Home Page  
Index Page
Gehon Family

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           John Gehon----->-----George N Gehon----->-----Lucia Gehon                                       
                                     +                                      +                                         +    
              Mary Elizabeth (Hughes)French        Elizabeth Woolf                Reuben  Mars --->---Go to Mars Family page   
                                                                 

The Gehon family is a mystery.  First I am not even sure that Gehon is the family name.  I have a marriage certificate for a Lucia Gehon married to Reuben Mars on 11/01/1849, in Clayton Co. Iowa, by David Dickeman J.P..  I feel name is Gehon.  Looking over other records and census information that is only name that begins with geh.   Lucia and Reuben are on Iowa 1856.  She lists here birth place as Missouri, although author questions the accuracy of location.

Recently received correspondence(6/2006) with E Myles, a Gehon descendant, who has graciously exchanged information, relates the following possible Gehon genealogy:  Gehon is a difficult name to trace and appears in any number of variant spellings in the public record.  It is pronounced "Gee-un" or "Goo-un" with a hard "g" similar to "Gwinn".

Generation One

James Gohion

The earliest record of Gehon name is in Tennessee and appears to be 10/03/1791, when a John Gehon was an original purchasers of a lot in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee. The first probable ancestor was a James Gohion or James Gohean listed in 1810 Kentucky census of Butler County.  The listing has a male over 45, 2 males 16-25,  1 female over age 45, 2 females age 16-25, 1 female 10-15, and one female under age 10.  If James is the father of our George Gehon, the following possible family exists, determined from associated Kentucky records and family "notes".

Children of James Gehon and Mary Elizabeth (Hughes) French ( there is possibly a second wife)  1810 Butler County, Ky census:
.
Female age 16-15: Sarah Gehen, married a Samuel Barnet in Caldwell County, in 1810
Male 16-25: George Gehon, b. 1789, married Eliizabeth Woolf in 1813.
Male 16-25: Francis Gehon, mentions being born in Tennessee, but James may have briefly moved there.  Francis is later found in Dubuque County, Iowa.
Female 16-25: Elizabeth Gehen, married a James B Brooks in Logan County, Kentucky in 1816.
Female 10-15: Unknown may have been Elizabeth above.
Female under 10: Nancy Gehen, married a James Grace in Logan County in 1824.

Generation Two

Family of George Gehon:

George N Gehon married 18 March 1813, in Christian County, Kentucky, a Elizabeth Woolf (b. 1795-1798) a daughter of Fielding Woolf and Theodocia Jennings. George Gehon died between 30 August 1841 and 20 December 1841. His will , dated 30 August 1841 was filed in Dade County, Missouri.  Dade county was formed in 1841 from Polk and Barry County).  In his will George named his wife Mary (Lawrence) (2nd marriage), son Martin Van Buren Gehon, daughter and son-in-law, Salina and Samuel Hicks (Hix) of Morgan County, Missouri, his daughter and son-in-law Elmira and Christian Carpenter, and his daughters Narcissa and Theashe Gehon.

Probable family from all sources:(Census, family notes), family of George Gehon and Elizabeth Woolf:
         
1.) Elmira G Gehon, b 18 May 1814, married Christian Capenter
2.) Salina Gehon, b. ca. 1815, married Samuel Hicks
3.) Serena Gehon, b. 1817, married John R Ewing
4.) Garland W Gehon, b. ca 1817, married Frances Allard
5.) George Gehon, b. ca. 1824
6.) Cecilia Gehon, b. ca 1826-1830, married Edward Scoggins
7.) Narcissa Gehon, b. ca 1826-1830, married Albert Baker. (Possibly living with Serena Ewing in Dubuque Co. Iowa.)
8.) Theashe Gehon, b. ca 1829-1835, married Reuben Mars.

Child of George Gehon and second wife Mary Lawrence:

9.) Martin Van Buren Gehon, b. 9 November 1840.

(*Some confusion exists here.  Francis Gehon possible brother of George was in Wisconsin Territory, later Dubuque Co. Iowa (1840), fought in Black Hawk wars, was in the Iowa area and some of these children may be his.  Those not mentioned in will? )  See scanned images of history to sort this out yourself.

 Michigan Territorial Census:  Francis Gehon 000101-000001 (oldest male and female ages 30-40 yrs.) Iowa territory formed 1838
1840 Iowa Census: Francis Gehon 0000201-1100001 (1 female age 0-5, 5-10, and one 40-50)
1850 Iowa Census:  very poor film-birth place Mo (?) Missouri
1850 Iowa, Lee Co.: has a Jeremiah Gehon, age 25 born Ireland, probably not same family.

George Gehon was associated with and a minister for the Primitive Baptist Association along with his father-in-law, Fielding Woolf.  Most of his migration from Kentucky, to Illinois, to Missouri was with Fielding and associated with various ministries.  See scanned family  history.

Iowa Land History:  Louisiana Purchase(1803)--Missouri Territory (1812-1814)--Unorganized (1824-1834)--Michigan Territory (1834-1836)--Wisconsin Territory (1836-1838)--Iowa Territory (1838)    When did Mo. for Missouri arrive?

Family tradition indicated Reuben Mars wife's name was Theocia or Modosia Gwinn or Givinn. Reuben Mars and wife Lucia are not found after 1856, Iowa census.  No death records, census, or land records.  Their son George mysteriously appears back in Indiana in 1880.

Sources:
George Gehon Family History (E. Myles)
Francis Gehon Family History (E Myles)

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE: LUCIA AND REUBEN MARS   

1856 CLAYTON COUNTY IOWA CENSUS


go to Mars Family page