Jesse Overman

Jesse Overman was born October 17, 1782, in Guilford County, North Carolina, the second child of thirteen born to Ephraim Overman (1754-1824) and Rachel Bundy Small (1759-1847). Two years earlier, a brother Obediah was born in 1780, but he died as an infant in 1781. Jesse's brother Eli was born February 15, 1785, and sister Keziah on August 6, 1787, and brother Ephraim on June 11, 1790, and another brother, Elijah Elisha in 1792, and another sister, Lydia, on June 13, 1792, according to the U.S. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Six more children were born, Clarkey in 1794, but she died in 1795, Phinias in 1796 who died in 1802, then Abner in 1796, Silas in 1798, Rachel in 1800, and Reuben in 1802. Jesse and his siblings accompanied their parents from North Carolina to Virginia in about 1808, and they later went to Ohio and then Indiana.

From a book entitled "Quakers in Ohio and Indiana," the following shows that "Jesse Overman, of Whitewater Monthly Meeting, at Richmond, Indiana, and Keziah Stubbs, were the first couple united in marriage according to the rites of Friends, at Elk Meeting, in June, 1810." Although another source shows that Jesse married Keziah Stubbs on July 14, 1810, in Preble County, Ohio. Keziah was born July 19, 1790, in the state of Georgia, and later her parents, Nathan and Elizabeth Stubbs, and their family, who were also connected with the Friends Church, emigrated from Georgia to Preble County, Ohio, where Nathan became one of the substantial farmers of that locality.

After the marriage of Jesse and Keziah, they established their home near Elkton, Preble County, Ohio, where he secured a track of land, which he cleared and transformed into a good farm. About 1822 he moved to Wayne county, Indiana, and there secured a track of land in the midst of the forest, to which he turned his attention until the trees were replaced by waving fields of grain and his half-section was made to bloom and blossom like a rose. Jesse and Keziah had thirteen children, as follows:

Henry born May 3, 1811, White Water MM, Ohio

Eli born July 8, 1812, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Elizabeth, born January 2, 1814, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio (died at the age of 14 years old in 1828)

William, born February 7, 1816, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Rachel, born December 5, 1817, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Rebecca, born May 10, 1819, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Ephraim, born September 21, 1820, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Nathan, born July 10, 1822, Elkton Grove, Preble County, Ohio

Enoch, born February 1, 1824, New Garden, Wayne County, Indiana

Elijah, born February 1, 1824, New Garden, Wayne County, Indiana

Joseph, born September 6, 1826, Randolph County, Indiana

Hannah, born December 14, 1828, Randolph County, Indiana

Mary, born September 17, 1831, Randolph County, Indiana.

The records of the New Garden Monthly Meeting of the Friends Church trace out the facts of the Overman's lives. On January 17, 1824, Jesse and sons Henry, Eli, William, Ephraim, and Nathan received a certificate from the Elk MM in Ohio, since they had moved to Indiana. Jesse's wife, Keziah, having born 13 children, died 4 years after the birth of her last child in 1835, at the age of just 45 years old. Keziah was buried in the Arba Friends cemetery in Arba, Randolph County, Indiana.

On November 17, 1849, Jesse got a certificate to the Mississinewa MM of the church, and made his home with his son Elijah Overman and daughter-in-law Susanna Rue Overman, in Miami County. In the 1850 census he was 68 years old and was living with his son, Eli Overman, and daughter-in-law, Piety Fulghum Overman, who were 38 and 35 years old, and their children Sarah, 16, Keziah, 14, Rachel, 12, William, 8, and Elvira, 1 year old.

On January 1, 1850, Jesse purchased 80 acres in Miami County at the land office located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He made his home there with his children in about 1853 and lived there for the rest of his life. He passed away 19 years later on September 21, 1869, and was buried in the Friends Cemetery in Amboy, Miami County, Indiana. He had reached the venerable age of eighty-seven years, and died at the home of his son Elijah, in Miami county. (Biographical & Genealogical History of Cass, Miami, Howard and Tipton, Indiana V.II, Chicago, The Lewis publishing Co., 1898).

SUMMARY: The children of Jesse Overman and Keziah Stubbs and their grandchildren:

Henry Overman married Evoline Diggs March 21, 1838, in Richmond, Miami, Indiana. They had seven children: Silas Franklin in 1839, Isaiah in 1844, Micajah Diggs in 1846, Robert Barclay in 1849, Caroline Melissa in 1852, Leander in 1854, and Christopher columbus Overman in 1959. Their family moved to Cedar, Cowley, Kansas in the early 1870s and then to Oklahoma after 1895. Evoline Diggs Overman died March 7, 1894, in Kansas. She was buried in the Dexter Cemetery in Dexter, Cowley County, Kansas. Henry died January 19, 1898, in Blackwell, Kay County, Oklahoma.

Eli Overman married Piety Fulghum (1814-1878) and they had seven children: Sarah (1833-1911), Keziah (1836-1924), Rachel 1839-1925), William F. (1842-1861), Elvira (1849-1891), an unamed infant born and died in 1855, and Benjamin F. (1857-1919). Eli moved from Elkton, Preble County, Ohio to Harrison, Miami County, Indiana, by 1850. Piety died November 15, 1878, in Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana, and was buried in the Friends Cemetery in Amboy, Miami County, Indiana. In 1880 Eli was still living in Kokomo, but he died February 17, 1893, while living in Richmond, Wayne, Indiana. He was buried with Piety in the Friends Cemetery in Amboy.

William Overman married Nancy Overman (1825-1869) and they had seven children: Martha Ann (1848-1865), Mary Jane (1848-1869), Elijah F. (1850-1926), George (1852-1871), Irvin C. (1857-1940), Irena J. (1866-1892), Nathan E. (1869-1930). After Nancy's death in 1869, William married Mary Anis Outland (1820-1887). He lived out his life on a farm in Harrison, Miami, Indiana, and passed the farm on to his son Irvin. William died April 29, 1907, in Amboy, Miami County, Indiana.

Rachel Overman married Josiah Haisley August 24, 1837, at New Garden, Wayne County, Indiana. They had eight children: Jeremiah (1838), Mary (1840-1841), Keziah (1842-1871), Martha (1844-1929), an unamed infant daughter (1848), David (1850-1946), Irvin Clifford (1853-1917), and Francis W. (1856-1874). They stayed in Arba, Randolph County, Indiana. Rachel died March 14, 1872, in Arba,Randolph County, Indiana. Josiah died eight years later on May 18, 1880, in Arba, Randolph, Indiana. They were both buried in the Arba Cemetery.

Rebecca Overman married Ira Haisley (1815-1888) and they had six children: Elwood (1838-1897), Ruth (1839-1910), Jesse (1843), Mary (1846), Caroline (1852-1875), and Ellen H. (1862-1948). Ira died November 13, 1888, in Liberty, Grant County, Indiana, and was buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery there. Rebecca died February 19, 1897, in Liberty, Grant County, Indiana, and was buried with her husband in the Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Ephraim married Lydia Rue (1828-1847) and they had one daughter Lydia Ann Overman (1846-1924) and the mother Lydia died the following year. Ephraim married second Mary Jane Burgess (1822-1872) and they had four children: William S. (1853-1941), Samuel (1861), Franklin E. (1861), and Mary Alice (1869). Sadly, Mary Jane died in 1872, just three years after the birth of her last child. Ephraim lived another 40 years and died February 14, 1912, in Wabaunsee, Kansas. He was buried in the Harveyville Cemetery there.

Nathan S. Overman married Anna Parker Fulgham (1824-1898) November 20, 1844. They had eight children: Sarah (1845), Ruthamy Jane (1853-1854), Lindley F. (1856-1923), Jonathon J. (1858-1934), William A. (1860-1896), Oliver M. (1863-1864), Rollie L. (1865-1929), and Nathan Albert (1866-1877). Anna died April 19, 1898, in Fountain City, Wayne County, Indiana, and was buried in the Arba Cemetery. Nathan S. died 8 years later, on August 29, 1906, also in Fountain City, and was buried in the Arba Cemetery with Anna.

Enoch Overman married Hannah Jones (1834-1917) on March 20, 1850, in Marion, Grant County, Indiana. They had six children: Richard J. (1853-1931), Ansel R. (1855-1930), Franklin (1857-1918), Daniel W. (1860-1863), Luella Estella (1863-1946), Anna Rodema (1866-1905). Enoch moved to the Wabash, Indiana, by 1860. Enoch died September 3, 1896, in Miami, Miami County, Indiana. Hannah died 21 years later on May 23, 1917, in Champaign, Illinois.

Elijah married Susannah Rue on November 14, 1849, in Centerville, Wayne, Indiana. They had six children: Albert J. (1851-1889), Rebecca (1853-1925), John R. (1855-1932), Rachel Jane (1857-1943), Lindley Edwin (1860-1909), and Ludora E., also known as Dora E. (1862-1949). Sadly, Susannah died in 1866, just four years after Dora's birth. Elijah married Miriam Macy on October 14, 1868, in Harrison, Miami, Indiana. She died in 1880. Elijah moved to Dexter, Cowley, Kansas, some time after 1880 and died there September 23, 1893.

Joseph Overman married Anna Jones (1828-1900) and they had nine children: Daniel J. (1851-1881), Jesse (1852-1992), Enoch F. (1856), Allen H. (1857-1941), Ruben (1860), William (1862-1940), Hannah (1864), Addison (1866), and Mary (1869). Joseph died January 30, 1899, in Miami County, Indiana. Anna died the following year on November 27, 1900, in Miami County, Indiana, and was buried in the Friends Cemetery in Amboy, Indiana.

Hannah Overman married Calvin Edgerton on September 23, 1846, in New Garden. They had ten children: Franklin Christopher (1847-1929), Rachel Jane (1849-1936), Mary Ellen (1851-1928), Cynthia Elma (1853), Elwood Clarkson (1856-1867), Jesse (1858-1897), Esther (1860-1945), Ruth A. (1862-1874), Ida (1866-1933), and Martha D. (1869-1873). Hannah died April 14, 1889, in Amboy, Miami County, Indiana. Calvin died May 11, 1917, in Amboy, and was buried in the Friends Cemebery there.

Mary Overman married Allen Haisley (1828-1857) and they had three children: Eunice (1850), Lavinia (1852), and Alfred (1854-1954). After Allen died in 1857, she married second Joseph Brown. Mary died in 1865.