* More BROWN history of Butler County OH

John Randolph moved to Kansas from Butler County Ohio in 1876, where he farmed in rural Marshall County, KS, also around Bigelow.

According to the 1880 census, John worked on the farm of David GRIFFIS, Jr., who had also been born in Butler County, Ohio. Sixty-three year old David died that same year, in 1876, leaving his widow and children. One of David's daughters had caught John's attention, and on 11 March, 1879, soon after she turned 16 on the 18th of February, Linda Candace GRIFFIS married the 24 year old John Randolph BROWN.

Linda was born during the Civil War, on 18 February 1863, at Kirk's Crossroads, IN. Her parents, David and Elizabeth M. (WATTS) GRIFFIS, moved their family west to Kansas in August, 1863, when Linda was only 6 months old.

John R. and Linda continued farming in Marshall County, KS, where they raised their family, until March 1904, when they moved to a farm in Arion township of Cloud County, south of Concordia, KS (currently Rt 9 and 81 intersection). Both were Christians, belonging to the Christian Church at Bigelow and later at Concordia, KS.

Too old for active duty during World War I, John Randolph volunteered with the Red Cross.

In the 1920 census for Cloud Co KS, John R. Brown, aged 65, (born in Ohio with both parents born in Ohio) was living with his wife Linda C. BROWN, aged 56 (born in IN with her father born in OH and mother born in IA).

John Randolph BROWN died 6 Nov 1922 in Concordia KS, 68 years and 6 months old. His funeral was held at his home, with the minister of the Christian Church of Concordia, H. G. Bond, holding the service.

Linda BROWN died in Concordia on 22 Oct 1937 when she was 74. Her funeral was held at the Concordia Baptist Church on October 14th. Both John Randolph and Linda were buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

David and Lydia's children included
   Isaac N., who was born in 1836, and
   DeWit, who was born in 1845
according to the "Pioneers of the Bluestem Prairie" article by Beulah Winter.

David and Lydia also had some daughters,
   Emaline,
   Alice, born about 1854
   Lily, born about 1858
The "Portrait and Biographical Album of Marshall County KS" says Emaline GRIFFIS was a sister of Isaac N. GRIFFIS. And the 1880 Marshall Co KS census lists Allice C. GRIFFIS, aged 26, born in OH (about 1844) as a step-daughter of E. M. GRIFFIS, widow of David, Jr. who died in 1876, per Mrs. Winters' article.

Besides his grown sons, Isaac N. and DeWitt GRIFFIS, the 1870 Marshall Co census for Blue Rapids township listed David Jr.'s children as
   Spencer (b in IN about 1851),
   Alice (b in IN about 1855),
   Lily (b in IA in 1858 - but this might be Ohio? and probably Lydia's last child),
   Ann (b 1861 in IN, and probably David's first child with Elizabeth Watts Griffis),
   Linda (b 1863 in IN),
   and son Linas (b 1866 in KS).

The 1880 Marshall Co census for Blue Rapids, KS is hard to read, but Linda's mother, Elizabeth GRIFFIS is listed as
E. M. GRIFFIS, head of the household.
   Ann of the 1870 census becomes Sarah A.;
   Linda and her husband John Randolph BROWN, married in 1879, are listed as Sidney and John R. BROUN;
   Linas is listed as Siems A.; and
   Alice is listed as Allice C..

Lily, who would have been about 22 in 1880, is not listed with the family, and David's daughter Emaline GRIFFIS is not listed in either the 1870 or 1880 census with the family. Perhaps she and Lily are the same person?

The somewhat blurred and illegible 1880 census for Marshall Co, KS, in Blue Rapids, KS:

* E. M. GRIFFIS, female, born about 1839 in OH, both parents born in OH
* Sarah A, dau, born about 1859 in KS with both parents born in OH
* Siems A, son, a farmer born about 1866 in KS
* Liddia, dau, born about 1871 in KS
* Allice C., step-dau, (David's daughter) born about 1854 in IN
* John R. BROWN, boarder and farmer, born in 1854 OH
* Sidney, boarder without occupation, born about 1863 in IN