5/3/1864 During the Civil War, he enlisted with Co I 135th IL Infwith t he rank of Cpl, mustered for only 100 days service.
9/28/1864 St Louis, MO. He received his discharge after serving hist erm here.
4/7/1866 Moultrie Co, IL. He signed a petition for the township anda lso for a bridge at Jonathan Creek.
7/11/1870 Town of E Nelson, PO Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. In thecens us John's name was recorded as James W. He was listed as a 26year old s ingle farmer with $800 in personal property only and headof the house o ver his 62 year old father's family that included a newstep-mother, 2 s isters, a new half-brother, as well as 2 adoptedchildren, Amanda Webb, 1 4, and George Reams, also 14. George Reamswas probably a brother to t he Sarah Reames, 11, who was living withLevi Seass, and the Charles Re ames, 19, living with the Henry Evansfamily. Both George and Sarah we re born in IN while Charles was bornin KY.
1874 MO. His second child was born and died there.
1875 Moultrie Co, IL. Back home again.
6/1/1880 E Nelson Twp, Moultrie Co, IL. At age 71 William was stillf arming when the census taker came around. Wife Ellen was 41 andWillia m had an entirely new family: Jasper, 11, William, 9, Lucy, 7,Clara B ell, 6, and twins Franklin and Florence, 11 months. Alsocounted there w as Oliver Perry, 19, farm laborer. Son Enoch was nextdoor and 3 doors i n the opposite direction was brother George.
Aft 7/1883 Germantown, Seward Co, NE. One family history places himhe re until after 5/1886 but from items below, he was back homeearlier th an that.
6/16/1885 Pct H, Seward Co, NE. His family was counted by the censust aker there, listing JW, 42, NJ, 31, AC, NM, 10, MH, 10, ME, 3, andWF, 2 , as well as 2 nephews, Arthur Purvis, 25, and Andrew Purvis,12. Broth er Enoch was in Germantown while brother Ephraim was in PctG.
1885 Wesley initiated trouble between his father's 2 families,resulti ng in the destitute step-mother moving her family to NE.
8/8/1895 Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL, was his residence when his lastse t of twins was born.
7/15/1896 Jefferson Co, IL, was their address when the last child wasb orn and where he himself died.
6/4/1900 Webber, Jefferson Co, IL. Listed in the census were John W,5 7, Nancy J, 45, and a large family with Minervia M, 22 Maud E, 18,Will iam T, 16, Thomas A and Matilda A, 14, Sarah 3, 11, Mary R, 9,Ethel G, 7 , and grandson Francis W, 7. John and Nancy had beenmarried 29 years w ith 14 children, only 10 still survived. John wasa farmer, the two ol dest sons were farm laborers.
Two children died in Keenes, IL, in 1908 and 1910, according tosomeone 's hand written family listing. Keenes is no longer on themap but was p robably in Jefferson Co, IL, also.
The dates posted are from hand written family records in thepossession o f Edna Powell Van Gundy. Some listings have 10/11/1842as his birth da te.
Some family listings show his death date as 2/9/1904.
