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Catharine “Kitty” <I>Sears</I> Harmon

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Catharine “Kitty” Sears Harmon

Birth
Frederick County, Maryland, USA
Death
16 Feb 1860 (aged 94–95)
Jefferson County, Iowa, USA
Burial
Libertyville, Jefferson County, Iowa, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Catherine Sears was born 1765 in Maryland according to her 1850 census in Sangamon, Illinois. Her parents were Johannes Zaher (Sears) and Barbara Miller.

Her parents sold their indenture in Frederick County, Maryland in 1773 and moved to Rowan County, North Carolina near the Randolph County border.

George Harmon Jr. (husband of Catherine Sears) was named the oldest son in the August 20, 1786, written will of George Harmon Sr. of Randolph County, North Carolina. The will was probated in Randolph County in December 1788. In the will, George was given the plantation after his mother's death. Other sons listed included Cuttliffe, Mathias (Matthew) and Phillip. Cuttliffe and Matthew were George and Catherine's neighbors in Randolph County during the 1790 census. Both married into the Brethren Pfautz/Fouts family of Randolph County.

The Harmons lived in the Uwharrie River Brethren area of Randolph County. Their early neighbors included several Fouts families and the Jacob Stutzman family listed in the 1768 Old Rowan County Tax List. These same names-Harmons, Fouts, and Jacob Stutzman-were listed as neighbors twenty-two years later in the 1790 Randolph County Census.

There is no known record of the marriage of George Harmon and Catherine Sears. Their proximity to the Uwharrie River and connections with the Uwharrie Brethren are probably what brought them together. The 1790 census indicates that George "Hamon" was married with two sons under age 16 (Adam and Jacob) and one daughter (Frances?). Ten years later, the George Harmon family was still living in Randolph County. The 1800 census indicates that there were now three sons (Adam, Jacob, and Absolom) and three daughters (Frances, Mary, and Celia).

Leaving North Carolina, the George Harmon family settled in Logan County, Kentucky, living in the area in and around the West Fork of Drakes Creek and the headwaters of the Red River. The Drakes Creek area of Logan County was where many of the Brethren of North Carolina settled, so it would not be surprising if the Harmons were part of the Drakes Creek Brethren community.

According to the 1810 Logan County Census, the George "Harmond" household had grown, by 1810, to include a fourth son (Henry) and a fourth daughter (Margaret). Finally, a fifth daughter (Catherine) was born between 1810 and 1820. The 1820 census for Simpson County, Kentucky, indicated four sons and five daughters, the youngest daughter (Catherine) listed as age 0-10. The area in Simpson County where the George Harmon family lived was carved out of Logan County in 1819.

George Harmon died in Simpson County, Kentucky, in 1826. In the fall of 1827, the widow Catherine [Sears] Harmon with eight of her nine children moved from Kentucky to Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois. In November and December, 1827, sons Adam Harmon and Absolom Harmon bought land on Spring Creek in Sections 4 and 5 in Island Grove Township, Sangamon County. On May 25, 1828, daughter Margaret Harmon married Govert "Flehery" (Fleharty) of Island Grove Township, Sangamon County. On December 11, 1828, son Henry Harmon married Mary Foutch in Island Grove.

The Harmon families lived next to one another in Island Grove Township during the 1830 census. Catherine [Sears] Harmon, age 60-70, was living in the household of her son Adam Harmon. The household also included Absolom Harmon (not yet married) and the unmarried Harmon sisters. Next to Adam was the Jacob Harmon household. Jacob was married to his first cousin, Esther Imbler, of the Brethren Embler/Imbler family. They were married in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in 1816. Next to Jacob and Esther was the Henry and Mary [Foutch] Harmon household. Next to Henry and Mary was the David and Frances [Harmon] Carlock household, and two households down from the Carlocks was the household of Govert and Margaret [Harmon] Fleharty.

The remainder of the Harmon siblings married in Sangamon County during the 1830s and 1840s:

On May 15, 1833, Absolom Harmon married Elizabeth Donner, daughter of George Donner Jr. The Donner family had connections with many of the Sugar Creek Brethren families. On November 12, 1833, Mary "Polly" Harmon married her first cousin, Jacob Sears, son of Christian Sears. Christian Sears was the oldest son of Johannes Zaher and half-brother to the three Sears siblings of Sugar Creek. On June 26, 1834, Catherine Harmon married David "Wiger" (Weger).

On June 31, 1845, Celia Harmon married John Foutch of Island Grove Township. It was his second marriage. He was the father of Mary Foutch who had married, in 1828, Celia's brother Henry Harmon. On October 9, 1845, Adam Harmon married the widow Mary [Donner] Weaver, sister of Elizabeth Donner who had married, in 1833, Adam's brother Absolom Harmon. The marriage, officiated by Adam's brother Henry Harmon, was Adam's second.

With only two exceptions, all of the aforementioned Harmon families were living in Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois, when the 1850 census was taken.

The following story was written in 1876 and they miscalculated Catherine was only 95 not 105 at her death.
#268 Powers' 1876 'History of Sangamon County, Illinois, page357-358" Harmon, Mrs. Catherine, whose maiden name was Sears, was born about 1755, in North Carolina. She was married to George W.Harmon, and had three children in North Carolina. They moved to Simpson county, KY., where they had six children. Mr. Harmon died there about 1825. Mrs. Harmon, with eight of her children moved to Sangamon County, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1827, in Island Grove. One of her children married in Kentucky and came later."" Mrs. Catherine Harmon moved to Iowa in 1854, and died near LIbertyville, Jefferson county, in the summer of 1860, aged about one hundred and five years."Birth Date: 1766 Death Date: 16 Feb 1860 Cemetery: Fell Town: Des Moines Jefferson County Grave Records
Catherine Sears was born 1765 in Maryland according to her 1850 census in Sangamon, Illinois. Her parents were Johannes Zaher (Sears) and Barbara Miller.

Her parents sold their indenture in Frederick County, Maryland in 1773 and moved to Rowan County, North Carolina near the Randolph County border.

George Harmon Jr. (husband of Catherine Sears) was named the oldest son in the August 20, 1786, written will of George Harmon Sr. of Randolph County, North Carolina. The will was probated in Randolph County in December 1788. In the will, George was given the plantation after his mother's death. Other sons listed included Cuttliffe, Mathias (Matthew) and Phillip. Cuttliffe and Matthew were George and Catherine's neighbors in Randolph County during the 1790 census. Both married into the Brethren Pfautz/Fouts family of Randolph County.

The Harmons lived in the Uwharrie River Brethren area of Randolph County. Their early neighbors included several Fouts families and the Jacob Stutzman family listed in the 1768 Old Rowan County Tax List. These same names-Harmons, Fouts, and Jacob Stutzman-were listed as neighbors twenty-two years later in the 1790 Randolph County Census.

There is no known record of the marriage of George Harmon and Catherine Sears. Their proximity to the Uwharrie River and connections with the Uwharrie Brethren are probably what brought them together. The 1790 census indicates that George "Hamon" was married with two sons under age 16 (Adam and Jacob) and one daughter (Frances?). Ten years later, the George Harmon family was still living in Randolph County. The 1800 census indicates that there were now three sons (Adam, Jacob, and Absolom) and three daughters (Frances, Mary, and Celia).

Leaving North Carolina, the George Harmon family settled in Logan County, Kentucky, living in the area in and around the West Fork of Drakes Creek and the headwaters of the Red River. The Drakes Creek area of Logan County was where many of the Brethren of North Carolina settled, so it would not be surprising if the Harmons were part of the Drakes Creek Brethren community.

According to the 1810 Logan County Census, the George "Harmond" household had grown, by 1810, to include a fourth son (Henry) and a fourth daughter (Margaret). Finally, a fifth daughter (Catherine) was born between 1810 and 1820. The 1820 census for Simpson County, Kentucky, indicated four sons and five daughters, the youngest daughter (Catherine) listed as age 0-10. The area in Simpson County where the George Harmon family lived was carved out of Logan County in 1819.

George Harmon died in Simpson County, Kentucky, in 1826. In the fall of 1827, the widow Catherine [Sears] Harmon with eight of her nine children moved from Kentucky to Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois. In November and December, 1827, sons Adam Harmon and Absolom Harmon bought land on Spring Creek in Sections 4 and 5 in Island Grove Township, Sangamon County. On May 25, 1828, daughter Margaret Harmon married Govert "Flehery" (Fleharty) of Island Grove Township, Sangamon County. On December 11, 1828, son Henry Harmon married Mary Foutch in Island Grove.

The Harmon families lived next to one another in Island Grove Township during the 1830 census. Catherine [Sears] Harmon, age 60-70, was living in the household of her son Adam Harmon. The household also included Absolom Harmon (not yet married) and the unmarried Harmon sisters. Next to Adam was the Jacob Harmon household. Jacob was married to his first cousin, Esther Imbler, of the Brethren Embler/Imbler family. They were married in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in 1816. Next to Jacob and Esther was the Henry and Mary [Foutch] Harmon household. Next to Henry and Mary was the David and Frances [Harmon] Carlock household, and two households down from the Carlocks was the household of Govert and Margaret [Harmon] Fleharty.

The remainder of the Harmon siblings married in Sangamon County during the 1830s and 1840s:

On May 15, 1833, Absolom Harmon married Elizabeth Donner, daughter of George Donner Jr. The Donner family had connections with many of the Sugar Creek Brethren families. On November 12, 1833, Mary "Polly" Harmon married her first cousin, Jacob Sears, son of Christian Sears. Christian Sears was the oldest son of Johannes Zaher and half-brother to the three Sears siblings of Sugar Creek. On June 26, 1834, Catherine Harmon married David "Wiger" (Weger).

On June 31, 1845, Celia Harmon married John Foutch of Island Grove Township. It was his second marriage. He was the father of Mary Foutch who had married, in 1828, Celia's brother Henry Harmon. On October 9, 1845, Adam Harmon married the widow Mary [Donner] Weaver, sister of Elizabeth Donner who had married, in 1833, Adam's brother Absolom Harmon. The marriage, officiated by Adam's brother Henry Harmon, was Adam's second.

With only two exceptions, all of the aforementioned Harmon families were living in Island Grove Township, Sangamon County, Illinois, when the 1850 census was taken.

The following story was written in 1876 and they miscalculated Catherine was only 95 not 105 at her death.
#268 Powers' 1876 'History of Sangamon County, Illinois, page357-358" Harmon, Mrs. Catherine, whose maiden name was Sears, was born about 1755, in North Carolina. She was married to George W.Harmon, and had three children in North Carolina. They moved to Simpson county, KY., where they had six children. Mr. Harmon died there about 1825. Mrs. Harmon, with eight of her children moved to Sangamon County, Ill., arriving in the fall of 1827, in Island Grove. One of her children married in Kentucky and came later."" Mrs. Catherine Harmon moved to Iowa in 1854, and died near LIbertyville, Jefferson county, in the summer of 1860, aged about one hundred and five years."Birth Date: 1766 Death Date: 16 Feb 1860 Cemetery: Fell Town: Des Moines Jefferson County Grave Records

Gravesite Details

The story attached to Catherine that say born 1755 is a county history which I can not correct it was written long before people could find her 1850 census which said born 1765 about which looks to be more accurate.



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  • Maintained by: Doy G
  • Originally Created by: PJS
  • Added: Dec 1, 2011
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81321741/catharine-harmon: accessed ), memorial page for Catharine “Kitty” Sears Harmon (1765–16 Feb 1860), Find a Grave Memorial ID 81321741, citing Fell Cemetery, Libertyville, Jefferson County, Iowa, USA; Maintained by Doy G (contributor 47055060).