"Matilda Bryant Cratzenberg was born March 10, 1819 in Logan co., Kentucky and died in Dec. of 1904 in Durham Township at the home of her daughter, Catherine Shinn, interred in Majorville Cemetery.  She joined the Friendship Church at 18 years of age.  She was 9 years old when the family farm of 700 acres in Kentucky was sold, she received $50 and a side saddle for her share when she was 18 years old and it was about that time she came from Logan County, Kentucky with a group of pioneers, including her future husband and cousin, Hiram Christopher Bryant."

"Bryant, Hiram - was born in Logan co., Kentucky in the year 1819, married his cousin, Matilda Bryant Sept. 27, 1837, in Hancock county, Illinois, and settled near Ft. Green, later moving to Warsaw.  Hiram died in 1857 of pneumonia and Matilda married Conrad Cratsenberg in [1865], he died Nov. 26, 1871."

Matilda and Hiram were married by Elam S. Freeman, J.P.  License and Certificate

Matilda and Conrad were married on March 16, 1865, by Rev. Thomas M. Walker.  License

Conrad was a widower and also a long time resident of Hancock County.  He was buried at Alton Cemetery in Fountain Green Township, alongside his first wife, Celona Allton (1809-1861).

An observation based on the 1900 census is that Matilda Bryant had a sturdy constitution.  At the age of 81 she was working as a "servant".  In addition to losing two husbands, she lived to see nine of her eleven children buried.  We can only document four of the eleven, all of whom were probably born in Hancock County, Illinois.

i.	Mary Bryant, born about 1843.
ii.	Louisa Bryant, born October 29, 1844.  She died March 9, 1920, at Tennessee, McDonough County.  She is buried at Fountain Green Cemetery in Hancock County.
iii.	Catharine E. "Kate" Bryant, born about 1849, died November 28, 1925, at Dallas City, Hancock County.
iv.	Charles Edward Bryant, born in 1856, died in 1883, burial at Majorville Cemetery.

Hiram C Bryant, 30, male, laborer, born KY
Matilda, 30, female, born KY
Mary, 7, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Louisa, 5, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Catharine, 1, female, born IL

Matilda Bryant, 41, female, house keeper, value of real estate 700, value of personal estate 50, born KY
Mary J, 16, female, servant, born IL
Louisa, 14, female, born IL
Catherine, 11, female, born IL, attended school within the year
Charles E, 4, male, born IL

Cratsenberg, Conrad, 60, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 4000, value of personal estate 2000, born NY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Matilda, 51, female, white, keeping house, born NY
Charles, 14, male, white, born NY, attended school within the year
Geddes, Robert, 19, male, white, farm laborer, born PA

Byeler, John, white, male, 34, married, farmer, born IL, father born TN, mother born IL
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[Note above first entry:] Dora male, so says Mrs. Goshon     A.S.
Dora, white, male, 10, [son, but lined through], single, at school, attended school within the year, born IL, both parents born IL
Ettie, white, female, 6, daughter, single, born IL, both parents born IL
Alvestia, white, female, 4, daughter, single, born IL, both parents born IL
Cratsenberg, Matild [sic], white, female, 61, house kep, widow, housekeeper, born FL, both parents born KY
Bryant, Kathine [sic], white, female, 27, servant, single, servant, born IL, both parents born KY
Phipps ? Phelps ?, William, white, male, 20, labor, single, farming, born IL, father born IN, mother born IL

Charles E, white, male, 23, servant, single, clk in hotel, born IL, both parents born KY

Shinn, Thomas M, head, white, male, Apr 1855, 45, married for 17 years, born IL, father born OH, mother born IN, farmer, months not employed - 0, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage on his farm home, farm schedule 116

Kate E, wife, white, female, Sept 1849, 50, married for 17 years; mother of 5 children, 4 living; born IL, both parents born KY, could read, write and speak English

Edward, son, white, male, Jan 1886, 14, single, born IL, both parents born IL, farm laborer, months not employed - 6, could read, write and speak English

Arthur L, son, white, male, May 1887, 13, single, born IL, both parents born IL, farm laborer, months not employed - 6 [illegible mark], could read, write and speak English

Tressler H, son, white, male, June 1891, 8, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 6 months, could read, write and speak English

Waldo A, son, white, male, Dec 1893, 6, single, born IL, both parents born IL, at school for 2 months, could read but not write, spoke English

Cratsenberg, Matilda, mother-in-law, white, female, Mar 1819, 81, widow; mother of 11 children, 2 living; born KY, both parents born KY, servant, months not employed - 3, could read but not write, spoke English