William M. Edwards Jr. and his wife of 58 years of marriage.

William M. Edwards, b. 1841, Barren County KY.,  d. 1927, Pittsburg, KS

Married, Martha F. Allen of Barren County, KY, December 22, 1859.

Martha F. Allen, b. 1844, Barren Co. KY, d. 1917, Pittsburg, KS.

Both buried side by side, at Mt. Olive Cemetery, Pittsburg, KS.

William was a Union soldier during the Civil War, Private of Capt. J.R. Jameson, Company H, 21st

Regiment of the United States Kentucky Volunteers. Enlisted by Lt. Prewitt at Greensburg, KY,

the 10th day of October, 1861 to serve 3 years.  He was given a medical discharge

September 3, 1862.

Notes:

Found this date, Dec. 12, 2000, in the 1900 census of Siloam Springs Arkansas, Benton County.
It never ceases to amase me how much about the family that the family leaves out. For instance,
I always thought my grandmother Minnie (Edwards) Gallagher and her sister Eloise (Edwards) Spicer
were the only children meaning that great grandfather William had no heirs to carry on his name.
Quite contrare', the Edwards had 8 children that lived; yet to find all of their names though.

Here is the proof; the 1900 census of Benton County Arkansas.
Line #'s 330/344 Edwards, William M. Head of household, white/male/aug/1841/58/married/40 yrs/
born KY/parents born KY/
Francis/wife/white/female/march/1844/56/marrie/40 yrs/had 8 children/ 8 that lived/ born ky/parents born Ky/
James/ Son/white/male/aug/1872/27/single/born ky/ parents born ky/
Minnie/ daugher/ white female/ 1878/ 22/ single/ born ky/ parents born ky/
Can't find the rest of the children in this census; assumig they are married living elsewhere, possibly
back in KY or somewhere else. Many Kentuckians went to Illinois and many went West then others
stayed. Annotated by James Daniel Gallagher, 12/06/2000.  Update: May,2001. Rest of children found.

Found the marriage index on this date, March 27, 2001, William M. Edwards married in Barren County,
Kentucky, 1859. Had problems reading the census for 1860, they may be there, but I could not find
them today. Will try another reader later, that may help. A lot of the census was impossible to read.

Update: Turns out Barren County broke off into Metcalfe County in 1860.   Checked the 1860 Metcalfe County, KY census and found both William M. Edwards Jr., and family, along with Martha's mother and younger siblings living with them. Living next door is William's Mother and Father and one 10 year old sibling. Though this sibling's age is in question; the census was abstracted from a book. I'm most certain that Lucinda (McDaniel)(Stovall) Edwards did not give birth when she was 57 years old. Also found that William Edwards Sr. had been married to 3 different wives. Lucinda McDaniel being the widow of the late William Stovall and the mother of William M. Edwards. Annotated, May 2, 2001, James D. Gallagher

April 24, 2001; copied William M. Edwards & Martha F. Francis marriage license. This is to certify, that on the 22nd day of December, 1859, the rites of matrimony were legally solemnized by me between
William M. Edwards Jr. and Martha F. Allen at Mrs. Jane E. Allen in the County of Barren in the presence
of E&G Hays, Jno. H. Hays and W.B. (something,H?) Wheat. Signed J.P. Murrel, minister. The marriage
license was acquired December 19, 1859 and issued by the clerk, Travis Cockrill. Barren County, Kentucky.