|
"DR. W.S. DUNCAN, of
Hutton Twp., spent his childhood and youth in Greene Co. IN, where he
was born Feb. 26, 1825; his grandfather having been Isaiah Duncan, an
enterprising Southern farmer who was born, reared and spent his entire
life in SC; he married and became the father of a family, including five
sons and two daughters. The sons were Isaiah, George, John, Eli and
Joshua. Of these, the father of our subject was next to the youngest.
He received a common school education and
remained with his father on the farm until reaching manhood. He then
migrated North and, locating in Greene Co. IN, was married to Miss
Rebecca Stevens in the spring of 1822. Mrs. Duncan was born Feb. 28,
1801, in KY, and was the dau. of William Stevens, who emigrated from the
Blue Grass regions to Harrison Co. IN. After marriage, Mr. Duncan rented
a tract of land and farmed until the spring of 1835; he then came to
Edgar Co., this State, secured possession of 40 acres of timber land,
part of which he cleared and occupied until spring of 1853; he then
removed with his family to Laclede Co. MO and died there in 1856,
leaving a family of seven children.
While a resident of IN he and his wife had
become members of the Dunkard Church, but after coming to IL united with
the Christian Church. The mother survived her husband about 23 years,
making her home with her children, and died Dec. 10, 1881. The parental
family included the following children: Isaiah who died in infancy; W.S.
of our sketch; John who died in infancy; George now a minister of the
Christian Church at AR; Joshua; Marion who died when 20 years of age;
Obadiah a resident of Piatt Co. IL; Jane; Elizabeth a widow, now
residing in Marion Co., and Polly A. who has carried on a millinery
establishment in Bement, IL, for the last 20 years.
Dr. Duncan was the 2nd child of his
parents and received but a common-school education; when 18, he
commenced working in a tanyard for 3 years, then enlisted in Co. H, 4th
IL Vol. Inf., started on 16 June 1846 by wagon to Springfield, IL, bound
for Mexico; after reaching the seat of war, he found that the precarious
state of his health would prevent him from continuing in the ranks, and
in Dec. received his discharge on account of disability, the result of
measels contracted at Matamoras, Mex.
Upon returning to Edgar Co., he began
teaching school, ... worked on farm, ... in about 1853 began practicing
(as doctor) in Coles Co. The marriage of Dr. Duncan and Miss Charlotte
W. Elsbury was celebrated at the home of the bride, Dec. 3, 1847; Mrs.
Duncan was born March 13, 1826, and is the dau. of John and Charlotte
(Winters) Elsbury, natives of IN. Dr. Duncan continued teaching for
about 3 years after his marriage, ... located at Strington, ... until
1860, that spring he took up residence at Sidney, Champaign Co. In Jan.
1864 during progress of Civil War, he enlisted in Co. I, 10th IL Vol.
Cav., and was appointed Assistant Surgeon, receiving his commission 18
March ... until Oct. 13 following, when he resigned, returned to Sidney,
continued practice until 1868.
Health compelled him to leave prairie
country so he moved to Farmersburg, IN; until Aug. 1884, then returned
to Sidney, then to Hutton Twp. in Oct. 1886, where he still lives. Mrs.
Charlotte Duncan died at Farmersburg, IN, in Oct. 1874; member of
Christian Church; bore nine children, recorded as follows: Minerva P.
born Oct. 3, 1848, is the wife of John W. Payne, of Evansville, IN;
Melissa C. born June 11, 1850, is the wife of Alfred Duncan of Fulton
Co. MO; Mary E. born Sept. 12, 1852, died 13 days later; Minnie C. born
May 10, 1854, is the wife of Joab Patton of IN; Laura B. born Jan. 14,
1857, died when 18 months old; Josephine F.P. born May 15, 1860, is the
wife of Dr. George H. Bogart, of IN; Rebecca D. born July 12, 1863, died
Aug. 15 following; her twin brother, William M., died Aug. 5 following.
Nora, born July 10, 1865, became the wife of Lester E. Foulke and is a
resident of Champaign Co.
The present wife of our
subject, whom he married Jan. 5, 1875, was formerly Miss Elizabeth
Johns, a native of Boone Co. IN, and born June 29, 1846; she is the dau.
of Hardin W. and Charlotte T. Johns, natives of KY; two children:
William O. born Sept. 25, 1875, died Sept. 15, 1878; and Blach G. born
April 16, 1883; the Dr. and Mrs. Duncan members of 7th Day Adventist
Church; while resident of IN, Dr. Duncan identified himself with the
Sullivan Co. Medical Assn, ... Fairbanks IN Lodge A.F.&A.M., Terre Haute
Chap.; Republican." |
