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Author: Jacqi|MA327212
Surnames: Clark, Kruse, Murdock, Stevens
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
Rebecca, this is why I'm just pulling my hair out over this family. The way I found
out about the Raphael Kruse obit is while researching my husband's gr-g'fa John
Kelly STEVENS of Fort Wayne, IN. There was a note in the Ft Wayne newspaper stating John
Kelly Stevens' nephew, Raphael, s/o Henry and Nellie, had just drowned. I've had
other confirmations that Mrs. Kruse was JK Stevens' sister, but when I look at
Nellie's documentation, it just doesn't match.
btw, the two sisters cited in your note, Mrs. Peter Donahue (should actually be Donahoe)
and Mrs. Edward Mackessey, are both Stevens descendants and JK Stevens' half-sisters,
all descendants of John STEVENS of Lafayette. The sisters' mother was Eliza MURDOCK
STevens, and their older brother John Kelly Stevens' previously deceased mother was
Catherine Kelly.
The only thing I can figure out is that maybe Nellie is Eliza's daughter from a
previous marriage??? As Nellie is b 1852 but Eliza and John were married 1860, right after
John's first wife Catherine died. That might explain why I never could find
"Eliza Murdock" in any census records (not even in younger years with
Eliza's brothers James and Thomas). Perhaps Eliza married a Clark???
I also have the sisters' mother's obit (Eliza--listed in the obit on March 1,
1901, as "Mrs John Stephens") where I first found the cite for Mrs. Kruse being
her daughter, but obviously from what you found out, it doesn't match. OK, I think I
have enough grounds right now to scream...
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