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Archiver > OBANNON > 1999-04 > 0924034021


From: "Patrick O'Bannon" <>
Subject: RE: [OBANNON-L] I found a few O'BANNONs
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 16:07:01 -0400


Paul O'Bannon, who may be lurking out there, sent me some info on this
cemetery not too long ago. John O'BANNON (1790-1854) is the son of
Benjamin O'BANNON and Eleanor ASH. John married Katharine Bugar (or
Bulgar) BOLTON (c1794-1844) sometime before 1823, when their daughter
Ann Jemima O'BANNON was born. The 1811 date that David noted at the
Finke Cemetery is likely the worn remnant of an 1844 date. The 1811 date
doesn't jive with any of the other info on this family.

Ann Jemima O'BANNON (1823-1842) married Milton W. GRISWOLD (1818-1855)
sometime before 1841, when their son John Milton GRISWOLD was born.
David's "J Griswold" stone seems likely to have been Jemima's, since the
dates seem correct and her husband's initials were M.W. (pretty close to
M.H.), but I can't explain the reference to her as a "husband"

That's all I have on this piece of the family. Anybody else?

Patrick O'Bannon

-----Original Message-----
From:David H Finke [SMTP:]
Sent:Tuesday, April 13, 1999 2:32 AM
To:
Subject:[OBANNON-L] I found a few O'BANNONs

I subscribed to this list to share information I noted while
pursuing
(thus far in vain) my own great-grandfather's grave, near
Berger, Franklin
County (Boeuf Township), Missouri.

The names I noted were:

Catherine O'Bannon d.1811 July 12
andJohn O'Bannon d.1854

The widower of my Dad's first cousin, a man named Forrest
Forderhase who
owns the farmland surrounding this bluff-top cemetery, told me
that the
O'Bannons were the first owners of the land acquired by my
great-grandfather: Heinrich Finke (emigrant from Germany).
Forrest said
that the original farm burned, except for a machine-shed.
Heinrich's son
Edward was the father of Elda Finke Forderhase, and among those
3
generation they've had the land ever since the O'Bannons
(apparently, and
according to Forrest -- I've not seen legal documents, tho
they'd be
probably in the Courthouse at Union, MO.)

I should add that permission from Forrest to see the cemetery
would be a
good common-courtesy, and maybe even a legal necessity!

Equal in approximate age and adjoining the O'Bannon stones is
one marked
GRISWOLD .... 1818, age 15. Also, a "J.Griswold, husband of MH
Griswold,
d.March 4, 1842."

Altho I have no idea if any of these were related, the other
family names
we noted in this tiny overgrown cemetery at the top of the bluff
overlooking the "Berger Bottoms" (to the immediate west of the
town of
Berger) were: Drewel, Koelling, Poertner, and Zuegin [the latter
the
married name of Heinrich & Maria Finke's 2nd daughter Elizabeth
(1866-1952).]

My informant Forrest Forderhase was of the opinion that the
cemetery,
about 3/4 acre, "belongs to the County." It is traditionally
referred to
in the Finke-family lore (and beyond?) as "The Indian Cemetery."
A large
mound, perhaps 5 feet higher than the surrounding ground and
about 20 feet
across its round base, is rumored to have been built and left
there by the
Indian predecessors, tho Forrest doesn't believe any remains or
relics
have been found there (nor did I see signs of digging,
thankfully.)

Now, for me to return to the bluff-top before the vegetation
overgrows it
again. When we were there in July of 1998, both Forrest and my
father
(Hadley E. Finke of Aurora, Illinois, son of Emil H. Finke --
one of Maria
& Heinrich's children) remembered distinctly seeing Heinrich's
grave, and
recalled that there was a fence around it. We found the wire
fence,
somewhat trampled down, but no stone. This was a
disappointment, as I've
hoped to find and visit the resting place of all 8 of my
gr-grandparents;
I may have been right there, but had no stone to validate it.
However,
looking at some of the notes of my deceased cousin Elda Finke
Forderhase,
I at least found the certificate number from the Franklin County
Pensioner's Roll (Union Army), dated 1/1/1883, pursuant to a
Senate
Resolution from 12/8/1882.

The social crossroads, by the way, in Berger (pop. about 200) is
"Mack's
Cafe", whose phone I noted was 573-834-5300

This may be all very rambling, but just possibly there are some
clues here
to someone looking for some long-lost O'Bannons.

Best wishes, -DHF

==============
David Hadley Finke
Quaker
Sojourning in Columbia, Missouri, Friends Meeting;
Member, 57th St. Meeting in Chicago (Hyde Park, Southside)
Illinois and Western Yearly Meetings (FGC, FUM)
Voice-phone: 573-499-0178. Postal: 1106 Maplewood Drive
Columbia, MO 65203
Alternate e-mail:

"Christ has come to teach his people himself." --Geo. Fox
===============

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