William Netherton (1809-1872)

William Netherton was born 1 Jan 1809 in Oldham County, KY, 209 years ago. He was the son of Henry Netherton and Nancy Hardin, and my son-in-law’s 4th great-grandfather. He moved to Bartholomew County, Indiana, where he married Elizabeth Chenoweth (who was born in Hardin County, KY), and then to Starke County, where his children were born. Starke is about 170 miles north of Bartholomew, quite a trek in those days.

William and Elizabeth had five children, who lived to adulthood. Elizabeth died in 1857, when the youngest child was two. William remarried, but that was a probably short-lived marriage: his second wife is not with him in 1860 or 1870; and the youngest son goes to live with his uncle around 1863 (acc. to a county biography, although he is living with his father in the 1870 census).

Two sons became teachers; his eldest son George served in the Civil War, and his daughter Nancy served as a nurse. William’s grandfather John served in the Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. This family participated in quite a bit of American history.

Were they aware they were making history? Or were they just living their life as well as they could? Whatever it was, they should be remembered for their contributions!