charo on Family Tree Circles

About Edward Tolen:
Ed Hughes, uncle lived in Benton county, 13 children. Sister of Papa. Bridget Sullivan, Dave, dead. Mary E. Tollen 3 boys. From Great Aunt Loretta K. Ormsby?s letter.
REF: http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/biographies-T.htm
Edward Tolen, was born on August 10, 1838 in County Cork, Ireland and died on March 18, 1929 when he was visiting my grandfather, Charles, in Minnesota. He is buried in St. Clara?s Cemetery, Clara City, MN. Info provided by Mary Moehring Blue Earth, MN. Also see: William, who is a merchant in Iowa, and married Geneva Hanna, whose people came from Wisconsin Thomas Tolen was born in Benton County, Indiana, December 10, 1873, a son of Edward and Mary Ellen (Ormsby) Tolen. His father was a native of Ireland and his mother was of Irish parentage. There were three sons in the family: William, who is a merchant in Iowa, and married Geneva Hanna, whose people came from Wisconsin; Charles, an Iowa farmer, who married Catherine O?Connor of Iowa. Mr. Tolen?s father came to this section of Indiana in 1867, and after working at monthly wages finally bought a little land and entered upon his career as an independent agriculturist. On account of sickness he lost his first purchase, and then worked as a renter for ten years. He finally moved out to Iowa, and is still living in that state, prosperous and highly respected.
See: http://tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=charocfl&view=0&pid=85&rand=89029

About Ormsby, Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen Ormsby who was married to Edward Tolen were my great-grandparents. Edward and two of his sons spelled their last name Tolen. My grandfather, Charles, spelled it Tolan. I have quite a bit more info on the Tolan/Tolen descendants but not much at all on the Ormsby side so it would be great if we are related. My Mary Ellen Ormsby was born about 1850 in Indiana and died about 1879 in Indiana and is buried in St. Patrick?s Cemetery, Oxford, IN.
Her husband, Edward Tolen, was born on August 10, 1838 in County Cork, Ireland and died on March 18, 1929 when he was visiting my grandfather, Charles, in Minnesota. He is buried in St. Clara?s Cemetery, Clara City, MN. I know my Mary Ellen had two brothers, George and William. Are you descended from one of them? I haven?t had much time yet to study your website.
Mary Moehring Blue Earth, MN From: email dated Tue, 9 Mar 2004 20:09:05 -0600

I have Thomas and Winnie as being the parents of Mary Ellen Ormsby (born about 1850) who was my great-grandmother. She had at least two brothers - George (born in 1853) and William (born 1858). Mary Ellen Ormsby was married to Edward Tolen on November 5, 1872 in Benton County, Indiana. They had 3 children: Thomas Edward Tolen (born December 3, 1873 in Round Grove Township, White County, Indiana), William Tolen (born in 1876) and Charles Tolan (born September 8, 1878 in Round Grove Township, White County, Indiana. Apparently my Mary Ellen Ormsby Tolen died in 1879 as she was not listed in the 1880 census. Charles was listed as living with his uncle, George Ormsby.
From: Mary Moehring email dated Tue, 16 Mar 2004 20:26:54 -0800
See: http://tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=charocfl&view=0&pid=31&rand=75861

REF: http://www.brookston.lib.in.us/WhiteCo/biographies-T.htm
About Thomas Edward Tolen:
A recent addition to the sterling citizenship of Big Creek Township is Thomas Tolen, who spent part of his early life in White County and this district of Indiana, but who laid the foundation for his substantial prosperity as an Iowa farmer, and only about two years ago returned to White County and invested extensively in lands and is now one of the aggressive factors in carrying on the business of development and improvement in his section of the county.
Thomas Tolen was born in Benton County, Indiana, December 10, 1873, a son of Edward and Mary Ellen (Ormsby) Tolen. His father was a native of Ireland and his mother was of Irish parentage. There were three sons in the family: William, who is a merchant in Iowa, and married Geneva Hanna, whose people came from Wisconsin; Charles, an Iowa farmer, who married Catherine O?Connor of Iowa.

Mr. Tolen's father came to this section of Indiana in 1867, and after working at monthly wages finally bought a little land and entered upon his career as an independent agriculturist. On account of sickness he lost his first purchase, and then worked as a renter for ten years. He finally moved out to Iowa, and is still living in that state, prosperous and highly respected.

Thomas Tolen received his education while living on a farm and assisting his father. He continued at home until the age of twenty-three, and then married Miss Caroline R. Mills, daughter of Herman and Elizabeth (Demerly) Mills, who were among the early settlers of White County. After his marriage Mr. Tolen located on a rented farm, remained there five years, and the results of his industry and the thrifty management on the part of himself and wife, enabled him to buy eighty acres in Webster County, Iowa. He improved that land, then bought 100 acres in the same section, and was soon recognized as one of the most substantial residents in the fine farming district around Fort Dodge. Mr. Tolen took an active part in local politics while a resident of Iowa, and his popularity is illustrated by the fact that while he is a democrat and lived in a republican district, he was elected township clerk by a majority of forty-seven, though normally the republican candidate would have had the office by at least sixty votes. To further show the esteem and respect paid Mr. Tolen whilst a resident of Iowa, the people of the Twenty-seventh Senatorial District, in 1912, urged him to become a candidate for state senator in this district, overwhelmingly republican, with a usual majority of 3,500, and he made the race and was defeated by only 800 votes. For two terms he also served on the school board and was twice president of the board, and his value in citizenship well matched his progressiveness and prosperity as a farmer.

In 1913 Mr. Tolen returned to White County, and bought his present farm, comprising a half section of land, in Big Creek Township. He has invested much money and has used the experience acquired in Iowa in developing this place, and is already well established as a general farmer and stock raiser. He is also instrumental in the building of a new gravel road in Big Creek Township. This road is now under construction and will be known as "The Tolen Road." He and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Reynolds, Indiana.
Mr. and Mrs. Tolen have the following children: William Edward, Elizabeth Louise, Catherine Violet, Herman Leo, Mary Ellen, Thomas Vincent, Anna Josephine, Paul Joseph, and Lillian Irene.
See: http://tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=charocfl&view=0&pid=115&rand=34462