Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Abigail Graybill

Female 1842 - 1865  (22 years)


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  • Name Abigail Graybill 
    Born 15 Apr 1842  , Hancock, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 8 Apr 1865  Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 11 Apr 1865  Graybill-Stoker Cemetery, Garner Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I620  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father Levi Graybill,   b. 12 Mar 1818, Bloomfield Township, Jackson, Ohio, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 30 Nov 1912, near Persia, Harrison, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 94 years) 
    Mother Patience Smith,   b. 25 Nov 1825, New Castle, Henry, Indiana, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 14 Aug 1895, Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 69 years) 
    Married 20 Jun 1841  Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F256  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Reviewed 6 Jun 2002 Rootsweb.com Worldconnect Oct 2003.

      2. Censuses:
      1850 US: Cannot find even though Levi in his biography says he was in Iowa by 1846. Did a page by page search of Decatur and Pottawattamie Counties which in 1850 appear to be larger than they are now. They possibly could have lived away from the others in an area that may not have received a census taker.

      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: Levi [can't read age - 33?], Patience 25, Abigail 9, Selathiel 4, Patience 2, Levi infant. [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.]

      1856 Iowa: (From Ancestry.com) Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 2 of 4:
      Levi Grabill, 38, 10 years in Iowa, OH, farmer.
      Patience, 31, 10, IN.
      Abbigail, 14, 10, IL.
      Selatha, 9, 9, IL.
      Patience, 7, 7, IL.
      Levi, 5, 5, IL.
      John, 3, 3, IL.
      Michael, 1, 1, IL.

      1860 US: Macedonia P.O., Grove Twp., Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 416, entry 847, 14 Jul 1860:
      Levi Graybill, 42, farmer, Ireland.
      Patience, 36, IN.
      Abigail, 18, IL.
      Salathiel, 13, IA.
      Patience, 11, IA.
      Levi, 8, IA.
      John, 6, IA.
      Joseph B., 3, IA.
      George W., 5/12, IA.

      3. The following two individuals appear to be the same individual and most likely the husband to Abigail Graybill. Both entries are from 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):
      "John Pritchett. Birth: 1839 at Trenton, Gibson, Tennessee. Source: Early Reorganization Minutes, 1852-71, book A, p. 114."
      "John Pritchard. Birth: Gibson, Tennessee. John Pritchard presented himself for baptism at the Reorganized Church General Conference in October 1862. He was baptized a member of the [RLDS] on 6 Oct 1862 at Galland's Grove, Shelby, Iowa, by Joseph Smith III. He was confirmed on 7 Oct 1862 by Blair, Blakeslee, J.W. Briggs, and Joseph Smith III. Sources: RLDS Deceased Files; Early Reorganization Minutes, 1852-71, book A, p. 152; 'The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,' p. 307; 'Saints' Herald,' Nov. 1862; Early Reorganization Minutes, 1872-1905, Book C." [Note: I looked up the reference of "Saints' Herald" for Nov. 1862 regarding John Pritchard and found his name among a list of seven persons baptized by Pres. Joseph Smith [III] on Oct. 7, 1862 at the RLDS Church's Semi-Annual Conference held in Galland's Grove, Shelby Co., Iowa."

      4. 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, Abigail; Birth: 15 Apr 1843, Hancock County, Illinois. Abigail 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."

      5. 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 Abigail Graybill.

      6. FHL book 929.273 P684pn: "Graybill/Stoker/Eller/Smith/Koons/Pitt Connections," by Norman E. 'Gene' Pitt, 1996, pp. 55-60: "Abigail Graybill, b. 15 Apr 1842, Hancock, IL; d. 8 Apr 1885 [typo: should be 1865]; bur in the Graybill Cemetery, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie Co., IA; md. to John Pritchett. Her husband was away in the Civil War when she died leaving a 6 month old baby daughter, Patience Lucinda. John was b. 13 Aug 1839, Nashville, TN; d. 20 Apr 1925. Levi and Patience raised their first grandchild who was one week older than their own daughter Martha. John Pritchett may have remarried and had a son George. [Patience Lucinda married Joseph Bogue and died In Los Angeles in 1913 - see book for more detail.]"

      BIRTH:
      1. Date per tombstone. Variant date of 1843 from RLDS records cited above not used.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Husband is John T. Pritchett per tombstone. 1880 census also shows Abigail's father Levi with a granddaughter: Lucinda Pritchett, g.dau., 16, IA OH IN. Photo of John T. Pritchett's tombstone is on website for "Mormon Cemetery" located in Grove Township of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, four miles east of Macedonia on County Road G66/Pioneer Trail.: <http://www.rootsweb.com/~iapottaw/CemMormon.htm> The tombstone reads: "John T. Pritchett, 1839-1925." 1880 Census for Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 422D, shows John Prichett, 42, married to Susan, 33, with 7 children - the oldest being 13 - which appears to confirm Abigail deceased prior to 1867. Susan is Susan Anna Winegar, b. 28 Oct 1849 in Wheeler's Grove, Pottawattamie, Iowa and died 10 Mar 1905 in Macedonia, Pottaw., Iowa - she is buried next to John per citation below. Susan is the daughter of John Winegar and Elizabeth (Smith) Winegar - Elizabeth is listed separately elsewhere in this database and also is buried in the same cemetery.

      2. Per FHL book 977.771 V2p" Pottawattamie Co., IA Early Marriages 1848-1869" and Internet site www.genexchange.org for Pottawattamie IAGenExchange marriage records indicate: "Abigail Graybill, John T. Pritchard, 12 Apr 1862."

      DEATH:
      1. 1880 Census for Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 422D, shows John Prichett, 42, married to Susan, 33, with 7 children - the oldest being 13 - which appears to confirm Abigail deceased prior to 1867.

      2. See burial citations below.

      BURIAL:
      1. The following name is found on a new memorial stone with 33 other related family members at Graybill/Stoker Cemetery: "Abigail Pritchett 1842-1885" [I think 1885 should read 1865]. 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 cemetery cited above reads: "Pritchett, Abigail; wife of John T. 15 Apr 1842 - 8 Apr 1865." Stone is badly deteriorated.

      3. Date from Ordinance Index.

      4. Husband's grave is in Mormon Cemetery, Grove Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa with stone. Complete listing of cemetery is in hard file 90 under John Peter Graybill. Listings:
      "John T. Pritchett, 1839 -1925"
      "Susan A. Pritchett, wife of John T., 28 Oct 1849 - 10 Mar 1905" (This is Susan Anna Winegar, daughter of John and Elizabeth [Smith] Winegar - Elizabeth is also buried in same cemetery. Susan is John's second wife.)

      SOURCES_MISC:
      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. 149.