Martin, Basheba White (1822-1913)

WHITE, MARTIN, MOLES, STEINMETZ, WILSON, KING, SPEER, MILES, SAUNDERS

Posted By: Janet SKelton (email)
Date: 4/7/2005 at 23:42:07

Miss Basheba White was born near Charleston, in Kanawha Co., VA now in WV on February 24,1822. She was the oldest daughter, and one of nine children born to Nathaniel White and Mary Moles.

Her two oldest brothers, Bluford and Woodford White, were boat builders on the great Kanawha River; the Ohio and Kanawha rivers grew to become major transportation routes on the path to westward expansion, with Charleston at the hub of the coal, timber, salt, gas, and manufacturing industries. The rivers played a great deal in West Virginia's history and economy. Her oldest brother Bluford died young in 1849 and his brother Woodford continued in the boating business and his descendants still operated boats on the Kanawha River today.

Nathaniel White, the father of Basheba, was born about 1788 in Kanawha Co., VA and died around 1844 in Kanawha Co., VA. He married Mary Moles in 1816-1817 in Kanawha Co., VA. She was born about 1793 possible in Rockingham Co., VA and died about 1844 in Kanawha Co., VA. Basheba's parents were unknown to researchers in West Virginia until a great grandson in Michigan discovered the death record of Basheba White Martin in Cass Co., IA. Her death record held the information on her parents that researchers in West Virginia for years have been looking for! The parents of Basheba, along with her eight brothers and sisters were finally revealed to be Nathaniel White and Mary Moles. Further research of the Cass Co., IA records also confirmed that Samuel Hamilton White was also a brother of Basheba and son of Nathaniel White and Mary Moles.

She was married in Kanawha Co., VA at the her home on April 10th, 1836, to Eli Martin. The following October, Eli and Basheba, moved near Brookville, in Franklin County Indiana, where they resided on a farm until 1850. With the death of her parents in 1844, Basheba took in her younger sister Anna age 11 & brother Monterville age 8. After 1850, they came to Iowa, locating near Bellview, Jackson County and in 1873 coming to Cass county and locating just south of Lincoln Center in Lincoln township, where they lived until her husband's death.

To her union with Eli Martin were born eleven children, five of whom passed on before: Cynthia Ann Martin wife of John Steinmetz, John Manville Martin husband of Jennie Wilson, and Samuel Hamilton Martin. Those remaining are Mrs. Mary J. King, of Payette, Idaho, Mrs. Maria Speer and Mrs. Bertha Steinmetz of Anita, Henry Martin of Willford, Arkansas, Mrs. Docia Miles at the Soldiers Home, Minnehaha Falls, Minnesota, and Elma Saunders of Anita. She also had twenty-one grandchildren, thirty-four great grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren, scattered through many of the states and in Canada.

Mrs. Martin was a loving and patient mother and wife, a kind friend and an obliging neighbor to whom no one applied for aid in vain. She lived a cheerful and industrious, Christian life, having at the age of fifteen united with the Baptist church of which denomination she remained a consistent member until her death.

In 1903 Mrs. Martin went with her son John Manville Martin and his wife Jennie Wilson Martin to Windsor, Missouri where they lived but returned in 1909 to Iowa and made her home with them in Anita up to her death. Mrs. Martin lived to a good old age, being at the time of her death 91 years, 7 months and 11 days of age.

Basheba died at the home of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. John M. Martin, on September 15th, 1913, after an illness of about three months. The funeral services were held at her late home on Wednesday, September 17 at 2 o'clock, PM and were conducted by Rev. P. A. Rickel, the interment being in Lincoln Center Cemetery beside her husband who had preceded her to the better world a little over thirteen years before.

Source: Death Records, Obituary