Thomas Benton Elder was my great grandfather. He was born in Illinois in about 1849, son of Cornelius Dempsey Elder. Thomas married Eliza (Lida) M. Lanning, born in New York about 1849, daughter of Martin Lanning. Thomas appears to have spent most of his life as a farmer in Delaware Co., Iowa, and he died in the Spokane area of Washington in about 1923. Thomas had four children that survived into adulthood. Lysle, Clyde, Edna, and Fern. Merle Edna Elder was my grandmother. She died in Los Angeles County in 1951.

All I have on this family are federal and state census records and some family lore. I am interested in finding other descendents of this family group who may also have information to share, especially family lore. .

I have similar names in my ELDER files.
Have you seen this entry by Becky Teubner?
on
WorldConnect
by Becky Teubner
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=cuatroa...
# ID: I62510
# Name: Thomas Benton Elder
# Sex: M
# Birth: 22 JUN 1849 in Gullison, Knox Co., IL 1
# Death: 28 MAY 1923 in Spokane, Spokane Co., WA /
Greenwood Cemetery

Father: Cornelius Dempsey Elder b: 26 MAR 1816 in OH
Mother: Sarah Houston b: 2 JAN 1826 in OH

Marriage 1 Eliza M. Lanning b: 26 JUN 1848 in Schnectady, Schnectady Co., NY
* Married: 16 MAY 1872 in Delaware Co., IA 2
Children
1. Lysle Walter Elder b: 14 NOV 1873 in Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA
2. Clyde Deforest Elder b: 30 AUG 1877 in Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA
3. Merle Edna Elder b: 24 JUL 1883 in Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA
4. Fern Jettie Elder b: 14 JUL 1887 in Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA
5. Clark Elder b: ABT. 1889

Sources:
1. Title: 1880 Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA census
Repository:
2. Title: 1878 Delaware Co., IA History - Martin Lanning

WorldConnect
by Becky Teubner
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=cuatroa...
# ID: I62527
# Name: Lysle Walter Elder
# Sex: M
# Birth: 14 NOV 1873 in Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA 1 2
# Death: 16 DEC 1942 in Spokane, Spokane Co., WA / Greenwood Cemetery

Father: Thomas Benton Elder b: 22 JUN 1849 in Gullison, Knox Co., IL
Mother: Eliza M. Lanning b: 26 JUN 1848 in Schnectady, Schnectady Co., NY

Marriage 1 Nettie Belle Breach b: 1 SEP 1871 in Delhi Twp., Delaware Co., IA
* Married: 9 FEB 1895 in Hopkinton, South Fork Twp., Delaware Co., IA
Children
1. Jettie Dawn Elder b: 19 SEP 1895 in Manchester, Delaware Co., IA
2. Daryl Darkwood Elder b: 15 SEP 1897 in Manchester, Delaware Co., IA
3. Jeanette Lyslo Elder b: 3 NOV 1906 in Manchester, Delaware Co., IA

Sources:
1. Title: 1880 Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA census
Repository:
2. Title: 1878 Delaware Co., IA History - Martin Lanning

***
SEARCHING 1920 CENSUS (Ancestry.com) in WASHINGTON STATE:

ELDER, THOMAS (1920 U.S. Census)
WASHINGTON , STEVENS, ADDY
Age: 70, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: IL
Series: T625 Roll: 1938 Page: 37
with wife Eliza

ELDER, CLARK J (1920 U.S. Census)
WASHINGTON , SPOKANE, ROCKFORD
Age: 56, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: IA
Series: T625 Roll: 1940 Page: 196
(by himself)

ELDER, DARYL D (1920 U.S. Census)
WASHINGTON , SPOKANE, 2-WD; SPOKANE; BURTON
Age: 22, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: IA
Series: T625 Roll: 1941 Page: 150
(by himself)

ELDER, LYSLE (1920 U.S. Census)
WASHINGTON , SPOKANE, 1-WD; SPOKANE; ANDREW
Age: 45, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: IA
Series: T625 Roll: 1940 Page: 185

Nancy:

Thank you for your response. Yes, I had seen the RootsWeb site once before but in visiting there again per your reference, I noticed something that I hadn't caught the first time. The references cited at the bottom of Thomas Benton Elder's page are as follows:

Sources:
list of 2 items
1. Title: 1880 Milo Twp., Delaware Co., IA census
Repository:
2. Title: 1878 Delaware Co., IA History - Martin Lanning

What I noticed this time was that the second reference above is by Martin Lanning. And, Thomas's wife's father's name was Martin Lanning. Coincidence? I don't know. By the way, the 1880 United States Federal Census shows Martin Lanning, 74, widower, living in the household of Thomas and Eliza Elder.

A cousin of mine in Missouri was contacted a couple of years ago and was asked if he was related to the Elder family line (though his last name isn't Elder). He was invited, and attended, an Elder family reunion that apparently takes place there in Missouri or Iowa every year. He said that there was a woman at the reunion who looked exactly like my oldest sister! Is this a reunion that you are aware of or perhaps attend?

One question I have about Thomas's children regards why they left Iowa? Both Lysle and Fern were in Powell Co., Montana by 1910. By 1920, Lysle was in Spokane and Thomas and Eliza were in the adjacent county of Stevens, WA. So was Edna. And Fern was in the adjacent county to the east of Spokane, Bonner Co., Idaho. By 1930, Fern was also in Spokane. I'm not sure what happened to Clyde. However, he was apparently dead by 1915 because the 1915 Iowa State Census indicates that his wife's marital status was "widow". In 1915, she and their two children were living in Manchester, Delaware Co., Iowa as were Thomas and Eliza Elder.

Thanks again.







.

This was the name of Eliza (Lida) Lanning's father., 's father's name was Martin Lanning.

Nancy:

Thanks again. Hey what's up with reoccuring rumors of a Clark Elder? I have federal and Iowa state census records for a number of years and there is no mention of Thomas and Eliza having had a Clark on any of them. I did see a reference to a Clark Elder on One World Family Tree or someplace that purported Thomas Elder as having a fifth child named Clark born in 1889 and dying in 1889. If true, this could have explained why Clark didn't appear on any of the census records that I saw.

The Clark J Elder on the 1920 US census in Rockford, Spokane, WA seems unlikely for several reasons. His birthdate is listed as 1864 and if Thomas and Eliza were both born in 1849, they would've both been 15 years old when this Clark was born. Also, this Clark lists both his parents as having been born in Pennsylvania while Thomas was born in Illinois and Eliza in New York. Finally, the RootsWeb page for Thomas says that he married Eliza in 1872. This Clark seems kind of doubtful to me. What do you think?

Here's an interesting item. There is a 1910 US census record for a C. D. Elder in School District 24, Gallatin, Montana These initials could stand for Clyde Deforest Elder. The birthdate in Iowa is very close and the record correctly lists father's birthplace as Illinois and mother's birthplace as New york. The one weird thing is that his marital status indicates "widower". This may not be the record for Clyde but if it is, it is weird because his wife Lena Kelly-Elder is still alive five years later according to the 1915 Iowa State Census which shows her marital status as "widow". My first thought was that if this is Clyde, perhaps he had a first wife that died and then he married Lena after 1910 but the two daughters were born in around 1905-1907 so that seems to rule out the second marriage to Lena theory. As I said, this might not be Clyde but if not, I still haven't found any other census record for him. It's still a mystery. Any insights?

Be Well




his pa
School District 24, Gallatin, Montana

with Thanks.

Searching for CLYDE ELDER in IOWA
found:
GENWEB - cemeteries - OAKLAND CEM
Delaware County, Iowa
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iadelawa/cemeteries/oaklandcemce.ht...
Elder, Clyde D.
1879
03/13/1914
Co. E 49th Ia. Inf.

There are certainly lots of ELDER families in Iowa.
We know that some of them are related to the
"PAXTANG PA" ELDER family, by DNA testing of descendants.
see:
ELDER DNA kit #15134 - Ancestors:
1. JOHN ELDER, b. 1660 Midlothian, Scotland
2. JOHN, b. 1690 Antrim Co Ireland
3. HENRY, b. 1735 Londonderry, Ireland, res. Elderton PA
4. MATTHEW, b. 1775 Londonderry, Ireland, d. 1861 Iowa
5. HENRY (II) , b. 1817 Garvagh, Co Derry, d. 1902 Iowa
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:169785...

and some are related to the
"FRANKLIN CO PA" ELDER families,
found by DNA of descendants:
see
ELDER DNA kit #44209 -
Descendant of William Alexander ELDER, son of David Clark ELDER, son of John ELDER.

Obituary - [Ringgold County, Iowa] - “David Clark ELDER” b. 1798 Franklin Co PA (father moved in 1802)
Died-August 22, 1885.
David Elder aged 86 years 6 months and 17 days.
Mr. Elder was born in Beaver county Pa.
He lived ten years in Columbiana county, Ohio,
and in Seneca and Logan counties in the same state.
In the year 1855 he moved with his family to Alexis Ill.,
in Warren County.
For the last three years, he has lived with his daughter Mrs. R.E. Lawhead in Mt. Ayr...
More notes:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nancyelder/ed/Orvil...

I haven't been to reunions in MO, but I have researched ELDER names there. After I learned that my brother's DNA
matched the DNA of "Franklin Co PA" descendants, I've
been eagerly looking for more cousins!

I'll try to find more of the Washington State entries.
E-mail me anytime!
Nancy Elder Petersen
NancyP@Teleport.com
Host, ELDER DNA project
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Elder

No more insights at the moment!
I'll try to find some, maybe tomorrow...
Always intriqued by mentions of Pennsylvania.

Nancy Elder Petersen
Vancouver, WA USA
Host, ELDER DNA project
Rev. War Patriot, Robert ELDER (1730-1807) of Franklin Co PA
DAR member #833222