Allen line:Thomas J Knott's obituary 1887

Sometimes it takes a village to help a family historian find a particular piece of information.  Sometimes it takes determination and persistence.  Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants from someone else.  And sometimes it takes all of the above.

Here was my situation.  I knew a fair amount about Thomas Knott, based on his own journal and what I've found on line.  I'd made a trip with my sister to the county he died in, visited all the appropriate places, and didn't have any luck in locating his final resting place.  In fact, on that trip three years ago, I was told by the librarian then in charge that they didn't have any information on my ancestor, and we were not even allowed into the genealogy room.  Determination kicked in and I decided to make contact with people with Thomas Knott in their public trees, to see if I could find someone who could answer the last questions for me about an obituary and resting place.

A distant cousin, Mike Sexton, responded and put the obituary on his tree.  The problem was, when I tried to download and print it, some of the wmords were just plain illegible.  Also there was no source listed.  He told me he found his copy in 1985. so I knew there must have been some microfilm available sometime.  I filed it in the back of my mind, as something maybe I'd look for someday, if I ever returned to the area.   

Three years after our initial search, I was invited back to my sister's home and told that we needed to try to find that obituary and any other missing information about Thomas, because the microfilm, if there was one, wouldn't be getting any easier to read.  She was right, and that gave me the kick in the pants I needed. 

This time, we were welcomed to the genealogy room and told to look at whatever we wanted, and the young woman would be glad to help us if we had questions.  After a few false starts, we found the microfilm and were overjoyed to see that the date we needed was included in the very first film they had.  A few minutes of searching produced the obituary we were looking for, and we got to share in the thrill of a successful hunt.  The young woman, whose name I did not capture, was excited, too, and asked for a copy because there was no other information about him in their records.

Without further ado, and with thanks to Mike Sexton, Sue Fuller, and the unnamed librarian, here is what the obituary of Thomas Knott, as printed in the Mt. Vernon, Illinois Weekly Register on February 23, 1887, page 4 column 5 says:

Heading:  "Knott"

Text:  "Thomas Knott was born near Steubensville, Ohio, Apr. 13, 1808, and died at his home in Shiloh township, this county, February 16, 1887 in the 79th year of his age.  Two or three years ago he was hurt by a fall that prematurely lamed him, and perhaps enfeebled him so as to hasten the fatal result of his last illness, which was pneumonia.  Reared in the then new country of eastern Ohio, he was inured to hardships and developed a frame and muscle that were little less than gigantic.  But his educational advantages were few, few but well improved.  He joined the M.E. church in his youth, and November 6. 1829 he was married to Miss Hannah Bell, who survives him in her 76th year.  Their house was the preachers' stopping place and through life they were active and useful christians.  After a few years, however, they transferred their connection to the Presbyterian church, of which they ever remained faithful members.  From Ohio they went to Michigan, where he worked at his trade-millwright-for several years, when they went to Iowa.  He was operating a mill near Tipton in that state, when he concluded to seek a home in Jefferson county, about nine years ago.  In early life he was a man of immense activity.  He went overland to California in 1852, and again by sea in 1857, working there several years at his trade.  He raised three sons and a daughter, Mrs. Weaver, of Tipton, Iowa.  One son has remained with his parents, having a family also of his own, and one is living in Colorado.  The third, Rev. John W. Knott, has a church at Sweatland, Iowa.  All except the one in Colorado were at his death and burial.  His remains were interred at Union cemetery Thursday, Rev. Mr. Lewis, pastor of the Presbyterian church here, officiating."

There are some half truths and many omissions in the obituary, written by an unknown author.  For instance, there is no mention at all of son Elzy Hodges Knott, who had been murdered in Nevada, nor of Thomas's life in Nevada where he intended to bring his family to settle.  There is no mention of at least one law suit against Thomas and Hannah, in Ohio.  There is no mention of Thomas's letters to Brigham Young, and only the passing reference "by sea" to refer to Thomas's trips from San Francisco to New York via the Isthmus of Panama.

Nevertheless, it does expand my knowledge of my great great grandfather.  We again visited the cemetery mentioned to see if we could locate any sign of his grave.  There are quite a few graves there with missing headstones, and of course it's possible that there never was a headstone in the first place.  We found plots that appeared to be vacant, near people who had died about the same time Thomas did, so we think he was there or very near there.  At least we have a cemetery.

Thank you to the village who encouraged me to keep looking, to Mike Sexton who convinced me there was reason to give the search another try, to the librarian who encouraged us to look for what we wanted, and to my sister, who enticed me to the area for one more try.

The line of descent is:

Thomas Knott-Hannah Bell
John W Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants