COONS, MONTRAVILLE
My grandfather, Montraville Coons was born in Paris, Ill. Oct. 31, 1845. He had a brother, Israel, but that is about all we know of his family.
When he was 17 years old, he joined the Union Army, (although he was not of legal age, which was 18 years) and fought in the Civil War. The last 9 months of his duty was spent in the Andersonville Prison, when his group was captured and confined until the war ended in 1865. He had spent 3 years in the army. He told us many dreadful things of the terrible ways in which the prisoners were treated. It was an encampment of about 10 acres near Americus, Georgia, where it is said, 13,000 prisoners died from starvation, scruvy, and many other diseases. The only shelter they had was what they could scrounge together from tree branches and old ragged blankets. They often had to lie in mud and fight lice, flies, and misquitoes. There were so many of them crowded together at times, there was no place to rest. He told of seeing some, who threw their arms out across the line of the prison and were shot while sleeping, by the guards. The water was filthy to drink, and one day, a fresh spring broke through the surface in the middle of the Camp. From that time on there was clean water from the little creek for them to drink. It was truly a miracle from God. When it came time for their release from the prison, my grandfather told his army buddy that they must be very careful not to eat but very little for a while, until they became accusto-med to food, since they were nearly starved. He had seen many of their hungry comrades eat all they could hold, and just fall dead.
He married Sarah Edwards, Dec. 23, 1875, in Red Oak, Iowa. She was born June 9, 1853, in Washington, Indiana, and died March, 1930, in Norfolk, Ne. To this union were born six children: Mary Ellen (Molly) who married George Phelps. Danial Lee, who married Lulia Parks, and Leona Katheryn, who married Lawrence (Larry) Bassett. The other three, 2 daughters, and a son, died very young with scarlet fever.
They made their home around Watson, and Rock Port, Missouri, until 1905, when they and their daughter, Leona, migrated to Hooker County, in Nebraska, coming in a covered wagon. Ernys, Sextons, Fraziers, Van Duesans, and Furrows were among the neighbors, whom they mentioned often.
My grandfather was noted for the fine draft horses, he raised.
As a little girl, I remember our family, driving probably 25 or more miles in our top buggy to visit my grandparents.
While they lived in the sandhills, Grand-mother's father, J.L. Edwards died back in Missouri. Her mother then came to live with them. She died later and was buried in Cedar View Cemetery in Mullen.
Around 1917, they returned to Rock Port, Missouri, selling their homestead to Boyce's. It was always the highlight of our lives, after that, when our grandparents came from Missouri, every year to visit us. They brought us apples and black walnuts for the winter. Grandpa loved to fish, so he took my brother and I, to Carter Lake. We loved to run and splash in the edge of the water, but grandpa went to fish. We were too noisy, therefore it wasn't much fun for us to go with him.
In the fall of 1928, they were no longer able to live alone, they moved to Mullen, to stay with our family, who had moved to Mullen, so I could attend high school and my brothers went to grade school there. My grandmother became ill and died March 4, 1930. She was buried in Rock Port, Mo.
Grandpa then stayed with his children, Molly Phelps, in Rock Port, or his son Danial, who had moved to Nebr. from Missouri, or with our family. Finally, he came to live with his grandson, Cecil Coons, and wife Ada. During his last two years, he became ill and died there in March 21, 1940. He is also buried in Rock Port, Missouri.