Indiana's State Motto: The Crossroads of America - adopted in 1937
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The Conrads
of
Harrison County Indiana
The Conrad and Miller blood crossed paths when my Grandma and Grampa Miller met and had children. Grandma, or Mahala Evaline DeWeese, was the daughter of Sarah Elizabeth Shewmaker and William Elwin DeWeese, and the granddaughter of Mahala Elizabeth Conrad and Joshua Preston Shewmaker.
For your reference, Mahala Conrad is my Great Great Grandmother, and rumored to be Native American, but as Carol Pyatt points out, there is no definite proof. No doubt about it though, both of these families were in Indiana early enough to have many dealings with the Indians when business was done by trade. The facts show the Maucks and the Conrads appear to be primarily Swiss and German. But Grandma Lizzie's color and the color of her ancestors does make you think there was more than Swiss German blood in their veins.
Mauck and Conrad Kinship to James A. Miller, his siblings, and his 1st cousins. This is very interesting as Catherine Mauck is much more than my 3rd Great Grandmother. She is also my Half 3rd cousin 5 times removed, my 8th cousin 5 times removed, the wife of my 2nd cousin 6 times removed, the wife of my 3rd cousin 4 times removed, and the wife of my half 3rd cousin 5 times removed. Is she family or what? Mauck Conrad Kinship to Maurice A. Miller and siblings.
This information is about Mahala Conrad's family, but from the viewpoint of her sister Mary Almira's family. Like the Millers, the Conrads also migrated from Rowan County North Carolina, but earlier than the Millers.
Mahala Conrad is the daughter of Martin Van Buren Conrad and Catherine Mauck. The Mauck side of her family established the first ferry to cross the Ohio River at Mauckport, the town is for that reason, named after the Maucks. John Mauck Sr., Mahala Conrad's Great Grandfather, was instrumental in the early settlement of the Indiana Territory, he ferried many settlers across the Ohio River into Indiana. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the Millers used the Mauck Ferry to get into Indiana themselves. When the Confederates crossed the Ohio River headed for Washington County Indiana, they came through Mauckport, so it must be the shortest route.
You
can read all about the Conrads and the Maucks in
Carol Pyatt's research below.
The picture above is Arthur Jason Miller and Mahala Evaline DeWeese, the two who brought the Conrad and Miller bloodlines together. If you are one of the Millers out of Daviess County Indiana, then this is your family. Evaline, as she was called, is named after her paternal grandmother Jenora Evaline Hardin and her maternal grandmother Mahala Elizabeth Conrad. Jenora Evaline Hardin was the wife of Evan DeWeese, and mother of William Elwin DeWeese.
The research here has been compiled by Carol Pyatt. She started her venture in 1969 and has since gathered many facts, stories and pictures. This information belongs to her and she is graciously allowing me to post it on the Millers of Washington County web site. Carol is a descendent of Mahala Conrad's sister, Mary Almira Conrad. The database for this family is below.
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Mahala Conrad's Aunt and Uncle |
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Samuel B. Cunningham |
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Martha Ann Mauck was born on 4 Jun 1833 in Harrison Co, Indiana and died on 6 Mar 1897 at age 63. She is Catherine Mauck's older sister. Martha married Samuel B. Cunningham on 2 Sep 1851. There are no known pictures of Mahala's parents, Martin Van Buren Conrad and Catherine Mauck. |
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Mahala only had one child, Sarah "Lizzie" Shewmaker and Lizzie had only one child, Mahala Evaline DeWeese. Lizzie and Mahala had something else in common, they lost their mothers when they were just children.
Lizzie was about 11 years old when her mother, Mahala Conrad died; it happened a few weeks after her 37th birthday. Mahala was only 2 years old when her mother, Catherine Mauck, died at age 28.
When Catherine Mauck died she left behind Mary Almira age 11, Mahala Elizabeth age 9, and David Lee Conrad age 7. When Mahala Elizabeth died she left only a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Shewmaker.
Lizzie's father, Joshua Preston Shewmaker, remarried and had more children, whereas Mahala's father, Martin V.B. Conrad, moved to Bogard Township in Daviess County Indiana and remarried to Harriet Eaton. He taught school in Epsom in 1870, but he died 3 short years later in 1873. His second marriage lasted 6 years and yielded one daughter. Mahala and her siblings were without parents so they were separated and raised in different homes. You can get the full details from the Ancestor Report below.
Mahala Conrad's husband
Joshua Preston Shewmaker and 2nd wife Ella Walls.
Right to left is Mahala Conrad's granddaughter Mahala Evaline DeWeese, and next to her is her daughter Sarah Elizabeth Shewmaker. Moving right is Sarah's half-brother (son of Ella Walls) John Shewmaker and wife, and Lizzie's 2nd husband Bill Ireland on the end. This picture was taken in about 1964.
Click any picture for a larger view
This is Martin Van Buren Conrad's father Solomon Conrad and his mother Sarah Mahala Sappenfield. In 1860, Solomon Conrad owned 2,000 acres in Harrison County. This Picture is believed to be taken about 1894 in Ozark County Missouri. Sarah died in 1896 and Solomon died in 1901.
(Picture courtesy of Carol Pyatt)
Sarah Mahala Sappenfield is Grandma Lizzie's Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather, making her my dad and uncles 3rd Great Grandmother and Grandfather. I am amazed to think there are pictures of my grandchildren's 6th Great Grandmother and Grandfather!
Mahala Elizabeth Conrad was named after her Grandmother Sarah Mahala Sappenfield, and Mahala Evaline DeWeese was named after her Grandmother Mahala Elizabeth Conrad. You can see how Grandma Lizzie came to be named Sarah Elizabeth when you look up her family tree.
Mahala Elizabeth Conrad also had an Aunt named Mahala Conrad, Martin's sister.
In 2005 another Mahala, Mahala Wells, was named after her Great Great Grandmother Mahala Evaline DeWeese. She ends up being named after her 2nd, 4th. and 6th Great Grandmothers.
Unfortunately there is only one picture of Mahala Conrad and I won't have access to it until this fall, but once I do I will post it. Here are pictures of Mahala's brother and sister. The people below are Grandma Lizzie's, Aunt and Uncle.
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The Children of Martin Van Buren Conrad and Catherine Mauck
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David Lee Conrad Mahala's younger brother (Pictures courtesy of Carol Pyatt) Click any picture for a larger view |
Mary Almira Conrad Mahala's older sister |
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Mary Almira Conrad's Ancestor Report By Carol Pyatt Of course this is Mahala's and David's Ancestors too - starting at the 2nd generation. The first generation is their nieces and nephews.
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Solomon Conrad's Descendants
You can't have a better tomorrow, unless you have a worse today.
This information is the research of many people across the United States and may contain errors. It is presented as the best information to date. Like all of those whose work I have incorporated herein, my research is a work in progress and subject to change without notice. A special thanks to Marlene Ricci of CA, Dwayne Meyer of CA, Jacqueline Bean of TX, Debbie Dick of IN, Milus Miller of IL, Carol Hendricks Miller of IN, Clarence Miller of IN, and Harold Glen Miller of IN. There are numerous others too; many of which are unknown, but their findings and stories are still much appreciated. Much of this would not have been possible with out their information. Also this website includes historical facts gathered from Washington County History, Indiana History, Rowan County and Salisbury North Carolina Historical sources and other US Historical sources.
James A. Miller- Great -Great -Great -Great Grandson of Adam Miller and Hannah Sheets.
©2004-2007 The Millers of Washington County
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Last Updated 04/29/10 02:16:07 PM -0700