Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

William Lenore Graybill

Male 1824 - 1880  (56 years)


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  • Name William Lenore Graybill 
    Born 25 Jan 1824  Bloomfield Township, Jackson, Ohio, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 25 Jun 1880  of Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 28 Jun 1880  Graybill-Stoker Cemetery, Garner Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I438  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Michael Graybill,   b. 14 May 1787, , Wilkes (now Ashe), North Carolina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 24 Sep 1856, Kanesville (now Council Bluffs), Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years) 
    Mother Mary or Polly Stoker,   b. 24 Nov 1792, , Wilkes (now Ashe), North Carolina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Feb 1864, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 71 years) 
    Married May 1811  Jefferson, Ashe, North Carolina, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F264  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Hannah Pilling,   b. 3 Mar 1835, , Lancashire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Dec 1914, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years) 
    Married Abt 26 Apr 1852  , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. Elizabeth Jane Graybill,   b. 27 Jan 1853, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 17 Jun 1932, Persia, Harrison, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years)
     2. Sydney Lenore Graybill,   b. 27 Jan 1855, Kane Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 9 Feb 1855, Kane Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
     3. Levi or Levy A. Graybill,   b. 10 Nov 1855, Kane Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1920, of, , Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age > 66 years)
     4. Rebecca Almeda Graybill,   b. 10 Feb 1860, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Sep 1930, Yorkshire, Harrison, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 70 years)
     5. David M. Graybill,   b. 18 Feb 1862, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Aug 1883, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 21 years)
     6. Lafayette A. Graybill,   b. 28 Sep 1866, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Aug 1883, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 16 years)
     7. Jesse Graybill,   b. 4 Jun 1869, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Sep 1943, of Hardin Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years)
     8. Ira Graybill,   b. 13 May 1876, , Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Aug 1963, of Denver, Arapahoe, Colorado, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 87 years)
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F357  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Reviewed 6 May 2002 Rootsweb.com Worldconnect.

      2. Ancestral File 4.19 reports a wife named Anna or Hannah Pilling or both. Ordinance Index has no listing.

      3. Censuses:
      1830 US: Bloomfield Township, Jackson, Ohio, pg. 109-112, note whole township had 527 people living in it, related families include Michael Stoker, Michael Stoker Jr., Alexander Lackey, James Welker, Michael Graybill, and John Stoker:
      Michael Graybill. Males 0-5:1; 5-10:2; 10-15:2; 15-20:1 40-50:1. Females 0-5:1; 15-20:1; 30-40:1. [Appears to Michael, his wife Polly, and their children David, Catherine, Simeon, Levi, George, William, Juliana, and Michael.]

      1851 Iowa State: Pottawattamie County. FHL film 1022203. The entire state was counted but only Pottawattamie listed everyone by name in the household and their ages; other counties only listed the head of the household and a numerical count without names of the various ages by sex in the household. No date is given when the census was taken but it was certified in Dec. 1851; however, the other counties show a Sep 1851 date which also appears more likely for Pottawattamie as well in light of ages given some children with known birthdays in October. Census return:
      Grabill: Michael 65, Polly 58, William L. 26, Michael Jr. 23, Elizabeth 17, Sidney R. 15, Almeda 15, Marideth 13, David 7. Also in household are Catherine Stoker 78 and Amanda Grabill 5. [Note that the following related families are in this census and very close neighbors: Simeon P. Graybill, Michael/Polly Graybill with Polly's mother Catherine Eller Stoker, Eller/Margaret Stoker, Jacob/Catherine Stoker, Philip/Catherine Gatrost, David/Barbara Stoker, Edward/Sarah Davis, and William/Almira Stoker. Other relatives in same county but separated by several pages of census include the following families: Thomas/Hannah Pilling whose daughter Hannah, later marries William Lenore Graybill, Levi/Patience Graybill, John W./Sarah Stoker, Hannah Ford whose son Martin later marries Zibiah M. Stoker, and John/Sarah Smith.]

      1854 Iowa: Kane, Pottawattamie, Iowa, listed as males, females, voters, militia (note that there are 8 pages of listings and only pages 5 and 6 list the following:
      Michael Grabill, 5-5-2-0.
      William L. Grabill, 1-2-1-1.
      Geo. Grabill, 5-3-1-1.
      Eller Stoker, 4-4-4-4.
      Philip Gatirop, 3-2-1-1.
      Simeon Grabill, 4-0-1-1.

      1856 Iowa: (From Ancestry.com) Kane, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 4 of 63, 19/19:
      Wm. L. Graybill, 32, 10 years in Iowa, OH, farmer.
      Hannah, 21, Eng., 6 years in Iowa.
      Elizabeth J., 3, IA.
      Levi A., 0, IA.

      1860 US: Council Bluffs Post Office, Kane Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, dwelling 503, family 444, neighbors to Polly Graybill:
      William L. Graybill, 36, farmer, $100 real estate, $45 personal property, OH.
      Anna, 25, house wife, Eng.
      Elizabeth J., 7, IA.
      Levi A., 4, IA.
      Rebecca A., 4/12, IA.

      1870 US: Council Bluffs Post Office, Kane Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 172b, dwelling 52, family 53; the following families were neighbors: Simeon Graybill, Margaret Stoker, George Graybill, William L. Graybill, Phillip Gatrost:
      W.L. Graybill, 47, farmer, $1400 real estate, $350 personal property, OH.
      Hannah 34, keeping house, Eng.
      Elizabeth, 17, IA.
      L.A., 13, IA.
      Rebecca, 10, IA.
      David, 8, IA.
      Layfayett, 3, IA.
      Jessee, 5/12, IA.

      1880 US: Garner, Pottawattamie, Iowa; NA film T9-0361, p. 22C [Confirms William was born in Ohio and his parents both in North Carolina.]:
      William Graybill, farmer, self, 56, OH NC NC.
      Hannah, wife, 45, Eng Eng Eng.
      Levy A., son, 24, IA OH Eng.
      Rebecca, dau, 20, IA OH Eng.
      David M., son, 18, IA OH Eng.
      Lafayette, son, 13, IA OH Eng.
      Jesse, son, 10, IA OH Eng.
      Ira, son, 4, IA OH Eng.
      John Jones, laborer, other, 24, VA OH VA.

      4. Wife's entry in 1900 census confirms only 8 children total.

      5. A partial quote from the book "Our Stoker Family Histories 1731-1881," Vol. II, comp. and ed. by Elayne Stoker, 2004, printed by Stevenson's Genealogy Center, Provo, UT, from an article entitled: "Polly Stoker":
      "Vivian Graybill, of Independence, Missouri, has worked on the Graybill genealogy for many years and since he plans to publish a book with a great amount of detailed information I will not list the names of their complete families. I will note the names of Michael and Polly's children and how they relate to other families in this book. I do have most family names if anyone wants to check it. [Kerry's note: the author lists each child and grandchild of Polly. See her file for the complete listing. I include only the immediate family in this individual's note.]
      "William Lenore Graybill, b. 1/25/25 d. 1/25/80 m. Hannah Pilling, daughter of Thomas Pilling of Oldham, Lancashire, England. She came to America with her parents as Mormon emigrants in 1850.
      1. Elizabeth Graybill, b. 1853 m. Eli Collins (son of John and family lived on the neighboring farm by Yorkshire, Iowa, where I grew up.)
      2. Sidney Graybill, b. 1855
      3. Levi Graybill, b. 1855
      4. Rebecca Graybill, b. 1860
      5. David Graybill, b. 1862
      6. Lafayette Graybill, b. 1866
      7. Jesse Graybill, b. 1869
      8. Ira Graybill, b. 1876"

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. Susan Easton Black, compiler, "Early Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," (Religious Studies Center, BYU, 1993, copy in Family History Library in Salt Lake City): "Graybill, William L.; Birth: 25 Jan 1824, Jackson County, Ohio. William L. Graybill was bapt. and conf. a member of the [RLDS] on 1 Jul 1860 by E.C. Briggs. Sources: Early Reorganization Minutes, 1852-71, book A, p. 302 and 1872-1905, Book C."

      2. The book "Mormon Redress Petitions, Documents of the 1833-1838 Missouri Conflict," edited by Clark V. Johnson, contains a copy of the "Scroll Petition" dated 28 Nov 1843 at Nauvoo, IL addressed to the U.S. Congress by members of the LDS Church who had property destroyed by Missouri mobs in the 1830's. Included with over a couple thousand signatures is William Graybill.

      3. Nauvoo LDS Land and Records Office research file (copy in my possession as of 2 Jun 2007) provides the following information (also partially viewable at www.earlylds.com): Seventies Records (those ordained before 1850), LDS Archives:
      George W. Graybill, b. 26 Jun (1821); hoil, age 24 in 1845, parent Michael; residence City of Joseph (Nauvoo); Source: 70s rec, 29 Qrm, Bk B Sel, 1845, LDS Arc, pg. 114.
      Levi Graybill (Gregbill), b. 12 Mar 1824 at Jackson, Ohio; age 20 in 1844, parents Michael; residing Nauvoo and Utah; ordained 70 or into Quorum, 6 May 1839, Quincy, Illinois; Source: Journal History, 6 May 1839, from 70s rec A, 6, 70s Rec, 14 Qrm, Bk B Sel, 1845, pg. 46, 1844, LDS Arc, pg. 3-4, 2nd list, 1850s, pag. 19-20.
      Michael Graybill, b. 6 Jul (1828), Ohio; age 17 in 1845; Parent Michael; residence Bear Creek, Illinois; Source: 70s rec, 29 Qrm, Bk B Sel, 1845, LDS Arc, pg. 114.
      William L. Graybill, b. 25 Jan (1823 of 1824); Ohio; age 21 in 1845; parent Michael; residing Bear Creek (llinois); Source: 70s rec, 29 Qrm, Bk B Sel, 1845, LDS Arc, pg. 114.

      4. From an article entitled "The Family" from the book "Our Stoker Family Histories 1731-1881," Vol. II, comp. and ed. by Elayne Stoker, 2004, printed by Stevenson's Genealogy Center, Provo, UT. For the full transcriptional listing of the descendants of Michael Stoker and Catherine Stoker, see the notes of Michael Stoker - the following only pertains to this immediate family. Generation "1" is Michael Stoker and Catherine Eller:
      "The Michael Stoker Family as existed at the time of his death. Those names that are [bracketed] probably were involved in the Missouri experience...
      2-[Polly Mary Stoker], born on 24 Nov. 1792 in Ashe Co., NC, married [Michael Graybill] (14 May 1787- 24 Sep 1856), son of John Peter Graybill and Christina Wampler, on May 1811 in Jefferson, Ashe Co., NC. She lived in Ashe Co., NC; Jackson Co., OH; Caldwell Co., MO; Adams Co., IL; and Pottawattamie Co. IA. She died 18 Feb 1864 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie Co., IA. Both Michael and Polly are buried in the Graybill/Stoker Cemetery.
      3-[David Graybill], born 24 Sept 1812 in Ashe Co., NC, married Mahala Hill. Both died in Illinois. In December 1848 David's brother, Simeon Graybill whose wife, Amanda Hill, had died, took David's children and his own making seven altogether in a wagon to settle in Kanesville, Iowa.
      3-[Catherine Graybill], born 9 Jun 1814 in Ashe Co., NC, married [Philip Gatrost]. Philip and Catherine moved to Missouri with her parents. They built a brick house in Blue Grass Hollow on the edge of her father's land in Pottawattamie Co., IA. She died Dec. 1, 1886 at Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, IA and is buried in the Graybill/Stoker Cemetery.
      3-[Simeon Peter Graybill], born 26 Mar 1816 in Jackson Co., OH. Reared to manhood on a farm. For a time engaged in mining at Mt. Vernon, OH. Married [Amanda Hill] on 16 Mar 1837 in Jackson Co., OH. They moved to Caldwell Co., MO then to Adams Co., IL where Amanda died on Feb 21, 1848. In the fall of 1848, Simeon moved to a farm in Pottawattamie Co, IA. He married Frances (Graham) Downs. While serving a short term LDS mission his cousin, John Stoker of Bountiful, UT visited him on Nov 8, 1869. Simeon resided on the farm until his death, June 27, 1889.
      4-[Rachel Graybill], born Mar 1838 probably in Caldwell Co., MO, and died in 1848 near Quincy, Adams Co., IL.
      3-[Joseph Levi Graybill], born 12 Mar 1818 in Jackson Co., OH. Baptized by John A. Fisher on 17 November 1833. Ordained an Elder in 1836. Moved to Caldwell Co., MO in 1837. Moved to IL in 1839. Ordained a seventy on May 3, 1839. Married Patience Smith on Jun 20, 1841. Moved to Nauvoo, IL in 1845 and to Pottawattamie Co., IA in 1846. He was baptized a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 6 August 1861 by W. W. Blair.
      3-[George Washington Graybill], born 26 Jun 1821 in Jackson Co., OH. Married Mary Smith. In 1862 after she died (Feb 16, 1860 in Iowa), George married her sister, Hannah, who had been twice widowed. She had six children and George had ten, together they had three more. George was buried in the cemetery at Underwood, Iowa. Mary is buried in the Graybill/Stoker Cemetery near Council Bluffs.
      3-[William Lenore Graybill], born 25 Jan 1825, married Hanna Pilling who was born 3 Mar 1835 in Lancashire, England. William died January 25, 1880 and is buried in the Stoker/Graybill Cemetery.
      3-[Juliana Graybill], born 19 Jan 1826, married Wilford Heath Hudson. Went to Utah. Died 8 May 1851.
      3-[Michael Graybill], born 19 Jan 1825. Living in Harrison Co., IA on Feb 27, 1870 when John Stoker of Bountiful, Utah, visited him. He never married. At age 40 he was injured in a runaway accident and lived as an invalid until age 82. He resembled his cousin, Michael Stoker, so closely that Polly Brittann Hughes upon meeting her future husband thought he was Michael Graybill whom she had known.
      3-[Mary Ann Graybill], born 25 Feb 1830, married Wilford Heath Hudson. Went to Utah.
      3-[Elizabeth Graybill], born 16 Sep 1833, was living in Harrison Co., IA on Feb 27, 1870 when her cousin, John Stoker of Bountiful, visited her at which time she was living with her brothers, Sidney Rigdon and Michael.
      3-[Sidney Rigdon Graybill], born 6 Apr 1836 in Jackson Co., OH, was living in Harrison Co., IA when his cousin, John Stoker, visited him on Feb 27, 1870. He married Jane Davis."

      BIRTH:
      1. FHL Book 929.273EL54h "George Michael Eller and Descendants of His in America," compiled by James W. Hook, 1957, also on FHL film 896571, item 2, p. 99: "William Lenore Graybill, b. 25 Jan 1825 by Graybill family records and 5 Jan 1824 by his gravestone."

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Per FHL book 977.771 V2p" Pottawattamie Co., IA Early Marriages 1848-1869": " William L. Graybill and Hannah Pilling, 26 Apr 1852." The cited book notes that this is application date only and not necessarily marriage date.

      DEATH:
      1. Per tombstone.

      2. The book "The Howard Leytham Stoker Von Dollen Family Histories," FHL 929.273 H833a, by Doris Lewis, 2017 So. 80th Ave., Omaha, Nebraska, 68124, pp. 90-91. Note that Doris uses death date of 25 Jan 1880 which may me a transliteration for Jun, or the tombstone may have been misread for January. I use June.

      BURIAL:
      1. The following name is found on a new memorial stone with 33 other related family members at Graybill/Stoker Cemetery: "Wm. Lenore Graybill 1823-1880." It is 3 miles east of Council Bluffs, Iowa in Garner Township on old Highway 6 (also known as McPherson Highway - not to be confused with the new Highway 6), then a right (south) on State Orchard Road for 9/10ths of a mile, then left (east) on Cedar Lane to the first driveway on the left (north). The address is 21090 Cedar Lane and the cemetery is in their backyard. Get permission from the homeowner first. These directions were corrected from previous directions after my visit May 8, 2007.

      2. Tombstone in Graybill Cemetery, Garner Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa: "W.L. Graybill 25 Jan 1824 - 25 Jun 1880."

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. Per Ancestral File 4.19 (28 May 2001).

      2. FHL book 929.273 P684pn: "Graybill/Stoker/Eller/Smith/Koons/Pitt Connections," by Norman E. 'Gene' Pitt, 1996, pp. 34-38, note that this book has a very detailed downline of the children of this individual.

      3. Nauvoo LDS Land and Records Office research file (copy in my possession as of 2 Jun 2007) provides the following information (also partially viewable at www.earlylds.com).