Name
Although Sion often appears in records as “Sion W.” or “S.W.” none of the currently available records include his middle name, so it is not possible to confirm that it is Whelas, as is widely reported on online trees.
Marriage
(1) Catharine Vantreese
26 SEP 1839.
Hamilton County, Illinois.
[2]
(2) Mary Robinson
15 JUL 1866.
Saline County, Illinois.
[3][4]
Marriage records for Sion are somewhat confusing.
Sion’s first wife and children appear in the 1870 census without him. The line for Catherine calls her “Cathard” and says she is male, and days she is a male citizen over 21. It appears to have been altered from Catherine and the "F" changed to "M". [5]
He re-married in 1866 to a Mary Horn (nee Robertson). A 1928 marriage license for Jerry Durham and Violet Wettengel state that his parents were Sion Durham, b. Tennessee, and Mary Robinson, b. Tennessee. [4]
There is an additional marriage record for Sion W. Durham on 23 Dec 1867 in Posey County, Indiana to a Lydia Ann Babb. However, this seems inconsistent with the birth of son Jerry to Mary Robinson in 1878.[4]
Census:
1840
Saline, Gallatin, Illinois.
[6]
3 AUG 1860.
Saline County, Illinois.
[1]
1865
Raleigh, Saline, Illinois.
[7]
Military
JUN 1863.
Saline, Saline, Illinois.
Civil War draft registration, age 43.
[8]
Died
Unsourced information at FindAGrave says that he died 8 APR 1879, in Benton, Franklin, Illinois and was buried in the Durham Cemetery in Long Branch, Saline, Illinois. No tombstone photo or other evidence.
[9]
↑
1865 Illinois State Census Raleigh, Saline, Illinois 1865 p. 25, households of L.M. Durham and Sion W. Durham digitized image https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1079/ILSC_2183-0480?pid=1354208 citing Illinois State Archives; Springfield, Illinois; Illinois State Census, 1865; Archive Collection Number: 103.010; Roll Number: 2183
↑
Civil War Draft Registration Records June–July 1863 Saline County, Illinois vol. 3, p. 39, Thirteenth Congressional District digitized image https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1666/32178_520307095_0022-00063?pid=1556007 citing NARA, Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 1 of 3
↑ FindAGrave memorial page for Sion Whelas Durham (no photo) 8 Apr 1879 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180375516 maintained by Deb Lewis Durham, contributer 488212248 Memorial ID 180375516
Additional Sources
"United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHB8-ZLT : 24 August 2015), Sion Durham, Saline, Gallatin, Illinois, United States; citing p. 49, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 60; FHL microfilm 7,642.
"Illinois State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61GK-S3Z : 8 November 2014), Sion W Durham, Saline, Illinois; citing p. 12, State Archives, Springville; FHL microfilm 976,673.
"Illinois State Census, 1865," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCKZ-Z95 : 15 November 2014), Sion W Durham, , Raleigh, Saline, Illinois; citing p. 25, State Library, Springfield; FHL microfilm 972,762.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Sion by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree: