Harshbarger line: Kemery obituaries

When I did some research at the Whitley County Historical Society a couple of years ago, the fine curator located the obituaries of Adam Kemery and Nancy Fannie Kemery for me.  These are from Columbia City, Indiana newspapers but I don't know which one, or ones.

The first is for Adam Kemery, and was printed November 10, 1926.

"Adam Kemery Dies at His Home Tuesday.

Death of Well Known Columbia Township Farmer Occurred at 9:15 Tuesday Evening -Funeral Services From Home Thursday Afternoon.

Adam Kemery, 79 years old last April 15, died at his farm home in Columbia Township at 9:15 o'clock Tuesday night of a complication of illnesses.  He had been in failing health since 1917, but was able to be up and around most of the time.  Mr. Kemery was up part of the day Tuesday.  Before his death he suffered a hemorrhage of the lungs.

He was born in Columbia Township and was a son of Daniel and Barbara Burkholder Kemery.  He resided in Columbia township all his life and on his farm for more than forty yers.

Fifty six years ago he was united in marriage to Nancy Fanny Buchtel who preceded him in death on April 22,1925.  They have the unusual experience of living to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kemery were the parents of seven children, two of whom are dead.  Those surviving are Phoebe and Harvey, at home Mrs. Sarah Walters, of Columbia City, Mrs. Della Withers, of Columbia township, and Benjamin Kemery, of Ft. Wayne. Two brothers, John Kemery of South Whitley and Solomon Kemery, of Columbia township, are living.

Funeral services will be held from the home Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.  Rev. Wallace will conduct services and burial will be in the Eberhard cemetery."

This one knocks me for a loop.  Adam's mother was Barbara Burkholder?  Who was she?  Why do so many trees state that his mother was Susannah Essig?  Am I going to have to knock a whole huge branch of interesting people off this tree?  Obviously, I need to go back to my sources and figure out where I went wrong, or why the obituary information is incorrect, whichever it turns out to be.  Sheesh!

The obituary for Mrs. Adam Kemery was printed April 23, 1925.

"Mrs. Adam Kemery died at 3:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon at her home in southwest Columbia township after an illness of two years due to complications during the greater part of which she was confined to her bed.

She was born in Ohio on April 15,1846 and was 79 years and 7 days old.  She was formerly Nancy Fannie Buchtel and was a daughter of Benjamin and Barbara Buchtel.  She came to Whitley county when a young girl and 56 years ago was united in marriage to Adam Kemery.  They were the parents of six children, of hom five are living; namely Phoeve and Haarvey, at home, Benjamin and Mrs. Frank Walter, of Fort Wayne, and Mrs. William Withers of Columbia township  One daughter, Cora, is dead.  Two sisters, Mrs. William Vapner, of Coldwater, Mich.  and Mrs. Margaret Kemery, of Columbia township, and one brother, Solomon Buchtel, of this city, survive."

I found another interesting obituary, for Alfred Kemery, printed at the same time.  Alfred was a brother to Adam.  However, he is clearly a son of Daniel Kemery and Susan Essig.  When he died April 25, 1919 he was 75 years, 11 months, and 5 days old.  My theory now has to be that Alfred was the son of Daniel and Susan or Susanna, but perhaps Adam was not.  I need to go work on this, obviously. Boy, is my face red!

I would sure like to hear from some Kemery descendents who have this figured out already! 

Update:  Who was the informant for the newspaper, who identified his or her grandmother or possibly even great grandmother?  Daniel had been married to Barbara Long Buchtel in 1872, and that was likely the "grandmother" the informant knew.  I think that's likely, and I think the Buchtel name somehow got mangled to Burkholder.  I followed Daniel and Susanna in the census from 1850 forward, and I've not found any other Daniel Kemery of the age to be Adam's father.  

The line of descent is:

Adam Kemery-Nancy Fannie Buchtel
Della Kemery-William Withers
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendents