Mark McNary Lewis (1853 - 1910)

Born 12 Nov 1853 in Belmont County, Ohio

Ancestors

Died 10 Mar 1910 at age 56 in Richland County, Wisconsin

Biography

Mark was born in 1853, He is the son of Andrew Lewis and Sarah Van Pool.

Husband of Mary Jane Huston 1858–1902 (m. 1880)

Mark McNary Lewis was born on 12 November 1853, in Belmont County, Ohio, the oldest son of Andrew Lewis and Sarah Ann Van Pool/Lewis. Mark was likely named after Andrew’s brother, Mark Lewis, who died in the Andersonville Prison during the Civil War; Mark’s middle name was the maiden name of Andrew’s mother, Sarah Ann McNary.

In 1854, Andrew and Sarah Lewis set out to Wisconsin to homestead, and the family moved to Richland County in Wisconsin, where they had 11 more children

Mark Lewis and Mary Jane Huston married in Richland County on January 14th, 1880; he was 26 and she was 21. Mark and Mary Jane were the parents of 9 known children.

Mark’s and Mary Jane’s first home was in Clayton in Crawford County, and in the June of 1880 census, Mark lists his occupation as a "farmer/carpenter,".

In the 1900 census they are living in Eagle, in Richland County, Wisconsin Mark was 46 and Mary Jane was 41: Jessie Viola was 18; Andrew was 12; Jennie was 10; Bertha was 8; Frilla was 5; and Martha was 2. Mark and Mary Jane reported that they had been married for 20 years, and also reported that 8 children had been born to them with just 7 children who were still living.

Mary Jane’s mother, Jane Thompson/Huston lived close by Mark and Mary Jane, and Margaret Allie (Mark and Mary Jane’s daughter, age 17) was living with Jane.

Mary Jane died from Tuberculosis at age 43 on June 6th, 1902, leaving Mark a widower with 6 minor children at home (Jessie, age 21, was married, and Margaret, age 19, was an adult; but Andrew was 15, Jennie was 13, Luella was 10, Frilla was 7, Martha was 5, and Anita was 1.

On September 16th, 1903, Mark married Ethel May Boliou/Crabb in Richland County. Ethel was reported to be a “mail-order bride,” from Rochester, Minnesota. She was a young widow (just 20 years old) with 2 small boys, Philip and Andrew (nicknamed “Joe.”)

On June 1st, 1905, the census in Eagle (Richland County) reported that the Lewis household consisted of Mark (51) and his wife, Ethel (22), with the Lewis children, Margaret (21), Andrew (17), Jennie (15), Bertha Luella (13), Frilla (9), Martha (7), and Anita (4). Ethel’s two sons, Philip (7) and Andrew (5), who are listed as Mark’s step-sons, were also living in this household.

On January 4th, 1906, Mark and Mary Jane’s daughter, Luella Bertha, age 13, died from Tuberculosis.

Four years after Luella Bertha’s death, Mark McNary Lewis died from “probable hemorrhage of a gastric ulcer” on March 10th, 1910. When he died he left 3 minor children; Frilla Ann, Martha Rosetta, and Anita Beulah.

On March 29th 1910, nineteen days after Mark died, his second wife (Ethel May Lewis) signed legal documents that relinquished all rights to Mark’s estate. Ethel returned to her hometown and on April 20th, 1910, Ethel (26) and her 2 sons (11 and 9) were living in the household of Ethel’s brother in Rochester, Minnesota.

Mark’s older daughters took in their younger siblings and raised them to adulthood. Jessie Viola (age 28) was married and she took in Frilla Ann (age 15) and Martha Rosetta (age 12). Margaret Allie (age 26) was also married and she took in Anita Beulah (age 9).

Mark’s son (Andrew Lewis) was 22 years old when his father died. Andrew was appointed as administrator of Mark’s estate on April 19th, 1910, and Edgar Ewers (a lawyer) was appointed as Guardian ad Litem for Mark’s minor children.

The legal documentation for the probate of Mark’s estate consists of 180 pages of paperwork. Mark’s property, including his farm, all of his farm equipment, his livestock (“a team of grey horses, 6 cows, one bull, 2 heifers, 6 hogs, 35 sheep, 20 chickens, 6 geese, 3 ducks, and 2 turkeys”) was auctioned off. At the end of the auction and after paying off the mortgage, etc., each of Mark’s children received a total of $446.47.

5 June 1860: Richland, Richland Co., Wisconsin; Occupation of Andrew: Farmer Andrew J Lewis 33 Pennsylvania; Sarah A Lewis 23 Pennsylvania; Mark M Lewis 6 Ohio; Nancy S Lewis 5 Wisconsin; Lela N Lewis 3 Wisconsin; Leuella V Lewis 2 Wisconsin; Anthony J Lewis 9/12 Wisconsin; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW9X-FS6

Sources

"Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRKL-FBK : 16 March 2018), Andrew Lewis in entry for Mark M. Lewis and Mary Jane Hustin, 14 Jan 1880; citing , Richland, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,524.

"Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRP6-H4R : 16 March 2018), Andrew Lewis in entry for Mark Lewis and Ethel M. Crabb, 16 Sep 1903; citing Richland Center, Richland, Wisconsin, United States, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; FHL microfilm 1,275,526.

Find A Grave: Memorial #93449121 Mark McNary Lewis