Mary "Bessie" BALIS ^{2 3}

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Randy L. Hammond, obtained from a book by Mary Lantrow on the family of Reuben Wickham.

ALTERNATIVE BIRTH DATE: 7 Aug 1794

BIBLE OF BIMAEL ROBINS WICKHAM:
Mary "Balis" was born April the 7th 1794.
Mary Wickham, wife of "Bimael R. Wickham Departed this Life September the twentieth A.D. 1880 (last digit was difficult to read) aged 86 years 5 months and 13 Days.

1850 IA CENSUS, Linn Co: Mary Wickham, 56, b. NY; son James, 25, farmer, b. OH; dau. Mary E., 20, b. OH; dau. Nancy, 17, b. OH; dau. Martha, 12, b OH; son George W., 9, b. OH.

1854 IA STATE CENSUS, Linn Co, Otter Creek:
Mary "Wickam" 1 male, 5 females 0 voters, 0 militia
(Listed next to Simeon "Wickam" on census.)

1860 IA CENSUS, Linn Co, Otter Creek Twp, Lafayette P.O.: Henry Hemphill, 37, farmer, $2000 real estate, $700 personal property, b. OH; "Emeline", 32, b. OH; Franklin, 12, b. IA, attended school; Marion, 11, b. IA, attended school; James, 7, b. IA, attended school; Valentine, 6, b. IA, attended school; Mary, 3, b. IA, attended school; Morris, 1, b. IA; Mary Wickham, 66, $100 real estate, $440 personal property, b. NY.

1870 IA CENSUS, Linn Co, Otter Creek Twp, Lafayette P.O.: James Hemphill, 33, farmer, $2500 real estate, $800 personal property, b. OH; Fanny, 28, keeping house, b. IN; Addie, 8, b. IA, attended school; Lee, 5, b. IA, attended school; Jacob Joice, 20, farm hand, b. IA; Mary Wickham, 80, keeping house, b. NY.

1880 IA CENSUS, Linn Co, Otter Creek Twp: Isaac Dicken, 60, married, farmer, disabled due to rheumatis, b. PA, parents b. PA; wife "Phoebe" A., 59, married, keeping house, b. OH, parents b. NY; son Howard, 18, single, farmer, b. IA, father b. PA, mother b. OH; mother-in-law Mary Wickham, 86, wd, b. NY, parents b. NY; cousin Katurah Kees, 48, married, house keeping, b. OH, father b. OH, mother b. NY.

OBIT: A Mother in Israel Gone to Her Reward - Death of Mary Wickham, Aged 86 - This remarkable woman was born in the State of New York, April 7, 1794 and was married to Bimael Robins Wickham, Feb. 11, 1810. She moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio with her husband in the year 1817, from Ohio to Linn Co, Iowa in the spring of 1847 and settled on Otter Creek. She died Sept. 20, 1880. Consequently, she was 86 yrs., 3 months, and 13 days old. She was the mother of 14 children, all living except two, has 103 grand-children, 60 living, 73 great-grandchildren, 65 living, and two great-great-grand children, making a total of 192 descendants. This woman was a pioneer in the full sense of the term. Coming to Iowa in the spring of 1847, she lost her husband the fall following. She was thus left with a large family in a new country but she kept them together until they married and settled down for themselves. She joined the United Brethren church forty years ago, and she was a consistent member ever afterwards. She spent the last few months of her life in the family of Isaac Dicken, her son-in-law, where her every want was provided for with kind hands and loving hearts of the family and a large circle of relatives and friends. The funeral services were held at the Christian Church at Lafayette. She was followed there by a long procession to pay the last respect that mortal can pay to the departed. The funeral discourse was preached by Elder Milton McReel from Corinthians 5:2. The old Christian has gone to take possession of that home not made with hands.

GRAVESTONE RECORDS OF LINN CO, IA: Lafayette Cem, Lafayette town - Bimael R. Wickham, d. 28 Oct 1847 - 55 yrs, 10 mo, 5 days - on ss with Bessie "Bolis" Wickham who died 20 Sep 1880 - 86 yrs, 5 mo, 13 days.

Mary married Bimael Robins WICKHAM, son of Reuben WICKHAM and Anna ROBBINS, on 11 Feb 1810 in NY.¹ (Bimael Robins WICKHAM was born on 23 Feb 1792 in Dutchess Co., NY,² died on 28 Oct 1847 in Lafayette, Otter Creek Twp, Linn Co., IA ⁴ and was buried in Lafayette Cem., Lafayette, Linn Co., IA ⁵.)