Notes
Note H575
Index
[Robert Ruhl and Mary Farrier 20081222.GED]
[2485774[1].GED]
Charles Edward and Mary Alice (Conser) Hinman
by
James D. Bish
Mary Alice Conser was the seventh of fourteen children born to John and Mary Magdalena ( Cronoble) Conser. She was born May 23, 1855 at her parent's farm located between Gilson an d Maquon, in Haw Creek Township, Knox County, Illinois. Two siblings, Amelia and Cornelius, w ere already deceased before the birth of Mary Alice making her the fifth child in the Conse r household. Mary Alice spent her formative years on her parents Haw Creek township farm. I t was a time of national expansion and crisis. When Mary Alice was about six years old thi s country began fighting its Civil War, a war that continued until Mary Alice was ten years o ld. During the years following the Civil War, Mary Alice grew to adulthood helping her famil y with their many farm chores. During this time, Mary also welcomed many more siblings int o her family. Between Mary's birth in 1855 and 1873, the year in which Mary turned eighteen , four sisters and three brothers were born into the Conser household.
In 1871, Mary's twenty-two year old brother, William, and twenty-year old brother, Jacob , migrated west to York County, Nebraska to claim a homestead for themselves. Four years lat er, in 1875, Mary's parents and family followed his brothers, William and Jacob, to York Coun ty, Nebraska. John and Mary sold their farm and home of thirty years in Knox County, and pur chased another farm very close to where William and Jacob's homesteads were located. It appe ars that before the Conser family decided to leave Knox County.
Tragedy occurred soon after their move to Nebraska as baby sister, Edith, became ill i n the Fall of 1875 and died that year on October 13th. She was buried in a nearby cemetery ne xt to the farmstead in York County. Not totally being satisfied with the York County area Ma ry's father, John, searched farther west in hopes to locate a free homestead of his own. H e found a homestead about 150 miles west in Furnas County, Nebraska. As a result, in the Spr ing of 1876 the family was on the move again, this time to a barren homestead in New Era Prec inct (township), Furnas County, Nebraska, about six miles North of Oxford, Nebraska.
In about 1877, when Mary was twenty-two years old, Mary became reacquainted with a youn g man named Charles Edward Hinman. Charles was originally from Knox County, Illinois. It i s thought that he probably worked as a carpenter helper and painter for John Conser before th e Conser family moved to Nebraska. After the Conser family moved to Nebraska, Charles was mar ried to Laura Armstrong on October 17, 1875. Laura died not long after giving birth to thei r daughter, Eddyth Laura Hinman, probably from complications of childbirth in June 1876 at Ke okuk, Iowa. Charles was then a widower with an infant child. It appears that Charles was r eunited with John Conser shortly after the death of his wife. Charles probably again worke d for Mary's father as a laborer and painter in the carpentry business that John Conser was o ften engaged. Mary and Charles became quite close and began a relationship. This relationshi p developed more seriously and on October 12, 1879, Mary and Charles were married.
After marriage Charles, Mary, and three-year old Eddyth removed to Council Bluffs, Iow a a short time before moving to a farm near Mary's parents at Oxford, Nebraska. Charles and M ary stayed there a short time before removing to a farmstead farther west near McCook, Nebras ka about 1885. Children were also starting to appear in the Hinman household. Lillie Belle w as born on November 20, 1880 and Maude Eveline was born on July 9, 1883 followed by Claude Er nest, born on August 15, 1885 and Stella Magdalene born on August 5, 1887. The Hinman famil y continued to live near McCook, Nebraska until about 1889. At that time they removed to Cou ncil Bluffs, Iowa where Charles delivered dairy products in addition to painting houses. Whil e living in Council Bluffs, three more children were born into the Hinman household. Grace Co nstance born January 2, 1889, Mabel Adeline born October 12, 1890, and Lloyd born September 2 1, 1896. Lloyd was never a physically strong baby and died before reaching his first birthd ay on January 12, 1897. Grace died shortly after the passing of Lloyd at the age of only te n on September 30, 1899. Both of these tragic events brought a lot of sorrow to the Hinman f amily.
In early March 1903, Mary Alice (Conser) Hinman became ill and later died of dropsy at 8 :00 in the morning on March 16, 1903 at her Morningside neighborhood of Council Bluffs, Iowa . She had not been in good health for several years preceding her fatal illness. Besides h er husband, Charles, Mary Alice's mother Mary M. (Cronoble) Conser, of Oxford, Nebraska, an d four daughters, Lillie, Maude, Stella, and Mabel survived her. Mary Alice was also survive d by a son, Claude and by a stepdaughter, Eddyth (Hinman) Hathaway and a number of sisters an d brothers. Funeral services for Mary Alice Hinman were held from her home on March 18th wit h Reverend W.J. Calfee officiating. Burial followed in Walnut Hill Cemetery at Council Bluff s.
After the death of Mary, Charles married again, this time to a woman named Belle. They c ontinued to live in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In September 1908, Charles was struck down wit h a paralyzing stroke. He was hospitalized about two weeks before he died on October 6, 190 8 at the age of 54 from the effects of the stroke. At his death he was survived by his fou r daughters, Mrs. John A. (Lillie) Fernstrom of Seattle, Washington, Maude, Stella, and Mabe l Hinman of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a son, Claude Hinman of Council Bluffs. Funeral servi ces for Charles were held on the afternoon of Friday October 8, 1908 at the Fifth Avenue Meth odist Church. Burial was beside his late wife, Mary Alice, at Walnut Hill Cemetery in Counci l Bluffs, Iowa.
Sources
1. Charles Edward and Mary Alice (Conser) Hinman family history materials sent to Jim Bish b y Carol A. Lee and Claudia R. Bell.
2. John Horan, The Conser Family, (Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, 1966).
3. 1870 U.S. Census, Haw Creek Township, Knox County, Illinois, p.215 shows John, wife Magda lena and 10 children including Mary Alice Conser.
4. 1900 U.S. Census for Pottowattamie County, Council Bluffs, Kane Township, Iowa, ED 136, P age 8, Line 33 list the Charles Hinman family including Alice M., Lilly, Maude, Claude, Stell a, and Mable.
5. Transcript of Death in Pottawattamie County, Iowa in Pottawattamie County Historical Soci ety holdings list on Register Number 139 for year 1908-9 the death of Charles E. Hinman on Oc tober 6, 1908 and Record of Deaths in Pottawattamie County, Iowa for 1902-3 list the death o f Mrs. Charles Hinman on March 16, 1903.
6. Records of Walnut Hill Cemetery in Pottawattamie County, Iowa list Charles and Alice Hinm an burial in cemetery section 7B.
7. An obituary for Mrs. Charles E. Hinman can be found in the Council Bluffs, Iowa Daily Non pareil on March 17, 1903 and a funeral notice for Mrs. Charles E. Hinman can be found in th e Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil on March 19, 1903.
8. An obituary for Mr. Charles E. Hinman can be found in the Council Bluffs, Iowa Daily Nonp areil on October 7, 1908 and a funeral notice for Mrs. Charles E. Hinman can be found in th e Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil on March 19, 1903
9. Conser Family history materials handed down from Arthur Martin Conser, Jacob Emery Conse r (both brothers of Mary Alice (Conser) Hinman), and Leroy Newton Conser (nephew of Mary Alic e (Conser) Hinman.