On the Left is Asa Runyon, On the Right is his brother Silas Runyon. They are older brothers to my Great Great Grandfather Gilford Runyon. Asa was named after his father and his life is well documented from beginning to end. Silas on the other hand presents the same mystery as his sister Sarah Jane from my last post. A death date of 1890 is prevalent on the net with no source for its origin and no evidence for its accuracy. When did he die?
I have been in contact with descendants of Silas and the family story is that he and his wife both died at about the same time and his kids were watched over by their eldest siblings and by other relatives in the area. It seems a likely explanation but there are a few kinks in it.
The grave of Silas' widow Clara Beuter Runyon exists in Solon, Johnson County, Iowa and her death on Apr 5th 1890 is present. If Silas died at about the same time, why did she receive a grave and he did not? Is he buried there but for some reason the family never got around to adding his name to the grave? It is a Catholic cemetery. Was she Catholic and allowed burial there and he was not? If so, where is he buried? He shows up in no Iowa indexes of burials that I have seen. Of course, that raises another question. How were these widely available indexes compiled? by reading Headstones or by the actual burial records for the cemetery? If the former, perhaps he is buried with his wife, but as he is not on the headstone he never made it into the indexes.
I can also find no probate or guardianship records in Johnson or Linn for the underage children they left behind. Yet I found tons of similar records when a direct ancestor of mine died in Johnson County in 1855 leaving 10 underage children and a wife. Silas and his wife left behind 6 children under 18. Is one possibility that Silas was not dead?
When Silas fought in the Civil War he was recorded as having deserted his unit 3 times. Did he carry that habit into his family life? There is no evidence at all for that possibility, but it could explain the lack of a grave, probate, and death record.
I have been in contact with descendants of Silas and the family story is that he and his wife both died at about the same time and his kids were watched over by their eldest siblings and by other relatives in the area. It seems a likely explanation but there are a few kinks in it.
The grave of Silas' widow Clara Beuter Runyon exists in Solon, Johnson County, Iowa and her death on Apr 5th 1890 is present. If Silas died at about the same time, why did she receive a grave and he did not? Is he buried there but for some reason the family never got around to adding his name to the grave? It is a Catholic cemetery. Was she Catholic and allowed burial there and he was not? If so, where is he buried? He shows up in no Iowa indexes of burials that I have seen. Of course, that raises another question. How were these widely available indexes compiled? by reading Headstones or by the actual burial records for the cemetery? If the former, perhaps he is buried with his wife, but as he is not on the headstone he never made it into the indexes.
I can also find no probate or guardianship records in Johnson or Linn for the underage children they left behind. Yet I found tons of similar records when a direct ancestor of mine died in Johnson County in 1855 leaving 10 underage children and a wife. Silas and his wife left behind 6 children under 18. Is one possibility that Silas was not dead?
When Silas fought in the Civil War he was recorded as having deserted his unit 3 times. Did he carry that habit into his family life? There is no evidence at all for that possibility, but it could explain the lack of a grave, probate, and death record.
1. SILAS REID RUNYON was born 31 Jul 1843 in Knox, KY. He married CLARA BEUTER 12 Feb 1866 in Johnson, IA, daughter of JOSEPH BEUTER and ANASTASIA HEIM. She was born 26 Oct 1844 in Taylorsville, Montgomery, OH, and died 05 Apr 1890 in Solon, Johnson, IA.
Children of SILAS RUNYON and CLARA BEUTER are:
i. HARRY M RUNYON, b. Nov 1866, Solon, Johnson, IA.
ii. MARTIN ROSS RUNYON, b. Jul 1868, Springdale, Cedar, IA.
iii. ANASTASIA S RUNYON, b. 28 Feb 1870, Johnson, IA; d. 07 Jun 1906, Sterling, Whiteside, IL.
iv. NICHOLAS L RUNYON, b. Abt. 1873, Johnson, IA.
v. MARY GENEVIEVE RUNYON, b. 19 Jan 1874, North Liberty, Johnson, IA; d. 19 Apr 1970, Glendale, Los Angeles, CA.
vi. ESTELLE M RUNYON, b. 09 Dec 1876, Johnson, IA; d. 25 Feb 1954, Los Angeles, CA.
vii. WILLIAM A RUNYON, b. Abt. 1878, Johnson, IA.
viii.AUGUSTA M RUNYON, b. 23 Jun 1881, Johnson, IA; d. 08 Jun 1963, Los Angeles, CA; m. GEORGE FINLAYSON, Bet. 1910 - 1920; b. 09 Mar 1879, Canada; d. Bef. 1930.
ix. LEONARD REID RUNYON, b. 30 Oct 1882, Solon, Johnson, IA; d. 23 May 1968, Los Angeles, CA.
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