Irvin George Wedgbury

Circa 1884

Carrie & Blaine’s Tombstone

in the Sheldon Cemetery

Irvin’s tombstone

in the Sheldon Cemetery

Irvin George Wedgbury was born April 20, 1859, in Farm Ridge, LaSalle County, Illinois.  He was the son of William Wedgbury and Elizabeth Wheatland, and twin to sister Irvilla Elizabeth. When he was a small child in 1863, the family moved to Livingston County.  In 1872, his father moved the family to Stockland Township along the Sugar Creek in Iroquois County.  There he learned to farm along side his brothers Wesley and Owen.

      In 1884, Irvin traveled to Pomery, Meigs County, Ohio, to marry Elizabeth Bellows.  Elizabeth was the daughter of William Bellows and Permelia Flynn.  She was born in Meigs County, Ohio, on February 6^th, 1857.  An excerpt of the Pioneer History of Meigs County remarks on her parents:  “William Bellows, a son of Benjamin Bellows, was born June 1st, 1816, and married Amelia Flynn, daughter of Thomas Flynn and wife, who were early settlers of Lebanon township. They had a large family.  He was killed in a runaway of frightened horses August 18th, 1893, aged seventy-seven years two months. Mrs. Amelia Bellows was born September, 1817, and died December 16th, 1895, aged seventy eight years three months. They had lived a married life of fifty-six years, respected by their neighbors and the community.”

      It is unknown how Irvin met Elizabeth, but they spent the majority of their married life in Iroquois County, Illinois, except for about four years spent in Indiana and Nebraska.  In 1890, he is listed in the Tax Records as living in the Stockland Township of Iroquois County.  In 1900, he is found across the state line in Jordan Township, Jasper County, Indiana.

      Irvin and Elizabeth had six children together.  Their first two children were lost to them while yet in infancy.  Carrie Wedgbury was born and died in 1885.  Blaine Wedgbury was born in 1886, and died in 1887.  Both children were laid to rest in the Sheldon Cemetery of Iroquois County.

      Their third child was Mabel Muriel Wedgbury.  She was born in 1888, also in Sheldon.  She married Arthur A. Pfrimmer of Newton County, Indiana, in 1910.  Mabel spent the rest of her life in Newton County, raising her three children:  Leta Mae Pfrimmer, George Arthur Pfrimmer, and Audrey Arlene Pfrimmer.  She died June 26, 1963, and was buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Goodland, Newton County, Indiana.

      The fourth child born to Irvin and Elizabeth was Ida Mae Wedgbury.  She was born in 1890, in the Stockland Township of Iroquois County.  Ida first married Tunis Riley Crawn in Newton County, Indiana, on February 28, 1912; but it appears that that marriage was annulled or a divorce soon followed, as both Ida and Tunis were remarried by the next census.  Ida then married Earl Leslie Maxwell on September 17, 1914, in Laurens County, Iowa.  Ida and Earl had two children, Nellie Vinetta Maxwell and Stanley Earl Maxwell, both born in Iowa.  In 1887, Earl died in Fairfield, Iowa.  This time, Ida did not remarry.  Eventually, Ida settled in Phoenix, Arizona, as did her daughter Nellie.  On April 14, 1970, Ida died in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona.

      The fifth child was Scott Irvin Wedgbury.  Scott was the only child of this branch of the Wedgbury family to pass on the name.  Scott was born July 18, 1892, in Sheldon.  He married Laura Katherine Lincoln in 1915, while living in Clay County, Iowa.  They had two sons:  Lowell Irving Wedgbury and Harley Scott Lincoln Wedgbury.  Scott and Laura retired to Cherokee Village, Sharp County, Arkansas.  Here, Scott died in February of 1977, and Laura died here in December of 1989.

      The youngest child was Ruby Helen Wedgbury.  She was born in 1897, in Sheldon.  In 1922, she married Harry W. Litwiler, of Akron, Ohio.  They were married for 25 years before he passed away.  She remarried in 1961 to Howard Randolph Hiestand, but he died two years later.  She remained a widow the rest of her life.  She had no children by either marriage.  Ruby’s last known residence was Phoenix, Arizona.  A death record has not been found for her to date.

      When Ruby was just seven years old her father Irvin died at home in Sheldon.  Irvin apparently had suffered for years from what was called then “Bright’s disease,” a chronic inflammation of the kidneys that caused severe back pain, vomiting, fever, and edema severe enough to restrict breathing.  His obituary stated that he had been suffering greatly for a year or two with great pain, but relied greatly on his faith of God to enable him “to bear all uncomplainingly and with great fortitude.”  He died November 6^th, 1904, and was buried in the Sheldon Cemetery where his two children had already been laid to rest.

      Elizabeth, now a widow, found herself with four children to raise alone.  Census records indicate that she was in Jefferson Township of Newton County, Indiana, in 1910.  Confusingly, she is listed as Irvin Wedgbury; the census taker listed her as a man, but did list her as having four living children and working as a seamstress. 

      The census worker also listed Mabel, Ida, “Scot,” and Ruby as living in the home.  This was partially true, for Ida was working and living as a servant in the William Martin home.  Here, she met Arthur Pfrimmer, also working for the Martin family.  He became her brother-in-law that year by marrying her sister Mabel.  Mabel was also working as a servant, and Scott was hiring out as a farm laborer.  Ruby was only fourteen and still attending school.  In this way, the family of Irvin Wedgbury survived.

Elizabeth Bellows

Circa 1884

Mabel, Ida, and Scott Wedgbury

Circa 1895

Laura & Scott Wedgbury with Ruby Wedgbury Hiestand

Arkansas, Summer 1974

Irvin George Wedgbury        1859 - 1904

      Married:   Elizabeth Bellows         1857 – 1932

      Children:

     I.  Carrie Wedgbury          1885 - 1885

     II.  Blaine Wedgbury         1886 - 1887

     III.  Mabel Muriel Wedgbury       1888 - 1963

            Married:  Arthur A. Pfrimmer    1880 – 1954

           Children:

            A.  Leta Mae Pfrimmer 1912 - 1995

                Married (1):  Aurelius Mann  1908 - 1962

                Children:

                 1.  Donald Lynn Mann         1932 - 1999

                       Marriage (1):  Janice Plegby

                       Children:  5 sons, 2 daughters, living      

                       Marriage (2):  Teresa ???

                       No Children

                       Marriage (3):  Judy ???

                       No Children

                 2.   Living Daughter Mann    1939 -

                          Married:  Living Lane 

                          Children:  2 daughters, 1 son, living    

                 3.    Living Son Mann          1941 -

                           Married:  Living Hall

                Married (2):  John Zickermund          1898 - 1972

                Married (3):  Cecil Eldridge  1905 - 1985

            B.  George Arthur Pfrimmer      1915 - 1979

                Married:  Verna Mae Bryant/Milan   1908 - 1997

                Children:  2 sons, living        

            C.  Audrey Arlene Pfrimmer     1920 - 2004

                 Married:  Frank Earl Biggs, Jr.         1915 - 1992

                 Children:  2 daughters, 1 son, living

     IV.  Ida Mae Wedgbury    1890 - 1970

            Married (1) & divorced:  Tunis Riley Crawn      1885 - 1941    

            Married (2)  Earl Leslie Maxwell           1887 - 1932

            A.  Nellie Vinetta Maxwell        1915 - 2007

                        Married (1):  Dimitri Frederick Turek    - 1941

                        Child:  1 daughter, living                       

                        Married (2):  Richard Melvin Thorne     1907 - 1972

                        Child:  1 son, living

            B.  Stanley Earl Maxwell           1917 - 1982

                        Married:  Wilma Williamson     

                        Children:  3 sons, 1 daughter, living

     V.  Scott Irvin Wedgbury  1892 - 1977

                        +Laura Katherine Lincoln         1899 - 1989

            A.        Lowell Irving Wedgbury           1916 - 2001

                        Married:  Living Moore

                        Children:  2 sons, 3 daughters, living

            B.         Harley Scott/Lincoln Wedgbury            1918 - 1945

                        Married:  Argena Christensen/Larsen   

                        Children:  2 daughters, living     

     VI.  Ruby Helen Wedgbury          1897 - ???

                        Married (1):  Harry W. Litwiler 1898 - 1947

                       Married (2):  Howard Randolph Hiestand           1891 - 1963