Hello
Well, my son Jeff and I just got back from the Brown and Adams County
area, as well as Quincy Illinois doing a lot of research on the Swishers and
Cave families of that area.
I am posting some of what I found below.
Jennie Swisher, daughter of A. S. Swisher (Absolem S. Swisher), married
Meritt H. Cave on Sixteenth day of October 1877 in Brown County by Pleasant
H. Kerley, J. P. Found in Book C on page 132, but no certificate found on
file at the Court House. (note: Meritt H. Cave and his wife Jennie added the
"s" to Cave, making it "Caves" in the names of their children) A. S.
Swisher
was born 1831 died 1910 having been married three times, and is buried with
two of his wifes in the Amen Cemetery, near Kellerville, in Adams County,
Illinois. Jane Six, wife of A. S. Swisher, died April 1882 at the age of 33
years and 20 days. Sarah E. Spicer, first (known) wife of A. S. Swisher died
April 10, 1872 at 37 years 11 Months and 21 days. All buried in Amen
Cemetery, near Kellerville, Adams County Illinois. With them is one unmarked
grave to the left of A. S. Swisher, having only what is left of a rusted
metal stake with marker on it. Near Jane Six's grave, to the right of A. S.
Swisher are two small stones having only GAM on one and Ellas on the other.
Jennie Swisher died 2/4/1946 Adams County, Illinois (Have not yet
verified that this is the same Jennie Swisher who married Meritt H. Cave) .
Avis Lucille Cave died in Adams County Illinois 1/7/1980
Dewey B. Cave died in Adams County Illinois 11/6/1978
Florence E. Cave died in Adams County Illinois 7/31/1982
Katherine M. Cave died in Adams County Illinois 8/20/1961
William M. Cave was residing at 5th S. of Washington Quincy Illinois
(Dumb, I did not write down date)
Bert Monroe Swisher died 5/7/1967 Adams Co, Illinois
Elaine Marcine Swisher died 11/3/1978 "
Mrs. Emma Swisher died 9/21/1947 "
Estella Swisher died January 24, 1972 "
George William Swisher died 12/4/1952 "
Henry A. Swisher died 8/18/1926 "
John H. Swisher died 8/12/1980 "
Katherine Swisher died 11/28/1940 "
Milton S. Swisher died 7/21/1946 "
O. K. Swisher died 7/21/1946 "
Oliver P. Swisher died 7/7/1967 "
Oliver T. Swisher died 5/24/1979 "
Parley Swisher died 3/21/1937 "
Susan A. Swisher died 3/6/1934 "
Tracey J. Swisher died 12/18/1963 "
Etta Swisher died Sunday October 13th, 1889 at kellerville, age 17 of
Consumption on the 14th her mother was buried on the farm of her father I.
Turner and the two were buried in one grave. Obit October 17, 1889 (Note:
Was Etta married to a Swisher, having a maiden name of Turner?)
Mrs. Henry Swisher of Pea Ridge, Wife of Henry, died Thursday 1-20th and
her child age 1 died Friday with consumption.
Bert Swisher, Row 5 Evergreen Cemetery, Camp Point born 1882 died 1967
Berts wife Estella born 1886 died 1972 buried beside him.
Joseph G. and Sadia (Powell) Swisher of Adams County Illinois ?
Charles Rawcer Spicer, died in June of 1880 at age of 46, a farmer who
died of Heart Disease.
Sarah Frances Spicer (Walker) w/o James A. born 8/22/1848 died 9/11/1869
Buried Franklin Cemetery Adams County Illinois
John F. Spicer s/o J. A. & S. F. born 9/10/1869 died 10/13/1869 Adams
Co. Ill
Herschel Raymond Spicer died Brown County, Illinois 8/9/1925
In a Cemetery way back in the woods, maybe a mile and a half or so,
known as the Jefferson Cemetery, I found these two interesting graves.
1. Hannah M. Batey died 8/8/1878 age, 100 years.
2. Henry Amen died 1/15/1874 aged 32 years 8 months, with another grave
along side of Phillip Amen died 11/251886 age 78 years 2 Months.
Notes: After about four years of research and treading thru Cemeteries,
Court House Records, Libraries and online searches, I have yet to find my own
Mother's grandparents grave site, birth dates or verifiable dates of death.
Even their original marriage license was not where it was suppose to be at
the Court House in Mt. Sterling, Brown County, Illinois.
I did find out that A. S. Swisher left a Will, but we did not
have time left over today to get to the Court House in Quincy Illinois. I
don't know why A. S. Swisher is buried in a Amen Family Cemetery, on or near
where A. S. Swisher's family farm was located, which I got from a plate map.
Located it Southwest of the Kellerville Blacktop Junction at the base of a
large commercial communication tower. (South East of Camp Point Illinois in
Adams County) A. S. Swisher married his third wife late in life, a widow
named Melissa Burton.
I managed to find my Grandfather, on my mom's side, named
Martie W. Caves living with his grandfather A. S. Swisher in the 1900 Census.
However, Martie W. Caves is listed as Martie W. Carr, which leaves me more
questions, because there also were a lot of Carr families in that area. So
not only don't I know why he was listed as being a Carr, I don't know if and
how the Amen Family connect to the Swisher Family. A. S. Swisher listed his
father as being A. S. Swisher...lol, so I suppose they are both Absolum S.
Swisher.
So now, maybe, you can see why the Cave/Caves/Swisher/Spicer emails.
Since Jennie Swisher married Meritt H. Cave in 1877, and since Sarah E.
Spicer died in 1872 at 37 years of age, I "presume" that Sarah E. Spicer is
Jennie's mother. I have found not a single clue to prove that though.
Absolum's second wife, I presume, died in April of 1882 at 33 years 20 days,
so I presumed she was not Jennie's mother.
One Family story tells me that Meritt H. Cave may have died in a
Forrest Fire in the Mark Twain National Forrest. I know they had their first
child, Charles A. in 1878, born in Illinois, and because the child was listed
on the 1880 Census as 2 years of age. However, they were living, in the 1880
Census, in Missouri, St. Clair County./1860 Meritt living in Butler County
Missouri with a 13 year old sister Josephine and a 22 year old Charles
Ashworth.
Meritt H. Cave and Jennie Swisher are listed as the parents of Martie W.
Caves, who married Beulah Estella Simmons in Greenbush, Warren County,
Illinois in 1915. Martie W. Caves wrote that he was 22 at that time. He
listed his place of birth as Pine Bluff Arkansas, but I have yet to find
anything that proves that. Furthermore, Martie W. Caves provided many
different dates of birth during his lifetime. The one my mother, his
daughter, most believes to be correct, because it was used the most, was
April 18, 1890. That would have made him 25 in 1915. He was a Character....
to say the least.
I found a sister of Martie W. Caves who had resided in Ottomawa Iowa
named Donna Mae Caves. A brother named Bert Caves resided in Havanna
Illinois, and had one or two daughters who went to California and got into
the Motion Picture Business. One daughter and possibly his wife's name was
Panzie Caves.
So if you have anything that connects to this odd bunch of information,
Please... give me a shout.
Thomas W. Rogers
P. O. Box 85
Deer Creek, Illinois 61733