Edward Murray Ballangee (1806 - 1891)

Born 10 Feb 1806 in Monroe, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Lilly) Ballengee — married 1825 in Monroe, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 1891 at about age 84 in Berrien, Michigan, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Courtney Hinton [send private message]

Biography

Sources

He is son of Henry Ballengee and Rachel McMullen [1]

Name Edward Ballengee Birth names Edward M Ballengee Gender Male Birth Feb 10 1806 Monroe, Virginia, United States

Marriage Spouse: Jane Lilly 1825 Monroe, West Virginia

Residence 1840 Oronoko, Berrien, Michigan, United States Residence 1850 Berrien county, Berrien, Michigan, United States Residence 1860 Little York Township, Nevada, California, United States Residence 1870 Buchanan, Berrien, Michigan, United States

Death 1891 Berrien, Michigan, United States

Burial 1891 New Troy Cemetery, New Troy, Berrien, Michigan, United States of America

Edward Ballengee appears in the histories of Berrien County. The History of Berrien and Van Buren County was published in Philadelphia by D. W. Ensign & Company in 1880. On page 176 of that work you can read: "Edward Ballengee, although not as early settler in the township as some, has been identified with the earliest movements of several of the townships.

He emigrated from Virginia to this county in 1833, and located at Berrien Springs when but two houses were there. He erected a dwelling house and store together, his boeing the thirs dwelling there. He moved his stock of goods from Crawforsville, Ind., in April, and his family came in June. He was very instrumental in getting the court-house located at that place, and was elected supervisor two terms. In the fall of 1843 he moved to Buchanan, and was elected supervisor, and justice of the peace in 1844. In 1845 he lived in Lake township, where he was foremost in getting that town set off, and was its first supervisor. In 1850 he removed to New Buffalo, and ws general purchasing agent of the Michigan Central Railroad.

He went to California in 1853, remained until 186, and was justice of the peace two terms in Todd's Valley, Placer Co., Cal. In January 1866, he settled in Buchanan, where he still resides, and has been justice from that time to the present, except in 1878." On page 281

Of that same work you can read: "About the year 1831, Thomas Love and Edward Ballengee came from Virginia, and opened a store in a small log house which they put up on a hill near where the Defield House now stands. In 1832 their log store was destroyed by fire, and directly afterwards they built a frame store on the river's bank, at what is now the west end of the bridge. The two stores named were small affairs, and in 1834 Love and Ballengee erected near their second store a third one, of considerable pretension to size. The firm sold out, in 1836 or 1837, to Andrew J. Murray & John Wirrenmeyer." Note: Edward Ballengee also appears in the census records as Edward Ballenger.

Edward Ballengee died in New Troy, Berrien County, Michigan on 14 Nov 1891. The Berrien County Record carried his obituary on 19 Nov 1891 and it reads: "Judge Edward Ballengee, for many years well known in this place, died at the home of his son in New Troy, Saturday, aged 86 years. Mr. Ballengee in 1832 came to Berrien county and purchased property in Berrien Springs, and retuned to Indiana. He returned next year and opened a store in that place, afterwards having Thomas Love, late of Chickaming, for partner in the mercantile business. In 1840 he moved to Buchanan. In 1843 he was elected Justice of Peace and filled the same office for several terms after that date. He at one time owned the string of bluffs just south of the Michigan Central railroad, selling the lot for $15. After that he lived in Dowagiac, California and other places, and was back to Buchanan in 1866. He remained here steadily after that until about a year ago, when he was separated from his second wife by his children taking him to care for and leaving her to care for herself. She is now in California with her brothers. The funeral services were held at the place of his death, on Monday afternoon."

An article appeared in the Berrien County Record on 26 Nov 1891 which reads: "Mr. Editor:-Will you kindly correct an error which appeared in the obituary notice of Edward Ballengee, in your last issue. The statement made was 'He was separated from his second wife by his children taking him to care for, leaving her to care for herself.' This is not a true statement, the facts being these: the old people had enough money to have kept them comfortably but she had control of it. When Mr. Ballengee was sick, some year and a half since, she wished him to go to his son's to make a visit and give her a rest. The son came for him and neither he nor the father thought of such a thing as his going away for longer than a few weeks. After a short time she wrote to him not to come back as she would not care for him any longer. She wrote several such letters, all of which have been preserved. This well nigh broke the old gentleman's heart. She also refused to divide the property with the one who had earned it."

In 1894 Buchanan decided to close and remove the old city cemetery to the new location now known as Oak Ridge Cemetery. Edward Ballengee's 1st wife and his daughter were buried there. Henderson Ballengee had his mother, Jane Ballengee, and sister, Julia A. (Ballengee) Nichols, remains removed and reinterred in the New Troy Cemetery where his father had been buried.

There was a notice in the Berrien County Record on 20 Dec 1894 which reads: "Mr. Henderson Ballengee of New Troy is here today to remove the remains of his mother and sister from the old cemetery, on Fourth street. His mother was buried in May, 1851, and his sister about 50 years ago, she being the first person interred in the cemetery."

Edward Ballengee's 2nd wife is last seen in the 1900 census of Ukiah, Mendocino County California where she is listed as 90 years of age. She was living with her brother, Henry David. Some records indicate she died there in 1905.

Edward Ballengee married Jane Lilly in Monroe County, West Virginia in September of 1825. Edward and Jane (Lilly) Ballengee had children:

Sources

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/2C5K-MKM/edward-ballengee-1806-1891

• Henry Ballengee November 8th, 1803, he married Rachel Farley

Edward Murray Ballengee BIRTH 10 Feb 1806 DEATH 14 Nov 1891 (aged 85) Berrien County, Michigan, USA BURIAL New Troy Cemetery, New Troy, Berrien County, Michigan, USA PLOT Section 5 Row 10 MEMORIAL ID Find A Grave: Memorial #14541282 Has a photo of gravestone

Sourcehttps://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rootsr/genealogy/Ballenge.htm