James May of Lewistown Township

After Thomas May passed away in 1873 his son James helped his mother care for the family farm before taking over it after she died.

James May was born November 7, 1859 in Fulton County, Illinois to Thomas and Elizabeth Scovel May.  He died Aug 9, 1909 in Fulton County, Illinois. He married  Samantha Ellen Coney on October 24, 1883 in Fulton County, Illinois.

Samantha was the daughter of Ira and Ellen (Meeker) Coney having been born on January 4, 1864 in Lewistown, Illinois.  She died June 29, 1935 and both are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lewistown, Illinois. The May farm was sold after her death and had been in the family about 90 years.

James was a well known farmer in Lewistown Township. He died while driving a buggy to Lewistown with his ten year old daughter Edna & a grandchild as reported by the Canton Register.  Edna had to hold his body & turn the buggy around to head for home with a baby in her lap. Luckily a local woman arrived & assisted helping her get home.

James belonged to the Mystics Workers & Modern Woodman of America. He and his wife also raised Duroc hogs, Jersey cattle and Percheron horses. They once sold a team to a brewery in St. Louis.

Their graves and obituaries:





Children of James and Samantha:

1. Roy May was born in 1884 and died in 1921. He married Myrtle Wallick in 1907. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.

2. Elnora May married Lemuel Jenkins and she died in 1951.

3. Don Vern May was born in 1892 and died in 1965. He married Jessie Hughes in 1914. Both are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.

4. Dean May was born May 5, 1896 in Lewistown, Illinois. He died on May 31, 1970 in Canton. He married Jennie Graham on April 7, 1917 in Lewistown. Both are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. They had six children: Dean, Leo, James, Latricia, Florence and Edna May. My great grandfather.

5. Edna May  was born April 8, 1899 in Lewistown. She died in Bisbee, Arizona on June 24, 1986. She married Frank Siebert on November 1, 1924 in Chicago.

Edna:


6. James May was born in 1901 and died in 1977. He married twice. The first too Dale Harrison and they were divorced and the second to Lillian Taylor in 1940. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.



7. Mildred May was born in 1903 and died in 1992. She married Claurence Aurand in 1931.



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