Okey, Cornelius

Cornelius Okey

CHILDREN: 13 children, 7 sons and 6 daughters.

ORGANIZATIONS: Member of the Masons for nearly 40 years.

PUBLIC_SERVICE: Cornelius Okey was the first Monroe Co., OH Auditor, the first county Recorder and county Commissioner, ca. 1815. He was elected three times to the State Legislature.
(Source: Monroe County Ohio Families, p. 233 - written by Minnie Louise Decker Gadea)

MARRIAGE-CONFLICT: Marriage date of 1 Feb 1805 has been listed. In the obituary of Cornelius Okey the date is listed as, 5 Feb 1805. On page 219, Vol. VII, of Fedorchak she states that Cornelius Okey married Hannah Weir in Belmont Co., OH and that the marriage record can be found there. She didn't list the marriage date.

Census: 1820, in Monroe Co., OH, Centre Twp.
Cornelius Okey
Males:
00-10, 1; 10-16, 3; 16-18, O; 18-26, 0; 26-45, 1; 45&up, 0
Females:
00-10, 4; 10-16, 0; 16-26, 0; 26-45, 1; 45&up, 0
(Source: The Federal Census Monroe County, Ohio 1820-1830-1840 - Monroe County
Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society)


LEGAL_MATTER: Court of Common Pleas, Monroe Co., OH, June term, 1823.
Cornelius Okey was appointed guardian of Jacob Agin, aged 12 years, the 5th of Sept. next (1823), this would give him a birthdae of [5 Sep] 1811, also Rachel Again, aged 11 1st of Sept. 1823, b. [1 Sep] 1812, Naomi Agin, aged 8 yrs. 13 Nov. 1823 (b. [13 Nov] 1815) and David Agin, aged 7 yrs. (b. 1819). All were minor children of Asher Agin, deceased. [There mother was, Elizabeth Kidwiler. The children's older sister, Catherine, was married to James Weir Okey, son of Cornelius Okey. REH]
(Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. VII, p. 151)

Census: 1830, in Monroe Co., OH, Center Twp.
Cornelius Okey
Males:
00-05, 1; 05-10, 2; 10-15, 2; 15-20, 1; 20-30, 0; 30-40, 0;
40-50, 1; 50-60, 0; 60-70, 0; 70-80, 0; 80-90, 0; 90-100, 0; 100&up, 0
Females:
00-05, 1; 05-10, 1; 10-15, 1; 15-20, 2; 20-30, 0; 30-40, 0;
40-50, 1; 50-60, 0; 60-70, 0; 70-80, 0; 80-90, 0; 90-100, 0; 100&up, 0
(Source: The Federal Census Monroe County, Ohio 1820-1830-1840 - Monroe County
Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society)

Census: 1840, in Monroe Co., OH, Centre Twp.
Cornelius Okey
Males:
00-05, 0; 05-10, 0; 10-15, 1; 15-20, 2; 20-30, 1; 30-40, 0;
40-50, 0; 50-60, 1; 60-70, 0; 70-80, 0; 80-90, 0; 90-100, 0; 100&up, 0
Females:
00-05, 0; 05-10, 1; 10-15, 1; 15-20, 1; 20-30, 2; 30-40, 0;
40-50, 0; 50-60, 1; 60-70, 0; 70-80, 0; 80-90, 0; 90-100, 0; 100&up, 0
(Source: The Federal Census Monroe County, Ohio 1820-1830-1840 - Monroe County
Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society)

LEGAL_MATTER: Court of Common Pleas, Monroe Co., OH, Journal 3, Sept term, 1841
William Piatt, aged 15 years, next May, son of James Piatt, deceased, made choice of Cornelius Okey as his guardian. Bond set in sum of $100. Cornelius Okey was appointed guardian of Simon Piatt, aged 12, May 1st last, John Piatt, aged 10 years May last, sons of James Piatt, deceased, and Susanna Piatt, aged 5 years April next, dau. of said James Piatt, bonds given in the some of $100 each. [Note: The parents of the children were James Piatt, Jr. and Catherine Moffett. Grandparents were James Piatt, Sr. and Nancy Colman. James Piatt, Jr. died 18 Mar 1840 in Monroe Co., OH. Catherine Moffett lived until, 25 May 1882. Richard E. Henthorn]
(Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker Fedorchak, Vol. IX, p. 301)


CENSUS: 1850, in Monroe Co., OH, Centre Twp., 288/288, 7 Aug 1850
Cornelius Okey, 67, m. farmer, 4000, Del.
Hannah, 63, f. PA
Hester, 28, f. OH; Sophia, 24, f. OH; Sarah, 22, f. OH; Jane, 20, f. OH
Cordelia, 18, f. OH
Franklin Morrison, 21, m. laborer, OH
(Furnished by Richard E. Henthorn)


OBITUARY: Died 23 Sep 1859, Woodsfield, Monroe Co., OH.
Col. Cornelius Okey, one of the earliest settlers in this country, died at his residence one half mile north of this place, on Friday morning, Sept. 23, 1859. He was the eldest son of Judge Levin Okey, and was born in Lewiston, Sussex County, Delaware, on the 3rd of January 1783. In the spring of 1800, he removed with his father's family to the mouth of Captina, in Belmont County, in this State, where, on the 5th of February, 1805, he was married to Hannah Wier, whom he survived seven years. The issue of the marriage was thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, all of whom are still living.

In the Spring of 1815, he removed to the farm on which he resided at the time of his decease. We do not use the word farm as now understood, for then it was an unbroken forest. Here he settled down, cleared out his farm, reared his family, and grew up with the country. At that day the facilities for acquiring an education were extremely limited, but being possessed of a strong native intellect, he to a very considerable extent overcame the disadvantage of the lack of early education; and shortly after the organization of the county, we find him filling important political stations. In 1825, he represented the county in State legislature, and afterwards was re-elected to the same office several times. He also filled the office of Auditor and Recorder and that of Sheriff from 1835 to 1839, and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. All these stations he filled with satisfaction to his constituents, and credit to himself.

The virtues of bravery and hospitality he possessed in common with nearly all the pioneers of the Western country. And although as we have just stated, he was frequently elevated by the free choice of his fellow citizens to posts of honor and importance, yet he was remarkably plain and unassuming in his manners; and however dark the future appeared to others, he was ever hopeful, ever cheerful.

He was buried by the Masons of Monroe Lodge, with all the ceremonies of that ancient order, with which he had been connected nearly forty years. The interment was in a private family burying ground in the orchard planted with his own hands. He was followed to his last resting place by an unusual number of actual descendants. Twelve out of the thirteen were there, the sons with their wives and the daughters with their husbands, and besides he was mourned by a large number of grand children and great grand children.

Col. Okey had the most unyielding faith in the final happiness of all mankind, and no one ever entered more cheerfully on his journey to that "undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns." We had the pleasure of seeing and conversing with him the day prevoius to his death, and we found him gently sinking to rest, as a tired child sinks into sleep on its mother's lap. Thus full of years and of honors, was he gathered to his fathers. "May our last end be like his." Woodsfield September 28th 1859. W.P.R.
(Source: The Spirit of Democracy, issue dated, 4 or 5 October 1859, Vol. XVI, No. 30, published in Woodsfield, OH - shared by John Ogden in the Monroe OGS Navigator, April 2004, p. 37 - typed here by Richard E. Henthorn)

OBITUARY-REFERENCE: Part of the obituary is published in
(Source: "Family Research in Monroe County, Ohio," by Catharine Foreaker
Fedorchak, Vol. VII, p. 219)