Ball Saga #4 – Nathan and Isaiah

Nathan was born 30 Jan 1813 Butler, Ohio and passed away 21 April 1852. Not long after Nathan’s death his brother James and Levi Moore, who were guardians of his children had to sell his property (west half of the northwest quarter of section 32 Twp 20 North Rg 5W on the south side of the Williamsport State Road) to aide in their care. He had married 22 February 1837 in MoCo to Abigail Moore (30 Nov 1819) and they had four children rapidly, then she passed away two days shy of her 23rd birthday and a few months after the youngest daughter’s birth. Abigail Moore was the daughter of Allen and Hannah Bonser Moore, both far outliving their oldest daughter – she and they are all buried in Potts cemetery in (Elmdale) Wayne Township (you can see that Nathan’s tombstone about matches his father’s older one. Very sad (thanks for the pic Dustin Stonebraker). Oddly, Nathan and Abby are buried in Potts but his two sons (John K. died age eight and William died age five) from his second marriage to Mahala Kellison are also buried with them. No other children for Mahala with him although after his death she married an Ames and had two children, one growing to adulthood.

So, let’s discuss Nathan and Abigail’s four children as they are pretty interesting. Keep in mind they were left maternal orphans at age four through just born, she passing away 28 Nov 1842 and orphans per se when he passed away a bit more than nine years later.

Martha Jane Ball came into this world 3 Feb 1838 on her father’s fairly large farm near Elmdale. She was 19 when she met and married Jeremiah Harlow. They lived almost 50 years together (lacking a couple of months at his death – she lived about three years longer). They began their life in a log cabin, purchasing a farm near there where they remained for many years. In an extremely large list of high tax payers in the county (Feb 1899) Jeremiah was listed although he was one of the lowest at $11,650. In October, 1901, they sold everything from their farm one mile south of Wesley Chapel (horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, farm equipment) and moved into C’ville to live with their son, Fred at 906 W. Pike. Jeremiah was said to have one fault, that he was too good to others (generous) and they were both active in the Baptist Church. Four sons and two daughters blessed their home (Nathan, Willard, Oliver, Bertha, Clara, Fred). Nathan Garrett (whose daughter, Gertrude went to China twice to teach – he and Zoe Moore also had Lucile and son Leslie who died at age 80 in Texas and was a geologist) owned a book store and was later in insurance in Covington. Willard lived in Indianapolis and was an editor (and publisher of the Morristown Sun and Woodruff Post) dying at age 63 Sept 25, 1924 (two sons, Stuart and Harry D). Oliver Allen Harlow had a boot and shoe store in Rockville for awhile then moved his family to Elizabethtown, Kentucky where he was a traveling salesman and passed of cancer beginning on his ear and spreading for two years culminating into his death Oct 15, 1919. His only child Gladys married and had three sons and two daughters. Bertha married at age 32 to Sam Bitler who was 25 years older than her. No children. Clara died quite young due to continual vomiting going into sepsis during a pregnancy. She had been married to L.J. Utterback for not quite two years. Fred, their youngest attended Wabash, married Bess Albright and lived in Crawfordsville. They had a son Winton and two daughters Margaret and Dorothy, his youngest born just six days before his death from an automobile accident.

Dennis was born Nov 9, 1839 in Montgomery, and was four when his mother died, almost 13 when dad passed away. That year, he united with the Bethel Baptist Church. At age 22 he went to California for amfew years, returned to Montgomery and married Anna Lowe. They went To Bement, Illinois where they remained. Their life was blessed with six children (Nathan, Dennis, Charles, Ella, Nettie and Edith).

Oliver born May 22, 1841 in MoCo died in Decatur, Illinois 20 Aug 1923, the same area as brother Dennis. Oliver joined the 86th Indiana and after the war married Sarah Ann Patterson. They moved to Bement, as well. He farmed and these children there: Mary Etta who was married to Frank Friend over 50 years – one son, Perry; Martha Jane who died at age two; Flora Mae who lived to be 94; and Roy who fathered at least one son and one daughter.

Cynthia “Ann” was born 21 July 1842 and passed away 29 March 1871. She married Henry Walter and they parented two sons as far as I know – Charles and Adelbert who was a railroader.

Isaiah Ball, Nathan’s brother, is buried in Harlow Cemetery near Waynetown and died the 9th day of July 1838. He was born in Morgan, Butler County, Ohio on the 9th of April 1814. As far as I know, he was never married. Sure wish we knew more about him, though, or at least as much as we know about his brother, Nathan. Bless both you Ball brothers who died way too early!

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].