Do you have any records of a family reunion? While researching the descendants of James Steele and his wife, Elizabeth Barr, I recently stumbled upon two articles about the 1890 Steele family reunion in Hancock county, Indiana. This was a reunion of the children of James Steele, son of James and Elizabeth, and his wife, Sarah Reeves. Amazingly, both articles are found in the same issue of the paper.

The Hancock Democrat (Greenfield, Indiana)
3 Jul 1890
page 8

Family Reunion

The first family reunion of the Steele family was held at Ila Steele’s on Sunday, June 29, 1890 near Willow Branch, Hancock county, over fifty persons being present, including all the brothers and sisters living except one, Elizabeth A. Chandler, who lives in California. Those present of the family were W. L. Garriott and wife, John R. Steele and wife of Rush county, George Marsh and wife of Montrose, Mo., Stacey Lawyer and wife, of Beecher City, Ill., Mrs. Amanda Sparks, of Beecher City, Ill., and John H. Kennedy and wife of Brown township and Ila Steele, wife and family. There were quite a number of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, the fourth generation being represented. The oldest one of the family present, Margaret Garriott is seventy one past, and the youngest, Martha Kennedy, is fifty-two past. The children are all living but one, James Steele, who died near Greenfield several years since. The family relations at this time number over one hundred and fifty persons. The fourth generation was represented in three or four different families. Dr. Wm. Trees and wife of Warrington, were present, and also Wm. Marsh, of Greenfield. The day was spent in talking over the early scenes of childhood, manhood and old age, and of early pioneer life, as their father, James Steele, entered the land where Ila Steele now lives, and built a house where his now stands, right in the green woods, and they nearly all have some recollection of the battle there begun that started the development of this country. Dinner was prepared and taken in baskets and spread out and all partook until they said it is enough, and like the parable of olden time, there was enough fragments for twelve baskets left. The young folds (and some of the older ones, too) enlivened the occasion with music and singing. The day was spent agreeable and pleasantly by all, and all expressed that they were glad to be there, but the closing exercises had to come and that was the parting. We had to all realize the fact that it was almost impossible that we should all meet again as we had met at this time, but as the parting kiss was given the echo was if we do not meet again on earth let us strive to have a happy meeting where partings will be no more.
H. C. Garriott
Wilkinson, June 30, 1890

“Family Reunion,” The Hancock Democrat (Greenfield, Indiana), 3 July 1890, page 8; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 22 February 2024).

The Hancock Democrat
3 Jul 1890
page 4

Sunday, June 29, 1890, there was a reunion of the Steeles, one of the old pioneer families of Hancock county, who settled near the north line of Jackson township in the year 1837. The place of meeting was on the old homestead, now owned by Ila Steele, the youngest son. The children are all living but one son. All were present except one daughter no living in California. Those present were John R. Steel and wife, of Rush county, Ind., Ila Steele and wife, (the host and hostess) Margarett Garriott and husband, of Warrington, Hancock, county, Ind., Sarah J. Marsh and husband, of Montrose, Mo., Arminda Lawyer and husband, of Shelby county, Ill., Amanda Sparks, widow, of Shelby county, Ill, Martha Kennedy and husband, of Hancock county, Ind., grandchildren great grandchildren, old neighbors, and all together numbering about seventy persons. At or near 11 o’clock the ladies announced that dinner was ready. All went to the dining hall where they had arranged the tables to seat all the members of the old family with their old neighbors, and I do not suppose there was ever a table spread in Jackson township that was better supplied. The Steele women know exactly how to prepare victuals to please the appetite. As I looked over the merry crowd around the table my mind went back to when the sisters and brothers with their mother had gather around the “festal board” on the same little hill, under quite different circumstances. Over fifty years have past since the family first settled on this farm. I shall never forget the first time I ever saw Aunt Sarah Steele (as everyone called her). There wee no roads in this country then as there are now. The people marked their roads by taking an ax and hewing the bark off on each side of the trees. These roads were marked to the neighbors houses and were the only roads they had. Aunt Sarah Steele had been to one of the neighbors and started to go home. It was later than she thought; darkness came on before she was near home. She could not see the marks on the trees, therefore lost her way. She began calling. Some one of my father’s family heard her and answered her call and went to her relief. She was soon at father’s house, none the worse off, but pretty badly frightened.
James Steele, the father, was killed by the falling of a tree soon after moving on the land that since has been made a farm. The family then consisted of three boys and six girls and there were grown children down to the child on its mother’s lap, and now they are surrounded by their children and grandchildren and are honored and respected in the communities in which they live. After dinner all retired to the shade on the lawn, where they engaged in telling stories and reminiscence of ye olden times. John Steele remarked that he expected to have his share of fun as long as he lived; that his body, it was true, was getting old, but his mind was young as ever. He sang some of the songs he used to sing when a boy. All made merry until “Old Sol” admonished them that it was time to go, and they parted perhaps to never meet again.

“Reunion,” The Hancock Democrat (Greenfield, Indiana), 3 July 1890, page 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 22 February 2024).

Even though I’ve just started digging into the family of James Steele and Sarah Reeves, I have been able to use the FamilySearch tree to identify potential descendants. Below is a report that shows the children and probable grandchildren of James Steele and his wife, Sarah Jane Reeves.

1-James Steele-24817
b: 16 October 1805, Pennsylvania, United States
d: 13 January 1838, Hancock, Indiana, United States
+Sarah Jane Reeves-24818
b: 29 July 1798, Kentucky, United States
d: 12 January 1864, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . 2-Margaret L Steel-24829
b: 10 April 1819, Brown, Ohio, United States
d: 14 September 1906, Wilkinson, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . +William Lair Garriott-24830
b: 12 September 1823, Alquina, Fayette, Indiana, United States
m: 10 March 1842, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 4 March 1901, Warrington, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Henry Clay Garriott-24831
b: 1 July 1842, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 9 April 1922, Wilkinson, Brown Township, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Martha Ann Garriott-24832
b: 1844, Indiana, United States
d: 25 October 1884, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-James M Garriott-24835
b: 29 December 1846
d: 20 July 1848
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Sarah M Garriott-24834
b: 29 May 1849, Indiana, United States
d: 4 August 1928, Brown Township, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Amanda F Garrott-24833
b: March 1852, Indiana
d: 21 July 1904
. . . . . 2-Elizabeth Ann Steele-24828
b: 6 November 1822, Ohio, United States
d: 6 July 1911, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . +Freeman Chandler-24858
b: September 1828, Maine, United States
d: 10 December 1900, Montague, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Stella Chandler-24859
b: 1864, Siskiyou, California, United States
d: 1894, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . +Jesse Combs-24860
b: 3 June 1819, Wilkes, North Carolina, United States
d: 3 October 1859, Yreka, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Elias Pierce Combs-24861
b: October 1852, California, United States
d: 24 October 1935, Klamath Falls, Klamath, Oregon, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Urminda Mariah Combs-24862
b: 15 September 1851, Keokuk, Lee, Iowa, United States
d: 16 February 1927, Bakersfield, Kern, California, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-George Buchanan Combs-24863
b: March 1857, Yreka, Siskiyou, California, United States
d: 6 June 1915, Yreka, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Sarah K Combs-24864
b: 23 December 1848, Indiana, United States
d: 30 November 1890
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mary E Combs-24865
b: 1859, California, United States
d:
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William J K P Combs-24866
b: 1845, Indiana, United States
d:
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Medora Frances Combs-24867
b: 19 January 1842, St. Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 9 January 1881, Little Shasta, Siskiyou, California, United States
. . . . . 2-Sarah Jane Steele-24825
b: 5 February 1823, Brown, Ohio, United States
d: 1891, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . +George Purcell Marsh-24883
b: 9 August 1820, Rheatown, Greene, Tennessee, United States
d: 27 October 1904, Montrose, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William Henry Marsh-24884
b: 1856, Pendleton, Hancock, IL or Nashville, Hancock, IN
d:
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ila Jefferson Marsh-24885
b: 1 December 1853, Toulon, Stark, Illinois, United States
d: March 1937, Montrose, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Catherine Marsh-24886
b: 1852, Pendleton, Hancock, IL or Nashville, Hancock, IN
d: 1945, Montrose, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Sarah C. Marsh-24887
b: 1858, Illinois, United States
d:
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mary Margaret Marsh-24888
b: 25 August 1848, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 16 May 1921, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-John Lair Marsh-24889
b: 19 September 1860, Henry, Illinois, United States
d: 9 January 1936, Montrose, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Elizabeth Ann Marsh-24890
b: 13 May 1846, Greenfield, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 23 January 1917, Deepwater, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Amanda Jane Marsh-24891
b: 1 October 1844, Indiana, United States
d: 21 February 1920, Montrose, Henry, Missouri, United States
. . . . . 2-Arminda Steele-24823
b: 10 June 1827, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 2 March 1885, Holland, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . +Stacey Lawyer-24892
b: 7 August 1821, New Jersey, United States
d: 28 July 1904, Holland, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William Willis Lawyer-24893
b: 5 May 1863, Effingham, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 1920, Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Rosetta Alice Lawyer-24894
b: 25 November 1857, Illinois, United States
d: 3 March 1896, Effingham, Effingham, Illinois
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Martha E Lawyer-24895
b: 4 August 1854, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 6 March 1877, Effingham, Effingham, Illinois
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Maria Jane Lawyer-24896
b: 14 October 1851, Indiana, United States
d: 8 July 1933, Liberty Township, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ida Alverda Lawyer-24897
b: 9 April 1867, Illinois, United States
d: 15 July 1897, Shelby Co, Illinois
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Margaret Ann Lawyer-24898
b: 18 November 1847, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 16 October 1936, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ardelia Isabelle Lawyer-24899
b: March 1870, Illinois, United States
d: 1909, Oklahoma, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-John Ray Lawyer-24900
b: 10 September 1846, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 2 May 1974, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Sarah Lawyer-24901
b: 2 September 1845, Hancock County, Indiana
d: 5 December 1906, Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois
. . . . . 2-James Scott Steele-24822
b: 3 January 1830, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 7 March 1880, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . +Lydia Margaret Waller-24902
b: 10 March 1845, Shelby, Illinois, United States
d: 12 September 1919, Halstead, Harvey, Kansas, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Perry Tilden Steele-24903
b: 9 May 1878, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 12 June 1878, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-John Murray Steele-24904
b: 29 August 1874, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 21 December 1944, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, New Mexico, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ara Hendricks Steele-24905
b: 9 May 1878, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 18 November 1923, Halstead, Harvey, Kansas, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mattie Belle Steele-24907
b: 20 August 1880, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 3 March 1963, Halstead, Harvey, Kansas, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Amanda Francis Jane “Jennie” Steele-24908
b: 6 November 1871, Willow Branch, Brown Township, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 12 June 1951, Watonga, Blaine, Oklahoma, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Henry Shedy Steele-24909
b: 6 November 1868, Indiana, United States
d: 29 August 1875, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ila Benton Steele-24910
b: 6 July 1866, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 30 December 1943, Newton, Harvey, Kansas, United States
. . . . . 2-Martha Steele-24819
b: 29 April 1838, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 21 October 1908, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . +John Harvey Kennedy-24878
b: 5 February 1829, Rush, Indiana, United States
d: 22 April 1892, Brown Township, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Oscar T. Kennedy-24879
d: 1886
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mahala Frances Kennedy-24882
b: 1856
d: 1938
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William Kennedy-24881
b: 1862
d: 1885
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ida M Kennedy-24880
b: 1865
d: 1869
. . . . . 2-Ila Steele-24821
b: 31 May 1832, Rush, Indiana, United States
d: 26 April 1897, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . +Elizabeth Holiday-24911
b: 1835, Rush, Indiana, United States
d:
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Minnie Mae Steele-24912
b: 29 July 1872, Jackson Township, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 13 January 1959, Fountaintown, Shelby, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Vietta Steel-24913
b: 24 March 1868, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: 14 May 1869, Hancock, Indiana, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William Dallas Steele-24914
b: 1865, Indiana, United States
d:
. . . . . 2-Amanda Steele-24820
b: 7 September 1834, Rush, Indiana, United States
d: 31 May 1906, LaSalle, Illinois, United States
. . . . . +Amaziah H. Sparks-24868
b: 9 August 1826, Indiana, United States
d: 4 April 1871, Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-William Harvey Sparks-24869
b: 6 February 1867, Shelby, Illinois, United States
d: 15 June 1921, Todds Point, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Ila Ulysses Sparks-24870
b: 3 October 1864, Liberty Township, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 10 March 1929, Ohlman, Montgomery, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-George Barr Sparks-24871
b: 23 November 1862, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 6 May 1944, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-James Washington Sparks-24872
b: 14 January 1861, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 28 April 1931, Burlington, Kit Carson, Colorado, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Charles Franklin Sparks-24873
b: 26 June 1869, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 25 April 1913, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Sarah Margaret Sparks-24874
b: 17 December 1858, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 9 February 1945, Dry Point Township, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Mary C. Sparks-24875
b: 16 March 1871, Liberty Twp., Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 16 March 1871, Liberty Twp., Effingham, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-John Lair Sparks-24876
b: 8 May 1857, Effingham, Illinois, United States
d: 30 May 1878, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . . . . . . 3-Willis Aro Sparks-24877
b: 11 February 1855, Shelby, Illinois, United States
d: 19 February 1856, Shelby, Illinois, United States
. . . . . 2-Byron R Steele-24824
b: 1835, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d:
. . . . . 2-John R Steele-24827
b: 1872, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d:
. . . . . +Mariah Rhodes-24915
b: 1875, Willow Branch, Hancock, Indiana, United States
d: