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Walter and Sarah Kibbey Pryne Family
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Alternate Spellings - Pryne,Pruyn; Kibbe,Kibbey,Kibby Links - Merritt, Gilmore, Emerson, Noble, Alyea Contacts - Judy Tooman |
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Walter VanVechten Pruyn/Pryne was born 4 May 1815 in New York, and died 22 February 1892 in Mercer County and is buried in New Boston Cemetery. He married Sarah Nancy Kibbey, daughter of John and Mary Espy Kibbey, 9 Jan 1838 in Wayne County, Indiana. Sarah was born 24 November 1820 in Indiana and died 9 July 1886 in Mercer County and is buried in New Boston Cemetery. The family is enumerated in 1840 in Centre Township, Wayne County, Indiana, on the same page as Thomas Adams who married Sarah's sister Rebecca. In the Pryne household were: 1 male 20-30; 1 female under 5; and 1 female 20-30. The daughter was first child Mary Pryne, born November 1838 in Indiana. Additional children included Fannie; Alice; William; Edith; Alida; Flora; and Carrie. By 1850 the family is found in Township 14 North Range 5 West with daughter Alice's birthplace indicating they had arrived there by 1843: #423 Walter Pryne, 35, farmer, born NY; Sarah A., 29, In; Mary, 12, In; Francis, 10, In; Alice, 7, Il; William, 4, Il; Edith, 1, Il; Julia Kibby, 22, In. Julia was another sister of Sarah's and married James Monroe Strong on 7/1/1851 in Mercer County. We find no record of a public land purchase in Mercer County for any of the Prynes. We assume they made private purchases, cf. New Boston Township Plat sections 22, 27, 28. In 1860 we find them at #1804 in New Boston Township: Walter Pryne, 45, farmer, born NY; Sarah N. 39, In; Fannie, 19, In; Allie, 16, Il; Willie, 13, Il; Edith, 10, Il; Alida, 8, Il; Flora, 4, Il; and Carrie, 2, Il. Sarah's sister Julia is found at #629 in Keithsburg: James Strong, 38, farmer, born In; Julia A., 35, In; Alice, 12, Il (perhaps a child of James' by a prior marriage?); Frank R., 7, Il; Fanny, 4, Il. There are several mentions of Walter Pryne in the 1882 History of Mercer County and in the Aledo Weekly Record that indicate he was very active. In 1853 promintent farmers in Mercer County organized the Mercer County Agricultural Board for the encouragement and promotion of agricultural and mechanical pursuits. Walter Pryne is mentioned among the organizers as is James Strong. January 24, 1860 Walter Pryne was elected president at the annual meeting of the Mercer County Agricultural Society. One of the responsibilities of the Board was the annual Agricultural Fairs held in Mercer County (cf. Social life in the 50s and 60s. On April 12, 1864 in the township elections, Walter Pryne was elected assessor for New Boston Township. The family is found at #83 in New Boston Township in 1870: Walter V. Pryne, 55, farmer, born NY; Sarah N., 49, In; Edith, 20, school teacher, Il; Alida, 18, School Teacher, Il; Flora, 14, Il; Carrie, 12, Il; Charlie Gilmore, 3, Il; Edgar I. Rader, 20, Il. Son William is found at #134 in New Boston as a farmer, age 24, born Il, with a John Hartson family. Charlie Gilmore was Walter and Sarah's grandson whom they raised (more below under daughter Alice.) The family is at #20 in 1880 in New Boston: Walter Pryne, 65, farmer, born NY, parents born NY; Sarah N., 60, In, father born NJ, mother born Ohio; Willie A., 30, boarder, born Il, father NY, mother In; Flora, 24; Carrie, 22; Charly P. Gillmore, 13, grandson, Il, parents born Il. More on the Children of Walter VanVechten and Sarah Nancy Kibbey PryneMary Pryne MerrittMary Pryne was born 4 November 1838 in Indiana and married James Y. Merritt, son of Ephraim Johnson and Margarette Tindall Merritt, December 25, 1856 in Mercer County. More on the Merritt page linked above.Frances Pryne BigelowFannie Pryne was born 27 September 1840 in Indiana and married Horace Bigelow on September 5, 1860 in Mercer County. She died 22 May 1866 in Mercer County and is buried in Aledo Cemetery.Alice Pryne GilmoreAs mentioned above Walter Pryne was active in the annual Agricultural Fairs in Mercer County. At the 6th Annual fair November 1, 1859, daughter Alice won a prize for the best jelly cake and for the best embroidery in silk.On March 22, 1865, Alice married John A. Gilmore, son of Ephraim and Julia Denison Gilmore. Alice died at the birth of her first child, Charles Pryne Gilmore, born June 28, 1867. Charlie was raised by his grandparents, Walter and Sarah Pryne (see census records above). On January 31, 1889, Charles Pruyn Gilmore married Bessie Belle Noble, daughter of Harvey and Luella Bowden Noble, and granddaughter of David Johnson and Sarah Rader Noble, in Mercer County (see Noble link above). Charlie Gilmore died August 4, 1918 in Mitchell, South Dakota. We could not locate him in the 1900 census. William S. PryneWillie Pryne was born 18 June 1847 in Mercer County. We do not find a marriage record for him in Mercer County but we know the name of his first wife from her tombstone. He is buried as Willie S. Pruyn, died May 12, 1892, age 44 yrs 10 mo 24 dy. Next to him is Clara, wife of W. S. Pruyn, died May 2, 1880 age 26 yr 7 mo 9 dy. Next to her, Kate, only child of W. S. and C. K. Pruyn died April 24, 1880.William married next to Orinda Emerson, daughter of Oliver and Sarah Kelley Emerson, on September 15, 1881 in Mercer County. We did not find Orinda in the 1900 census but there is a marriage record for Mrs. Orinda V. Emerson Pruyn to F. L. Schwertfeger on April 9, 1912 in Kane County, Illinois. See Emerson link above for more. Edith Pryne BarbourAs noted in the 1870 census above Edith was a school teacher in Mercer County. She is mentioned in the 1882 history of Mercer County as Edith Pruyn, one of several assistant principals. She resigned early in her term. On March 10, 1875 she married William W. Barbour. We have nothing further on her.Alida Pryne NobleAs noted in the 1870 census above Alida was a school teacher in Mercer County. She was born Nov 17, 1851 in Mercer County and died Sept 13, 1929 in Vayland South Dakota and is buried at Woonsocket in South Dakota. She married Nathan Noble, son of David and Sarah Rader Noble on Oct 17, 1872 in Mercer County. He was born June 17, 1851 in Mercer County and died Sept 15, 1928 at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (per the Noble/Rader History) and is also buried at Woonsocket.Nathan and Alida homesteaded just after their marriage in Delaware Township, Lincoln County, Dakota Territory. They had children: Walter Pryne Noble; David Walter Noble; Harriett Noble; Edith Noble; and Ralph Carlton Noble. Flora PryneFlora was still at home, age 24, in 1880. We do not find a marriage listed for her and have no further information.Carrie Pryne WillitsAn interesting note from the Aledo Record: Carrie, daughter of Walter Pryne, broke her arm May 22 1867 while playing in a field with her brother (William we presume). On November 26, 1880 she married Silas Dement Willits, son of William and Mary Alyea Willits (Good luck trying to trace their ancestry!). We do not know Carrie's fate, nor if she had any children. Silas Dement Willits died in 1923 in Jacksonville, Florida, but he had a different wife in 1920. |
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