James Emery Flemming Mitchell (1854 - 1886)

Born 14 Sep 1854 in Mound Township, McDonough, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Elizabeth (Dunahugh) Mitchell — married 22 Feb 1879 in McComb, McDonough. Illinois

Descendants

Died 22 Nov 1886 at age 32 in Garland, Seward, Nebraska Territory, United States

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Biography

James was born in 1854.His father died when he was 13. James married at age 24. He passed away in 1886 leaving his widow with 4 children under the age of 7. He was a minister in Seward County, Nebraska. Developed cancer of the bone in R leg and went by horse and buggy in 1883 to Chicago, IL to have the leg amputated at the hip. The cancer had already spread. He went to Omaha, NE and back again to Chicago, IL for additional surgeries on his jaw for tumors. Multiple newspaper articles about his ministry and death.

Obits. I have a collection of 4 obits & an article of the Minister's dire physical condition & multiple surgeries, clipped from newspapers, but without any attribution, that were pasted on a single sheet of paper. These were articles likely collected by the Rev's widow and family as remembrances. These were part of Rev. James' widow's collection of photographs, family Bible entries on births and deaths and other memorabilia. The Obits were likely from local newspapers- Germantown and Seward and, perhaps, from back in Avon, IL.

Mitchell-Dunahugh Family Bible entries: 2 loose pages I was told by the Rev's daughter Lula in mid 1965, when I stayed with her for a week, had originally been in a Bible used by the Rev. Since she was only 3 when her father died her stories were all 2nd hand info from her mother - the Rev's widow. Lula said she & her mother had made the entries on the 2 pages which lists the birth & death of Rev James E.F. Mitchell, Sarah Elizabeth Dunahugh Mitchell and the birth of each of their 4 children. They also list the death of son Ernest Emery Mitchell & the marriage of James Mitchell and Sarah Dunahugh. The penmanship is lovely and it looks like one person's handwriting to me for all the entries except the deaths. So likely Sarah made the entries for the births and marriage and Lula made the 2 death entries for her mother and brother, Ernest.

Church records: The records of the M.E. Church of Mound Twp., McDonough Co., IL 20 Feb 1869 show James E.F. Mitchell, single, removed from the church rolls, under censure, one day after the marriage license obtained and 2 days before the wedding to Sarah Dunahugh took place. James' father was a founding member of this church. Likely James & Sarah had broken some rule regarding marriage banns or such. James had been baptized in this church. James & Sarah later returned, from their new home in Fulton Co., to this church in Jul 1880 to be re-baptized and were then removed from censure. At that time they requested that their membership be moved to their new church in Avon, Fulton Co., IL.

Sources

[1] Census: Fed. 1860: Mound Township, McDonough, Illinois. Post Office- Bardolph. James ,age 6 birth year 1854. Birth Place -Illinois. Dwelling 449, Family 451. Attended school. Listed with parents and siblings. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1860usfedcenancestry&h=37670215&ti=0&indiv=try&_gl=1*ee464a*_gcl_au*NDYzNTExMzk4LjE3MDAyMTA3MDc.*_ga*OTQyNTM3ODMwLjE3MDAyMTA3NDI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDk2OC40Ni4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDk2Ny4wLjAuMA..

[2] Census: Fed. 1870: Mound Township, McDonough, Illinois. Post Office- Bardolph. James E Mitchell age 15, born 1855 in IL. Attended school. Dwelling 165. James listed with widowed mother and 4 brothers (oldest brother, John deceased. Sister Sarah married).

[3] Census :Fed. 1880: Avon, Fulton, Illinois. James age 25 birth abt 1855 in Illinois. Married. Occupation: clothier. Listed with widowed mother Nancy, wife Sarah and new baby Walter (John Walter) age 5/12. Dwelling 117. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1880usfedcen&h=30455608&ti=0&indiv=try&_gl=1*1dd3ojd*_gcl_au*NDYzNTExMzk4LjE3MDAyMTA3MDc.*_ga*OTQyNTM3ODMwLjE3MDAyMTA3NDI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDk2OC40Ni4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDk2Ny4wLjAuMA..

[4] Census: state: Nebraska 1885. Germantown, Seward, Nebraska. J.H. Michell age 30 born abt, 1855 Illinois., Preacher. Listed with- wife S.E. and children: JW age 5, DL age 3, EE age 2 and WA age 5/12. Enumeration district 729. Dwelling 2, family 2.

[5] U.S. Find a Grave. Memorial: 64202713. Greenwood Cem., Seward, Seward, NE. incl. photo of grave marker. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64202713/james-emory_flemming-mitchell?_gl=1*r6ju6c*_ga*MTg3MjkzNDg2MS4xNjczMDI0MTUy*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY3Mzc5MTg5Mi4xNy4xLjE2NzM4MjgwMTEuMzMuMC4w

[6] Illinois, Marriages 1851-1900. McDonough County, IL. 22 Feb 1879. James Emery Mitchell to Sarah E Dunahugh. Ancestry.com http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=illinoismarriages_ga&h=404506&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt&_gl=1*frzrqn*_gcl_au*NDYzNTExMzk4LjE3MDAyMTA3MDc.*_ga*OTQyNTM3ODMwLjE3MDAyMTA3NDI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDc0NS41MC4wLjA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*ODNhODMwYjMtZTZmNi00ZWEwLTg1ZDktNDQ4NTQ0MWQzMTcxLjkxLjEuMTcwNDY1MDc0My4wLjAuMA..

[7] 1888 History of Seward Co., NE by W.W. Cox. Chapter 13. "Mitchell". Bio of Rev. James E.F. Mitchell, his birth, ministry, marriage and death.