Conger, Benjamin Cortis

Benjamin Cortis Conger

HONORS: Benjamin Cortis Conger, 1840, was an Honor Guard for President Abraham Lincoln as he lay in state at Springfield, Illinois. (Source: The Conger Family of America, Vol. I, p. 39a & 41 - Maxine Crowell Leonard)

MILITARY: Washington P. Conger enlisted for the Civil War from Center, Illinois on 18 Sep 1864 in Co. H, 146th Illinois Infantry, as did both his brothers, Benjamin Cortis and David H. The latter was killed while in service, 28 Nov 1867 [sic]. Washington was mustered out of service, 8 Jul 1865, at the close of the war. (Source: The Conger Family of America, Vol. I, p. 502 - Maxine Crowell Leonard)

AKA: According to records of Elmer Cortis Conger, the middle name is not, Cortez. (CFA I, p. 41)

RESIDENCES: As a boy he lived at Wyanet, IL. He moved to Marshalltown, IA. He moved to Nebraska in the mid-1870's. (CFA I, p. 41)


ANNIVERSARY: 59TH ANNIVERSARY - HARBINE COUPLE CELEBRATED HAPPY EVENT LAST SUNDAY - They have resided in Jefferson County for the past Forty-One Years.

Mr. And Mrs. B. C. Conger of Harbin celebrated their fifty-ninth wedding anniversary at their home in that city last Sunday. A large number of relatives and friends were gathered to assist them on this joyful occasion and the day was one long to be remembered by all present.

Mr. Conger was born in Pennsylvania; in 1861, he united in marriage to Miss Altana Hand of Marshalltown, Iowa. To this union seven children were born, four of which are still living., three daughters and one son, they are Mrs. John Sisler and Mrs. Thomas Rand of Fairbury, Mrs. L. Oaks of Beatrice and E. C. Conger of Edgar.

Mr. and Mrs. Conger are old settlers here, coming to Jefferson County 41 years ago from the state of Iowa.

There were eighty guests at the Conger home last Sunday, including the children, their families and relatives, the W. R. C. and the G. A. R. of Plymouth. All present enjoyed a bountiful dinner which was served from 12 to 4, the bride and groom of fifty-nine years and their children were served from on table while their grand children and great grandchildren, occupied another table. They were the recipients of many valuable and useful presents.

Mr. And Mrs. Conger are a very spry old couple at the age of 80 years. The guests departed wishing them many more years of happy wedded life. (Source: GAZETTE-Vol. 49 No. 9, Oct 1920, probably in Harbine or Beatrice, NE - Furnished by Diane (Sisler) Kupar)


OBITUARY: BENJAMIN C. CONGER

Benjamin Cortis Conger was born at Wilkesville, PA. March 17, 1839. He passed away at his home in this city at 4am December 25, 1928. His age was eighty-eight years, ten months and twenty-three days. He was a son of Calvin Conger and Aranda Horton Conger.

While a small boy, he moved with the family to Wyanet, IL., where he grew to manhood. He was married, at Marshalltown, IA., to Miss Altana Hand in 1861. They resided at Wyanet for a few years, then moved to Marshalltown. Some years later, they moved to Jefferson county, Nebraska, where they remained for forty-two years. Most of that time they lived on a farm. The last ten years of that period were spent in Harbine. Ten years ago, they moved to Beatrice and this city has been their home continuously since that time.

He served as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, enlisting in 1863 at Wyanet. He had the unusual experience of serving as a guard over the body of Abraham Lincoln when it lay in state at Springfield. He also accompanied the body to its last resting place.

He leaves his aged wife, Mrs. Altana Conger; four children, Mrs. Sarah Sisler of Fairbury, Mrs. Emma Oakes of Beatrice, Mrs. T. C. Rand of Beatrice, and Elmer Conger of Edgar, Nebraska; four brothers and sisters, Mrs. Susan [Moran] and Will Conger of Princeton, IL., Washington Conger of Marshalltown, IA., and Mrs. Mattie Sharp of Waterloo, IA.; nine grandchildren and three great great grandchildren.

Mr. Conger was a life long member of the United Brethren church. He was a good Christian man. He was a kind and loving husband and father, always thoughtful of the welfare of his wife and children. He was especially patient during his long period of illness.

Mr. Conger was a hard working man. He shared the experiences that were common among the pioneers a half century ago. Many friends living in the communities where he was best known, join sympathetically in the sorrow caused by his death. His last illness covered a period of about seven weeks.

The funeral service was held at the home, Thursday afternoon, December 27. Rev. C. O. Stuckenbruck had charge of the service. He was assisted by Rev. C. W. Olewine. Music was furnished by Mrs. H. Baker and Mrs. M. S. Calvin. Interment was in Evergreen Home cemetery.

"A precious one from us has gone,
A voice we loved is stilled;
A place is vacant in our home,
That never can be filled."
(Furnished by Diane (Sisler) Kupar)

Conger, Tacy (Barr)

Tacy (Barr) Conger

BIRTH-DEATH: She died on 25 Dec 1881 at the age of 84 years, 4 months, 14 days according to her obituary. Birth date calculated, Abt. 11 Aug 1797.

CENSUS: Head of household in the 1856 census of Wapello Co., IA.

PENSION-CHILDREN: When Tacy Conger applied for her widow's pension in 1857 she claimed that her children were: Benjamin P., Enoch, John B., Zachariah S., and Samuel M. However, in the 1845 cenus there were 3 other Conger children, relationship not given. They may have been Benjamin's. He was 55 when he married Rebecca Blanchard in 1872.
(Source: The Conger Family of America, Vol. II, p. 238 - Maxine Crowell Leonard)

AKA: Tacey in her obituary

OBITUARY: Death of Mrs. Conger.
At her home near County Line, Dec. 25th, 1881, of paralysis, occurred the death of Mrs. Tacey Conger, aged eighty-four years, four months, and fourteen days. In the death of the subject of this sketch Jefferson County, [IA] loses another of its pioneers, so many of whom have departed within the past few years.

Mrs. Conger's maiden name was Tacey Barr. She was born in Philadelphia in 1797 and lived there until 1816, when she was married to Zacharia S. Conger, a young man of Morristown, NJ, who had been honorably discharged at Philadelphia after service in the recent War of 1812. Mr. Conger was five years her senior. The young couple married on the 3rd of July, and the following day they turned their faces westward.

They journeyed until they reached Indiana. Here they stopped in what is now Dearborn County, until 1842, when they removed to this state arriving soon after the Indian treaty was made permitting white settlers in this part of the country.

The fall of 1845 brought a sad bereavement to Mrs. Conger in the death of her husband. This event occurring before the land sales, it devolved upon Mrs. Conger to make the purchase of a claim, which she did with the means at her disposal, securing a tract of land in the eastern edge of Wapello County. In the fall of 1860 she met with another breavement in the death of three sons, all occurring within a period of three months.

During the latter years of Mrs. Conger's life she was much afflicted with ill health.

She is survived by two sons, one Benjamin, living here, the other Enoch, living in Oregon.

The funeral occurred December 26th, when her husband's remains were disinterred from the pioneers grave where they had rested for thirty-six years, and the remains of both were interred in the Dunn graveyard, in Des Moines township, where lie their sons and other members of the family.
[Note: It is not clear if Des Moines Twp. is in Wapello Co., or Jefferson Co., IA. REH]
(Source: The Fairfield Tribune, Fairfield, IA, Jan. 12, 1882, page 3, col. 4 - The Conger Family of America, Vol. II, p. 238 - Maxine Crowell Leonard)


PROBATE: Tacey's heirs were: Benjamin P., 64; Enoch, 61; and children of her son John B.: Joseph A., 1851, Sarah Graves, 1853, James Marshall, 1854, Louisa, 1858, John Isaac, 1861 and a Sarah Carver. Tacey, 1856, [daughter of John B.] had drowned at the age of 14 on 17 Jul 1870.
(Source: The Conger Family of America, Vol. II, p. 238 - Maxine Crowell Leonard)


PROBLEM: According to the obituary of Tacy (Barr) Conger she lost 3 sons within three months in the fall of 1860. CFA II, p,. 238 lists them as: Henry, 1841; Francis, 1845; John, 1847. Was Frances (Francis) a son of Zacharia Conger who died in Sep 1845? Who was the father of John Conger?


QUESTION: Where did Tacy Barr die? From the obituary it is not clear whether she died in Jefferson Co., IA where Fairfield lies or in Wapello Co., IA, to the west, where the Ottumwa lies. CFA II, p. 238 lists the death place as, Wapello Co., IA.