The Bucher/Booker Family, 1686-1990: Chapter V, Part 1

The Jacob Booker and Henrietta Cowden Family

(Son of David Booker and Dosha Smith)

Most of the information on Jacob Booker and his descendants was given to me by Mrs. Dulcie Irene (Pirtle) Jewell of Sullivan, Indiana. A descendant of Jacob and Henrietta Booker, she has been researching her Booker family for over thirty years. As mentioned in Chapter I, Jacob Booker at the time of his death, 22 January 1882, was one of the oldest residents of Sullivan County, Indiana.

According to The History of Sullivan County by Thomas J. Wolfe, page 39, Jacob was born in 1798 [19 September 1798 – based on gravestone markings, died age “83 yrs., 4 mo., 3 days”] in Jefferson Co., Kentucky, and had moved to Sullivan Co., Indiana at age twenty-one (1819), settling in the northeast section of Haddon Township. From the Topographical Atlas and Gazette of Indiana, published in 1871 by George H. Adams and Co., 335 Broadway, Indianapolis, I found listed under Haddon Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, “Booker, Jacob, P. O. 4, [lives] 6 miles from the Post Office, 210 acres, settled 1818, occupation Grain Raiser.” It was not until 13 January 1836 that Jacob Booker officially registered his homestead at the Vincennes Land office. The following is a list of the land that Jacob Booker homesteaded over a period of thirty-five years:

Jacob married Henrietta Cowden in Sullivan Co., Indiana sometime between 1824 and 1827, their first child born in 1827. Henrietta, daughter of William Cowden, was born 1 June 1808 [based on gravestone markings, died 85 yrs., 4 mo., 4 days] in Kentucky. Jacob and Henrietta were members of the Shiloh Church of Christ in Haddon Township. The Booker Cemetery, where many early Bookers are buried, is located on land Jacob and Henrietta first settled.

 

Jacob Booker and Henrietta Cowden

(Sullivan Co., IN)

Children:

From The Sullivan Democrat, Wednesday, 21 Sept. 1881:

 

This paragraph in the newspaper “The Sullivan Democrat,” proves that James Booker, living in Decatur, Illinois (Long Creek Township) in 1881 was the brother of Jacob Booker. James Booker left Sullivan County Indiana in 1841 settling first in Crawford County, Illinois. His first son, Samuel H. Booker, was born there as proven by Samuel’s military and pension records.

From The Sullivan Democrat, Wednesday, 1 Feb. 1882:

 

Jacob Booker was buried in the Booker Cemetery, Haddon Twp., Sullivan Co., Indiana. Henrietta Cowden Booker died 5 October 1893, and was buried next to Jacob. Engraved on Jacob Booker’s tombstone are the words, “son of David and Dosha.” Their children were:

The Nancy Ann Booker and Coatney Walters Family

Nancy Ann Booker, first child of Jacob and Henrietta, married Coatney Walters. Coatney, son of Francis and Elizabeth Walters, was born in Kentucky about 1828. Francis Walters died 27 February 1881, and was buried in the Booker Cemetery. Coatney and Nancy Ann had three children:

Ina May Walters, a member of the Shiloh Church of Christ, died 10 December 1973 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. She is buried near her husband in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Carlisle, Indiana. Ina, who was 96 years old at her death, was always a great source of genealogical information for Dulcie Jewell. She personally knew Henrietta Booker, wife of old Jacob Booker. Ina told Dulcie Jewell that Jacob Booker, son of David and Dosha, was the older brother of Abraham Booker (see Chapter VII).

The John Booker and Mary Jane Walters Family

John Booker, son of Jacob and Henrietta, married Mary Jane (Polly) Walters on 28 March 1850 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Polly, born in 1835 in Indiana, was also a daughter of Francis Walters and his wife, Elizabeth. John and Polly had six children:

Mary Jane (Polly) Walters Booker died 20 January 1889 in Sullivan Co., Indiana, and was buried in the Booker Cemetery in Haddon Township.

Levi Booker, eldest of John Booker and Polly Walters, married Mary Jane Cooper in Sullivan Co., Indiana on 8 September 1870. Levi and Mary had three children:

Francis M. Booker, fourth child of John Booker and wife, Polly Walters, married three times. His first marriage to Isabell Wyatt on 28 May 1881 in Sullivan Co., Indiana, ended in Isabell’s sudden death. On 25 September 1887 Francis remarried to Abbie L. Arnett in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Later Francis remarried again on 11 June 1892 to Hattie L. Colvin. Francis M. Booker and Abbie L. Arnett had one child:

The Julia Ann Booker and Samuel H. Robbins Family

Jacob Booker and Henrietta Cowden’s fourth child, Julia Ann Booker, married Samuel H. Robbins on 31 July 1862 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Samuel had been married before to Avarilla ?, who died 22 November 1858, age 29 years, 7 months, and 12 days (buried Mt. Calvary Cemetery). Stanford Chambers said Julia Ann Booker’s nickname was “Nant.” Julia Ann died in 1883 of Tuberculosis, and was buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Sullivan County. Her tombstone reads “age 49 yrs., 8 m., 25 ds.” Samuel H. Robbins died 27 June 1894; his tombstone reads “73 yrs., 8 m., 17 ds.” From his previous marriage Samuel had two child, Mary Jane and an infant son; both died before reaching adulthood, and are buried in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery also. Samuel H. Robbins and his wife, Julia Ann Booker had six children:

The David J. Booker and Mary Ann (Polly) Howard Family

David J. Booker, next son of Jacob Booker and Henrietta Cowden, married Mary Ann (Polly) Howard on 27 October 1859. Polly, born 7 July 1842 near Pleasantville in Sullivan County, was the daughter of John B. Howard and Elizabeth Cox. The Bookers and the Howards lived in the same neighborhood, both families arriving in Sullivan County about the same time (1819/20) from Jefferson Co., Kentucky. According to Don Howard of Casey, Illinois, a researcher of the Howard Family, “Aunt Polly” was remembered for smoking a pipe. David J. Booker and Polly are buried in the Indian Prairie Cemetery in Sullivan County. The exact date of Polly’s death is unknown, no gravestone located. Here are David J. and Polly’s children:

Dulcie Jewell was told by Ina May (Robertson) Walters that John B. Booker had homesteaded in another state, and had written his mother in 1893. He told his mother that he had sold his belongings and was going to the World’s Fair. He wrote “not to write any more,” and that he would be home after the he went to the Fair. She never heard from him again.

Mary Edith Booker married John Wesley Carrico on 8 January 1885 in Sullivan Co., Indiana They had one child, Edith Carrico, born 5 October 1901 and died 27 July 1904. John Wesley Carrico was born 4 January 1864 and died 21 January 1953. John W. Carrico, his wife, Mary Edith Booker, and their one child are buried in Bethany Cemetery, Jefferson Twp., Sullivan Co., Indiana.

The Elizabeth Ann Booker and George Samuel Blakeman Family

Elizabeth Ann Booker (Betsy), seventh child of Jacob Booker and Henrietta Cowden, married George Samuel Blakeman on 22 April 1869 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Samuel, born 1 January 1849 in Nicholsville, Kentucky, was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, enlisting in Company D, 54th Kentucky Infantry Regiment.

Maurine Blakeman Gambill of Sullivan, Indiana, and grandaughter of Elizabeth Booker and George Blakeman, writes: “I do not remember much about my grandparents except Grandma was very short – under 5 feet and Grandpa was over 6 feet tall. To me as a kid they looked funny together because of their heights. They lived on a farm four miles east of Paxton, Indiana. Grandma was a home-body person. She always had a large garden and sold produce, milk, butter, and eggs. Grandma didn’t talk very much. Grandpa was a Church of Christ preacher. Both were very much Church of Christ people. He was in the war, too [Civil War]. My dad [George Allen Blakeman] told me we were Dutch and Irish. The Bookers are all small, short, green eyes, and brown hair. They were hard workers.”

 

George died 25 February 1942 in Sullivan County and was buried in the Booker Cemetery next to his wife, Betsy. George and Betsy had nine children:

Mary Belle Blakeman, first child of Betsy Booker and George S. Blakeman, was first married to John Land and later to John Leckie. John Leckie was born 24 May 1869 and died 2 June 1956. Both Mary Belle and John are buried in the Woodward Cemetery in Sullivan Co., Indiana. John Leckie and Mary Belle had two children:

The Henrietta Dosha Blakeman and Calvin O. Lisman Family

Henrietta Dosha Blakeman, second child of Betsy Booker and George S. Blakeman, married Calvin Owen Lisman on 11 July 1897 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Calvin was born 1 November 1865, and died 11 January 1961. Both he and Henrietta are buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Carlisle. Calvin and Henrietta had ten children:

Jacob F. Blakeman, third child and oldest son of George and Betsy Blakeman, married twice. First, Jacob married Susan Storey, daughter of Martin Lewis Storey and Emma Kelly, on 1 September 1895 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Jacob remarried to Fanny Lewellyn Brodie on 14 July 1922. Fanny born 5 October 1877, died 28 March 1964 and was buried along side Jacob in Center Ridge Cemetery, Hamilton Twp., Sullivan Co., Indiana. From his first marriage Jacob F. Blakeman had two children:

From Jacob F. Blakeman’s second marriage:

Aaron Blakeman

Aaron Blakeman, next son of George and Betsy Blakeman, married twice. His first marriage was to Maude Chambers on 2 January 1898. Maude was born 1 January 1879, and died 16 March 1899, age 20 yrs, 2 ms., 15 ds. Aaron remarried on 10 December 1903 to Clara Blanche Chambers, sister of his first wife. Clara died in 1959, and she, Maude and Aaron are buried in the Woodward Cemetery in Jefferson Twp., Sullivan Co., Indiana. Aaron Blakeman had one child by his first marriage:

Children from Aaron’s second marriage to Clara Blanche Chambers:

The Tacy Jane Blakeman and Stanford Chambers Family

Tacy Jane Blakeman, sixth child of George and Betsy Blakeman, married 21 September 1898 to Stanford Chambers in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Stanford, born 28 December 1876 in Wright Co., Missouri, was the son of Richard P. and Bertena (Woodward) Chambers. Tacy Jane Blakeman Chambers died 12 August 1971. She and Stanford, a Church of Christ minister (b. 1876 d. 1969), had six children:

Nancy M. Blakeman Griffith

Nancy M. Blakeman, seventh child of George and Betsy Blakeman, married Daniel Griffith (b. 1885 d. 23/2/1955). Nancy and Daniel had no children and are both buried in Dugger Cemetery, Sullivan Co., Indiana.

The George Allen Blakeman and Adelaide Brown Family

George Allen Blakeman, eighth child of George and Betsy Blakeman, married Adelaide Brown on 23 April 1913 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Alelaide, born 10 October 1883, was the daughter of James Brown and Catherine Lambeth. Adelaide died 19 June 1958 in Carlisle and was buried next to her husband in the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Their children are as follows:

Last child of George and Betsy Blakeman, was Iva Ellen Blakeman, who married Jacob Walters Combs on 6 October 1905 in Sullivan Co., Indiana. Jacob was born 28 September 1883 and died 6 January 1950. Both Iva and Jacob are buried in the Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in Terre Haute, Indiana. Iva and Jacob had four children:

The Bucher/Booker Family, 1686-1990 © 1990 Charles Lee Booker Jr.