#7 – Dunbar Saga – Robert

As with most of us, Robert Dunbar had many wonderful happenings in his life, but many bad, as well. He was born Nov 12 in 1831, the first of Lewis and Mary “Polly” Powers Dunbar’s children to be born in Indiana, the second child born in Sugar Creek Township and for many years held the title of the oldest native born Sugar Creeker in the township.

His education was of the times and on November 10th in 1850 (Boone County), he married Mary Maroney. They farmed in the triangle of Montgomery, Boone and Tippecanoe, settling about 1861 in Sugar Creek, MoCo and thereafter stayed in the same place. In 1870, he owned a large amount of real estate, valued at $8,800.

This happy couple spent 61 years together before their death two months apart in 1911. He had been sick for quite some time, having had a stroke (a prominent form of death in this family) five years prior to his death, and not being able to walk all that time. At the time of his passing from blood poisoning, it is thought that carbolic acid was used thinking it was a liniment, this causing the blood poisoning that technically led to his death.

Their 50th anniversary was quite an affair with 52 present, 40 of whom were their descendants and two of the 52 had been at their original wedding. A big dinner “consisting of almost everything in the range of edibles and prepared in that tempting manner for which the Dunbar women are justly famous in this locality,” was enjoyed by each and all. There were six more direct descendants who could not attend being in Iowa. Mary gave her children a five-dollar gold piece as a souvenir of the occasion and Robert gave each of the small grandchildren one dollar in silver.

When Robert and Mary were first married they started in a log cabin. No land, no major effects, but they did own a horse, cow, two beds, a cooking pot, a teakettle, one skillet and a few clothes pieces. She cooked at the fire place. Before his marriage, he ventured around various other states but settled down a bit over a mile from where he was born. However, he was 30 before he made it to our county seat having to go for jury duty. Sixteen children were born into this family; however, there was but a dozen to reach maturity and nine left at the time of their parents’ passing.

He was somewhat politically-oriented, occasionally running for an office or working with the party. At age 16, he joined the Christian Church at Colfax and a charter member of the Masonic order there. Several Masons from the county and Colfax area attended his funeral and were in charge of such. Although as far as I know, he did not live in Iowa, he did have farm property and livestock there and made several trips out to check on things, seeing sisters and brothers and his son living there.

So, who are the children? First was Elias born in 1852, married Sarah Sprague in 1882 in Montgomery County, was a farmer here but moved to Oklahoma about 1910. They had several children (William Earl, Cleveland, Nathan, Mary, Eva, Fay, John R, Forrest) who produced at least eight grands.

Their oldest daughter was Mary Catherine “Kate” born in 1855 and married Samuel Boots in 1878. After birthing at least a son, Roy Garfield Boots, she seemed to get melancholy. When her Uncle Taylor was murdered (you’ll read about him later on in the Saga), she became deeply depressed and as her father was boarding the train at Darlington to go to Rockville to see the man hanged for the murder of his brother, he was tapped on the shoulder and told that his daughter, Kate had hung herself. Can you imagine?

Second daughter was Lydia Cleveland Dunbar 1 Nov 1856 and married David Hayes. They were parents of five children, four growing to adulthood. I loved their kids’ names: Kircher Berdell; Lelah Pearl; Robert Milton, Mary Glennie and Floyd Clyde. They were married over 50 years as well, he being a large farmer. Lydia had a servant through much of her children’s years of growing-up. She, too, died of a stroke.

Daughter Melissa Dunbar never married. She is buried in (1858-1943) Union Cemetery in Tippecanoe County where her parents, grands and many other relatives rest, having passed from a stroke. Although she rented her home (the last few years of her life, she lived with a brother) she owned 52 acres from her parents’ estate and it was sold at public auction after her death.

Eliza Alice Dunbar (1859-1926) married John M. Royer in 1884. He died young and she remarried Simon Wilshimer. She had at least one son Curtis and I believe a daughter, Mary as well. She passed of diabetes and Brights’ disease.

Another daughter followed, named Emilda but went continuously by Emma, middle name Elizabeth. She married Jessie P. Smith in 1884. Buried in Union Cemetery, they had no children.

Rachel Ellen born 28 April 1865 married Joseph F. Corns and she died in 1886, having had two children, whom I believe were named Ora and Ivan.

Yet another daughter, Martha Bell (born 18 Oct 1866) married Oliver Horney and died on her 40th anniversary. The Horneys had nine children (love their names) but very few grands, plus most lived to a ripe old age. Three of the sisters never married (Velma Ellen age 87; Ruby Snow, 91; Mary Irene, 93). Merge Smith was just eight months old at death (Jan-Oct 1898); Audra Carolee, who married Wesley Isfalt late in life and had no children, died age 82; Haven Paul (died a few days shy of 85 he and wife Hazel Nydegger had a son, Eldon who has an interesting tombstone, with a highlighted mail box having been a mailman, referee and umpire for 22 years); Robert Dunbar Horney farmed, married Ruby Keller later in life and to my knowledge had no children and lastly, Edna Fern born in 1900 married 28 Feb 1934 to Arthur Waddell, they parenting four (Delores, Mary Lou, William and Donald) and having a dozen grands.

Eighth daughter for Robert and Mary (Maroney) Dunbar was Easter May who married Ira Isaiah Hutchison, they having two children, Loren and Lela and a few grandchildren. She passed from diabetes in 1935.

Okay, we hear almost all families have a black sheep – coming up – Chauncey Monroe Dunbar who married Nancy Morin (one daughter) who divorced him, as he “had the habit yanking his wife out of bed by her hair, then dragging her around the house – also, by her hair.” He remarried Jane Butler when he went to Osecola, Iowa and they had two children, Robert and Gladys. As a freighter on a teetery hill, he fell from his wagon and the front wheel ran over his neck and chest (article from FIndAGrave) The accident was near Antelope, Oregon (Dunbar History), and a small stone marks his grave in the Antelope Cemetery, Wasco County.

Third son was Charles Willard Dunbar who married Margaret (Myers?) Hays in 1912. No children, he died due to a stroke at age 74 the third day of January in 1947 – buried Decatur County, Indiana.

Their 12th and last child to grow to adulthood was their 9th daughter, Alta Snow Dunbar who was born 12 Jan 1876. She married Charles Chenoweth in 1897 and they had Edna Blanche, Janet, Mildred and Francis Maynard (who died at age eight months), as well as several grandchildren. Sadly, she passed away at the young age of 45 from nephritis and uremic poisoning.

Thus, you have the life and times, the good and the bad for Robert Dunbar, a true Sugar Creeker and #7 in the Dunbar Saga!

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].