They were still in Griggsville Township in 1860.  Soon after, George Dunham wooed and wed Miss Sarah Ellen Carnes of Hire Township, McDonough County. She was the daughter of Rachel Green and Henry Carnes, the latter reportedly the brother of Owen Carnes, George's stepfather.

On December 29, 1862, George took to the McDonough County Clerk's office a note of permission written by Sarah's mother.  Still on file is a note worded as if it were written by George, himself, although he signed two affidavits with only a mark.  The content of the note is unusual, in that in addition to Sarah's parents, her sister, Martha, was said to be "willen for" Sarah to be married.  McDonough County marriage license #1923 was issued and they were married on the same day.  Marriage Documents

On February 16, 1864, George enlisted in the Union Army for a 3 year hitch.  A bounty of $60 was to be paid.  He was described as being from Blandinsville, "Schuyler" County, Illinois, 5' 7" tall, with a fair complexion, gray eyes and auburn hair.  He was initially assigned to Company H of the 2nd Illinois Cavalry, later transferred to Company E.

Between May and October 1865 George spent time in hospitals in Montgomery, Alabama, and Vicksburg, Mississippi.  He was charged for lost ordinance and upon discharge, he owned $62.88 for clothing.  Muster Roll Cards

Several resources suggest that Sarah lived with her parents while George was in the service, moving with them to Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas.  George and Sarah returned to Illinois between September of 1868 and June 1, 1870, with a baby son.  They farmed in Blandinsville Township until sometime after June 1, 1880, when they moved to LaHarpe Township in Hancock County.

In 1884 George filed for and was subsequently granted a disability pension.

George and Sarah did not end their lives as a couple.  The LaHarper published on September 2, 1904, carried a report of her death, noting two marriages: George Dunham and John Beard.  We do not know where she was buried.

Although a couple of obituaries state that younger Dunham children were born at LaHarpe (implying the town), we can only substantiate the family's residence in LaHarpe Township.  It was a common practice in this primarily rural area to name a nearby town as a person's birthplace.

The Dunham children:

i.	Logan G. Dunham, born September 9, 1868, at Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas.  He died April 24, 1955, at LaHarpe, Hancock County.  Interment at LaHarpe City Cemetery.
ii.	Alfred Junius Dunham, born April 14, 1877, in McDonough County, on the Harris farm between Blandinsville and LaHarpe.  He died March 28, 1964, at Macomb, McDonough County, and was buried at LaHarpe Township Cemetery.
iii.	Lena Rachel Dunham, born March 4, 1878, McDonough County, died December 30, 1961, burial at LaHarpe Township Cemetery.
iv.	Ida Mae Dunham, born about 1880.
v.	Myrtle Dunham, born about 1882.
vi.	Benjamin Franklin Dunham, born June 23, 1884, in Hancock County.  He died April 14, 1945, in Carthage Township, Hancock County, burial at LaHarpe Township Cemetery.
vii.	Sadie Helen Dunham, born October 8, 1888, in Hancock County.  She died March 18, 1878, at Mediapolis, Des Moines County, Iowa, and was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Burlington, Iowa.
viii. - xi.	Four children, names unknown, who died in infancy or early childhood.  Birth dates of the surviving children suggest that those who died young were born between 1862 and 1877.

 
In 1910 George was residing with his eldest daughter, Lena, and her husband in Terre Haute Township, Henderson County.  He died on December 13, 1912, at the home of his youngest daughter, Sadie, in Lomax Township, Henderson County, and was buried at LaHarpe Township Cemetery, LaHarpe, Hancock County.  His obituary is an example of selective history, leaving out the fact that he had remarried for a brief interval.

The said Mrs. Rohama Wilson was the former Rohama Bundy, born in Benton Township*, Des Moines County, Iowa, the daughter of Nelson Bundy and Hannah Jackson.  By her own declaration, she had been married twice before marrying Andrew Jackson Wilson in 1893; that marriage license was issued with the name Rohama Bundy.  When he died in 1905, one news item named her as Rohama Bundy, another named her as Rohama Marvin.  In 1910 (after she and George parted company) she was living by herself in LaHarpe, using the surname Wilson and reported herself as a widow.  She married Ross Crosley between 1910 and 1920 and subsequently lived in Burlington, Iowa.  When Rohama died in LaHarpe in 1933, only her marriages to Jack Wilson and Ross Crosley were mentioned.  Named in Federal Censuses as either Rohama or Rohama E., her death certificate was issued with the name Rohama Mae Crosley.  Cemetery records indicate she was buried at LaHarpe City Cemetery next to Jack Wilson.

One source indicates that Rohama was born August 31, 1853 or 1855.  However, the Wilson-Bundy marriage documents indicated that Rohama was going to turn 44 in 1893, yielding a birth year of 1849, and that year is supported by various census records.

[*Presumed, based on the family's documented residence in 1850 and 1856.]

Death came rather suddenly to George Dunham, a long-time resident of LaHarpe, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Sadie Daughterty [sic] near Lomax.  Friday afternoon, December 13, 1912, at 1 o'clock.  Pneumonia was his ailment.  He was taken sick the Saturday previous, following a day's work in the field husking corn.

Mr. Dunham was a native of Kansas [sic] in which state he was born April 1, 1839.  He came to Illinois in an early day and was married at Blandinsville, New Years day, 1861 to Sarah Ellen Carnes, whose death occurred about nine years ago.  They were the parents of eleven children, of whom seven survive as follows: Logan and Benjamin, of near Burnside; Alfred J., of LaCrosse; Mrs. Lena Thrush, of Stronghurst; Mrs. May Sherman, of Decorra; Mrs. Myrtle Pence and Mrs. Sadie Daugherty, of Lomax.  The other four children passed away in infancy and childhood.

Mr. Dunham, was a veteran of the Civil war enlisting in 1862 and serving two years.

He leaves surviving him besides the immediate family, two brothers and a sister; William, of Fort Scott, Kansas; John, of Macon, Mo., and Mrs. Martha DeJaynes, of Baylis, Ill.

LaHarpe and vicinity was Mr. Dunham's home for many years where he followed farming principally as a means of livelihood, was a good worker and enjoyed the respect and confidence of his acquaintances.

The funeral occurred at the Daugherty home, Lomax, Sunday morning, at 10 o'clock, and the remains were interred in our cemetry [sic].

Household of Nathan Dunham

Males 0 thru 4 - 1    [George]
Males 20 thru 29 - 1    [Nathaniel]
Females 0 thru 4 - 1    [Harriet]
Females 20 thru 29 - 1    [Nancy]
Total - 4
Persons employed in agriculture - 1

Dwelling #553
Reason Karns, 57, male, farmer, value of real estate 400, born MD
Elisabeth, 57, female, born MD, could not read or write
Benjamin F, 17, male, farmer, born OH
Christopher C, 17, male, farmer, born OH

Dwelling #554
Owen Karns, 24, male, farmer, value of real estate 500, born OH, could not read or write
Nancy, 31, female, born OH
Harriet Dunham, 13, female, born OH, attended school within the year
George [Dunham], 11, male, born OH, attended school within the year
William [Dunham], 8, male, born IL
Mary [Dunham], 9, female, born OH
John [Dunham], 4, male, born IL
Martha J [Dunham], 3, female, born IL

Henry Carnes, 25, male, farmer, value of real estate 150, born OH
Rachel, 25, female, born OH
Sarah, 4, female, born IL
Martha J, 2, female, born IL

Owen Carnes, 36, male, farmer, value of real estate 800, value of personal estate 300, born OH
Nancy Carnes, 44, female, born OH
George [Dunham], 22, male, born OH
Elisha [Dunham], 18, male, born OH [tenatively, the son of Joshua Dunham]
M J [Dunham], 12, female, born IL, attended school within the year
John [Dunham], 14, male, born IL, attended school within the year
S A [Carnes], 10, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Elizabeth [Carnes], 8, female, born IL
Henry [Carnes], 6, male, born IL
Nathaniel [Carnes], 2, male, born IL

Henry Carnes, 35, male, farm laborer, born OH, could not read or write
Rachael, 35, female, born OH, could not read or write
[continued on next page]
Sarah E Carnes, 13, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Martha, 12, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Mary E, 9, female, born IL, attended school within the year
John S, 7, male, born IL, attended school within the year
Matelda, 5, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Robert, 3, male, born IL
Benjamin, 1, male, born IL

Dunham, Geo, 37, male, white, laborer, born IL, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Sarah, 24, female, white, keeping house, born IL
Logan, 10/12, male, white, born IL, born Sept

Dunham, George, white, male, 40, married, farmer, born OH, both parents born OH
Sarah, white, female, 32, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, both parents born OH
George L, white, male, 11, son, single, at home, attended school within the year, born KS, father born OH, mother born IL
Alferd, white, male, 4, son, single, at home, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL
Rachael, white, female, 2, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL

Dunham, Geo, head, white, male, Apr 1861, 39, married for 14 [sic] years, born OH, both parents born OH, farmer, months not employed - 3, could read, write and speak English, rented his farm home, farm schedule 70 [Most likely a transcription error was made when the original page was copied: George's age and the last two digits of his birth year were flip-flopped.  Also, he and Sarah had been married for 38 years.]

S, wife, white, female, Dec 1848, 51, married for 14 [sic] years; mother of 6 children, 5 living; born IL, both parents born OH, could read, write and speak English

May, daughter, white, female, Sept 1879, 20, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, could read, write and speak English

Myrtle, daughter, white, female, July 1882, 17, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, could read, write and speak English

Ben, son, white, male, Jun 1884, 15, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, farm laborer, months not employed - 2, could read, write and speak English

Sadie, daughter, white, female, Oct 1886, 13, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Thrush, Elza, head, male, white, 31, married (1st) for 11 years, born IL, father born IA, mother born IL, spoke English, farmer, general farm, employer, could read and write, rented his farm home, farm schedule 80

Lena, wife, female, white, 30, married (1st) for 11 years, mother of 0 children, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write

Dunham, George, father-in-law, male, white, 70, widower, born OH, both parents born OH, spoke Engish, own income, could read and write, whether a survivor of the Union or Confederate Army or Navy - UA