From the Montgomery News, March 21, 1879, p 5: "David Badgley Starr was born March 9, 1802, near Eagle Cliff in Monroe County, this state, then known as Indiana Territory.  He departed this life March 13, 1879, at 9 1/2 PM at the residence of his son-in-law Mr M[atthias] W Miller, about two miles west of this city [Hillsboro IL]. "Mr. Starr's father [John Starr] dying when he was about two years of age, his mother [Elizabeth Badgley Starr] some years after [1806] married a man named [Abraham]  Titsworth who when young Starr was eight years old removed to Arkansas where the family resided for about two years when Mr Titsworth died [this contradicts all other accounts, which agree that the family removed to Arkansas in 1806,  also given as the year of Titsworth's death].  Young David's mother moved back with her family to this state settling in St. Clair County [to reside with her parents Reverend David Badgley and Rhoda Valentine Badgley] where she again married, this time to a gentleman named [Joel] Smith. In 1817 Mr. Smith, having purchased the salt works then in operation in Bond County, moved his family there where they resided until 1819 when they removed to this country [living in the Clear Spring Settlement]. [They made] improvement upon the now well-known Thomas McAdams farm about four miles southwest of this city.  Here young Starr passed his youth.  On the 9th of June, 1825, he was united in marriage with Jane Street, daughter of Elder James Street [who established the Clear Spring Baptist Church near present Hillsboro].  Elder Street also solemnized the first marriage which took place in Montgomery County, after the organization of the county, as our county records show.  In 1832 when the call came for troops to protect our frontier settlement from the merciless savage, Mr. Starr was among the first to enlist and served as orderly sergeant of Captain Hiram Rountree's company throughout the Black Hawk War [he and Jane Street had been married by Judge Hiram Rountree].

"Mr. Starr has lived within a few miles of this city since he came to the county.  He first settled what is known as the Old Starr Place near Mr. William Seymour's present farm.  In November, 1839 he removed to the farm now occupied by his son-in-law, Mr. M.W.Miller, where he continued to reside till the time of his death.  On the 11th day of October, 1853, Mr. Starr suffered the great bereavement of his life in the death of his faithful wife.  They had eleven children of whom four died in infancy and three others in maturity.  Abraham [Badgley] Starr, a son, died after having served through the Mexican War, owing to disease brought on by exposure in camp.  James [Newton] Starr, another son, died in 1853 leaving a wife [his second, Wincey Ann Price Starr who later m2 Benjamin Robinson] and three children, only one of whom is now living [Douglas Newton Starr]. [James Newton Starr had m1 Mary Jane Grey who died of complications of childbirth within a year of their marriage.]  Julia Ann, a daughter, wife of William Keele, died in 1855, leaving no childen [two babies had died before her and are buried with her in Clear Spring Cemetery.]  Mr. Starr leaves four children surviving him, viz: John M[arion] Starr [m Matilda Alexander]; David M[onroe] Starr {m Frances Scott Craig];  Mrs. Mary E[lizabeth] Miller [m Matthias Miller]; and Mrs. Martha [Hannah Lavinia] Canaday [m Caleb Canaday].

"Mr. Starr had been in failing health some eighteen months prior to his death.  On the 4th inst he became much worse and gradually sank till the evening of the 13th when death ended his sufferings.  He had given directions as to the manner of his burial and they were strictly followed by his children.  He directed that he should be buried in his wedding pants, which he had carefully preserved, and without a coat.  That his coffin should be of plain walnut with flat lid and four holes should be made in the bottom, two at the head and two at the foot, and that it should not be enclosed in a box.  He also directed that no funeral services should be held. In accordance with these directions, his body was laid to rest in the cemetery of the church of which he was a member and loved so well, the Clear Spring Baptist Church, about four miles southwest of this town.

"Mr. Starr was so well known to the people of this county that it would be useless for us to attempt any analysis of his character.  He was scrupulously honest, extremely tenacious in what he believed to be right, and unwavering in his judgment and opinions when once formed.  Besides his relatives he leaves a large circle of friends and acquaintances who will mourn his loss.  He was at the time of his death one of the oldest if not THE oldest native Illinoisan living in the State."

 [Additional notes:  1) Unnamed in this obituary are DBS's two half-sibs Ezekiel Titsworth and Wiley B Smith. 2) DBS's grandfather Reverend David Badgley had brought a large party of settlers from Hardy CO VA to St Clair CO IL in 1797; John Starr's family owned land abutting that of Badgley in Hardy CO and it is probable that he and his brother or first cousin Daniel Starr, who married Eliabeth's sister Rachel Badgley, came to Illinois with Badgley's group.  Other surnames associated with that migration are Borer, Carr, Clark, Clarke, Davis, Hand, Harness, Henckel, Miller, Mitchell, Radcliffe, Redmon, Shook, Stookey or Stuckey, Stroud, Strauder, Teter, Tolin, Valentine, and Whetstone. 3)  The Starr line was Palatine German and had been in America since 1737; Badgley  was English and traces to the immigrant Anthony Badgley ca 1688. Nora Tocus