COONS, MONTRAVILLE

by Eva Bassett Connell - Granddaughter

Entry F87 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

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.