Richard Coleman Estes (1811 - abt. 1887)

Born 14 Feb 1811 in Cross Plains, Metcalf, Kentucky

Ancestors

Husband of Ollie Ann (Toller) Estes — married about 1835 in Evansville, Indiana

Descendants

Died about 19 Apr 1887 at about age 76 in Mills County, Iowa

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Biography

ESTES, Richard C. (1811-1887)

ESTES.-Died, April 19, 1887, of diabetis. He had been going down for about two months, when the angel of death came and relieved him of all the afflictions of this life. Richard C. Estes was born Feb. 14, 1811, in Henry county, Cross Plains, Ky., joined the Missionary Baptist Church in Hancock county, about 40 years ago. Has a letter from that brotherhood, and has always held to that belief up to the time of his death. There being no congregation of that church in his neighborhood, he never put his letter in any other, though he gave his moral support to all truly religious and pious persons, and when he thought it proper his financial support. He was one of Mills county's oldest citizens, living on his farm 35 years. He came here poor, and by honesty, industry, and economy, he provided a large family of children each a good farm, and left a competency for the widow that survives him. As a citizen he was loyal and patriotic, as a neighbor accommodating and hospitable. A kind husband and an affectionate father, within an induring hope that reaches within the vail. The funeral sermon was preached by the writer, April 21, at 11 o'clock a.m., from Heb. 2-6, "What is man that thou art mindful of him?" And many bore testimony to the worth and excellence of the deceased. The bereaved family has the entire sympathy of the community.

J.D. McClure Mills County Tribune [1]

From "History of Mills County, Iowa": Richard Coleman Estes was born February 14, 1811, at Cross Plains, Kentucky, to Littleton Estes and Mary (Ferguson) Estes, the youngest of twelve children. All twelve children were reared by their parents and a Negro mammy, "Aunt Jinny." Richard became a sturdy man over six feet tall. He married Ollie Ann Toller in 1840 at Evansville, Indiana. Ollie Ann Toller died and was buried there. Their first child, James, died at eighteen months and was buried in Evansville, Indiana. In 1846 Richard married a young woman, 22 years old, Elizabeth Harrison, of Spencer County, Indiana. With Elizabeth and the four children, he moved to Gentry County, Missouri, in the northwestern part of the state, near the state line. The Estes family lived in Missouri two years and did not prosper there. When the baby, Permelia, was four months old, they moved to Mills County, Iowa, (Rawles Township), in 1852. Elizabeth drove a team of horses, hitched to a covered wagon, with Permelia on her lap. Richard drove another covered wagon, hitched to a team of oxen. Same and Will Estes drove the cattle. In one of these covered wagons was the four poster bed now displayed at the Mills County Museum. This trip took two weeks. In Mills County they purchased a claim from John Ellis. On it was a log cabin of two rooms with an entry between the two rooms. Richard Estes purchased land warrants from the government for $1.25 per acre. By his industry and economy, he accumulated 2,000 acres of Mills County land which he gave to his twelve children. He was a great hunter and fisherman and at the time he came to Mills County, the game was so plentiful that he provided meat for his family. He chased deer on the prairies, killed wild turkeys in the timber back of his house and fished in the Nishna River. Mary Ann died October, 1852, at the age of nine years and Elizabeth made a burial robe from her wedding dress. Richard built the house on the hillside, west of Tabor, Iowa. It was a magnificent house according to the standards of that time. There was a walnut stairway leading to the upper rooms. The floors were of oak. Beautiful woods went into the making of the house, all taken from the timber on his farm, using the sawmill on his farm. Sam Harrison and Charles Utterback worked all summer to plane the boards "by hand." The ceilings in the upper rooms were of bass wood and the beams were of oak. Later the upper rooms were covered with muslin and wallpaper pasted over this. There were two rooms, with a fireplace in each room. Behind them was the storage cellar where Richard buried money under a big lard barrel. Many Indians visited this house to buy sheep from Richard. Later all the sheep were killed by the Indians. Richard Coleman Estes gave land for the Pleasant Hill Church and Cemetery. It was the second church to be built in Mills County. It was a Christian Church, although he was a Baptist, joining when he was 27 years old. Richard Coleman Estes died April 19, 1887. Elizabeth Estes died in November, 1890. Both are buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, known also as the Estes Cemetery. Submitted by Anna Belle Estes, widow of Richard William Estes

Sources

• Descendants of NICHOLAS ESTES[2]

• Find a Grave Find A Grave: Memorial #55161901

• Mills County Tribune [3]

• History of Mills County Iowa 1985" published by Mills County History Book Committee

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-13201-1848-77?cc=1401638 : accessed 8 April 2016), Missouri > Gentry > Miller > image 16 of 19; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).