1st w/o John Andrew FLORA.

My maternal g,grandmother.

Mary's son-in-law, Carl R GRAY [president Union Pacific RR], wrote in 1933, her g,grandfather was Revolutionary war veteran Colonel Heinrich STARRING (1730-1808) and she was born in Delaware county, Ohio in 1851, where as the 1850 census (before her birth) have her parents in Franklin county, which on the map is just south of Delaware, on other side of Columbus, Ohio. some have Dayton, which may be what Kathy MARTINEAU listed but she told me her tree may not be correct and is not on line now. I suggest we go with Carl GRAY's (former vice-chairman of Union Pacific RR), born in, Delaware county, Ohio, no town, unless you can provide better documentation.

Birth: in Delaware county, Ohio

Census: 1860, age 8 Emporia, Breckenridge, now Lyon county, Territory of Kansas with parents & siblings.

Census (Kansas): 1865, age 14 Americus, Lyon, formerly Breckenridge county, Kansas with widowed mother.

Census: 1870, age 19 Verdigris, Montgomery, formerly Wilson county, Kansas with hubby & two children.

Shortly after being married at age 15-1/2, they removed south onto Osage Indian Ceded land of Wilson, becoming Montgomery county, Kansas, had four known kids with 2nd born noted in history as 1st white child born in Montgomery county, Kansas, with Carrie INGALLS of "Little House on the Prairie" fame, born following year, August 1870 across the river.

The frontier was tough with their share of the dangers and hardships in the days when both they and the territory were young. During those years, amongest the many other hardships, were: 130 Kansas settlers slaughtered by Indians in 1867, a horrendous prairie fire occurred in 1868 when the night sky was said to be bright enough to read a book 1-mile away but, as pioneers. The CONRAD & FLORA families survived most hardships of early prairie living.

  "During the winter of 1869, the banks of the Verdigris [river] were alive with camps and campers. Families spent the winter, living in covered wagons or in huts constructed of hay.", so wrote CULTER in his 1883 publication.

Population exploded from a hand full in 1867, which included Mary, her hubby and his brother Daniel Rice Boon FLORA, to 7,564 in 1870, 13,017 in 1875.

Her son-in-law, Carl R GRAY, has her death in Lyon county, Kansas, for which I have found NO documentation, even thou that is where she and month old daughter are buried. She was in Montgomery county, Kansas for 1870 Federal census, her mother reportedly moved from Lyon county to Montgomery county in 1871, plus her husband and mother are in Montgomery county on 1875 State census. I have found nothing to say they had moved to Lyon county, thus don't know where she died, but defer to Carl GRAY's location of Lyon county.

Death: in Lyon county, Kansas (?), burial in Americus, Lyon county, Kansas (may be (?) where father & other family members may be (?) buried without known records nor markers)

She had asked daughter "Hattie A" (Harriette Amanda), to lay with her in her death bed when Hattie was about four so Harriette told family members on many occasions.

The grave monument may (?) have been dedicated in the twentieth century by her husband, John FLORA and/or daughter Harriette Amanda (Flora) GRAY.

Father: Elijah SHULTZ b: 5 DEC 1824 in Knox county, Ohio
Mother: Hariette Catherine STERLING b: 14 MAR 1824 in Herkimer county, New York

Marriage: John Andrew FLORA b: 5 SEP 1845 in Harrison county, Indiana
Married: 10 FEB 1867 in Lyon, formerly Breckenridge county, Kansas (age around 15-1/2 years)

Know Children

  Jennie G FLORA b: date and location in Kansas unknown

  Clarence Morton FLORA b: 22 APR 1868 in Verdigris, now Liberty township, Wilson, now Montgomery county, Kansas

  Harriette (Hattie A) Amanda FLORA b: 17 SEP 1869 in Verdigris, now Liberty township, Montgomery, formerly Wilson county, Kansas

  William (Will) Walter FLORA b: 23 NOV 1871 in Liberty, formerly Verdigris township, Montgomery, formerly Wilson county, Kansas

Prepared in part by Bill Boggess.