Mary was born near Salem, Washington Co. Indiana, daughter of Andrew W. Barnett (1819-1877) and Rebecca Jane Burris (1825-1884). She had four siblings: Franklin (Frank, 1842-1920), Elizabeth A. (Eliza, 1845-1915), Nancy (b. 1848), and Caroline (b. 1852). Her exact birthdate is not known, as her age differs across censuses, but she is always listed as the second born child of the family. The most consistent year for her birth is 1844; this agrees with census records for 1850, 1870, 1875, and 1880.
Mary died of Yellow Fever in Cedar Key, Florida. She and her husband John M. Jordan and young children Benjamin Franklin (Frank) (1873-1940), Caroline Elizabeth (Carrie) (1875-1967), Lebert E. (1877-1963), and Florence (1880-1904) had moved from Kansas, where they farmed on property near Olathe he had purchased from a native American, to an island off Cedar Key. Friends of theirs had recently removed there and were operating a hotel in Cedar Keys. The family were enumerated on 8 June 1880 in the census in Olathe ,Kansas, but moved to Florida later that year. See the excerpt, below, of a memoir her daughter Caroline Elizabeth (Carroe) Jordan Schaaf made about 1960.
After her death, her husband brought his family to Minnesota to live on the farm of his elderly father John M. Jordan in Wacouta, Goodhue MN. John did not bring his daughter Florence with him to MN. His youngest child, Florence was an infant when her mother died and was taken care of in Florida by the Johnson family, the friends who had moved earlier to Florida and who ran the hotel. The Johnsons moved to Texas and took Florence with them. Later, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, CA, where Florence married and had about four children before dying quite young. The family have lost track of Florence's line and would greatly appreciate any information about her. We do not know whether she was called Florence Johnson or Jordan in Canada or what her husband's name was but she married young and they lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
EXCERPT from the Memoir (ca. 1960) of Caroline Elizabeth Jordan Schaaf, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Barnett and John Michael Jordan:
THE MOVE TO FLORIDA & BACK (1880 - 1881)
"But all these happy days too soon ended. Father decided he would take his family to a warmer climate so he sold the farm. We began to pack and get ready and left Olathe, Kansas by train. This was a very sad parting for our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that we left there. We took our old mother dog on the train but the conductor took her off. We children were so upset and crying. We thought it was just terrible that we could not take our dog along. We soon forgot it for when the train got going for we were so excited about that. We had never been on a train before, of course.
When we got down to New Orleans, the train was put on a ferry boat to ferry across the river (Gulf of Mexico). That was very exciting for us children. We finally landed down in Cedar Keys, Florida. There were friends of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, who had gone down before us and they were running a hotel there. We stayed with them until we settled out on an island that was called Hog Island. I hear that it is still called Hog Island to this day.
There was a creek that ran right close by our place that was called Alligator Creek. One day Father caught three large alligators. Another time he and Mother had pulled one up on the shore with the great hook in its mouth with just a small rope - like a clothes line. We had brother Leabert, who was then 3 years old, standing on the back of this alligator! Frank and I held him on each side and let him ride the alligator. Another day we were down at the creek playing on the shore when we saw a whole bunch of little pigs - there were seven of them - crossing this creek. Lo and behold, only two of them got across. This big old alligator just came up and grabbed them one after another and destroyed those little pigs. We children were so upset over that. We just ran right home crying to think that those pigs were eaten by that alligator.
Well, when Father got the alligators, he sold them, getting $25 for each of them for the heads. They used the teeth for they claimed they were ivory - I don't know how true it was. I don't know if they used the hides or not that are so fashionable for hats, shoes, and purses today. There were only a few families on that island. The boats used to land there. The sailors would come in and then go on to the Cedar Keys. They had heavy storm windows on the houses because of the severe storms. Sometimes when a big load of the sailors came in, they would shut those storm windows in fear of the sailors. I guess people were more superstitious in those days than they are now.
There was also a fig tree in the front yard there that bore figs and we would trade those figs for oranges and lemons. We had a grand time out there for we would have to take a boat every time we needed to get to town for groceries or supplies.
I was six years old when Mother took sick with the yellow fever epidemic that came in with one of the boats. Mother was extremely sick and finally died from it. I remember after mother died, the neighbors came in and laid her out while us children were just running around outside the house. We were wondering what was going on inside. It was so sad for us children. The day of mother's funeral, one of the neighbors took me over to their place because I was sick at that time too. They took me over there in a wheel barrel, of all the things! This same neighbor had a crippled child that was 27 years old and often we had played together. This child always sat in a box. She could not walk or anything, it was such a pitiful case."
Mary died of Yellow Fever in Cedar Key, Florida. She and her husband John M. Jordan and young children Benjamin Franklin (Frank) (1873-1940), Caroline Elizabeth (Carrie) (1875-1967), Lebert E. (1877-1963), and Florence (1880-1904) had moved from Kansas, where they farmed on property near Olathe he had purchased from a native American, to an island off Cedar Key. Friends of theirs had recently removed there and were operating a hotel in Cedar Keys. The family were enumerated on 8 June 1880 in the census in Olathe ,Kansas, but moved to Florida later that year. See the excerpt, below, of a memoir her daughter Caroline Elizabeth (Carroe) Jordan Schaaf made about 1960.
After her death, her husband brought his family to Minnesota to live on the farm of his elderly father John M. Jordan in Wacouta, Goodhue MN. John did not bring his daughter Florence with him to MN. His youngest child, Florence was an infant when her mother died and was taken care of in Florida by the Johnson family, the friends who had moved earlier to Florida and who ran the hotel. The Johnsons moved to Texas and took Florence with them. Later, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, CA, where Florence married and had about four children before dying quite young. The family have lost track of Florence's line and would greatly appreciate any information about her. We do not know whether she was called Florence Johnson or Jordan in Canada or what her husband's name was but she married young and they lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
EXCERPT from the Memoir (ca. 1960) of Caroline Elizabeth Jordan Schaaf, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Barnett and John Michael Jordan:
THE MOVE TO FLORIDA & BACK (1880 - 1881)
"But all these happy days too soon ended. Father decided he would take his family to a warmer climate so he sold the farm. We began to pack and get ready and left Olathe, Kansas by train. This was a very sad parting for our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that we left there. We took our old mother dog on the train but the conductor took her off. We children were so upset and crying. We thought it was just terrible that we could not take our dog along. We soon forgot it for when the train got going for we were so excited about that. We had never been on a train before, of course.
When we got down to New Orleans, the train was put on a ferry boat to ferry across the river (Gulf of Mexico). That was very exciting for us children. We finally landed down in Cedar Keys, Florida. There were friends of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, who had gone down before us and they were running a hotel there. We stayed with them until we settled out on an island that was called Hog Island. I hear that it is still called Hog Island to this day.
There was a creek that ran right close by our place that was called Alligator Creek. One day Father caught three large alligators. Another time he and Mother had pulled one up on the shore with the great hook in its mouth with just a small rope - like a clothes line. We had brother Leabert, who was then 3 years old, standing on the back of this alligator! Frank and I held him on each side and let him ride the alligator. Another day we were down at the creek playing on the shore when we saw a whole bunch of little pigs - there were seven of them - crossing this creek. Lo and behold, only two of them got across. This big old alligator just came up and grabbed them one after another and destroyed those little pigs. We children were so upset over that. We just ran right home crying to think that those pigs were eaten by that alligator.
Well, when Father got the alligators, he sold them, getting $25 for each of them for the heads. They used the teeth for they claimed they were ivory - I don't know how true it was. I don't know if they used the hides or not that are so fashionable for hats, shoes, and purses today. There were only a few families on that island. The boats used to land there. The sailors would come in and then go on to the Cedar Keys. They had heavy storm windows on the houses because of the severe storms. Sometimes when a big load of the sailors came in, they would shut those storm windows in fear of the sailors. I guess people were more superstitious in those days than they are now.
There was also a fig tree in the front yard there that bore figs and we would trade those figs for oranges and lemons. We had a grand time out there for we would have to take a boat every time we needed to get to town for groceries or supplies.
I was six years old when Mother took sick with the yellow fever epidemic that came in with one of the boats. Mother was extremely sick and finally died from it. I remember after mother died, the neighbors came in and laid her out while us children were just running around outside the house. We were wondering what was going on inside. It was so sad for us children. The day of mother's funeral, one of the neighbors took me over to their place because I was sick at that time too. They took me over there in a wheel barrel, of all the things! This same neighbor had a crippled child that was 27 years old and often we had played together. This child always sat in a box. She could not walk or anything, it was such a pitiful case."
Mary was born near Salem, Washington Co. Indiana, daughter of Andrew W. Barnett (1819-1877) and Rebecca Jane Burris (1825-1884). She had four siblings: Franklin (Frank, 1842-1920), Elizabeth A. (Eliza, 1845-1915), Nancy (b. 1848), and Caroline (b. 1852). Her exact birthdate is not known, as her age differs across censuses, but she is always listed as the second born child of the family. The most consistent year for her birth is 1844; this agrees with census records for 1850, 1870, 1875, and 1880.
Mary died of Yellow Fever in Cedar Key, Florida. She and her husband John M. Jordan and young children Benjamin Franklin (Frank) (1873-1940), Caroline Elizabeth (Carrie) (1875-1967), Lebert E. (1877-1963), and Florence (1880-1904) had moved from Kansas, where they farmed on property near Olathe he had purchased from a native American, to an island off Cedar Key. Friends of theirs had recently removed there and were operating a hotel in Cedar Keys. The family were enumerated on 8 June 1880 in the census in Olathe ,Kansas, but moved to Florida later that year. See the excerpt, below, of a memoir her daughter Caroline Elizabeth (Carroe) Jordan Schaaf made about 1960.
After her death, her husband brought his family to Minnesota to live on the farm of his elderly father John M. Jordan in Wacouta, Goodhue MN. John did not bring his daughter Florence with him to MN. His youngest child, Florence was an infant when her mother died and was taken care of in Florida by the Johnson family, the friends who had moved earlier to Florida and who ran the hotel. The Johnsons moved to Texas and took Florence with them. Later, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, CA, where Florence married and had about four children before dying quite young. The family have lost track of Florence's line and would greatly appreciate any information about her. We do not know whether she was called Florence Johnson or Jordan in Canada or what her husband's name was but she married young and they lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
EXCERPT from the Memoir (ca. 1960) of Caroline Elizabeth Jordan Schaaf, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Barnett and John Michael Jordan:
THE MOVE TO FLORIDA & BACK (1880 - 1881)
"But all these happy days too soon ended. Father decided he would take his family to a warmer climate so he sold the farm. We began to pack and get ready and left Olathe, Kansas by train. This was a very sad parting for our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that we left there. We took our old mother dog on the train but the conductor took her off. We children were so upset and crying. We thought it was just terrible that we could not take our dog along. We soon forgot it for when the train got going for we were so excited about that. We had never been on a train before, of course.
When we got down to New Orleans, the train was put on a ferry boat to ferry across the river (Gulf of Mexico). That was very exciting for us children. We finally landed down in Cedar Keys, Florida. There were friends of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, who had gone down before us and they were running a hotel there. We stayed with them until we settled out on an island that was called Hog Island. I hear that it is still called Hog Island to this day.
There was a creek that ran right close by our place that was called Alligator Creek. One day Father caught three large alligators. Another time he and Mother had pulled one up on the shore with the great hook in its mouth with just a small rope - like a clothes line. We had brother Leabert, who was then 3 years old, standing on the back of this alligator! Frank and I held him on each side and let him ride the alligator. Another day we were down at the creek playing on the shore when we saw a whole bunch of little pigs - there were seven of them - crossing this creek. Lo and behold, only two of them got across. This big old alligator just came up and grabbed them one after another and destroyed those little pigs. We children were so upset over that. We just ran right home crying to think that those pigs were eaten by that alligator.
Well, when Father got the alligators, he sold them, getting $25 for each of them for the heads. They used the teeth for they claimed they were ivory - I don't know how true it was. I don't know if they used the hides or not that are so fashionable for hats, shoes, and purses today. There were only a few families on that island. The boats used to land there. The sailors would come in and then go on to the Cedar Keys. They had heavy storm windows on the houses because of the severe storms. Sometimes when a big load of the sailors came in, they would shut those storm windows in fear of the sailors. I guess people were more superstitious in those days than they are now.
There was also a fig tree in the front yard there that bore figs and we would trade those figs for oranges and lemons. We had a grand time out there for we would have to take a boat every time we needed to get to town for groceries or supplies.
I was six years old when Mother took sick with the yellow fever epidemic that came in with one of the boats. Mother was extremely sick and finally died from it. I remember after mother died, the neighbors came in and laid her out while us children were just running around outside the house. We were wondering what was going on inside. It was so sad for us children. The day of mother's funeral, one of the neighbors took me over to their place because I was sick at that time too. They took me over there in a wheel barrel, of all the things! This same neighbor had a crippled child that was 27 years old and often we had played together. This child always sat in a box. She could not walk or anything, it was such a pitiful case."
Mary died of Yellow Fever in Cedar Key, Florida. She and her husband John M. Jordan and young children Benjamin Franklin (Frank) (1873-1940), Caroline Elizabeth (Carrie) (1875-1967), Lebert E. (1877-1963), and Florence (1880-1904) had moved from Kansas, where they farmed on property near Olathe he had purchased from a native American, to an island off Cedar Key. Friends of theirs had recently removed there and were operating a hotel in Cedar Keys. The family were enumerated on 8 June 1880 in the census in Olathe ,Kansas, but moved to Florida later that year. See the excerpt, below, of a memoir her daughter Caroline Elizabeth (Carroe) Jordan Schaaf made about 1960.
After her death, her husband brought his family to Minnesota to live on the farm of his elderly father John M. Jordan in Wacouta, Goodhue MN. John did not bring his daughter Florence with him to MN. His youngest child, Florence was an infant when her mother died and was taken care of in Florida by the Johnson family, the friends who had moved earlier to Florida and who ran the hotel. The Johnsons moved to Texas and took Florence with them. Later, they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, CA, where Florence married and had about four children before dying quite young. The family have lost track of Florence's line and would greatly appreciate any information about her. We do not know whether she was called Florence Johnson or Jordan in Canada or what her husband's name was but she married young and they lived in Edmonton, Alberta.
EXCERPT from the Memoir (ca. 1960) of Caroline Elizabeth Jordan Schaaf, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Barnett and John Michael Jordan:
THE MOVE TO FLORIDA & BACK (1880 - 1881)
"But all these happy days too soon ended. Father decided he would take his family to a warmer climate so he sold the farm. We began to pack and get ready and left Olathe, Kansas by train. This was a very sad parting for our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins that we left there. We took our old mother dog on the train but the conductor took her off. We children were so upset and crying. We thought it was just terrible that we could not take our dog along. We soon forgot it for when the train got going for we were so excited about that. We had never been on a train before, of course.
When we got down to New Orleans, the train was put on a ferry boat to ferry across the river (Gulf of Mexico). That was very exciting for us children. We finally landed down in Cedar Keys, Florida. There were friends of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, who had gone down before us and they were running a hotel there. We stayed with them until we settled out on an island that was called Hog Island. I hear that it is still called Hog Island to this day.
There was a creek that ran right close by our place that was called Alligator Creek. One day Father caught three large alligators. Another time he and Mother had pulled one up on the shore with the great hook in its mouth with just a small rope - like a clothes line. We had brother Leabert, who was then 3 years old, standing on the back of this alligator! Frank and I held him on each side and let him ride the alligator. Another day we were down at the creek playing on the shore when we saw a whole bunch of little pigs - there were seven of them - crossing this creek. Lo and behold, only two of them got across. This big old alligator just came up and grabbed them one after another and destroyed those little pigs. We children were so upset over that. We just ran right home crying to think that those pigs were eaten by that alligator.
Well, when Father got the alligators, he sold them, getting $25 for each of them for the heads. They used the teeth for they claimed they were ivory - I don't know how true it was. I don't know if they used the hides or not that are so fashionable for hats, shoes, and purses today. There were only a few families on that island. The boats used to land there. The sailors would come in and then go on to the Cedar Keys. They had heavy storm windows on the houses because of the severe storms. Sometimes when a big load of the sailors came in, they would shut those storm windows in fear of the sailors. I guess people were more superstitious in those days than they are now.
There was also a fig tree in the front yard there that bore figs and we would trade those figs for oranges and lemons. We had a grand time out there for we would have to take a boat every time we needed to get to town for groceries or supplies.
I was six years old when Mother took sick with the yellow fever epidemic that came in with one of the boats. Mother was extremely sick and finally died from it. I remember after mother died, the neighbors came in and laid her out while us children were just running around outside the house. We were wondering what was going on inside. It was so sad for us children. The day of mother's funeral, one of the neighbors took me over to their place because I was sick at that time too. They took me over there in a wheel barrel, of all the things! This same neighbor had a crippled child that was 27 years old and often we had played together. This child always sat in a box. She could not walk or anything, it was such a pitiful case."
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