Beeks line: The family of Jacob Dunham 1794-1865

 Some of the families I write about have hidden or conflicting stories, leaving me with a lot of questions, and with the hopes that I've written correct information.  Because of Jacob Dunham's somewhat famous descendant, his family is well-researched.  This post will not include much information that can't be easily found elsewhere, but for some who may not have yet found the information, I hope this will be helpful.

Jacob Dunham was born August 1, 1794, likely in Back Valley, Berkeley County, (West) Virginia, the youngest son of Samuel and Hannah (probably Ruble) Dunham.  He married Catherine Goodnight, the daughter of Samuel and Magdalena Berkheimer Goodnight in August of 1819.  The couple stayed in (West) Virginia until about 1835, and the first five of their six known children were born there.   They seem to have come through Ohio and possibly into Wayne County, Indiana, before settling in Tipton County, Indiana by 1850, where both Jacob and Catherine are buried.

Their children are:

Catherine, born July 5, 1821, who married Christian Feather, the son of Jacob and Mary Connoly Feather..  Their children were Adam, Mary Jane, Jacob, James, Sarah, John, Amos, Isaac, and Martha.  Catherine and Christian died in Preston County, (West) Virginia.  

Jacob Mackey was their next child, born May 7, 1824.  He and his wife, Louisa Elizabeth Stroup, are the ancestors (as are Jacob and Catherine) of former president Barack Obama.  She is the daughter of John and Eliza or Elizabeth Clemmons Stroup.  They also were the parents of several children:  David, Jeptha, Catherine, Jacob, Joseph, Samuel (or possibly Lemuel), and Mary May.  They went to Kansas by 1880 and to Oklahoma by 1890, where Jacob Mackey Dunham died.  

Amos Dunham was born about 1830 and died a young man, October 25, 1856.  He married Margaret Ellen Reese, who was the daughter of Owen and Margaret Moon Reese.  This couple had only two children, Margaret and James.  

Samuel Goodnight Dunham was born September 27, 1830.  He married Eliza Matilda Reese, who was also a daughter of Owen and Margaret Moon Reese (brothers married sisters)..  They had four children together-William, Margaret Catherine, Owen, and Jane.  After Eliza Matilda died in 1900, Samuel then married Julia Ann Sackman Mace in 1901.  

Mary Ellen was born July 28, 1834 and married David Tudor or Tuder.  His parents were John and Mary Epperson Tuder, and the older family spelled their name as Tuder.  Mary Ellen died at the age of 29, on October 5, 1863. Their only known son, David, was born in 1863 so Mary Ellen may well have died from complications of childbirth.  They had married in 1851 so it's possible that their were other children who perhaps did not survive.

Their last child was another son, David, who married August Lavinia Bonecutter, the daughter of George and Nancy Conner Bonecutter.  He is reported to have been born in Fayette County, Ohio on August 24, 1836, and died in Kansas in 1909.  Their children were Emma, Nancy, Sherman, Sina, Hattie, Margaret, Charles, Albert, Maude, and Roy.

I wish I could tell you whether any of these men served in the Civil War.  The Jacob M Dunham who is listed as having served in the 46th Indiana infantry is younger by about 20 years than Jacob Mackey.  Also shown as having served in the Civil War from Indiana are a Samuel G Dunham and a David Dunham.  I haven't been able to determine whether these might be the men outlined above, or not, but there is that possibility.  

Whether or not Jacob and Catherine had sons who served in the Civil War, they did have 33 grandchildren who helped America expand into the west.  These children and grandchildren deserve to be recognized.