Gasner G. Arehart

Notes:

Gasner fought in the Civil War in the 69th Regiment, Ohio Infantry as a Private. He is shown as enlisting 26 February 1864 at age 21 and mustered out 17 Jul 1865, a few months after the end of the war, at Louisville, KY. Interestingly, the enlistment record shows a birth date of "about 1837", a date that exaggerated his age to 27. Whether this was a clerical mistake or an exaggeration is unknown.

Gasner and Lucy were married in 1863, before his enlistment. They did not have children until after the war.

His enlistment was at the heart of the Civil War. The 69th Regiment of the Union Forces fought some of the most difficult battles of the war that summer, including the Atlanta Campaign which led to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastened the end of the Civil War.

Gasner Arehart alternate names on record:
Gasner G. Airhart
Gasner G. Earhardt
Gasner G. Arehart
Gasner Gargus Arehart
Gasner Garrigus Arehart (Note that Garrigus is his mother's maiden name)


After Sarah Lucy (Brummett) Arehart died in 1885 at age 37, Gasner married Mary Francis Arnold later that year. They had two children, Lou Effie Arehart (female, born 15 Dec 1886) and Benjamin Peter Arehart (born 5 Oct 1888). Mary Francis Arehart died in 1888.

On 12 Dec 1890 he married Emily A Cadwell Crafton (born 1849) at Memphis, Scotland, Missouri. Emily's maiden name is likely Emily Cadwell. She had previously married Samuel Crafton in 1877 (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V2DN-V3Y). They are found together in the 1880 census (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6ND-CZM) with 3 children - Ella Crafton (age 9), George Crafton (age 8), and Elliott Crafton (age 2). Ella and George would have been born before the marriage with Samuel, so they may not be her children (or perhaps not his children). No records can be found for these children with either Cadwell or Crafton surnames. Samuel was 62 (Emily was 1/2 his age at 31) in 1880. Records show that Samuel died in 1896, but Emily and Gasner were married in 1890.

It is quite likely that Emily is the daughter of Charles and Hester (sp?) Cadwell as indicated in the 1850 census at https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V5PC-YFC. The dates match perfectly and the location is the same as where both are found later in life, but no other details on this family can be found.

Just over 18 months after the marriage to Emily, on 14 Jun 1892 Gasner married Annie Schnitger at Shelby, Missouri.

If everything above is factual, Annie was Gasner's fourth wife in 7 years.

The 1900 Census (see attached image) shows the following:
- He was still married to Annie. It shows her birth date as Dec 1842 in Indiana and a mother of 6 (4 living).
- The family living in Finley Township, Douglas County, Missouri.
- Gasner with an occupation of "Minister of God".
- Lillian, my ancestor, living there at age 20.
- Lou E. Arehart, age 13, living there.

The 1910 Census (after Gasner died) shows Annie living with her son (Albert S Schnitger) and Albert's wife (ironically, also named Annie - this is how I stumbled on the census record) and children in Union, Marion, Missouri. Annie was 65 at the time.

Most records show children of:
Obie Olie Arehart or Obie Ollie Arehart
b: 28 October 1881, Willmathsville, Adair, Missouri)
and
Opie Leslie Arehart
b: 26 August 1884 (or 1883), Missouri, United States
d: 29 June 1966, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

There's virtually no details on Obie that I can find. Even Obie's gender is in question (records vary between male and female). With the lack of details, it's quite likely Obie died young.

Opie is also listed as both male and female, depending on the record. Some records show a death date the year of birth. There is an Opie L Arehart that married a Fannie F McDaniel on 26 Nov 1908 in Knox County, Missouri (the county the Arehart's lived in). He also may have married Lillian Belle Hannah 23 Sep 1937 also in Knox County.

Opie's death record in California on 29 Jun 1966 shows a birthdate of 26 Aug 1884 in Missouri, which seems to fit, and a wife of Fannie, but it shows a mother's maiden name of Kirk, which does not fit.

In short, I've found no concrete evidence to tie Obie and Opie to Gasner and Sarah Arehart.

Gasner married Sarah Lucy Brummett 1863, Butler, Ohio. Sarah (daughter of James B Brummitt and Margaret Ann Mann) was born 27 Jun 1847, Butler, Ohio; died 15 Apr 1885. [Group Sheet]

1. Lillian Myrtle Arehart was born 14 Sep 1879, Willmathsville, Adair County, Missouri; died 11 Apr 1915, Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho; was buried Apr 1915, Marysville, Fremont, Idaho.

Notes:

The death and burial details (10 September 1883, Chetopa, Labette, Kansas) were previously suspect as there are no other known family events that I could find in this city. However, his grave marker was found showing this as his actual burial place.

Found on a web forum at http://genforum.genealogy.com/earehart/messages/3.html regarding the name change from Earhart to Arehart:

"My great-great-great grandfather was George Earhart. His son was William Marks Arehart. They had a falling out over George's chosen profession (my understanding is he worked in some kind of government position). William Decided to change the spelling of his last name to Arehart."

William married Jane Garrigus 25 Dec 1838, Butler, Ohio. Jane (daughter of Jacob Garrigus and Elizabeth Spivey) was born 03 Oct 1823, Hamilton, Butler, Ohio ; died 03 Jul 1915, Benton, Knox, Missouri ; was buried 05 Jul 1915, Rutledge, Scotland, Missouri . [Group Sheet]

Notes:

She is recorded as "Mary Jane" on some histories, but I've found no records of her being named anything other than "Jane".

In addition to the census records above, she also appears in the 1900 and 1910 censuses as a widow. Both show her in Rutledge, Scotland, Missouri. In 1900 she is 76 and living with a granddaughter L. Nees (it may not be Nees - the writing is very poor). In 1910, she is 86 and living with an Eva Vogt (age 20 from California). She lived to be over 91 years old, outliving many of her 10 children.

George married Polly Marks 29 Dec 1799, Frederick, Virginia. Polly was born About 1779, Pennsylvania; died , Preble, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Most histories show a death date of 17 Jan 1838 in Preble, Ohio. This is the same death date as her husband George H. Earhart (or Arehart), so the date is suspect.

Notes:

See the attached A Brief History of the Garrigus Family or additional histories provided under Matthieu Garrigus for additional details on Jacob Garrigus.

Jacob married Elizabeth Spivey 25 Nov 1813, Butler, Ohio. Elizabeth was born 1795, Probably Virginia; died 22 Mar 1858, Sonora, Tuolumne, California. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Some histories show Elizabeth Spivey's parents as John Spivey (born about 1778, Pennsylvania) and Jane Vinnedge (born about 1778, Pennsylvania). I've yet to see any definitive records documenting this connection and do not assume it to be accurate.

Most records show John and Jane being married in 1796 (both at age 18), yet Elizabeth was certainly born in 1795 or early 1796. An 1860 census record in Hanover, Butler, Ohio shows a Jane Spivey (supposedly Elizabeth's mother) with a birth year of 1786, making her parentage to Elizabeth (born 1795) nine years later impossible.

We do know, however, that Elizabeth's last name was Spivey and that John and Jane Spivey lived in the same county in Ohio where Jacob Garrigus lived and where Jacob and Elizabeth were married. In fact, John Spivey appears just 7 lines below the Jacob and Elizabeth Garrigus household on the 1820 census. A John Vinnedge appears on the next page.

Additionally, Jacob and Elizabeth's daughter, Charlotte Garrigus married an Elias Moudy, Jr. in 1852. Elias Moudy's mother is a Jane Spivey, daughter of James Spivey and Jane Vinnedge Spivey. In other words, if Elizabeth Spivey?s father is James Spivey, then Charlotte and Elias were cousins - not entirely impossible, though this does further discount Elizabeth?s parentage.

However, Jacob and Elizabeth's marriage in 1813 was performed by Justice of the Peace John Vinnedge Esquire (likely the same listed on the 1820 census noted above). If Elizabeth's mother (or a sister?) was actually Jane Vinnedge, this man may have been her great uncle(?) - one anecdotal piece of evidence suggesting Elizabeth's parentage.

Despite all of this anecdotal evidence, I believe it a stretch to certifiably attribute Elizabeth to John Spivey and Jane Vinnedge Spivey. Indeed much evidence discounts this possibility. I think it more likely that Elizabeth Spivey Garrigus is the niece to this couple.

Elizabeth's son Finley and daughter Julia Ann Garrigus Knapp both state on the 1880 census that their mother was born in Virginia. Elizabeth's daughter Jane listed her mother's birthplace as Virginia on the 1910 census, but Ohio on the 1900 census.

Considering that there is virtually no evidence of her birth in Ohio, a birth place of Virginia is most likely. This lends further speculation to her parentage being John Spivey and Jane Vinnedge

Jacob Garrigus died at around age 46, leaving Elizabeth with many young children. There were guardianship hearings for the young children in Butler County in 1840 (4 years after Jacob's death). The records of these hearings are where most details about the children come from. It is unclear why guardianship was discussed, but this does suggest that perhaps Elizabeth had died or abandoned them. Elizabeth is unheard of again until her death March 22, 1858 in Sonora, CA.

I was quite puzzled by Elizabeth's death being in Sonora, Tuolumne, California, especially after having no other known records for her for the previous several years, and also because there were no other known family members or activities in Sonora at the time.

However, further research shows her son Finley Garrigus living in Sonora just a few years before Elizabeth's death in 1885 (his daughter Lucy Elizabeth Garrigus was born there in 1883). It's very likely that Elizabeth was living with her son at the time of her death.

There's no direct birth record for Elizabeth and no records that definitively identify her age. However, one can deduce a birth year of 1895 or perhaps 1896. On the 1820 census, Elizabeth is listed as under 26, making a birth year of no earlier than 1895. She was married in November 1813, probably at age 17 or perhaps 18.

Note that Elizabeth had 4 children by 1820.

Notes:

There is a record of a Michael Earhart serving in the Revolutionary War; Seventh Class under Captain George Shriver, 3rd Company, 4th Battalion, Northampton County, PA.

This is commonly attributed to both this Michael Earhart and another Michael Earhart. Both were from Pennsylvania, but I believe it is more accurately attributed to this Michael Earhart because this regimen was from his birth county. Additionally, the other Michael Earhart was not even 20 at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, whereas this Michael was 20 at the beginning of the war.

Additional name spellings:
Michael Earheart
Michael Arehart
Michael T. Earhart

From records and to match the spelling of his children, "Earhart" is most likely the correct spelling.

Note that his grandson, William W. Arehart, changed the spelling, apparently after having a falling out after his father (a source on this story would be wonderful).

Michael married Christine Decker 1778, Pennsylvania. Christine was born About 1756, Salisbury, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; died 25 Jul 1826, Butler, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

See the attached A Brief History of the Garrigus Family or additional histories provided under Matthieu Garrigus for additional details on David Garrigus.

David married Abigail Losey 18 Mar 1773, Morristown, Morris, New Jersey. Abigail was born 02 Feb 1756, Morris, New Jersey; was christened 21 Aug 1757, Morris, New Jersey; died 30 Dec 1817, Hamilton, Butler, Ohio . [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Abigail's maiden name was actually Losey or Losee. Some records depict the name as Loce or Locey as well.

No definitive records are available for her parents, though some records ascribe her to John Losey II and Hannah Holbard. I've yet to see definitive data making this connection.