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Hannah Downard (John Henry "Jackie"Downard,Thomas, William, Jonathan, Nathaniel,

William, William, John, Thomas, John, William Lucn) B. 02 Dec 1835 in Uniontown,

Fayette, PA daughter of John Henry "Jackie" Downard and Mary Ann

Price. Hannah married Joseph W. Cross in Utica, Van Buren, Iowa on

9 Sept 1860. On 02 July 1861 their first son, Frank A. Cross was born,

in Dodgeville, Des Moines Co., Iowa. The following year, on 22 August

1862, her husband Joseph volunteered to fight in the Civil War.

Joseph's unit, the 39th Iowa Infantary, Company G, under the command

of Capt. Charles A. Parsons. was in many battles, including Parkers Cross-

roads, Corinth , Mississippi, Kenesaw Mountain, GA., Altoona and Atlanta,

GA. They participated in General Shermans "March to the Sea". Joseph

contacted the measles in training at Davenport, Iowa, which left him in poor

condition. Joseph, was hospitalized in March and April of 1863, and again in

January of 1865 in Savannah, GA at the Regimental Hospital.

Joseph mustered out on June 5th, 1865 in Washington D.C. and returned

home to his wife, Hannah and their young son. The following year, on

11 March 1866 they had their second son, Clarince E. Cross. in Dodgeville.

They remained in Dodgeville until at least 1869, where on the 23 of

November, Hannah had Charles Edward Cross. Hannah and Joseph then

moved to Sidney, Fremont Co, Iowa. There they had a fourth son, my

grandfather, John Daniel Cross on 06 Aug 1872. I am not sure how long

they stayed in Sidney, but by 1880 they were in Pierceville, Van Buren Co,

Iowa. They had their last son there on 15 April 1880, George Leonard

Cross. Pierceville is where her fathers old homestead was, so it could

be that Joseph had fallen ill again and they spent time with her family.

Joseph and Hannah moved to Tarkio, Atchison Co., MO to live with

his parents and on 18 June 1883, at the age of 46, Joseph died. He was

buried at Center Grove Cemetery, in Lincoln Township, Atchison County,

MO. Hannah and her children continued living with Daniel and Elizabeth

Cross, her mother and father-in-law. They stayed there for a while after

Joseph's death, then set out on their own. By 1888 they were living in

Eustis, Frontier Co., NE. Her oldest son, now age 27, unmarried, was a farmer.

They had gone to Eustis in a covered wagon, she and her five sons, the

youngest of whom was about 7 years old. Hannah was able to obtain a

pension because of Joseph's time in the service and the fact that he

died from illness that was service connected. She was receiving $8.00

per month.

I do not know the reason why they left Eustis, but they did and somewhere

between 1892 and 1900 they moved to Bookwalter, Pawnee Co, NE. Hannah

purchased property there. She moved to Lincoln, NE by 1915 to live with her

son John and his wife, America Jane (Collins) Cross. She died in Lincoln on

26 November 1916. They took her to Pawnee County to be buried in the

Mission Creek Cemetery. Before Hannah died, she had buried two of her sons.

Frank, who died from Cancer, and Clarince, whose bedsprings had been hit by

lightning and he died in his bed. Only two of her sons married, John (my

grandfather), and Charles (Ed).

The Cross name may have ended with this family, as there was only one boy

born and that was my Uncle Raymond, who died never having had any children.

Although Joseph may have had a brother named James, there is still much

research to be done on him. The Downard family that Hannah was born to, has

been researched back to 1505. There are still a great many Downard cousins

living around the old family homestead in Van Buren, Co., Iowa

The information contained in Hannah's Page, was obtained from various sources.

A great deal of the Downard family information came from J.P. Downard. Military

and Pension and Census records from the National Archives. My grandfather,

who died when I was 18 and my mother, who has the most remarkable memory,

gave me considerable information. Also, an old family bible, Newspaper Obituaries,
among other sources. If anyone has any corrections or additions, or believes they we
can benefit one anothers research, please contact me.