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RUSSELL COUNTY, KANSAS
BIOGRAPHIES
WEEKS, LILLIE JANE & JESSE McGINNIS
Lillie was a true pioneer, coming to Kansas at age seventeen with her father William in 1877 to set up a home
in preparation for the remainder of the family to come the following year. The tasks of daily life for them would
be very time consuming, adding to that the building of a house (dugout), digging a well and providing shelter for
the livestock. Lillie knew responsibility at an early age. Her husband to be Jess McGinnis (Edmunds wife) to prepare
for her arrival. Nancy McGinnis accompanied the weeks family as they made their trip to Kansas in 1878. The parcel
of land know as The Cross Plains Cemetery, was originally owned by Edmund McGinnis, Jess's father. It was purchased
for the sum of thirty dollars in 1887. Jesse's mother, Nancy was the first person to be buried there. Jesse served
in the Civil War was a member of 21st Regiment of Illinois Infantry. He died at age forty-six, leaving Lillie with
five children ages 5-14. She applied for a widows pension and received it with back pay in Feb 1896. two years
after Jesse died. Lillie and Jesse lived on a farm one and one half miles north of the Weeks home. this is where
they raised their five children. Lillie died at age forty seven after enduring the many hardships years of early
pioneering. (Submitted by Kyle M. Condon)
WEEKS, WESLEY COLE
Wesley Cole Weeks was born 17 Jun 1857 in Lockport, Will county, Illinois, the oldest of seven children born
to William and Mary Weeks.
It was in the year 1878, a year after William and Lillie (Wiliam's oldest daughter) had left for Kansas that
William sent for the remainder of his family to come to Kansas and begin their New life on the Weeks Homestead.
At this time Wesley Cole was the oldest, 21 years of age so it became his place to lead the family to their
new home in Kansas.
It was in Kansas that Wesley Cole met Polly Jane Mathewson and on 17 Jun. 1899 he and Polly were married and began
their own family. Polly had two children from a previous marriage. These children were Jessie and William (Willie)
Mathewson. Polly was a Newsom by birth. As time went on, five sons were born to Wesley and Polly.
Wesley was a farmer in the Russell and Barton county, KS area until his death Polly and her family remained in
this area until 1920 when again she moved west to Baca County, CO. She also had family in this area. About this
time Polly had a case of the German measles and bega to lose her sight. Polly and the boys homesteaded there. Although
she was blind she was a strong and courageous woman keeping her family together. Polly and the boys remained on
the ranch from 1920 until 1930 when she sold the ranch and moved to the community of Springfield, CO. Polly had
a rope run through the house so she could find her way around. She would also get up in the night and do baking
or wash dishes. This ofter had other people wondering what was going on, but as Polly was blind, she didn't know
if it was day or night. Wesley died in Kansas and is laid to rest in Cross Plains Cemetery. Polly died in Springfield,
CO and was brought to Kansas on a train by her sons to be buried next to Wesley. (Submitted by Kyle M. Condon)
MARY A. BICKERDYKE
BICKERDYKE, Mrs. Mary A., philanthropist and army nurse, born near Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, 19th July,
1817. She is the daughter of Hiram and Anna Ball. The mother died when Mary was only seventeen months old. The
little one was reared by her grandparents. Her grandsire was a Revolutionary soldier named Rogers and a descendant
of the Rogers who landed on Plymouth Rock. While young, she was married to Mr. Bickerdyke, and in a few years was
left a widow, with helpless little ones to rear. When the Civil War came, she left home and loved ones to offer
her services as nurse to the soldiers, who were dying by scores for lack of food and care. When the supplies to
the army were sent from Galesburg to Cairo, Mrs. Bickerdyke accompanied them as delegate. After the battle of Belmont
she was assigned as nurse to the field hospital. Fort Donelson brought her in sight of battle for the first time.
She obtained supplies sometimes by visiting the North and superintending fairs, by a simple note to a pastor at
sermon time, and by her famous "cow and hen" mission, by which she furnished the wounded soldiers with
a hundred cows and a thousand hens, to provide fresh dainties for the sufferers. During the winter of 1863-64 she
made a short visit home, and returned and took part in the establishment of Adams Block Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.
This accommodated about 6,000 men, and from this she became the matron of Gayoso Hospital, in which were more than
700 wounded men brought in from Sherman’s battle of Arkansas Post. She took charge in Memphis, Tenn., of a small-pox
hospital and cleansed and renovated it with her own hands, when nine men lay dead with the disease. Through the
battles at Vicksburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Chattanooga Mrs. Bickerdyke nursed friend and foe
alike, and when, in 1864, Sherman started on his memorable March to the Sea, always devoted to the Army of the
Tennessee, "Mother" Bickerdyke, as the soldiers used to call her, accompanied the 100,000 men who marched
away. Resaca, Kingston, New Hope, Cassville, Allatoona, Dallas and Kenesaw Mountain furnished her with 13,000 of
those brave men as subjects for her care. When Sherman cut his base of supplies, Mrs. Bickerdyke went to the North
and collected immense sanitary stores for the soldiers. When Sherman entered Savannah, she sailed for the South,
to take care of the liberated Union prisoners at Wilmington. At Beaufort, Averysboro and Bentonville she pursued
her mission, and at the request of General Logan and the 15th Army Corps she marched into Alexandria with the army.
At the final review in Washington Mrs. Bickerdyke, mounted upon a saddle-horse, dressed in a simple calico dress
and sun-bonnet, accompanied the troops. This dress and bonnet were sold as relics of the war for $100. Since the
rebellion Mrs. Bickerdyke has spent her life in procuring homes and pensions for the "boys." She resides
with her son, Prof. Bickerdyke, in Russell, Kansas.
(American Women Fifteen Hundred Biographies, Volume 1, Publ. 1897. Transcribed by Marla Snow)
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