GREGG, Alpheus - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

I usually thank the contributor at the end of an obit or ... but wnat to make sure to shout out a BIG THANK YOU to Kim H for this lengthy impressive and truly wonderful tidbit

Orpheus Milton Gregg, one of the foremost citizens of Crawfordsville and Montgomery county has prepared the following most interesting and thorough account of his father's family, Alpheus Gregg. O.M. Gregg has been one of the most successful business men of the city. He started what has later become the Crawfordsville Wire and Nail Mill and was one of the founders of the Match Company of this city. Mr. Gregg is a graduate of Wabash College and is now on the board of directors of that institution. He received his A.B. degree in 1870.

THE ALPHEUS GREGG FAMILY The Greggs are of Scotish-Irish ancestry. The name has had variant forms such as Grig, Gregg, Grigg, Gragg, Greig and several other forms. All have a common origin and descent from Greg, king of Scotland, A.D. 875 to 893. At a later period some of the family emigrated to Ireland and inter-married with the Irish and hence our Scotish-Irish origin. Some of our ancestors came to this country as early as 1660, settling in Virginia. Others came in 1662, settling in Pennsylvania. Later still, others came over and located in New Hampshire, New York and South Carolina. Our ancestors and their descendants are now to be found in every part of the United States.

The Gregg name is honorably associated with the foremost characters in our country's history as statesmen, soldiers, clergymen, college professors, physicians, lawyers, manufacturers, merchants, farmers-in short, in every reputable walk in life. There were two principal settlements of the Greggs made at an early date in Indiana. One was in Carroll county and the other in this, Montgomery county. Our immediate ancestor, Alpheus Gregg, came to this county and entered land November 12, 1824, which date will soon mark a century passed. He came from Butler county, Ohio. He was born in 1801 at Springboro, Warren county, Ohio, and died at his home in this county, September 9, 1869. He was the son of Samuel Gregg whose home was near Springboro, Ohio. With Grandfather Gregg, there also came to this county his sister, Ruth, who married George Harlan. She was a good mother, kind neighbor and a most estimable woman. The Harlans and the Greggs settled in the same neighborhood. Alpheus Gregg was a farmer all his life. He lived and died on the farm he had entered from the government in 1824. This farm was some seven miles south of Crawfordsville in Union township, Montgomery county, this state. He was a Democrat in politics. He was a great student of the Bible and had committed to memory chapter after chapter of the Scriptures and could repeat then fluently. It was a great pleasure to him to have some of his friends come in and around the big fire place in the long winter evenings discuss religious questions. He was a most charitable man. No needy person ever left his door empty handed. Alpheus Gregg was married four times. His first wife was Cynthia Kelsey. There were three children born to this union viz., Amos, Samuel and Pheba. Amos Gregg married Rebecca Ann Watkins. They had two children, Hubbard Gregg (deceased), the family address is Lawrence, Kansas, and Mary Elizabeth Mercer (deceased), family address, Wellsville, Kansas.

Samuel H. Gregg married Sarah Louisa Christman in the year 1847. She died in 1860. To this union one son was born, Orpheus Milton Gregg who married Julia Baldwin Mills. Three sons were born to them viz., Frederick Marshall, Charles Moores and Caleb Mills. Mrs. Gregg and two sons, Fred and Mills, are dead. Fred left a widow, Minnie S. Gregg and a daughter, Julia C. Gregg, Mills was unmarried. Charles married Alta Rusk, home address Crawfordsville. Samuel H. Gregg was married the second time to Sarah Munns. To this union one son, George M. Gregg was born (deceased). He was married to Lucy June Jameson. One son, Kirtley Gregg, was born to them. He is now a student at Purdue University. George Gregg was divorced form his first wife and married again to Jesse Coffman of Champaign, Illinois. No children were born to this union Samuel H. Gregg died in 1900. Pheba Gregg married Abbott G. Watkins and to them were born the following children: Cynthia Holiday (deceased), Nancy Amanda Lidikay, Wellsville Kansas, Alpha Daniel Watkins, Wellsville, Kansas, Anna Eliza Harrison, Wellsville, Kansas, Milton Clay Watkins, Wellsville, Kansas, Caroline Fulwider (deceased), Albert Finley Watkins, Harper, Kansas, and Hannah Louisa Childers, New Market, Indiana. His second wife was Mrs. Amanda Howard. They had two sons, William P and Aaron. William P. Gregg married Hortense Cornelia Kelsey, a daughter of Isaac Kelsey. They had four children, Raymond K., adress unknown, Roy, living at Delta, Colorado, and two daughters Minnie and Winifred, both deceased. Aaron Gregg married Lucy Harrison, daughter of John Harrison. They had the following children; Charles Arthur, Henry Franklin, Jesse Irene and Opal Gregg Merting. Henry Franklin died, leaving a widow and two children. Charles A lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mrs. Lucy Gregg with her daughter, Jesse, lives at 322 Clinton Place, Kansas City, Missouri. His third wife was Mrs. Anna Wilson. They had no children. His fourth wife was Mrs. Nancy Moore. They had no children. Alpheus Gregg, his wives, his daughters, his sons and some of his grandchildren have all passed into the great beyond. In addition to the grandchildren here with listed, there is also a goodly number of great-grandchildren. Although the Alpheus Gregg family is now widely scattered, probably the largest number resides in the state of Kansas than in any other state. Alpheus Gregg was a kind father, a good neighbor and withal a most excellent citizen.