9. CHARLES STEWART (GENEVA AGNES AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH) was born 31 Aug 1891 in Log Cabin, Brooksburg, Switzerland County, Indiana, and died 09 Jan 1989 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. He married EDNA MAE HARRELL 25 Dec 1915 in Christian Church, Bloomington Indiana, by Reverand Crawley, daughter of SAMUEL HARRELL and MARY HILL. She was born 26 Feb 1893 in Blooming Grove, Franklin County, Indiana, and died 20 Dec 1980 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

Notes for CHARLES STEWART:

Recollections on the Familys History

By Charles Stewart

(This information is a compilation gathered from several conversations by his grandson, John S. Willis, over a period spanning the last two years of his life. Despite being in his nineties at the time, he was very lucid and enjoyed excellent recall.)

1. My father's family:

My grandfather was JOHN STEWART. He and his wife, Maryette Munn, rode on horseback to Indiana from Westmoreland County Pennsylvania. He left Pennsylvania because he was being raised by an Uncle who mistreated him. They married and settled in Vevay, Switzerland County, Indiana, My dad's three brothers Louis (John), William, and Theofield (know as Tip) were born in Vevay, along with his three sisters, one was Magdaline Stewart who married Marcus Ricketts. One was married to Lewis J. Adams.

Uncle Louis Stewart was a surgeon in New Albany, IN. He was the oldest and in addition to being a physician, owned a drug store in New Albany. My father Simeon Stewart worked in Louis's drugstore as a young man. My grandfather John Stewart was, prior to getting married a flat boat man . He worked from Pittsburgh, PA to New Orleans, LA. They would would ride the "flatboats" to New Orleans and return by steamboat.

Louis served as a surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War. My father Simeon first married a Jewish lady by the last name of Abrams. They had three daughters Pearl, Jennie and Emma. Emma married Bill Maynard. They had two sons, Ken and Kermit and daughters Trixie, Bessie and Pearl. Ken and Kermit became movie actors, mostly Westerns (my grandson John remembers seeing several of their movies on TV in the 1950's.)

2. My Mothers Family:

Nicholas Baker, my Great Great Grandfather, was the engineer on the 1st steamboat to operate on the Ohio River. The boat was named the New Orleans and was owed by Nicholas Roosevelt, great grandfather of President Teddy Roosevelt. This steamboat started in Pittsburgh, PA and went down to the falls at Louisville, Ky. Indians on the riverbank were scared and ran back into the woods upon seeing the steamboat. The Bakers were related, or in someway connected with an Ash family who operated steam ferrys in Vevay, Indiana.

Baker's daughter Pheobe married my great grandfather, David Zener, after he came back from the Battle of New Orleans, in the War of 1812. He was raised in Cincinnati, OH area. He was a captain in the Army and may have served in an Ohio Unit. He walked back to Indiana, where he settled, but on the way he suffered frostbite and almost froze to death. He was saved by a tribe of Indians who took care of him. They made wooden rockers for him to walk with and saved his feet. He lived with the Indians for three years and taught them to garden and do many other things. The Indians wanted to adopt him into the tribe, but he told them he was a white man and needed to return home.

After returning to Indiana my great grandfather Zener built a wool carding machine and many other things. He was a miller and built machinery for milling. He also raised silk worms.

My mother, Geneva (Jennie) Ayers, was 1st married to Bernard Flood, a railroad builder, who was working on the old Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, which later became the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. He and my grandmother moved into Kentucky where he built more railroads.

Mr. Flood was a Catholic and mother joined that church. They had a son who died at an early age and then a daughter, Josephine Flood. They then moved back east and lived in the Shenandoah Valley, where Mr. Flood built another railroad line. My mother spoke of how beautiful the scenery was there and how warm the climate was.

Mr. Flood had a drinking problem and mother was forced to leave him, returning to live with her parents. Her father Joseph Ayers, fought for the North in the Civil War. He was at Camp Morton, which was located on "E" Street, Indianapolis, IN and never left Indiana during the war. He trained soldiers while at Camp Morton.

3. Episodes in a Long Life:

I recall when I was five years old that my dad Simeon Stewart, was in charge of the fairgrounds in Madison, Jefferson County, IN. We had a black porter, Walter Smith, who had been a servant for General U.S. Grant during the Civil War. He took care of me as a young boy and I loved him very much. We lived in a hotel at the fairgrounds. I recall sharing sandwiches with our pet cat. My brothers Ben and Frank and I used to slide down the beer chute in the basement of the hotel. I recall one day Ben pulled Frank and I in a little red wagon, down a hill towards the Ohio River, there was a sharp axe in the wagon and my mother was scared.

We moved on a farm, west of Paris Crossing, Jennings County, IN. I recall going out to a stack of straw and was frightened when a wolf jumped out. Some of the men chased it with dogs, but never caught it. The wolf had been shot in the leg before I saw it. I was five or six years old at the time. We moved to Hill Town about a half mile west of Paris Crossing, In, where we lived for a brief period of time, then moved to Old Paris, IN where I started school

In 1900, we moved a half mile east of Commiskey, IN, on the George Corya Farm, where we lived for about three years. My two brothers and I walked to Paris Crossing, IN where we saw out first movie. It was a distance of about 5 miles each way. I don't recall the name of the movie. It was shown on the second floor of a hardware store. I was about nine years old at the time. My brother Frank Stewart and I were attacked by a wild boar while walking in the woods near where we lived. Frank picked up a club and hit the boar on the nose and it ran off, saving us from harm. Our family took in timber cutters where we lived. They cut down a large oak tree and found the scalp of a man with red hair inside. They estimated the tree had about fifty years of growth around the scalp.

In 1902, we moved over Charles F. Lurton's Grocery on first or Main street, in Commiskey, In. Dad brought in a quail with a broken wing. Mother set the wing and we had a nice pet until it was well enough to fly. Dad took it out in the woods and let it loose.

In 1904, we moved to Paris Crossing, IN where we lived until 1906. Edgar Watson was the agent for the B & O Railroad. The station where he worked was the hangout for the local kids. He hired me to take care of the the switch lights for ten cents per day. I filled the lights with lard oil. He also started an orchestra that played in all the local events. I played the first mandolin. He wanted me to become a telegraph operator for the railroad but I didn't. He was a good man who kept a lot of young boys from getting into trouble. One rainy March day a gang of us boys hopped a freight train at Paris Crossing, IN. and rode nearly to Louisville, KY. Someone hollered we were going into Louisville and we all jumped off. Bob Craig landed in a water filled ditch and we had to wring him out. We then hopped a ride back to Paris Crossing. We were about eleven or twelve years old at the time. One day we got lucky. A freight train came by and stopped near us. A "brakey" got off and broke into a car load of watermellons and got a big one out. When he tried to jump back on the caboose the wartermelon slipped out of his hands. Seven of us boys had all the watermelon we could eat.

My brother Ben Stewart and I rode the train to Mitchell, IN to visit the Squire family. Their mother was a sister of fathers first wife. We called them cousins but they wern't. One day while riding the cement train to the quarries, we walked over to the White River. We borrowed a skiff and crossed the river where there was a big watermelon patch. We got seven watermelons. We saw two men in a tent watching the watermelon patch. They both had shotguns.

In 1906, dad bought a house in Paris, Jennings Co., IN. It had been used as a parsonage for the Methodist Church. He paid $300.00 for this house. This is the house I painted a picture of. It was a fine old house built of brick and had 21/2 inch solid poplar doors and window frames. We were the third owners. It was built in the 1800's. The house is on the west side of 2nd street, across from a school. This was the first school I attended. Mother and I planted two hard maples in the front yard, which made beautiful shade threes. This is the house I left to live with my half sister Jose, in Rushville, IN. One night while walking home from Paris Crossing IN at about 9:00pm, I saw a meteor go by so close over my head that I could feel the heat. It landed about a quarter of a mile south and burned a place on the ground. It smelled like sulpher.

In May 1907, my brother Frank Stewart joined the Navy. In June 1907, my brother Ben and I joined the Navy in Seymour, IN. We were sent to Indianapolis, IN where I was turned down because of the vision in my one eye. The recruiter said "you SOB you're bline: and sent me home. Frank was sent to the Atlantic fleet and served four years. He was on the "North Dakota" and the scout cruiser "Birmingham." He was a coal passer and later an engineer. Ben was sent to the Pacific Fleet and served on the "West Virginia" he jumped ship while in Colon, South America. He got a bad conduct discharge from the Navy in 1908. He was on a ship that called at the port of San Francisco, CA. shortly after the earthquake.

One day Bob Craig, one of my friends, and I were going out of the house. I was carrying a .22 rifle and it went off accidentally. I shot myself in the foot. I had to sit for six weeks with my foot higher than my head. Dr. Gaddy probed for two inches but couldn't find the bullet. I was fifteen at the time. I carried that bullet in foot until I was twenty Then Dr. Will Smith cut it out. We had a pet rooster. It would perch on the arm of my chair. Whe it wanted in the house it would knock on the door with its beak. Because it sounded like a person knocking on the door, mother would have to let it in.

In September, 1909, I went to live with my half-sister, Jose Arbuckle, who lived at 405 N. Sexton Street, Rushville, Rush Co. IN. She was my favorite. Her husband got me a job as a "cub" painter with the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Co. (I&CTC). I&CTC was an electric rail line. I served my apprenticeship as a coach painter. This line (the I&CTC) originally ran all the way to Cincinnati, OH, but stopped in Connersille, IN. Another spur of the I&CTC went to Greensburg, IN.

My brother Ben Stewart married Katherine Colvin in the fall of 1910. That same year I bought a fine violin from Ferdinand Schaeffer, conductor of the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra. I paid $100.00 for it. I studied violin with Guy Robush, who gave lessons to raise money while he was studying to be a doctor.

In 1911, I saw my first airplane it looked like a box kite. The pilot was out front in the open. It was flying from the direction of Wright Field, Dayton OH and headed in the direction of St. Louis, MO.

In 1912, I saw Jan Kubeelc, a concert violinist; play at the Murat Shrine in Indianapolis, IN. He was wonderful. Later the same year I saw another violinist, Eugene Ysaye play at the Murat Shrine. He was also good, but not as good as Kubeelc.

I left the I&CTC and visited my parents until March, 13th. My brother Frank Stewart and I started for Indianapolis and we got caught in the big flood of 1913. We got as far as Shelbyville, on the "Big Four" train and found that the bridge over the Blue River was washed out. We finally got across the river and got to Indianapolis, where we stayed with Aunt "Mag" and Uncle Wilbur Malcomb. They were living at 5940 University Avenue, Irvington Section, Indianapolis, IN. My brother Ben Stewart and his wife Katherine had a son Colvin Stewart during this same flood. Their house was surrounded with water at the time and they called him their "flood baby".

My brother Frank Stewart married Della Theobald. They lived at 721 S. Audubon Street, Indianapolis, IN. I boarded with them until fall. I then returned to Rushville, IN and went back to work for the I&CIC. Frank was working for Uncle Wilber Malcomb in Indianaplis, IN. doing carpentry work. It was still 1913.

My brother Frank and I then opened a general painting shop at 400 S. Audubon Street, Indianapolis, IN. There we did sign and house painting. We shared a phone with Perry Wysong, a barber who was a drunk. One day I looked in his shop and he was sitting with a towel around his head. He had put a sign on the door saying "home sick." The phone was on the wall between us. We painted our Uncle and Aunt Malcomb's house. While I working on the dog house I heard Frank, who was up on the roof, yell. He had been stung by a wasp on the nose, which swelled to twice its normal size and did it hurt.

One Sunday my brother Frank and I walked out to the Indianapolis Speedway, which was about 8 miles. We saw "Wild Bob" Burman break the world speed record of 79.4 MPH. The Speedway had only been open for three years at the time. Although I've been to see the time trials several times over the years, this was the only time I went to see the actual race.

Prior to my brother Frank getting married, he and I "batched" it for awhile. One week we lived on brick cheese and olive oil. One day we looked outside and saw an undertaker. Frank said "My God they're after us." Franks girl Della, had a sister in law, Shirley Corey, who worked for Mrs. Shipp, as a companion. Shirley and I started going together. One night we went to Riverside Park and did not get home until 2:00 AM. When I got home Frank and Della were locked out. They were on the back porch crying and were ready to shoot me. I worked with Frank until fall and then returned to work at the I&CTC

More About CHARLES STEWART and EDNA HARRELL:

Marriage: 25 Dec 1915, Christian Church, Bloomington Indiana, by Reverand Crawley

Child of CHARLES STEWART and EDNA HARRELL is:

10. HARRYETT AURORA  LAWRENCE (SARAH CATHERINE AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH,  was born 09 Jun 1874 in Paris, Jennings CO., Indiana, and died 28 Aug 1966 in Shelbyville, Shelby County, Indiana. She married CHESTER GRAHAM SHEPERD Abt. 1892, son of JOHN SHEPHERD and MARY DEPUTY. He was born 01 Oct 1870 in Indiana, and died 07 Oct 1949 in Shelbyville, Shelby Co., Indiana.

More About HARRYETT AURORA LAWRENCE:

Burial: Shelbyville, Indiana

Notes for CHESTER GRAHAM SHEPERD:

From Maurice Holmes-March 12, 1992

According to a local newspaper article, Mr. Sheperd invented an item called a high speed delivery fork that facilitated the pick up of mail bags from a moving train. He commenced production of it in Shelbyville in a small plant in 1938. His operation was sold by his widow in 1963.

Mr. Sheperd died October 8, 1949 and in his short obituary no wife, children or parents were mentioned.

Mr. & Mrs. Sheperd lived at 203 W. Mechanic. Her obituary was more informative than that of Mr. Sheperd. It mentioned that they were married October 20, 1894 and that she was survived by a sister and two brothers of Nashville, Tenn., two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A son George preceded her in death.

They are buried in a family plot in Shelbyville.

More About CHESTER GRAHAM SHEPERD:
Occupation: 1900, Owner/Operator of a grocery store.

More About CHESTER SHEPERD and HARRYETT LAWRENCE:
Marriage: Abt. 1892

Children of HARRYETT LAWRENCE and CHESTER SHEPERD are:

11. WILLIAM HENRY LAWRENCE (SARAH CATHERINE AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, ) was born 03 Mar 1876 in Jennings County, Indiana, and died 03 Feb 1967 in Nashville, Tennessee. He married (1) LILLIAN JOSEPHINE DAVIS 06 Jan 1904 in Indianapolis, Indiana, daughter of ISAAC DAVIS and IDA DAVIS. She was born 27 Sep 1878, and died 20 Jun 1950. He married (2) ESTELLE GRIER 15 Aug 1927 in Critterdon County, Arkansas.

More About WILLIAM HENRY LAWRENCE:
Occupation: 1900, Lawyer
Residence: 01 Jan 1904, Nashville, Tennessee
SSN issued: Tennessee

Notes for LILLIAN JOSEPHINE DAVIS:
In 1920 census Lillian and children are living with her parents in Indianapolis, did they separate?

More About LILLIAN JOSEPHINE DAVIS:
Residence: 1900, Center, Marion, Indiana

More About WILLIAM LAWRENCE and LILLIAN DAVIS:
Marriage: 06 Jan 1904, Indianapolis, Indiana

More About WILLIAM LAWRENCE and ESTELLE GRIER:
Marriage: 15 Aug 1927, Critterdon County, Arkansas

Children of WILLIAM LAWRENCE and LILLIAN DAVIS are:

12. JOSEPH AYERS LAWRENCE (SARAH CATHERINE AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, ) was born 14 Jan 1878 in North Vernon, Indiana, and died 12 Jul 1980 in Nashville, Tennessee. He married ALICE COKE 11 Oct 1902 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was born 1879.

More About JOSEPH AYERS LAWRENCE:
Occupation: 1900, Engineer, Electric Light
Residence: 1900, North Vernon, Indiana (at home with Parents)

More About JOSEPH LAWRENCE and ALICE COKE:
Marriage: 11 Oct 1902, Indianapolis, Indiana

Child of JOSEPH LAWRENCE and ALICE COKE is:

13. PHEOBE MARGARET C. LAWRENCE (SARAH CATHERINE AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, EDWARD, SAMUEL, JOHN, JOHN AYER EYER, THOMAS) was born 26 Feb 1881 in Jennings County, Indiana, and died 15 Apr 1968 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. She married (1) GEORGE MILLARD WYATT 1899 in Indiana, son of UNKNOWN and UNKNOWN. He was born 1877 in Missouri. She married (2) JOHN FRANKLIN DRAUGHON 09 Feb 1918 in Granny White Rd.. Nashville, Tennessee, son of JESSE DRAUGHON and BARBARA BATES. He was born 1863 in Tennessee, and died 1921 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Notes for PHEOBE MARGARET C. LAWRENCE:

More About PHEOBE MARGARET C. LAWRENCE:
Residence: 1900, Center, Jennings, Indiana

More About GEORGE MILLARD WYATT:
Occupation: 1900, K K Engineer
Residence: 1900, North Vernon, Indiana in the home of his in laws

More About GEORGE WYATT and PHEOBE LAWRENCE:
Marriage: 1899, Indiana

Notes for JOHN FRANKLIN DRAUGHON:

 History

In 1879, Professor John F. Draughon realized the need for business-trained people. With very little capital, a horse, a wagon and the teaching materials that were available at that time, he founded Draughon’s Practical Business College on wheels. He made a monthly circuit of towns in Northern Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky for several years before opening his permanent school in Nashville.

From this humble beginning of his business college on wheels, he started one of the largest chains of business colleges in the nation. His business schools were located in practically every Southern and Western state, including the Oklahoma territory and the Indian territory. At the time of his death in 1921, 38 business schools bore his name. He also established the Draughon’s Textbook Publishing Company in Nashville, which published all textbooks used in his schools, with the exception of shorthand.

After Professor Draughon’s death in 1921, many of the business schools he established merged with other schools or went out of business. Draughon’s Business College in Nashville survived the depression and World War II. After the war, under new management, Draughon's Business College again assumed its role in the community to train secretaries, accountants and other qualified business personnel.

In 1954, the School was accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Business Schools, which was recognized by the United States Office of Education as the accrediting agency for this type of school. In 1978, Draughons was accredited as a junior college of business by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

Draughons Junior College has grown to include campuses in Clarksville, Tennessee, which opened in 1987; Bowling Green, KY, which opened in 1988; and Murfreesboro, TN, which opened in 2003.

More About JOHN FRANKLIN DRAUGHON:
Census: 1920, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
Occupation: 1920, President, Business College
Residence: 1920, Civil District 7, Davidson, Tennessee

More About JOHN DRAUGHON and PHEOBE LAWRENCE:
Marriage: 09 Feb 1918, Granny White Rd.. Nashville, Tennessee

Children of PHEOBE LAWRENCE and GEORGE WYATT are:

14. CATHERINE A. KATIE LAWRENCE (SARAH CATHERINE AYERS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, ) was born 25 Jan 1884, and died 1970. She married (1) JOHN AIKEN. He was born 1880. She married (2) NEWSOM. She married (3) EUGENE A. PENN 15 Jan 1920 in Nashville, Tennessee.

More About EUGENE PENN and CATHERINE LAWRENCE:

Marriage: 15 Jan 1920, Nashville, Tennessee
Married by: Rev. A. E. Morgan

Child of CATHERINE LAWRENCE and JOHN AIKEN is:

15. MABEL AYERS (LEONIDAS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, ) was born 23 Aug 1882 in Parris, Jennings County, Indiana, and died 21 Mar 1919. She married WILLIAM E. YOUNGMAN 1908, son of NATHAN YOUNGMAN and FRANCES. He was born 1880 in Indiana.

More About MABEL AYERS:
Burial: Parris, Jennings County, Indiana
Residence: 1910, Indianapolis Ward 2, Marion, Indiana

More About WILLIAM E. YOUNGMAN:
Burial: Parris, Jennings County, Indiana
Occupation: 1910, Laborer at a Dairy
Residence: 1910, 1961 Cornell Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana

More About WILLIAM YOUNGMAN and MABEL AYERS:

Marriage: 1908

Child of MABEL AYERS and WILLIAM YOUNGMAN is:

16. NELLIE AYERS (LEONIDAS, JOSEPH, JOHN, JEDEDIAH JR., JEDEDIAH, EDWARD, SAMUEL, JOHN, JOHN AYER EYER, THOMAS) was born Mar 1891 in Jefferson County, Indiana. She married (1) HAROLD EDGAR MCDONALD. He was born 18 Jun 1885 in Indiana. She married (2) MEDFORD EDWARD," RED" DOWNING 1908, son of JOHN DOWNING and ISABELLE SICKLES. He was born 16 Jul 1882 in Tampico, Jackson Co., Indiana, and died 25 Mar 1922 in 115 E. 4th St. Seymour, Jackson Co., Indiana.

More About NELLIE AYERS:
Residence: After "Red" died, 2642 Bank St, Louisville, KY.

More About HAROLD EDGAR MCDONALD:
Census: 1930, Lived in Raleigh, North Carolina
Occupation: 1910, On draft registration card-Trainman, Baltimore and Ohio Raildroad
Residence: 1910, 511 W. 2nd Street, Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana

Notes for MEDFORD EDWARD," RED" DOWNING:

Things I Remember About--By John Lawrence Downing

received by me 2/3/2005

Medford Downing. My father was the second child of John Downing. He married my mother sometime in the early nineteen-tens. They had three children. The first, Louise, died shortly after birth. Her name is in the family bible, but I don't have the bible right now. I was born 10 July 1916 in Seymour, Indiana in the hospital that was almost across the street from where they lived. Dad was a B&O Railroader too.The B&O railroad ran from Baltimore to St. Louis, and Seymour was a repair center. The railroad had a spur that went from North Vernon down to Louisville. Dad and mother lived in Louisville for some time before going to Seymour. When I was 3 or 4 years old I was intrigued by the fire station about 2 blocks away. When I disappeared, Dan would get a switch and go the fire station to get me. I would cry all the way home from the switching, but the next time I had a chance off I would go to the fire station

We had a lilac bush in the yard that had a turtle living in it. Where it came from heaven only knows. When I had nothing to do, I would get out my little shovel and dig the turtle out and play with him.

One day I got rushed out of the house and taken to Uncle Ralph and Aunt Maude's house. I couldn't understand what was going on, but the next day I was told that I had a new sister-Virginia.

One time Dad was on a double header near the small town of Medora when they ran into a double header head-on from St. Louis. The engineer and fireman on the other train and Dad's fireman were killed. Dad had about given up that he could not get out until a breath of fresh air hit him in the face. He followed the air and managed to get out although badly burned. He spent a month or so in the hospital, and it was six months before he could get back to work. He wasn't well when he returned to work, because when he perspired the sweat would be reddish in color. One night I was awakened by going-on in Dad's bedroom. On getting up someone told me to get back into bed. The next morning I was told that Dad had gone away and it wasn't known when he would return. Later we were told that he had died from ptomaine poisoning, but we never accepted that as a cause of his death.

More About MEDFORD EDWARD," RED" DOWNING:

Census: 1900, Single, listed as boarder, living in Howard County, Center-North Wild Cat Township?
Occupation: 1900, States in census he is a trainer of dogs
Residence: 1918, 111 S. Walnut, Semour, Indiana

More About MEDFORD EDWARD and NELLIE AYERS:
Marriage: 1908

Children of NELLIE AYERS and MEDFORD EDWARD are: