Person Page

     Timothy Ordway married Phebe Towne, daughter of Jonathan Towne and Mary Dean.¹

     Mercy Towne was born on 19 September 1709 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.² She married John Towne, son of John Towne and Elizabeth Rea, on 23 April 1729 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.³ She died on 6 September 1796 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts, at age 86.²
     She and John had the following known children: Ichabod (b 26 November 1729, d 7 January 1794), Mercy (b 10 September 1731), William (b 20 January 1732/33, d 28 October 1811), Elijah (b 17 May 1734), Deborah (bap 28 December 1735, d 24 June 1810), Asa (bap 4 December 1837, s bef 2 January 1816), Elizabeth (b 13 May 1740, d 11 September 1781), Mary (b 1 April 1742), John (b 5 March 1743/44, d 8 January 1771), Sarah (bap 7 December 1746, d young), Sarah (b 21 May 1750), Lois (b 30 September 1752, d 9 September 1812).⁴

     Hannah Fitts was baptized on 20 January 1722/23 in Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts.¹ She married Bartholomew Towne, son of John Towne and Abigail Stanley, on 27 June 1740 in Sutton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts.¹ She died in 1794 in Windsor, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts.¹
     She and her husband Bartholomew were admitted to the church in Sutton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, on 27 July 1741.^1,2
     They had the following known children, all born in Sutton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts: Hannah (b 20 April 1741), Bartholomew (b 10 December 1742), Abigail (b 3 August 1744, d 17 October 1831), Reuben (b 29 July 1746, d 24 May 1775), Sarah (b 20 April 1751), Hitte (bap 24 May 1752, d young), Robert (b 11 May 1754, d 26 June 1820), twins David (b 7 August 1756) and Jonathan (b 7 August 1756, d abt 15 October 1776), Hitty (b 12 September 1762), Stephen (b 15 September 1765).¹

     Jemima Towne was baptized on 20 April 1729 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.¹ She died on 24 June 1729 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.¹

     James White was born on 15 December 1718 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.¹ He married Jemima Towne, daughter of Joseph Towne and Jemima Bixby, on 18 May 1757 in Killingly, Windham Co., Connecticut.¹ He was buried in Pomfret, Windham Co., Connecticut.²

     Phebe Towne was born on 23 July 1685 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.² She married Nathaniel Newhall, son of Nathaniel Newhall and Elizabeth (?), on 25 July 1723 in Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts.² She died on 10 June 1736 at age 50.²
     On 27 May 1715, during the settlement of her father's estate, she yielded her rights to his household goods to her mother Phebe.³

     Phil Forbes married Nancy (?).¹

     Nancy (?) married Phil Forbes.¹

     Mary L. Prior was born about 1847 in Kent Co., Michigan.¹ She married Edwin William Town, son of William M. Town and Mary L. Forbes, on 23 November 1870 in Howell, Livingston Co., Michigan.¹
     The identification of her parents as Chauncy Prior and Orill Thompson is based on circumstantial evidence.

• Her son Edwin moved to Floyd Co., Iowa, about 1881, at age 10. In 1886 he petitioned the court, asking that S. P. Wetherbee of St. Charles, Floyd Co., be named as his guardian.⁴
• The 1880 census for St. Charles Twp. lists the family of Samuel P. Wetherbee (43), with wife Emma A. (40, born in Michigan).⁵
• S. P. Wetherbee (27) married Emma A. Prior (22) on 2 November 1862 in Eckford, Calhoun Co., Michigan.⁶
• The death certificate for Emma Prior Wetherbee (born 17 December 1840, died 30 April 1928) names her husband Samuel P. Wetherbee, and parents Chauncy Prior and Orril Thompson.⁷
• The 1905 state census for Ward 2, Charles City, Floyd Co., Iowa, lists Aryl Prior (88), Emma A. Wetherbee (65), and S. P. Wetherbee (69), on adjacent cards.^8,9,10
• Orril Prior (1817-1905), S. P. Wetherbee (1835-1915), and Emma A. Wetherbee (1839-1928) are buried at adjacent sites (Block 5, Section 45, Row 7, Spaces 1-3) at Riverside Cemetery in Charles City, Floyd Co., Iowa.¹¹
• The 1850 census for Albion Twp., Calhoun Co., Michigan, lists Chauncy and Orilla Prior with five children, including Emma A. (age 11) and Mary L. (2).²
• Chauncy Prior died 5 July 1852. His probate records list his widow Orril Prior, and children Edgar Davis Prior, Emma Abia Prior, Earl Webster Prior, Julia Imogene Prior, and Mary Lucinda Prior, all living in Albion Twp., Calhoun Co., Michigan.³

From the above evidence, it can be reasonably concluded that when Edwin and Mary's son Edwin moved to Iowa about 1881, it was because he had family there - namely his mother Mary Lucinda (Prior) Town's sister Emma Abia (Prior) Wetherbee - and that Mary's parents were thus Chauncy Prior and Orill Thompson.

     Almeda E. Henry was born in July 1870 in Indiana.³ She married Sylvester Williamson, son of Joseph Lawrence Williamson and Susanah Smith, on 30 November 1890 (Sylvester's obituary says 8 November 1890) in Whitley Co., Indiana.^2,1 She died in 1952.⁴ She was buried at Lakeside Cemetery in Larimer Co., Colorado.⁵
     According to her husband Sylvester's obituary, she and Sylvester moved to Colorado from Cleveland Twp., Whitley Co., Indiana, about 1921. However, their census entries indicate that they moved to Colorado before 1900.^1,3 They are listed in the 1900 census in Teller Co., Colorado.³ They moved to Loveland, Larimer Co., Colorado, sometime before 1907, when the History of Whitley County, Indiana was published, and probably lived there the rest of their lives.^6,7,8,9

     Roy Williamson was born in December 1893 in Indiana.²
     He was living in Loveland, Larimer Co., Colorado, in 1946.¹

     Hobart Williamson was born in July 1896 in Indiana.²
     He was living in Loveland, Larimer Co., Colorado, in 1946.¹

     Ora Keith Williamson was born in November 1898 in Indiana.¹ He died in 1942 in California.²

     Elva Williamson was born in October 1891 in Indiana.¹
     She was living in 1946 in Loveland, Larimer Co., Colorado.²

     Maude Hathaway was born on 6 May 1879 in Whitley Co., Indiana.¹ She married Delmar Williamson, son of Henry Harrison Williamson and Melzene M. Wantz, on 22 September 1900 in Whitley Co., Indiana.^2,1 She died on 28 June 1963 at age 84 in Pierceton, Kosciusko Co., Indiana, at the home of her daughter Mrs. Paul Rager, with whom she had lived the last two years of her life.¹ She was buried on 2 July 1963 at South Whitley Cemetery (Section N, Site 9-27-2) in Whitley Co., Indiana. Memorial services were at the Miller Funeral Home, with Rev. Floyd Brick of the South Whitley Church of God officiating.^1,3
     She was a member of the Church of God in South Whitley, Whitley Co., Indiana.¹ She and her husband Delmar lived in Washington Twp., Kosciusko Co., Indiana, from at least 1907 to 1920. They are listed there in the 1920 census, enumerated on 15 January 1920^4,5,6; however, Delmar's father's obituary, dated 5 February 1920, described him as being "of Richland Twp., [Whitley Co., Indiana]." They are listed in Richland Twp. in the 1930 census. In 1930 their son Gleason was still living with them, as was their widowed daughter Irma Beard and her seven-year-old son Don J. Beard.^7,8

     Henrietta Williamson was born about 1905 in Indiana.¹

     Gleason Williamson was born about 1902 in Indiana.²
     He was living in Waterloo, DeKalb Co., Indiana, on 2 July 1963.¹