William, Jr. and Lydia Ellen Welch Carr
Return to Woodward Home Page
|
| Lydia Ellen Welch born 2/16/1842 Wayne County, In died 6/15/1918 Clay Co, Minn burial: Barnesville, Minn |
William Carr, Jr. born 11/22/1835 Carlisle, Cumberland Co, England died 6/30/1910 Clay Co, Minn burial: Barnesville, Minnesota |
| Married: 4/6/1861 New Boston, Mercer County, Illinois, by J. P. Woods, JP (certificate included in William Carr, Jr.'s Civil War pension papers)
Children: Sanford Carr born 5/13/1861 Mercer County, Illinois; died 10/22/1880 Mercer County, Ill, burial Shields Cemetery William R. Carr born 6/15/1862 Mercer County, Illinois; married (1)Lovesta May Coomer (2) Emma Palmer Katie Carr born 2/24/1864 Mercer County, Illinois; married Fayette Coomer Rhoda Carr born 4/16/1866 Mercer County, Illinois; married Preston Riley Harvey Carr born 11/8/1867 Mercer County, Illinois Agnes Carr born 12/19/1869 Mercer County, Illinois; married David Cannam Evaline Carr born 11/18/1871, Kansas, died 12/17/1886 Hardin County, Iowa, burial Cottage Cemetery Stephen A. Carr born 6/21/1878 Mercer County, Illinois; married Annie B. Wood Grace Carr born 11/18/1883 Hardin County, Iowa; married Charles Stewart (photo of William & Ellen Carr with daughters Grace (right) & Agnes (left).) |
1860 Census in Mercer County, IllinoisIn the 1860 Mercer County, Illinois, census Ellen Welch is enumerated at home on the family farm and also as a domestic in the household of William Carr, Sr., father of her future husband. Her brother, William Welch was also working for William Carr. William Carr, Jr. was already living on his own farm in 1860.William Carr, Jr.'s Civil War ServiceWilliam, Jr. & Ellen Welch Carr had two children born in Mercer County, Sanford and William R.Carr, and then on August 11, 1862 William Carr enlisted in Company K, 102nd Illinois Infantry. He was mustered in on September 2, 1862. By October 1 the regiment had moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and was assigned to Ward's Brigade, Dumont's Division. They continued marching south and arrived at Gallatin, Tennessee, on November 16, 1862, where they were stationed until June 1, 1863. The only action they saw there was a guerrilla attack on a train on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad which was quickly dispersed. A description of this attack from the Aledo Weekly Record will be posted on the Mercer County Civil War page.William & Ellen's daughter Katie was born February 24, 1864, and must have been conceived during the time William was at Gallatin. His Civil War records indicate no absence during this time period so it is likely that Ellen went to Gallatin. It was not uncommon for wives to visit soldiers when the opportunity arose, wives from the 102nd going as far as Tennessee to visit their soldiers. On June 1, 1863, the Brigade was ordered to Lavergne, Tennessee, for the purpose of guarding the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad. In August the companies of the 102nd were mounted and given Spencer repeating rifles. They became notorious, even among the rebels, as the most effective fighting regiment in that branch of the army. They broke winter quarters at Lavergne February 25, 1864, and moved on to Wauhatchie Valley, Tennessee. They were reassigned to First Brigade, Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland. The mounted regiments had to give up their horses but retained their Spencer rifles. William Carr was assigned as Division teamster from March 25 to April 30, 1864. The Regiment engaged in various campaigns and arrived in Atlanta on September 16, 1864. They marched on to Savannah on November 15, 1864, entering that city on December 21. They were again engaged in various campaigns in the area and moved on to Raleigh, North Carolina, in April 1865, where they remained until Johnson's surrender. They marched to Washington, D. C., were mustered out on June 6, 1865, and arrived in Chicago, Illinois, on June 9. On June 14 they received their final payment and discharge. According to The Patriotism of Illinois the Sanitary Fair held in Chicago in 1865 was used as a reception for returning soldiers. Major-General Sherman and Lt. General Grant were present and received the soldiers at Union Hall. The 102nd was the first regiment so greeted. Although William Carr was never wounded he had lifelong health problems from his service, as did most returning soldiers (more on his health and his pension on the Mercer County Carr page). Pension papers attached to this page: Marriage certificate, death of William, death of Lydia; William's declaration of children's names and birthdates; William's declaration of his birth and where the family lived. The Move to Kansas and ReturnWilliam & Ellen Carr remained in Mercer County through 1869. Three more children were born: Rhoda, Harvey, and Agnes Carr. After the birth of Agnes they went to Osage Mission, Kansas, and remained there until 1873. Their daughter Evaline, named for Ellen's sister Amanda Evaline Welch, was born there. Ellen & William Carr returned to Mercer County, Illinois, as they are found there in the 1880 census with eight children living at home. Son Stephen Carr had been added to the family.The Move to IowaThere is conflicting information in William's pension papers about when they went Iowa, but we do know it was after Sanford Carr's death in October, 1880 as he is buried in Mercer County.Sometime before November 1883, the family moved to Ellis Township, Hardin County, Iowa, near Iowa Falls, where their daughter Grace Carr was born. Rachel Woodward Welch went to live with her daughter Ellen Welch Carr in Hardin County, Iowa, in about 1889. She died at Ellen's home in August 1892 and is buried in Cottage Cemetery, although the grave location is not now marked or recorded. Some of the family felt that Rachel should have been returned to Mercer County to be buried beside Harvey Welch, but money was scarce and it could not be done. On July 14, 1890, William Carr applied for an invalid's pension which was granted at $5 per month, which increased to $12 per month by 1907. An increase was granted again in 1907 and he received $15 a month until his death in 1910. The Move to MinnesotaWilliam & Ellen Carr moved to Barnesville, Minnesota in 1902. Lydia E. Carrapplied for a widow's pension in 1910. She applied for an increase in 1916 as allowed by law and received $25 a month until her death in 1918. She signed her applications "Lydia E. Carr" but went by the name of Ellen throughout her life.Ellen's granddaughter Daisy Chamberlain, 95 years old in 1996 (and still selfsufficient), wrote, "Grandma Ellen was a wonderful person. She was so good to us kids and we loved her. Every evening she would sit in her arm chair and tell us stories, some funny and some scary." More on the Children of William and Ellen Welch CarrKnowing that the Carrs were in Barnesville well into the 1900s we found a Richard Carr in the phone directory in Barnesville and wrote him a letter for information about the family. As it turned out he was not a relative, but he knew relatives of our Carrs still living there, and passed on the letter to them. Thanks to this gentlemen's kindness we have been in touch with many of William and Ellen's descendants and have much more information on the family. We are deeply indebted to descendants, particularly Daisy Chamberlain, for information on the family. Daisy was 99 and still well and happy in 2001 but has since passed away. In January 2005 we heard from a descendant of Stephen Carr who furnished us with information on the Carr family in church records in England.Stephen and Annie Woods Carr: A letter from son Stephen Carr in 1937 told of the status of the family: "Detroit Lakes February 27, 1937 Dear Cousin I received your card and was sure suprised it found me in Detroit Lakes. We are runing a restrent here, our folks are prety well scatred. Grace is maried and lives in Canada her name is Mrs. Chas Stewert of Sanda. Sask. Canada. Aggie lives in Iowa falls her name is Canam. Roda lives in Iowa falls her name is Mrs. preston Riley. Harvey is in Warsinton (Washington?). Bill lives at Barnsvill Minn. We have 8 children living and 3 dead. We have 2 at home the rest are maried and gon sume Origon some in Utah some here in Minesota. it is very cold here and lots of snow. this will be all for this time write again. your Cousin, Steve Carr Detroit Lakes, Minn." (photo of Stephen A. Carr). Son Stephen Carr [author of the letter above] married Annie B. Wood, daughter of John and Anna Wood of Norway, December 13, 1899 in Hardin County, Iowa. Annie was born 1880 in Hardin County and died 1970 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Stephen died 1945 in Bend, Oregon. Stephen and Annie had children: Lula Bess, born about 1900; Daisy Dell, born 1/1/1902; Vernie, born 1905; Hazel, born 1910; David[Jack], born 1912; Elsie Ellen [may have died young], born 1913; Donald Douglas, born 1916; Millard, born 1917; Margaret, born 1917 [may have died young]; Dorothy Irene, born 1919; Stephen, Jr., born about 1921, died about 1923. The birth records indicate the family moved from Iowa to Minnesota between about 1905 and 1910. William R. Carr: Son William R. Carr married (1)Lovesta May Coomer, daughter of John and Matilda Follett Coomer, April 10, 1887 in Iowa Falls, Iowa. She was born March 19, 1864, and died October 26, 1899 in Ellis Township, Hardin County, Iowa. They had children: Hartwell Harvey, born 2/10/1889; Carl Coomer, born 5/28/1890; James Evan, born 10/13/1891; Effie Grace, born 6/20/1894; Elma, born November 1895; Arna, born 5/31/1898. (photo of Lovesta, Hartwell and Carl) In the 1900 census we find William and children with servant Eva [Emma] Palmer, born 1868, Iowa, and her daughter Pearl, born January 1896, in Tipton Township in Hardin County. William Carr married Emma Palmer about 1901 and they had children: Cecil; Lela, and Kenneth. (Photo of William and Emma with the family, including Pearl Palmer: Back Row - Pearl, Effie, Carl, Jim, Hartwell; Front Row - Cecil, William, Lela, Arne, Kenny, Emma, Alma) Katie Carr Coomer: Daughter Katie Carr married Fayette Coomer January 1, 1884 in Hardin County, Iowa. He was brother of Lovesta Coomer Carr and was born September 29, 1859. Fayette and Katie had children: Hobert, Ruth, John, Lillie, William, and Elsie. Daughter Lillie married in Barnesville, so evidently this family also went to Minnesota. Rhoda Carr Riley: Daughter Rhoda Ellen Carr married Preston Riley,son of John and Chredima Riley,on 3/22/1887. Preston Riley was born 10/23/1857 in Lafayette, Wisconsin. Harold Riley is a descendant of a brother of Preston and furnished a photo of Preston Riley. He has much information on the Riley family. Rhoda and Preston lived in Hardin County, Iowa, and had children: Glen, born 6/24/1889; Albert, born 10/6/1890; Flossie Ellen, born 9/23/1895; and Floyd, born 4/5/1902. This family apparently did not go to Minnesota. Agnes Carr Cannam: Daughter Agnes Carr married David Cannam, son of George and Susan Cannam of England, about 1891 in Hardin County. We do not believe they had any descendants. Grace Carr Stewart: Daughter Grace Carr married Charles Stewart, had two daughters and moved to Canada. A descendant tells us "I barely remember Aunt Grace. The last time I saw her, she and her family were moving to Canada, they had visited Mom and Dad [ Steve and Annie] at their farm and stopped by Detroit Lakes where I was working at the time." The name Charles Stewart is too common for us to trace them in Canada. |
