Dunbar # 5 – John Adam Born In Ohio, Grew-Up In MoCo, Died In Iowa

John Adam Dunbar was Lewis and Polly (Powers) Dunbar’s third son and fourth child, born August 9th, 1828 in Clinton County, Ohio. John grew-up in Montgomery County, marrying Eleanor Burckhalter March 5, 1849, a few months shy of his 21st birthday. She was 17. John Adam’s brother, William had married her sister, Sarah in February the year before in Hendricks County. The girls were daughters of Cason and Jane (Hill) Burckhalter. Cason Burckhalter sure was an interesting man, so gung-ho about the Civil War, that he told the recruiter he was 44 (45 was the top limit) although he was 22 years older than that. He fought in the 30th Iowa Infantry from August to October 1862. Evidently, and likely wisely, he didn’t reenlist!

Eleanor was born in 1832 and passed away in 1910, three years before John Adam who died in Washington County, Iowa 11 Nov 1913. They are buried in Sandy Hook Cemetery in Brighton with many other Dunbar relatives who went west or were born in the West, including his brother William and her sister, Sarah.

John Adam and Eleanor’s first child was a boy and they blessed him with both gpa’s names, Lewis Cason. I believe he was also the only one born in Indiana (near Colfax) on April 2, 1850. His nickname was Lute. He and his parents went to Washington County, Iowa in a covered wagon, three weeks on the road. With just twelve miles to go to their home, one of the horses died. Walking back to a home they had passed, John borrowed a horse and he returned it the next day as promised. The family stayed with his uncle, Dan Powers for a few months while they settled in. After the birth of their second child they went to Clarke County, Iowa several years where most of their family was born, then back again to the Brighton area in Washington County. (thanks to some of this information on John Adam which was in Audrey Schroeder’s Dunbar History and Dana and Mary Jo for sending things my way).

Lute was a farmer as well as doing some carpenter work. Passing away on the 3rd of February in 1940, he was married to Eliza Stacy, and they had four sons (John; Frank; Carl and Harry) and two daughters (Ellen and June and yep, she was born in June). When Eliza died, he married Jane Rine. His obituary states (love this) that he had 28 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren being close to 90 at his death and buried at Hillcrest Cemetery in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa.

If you read about the first son, William (John Adam’s brother) you know that he too went to Brighton, Washington County and although I did not find a specific date for William going, John Adam’s family arrived in Washington on 6 September 1853, selling their properties here and going west. According to William’s children’s birth places and dates, it looks like he may have gone about the same time as John Adam.

It seems like just about everyone had a Mary Jane and John Adam was no exception. His Mary Jane was born in Clarke County, Iowa on March 15, 1854. Now, how she got back to Indiana when the folks stayed in Iowa, not sure but she married John W. Bowers and they are buried back in the Bowers Cemetery near Colfax. They had two children, John William Jr. and Florence Emma who married Pete Fickle and they had two Fickle sons (William and John Bowers Fickle) and two Fickle daughters (Betty and Joan who passed at age two). Mary Jane passed away May 26, 1944 from a stroke, which was a health problem running in the family.

Silas Marion was born the 4th day of February in 1856 and died 8 Nov 1913; he married Mary Jane Gordon and they had three sons (Charles, Roy and John Wesley) and three daughters, Ethel born and died 1898; Nellie and Gertrude. He is one of the few not buried in Washington County, but instead is in Clio Cemetery, Wayne County, Iowa.

Following him two years later on the 21st of April was George Oliver, who became a farmer and very active in the First Christ Presbyterian Church. He and wife, Julia Ann Rhine had seven daughters (Goldie, Sylvia, Leola, Julia, Olive, Nancy and Rose) and two sons (Glenn and Merle). He passed at age 83 and is buried in Washington County in Elm Grove Cemetery.

Nancy Suzanne and Henry Archer “Archie” both died fairly young, although Nancy born 13 Nov 1861 did marry (James Risk) and had one daughter, Ethel before passing 1 March 1888. Archie was born 19 April 1868 and died in June of 1877 buried at Sandy Hook.

John Elza was born 28 Feb 1866 and passed away 6 Nov 1931 also buried in Sandy Hook. He was a farmer and truck driver. He and wife, Harriet (Taylor) had three sons (Floyd, Louis and Charles) and one daughter, Ora. He rests in Sandy Hook.

Robert William also a farmer was born 8 Jan 1864 died 11 Sept 1908 from a very severe case of jaundice and is buried at Hillcrest. He married Florence May and had three children in slightly over two years, Clarence (b-d 1890), Mary Jane (another one) and Grace.

Charles Wesley, their youngest, worked in various areas of the insurance field and for a bit owned a restaurant. Born 22 Aug 1870 he passed away 26 April 1959 (buried at Hill Crest). He and his wife Emma Sheridan had no children.

As you can see, John Adam was a very handsome fellow (thanks to Lynne Ream adding his photo to FindAGrave). He was smart, honest and loved his nine children and 31 grandchildren (think that’s right). Most definitely, he went forth and prospered in so many ways. RIP John boy!

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].