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KESTER Family History, Part VI

Sarah Ann (KESTER) MILLER⁷ (1819-1902)

125113B. Sarah Ann KESTER⁷, the eldest daughter of John Bonham KESTER, Sr.² and Margaret LAYSON, was born on March 18, 1819, in Vigo County, Indiana. She married David John MILLER⁶ in 1840 in Cedar County, Iowa. They had six children:

125113B1.	Finetta A. MILLER	23 Feb 1841	9 Apr 1908	(67)
125113B2.	Isaac Dennis MILLER7	8 Dec 1843	25 May 1896	(52)
125113B3.	Margaret Elizabeth MILLER	15 Sep 1854	3 Apr 1938	(83)
125113B3.	John Valentine MILLER	24 Sep 1856	13 Apr 1940	(83)
125113B5.	Mary Jane MILLER	4 Jan 1859	3 Jul 1940	(81)
125113B6.	Sarah Ellen MILLER	21 Mar 1861	6 Nov 1932	(71)

David John MILLER died in 1892 in Table Rock, near Sam's Valley, Jackson County, in southwest Oregon, just north of Medford. He was 74 years old.

Sometime after David's death, Sarah moved to back to San Luis Obispo. There she was hospitalized at the San Luis Obispo County Hospital by 1900.^{[Cen 1900]}

Sarah Ann (KESTER) MILLER died 10 years later on June 29, 1902, in San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California, where some of her grandchildren lived. She was 83 years old.

Mary (KESTER) DENNIS (1820-1841)

125113C. Mary KESTER was born in Vigo County, Indiana, on October 28, 1820. She married Isaac King DENNIS in March 1839 in Cedar County, Iowa and had one daughter:

125113C1.

Malinda DENNIS

10 Apr 1840

Mar 1880

(39)

The DENNIS family remained in Cedar County where Mary died two brief years later on March 23, 1841, in Cedar Bluff. She was only 20 years old.

Isaac went on to remarry to Mary's younger sister, Elizabeth who also died only a few years after their wedding. Isaac died June 18, 1886, at the age of 66.

James Layson KESTER (1822-1890)

125113D. James Layson KESTER was born in Vigo County, Indiana, on April 12, 1822. He was likely named for his maternal grandfather, James LAYSON. He married Ruth Ann/Eddy MORSE on February 22, 1845, in Johnson County, Iowa, and fathered 12 children:

125113DA.	John B. KESTER	30 Aug 1846	18 Apr 1847	(7 mos.)
125113DB.	James G. KESTER	23 Mar 1848	25 Dec 1919	(71)
125113DC.	Clorinda KESTER	1 Jan 1850	After 1905	(>55)
125113DD.	Jasper Frank Robert KESTER	29 Nov 1852	15 Feb 1929	(76)
125113DE.	Lydia A. KESTER	28 Sep 1854	9 Jan 1940	(85)
125113DF.	Newton Nethanial KESTER	18 Mar 1857	Mar 1904	(47)
125113DG.	Ruth KESTER	25 Dec 1859	18 Feb 1864	(4)
125113DH.	William B. KESTER	23 Aug 1862	19 Feb 1866	(3)
125113DI.	Emma Jane "Ella" KESTER	25 Dec 1864
125113DJ.	Charles Henry KESTER	23 Jun 1867	28 Apr 1937	(69)
125113DK.	Elva Elisabeth KESTER	17 Aug 1869	13 Apr 1873	(3)
125113DL.	Lillie M. KESTER	2 Mar 1873

The first five children were born in Iowa, Ruth, the fifth, born in Kansas, likely in Riley County as per the 1860 census, and then the family moved west to Napa County, California, about 1860, perhaps the first of his many siblings to move to California. The next three children may have been born there before the family moved south to San Luis Obispo County in 1867. There they lived in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Los Osos.

James Layson KESTER died on December 23, 1890, in Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County, California. He was 68 years old.

Ruth Ann/Eddy (MORSE) KESTER died six years later on August 25, 1896, in San Luis Obispo.

Cynthia Ann (KESTER) THOMPSON (1823-1860)

125113E. Cynthia Ann KESTER was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, on October 3, 1823. She married Lewis H. THOMPSON, Jr. in October 1848 and raised four children, all believed to be born in Johnson County, Iowa:

125113E1.	Horace William THOMPSON	28 Dec 1849
125113E2.	John Thomas THOMPSON	May 1852	(<1860)	(<8)
125113E3.	Lewis Wayman THOMPSON	25 Jan 1855
125113E4.	Adelia Ann THOMPSON	1 Nov 1857	(<1860)	(<3)

Cynthia Ann (KESTER) THOMPSON died on September 14, 1860, in Cedar Bluff, Cedar County, Iowa, at the age of 36. She is buried at the Gunsolus (Evergreen) Cemetery, Cass Township, in Cedar County.

Cynthia's widower appears to have remarried twice after Cynthia's death: first to a Harriet A., per the 1870 census of Solon, Cedar Township, Johnson County, Iowa, and later to a Sarah W., per the 1880 census of Cedar Township. The census show he had at least four childrewn with Harriet, another two with Sarah, and gained Sarah's son, George KNIGHT, as a step-son.

Lewis H. THOMPSON, Jr. lived to the age of 59 and died on April 6, 1883. He is also buried at the Gunsolus (Evergreen) Cemetery, Cass Township, in Cedar County.

Elizabeth Ann (KESTER) DENNIS (1826-1854)

125113F. Elizabeth Ann KESTER was born on February 20, 1826, in Montgomery County, Indiana. She married her elder sister Mary's widower, Isaac King DENNIS on August 23, 1848. They had two children:

125113F1.	Martha Margrete DENNIS	27 Jun 1849	30 May 1892	(42)
125113F2.	Walter William DENNIS	(1851)

After their marriage, Elizabeth, Isaac, Isaac's daughter from his first marriage (and Elizabeth's niece), and their young daughter are enumerated in the 1850 census of Center Township, Cedar County, Iowa, and next door to Elizabeth's mother and five youngest siblings.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth died only five and a half years into their marriage on March 27, 1854, in Johnson County, Iowa. She was only 28 years old.

After Elizabeth's death, Isaac remarried for a third time to Mary Ann HAYNES on June 23, 1857, in Johnson County, Iowa, and had one son:

--

John M. DENNIS

(1858)

Isaac King DENNIS died on June 18, 1886, at the age of 66. He is buried at the FACKLER's Grove Cemetery in Johnson County. Mary Ann (HAYNES) DENNIS died five years later in Johnson County and is also buried at the FACKLER's Grove Cemetery.

John Bonham KESTER, Jr. (1829-1921)

125113H. John Bonham KESTER, Jr. was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, on September 19, 1829. He married Sarah Jane CHORD, nine years his junior, in Cedar County, Iowa on April 10, 1854. They had eight children:

125113H1.	John Chord KESTER	7 Jun 1855	20 Apr 1932	(76)
125113H2.	Willard Ward KESTER	6 Feb 1857	20 Dec 1927	(70)
125113H3.	Margaret Ann KESTER	1 Oct 1859
125113H4.	Upton Frank KESTER	22 Sep 1861	29 Mar 1947	(85)
125113H5.	Edwin James KESTER	14 Sep 1866	27 Feb 1914	(47)
125113H6.	Charles Decater KESTER	14 Sep 1871	18 Dec 1948	(77)
125113H7.	George KESTER	20 Dec 1874	23 Dec 1875	(1)
125113H8.	Felix KESTER	6 May 1877	27 Aug 1948	(71)

The first two children were born in Johnson County, Iowa, and about 1859 moved briefly to Collin County, Texas, where their third child, Margaret, was born. By the 1860 census they returned Graham Township, Johnson County, Iowa, but not long after moved west to California in 1863. By 1866 they had settled in Napa County, as did John's eldest brother James did several years earlier, where Edwin James was born. The family then moved south to San Luis Obispo County by 1871, probably following John's eldest brother again. Here they set down roots in the town of Cayucos.

Sarah Jane (CHORD) KESTER died on January 13, 1881, in Cayucos and was buried at the Cayucos-Morro Bay Cemetery.

John is said to have later served as the San Luis Obispo County Supervisor from 1890 to 1898.

John Bonham KESTER, Jr. lived another 40 years and died on July 17, 1921, in Cayucos at the age of 91. He is also buried at the Cayucos-Morro Bay Cemetery.

William KESTER (1831-1894)

125113I. William KESTER was born August 19, 1831, in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. He married Harriet D. ANDREWS on March 5, 1854, in Johnson County, Iowa, and raised five children:

125113I1.	Dulcena Estell KESTER	4 Apr 1855
125113I2.	Homer K. KESTER	31 Dec 1857	Bef. 1945	(<88)
125113I3.	Emma KESTER	Apr (1860)
125113I4.	Eunice Lillian KESTER	2 Jul 1860	25 Nov 1946	(86)
125113I5.	Herbert Harlow KESTER	15 Jun 1863

By the time of Harriet's mother's death in 1879, the KESTERs had moved to Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. By the 1900 census they moved further north to the Pitt River district in Lassen County.

William KESTER died on December 27, 1894, in California at the age of 63.

Harriet (ANDREWS) KESTER died nine years later on October 6, 1913, in Pittville, (Shasta/Lassen County), California. She was 80 years old.

Naomi (KESTER) WORKMAN (1833-1885)

1251131J. Naomi KESTER was born on September 7, 1833, in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. She married Stephanas WORKMAN on November 27, 1853, and raised six children:

125113J1.	Chloe M. WORKMAN	25 October 1854	23 Jun 1874	(19)
125113J2.	Jane M. WORKMAN	6 May 1857	15 Nov 1884	(27)
125113J3.	John Frank WORKMAN	11 Jul 1859
125113J4.	Isaac M. WORKMAN	7 Apr 1864	23 Feb 1893	(28)
125113J5.	Electra R. WORKMAN	14 Feb 1867
125113J6.	James E. WORKMAN	27 Jun 1867

Naomi (KESTER) WORKMAN died on March 18, 1885, at the age of 51.

Stephanas WORKMAN lived 16 years longer and died on April 17, 1901, at the age of 72.

Eliza Jane (KESTER BALDWIN) BRIGGS (1836-1888)

125113K. Eliza Jane KESTER was born in Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, on February 17, 1836. She married David Vance BALDWIN about 1854 and had four children:

125113K1.	David Wilbert BALDWIN	5 May 1855
125113K2.	Chester BALDWIN	After 1856	1868	(11)
125113K3.	Edgar Dighton BALDWIN	2 Aug 1861	After 1904	(>43)
125113K4.	Elma Eliza BALDWIN	12 Oct 1869	4 Aug 1929	(59)

The BALDWINs lived in Iowa into the 1860's and then moved to Scio, Linn County, Oregon by the end of the decade.

David BALDWIN died on February 20, 1871, at the age of about 38.

Eliza remarried five years later to Alvin BRIGGS.

Eliza Jane (KESTER BALDWIN) BRIGGS died on December 20, 1888, in Monterey County, California. She was 52 years old.

Francis Marion KESTER (1838-1920)

125113L. Francis Marion KESTER was born in Cedar Bluff, Cedar County, Iowa, on July 1, 1838. He first married Mary RATE on September 1, 1872, but is not known to have had any children. Ten years later he remarried to Mary Ruth MATTHEWS, 25 years his junior, on September 9, 1882. They had nine children:

125113L1.	Mary Margaret KESTER	27 Aug 1883	13 Sep 1883	(2 wks)
125113L2.	Annie Aquila KESTER	19 Nov 1884
125113L3.	Albert Francis KESTER	25 May 1886
125113L4.	Sarah Ann KESTER	3 Feb 1888
125113L5.	Chester Abot KESTER	2 Apr 1890
125113L6.	Myron Sidney KESTER	18 Mar 1892	20 Oct 1960	(68)
125113L7.	Melissa Elizabeth KESTER	20 Nov 1894
125113L8.	Walter Marion KESTER	17 May 1902
125113L9.	Ruth Myrtle KESTER	10 Dec 1907	26 Nov 1993	(85)

Francis Marion KESTER died on March 8, 1920, at the county hospital in San Luis Obispo. He was 81 years old.

His widow Mary Ruth (MATTHEWS) KESTER died 15 years later in Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California, on December 31, 1935. She was 72.