withjc on Family Tree Circles

Thomas Austin was born in 1745 in either Massachusetts or Rhode Island in either the township of Falmouth or Barnstable; married Mary Dawley who was born about 1745, and died June 5, 1834.
Freeman Austin was born March 26, 1770 in Rhode Island and married Catherine Van Wagenen April 18, 1799 in Westchester County, New York. He died April 24, 1856 in Ophier, LaSalle County, Illinois. Catherine Van Wagenen died on October 16, 1835 in Niagara County, New York.
Reverend Simeon Austin was born near the township of, "Breakneck Hollow". He was converted to the Methodist faith in Niagara County, the town of Porter, New York, state in the year of 1834. This took place in the school house near the house of Mr. Jack Moots. He united with this same church called "Society Methodists," and took a license to preach at the age of twenty two years in the same church where he converted to this faith. He was licensed at the annual conference of that church the following June, and was appointed to labor the field in Michigan. From this time forward he went about the country in His labor until the time of his death which occurred tje twentieth of May 1899 at five A.M.
Nearly thirty years of this time was spent in Nebraska and thirty years was given to the United Brethren. He drew the petition for the first United Brethern Church in Nebraska and led in accuring the same. This is written by Luren Austin abut his father. U.S. Federal Census of Watham, La Salle County, Illinois. Pg printed 277, blue pencil 553, 22 Oct. 1850.
The United Brethren Church permanently organized 30 October, 1873 at Pleasant Hill, La Saline County, by Bishop J.J. Glassbrenner. From page 746-747 History of Nebraska by "Morton."
Simeon left Henderson, Illinois in August 1870 to head for Nebraska. My great-grandmother;(Simeon's daughter), Celestia Emmaretta Mariah was traveling on this trail along with his wife Betsey Maria, maiden name (Whitten), to whom he was married on January 11, 1844. Simeon worked as a carpenter to supplement his income. They settled in York County, Nebraska where my great grandfather, Reuben League met and married my great grandmother, Celestia Emmaretta Mariah Austin.
They lived in a sod house, and also build a church out of sod which they shared with another denomination. The church benches were haybales.
My Great-Great grandmother, Betsey Maria worked in as a housewife and mother and assistant to her husbands ministry. When at her own home she worked in her bare feet to save her shoes for church and outdoor work. She grew beautiful flowers, saved all her flour sacks to make clothing for her children and diapers for the babies. They also ran the post office for a couple of years.
Celestia Emmaretta Mariah and Reuben Mixem League married on August 20, 1872 in York County, Nebraska. Reuben had served in the Union of the Civil War and was honorably discharged on the 10th of July, 1865.

My Great, Great Grandmother was Mary Catherine Etherton, daughter of William Etherton and Mary-(Elkin) Etherton. She was married to my Great, Great Grandfather George Stephen League. They moved to Illinois in 1850 or close to that; from Green County, Kentucky. Perhaps in 1849. Mary Catherine's father and mother; William Etherton Senior and Mary (Elkin~:Maiden name) Etherton. Stephen Walter Etherton also moved to Illinois. William Jr. was 23 in the year 1850, and Nancy was 18 in 1850.
Stephen and Peggy Anne (Smith~b. in Illinois, had three children in 1850 listed on the census record. James, age 2, William age 4, and Charles was 1 month old. Stephen Walter died in Bloomington, Nebraska.
Their children are Williams-1846, James-1849, Charles-1850, Samuel-1852, Theodor Clayton-1854, Mary K.-1856, John-1858, Emma-1864, Zacharia-1867, Ulysses Grant-1870, Joseph F. 1870.
William Seniors father was Moses Etherton-born in 1760 0r 1770 to Rachael Skaggs and Moses father was Aaron Etherton born in 1745.

Floyd Forrest League is my grandfather. He and my grandmother, Nellie Ovendon had ten children.
He was born in Bloomington, Nebraska into a pioneering family. My great, Grandfather was a member of the United Brethren and when he moved to Dundy County, Nebraska at the once existing town of Pleasant Valley, and attended the Friends Church. My grandfather grew up attending this church at least for part of his childhood. The Pleasant Valley Cemetery is located about seven miles North of Benkleman, Nebraska.
My grandfather was a laborer and a prairie pioneer lay preacher. He substituted when other preachers had quit the job, or became ill. You might say that my Grandfather was there when the others weren't. He also worked at different jobs; whatever was available at the time. He worked for the railroad, for ranchers, for farmers, and during the war he worked at an airplane assembly plant. He couldn't be picky about where he worked, because he had ten children to feed.
My grandfather was a kind man, and he loved God. He and my grandmother had beautiful gardens, her a flower garden and my grandfather raise a huge vegetable garden every year. He kept a life size bust of Abraham Lincoln above his stairwell. They had a lot of old fashioned kitchen utensils, a wood burning stove, and a wringer washer. I remember they had an old piano in their living room. I loved visiting them very much. I do not remember any ethnic foods because they had lived in the United States a few generations by then and had always been poor. When your poor you only worry about having enough of whatever is available. Rice must have been inexpensive in those days, because they had so much of it that my Mom will not eat rice to this day. They also had plenty of garden vegetables and fruits though. When we went to go visit, we had new potatoes, corn on the cob, fried chicken, boiled green beans, and strawberries and cream. We also had squash, turnips, lettuce salad with cucumbers and bits of radishes, freshly pulled and boiled carrots, and garden onions.
My grandfather always told me about the big flood, when his oldest daughter woke them up to say there was water surrounding the house. My grandfather had a horse called Stormy, who was very stubborn and almost impossible to ride, but that night he was as calm and gentle and cooperative as any horse ever has been. My grandfather would put two or three children on Stormy's back and carry them to safety, and he did this over and over again until the children, and grandmother were all safe. My mom only remembers water swirling all around her, because she was really young when this happened.
My grandmothers flower garden was beautiful and beside the flower bed was a large, old tree with a tire swing and a tree house. There were irises surrounding the house, and many other flowers also. In the front yard, in those days were large drainage ditches to drain off the water, a dirt road, large and very old trees, and a gravel driveway leading from the front to the back of my grandparent's house. Every time we went to visit them it was like stepping into the sunshine! My grandmother also was always very kind and caring. She died in 1969 when I was twelve and grandfather passed away in 1978. After all these years I still miss both of them.

~FOR MY DAUGHTER~
My daughter is suffering from a rare medical condition and that condition does not exist on my side of the family anywhere. Therefore we think it is on her fathers side, but he is gone and I do not know his parent's names. His name is Robert Allen Thomas and for a long time he lived in McCook, Nebraska. I do not know where he was born or his birthdate, but he did fight in the Vietnam war. It is not about Robert Allen Thomas though, it is about my daughter Jennifer, and she would appreciate any information possible about grandparents, and any ancestors on her father's side. She is a wonderful person and she deserves to know about her family and her medical history.

My Grandfather, Floyd Forrest League married Nellie Ovenden. Her father was Crandell Ovenden, married to Lucy Gowey and the Ovenden family came from England. Perhaps Kent County, England.

My Great, Great, Great Grandfather Simeon Austin was married to Betsey Maria Whittier or Whitten. Her mother's maiden name is (Underwood) from Scotland and her father, a Whitten was also from Scotland. They came to the state of New York from Canada.

My Great Grandfather Reuben League married Maria Celestia Emmaretta Austin. Simeon Austin was her father, my Great, Great Grandfather and he was a minister of the United Brethren. He moved to Nebraska from New York but lived in Illinois for awhile, where my Great Grandmother was born.
Simeon Austin started the United Brethren Church in the area that is now York, Nebraska but than was only York County, Nebraska. They worshiped in a sod church, with hay bales for chairs, and they shared the church with another denomination. My Great Grandfather Rubin League converted to the United Brethren and married my Great Grandmother, where she raised her family as a pioneer women. Doing all her work barefooted and saving her only pair of shoes for church. She made her children's clothing out of flour sacks and they were very devoted to the Lord. Floyd League was one of their children and my Grandfather.
Thomas Austin is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather.