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Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
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Message Board Post:
Hi Ruth, Was looking through old messages and saw yours and wondered if you could help me.
I am looking for the parents of my ggrandfather Henry D. Conklin. I was told that his
parent's names should be listed somewhere on his Civil War papers. We know he served
in the 6th infantry-Indiana and his enlistment date was 8-11, 1862 in Worthington, In.
where he lived at the time. We also know he was born 11-8-1838/39 in New Jersey. He
married Charlotte Loos 1-2-1860 in Greene Co. In. When, how or who he came to Indiana with
we don't know. There are Conklin's listed in Greene Co., I believe, as early as
the 1840 census. How or if they are related I don't know. We do know Henry left
Charlotte shortly after 1880, married a woman in Indianapolis, but didn't divorce
Charlotte. He then moved to Van Buren Co. Ark. and married a Sarah Hoaten in 1888 without
divorcing wife #2. He may have had a son named Martin with her. She was 16 and he lists
himself as 30. He was really almost 50 at the!
time. I went to the library and got a copy of his pension record through the Civil War
Pension Index ( Ancestry Plus) and he applied for an invalid's pension 5-8-1863.
Charlotte applied for a widows pension 11-9-1896 and below that it lists Sarah's
application 11-8-1894 for a widow's pension. I t also has hand written across
"widow" the word "contested". No one knew what happened to Henry
except his oldest son, David, and he never told anyone. I was looking through an old
scrapbook that had belonged to David when a page he had glued over another page came
loose. Underneath David had written where Henry was born and that he had died and was
buried in Eglantine, Van Buren Co. Ark. I got in touch with the Van Buren Co. Historical
Society which very kindly did some research and found that my gggrand had paid taxes in
Red River Twp., Van Buren Co. They also sent me a copy of the marriage cert. between
Henry and Sarah and a copy of the 1900 census listing Sarah's father and step!
mother, Martin and Martha Hoaten, and a 12 yr. old boy named Martin Conklin living with
them. I have to definitely establish that Martin Conklin was their son, but it's going
to be hard because so many of the records were distroyed by fire. Also the river next to
the cemetery Henry was buried in was dammed up to form a lake and alot of the gravesites
were moved or lost. No one can find records of his. I am finding out alot about Henry, but
nothing about his ancestors. I don't know if you can help me, but I certainly would
appreciate any direction you could give me. Thanks for reading (Henry fascinates me!)
ginny lehner