John M. Abel

John M. Abel was born 1801, in Wythe County, Virginia, the son of John David Abel and Ann Harner.

John's family moved to Knox County, Tennessee prior to 1812.    They remained in Knox County until about 1820, at which time they moved to Roane County, Tennessee. 

John married Mary "Polly" Pritchett on May 5, 1827, in Roane County, Tennessee.    Mary Pritchett was born 1808, in Tennessee.

The 1830 Roane County, Tennessee census shows John Able, a male 20-29; one male 15-19; one female (Mary) 20-29; two females under 5; and one female 60-69, who may have been Mary's mother.    They were living not far from John's parents. 

The 1840 Roane County census shows John Able, a male 30-39; one male 5-9; one male under 5; one female (Mary) 30-39; one female 10-14; two females 5-9; and one female under 5 years old.

About 1848, John moved his family to Polk County, Missouri. 

The 1850 Polk County, Missouri census shows John Able, 46, fa armer, real property valued at $300 real property; Mary, 40; Mary J., 20; Margaret, 18; John D., 16, a farmer; Lucinda, 14; James W., 11; Mira K., 8; and William F., 3 years old.    All the children were born in Tennessee.  

Mary died June 28, 1854, in Polk County, Missouri, just three days after the birth of their last child.

The 1860 Polk County census shows John Abel, 50, a day laborer, $600 personal property, and Myra, 18, living next to the family of his daughter Mary Jane and her husband Absalom Sawyer.  

Prior to 1870, John married Jemima Ann (Williams) Edwards, widow of Fines Ewin Edwards.    Jemima was born June 12, 1819, in Alabama.   

The 1870 Polk County, Missouri census shows John Ables, 67, a farmer, $1000 real property, $345 personal property; Jermima, 50; (Jemima's daughter) Isabel, 17; Robert C., 16; Margaret Fulton, 36; John F. Fulton, 2 months old, born in May.     Living near John were the families of his children Mary Jane Sawyer, Frank Abel and John David Abel.  

The 1880 Polk County census shows John Abel, 77, farming; Jamima, 61, wife; Delila I., 25, step-faughter; and A. J. Edwards, 9, step-grandson.    Living near-by were the families of his daughters, Mary Jane and Myra.    

Jemima died in Polk County in 1881.    John died there on February 6, 1882, and is buried in Shady Grove Cemetery.

Children of John Abel and Mary Pritchett

1. Mary Jane Abel, b. May 10, 1830, Roane Co, TN; d. July 20, 1900, Polk Co, MO; m. Absalom Sawyer on Mar 30, 1854, Polk Co.    Absalom Sawyer, b. 1824, KY; d. July 11, 1893, Polk Co, MO.    Children included: (1) Lucinda Sawyer, b. 1855, MO; m. Henry Harmon Hawkins;    (2) Missouri Frances Sawyer, b. 1857, MO;    (3) Marinda A. Sawyer, b. 1862, MO; and    (4) Dianna P. Sawyer, b. 1870, MO.   

2. Margaret M. Abel, b. 1832, Roane Co, TN; m. Marion Fulton on Apr 2, 1857, MO.    Children included: (1) Jane A. Fulton, b. 1860; d. bef 1870; and    (2) John F. Fulton, b. May 1870, MO.

3. John David Abel, b. Jan 1834, Roane Co, TN; d. Feb 4, 1908, Polk Co, MO; m. Nancy Jane Davis on Apr 20, 1854, Polk Co.    Nancy Davis, b. 1838, TN; d. Jan 3, 1880, Crawford Co, AR.   John David m. Martha Daily Still on July 10, 1881, Crawford Co, AR.    Children by Nancy Davis included: (1) Samuel A. Abel, b. Jan 21, 1855, MO; d. Aug 4, 1898, AR;    (2) Mary Lydia Abel, b. Mar 9, 1857;    (3) Margaret Elizabeth Abel, b. 1859, MO;    (4) Matilda Josephine Abel, b. 1862, MO;    (5) James H. Abel, b. 1864, MO;    (6) Sarah Jane Abel, b. 1865, MO;    (7) John Franklin Abel, b. July 13, 1867, MO; d. Mar 7, 1900, IT (OK);     (8) Martha Lucinda Abel, b. May 1870, MO;    (9) William H. Abel, b. 1872, MO;    (10) Harrison E. Abel, b. 1875, MO; and    (11) Jemima Arabel Abel, b. Mar 12, 1877, Crawford Co, AR.      

4. Lucinda M. Abel, b. 1836, Roane Co, TN; m. John Renfro on Jan 1, 1857, Polk Co, MO.    John was b. Dec 1834, in KY.    Children included: (1) William Marcus Renfro, b. Oct 29, 1861, MO;    (2) Adrian J. Renfro, b. 1864, MO;    (3) Andrew Renfro, b. 1866, MO;    (4) James Renfro, b. 1868, MO; and    (5) Nancy Renfro, b. 1871, MO.   

5. James Wiley Abel, b. 1839, Roane Co, TN; d. Mar 10, 1897, Crawford Co, AR; m. Emmaline Scroggins on Mar 22, 1860, Roane Co, MO.    Emmaline was b. 1843, MO.   The family moved from Polk Co, MO to Crawford Co, AR prior to 1880.     Children (born in Polk Co, MO) included: (1) Martha Jane Abel, b. Apr 1862;    (2) Mary E. Abel, b. 1864;    (3) Nancy C. Abel, b. 1866; d. bef 1879, Polk Co, MO;    (4) John F. Abel, b. July 17, 1867;    (5) Elizabeth Abel, b. Oct 1869;    (6) Alzania Abel, b. 1871;    (7) James Henry Abel, b. 1873;    (8) Rebecca Abel, b. 1875;    (9) Susan Belle Abel, b. 1877; and   (10) Sarilda C. Abel, b. Apr 1880, Crawford Co, AR.   

6. Myra Catherine Abel, b. May 1, 1842, Roane Co, TN; d. June 12, 1911, Polk Co, MO; m. James Ervin Sawyer on Dec 10, 1865, Polk Co, MO.    James Sawyer was b. June 1844, MO.   Children (all born in MO) included: (1) John W. Sawyer, b. 1866;    (2) Stephen W. Sawyer, b. 1868;    (3) Robert B. Sawyer, b. May 1870;    (4) Sarah J. Sawyer, b. 1873;  (5) Mary L. Sawyer, b. 1875;    (6) Ervin S. Sawyer, b. Oct 1877; and    (7) Lillie V. Sawyer, b. Oct 1881. 

7. William Franklin Abel, b. 1847, Roane Co, TN; d. aft 1920, OK; m. Sara L. Johnson on Apr 22, 1866, Polk Co, MO.   Sara Johnson was b. Feb 4, 1846, MO; d. Nov 23, 1917, OK.    The family moved to Grayson Co, TX, prior to 1874, then to Atoka Co, OK, prior to 1910.    Children: (1) James M. Abel, b. 1867, MO; d. 1881-1909;    (2) Benjamin W. Abel, b. 1874, TX; and    (3) Thomas A. Abel, b. 1884, TX.

8. Robert Christopher Columbus Abel, b. June 25, 1854, Polk Co, MO; d. Dec 6, 1925; m. Lucinda Elizabeth Chastain in 1874.    Lucinda was b. Oct 10, 1855, Crawford Co, AR; d. in childbirth on Apr 6, 1893, Crawford Co.    Robert m. Mrs. Josephine F. (Bean) Dunn on Feb 6, 1898, Crawford Co, AR.    Apparently they divorced prior to 1900, as Josephine is listed on the 1900 Crawford Co, AR census as head of household, with her children by Mr. Dunn, and the one child she and Robert had together.    On the 1910 Crawford Co census, Robert and Josephine's daughter was living with Robert and his third wife.     Robert m. his third wife, Ella ___ in 1903, probably in Crawford Co     Robert had children by all three of his wives.   All of his children were born in Crawford Co, AR.    Children by Lucinda: (1) William Abel, b. & d. 1875 (d. at 3 weeks old);    (2) Walter Lee Abel, b. May 8, 1876;    (3) Edward Bruce Abel, b. July 16, 1878;    (4) Mary Melvina Abel, b. Apr 17, 1881;    (5) Leonard Irvin Abel, b. July 16, 1883;    (6) Charles Franklin Abel, b. Nov 18, 1884;    (7) Clara Adell Abel, b. Apr 28, 1888;    (8) Emzy McDonald Abel, b. Feb 22, 1890; and   (9) Herbert Abel, b. Apr 6, 1893; d. June 25, 1893, Crawford Co.     Child by Josephine: (10) Ollie E. Abel, b. Nov 1898.     Children by Ella: (11) Mona L. Abel, b. 1904;    (12) Zazel Abel, b. 1906; and    (13) Opal R. Abel, b. Jan 1910.