Milton C Alexander (1847 - 1914)

Born 26 Feb 1847 in Cass, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Son of Charles Forsyth and Martha Jane (Alexander) Forsyth

Husband of Francis Caroline (Ross) Alexander — married 8 Dec 1867 in Beardstown, Cass, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 8 Jul 1914 at age 67 in Belle Fourche, Butte, South Dakota, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Forsyth Name Study.

Birth and parents

Milton C. Alexander was born on February 26, 1847, in Cass County, Illinois.^[1] As to the identity of Milton's parents, evidence indicates that there was a misattributed parentage event in Milton's line. U.S. census records for 1850^[2] and 1860^[3] imply that Milton's parents were Joshua C. Alexander, Jr. and Nancy Black Alexander, because he was listed as living with them. This parentage relationship agrees with a document in the probate record for Joshua C. Alexander, Jr., dated February 2, 1852, and signed by Nancy Alexander, which lists Milton among the minor heirs of Joshua Alexander.^[4] However, a published analysis of both autosomal DNA and Y-DNA inheritance patterns^[5] indicates that Milton's father was actually Charles Forsyth and that his mother was Martha Jane Alexander, the oldest daughter of Joshua and Nancy Alexander.

Evidence of a non-parental event in the line of Milton C. Alexander.

At the time of Milton's birth, Martha Jane was about 15 years old^[6] and unmarried, so it seems appropriate that Milton would have been raised by his grandparents, Joshua and Nancy Alexander, and given the surname "Alexander, "as the census records indicate. It is apparent, though, that Charles Forsyth and Martha Jane Alexander continued to maintain their close relationship: a little more than a year after Milton's birth, they were married by a justice of the peace in Clark County, Missouri.^[7] They were evidently taking advantage of the less stringent marriage laws in that state.^[8]

The autosomal DNA matches between descendants of Milton Alexander and descendants of Charles Forsyth^[5] are consistent with the conclusion that Milton's full siblings were Willis Henry Forsyth and Reuben A. Forsyth, who were sons of Charles Forsyth and Martha Jane Alexander. Milton's half siblings were George Franklin Forsythe, Nevada Forsythe, Cora Bell Forsythe, Mary Emily Forsythe, and Richard Valett Forsythe, who were the children of Charles Forsyth and his second wife, Salinda Sarah Shurtz, whom Charles had married after the death of Martha Jane in 1852.^[4]

Marriage and children

Milton Alexander married Francis Caroline Ross, the daughter of Ossian M. Ross and Amanda C. Hammer, in Beardstown, Illinois, on December 8, 1867.^[9] Milton was 20 years old and Francis was 18. Milton and Francis seem to have been well acquainted. Both had been living in Beardstown prior to their marriage and both had attended school there.^[3][10] Moreover, in 1865, two years prior to their marriage, Milton and Francis were living next door to each other with their respective families.^[11]

Marriage license for Milton and Francis Alexander.

Francis Ross was related to a prominent Illinois family of Rosses. A paternal great uncle was Major Ossian M. Ross, a veteran of the War of 1812 and an Illinois pioneer who founded the town of Lewistown, Illinois.^[12] One of Francis' first cousins once removed was Hon. Lewis W. Ross, a United States congressman representing Illinois.^[13] Another first cousin once removed was Leonard F. Ross, brother of Lewis W. Ross, who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.^[14]

Milton and Francis had five children, the youngest of whom died in infancy. In order of birth, the children were Hattie Jennie (October 2, 1868 – November 27, 1929), Charles Newton (May 12, 1871 – February 9, 1951), Nancy May (January 11, 1873 – February 4, 1926), Kathryn Ethel (June 9, 1876 – April 4, 1954), and Nellie A. (August 24, 1878 – July 15, 1879). All were born in Missouri. Hattie Jennie was born in Cass County,^[15] and the other children were born in Atchison County.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Life in Missouri

Milton and Francis Alexander had moved from Illinois to Missouri sometime between their marriage date (December 1867) and the date of birth of their first child (October 1868). Milton and Francis do not appear in the U.S. census records for 1870, but the Missouri state census of 1876 lists the couple as living in Nishnabotna Township, Atchison County, Missouri, together with four children (Hattie, Charles, Nancy, and Kathryn).^[20] Living nearby at the same time was Francis' father, Ossian M. Ross, together with Ossian's second wife, Amanda Lee and five of their children (Ossian's first wife, Amanda Hammer [Francis' mother], had died on March 8, 1854^[21]). Ossian had moved from Beardstown, Illinois, to Atchison County, Missouri, sometime between the 1865 Illinois state census^[22] and the 1870 U.S. census,^[23] so it seems likely that Milton and his family had moved there within the same time frame. The 1880 U.S. census record for Nishnabotna Township does include both Milton Alexander and his family^[24] and Ossian Ross and his family.^[25] Like the majority of their neighbors, Milton and Ossian were both listed as farmers in the census record.

Sadly, Francis died on March 5, 1881, at the age of 32. Her death occurred in Watson, Atchison County, Missouri, and she was interred in High Creek Cemetery in Rock Port, Missouri.^[26] Her grave is next to the grave of her daughter, Nellie, who had died not quite two years earlier, at the age of 10 months.^[27]

The move to South Dakota

Seth Bullock, 1893.

Now a widower, Milton moved with his son, Charles, to Custer, South Dakota in 1892.^[28] By 1900, Charles had married Eva Melissa Crofford^[29] and the couple had had two children.^[30] Milton was living with Charles and his family at this time. Milton and Charles were both listed as day laborers in the census record.

By 1910, Milton had moved with Charles and Charles' family (which now included five children, as well as Charles' mother-in-law and her first and second husbands) to Belle Fourche, South Dakota.^[31] Here, Charles leased property on a ranch that was owned by Seth Bullock,^[32] who is well-known for serving as sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota.^[33] Bullock was also a prominent businessman and rancher, and the land leased by Charles Alexander was located on Bullock's Redwater Ranch.^[32] The crop cultivated by the Alexanders was alfalfa,^[34] which had been introduced to South Dakota by Seth Bullock in 1881.^[33]

An alfalfa field in South Dakota circa 1912.

Death and interment

Grave marker for Milton C. Alexander.

Milton Alexander died on July 8, 1914, at the age of 67 years.^[1] He lost his life as a result of a rather grisly farming accident. According to newspaper accounts,^[34][32] Milton was driving a hay rake in an alfalfa field on the Redwater Ranch when the horses bolted. He fell from his seat and was thrown in front of the teeth of the rake, which impaled him. The official cause of death was a "fract[ure] at base of brain."^[1] The accident, which was witnessed by Milton's grandson, Clarence Alexander, among others, happened at about 3 P.M. on July 7, and Milton died at about 1:30 A.M. on July 8, never having regained consciousness. He was interred in Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche.^[35] According to the funeral record, Seth Bullock paid Milton's funeral expenses, which totalled $133.^[36]

The information on Milton's death certificate was provided by his son, Charles, but there are errors and omissions on the form. The entry for "mother" on the death certificate is "Francis Ross," but Francis Ross was Milton's wife, not his mother. Presumably, Charles was confused and entered his own mother's name. The "name of father" and "birthplace of father" are marked as "unknown" on the form. Apparently, Charles did not know the identity of his paternal grandfather. It is not clear whether Milton himself knew that his biological father was Charles Forsyth. It is worth noting. however, that "Milton" was the middle name of Charles Forsyth's older brother John Milton Forsyth. Moreover, Milton named his only son "Charles." So, perhaps Milton C. Alexander did know his paternal lineage, after all.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Standard Certificate of Death for Physicians." Belle Fourche, Butte, South Dakota, July 9, 1914. Document obtained by Kenneth Alexander from the personal effects of Ruth Jennings.
2. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1850", database online. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA; page 20B; dwelling 264, family 269; line 28; November 18, 1850; NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 99.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "U.S. Census, 1860", database online. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA; page 185; dwelling 1285, family 1285; line 37; August 12, 1860; Family History Library Film 803160.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Cass County, Illinois, Estate Papers of Joshua C. Alexander, Nancy Alexander, Administrator, County Court in Probate, Beardstown, Illinois, October 23, 1851. Kenneth Alexander has a copy and will scan the pages on request.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Alexander, Kenneth Ross. "Surname Surprise: An Non-Paternal Event Revealed by DNA Analysis." Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 50, Number 3, Fall 2018, p. 173.
6. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1850", database online. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA; page 21B; dwelling 282, family 288; line 42; November 18, 1850; NARA microfilm publication M432, Roll 99.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002, database online. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
8. ↑ Suntrap, Jack. "Missouri is known as a haven for child marriages. A new law aims to change that." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 13, 2018. Accessed 12 April 2021.
9. ↑ Illinois, U.S., Marriage Index, 1860-1920, database online. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
10. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1860", database online. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA; page 274; dwelling 1966, family 1966; line 4; August 20, 1860; Family History Library Film 803160.
11. ↑ "Illinois State Census, 1865", database online. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA; page 47, lines 10 & 11; July 3, 1865; Illinois State Archives, Archive Collection Number 103.010, Roll Number 2171.
12. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "Ossian M. Ross." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 3 Feb 2021.
13. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "Lewis W. Ross." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 3 Feb 2021.
14. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. "Leonard F. Ross. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 3 Feb 2021.
15. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #146940574.
16. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #140412378.
17. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #86278549.
18. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #40237548.
19. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #53604568.
20. ↑ "Missouri, U.S., State Census Collection, 1844-1881", database online. Township 66, Range 42, Atchison County, Missouri; 1876; Roll MOSC_10714.
21. ↑ Gridley, James Norman. Historical Sketches. Virginia, IL: Virginia Enquirer, 1907. Volume 1, p. 318.
22. ↑ Illinois State Census, 1865. Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, USA. Page 47, Line 10, July 3, 1865. Archive Collection Number 103.010, Roll Number 2171.
23. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1870", database online. Nishnabotna Township, Atchison, Missouri, USA; page 431B, dwelling 215, family 211, line 5; July 28, 1870; NARA microfilm publication M593.
24. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1880", database online. Nishnabotna Township, Atchison, Missouri, USA; page 401D, dwelling 111, family 113, lines 18-23; June 9, 1880; NARA microfilm publication T9.
25. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1880", database online. Nishnabotna Township, Atchison, Missouri, USA; page 402B, dwelling 131, family 133, lines 45-50; June 11, 1880; Family History Library film 1254671.
26. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #53604474
27. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #53604568
28. ↑ "South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1905", database online. Custer, South Dakota; 1905; card number 193; Family History Library film 2139870.
29. ↑ "South Dakota Marriage License." Document obtained by Kenneth Alexander from the personal effects of Ruth Jennings.
30. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1900", database online. School District 22, Custer, South Dakota, USA; page 11, house 252, family 254, lines 60-64; June 27, 1900; Family History Library film 1241548.
31. ↑ "U.S. Census, 1910", database online. Belle Fourche Ward 3, Butte, South Dakota, USA; page 14A, dwelling 308, family 317, lines 40-50; May 4, 1910; Family History Library film 1375490.
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1 32.2} "Milton C. Alexander Meets Death in Rake." The Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times, July 10, 1914, p. 1.
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1} Wolff, David A. Seth Bullock: Black Hills Lawman. Pierre, SD: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2009.
34. ↑ ^{34.0 34.1} "Aged Man is Killed in Runaway Hayrake." The Mitchell Capital, July 16, 1914, p. 2.
35. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #37093821.
36. ↑ Funeral record, Frost and Sons Funeral Home. A photocopy of the record is currently in the possession of Kenneth R. Alexander.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Kenneth Alexander, FTDNA kit # B5705, and his half 4th cousin, Raymond Forsythe, FTDNA kit # 828503, match at a Genetic Distance of 1 on 111 markers, thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Charles Forsyth, the 3x great grandfather of both Kenneth Alexander and Raymond Forsythe.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on GEDmatch who share a 9.6 cM segment on chromosome 3, consisting of Kenneth Alexander, GEDmatch kit # PA920473C1, and Lyn Sara (Driver) Gulbransen, his 4th cousin 1x removed, GEDmatch kit # A132306, and VW, his 3rd cousin 1x removed, GEDmatch kit # A916279. (Lyn Sara and VW are 4th cousins.) Their most-recent common ancestors are Thomas Forsyth and Rachel Estes, the 4x great grandparents of Kenneth Alexander and 3x great grandparents of both Lyn Sara (Driver) Gulbransen and VW.