Fruits Saga Continues – Catherine #8 Up Today!

Catherine Fruits was born while Alamo George and Catherine (Stonebraker) Fruits were still in Ohio (Butler County according to her death record) but grew-up in the Alamo area with the large group of brothers and sisters I hope you have been learning about the last few weeks. Named for her momma, she took after both the old folks and lived to be 90 years, 9 months and 19 days old. Her death occurred from asthma, heart exhaustion and “old age!”

Very odd but no marriage shows up anywhere anytime for Isaac J. Barlow and Catherine Fruits but it would have to be late 1844 or early 1845. Then, they moved to Marshall County, Indiana but for many years thereafter lived in Howard County where she passed away 15 Jan 1915 (thanks to “Linda” FindAGrave contributor #47047115 for the partial photo of her stone). They are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Greentown, which seems to be IOOF oriented. Isaac was a pump maker, quite astute at the form of art and made other miscellaneous machinery. His birth occurred on Christmas Day in 1821, passing 17 April 1911, also at a nice age. Would guess that Catherine’s brother George (in last week’s Saga) married Isaac’s sister Elizabeth Barlow (17 Dec 1846 in MoCo) but since she passed so young and I couldn’t find Isaac and Catherine’s marriage do not know for sure, but thinking it’s a logical assumption, anyway.

By the 1900 census, Catherine is tallied as having had eight children with only four living. One of those having passed was their oldest son, George W., born December 21, 1845 in Marshall County. He fought in the Civil War, Co E, 12th Indiana Cavalry. He had married Elizabeth Hendricks in 1862 and Isaac and Catherine were living with his family which also included their two first grands, Frances and George. His wife must have remarried, as Catherine was receiving her son’s pension by 1900. Couldn’t find out his cause of death – accident, ague, consumption or ? But, I do wonder if perhaps it was war-oriented. Did get a smile that instead of three George Fruits together, there were three George Barlows as besides their son, George, his son George, there was also a cousin, George there in 1870. Three of Isaac and Catherine’s youngest also lived with them, so it was a full-house!

With four and a half years’ difference in George and Nancy, I would guess that perhaps one of the children who passed was born in here and another one yet had to have died, although in other census records, she is listed as having seven vs. eight children, and I’d seem to go for that, at least I would say she likely had this one and another, passing very young, plus George.

Nancy Ann was their next child born 3 April 1849 and still living in 1930 – Nelson, Cloud County, Kansas where she was 82 and living with her son Isaac Gardner. Nancy married Elijah Gardner 10 April 1866. The Gardners had at least one other son, Robert. Could be more! She died in 1936 and she and Elijah are buried in Rice, Cloud County.

The Mystery comes next, sometimes found as Laura J or Lora Jennie or Zorah J. yet nothing really about her. According to census records, she would have been born about 1852. Someone had her in their Family Tree on Ancestry as passing in 1869, but she is still living in 1900 with her sister, Nancy. What happened to her after that is definitely a mystery to me at this date, anyway!

Katherine (Katy – some also have her mother listed as Katy but I never saw her mentioned anywhere in a record other than Catherine – did the daughter, though). She was born 16 Sept 1854 in Marshall County and died there in Plymouth 8 Jan 1925. She had a stroke and passed nine days later. Her husband was William Jones (1848-1939) passing at a much greater age (91) compared to Katy at 70. Several children blessed the Jones’ family: Irene (called Rena); Artrella (found most often as Trella). along with Charles, Willard, Barbara and possibly others. She had several grandchildren, as well.

Jerusha Lou came into the world 13 April 1857 at Greentown when they were still living in Howard County. Have also found her name as Norah. She married Joe Gerard, a laborer his whole life, but not sure what type. He was 21 years older, and believe one child listed with them, Daisy (born 1872 is likely his from another marriage since they hitched in December of 1874). Olive Luella “Lula” lived to be about 80 quite active in the Methodist Church, living in Marshall County her whole life. Do believe Jerusha passed young or divorced as he is with another wife married 15 years in the 1900 census, thus Lula may be her only child and Jerusha is likely the other child of Catherine’s who died.

Definitely, their sixth child to adulthood would be Isaac Wesley Barlow, born in Marshall County 29 Sept 1862 and passed away in Howard County 21 Nov 1947. He married Clara Joh and is buried with his parents. He was a long-time farmer four miles east of Greentown. Don’t believe there are children in this family, either.

The Barlows were married about 66 years and although six children grew to maturity, there really was not a plethora of grands. Yet there were a few to add to Gpa’ George’s ever-growing family tree! Way to go, Catherine Fruits Barlow!

Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].