Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

John Arno Graybill

Male 1853 - Aft 1930  (> 78 years)


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  • Name John Arno Graybill 
    Born 28 Apr 1853  Macedonia, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died Aft 1930  of Crescent, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Mormon Cemetery, Grove Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I552  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 May 2002 Rootsweb.com Worldconnect.

      2. Censuses:
      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:
      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.

      1870 US: Wheeler's Grove P.O., Grove Twp., Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 160a, dwelling 34:
      Levi Graybill, 52, farming, $3000, $1000, OH.
      Patience, 44, housekeeping, IN.
      Palmer, 21, farmer, IA.
      Levi, 19, IA.
      John, 17, IA.
      Joseph, 12, IA.
      George, 10, IA.
      Mary, 7, IA.
      Martha, 6, IA.
      Wm., 2, IA.
      Lucinda Prichet, 7, IA.

      1880 US: Center, Pottawattamie, Iowa; NA film T9-0361, p. 149B:
      John Graybill, farmer, self, 27, IA OH IN.
      Fanny Graybill, wife, 18, IA ME OH.

      1900 US: Boomer Twp., Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 17B:
      John Graybill, Apr 1853, 47, m. 20 years, IA OH IN, farmer.
      Fanny, wife, Aug 1860, 39, m. 20 years, 10 children with 5 living, IA Unk NY.
      Arno, son, Nov 1884, 15, IA IA IA.
      Leslie, son, Aug 1887, 14, IA IA IA.
      Elba, son, Sep 1888, 11, IA IA IA.
      Vena, dau., May 1894, 5, IA IA IA.
      Neva, dau., May 1899, 1, IA IA IA.
      Levi, father, Mar 1818, 82, widower, OH NC NC.

      1910 US: Carson Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 30b, entry 75:
      Fanny Grabill, head, 49, m. 1 for 29 years, 10 total children with 5 living, IA NY NY, invalid.
      Vena, dau., 14, IA IA IA.
      Neva, dau., 11, IA IA IA.

      1920 US: No listing in Carson Township. Son Arnold P. Graybill with his family is listed but no other Graybills listed.

      1930 US: Crescent, Pottawattamie, Iowa, household 200:
      Milton L Pitt, Head, 31, Iowa
      Florence A Pitt, wife, 26, Nebraska
      Duane A Pitt, son, 8, Nebraska
      S Gerald Pitt, son, 6, Nebraska
      John A Grabill, Great Uncle, 77, Widowed, White, IA OH PA.

      3. From Rootsweb World Connect database "doigk" notes: John Arno Graybill, born 4 Aug 1854 in Iowa, son of Levi and Patience Graybill was born August 4, 1854 near Wheeler Grove, east of Macedonia, Iowa. He married Frances [Fannie] M. Green on Feb. 18, 1880 and to this union was born ten children, five of whom died in infancy. The other five children are Arno Peter, Leslie Gould, Elba George, Vena Muriel and Neva Wanda. John was a carpenter by trade and both he and Fannie were affiliated with the Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints. Fannie was born Aug. 4, 1861 in Fremont County, Iowa but lived in Carson, Iowa until her death May 26, 1920. She is buried in the Old Mormon Cemetery, 3 1/2 miles east of Macedonia, Iowa.

      4. FHL book 929.273 P684pn: "Graybill/Stoker/Eller/Smith/Koons/Pitt Connections," by Norman E. 'Gene' Pitt, 1996, pp. 55-60, note that this book has a very detailed downline of this family: "John Arno Graybill, b. 4 Aug 1854, Wheeler's Grove, Pottawattamie Co., IA; d. Oct 1928; bur in the Mormon Trail Cemetery, Macedonia, Potta. Co., IA; md. 18 Feb 1880 to Frances 'Fannie' Grace Greene. She was b. 4 Aug 1861, Dawsonburg, Fremont co., IA; d. 26 May 1920, Carson, IA; bur. in the Mormon Trail Cemetery, Macedonia, Pottawattamie Co., IA. Their children were Arno Peter, Leslie Gould, Elba George, Vena Murial, Neva Wanda, Sophia, Manley W., Flossie, Nettie and Zelpha."

      5. Website http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/Biographies.htm accessed 13 Dec 2008:
      "Name: Graybill, John and Frances Submitted by: Gail Meyer Kilgore, Mar 2003 Publication: written by Neva Kuhr John and Frances Graybill John Arno Graybill, son of Levi and Patience Graybill was born August 4, 1854 near Wheeler Grove, east of Macedonia, Iowa. He married Frances [Fannie] M. Green on Feb. 18, 1880 and to this union was born ten children, five of whom died in infancy. The other five children are: Arno Peter, Leslie Gould, Elba George, Vena Muriel and Neva Wanda. John was a carpenter by trade and both he and Fannie were affiliated with the Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints. Fannie was born Aug. 4, 1861 in Fremont County, Iowa but lived in Carson, Iowa until her death May 26, 1920. She and Levi are buried in the Old Mormon Cemetery, 3 1/2 miles east of Macedonia, Iowa."

      6. Website http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/Biographies.htm accessed 13 Dec 2008:
      "Name: Graybill, Arno and Lula Submitted by: Gail Meyer Kilgore, Mar 2003 Publication: written by Neva Kuhr Arno Peter Graybill was a self-educated man and for many years a telephone lineman and maintenance man for the Western Telephone Co. in Carson, Iowa. He was also an efficient carpenter. Arno was born near Wheeler Grove in Pottawattamie Co. on Nov. 3, 1883 and died May 16, 1955. Arno's parents were John A. and Fannie [Green] Graybill, both natives of Pottawattamie County. Arno was married to Lula Grace Alley, who was born in Fremont County near Hillsdale, Iowa on June 4, 1886 and died Jan. 19, 1964. Seven children were born to this union: Ruth, Harold, Hope, Cloyd, Bea, Laura and Franklin. Ruth Ora married Stephen Brubaker in 1929 and died at the age of 22 years at the University Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. She left a son Don LaRance, who at the present time is a Principal in the Inter-City School in DesMoines, Iowa. Harold Wayne, has retired from the U.S. Air Force and lives with his wife Lou in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hope Vera is married to Wayne F. Carr and lives in Carson, Iowa as do their two sons Walter and Ken with their families. Cloyd LeRoy is also retired from the U. S. Air Force and lives with his wife Irene in Mesa, Arizona. Their son Robert is a student at the Illinois University. Bea Grace died at the age of 16 months. Laura Lucile married Homer Good and lives in Estes Park, Colorado, and they have three sons, William, Richard and Randall. Franklin Arno lives with his wife Jeanne in Fort Collins, Colorado. They have a son Daniel and a daughter Kathy. Franklin is a professor at CSU in Fort Collins and has written several textbooks on Statistics. Mrs. Lula Graybill was known around Carson for her kindness and her neighbors and friends and was a hard working woman and a wonderful mother. Mr. and Mrs. Graybill and their children are all members of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints Church. Mrs. Graybill was living in her home at 812 Lucust Street at the time of her death. It had been the Graybill home for 52 years."

      BIRTH:
      1. Website: iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/hist-RLDS-wheelersgrove.htm: Members of the RLDS Church of the Wheeler's Grove Branch: John A. Graybill, b. 28 Apr 1853 at Potta. Co., IA, baptized 17 Oct 1865 at Potta. Co., death unknown. This is the date I use; it is confirmed by the 1900 census. The biographies quoted above seem to be inaccurate using a 4 Aug 1854 date.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. See Biography above. Censuses confirm marriage.

      DEATH:
      1. Father, wife, and some children are buried in the Old Mormon Cemetery in Grove Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. No gravestone for John is found. Death would seem to occur after the 1930 census. A common variant is the Ordinance Index date of Oct 1928 which the two quoted biographies above also use. I looked at the Pottawattamie County death records for 1900-1910 (FHL film 1477205) and did not find John. Available films at the FHL only extend to 1919.

      BURIAL:
      1. Gravestones per website iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/cem-mormon.htm at Mormon Cemetery, Grove Township, Pottawattamie, Iowa:
      "Fanny M. Graybill, Aug. 4, 1861 - May 26, 1920, mother."
      "Manly W., son of J.A. and F.M. Graybill, died June 1, 1883, aged 8 ms. 19 ds."
      "Vena M. Graybill, June 24, 1895-Jan 19, 1915."
      Cemetery listing cited below notes John Arnold Graybill is buried without a stone with his wife Fanny. It notes birth as 4 Aug 1854 and death after 1920 per information from Hope Graybill Carr.

      2. Copy of complete printed cemetery listing from FHL book 977.771 V3e, vol. 1, Bk. 3-5 in hard file 90 with John Peter Graybill. Information for the cemetery from the 11 Nov 2002 website <http://www.rootsweb.com/~iapottaw/CemMormon.htm?sourceid=00319368866824358798>: "Mormon Cemetery. Located in Grove Township [Pottawattamie County, Iowa], four miles east of Macedonia on County Road G66/Pioneer Trail. It has been called the Mormon cemetery and the LDS cemetery because it is on the Mormon Trail and many of the people buried there belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church was organized in 1863. Original members were John Smith and wife, Sarah; E.W. Knapp and wife, Melissa; A.J. Fields and wife, Sarah; James Otto and wife, Mehitable; Joseph Levi Graybill and wife, Patience; John Winegar and wife, Elizabeth; Joseph Smith and wife, Rachel and Stephen Smith. [Taken from the 1882 Pottawattamie Co. History by Baskin.] Many of these members are buried here. [In later years members of the Re-organized Latter Day Saints were buried here.] The oldest burial is that of Peter Frain, 12 Oct 1861, who's stone is still visible." [Note: most of the people mentioned were RLDS by 1863.]

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. 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.

      2. 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. 150.