Eighth Generation

839. Ira Bidwell was born on 8 Aug 1828 in Lafayette County, Missouri.^341,881 He died on 3 Aug 1892 in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California.^341,881 History of Sonoma County shows he died in 1893, but cemetery records say 1892. He was buried in Beeson Cemetery, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California. He was a farmer.

• He was apparently counted twice in the 1850 census, once as head of his own household and once in his mother's (and the census taker was the same for both!):

1850 Census for Oregon Cannion, El Dorado County, California, taken Dec 20 1850, shows Ira Bedwell, age 21, a miner, as head of household consisting of: Elizabeth, age 20; John, age 1; Thomas Brooks, age 5; and Benj. Cornett, age 16, a miner. All were born in Missouri. Ira and Elizabeth are shown as having been married within the year.

The 1850 Census for Georgetown, El Dorado County, California, taken Dec 14 1850, shows Mary Brooks, age 42, as head of household with: Ira Bidwell, age 22, a miner; Marintha A. Bidwell, age 16; Barbary J. Bidwell, age 14; Thomas E. Bidwell, age 4; Joseph Brooks, age 22; Elizabeth Brooks, age 19; Polly Brooks, age 18; William Brooks, age 13; Julia Ann Brooks, age 11; Mary A. Cassady, age 6; and John Bidwell, age 1.

• 1860 Census for Washington Township, Sonoma County, California shows Ira Bidwell, age 29, a farmer born in Missouri who owns $2000 real estate and $1000 in assets, as head of household with: C.E., age 18; John, age 10; James, age 7; and N.J., age 6.

• 1870 Census for Mendocino Township, Sonoma County, California shows Ira Bedwell, age 40, a farmer born in Missouri who owns $7000 in real estate and $1655 in assets, as head of household including: Caroline, age 29, born in Arkansas; John, age 20, born in Missouri; James, age 18, born in California; and Nancy, age 16, born in California. They are living next door to the Brooks family.

• 1880 Census for Washington Township, Sonoma County, California shows Ira Bidwell, age 50, a farmer who has rheumatism, as head of household with: wife Caroline, age 39; cousin Sarah Niles, age 30, divorced; and Sizzie Combs, age 13, adopted. He was born in Missouri and his mother was born in Virginia (father's birthplace is not shown). Living next door is a woman named Nannie Anderson, age 26, born in California (both parents born in Missouri), her husband James, and their two children, Willie, almost 2, and Lizzie, a newborn. Could this be Ira's daughter Nancy? The age and parents places of birth match up.

Ira Bidwell and Elizabeth Brooks were married about 1849 in Missouri.⁸⁸² Elizabeth Brooks⁸⁸³ was born on 3 Nov 1830 in Missouri or Tennessee.^341,342 She died on 13 Apr 1855.^341,883 She was buried in Beeson Cemetery, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California.³⁴¹ Ira Bidwell and Elizabeth Brooks had the following children:

+2523	i.	John B. Bidwell.
+2524	ii.	James Bidwell.
+2525	iii.	Nancy Bidwell.

Ira Bidwell and Caroline E. Howard were married after 1855 in Sonoma County, California. Caroline E. Howard was born about 1848 in McDonald County, Missouri.⁸⁸³ She died in Jun 1891 in Guerneville, Sonoma County, California.⁸⁸³