Francesca (Brooks) Harkey (1837 - 1917)

Born 17 Jan 1837 in Fosterburg, Madison Co IL

Ancestors

Wife of William Henry Alvis — married 1856 in Macoupin, Illinois, United States

Wife of Martin Harkey — married 5 Jul 1883 in Nokomis, Montgomery Co IL

Descendants

Died 13 Jan 1917 at age 79 in Irving, Montgomery Co IL

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Katherine Patterson [send private message]

Biography

This person was created through the import of Alvis families 9a.ged on 18 January 2011.

Religion

Religion: Baptist, Presbyterian

Note

1910 US census, Montgomery Co IL, Irving Township, enum. district 95, sheet 2A, page 78, dwelling 40, family 41. Frances Harkey, head fw 78 widow 4 children born, 3 living, IL NY NY English own income can read & write.

1900 US Census, Montgomery Co IL, Nokomis City, enum. district 86, sheet 8, 185-186. Frances Harkey, wf, head, Jan 1832, 68, wid, 4 ch, 3 liv, IL NY NY, can rd, wr, & sp Eng.1900 Montgomery Co IL, Nokomis City, enum. district 86, sheet 8, 185-186

1880 US census, Madison Co IL, village of Godfrey, enum. district 7, dwelling 158, family 158. In Elias Brooks household, Frances Alvis wf 42 sister-in-law married IL Il IL.

1870 US census, Macoupin Co IL, population schedule, town of Brighton, page 20, dwelling 136, family 138. Wm H Alvis 38 mw teamster $250 Missouri, male citizen, Frances 36 fw keeping house IL, "Corille" 12 fw IL attended school, Isabel 12 fw IL attended school, Edward 8 f [sic] w IL attended school, William 1 mw IL.

1860 US census, Jersey Co IL, Piasa Precinct, page 159, dwelling 43, family 42. Wm Alvis 28 m farmer MO, Francis, 23 f IL, Cora M 2 2/11 f IL, Isabel twins 2 2/3 f IL, Brut Huten, farm hand.

1850 1850 US census, Madison Co IL, Foster Township, dwelling 28, family 28. In William E Hill household, Francesca [no surname given] 14 fw IL.

1840 Madison Co IL, p 148: Asa Brooks, 1023001.../211001...

Her father's estate proves her parentage. My father's aunts knew her, as well as several of her sisters.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6H4-89D : 29 May 2021), Frances Alvis in entry for Wm H Alvis, 1870.

Text: Letter from Margaret Alvis (1018 W. 4th St., West Plains MO 65775), to Kathy Alvis 17 Feb 1967. Miss Alvis was the great-granddaughter of the couple she discusses.

Text: Madison County Marriage Book 6:180, County Clerk's Office, Edwardsville IL. Certified letter attesting to the marriage record.

Text: Montgomery County Marriage Book 1:103, County Clerk's Office, Hillsboro IL.

Text: Letter from Nellie (Alvis) Becker (no address given in this letter; Mrs. Becker later married Vincent Penfield), to Arta Sue Alvis, 20 Jul 1966. Aunt Nellie was the granddaughter of the couples she discusses.

Text: There is inconsistency about her age. The date given on her grave marker is Jan 17, 1833, and her obituary says she would have been 85 in Jan 1917, i.e., born 1832, but her father's estate shows her as under 14 in 1850. The uncertainty continued in her censuses: 1850 (age 14: 1836), 1860 (23: 1837), 1870 (36: 1834), 1880 (42: 1838), and 1910 (78: 1832).

Text: Frances Harkey tombstone, Nokomis Cemetery, Montgomery Co IL, visited and photographed by Art and Evelynne Alvis.

Text: Francis Harkey, death certificate no. 1357, Montgomery County IL.

Text: Frances Harkey obituary, Montgomery News, Montgomery IL, 16 Jan 1917, no page number given.

"Grandma" Harkey Dead.

Mrs. Frances Harkey died Saturday evening at 7:30 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Wm. Carriker at Irving. Death was due to pneumonia from which she had been ill only a week.

She was aged 84 years, 11 months and 27 days. She would have celebrated her 85th birthday* on Wednesday of this week.

She is survived by two sons Edward Alvis of Nokomis [sic] and Wm. Alvis, besides the daughter mentioned. The first husband of the deceased was Edward [sic] Alvis and after his death she was united in marriage with Martin Harkey. Her children were all the issue of her first marriage.

The funeral services took place today, Tues. Jan 16, a short service being held at the house in Irving, Rev. Parker of the Irving Lutheran church officiating, when the remains were taken to Nokomis, the former home of the deceased. Rev. G. C. Alexander, pastor of the Nokomis Presbyterian church preached the funeral sermon at the church.

Interment was made in Nokomis cemetery.

[*Early records from 1849 and census data show her born ca 1837, that is, 5 years younger. Edward and William Alvis were both residing in Oklahoma at the time of their mother's death. Her first husband was William Alvis.]

Text: Cemetery Inscriptions from Montgomery, Bond, Macoupin & Christian Counties Illinois, compiled by Senior Students of Litchfield Community High school, 1947-48, 4: 17.