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Message Board > BURCH Family Burials?

BURCH Family Burials?
The Tampico Area Historical Society encompasses parts of Whiteside County and Bureau County in Illinois. Focus is on Tampico, Hume Twp., Hahnaman/Deer Grove, & Prophetstown in Whiteside County & Yorktown & Thomas in Bureau County.

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Denise 42 posts Sep 14, 2007 12:52 PM	Hello Ms. McLoughlin I am a Burch Family Historian. My gg grandparents were Ira Burch and Johanna [Bacon] Burch-Perry. Maybe your group can help me find some lost graves. Ira Burch came to what would become Whiteside Co IL in 1837. He homesteaded and his father in law - Joseph Bacon - also homesteaded according to an early history book. Joseph Bacon did not buy his homestead - Ira Burch did. These 2 homesteads were: The East 1/2 of the NW quarter of Section 12, in twp 21 North, of Range 3 E, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Galena, IL containing 80 acres. The NE quarter of the NW quarter of Section 18, in twp 21, of Range fom easte, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Dixon, IL containing 40 acres. Ira Burch died March 10/11, 1846 and was buried on the homestead in what is a lost grave. I do not know which homestead they were living on. Three babies died and were probably buried by their father: William H. Burch b Aug 14, 1840 - Oct 14, 1840 ; Merritt Burch b Dec 20, 1841 - March 1 1842 ; and Judson Burch b Feb 4, 1843 - Aug 28, 1843. Do not confuse the above Wm H. Burch with the small child - of Harrison Decatur Burch and Elizabeth Wookey - with the name of William A. Burch d Oct 5, 1867. He is buried in the Spring Valley Presbyterian Cemetery, Garden Plain Twp, Whiteside Co IL. There were also some grandchildren of Ira and Johanna Burch that I can find no trace of. Their daughter Eliza S. Burch married George Abram Cluff/Clauff. Lost are the graves of: Georgianna Clauff b Sep 1, 1858 - Oct 21, 1858 ; Rosa Clauff b Aug 17, 1864 - Sep 7, 1864 ; and Daisy Maud Clauff b Sep 20, 1878 - Oct 12, 1878; Also George Ira Clauff b Nov 7, 1865 - Aug 28, 1867. He was kicked in the head by a horse and died in his mother's arms several hours later. Eliza Burch and George A. Clauff had a daughter Johanna M. Clauff who married Charles Cosselman. She had several children that died as infants that are said to have been buried in Whiteside Co IL. Johanna (Joanna) Burch-Perry (widow of the Whiteside Co pioneer) was buried in the Spring Valley Presbyterian Cemetery, Garden Plain Township, Whiteside Co IL in April 1899. Her grave site has a large stone the base has BURCH and PERRY is her last name on the top stone She married Ezekiel Perry after Ira Burch died. There is one more small child that might have been buried on the homestead. Joanna Burch died aft 1870. Her parents were Mary and Thomas Jefferson Burch b 1835. Thomas was the son of Ira and Johanna Burch and a small child when they came to the homestead. Mary and Thomas are buried in the Fulton Protestant Cemetery, Fulton, Whiteside Co IL. Baby Joanna was probably buried near her grandfather - Ira Burch - on the homestead. I visited Whiteside Co IL in the early 1990's and found many of the family graves. At that time I was told descendants of Ira and Johanna Burch had walked the homestead area but could find no trace of grave sites. I believe the above children, grandchildren and g grandchildren of Ira Burch were buried on the homestead. I am hoping that graves on the homestead were moved to a cemetery before it was farmed over. I was told that in the Spring Valley Cemetery were graves that had been moved there from an old grave yard but could not find any record of that. If you come across the lost grave of the pioneer Ira Burch and the graves of the Burch, Clauff and Cosselman children - could you let me know? I do appreciate the help of your group as I search for these lost babies. Sincerely, Reta Kleve Central City NE 68826 rkleve@hamilton.net
JackP 53 posts Sep 16, 2007 5:11 PM	Dear Reta and Denise, I do not have any answers, but I believe I have ran across some clues. First of all, I became interested because, in the 1850 census, (image #113 of 128) Joanna Perry and four of the Burch children are six houses from Robert and Emily Knapp. Four of the Knapp children are listed, and the eldest is Charles Seymour Knapp, age 26. Charles went on to marry in 1854, Henrietta Armstrong. Henrietta was a sister to my 3rd great-grandfather, John Armstrong who lived just south of Round Grove. John and sister Henrietta's mother was Barbara (Pittman)Armstrong, and she is resting in the Garden Plain Cemetery. Her husband William is believed to be in PA. and died before the family came in 1848. So, I'll say that your Burch and my Armstrong-Knapp family were more than likely acquaints. After reading the opening post, I got a plat map and tried for the locations. The first given description was easy, but I believe you have a typo on the second. There is not a section 18, for Garden Plain, T - 21 - N ---- Range - 3 - E, as it would be in the Mississippi River. I have a hunch it would be in Section 13. You mentioned an old History book, so I went to Bent-Wilson History of Whiteside County, 1877. Names are there, on pages 206 - History of Garden Plain Township, and page 482, Bio. on Ira Burch, Union Grove Township. On both pages, there is strong indication that both Ira Burch and Joseph Bacon had their residences in Union Grove Township, and did not live on the land they acquired in Garden Plain. The next to last sentence in Ira's bio., " Ira Burch, the subject of this sketch, came to Whiteside county in 1837, and settled on the west side of the cattail, a part of his land being in Union Grove, and part in Garden Plain, his house being in the former township." On page 207, they are giving information on first dwellings, (Abel Parker 1836) and it goes on to say that Joseph Bacon built one the same year, in what was known as the "Burch" district. Now the question is, where was the Burch district! If you follow these posts, it would make a good addition, to WHERE IS THAT? I would like to know, what is the original source for the children to have been buried at home? It's said that the first burial in Garden Plain was that of Elijah Knowlton, 1838, and burial in the grave-yard near Albany. This is what I believe is known today as Rood Cemetery. Records have a long gap, 1837 till 1855 when the first lots were sold. Any burials between these years are unknown to me, but I'm sure there were a few. Anyway, I get the impression you need to be looking in Union Grove for the residences of Ira and Joseph. Page 483. - - - "Eliza S. married George Cluff, October 8, 1855, and lives in Garden Plain." Good Luck, Jack
Denise 43 posts Sep 17, 2007 5:34 AM	Wow, Jack! What great clues you have given. I am so glad you took the time to look at a plat map. I, too, looked at one and could find no Sect 18 and found it would be smack in the Mississippi. I kept reading and re-reading, thinking I was missing something. Thanks for posting that! Denise
JackP 54 posts Sep 17, 2007 5:48 PM	I have a strong hunch (in my humble opinion) that these two families lived like the history book gives, west of the Cattail, and yet in Union Grove Township. This only leaves an approximate north - south strip a couple miles long, and say a half mile wide. It's on today's maps as Fenton Road, and I believe it would be north of the Garden Plain and Fenton Road intersection, and also would be in the west side of either sections of 7 or 18, Union Grove TWP. The ground in Garden Plain Twp., may have been just up and over the (westerly) bluff. If you don't have a map, the Cattail mentioned in History of Whiteside, is on today's maps, and given as Cattail Creek. This creek is just to the East of Fenton road. It's been many years ago that I was on that road, but I believe it would be worth checking out. My 1981 Plat shows some seven dwellings along Fenton road, some on the East and some on the West side. All I remember is that some were on the West. Jack
Reta 1 post Sep 18, 2007 8:03 PM	Thank you sooo much for your input. I got the land discriptions from the Government Land Office Records www.glorecords.blm.gov/ Check it out as my old eyes might have not read the information correctly. My fingers are also known to stutter. I was told of the burial place and search for the grave of Ira Burch by one of his descendants - a Zuidema. As I was reading your post I was thinking of the fact that the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers did not have locks and dams in the 1800's. Spring flooding caused erosion of river banks and river channels to change. Maybe that homestead land was in what would be the River now. But looking at my notes I have "In 1837 Ira Burch and Joseph Bacon bought claims in section 12 and 13." I find no record of Joseph BAcon buying his claim. Is there 2 history books of Whiteside Co IL? On pg 790 of a Whiteside Co IL history book - I did not document the name - there is a comment about Ira Burch making a claim in Section 18. He built a cabin but they lived there only a short time when he sold his claim and bought one in Section 7 of the same township. Where is section 7? My g grandmother - Eliza Susannah [Burch] Cluff / Clauff - always said she was born - Dec 14, 1837 - in the log cabin of the homestead. Was she born in what would be the Mississippi River now? Harrison D. Burch bought land from Johanna Perry for an unknown amount. Warranty Deed dated May 25, 1861 and of record in Book 3 of said Deed Records on page 317. The discription is: NE corner of the NE quarter of the NW quarter of said Section Number 12 and running thence west 17 rods, thence south 34 rods, thence east 17 rods and thence north 34 rods to the place of beginning containing three and 98/160 acres more or less, through and by virtue of a certain Land Patent dated Nov 10, 1841. I believe this would be part of one of the original homesteads? Another history story I was told was that Johanna [Bacon] Burch-Perry lived on that homestead until she died. Don't think that is correct. I found her in Garden Plain twp in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census. She was living in Union Grove town during the 1880 census. Also living with her was her father, Joseph Bacon and Andrew Anderson and a hired man. Ages and place of births are incorrect in that census. Edward Anderson is buried beside Joanna Perry in the Spring Valley Cemetery. I have stated that Ira Burch paid for the homestead of Joseph Bacon. I might have jumped to the wrong conclusion. Joseph Bacon married and had 3 daughters. Johanna [Bacon] Burch Perry was the youngest. Joseph then married Rebekah Swena (Sweeney?) in VT and they had 6 children. 3 of their daughters married in Whiteside Co IL. One of them could have paid for and lived on the homestead of Joseph Bacon. Nancy Bacon m John Peck May 10, 1840; Elizabeth R. Bacon m Timothy Bigelow Nov 24, 1842; Jane Bacon m Watson O. Beaman March 1840. Joseph Bacon went to Walworth Co WI where he secured a homestead. He paid for this on Feb 1, 1848. John S. Peck bought: NW quarter of Section 11 in twp 22-N of range 5-E - 160 acres. Whiteside Co IL. (Not sure this is the husband of Nancy Bacon.) Aaron Noble - step son - bought Lot numbered 2 of the NW fractional quarter of Section 18, in twp 21N, of range 4-E, containing 48 acres and 76 hundredths of an acre. Bought Sept 1, 1867. Could this be Joseph Bacon's Whiteside Co IL homestead? Would this be close to the 40 acres that Ira Burch homesteaded and then sold for land in Section 7? The Bio. on Ira Burch on pg 482. Was that Ira Burch or his son Ira Sylvester Burch b June 25, 1844? He and his wife Margaret A. Thompson farmed in Garden Plain twp and I believe also Union Grove twp. They are buried in Spring Valley Cemetery.

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