Can anyone tell me exactly when the Old Union Church (Indiana) -- I think in Gibson CO--
was organized? Was it in Posey or Gibson? I have some info below but would like more
on this as the people listed below are my ancestors-- I have high-lighted my
thoughts/explanations in red below, the actual transcription is in black. Thanks so
much. Helen Zuber Keusch
Achsah "Axie" Goodwin (d/o Aaron Goodwin and Mary "Polly" Chapman)
married George Washington Crabtree in 1839-- they are my ggg grandparents. After Aaron
died, Polly married John Johnson (s/o Arthur A. John and Lucy Harmon). GW Crabtree was
the s/o William Crabtree and Sally Bennett. Sally is buried (1834) at Stewartsville,
has a flat marker. Wm probably is buried at Saulman with his second wife, neither have
a marker. GW and Axie had several children, one being Narcissa-- my g grandmother--
who married Abraham JR Land.
The Crabtrees, Johnsons, and Goodwins were charter members of the Old Union Church in
Posey/Gibson--which one? Co., IN. Due to a split in the church, Moses Goodwin (brother of
Achsah) was instrumental in the establishment of the Seven-Mile Prairie Church in IL
(1839--is this the right date?). The split was not without bitterness. Many of Benjamin
Williams (husband of Lydia Crabtree --sister to GW) family, and the Johnsons (Ben's
mother's family-- Ben's mother was Henrietta Johnson Williams, sister to John
Johnson) had been members of Old Union at its beginnings. After the division, most of the
Williams's family members continued in Old Union while many of the Johnsons affiliated
themselves with the Seven-Mile. Arthur Johnson and at least one son and two grandsons,
were charter members of the new church. Axie and her family were living in IL by the
1850 censes--their oldest was 7 and youngest was Narcissa who was not one year old. Three
of the children were born in IN, Mary Jane-- 1847-- was listed as b. in IL, Narcissa--
my g grandmother, was b. in Apr 1850. So sometime bet 1844-1847 the GW Crabtree family
moved from Gibson Co., to IL.
Charter members of the Seven-Mile Church were Arthur Johnson, Lucy Johnson, John Johnson,
Polly Johnson, A. L. Johnson, Lurannah Johnson, Martin Johnson and Comfort Johnson. Mary
"Polly" Johnson was married previously to Aaron Goodwin and was the step-mother
to Achsah Goodwin Crabtree. (from a Posey County history).