great-great-grandparents

Martha’s son, Lewis Stout, wrote this account of his mother’s family, and how they came from Baltimore to Indiana on a flat boat. It’s a great story!

We have little information about them, but we have two good photos that are worth saving, and a little bit of information from my grandmother.

Joseph and Sarah Ann Votaw are my great-great-grandparents. They were pioneers in mid-America in the mid-19th century, and their story is fascinating.

Naomi Kenworthy was the only grandparent that my grandmother ever knew. Her husband, Willis, was a Quaker minister.

Silas loved numbers and keeping records. In his diary, he tracked crop yields, sales, and visits to church. He even liked solving math problems! But he was also a man of deep faith.

Silas passed away in 1887, and Martha in 1891. This page includes Silas’ verbal/handwritten will, Martha’s obituary, and a letter written to Lewis Stout on the death of this father.

Silas and Martha were Mildred Stout Votaw’s grandparents on her father’s side. Reading their letters gives us a fascinating look into their lives.