Josiah and Sally, both of whom are buried at the Connelly Cemetery, which Josiah donated from his farm, settled in Clark County’s Parker Township, five miles southeast of Westfield, with their three children, Martin Van Buren, Patsey Tennessee, and Richard Madison. Patsey, or Patsy, married Frederick Hammond 25 Sept. 1858 and died in 1890.

Josiah was probably drawn to Illinois for the same reason as the Parkers. According to Wimberly, writing in “Frontier Religion”:

The immigration of Parker to Illinois virtually coincided with the entry of Illinois into the Union in 1818. . . he entered a state that had been part of the Indiana Territory, which had been carved out of the Northwest Territory by Congress in 1800. The vast Indiana Territory encompassed the modern states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, most of Michigan, and part of Minnesota. On February 3, 1809, Congress divided Illinois and Indiana into separate territories. Territorial Illinois only endured nine years. With the pacification of the Wabash Valley following the War of 1812, Illinois experienced an influx of settlers. The availability of cheap land coupled with relaxed payment obligations encouraged immigration.

The bulk of Illinois land became available on credit. Such an arrangement proved attractive . . . The more populous southern third part of the state had been settled largely by southerners like (the Parkers) from Tennessee and Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln numbered among the new settlers. After seven years in Indiana, Kentucky-born Abraham followed his father, Thomas, to Illinois in 1823.

Most of the immigrants in southern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois (like the Connellys) had come from the South. For several reasons southern Illinoisans did not typify the wealth and refinement of the Southern aristocracy. Rather, limited funds and education characterized the average southern Prairie Stater. The transplanted family, often large in number, farmed small to medium-sized tracts. In many cases every family member of sufficient age contributed labor . . . few owned slaves. Most lacked the financial means to afford servants . . . farmers . . . invested their resources in land, housing, improvements, and farming implements.

Josiah in 1837 purchased 20,000 acres at $1.25 per acre, according to Illinois public land purchase records.

His sons married sisters, Jane and Barbara Stillwell (or Stilwell). There is a photo of six of the sisters in a Westfield history: Lucy Stillwell Lowry (Mrs. Tom); Melissa Stillwell Volk (Mrs. George); Jane Stillwell Connelly (Mrs. Martin V.); Julia Stillwell Newlin (Mrs. Tom); Lucinda S. Bennett (Mrs. Henry); and Mrs. Cassandra Stillwell Marrs (Mrs. Will). (We are assuming that Lucinda is a Stillwell.)

Not in the picture is lovely Barbara or Barbary, as she was sometimes noted on various documents. Martin the son never got over it all; on his marriage license he put his father as R.M. Morgan, and at his death, his wife listed his father as Martin Sr. Richard Madison on his own death does mention his son in his will, along with his “new” family.

Martin Van Buren Connelley (from this point on, we will use Connelly) married a neighbor, Minnie May Smith, on Feb. 26, 1893. She took her vows in a dove-grey dress she made for the occasion. They lived on 20 acres of land with a log house in Parker Township, two miles east of Lindsay School. Many of the Connelly children attended the school and Martin was at one time a trustee; he was also a roads commissioner. There was also a church near the cemetery, which is still in place with many Connellys buried there.

The couple’s 13 children were:

Barbara Catherine, 16 Dec. 1893-10 Dec. 1989; married O’Kellie Summers (1897-1974)

George Richard, 20 Jan. 1895-16 Sept. 1895 (died of the black, or yellow, fever)

Edgar Francesco, 1 July 1896-1958

Delmar Bryan, 27 Oct. 1897-1992

Dewey Arthur, 20 Mar. 1899-10 Feb. 1983

Alanson Parker, 24 Jan. 1901-Nov. 1978

Nelson Henderson, 26 Feb. 1903-1946

John Walter, 14 Nov. 1904-1964

Martin Van Buren (Paddy), 18 Jan. 1907-June 29, 1978

Sallie Lucinda (Buckler), 24 May 1909-1968

Flora Minerva (Nicholson), 30 Sept. 1911 (married Carl Nicholson, 1912-1967)-5 Jan.

2000 (in Edgar Co., IL, buried in Casey Cemetery)

Serena Mildred, 21 Jan. 1914-Still living 26 Dec. 2006

Cora Alice, 30 Jan. 1917 (1915?)-11 Nov. 1918; died in flu epidemic

Dewey and Martin V. (Paddy) are buried in the Lindsay Cemetery, across the road from the Connelly acreage; Serena’s tombstone is also there. Their mother Minnie is buried in the Connelly Cemetery with Martin Sr., but her parents, James E. Smith (1849-1932) and Sarah C. (1850-1938), are in the Lindsay plot. Curiously, the plot for little George is not listed.

When in later years the family moved from the log cabin up to the road by Lindsay School and cemetery, they moved into the senior Smith home. The Smiths were said to be wealthier than Martin Connelly and his large family. Serena Connelly was still living in the residence, a one-story dwelling with no running water (electricity was added probably in the 1980s), as of Summer 2005. She has now sold the property and moved to a rest home in Marshall.

Minnie May Smith was born in 1874 in Casey Township to James Edgar Smith, born 20 Sept. 1849 in Coles County, near Paris. He died 27 Nov. 1932. His wife was Sarah Catherine Bishop, born 30 Aug. 1850 in Indiana. She died 11 June 1938. They were married 8 Jan. 1873. In her obituary, it was said she was called “Grandma Smith” by all.

In the 1930 census, their granddaughter Flora was living with them, serving as a housekeeper. Grandma Smith later gave Flora a clock, which was lost to the family when she died and her possessions were either sold or given away by relatives (as her daughter and son, Janice and David Nicholson, died within two years of her and within a year of each other).

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