Death of  the Quiet Patriarch
    Death of  the Quiet Patriarch

James A. Newberry died July 10, 1880.
He's buried in the old Mormon Cemetery
Grove Township in Pottawattamie Co. 

I

In August of 2004, many members of his extended family of descendants got together and had
  a new gravestone set in his honor. At the time of his death, a wooden marker was probably
  erected, and has long since decayed with time.

  Along side of him are four of his grandchildren (Jolana's children) who died at a young age. 
  This information is provided in a document written by W.E. Winegar son of Jolana, provided 
  by descendant Jeff Farquhar.  Grove Township Cemetery The cemetery held many old wooden
  markers back when it was begun - all seem to be gone now.  No one seems to know if there
  is a map of this cemetery  James' name and Alice's name (see below) do not show up in the
  roster. I believe it is  possible that James is buried next to the stone that is inscribed with Minnie
  V.,  Samuel D., and Emma E. Winegar. When the stone was set it was placed between two of existing stones where
  there was room - those were for Mattie and Mary Newberry his infant grand daughters.

      W.E. Winegar described the cemetery in 1912 . . .

      "Regarding the relatives who lived in Pottawattomi County, Iowa, and the old cemetery around Wheeler’s
       Grove, he writes: After the conference of 1912, Mother and I decided to go back to Iowa, also Nebraska,
       to see her brother, Joe Newberry and other relatives – back to Wheeler’s Grove, where I was born.  I was
       now twenty years of age.  We stayed a couple of weeks visiting around.  We went to see two of my father’s
       brothers and a sister who  were living in the old home,  Uncle John, Uncle Marshall and Aunt Emma
       Winegar. John was a  bachelor, Aunt Emma,  a maiden lady and Uncle Marshall was a widower, who lost
       his wife some time before.

       We visited the old cemetery where several of my relatives had been buried.  My mother’s father, James
       Newberry  – four of her children, and Alice Allie, a lovely young girl of 17  years, who died of spinal
       meningitis in 1890."

Probate of the Will
Another interesting tidbit adding mystery to James' life was his request of Levi Graybill and Sidney Pitt to be co-
executors of his will. When James died, they apparently saw a big problem with the fact that he bequeathed everything
to the RLDS Church.  In doing that perhaps they saw problems that might occur with the rest of the family on some level.
Therefore, they asked to be excused from duty as executors.  The man who took over the duties was Samuel O. Smith.
(Yet another Sam Smith!) We have no idea if he was related to James' first wife Mary - but we think it was unlikely.

Levi Graybill may have asked to be replaced because of the trouble he could see coming with James son-in-law Jolana's
husband, Henry Winegar, who went to court after his father-in-law died and successfully obtained the lion's share of the
estate, under the guise of being repaid for taking care of his father-in-law during his last years.  In the probate information
there is a ledger from Woodmancy's Mercantile showing James' account.  The account was active until a couple of days
after
he died.  Therefore, showing that the family was buying on James' credit for his care.5

There were several Smith families intertwined in James' life. Levi Graybill was married to Patience Smith. These Smiths
were out of Kentucky or Tennessee.  There is supposedly  a journal written by Abraham that says that his grandfather
Smith died in Iowa and was living with James at the time. However, Abraham's grandfather, Mary Smith's father died in
1811 in Warwick and is buried on the Smith farm there. 
A curious piece of information that may forever remain a
mystery.

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Other Topics and Destinations:

Newberry Researcher's Corner - BRICK WALLS  This page is dedicated to the continuing research of the family and the
 researchers who continue with me to sift through the ancient records of the New England and New York.

All pages
Stage 1
/Connecticut / New York / More Newberry's in New York Samuel Smith / Smith Farm / Revolution /
Old School Baptists
/Native people in New England / Stage 2 / Ohio / Missouri / Illinois & Iowa / Nauvoo /
Flight to SW Iowa
/ The Half Breed Tract / Cutlerite membership / dissidence in NauvooDeath of James Newberry /
Wives and Family
/ Children who Went west /Stage 3 /Exodus to Utah / Utah Morrisites / Hannah's Children /
Hannah's Necklace
/ genealogy table / Addenda /Newberry Brick WallsWhispers - beginning the search /
Bibliography
/ Family Album / Jonathan Newberry Bible /

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