Michael Sheets II

Michael Sheets II, son of Michael Sheets and Elizabeth Weigal, was born about 1775 in Pennsylvania, possibly Cumberland County, and died July 29, 1855 (age 80) in Memphis, Scotland County, Missouri. He married August 1804 Barbara Brookhart, daughter of Abraham Brookhart and Mary Magdalene Kohler in Hampshire County, Virginia. Barbara was born January 4, 1787 in Fairview Township, York County, Pennsylvania, and died September 1863, age 76,  in Scotland County, Missouri.

Michael Sheets was buried on a farm about 15 miles northeast of Memphis, Missouri. The stone, along with that of Jacob W. Gorgas, was discovered lying in a pasture near a pond on the Claude Selby Farm, also known as the Old Maddox Farm. The stones were moved to Ballard Cemetery in Union Township, Clark County in 1972. To find Ballard Cemetery, take Highway 81 south from Kahoka for about 5 miles, turn right on county road D and follow for about 7 miles through Neeper to Ballard Church and cemetery. (It is my guess that since there were Brookharts buried at Ballard, someone thought it would be appropriate to move Michael's stone where it would be near family. The Brookhart stones may have also been moved from another family cemetery.)

A list of letters left at the Post Office in Marietta, Ohio listed in the Western Spectator in July 1811 included the names Peter Sheets, Henry Sheets, Michael Sheets and John Sheets (page 287, "Pioneer Ohio Newspapers 1802-1818 by Karen Mauer Green). Possibly brothers, they might have been checking out the territory.

The first grist and saw mill in Harris Township, Wood County, Virginia was built in 1838 by a Michael Sheets. It is presumed this Michael Sheets is "our" Michael. Henry Sheets and wife Sarah and Michael Sheets and wife Barbara bought 200 acres in Wood County, (West) Virginia from John DeWitt. In 1839, they sold 29 acres to George V. Lewis. The 1840 federal census for Wood County shows Abram, Michael and Peter Sheets as neighbors.

Michael and Barbara moved to Missouri to join her youngest brother John Brookhart. In a letter dated November 3, 1853 from James B. Dutton in Hockingport, Ohio to John Brookhart in Scotland County, Missouri, James wrote "Uncle Mike and Aunt Barbara ...who, in their old age are going to start out in search of a new home."  Mike would have been 78 years old in 1853. James firther wrote that William Harris and family (William's wife Louisa was a daughter of Mike and Barbara Sheets) were to accompany Mike and Barbara. The next day, James wrote again to John to say that Louisa Harris told him that "it is more than likely that they would not reach you this winter." Then on November 6, 1853 a letter written by James to John says "Uncles are on the wharf awaiting for a boat and I now think some of them will certainly arrive at their journey's end ...As soon as Uncle M's arrive ... I want (you) to write and let us know how they got along..."

On Jan 5, 1854, James Dutton wrote to John Brookhart again. "I received by yesterday's mail...the news gratfying us as we felt a great interest in hearing of the safe arrival of Old Mike and Aunt Barbara and those that went with them. We are glad to hear that they all arrived safe and are so well pleased with the country."

Michael died two years later. He was buried on property located  two miles west of  today's Missouri Road K in Johnson Township, Scotland County, Missouri.

Michael's will is recorded in Will Book A, Page 22, at the Scotland County, Missouri Courthouse: "July the 28th 1855 - The last will and testament of Michael Sheets being of a disposing mind and memory and... and saith that after my death and the death of Barbara Sheets my wife I bequeath unto Moses Sheets and his heirs after paying my ... debts and funeral expenses all of my personal property consisting of one bay mare one sorrel colt and one gray horse one year old, two cows and two calves one yoke of oxen and all of his household furniture and a land.... and for 120 acres and after my death and the death of my wife Barbara Sheets the balance of all my estate, if any, to be equally divided among my children Peter Sheets, Abraham Sheets, Louisa Sheets Harris, Michael Sheets, Nancy Sheets, and Mary M. Kendrew and I appoint Moses Sheets as my executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all other wills heretofore made." Note: Some punctuation was added above to make the will easier to read. Witnessed by Abel Scofield and Henry Flick. Michael signed with a X.

We have found no headstone for Barbara. She died in September 1863 after libving with the family of her son Moses Sheets and was most likely buried next to her husband. Her death is recorded in the probate packet of her husband, Michael Sheets. Son, Moses Sheets, claimed expenses for Barbara's care from Michael's estate. It is unknown if there was anythiing left to be divided among the other heirs.

Children of Michael Sheets and Barbara Brookhart are:

i. Peter Sheets, born about 1806 married January 4, 1835 Nancy Griffin in Athens County, Ohio, daughter of Martin Griffin and Anna Tull. Nancy was born ca 1816 in Delaware. Peter was a cooper (barrell maker). Children of Peter Sheets and Nancy Griffin according to census records are: Israel Sheets born ca 1839; John Sheets born ca 1840 Andrew Sheets born ca 1841; Joseph Sheets born ca 1843, Monroe Sheets born ca 1844; Rebecca Sheets born ca 1846, Lorenzo Sheets born ca 1848 (all in Virginia); Mary or Nancy Sheets born ca 1851 in Ohio; Jane Sheets, born ca 1853 in Ohio and George Sheets, born ca 1856 in Missouri. The family is found in Post Oak, Johnson County, Missouri in 1860 and in Jackson, Linn County, Kansas in 1870.(John, Monroe and Lorenzo are listed as saloon keepers in 1870 Kansas);

ii. Abraham Sheets, born about 1808 in Virginia married Susan Lowers October 20, 1836 in Wood County, (West) Virginia, daughter of William Lowers and Nancy Warren. Susan was born ca 1820. Children of Abraham Sheets and Susan Lowers, all born in Wood County, are: Lucy Ann Sheets, born August 8, 1837; John Sheets, born ca 1839; Mary Sheets, born ca 1841; Andrew J. Sheets, born February 8, 1843 died December 24, 1913 in LaPlata, San Juan County, Colorado; Monroe Sheets, born ca 1845; Nancy Sheets, born ca 1846; Lorenzo Sheets, born ca 1848 (based on the 1850 census). Lucy married W.H. Crown. Her obituary: "Died at her home near Farmington, Iowa, July 24th, 1893, at 4 o'clock a.m. Mrs. Lucy Crown, wife of Mr. W. H. Crown, aged 59 years 9 months and 16 days. Mrs. Crown, whose maiden name was Lucy Sheets, was born in Virginia August 8th, 1833.  {Abraham may have been married to someone before he married Susan Lowers} In April 1856, she was married to Mr. W. H. Crown, who, after a married life of nearly forty years, is left to mourn her departure. She was the mother of ten children. Three are dead. The other children, except one son now in Nebraska, were present at her funeral. The cause of her death was dropsy, complicated with asthma. From this latter disease she has been a great sufferer for years and during the last eighteen months it has confined her to the house, during which period she had been compelled to sit in a chair day and night. All that loving care and medical skill could do has been done for her, but no work nor means could shake off the disease, and death came to her relief on last Tuesday morning when she quietly passed away surrounded by her family and friends. The funeral took place from her home on Tuesday afternoon. It was conducted by the pastor of the Baptist church. There was a large gathering of the neighbors and friends of the family present, who also followed the remains to the cemetery, showing by their acts and manner the esteem in which she was held by them. The family have the sympathy of many friends in their day of trial and sorrow. She was buried in the cemetery east of this city, there to rest until the last great day. Her work is done and she is at rest." Known children of Lucy and W.H. Crown are Joseph  M./W. Crown born ca 1842 in Iowa lived in Mount Sterling, Iowa in 1870 and in Phillips County, Kansas in 1900 and 1910; Henry Crown born ca 1851 in Missouri or Iowa remaining in Farmington; Solomon Crown born in Kansas; Charles Crown born in Iowa ca 1874 lived in Smith County, Kansas in 1900; Alice Crown born in Iowa; Sherman Crown born ca 1868 in Iowa  remaining in Farmington and an infant born in 1880 in Iowa. 

iii. Louisa Sheets, born ca 1811 in Virginia married William H. Harris November 5, 1829 in Wood County, (West) Virginia. He was born ca 1804 in Virginia. The Harris family moved to Scotland County, Missouri in 1853 accompanied by Louisa's parents. Children of Louisa Sheets and William Harris, born in Wood County, are: Susan C. Harris born ca 1831; Elizabeth Harris born ca 1833; Mary Jane Harris born June 26, 1836 and died September 12, 1877 in Linn County, Kansas, she married (1) Thomas Grafton Spencer (children Louis and Thomas) and married (2) Elijah Veach Littell after 1860 (children William, Ira and Henry); Nancy C. Harris, born ca 1838; John A. Harris, born ca 1841; Henry Harris, born ca 1843; Ann "Rebecca" Harris, born ca 1845; Barbara Harris, born ca 1847; Harriet "Angeline" Harris, born ca 1849 married John Israel February 16, 1865 in Scotland County, Missouri (Book A page 257); James Harris, born ca 1850 not in 1860 census; Addilade Harris born ca 1852 (There is a marriage record for Adi Harris to John Rigs June 15, 1873 in Scotland County (Book B page 103); Sarah Harris, born ca 1855 in Missouri; and Douglass Harris born ca 1858 in Illinois. There is also an Ellen Lodge, 26, with Adolphus, 9, Emily, 3, and Caroline, 1, in the home in the 1860 federal census for Linn County, Kansas.

iv. Moses Sheets, born ca 1813-1817 in Wood County, (West) Virginia.

v. Michael Sheets III, born ca 1817 in Virginia; buried at Crooks Cemetery, Wood County, West Virginia. He married Mary Ann Lowers October 15, 1840 in Wood County, (West) Virginia, daughter of William  and Mary Lowers. She was born ca 1822. Michael Sheets, listed as Mike in the1880 Wood County, West Virginia census, remained in West Virginia. He and wife Mary, 59, and son William, 38, were living in the same household on page 415A of teh census.

Children of Michael Sheets and Mary Lowers, all born in Wood County, are: Mary Ann Sheets born ca 1842; William H. Sheets born ca 1842 married Charlotte Lowther August 27, 1865 in Wood County; Caroline Sheets, born March 2, 1843 in Wood County, died September 20, 1939 in buried Wigal Family Cemetery near Bellevue married Jacob Wigal April 14, 1864; Amanda Sheets, born ca 1844 married Phillip Wigal October 25, 1863 in Wood County, (West) Virginia; Lydia Sheets, born ca 1847; Elizabeth Ann Sheets, born April 8, 1848 in Wood County, (West) Virginia; died July 21, 1929 in Wood County, West Virginia. She married James Smith February 11, 1864 in Wood County, (West) Virginia; Nathan Sheets, born January 6, 1849 in Wood County, (West) Virginia; died January 15, 1916; he married Sydney Alice Smith September 25, 1873 in Wood County and they had John and Mary; Samuel Sheets, born ca 1850 in Wood County, (West) Virginia married Nancy "Kate" Williamson March 17, 1872 in Wood County and had sons John and Henry; David F. Sheets born ca 1852; John Monroe Sheets born October 28, 1855; Michael Sheets IV, born February 4, 1859 and died August 20, 1929; vi. Hannah "Nancy" Sheets, born ca 1821; died 1842 married Mark Anthony Melrose November 4, 1841 in Wood County, (West) Virginia. Children of Hannah and Mark Melrose are: William Henry Melrose, born October 2, 1842 in Mineral Wells, Wood County, (West) Virginia, died 1906 married Lettie Stoops; Mary Melrose, born 1845; James Samuel Melrose (Source: The History of Wood County West Virginia, 1980, 163.), born 1847, died July 15, 1923 married Ellen Deem; Jane C. Melrose, born 1847; Mark A. Melrose, born May 23, 1853; Nancy Catherine Melrose, born January 20, 1856.

vii. Mary Sheets, born about 1825. She married William S. Kendrew April 29, 1852 in Wood County, (West) Virginia. Mary had daughter Lydia in 1847 before she married William Kendrew, but Lydia always used the name Kendrew, according to great-great niece Lois Herring. In 1880, Mary was divorced and living with daughter Lydia "Nettie" and her husband Oliver Mitchell in Vernon Township, Van Buren County, Iowa. Children of Mary Sheets and William Kendrew: Nancy E. Kendrew born ca 1853, Marion "Winfield" Kendrew born ca 1854, Louisa E. Kendrew born ca 1855 and Mary Frances Kendrew born December 27, 1858. For more information on Mary Frances' family go to: http://www.geocities.com/harperfamilyline/ezrasmartainharperfamily.htm