4, and John, 2. Thomas was working as a farmer, and he, his wife and mother were all born in North Carolina. Samuel and Lydia were born in Indiana, and the other four children were born in Iowa, so they must have left Indiana for Iowa sometime after 1870.

By 1900, Thomas J. Poe, 59, was living in Pawnee, Bourbon County, Kansas, and was a widower, since his wife, Elizabeth Jane passed away January 25, 1900, per her grave stone photo found on Find A Grave.com. Listed with him were his children, Abbie, 27, John B., 22, William H., 18, Allie C., 15, and Dessie B., 13. Since Abbie, John, William and Allie were born in Iowa but Dessie was born in Kansas, we know the family arrived in Kansas sometime between 1885 and 1886, and Thomas Poe's mother, Abagail died in Kansas in 1888.

Thomas was still working as a farmer and his sons John and William were working as farm laborers, probably on the family farm. The 1900 census gives the month and year that each person was born as follows:

Thomas, May of 1841

Abbie, December of 1872

John, May of 1878

William, January of 1882

Allie, September of 1884

Dessie, February of 1887

Thomas lived another 23 years and died on January 14, 1923, in Bourbon county, Kansas. He was buried in the Hiattville Cemetery in Hiattville, Bourbon County, Kansas, with his mother, his wife, and his son Samuel who died in 1889.

In 1895 Tom's daughter Abbie had married a man by the name of Edward Frank Callahan who was born in Alabama, and they were living in Prairie Creek, Dubuque, Iowa. She was 22 years old and had been born in Dubuque County, Iowa. I believe that Abbie's younger sister, Allie, may have married Edward Frank Callahan's younger brother, Robert C. Callahan, because in 1923 they were all listed in Hot Springs, Arkansas, as follows:

A U.S. City Directory Listing for 1923 showed them living at 104 Hickory Street, and Edward was working as a cashier for R.C. Callahan, probably his brother, since in the 1930 census, Abbie, 50, and Frank, 54, were living with her husband's brother, Robert Callahan, 34, and his wife, Allie, 32, and their children Juanita (mispelled as Woneta), 14, Leona, 11, Donald, 8, and Robert Jr., 5. Robert Sr. was working as the manager of a cafe, his wife was working as the assistant manager of the cafe, and Frank was working as an inspector for a chain of hotels. In the same 1923 U.S. City Directory listing for Hot Springs where Edward and Abbie were listed, so was his brother, Robert C. and his wife, Allie Callahan, and they were also living at 104 Hickory and running a restaurant at 242 Ouachita Avenue.

Sadly, Robert C. Callahan died on April 7, 1936, in Garland County, Arkansas, when he was just 40 years old. The cause of his death is unknown. I don't know when his wife Allie passed away, since I could only find a birth record for her showing that she was born September 13, 1884, in Iowa to Thomas and Jane Rayl Poe, and her name was listed as Aley Creola Poe. Perhaps she died at the same time as her husband Robert in some kind of an accident.

Previously in the 1920 census, Robert, 26, and, Allie, 26, and their two daughters, Juanita, 2 years 4 months old and Leona one year 2 months old, were living with Robert's brother, Frank, 43, and his wife, who was listed as Eva, 39, perhaps Eva was Abbie's middle name. Their home was located at 734-1/2 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Frank was the owner of a fruit store and Robert was the owner of a restaurant.

Previously when Robert Cecil Callahan completed his U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card on June 5, 1917, he described himself as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. He was 23 years old, having been born in Aronaton, Alabama, on February 25, 1894. He was living at 340 Benton Street in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with his wife, and child, and was running a restaurant located at 417 Central Avenue.

In the 1940 census, Edward Frank Callahan, 64, and Abbie, 60, were living with their nieces and nephew's, Robert and Allie's children, Juanita, 24, Leona, 21, Robert, 16, in a home they were renting for $20 per month located in Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas. Neither Ed nor Abbie were working but Juanita was working as the secretary to the head of an educational project, and Leona was working as a cashier at a movie theatre. Also living in their home were three boarders, Cora C. Smith, a 64-year old widow, her divorced daughter, Viola Zilliox, 31, and Jessie Mitchum, a 27-year old divorcee. Neither Cora nor Viola were working but Jessie was working as a night waitress in a restaurant. For the 52 weeks Juanita worked in 1939 her income was $960, Leona's was $650, and Jessie's was $260.

Edward Frank Callahan passed away in 1942 at the age of about 66, having been born in1875. He was buried in the Hiatville Cemetery. His wife, Abbie passed away the following year in 1943, also while living in Bourbon County, Kansas, and was also buried in the Hiattville Cemetery.

Tom's son John David Poe passed away in 1955 and was also buried in the Hiattville Cemetery.

Tom's Son William Henry Poe passed away in 1954 in Potwin, Butler County, Kansas, but was also buried in the Hiattville Cemetery, along with his wife, Edna May Boyd Poe, 1888-1979. Their children were Mabel A. Poe Neill (1910-2002), Helen M. Poe, (1923-1993), William Franklin Poe, (1919-2002), and Thelma L. Poe, (1918-1982). Mabel was buried in Enid, Oklahoma, and Helen and Thelma in the Hiattville Cemetery.

Tom's daughter Dessie Eliza Poe married Leo Charles Haig in about 1910, and in 1920, they were living in Kansas City, Wyandotte county, Kansas, at 2012 Ruby Avenue, a home they were renting, and they were listed as follows: Leo Haig, 29, Dessie, 32, and daughter Loretta, 9 years old. They were all born in Kansas. Leo was working as a machinist for the railroad. By 1930 they were living at 1623 South 17th Street in Kansas City, a home they owned valued at $1,500. They were listed as follows: Leo, 40, Dessie, 43, daughter Loretta, 19, and her husband, Howard Coleman, 23. Loretta and Howard had been married for 2 years and Leo and Dessie for 20 years. Leo was still working as a machinist, and Howard was working as a cashier for a department store.

By 1940, Leo, 49, and Dessie, 53, were living with their daughter, Loretta, 29, and her husband Roy Ramby, 29, at 1621 South 16th Street. Leo was working as a city fireman, Roy as a collector for a credit union, and Loretta as a comptometer operator for an oil refinery. Leon earned $1980 income in 1935 for 52 weeks worked, Loretta earned $1,080 for 52 weeks worked, and Roy earned $300 for 12 weeks worked in 1939. Leo worked 84 hours per week, Roy, 56 hours per week and Loretta, 40 hours per week. Leo and Dessie had an 8th grade education and Roy and Loretta had 4 years of high school. Roy was born in Missouri and Leo, Dessie and Loretta in Kansas

Dessie passed away July 13, 1954, and was buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Kansas City. Her husband Leo passed away the following year and was buried with his wife at Maple Hill Cemetery. I found a photo of their daughter Loretta, listed as Loreta Haag, in the 1926 U.S. School Yearbook for Argentine High School in Kansas City, Kansas, The Argentian, showing that she was in the first year journalism class. I don't know when Dessie passed away.