John Turney Buckley and family
of Fairfield, Indiana and Cozad, Nebraska

John T. Buckley was the first son of Anson and Jane Harrell Buckley. He was born November 27, 1834, near Fairfield and it was there that he was raised. He was married December 28. 1864, in Union County . Indiana to Minerva Angelina Thomas of that county. She had been born in 1842 in Union County to Thomas Thomas and his wife Jane Harlan. Information on this family will be found in the Harlan Family genealogy by A. H. Harlan.

John T. and Minerva were the parents of four children,

  • Thomas Vernon Buckley born March 28, 1866
  • Effie J. Buckley born September 25, 1870
  • Mary Edith Buckley born February 7, 1873
  • Estella Buckley born October 17, 1876

The entire John T. Buckley family moved to Dawson County, Nebraska , in 1889. They lived on a farm near the town of Cozad .

Mary Edith Buckley died June 14, 1892, at Cozad.

The Franklin Democrat of June 18, 1896, told, “Jas. Buckley left Monday morning for Cozad , Neb. to attend the funeral of his nephew, Verne Buckley, son of John T. Buckley, formerly of this county.”

The 1900 Dawson County Census showed the John T. Buckley family living in the Pearson and Cummings Addition in Cozad.

  • John T. Buckley November, 1834 65
  • Minerva A. Buckley May, 1843 58
  • Effie Buckley September, 1870 29
  • Stella Buckley October, 1876 23

John T. was a carpenter and Effie and Stella were both listed as teachers. John T. stated that his father had been born in Connecticut and his mother in Ohio. John and Minerva had had four children and only two were still living.

John's middle name has been a source of debate. Some have interpreted old hand writing to say John Turssey Buckley. However, it is more likely that his middle name was Turney - that was his grandmother's maiden name (Abigail Turney Buckley, wife of Isaac Buckley).

Minerva Thomas Buckley died October 31, 1901. According to the Dawson County Cemetery Guide, the Buckley graves are found in Walnut Grove Cemetery which is located eight miles north and 1/2 mile west of Cozad. However, in 1988, Mrs. Gladys Buckley of Cozad found the graves in Fairview Cemetery , south of Cozad. (Her Buckley line is not related to this line.) Their graves read,

  • Minerva A.
  • wife of J. T. Buckley
  • May 23, 1842 — Nov 1, 1901
  •  
  • J. T. B.
  • May 12, 1923
  •  
  • Brother
  • Thomas V.
  • born 26 Mar 1866
  • d. 13 Jun 1896
  •  
  • Sister
  • Mary E.
  • born 1 Feb 1873
  • d. 14 Jun 1892

The 1910 Dawson County Census showed John Buckley, age 75, a widower. Living with him was his daughter Effie Welch, age 35, who was divorced and an artist.

The above cemetery guide indicates that John T. died in Nebraska , but there is some confusion regarding his death. The 1921 obituary of his sister Elizabeth, stated that he was living in Maryville, Tennessee, at that time.

The May 24, 1923, Brookville Democrat carried his obituary. It stated:, “James Buckley received word last week of the death of his brother, John T. Buckley, at Maryville , Tenn. on Sunday, May 13 at the age of 87 years, the deceased was born and reared near Fairfield and enjoyed a visit last summer from his brother James. The funeral and burial were at Maryville on Wednesday, May 16.”

Anne provided the scan to the left of her grandmother, Stella Buckley Bennison. The original is a tiny photo taken in Janesville, Wisconsin after the birth of her first son.

Stella was born in Union County, Indiana in 1876. Stella was a teacher for awhile in a sod school house at Cozad, Nebraska. She met Albert H. Benison in Cozad.

John T. Buckley and his grandsons Lawrence and Albert Bennison, taken in Janesville, Wisconsin.The boys are the sons of Albert and Stella Buckley Bennison.

Anne, a descendant from John and Minerva Thomas Buckley tells that John T. had died on May 12, 1923 in Tennessee at Effie's home in Maryville. His other daughter, Stella Buckley Bennison, accompanied his body back to Cozad for burial beside Minerva who had died in 1921. Apparently, Stella never had John's information added to the grave marker but that has been done. Anne tells that John T. served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He enlisted on 23 October, 1861, He mustered out of the Company H 36th Infantry Regiment Indiana on 21 September, 1864 in Indianapolis. Because he was the head druggist at the Nashville Hospital where he served, he did receive a veteran's pension. John T. was active in the Masonic Lodge. Anne has a gold handled cane given to him by the Masons on his 70th birthday.

Anne and Lorraine, descendants, have wondered if this photo (left) might be a young John Turney Buckley. Note that it was taken in Cozad. This type of cabinet card was commonly used in the 1890's.

John T. Buckley

John T. Buckley

John T. Buckley

Thomas Vernon Buckley

Thomas Vernon Buckley

Effie Buckley

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This page is designed and maintained by Lyndon Irwin.