Ekas Genealogy

Genealogy: Emma Jane Ekas*

Emma Jane Ekas Born in 1858. Died in 1918. Married David Eli Gibson (1852-1903).

Children of David Eli Gibson and Emma Jane Ekis were:
Joseph David (1878-1932)
George (1880- )
Ella (1889- ); mar. William Hilliard)
John M.(1891- )
Jessie Margaret (1897- )
Ira E.(1899- )
William Plummer (1902-1991); mar. Anna Elizabeth Shoup)
Mary (?)

Obituary: Butler Citizen, Page 3, Col. 1, March 18, 1918
Mrs. Emma Gibson, aged 59, the widow of the late Eli Gibson of North Washington died at Butler County General Hospital Thursday evening. The body was removed to North Washington Saturday, where funeral services were held Sunday afternoon.

Joseph Ekas Born March 30, 1835. Died May 19, 1915. Married February 12, 1857 to Anna Elizabeth Mechling (1838-1911).
See Joseph's application for Civil War pension

Children of Joseph Ekas and Anna Elizabeth Mechling were:
Emma Jane (1858-1918); mar. David Eli Gibson (1852-1903)
James Blakely (1860-1930); mar. Hannah Jane Patterson (1859-1915)
Richard Mechling (1862-1944); mar. Anna Melda Fowler (1872-1951)
Thomas (1863- )
Anna Elizabeth (1865-1930); mar. Adam Nininger)
Susan Ira (1867-1940); mar. George Washington Gibson (1855-1932)
John Alexander (1869-1945); mar. Minnie B. Hilliard (1876- )
Sidney Ellis (1871-1935); mar. Fremont Fowler ( -1927)
Charles Francis (1873-1947); mar. Margaret E. Russell ( -1928)
George Thomas (1874-1896); mar. Linnie Alice Rodgers (1874-1952)
Joseph Levi (1876-1955); mar. Lydia Permilia Nellis (1874-1920)
Lewis Lemuel (1878-1956)
Samuel C. (1881-1969); mar. Minnie Rosenberry (1879-1961)

Joseph Ekas obituary: Butler Citizen dated 5-20-1915.
Joseph Ekis aged 80, a well known and respected resident of Washington Township died Wednesday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Eli Gibson of Parsonville. Death was due to infirmities of age. The funeral will be held Friday from the residence, with interment at Highland Cemetery, North Washington. Was a Civil War vet, Company H, 102 Pennsylvania Infantry. GAR. [From 1883 Butler County History, page 105: "Corp. Joseph EKIS, m. Oct. 18, 1864; absent with leave at muster out."]

Anna (Mechling) Ekas Obituary: Butler Citizen dated 5-18-1911.
Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Ekas, wife of Joseph Ekas of Washington Township died at the family home Wednesday, aged 72 years. The funeral will take place Friday at 1:00 o'clock at the home and the interment will be in the Highland Cemetery at North Washington. The deceased was a daughter of the late Christian Mechling of Jefferson Township and a sister of the late Mrs. S. J. Martin, whose remains arrived here last night from New York City and who will be buried at Summit Cemetery today.

Joseph Ickes Born 1808. Died 1870. Married Jane Staley (1809- )

Children of Joseph Ickes and Jane Staley were:
Jacob (1831-1905); mar. Mary E. Davis (1837-1916)
Susannah (1832- )
Mary (1834- )
Joseph (1835-1915); mar. Anna Elizabeth Mechling (1838-1911)
Jane (1837- )
Margaret (1839- )
Isabella (Elizabeth?) (1843- )
John W. (1846-1923); mar. Alvina Laube (1843-1930)
William Alexander (1847-1920); mar; Margaret Ellen McConaughey (1851-1938)

John Henry Ickes, Jr. Born 1778. Died 1846. Married Mary Croyle (Croil) (1778-1851). **They came from Bedford County, Pennsylvania about 1819 and were one of the first families to settle in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Mary Croil supposedly has Seneca Indian blood.

Children of John Henry Ickes, Jr. and Mary Croyle were:
Jacob (1799-1890); mar. Mary Hepler (1811-1886))
John (1801-1872); Mar. mary Burtner (1806-1887)
Elizabeth (1804-1881); mar. John Heckert; 2nd. John Thomas Fleming (1803-1833); 3rd. David Scott, SR. (1783-1837)
Catherine (1805-1887); mar. Neal Strawig ( -1865)
Joseph (1808-1870); mar. Jane Staley (1809- )
Sarah (1811-1851); mar. William Barker
Henry (1814-1883); mar. Mary A. (1814- )
Adam (1816-1881); mar. Susannah Walter (1819-1889)
Barbara Catherine (1818-1883); mar. William Cooper (1817-1892)
Susannah (1807-1883); mar. Robert Harbison (1807-1874)
Thomas (1821-1906); mar. Mary Byerly (1819-1905)
Mary Polly (1822-1877); mar. John Lafever)

John Henry Ickes, Sr. Born 1742. Died 1829. Married Magdalena Stambaugh (1743-1772). He served in the Revolutionary War. His will listed nine children, written November 20, 1823; probated January 26, 1829 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. They settled in Dutch Corner, Bedford County.

Children of John Henry Ickes, Sr. and Magdalena Stambaugh were:
Margaret (1764-1823); mar. John/Jacob (Emich) Amick; 2nd John Stambaugh
Jacob (1768- ); mar. Rebecca (1774-1847)
Susanna (1771-1823); mar. Isaac Adam Cobler
Peter (1773- ); mar. Mary
Children of John Henry Ickes, Sr. and Elizabeth C. Stambaugh (1750-1823)
Maria Elizabeth (1775-1843)
Henry (1777-1860); mar. Catherine Himish (Hinish) (1777-1826); 2nd Margaret Clark (1783-1876)
John Henry Ickes, Jr. (1778-1846); mar. Mary Croyle (1778-1851)
Adam (1783-1870); mar. Elizabeth; 2nd Mary Haberstock (1787-1852)
Phillip (1785- ); mar. Elizabeth

John Peter Ickes Born 1716.

He lived in Limerick Township, which was in Philadelphia Township until 1784 when it became Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was a distiller and had about seven children, three of whom are shown below.

Children of John Peter Ickes were:
John Henry Ickes, Sr. (1742-1829); mar. Magdalena Stambaugh (1743-1772); 2nd Elizabeth C. Stambaugh (1750-1823)
Nicholas (1744- )
Peter (1748-1829); mar. Dorothy (Kebner) Kepner (1753-1810)

John Christian Ickes ( -1737) Married Margarth.

Children of John Christian Ickes and Margarth were:
Johannes (1710- )
John Nicholas (1714-1765); mar. Anna Marie Clara Klein (1715- )
John Peter (1716- )
Henry (1716-1800); mar. Anna Elizabeth (1724-1783)
Anna Maria (1721- ); mar. Henry Neuman
Barbara (1723-1808); mar. Abraham/Jacob Markley (1723-1800)
Catherine (1726- ); mar. Jacob Reitz

Michael (Ittich) Ickes Married ?Coblentz

Children of Michael Ickes and ?Coblentz were:
John Christian ( -1737); mar. Margarth
Jacob
Michael, Jr.

*[This Ekas (Ikas) (Ickes) family tree comes from research done by Janet Donnel and Loretta Welch. Janet's e-mail is: [email protected] ]

**[From the History of Butler County Pennsylvania, Waterman, Watkins, & Co., Chicago, 1883; page 257.]

"The Ekas family is now very numerous in Buffalo and Clinton. John Ekas, its progenitor, was a native of Pennsylvania, who settled in this township is 1818. Hugh McKee had been on the farm before him. The Ekas family came to this county with a wagon and four horses. The wagon was the first that appeared in the neighborhood, and was brought here with much difficulty. The turnpike over the mountains was then just building, and the route was in a very bad condition. They were eight or nine days coming 100 miles. John Ekas was the father of nine children, three of whom were born here. Jacob, the oldest, still resides in this township, and is as lively and cheerful as in his youthful days. The other children are John (deceased), Joseph, Adam (deceased), Thomas, Henry, Elizabeth (Fleming, deceased), Sarah (Barker, deceased), Polly (Lafevre), Barbara (Cooper), Susannah (Harbison) and Catharine (STRAWIG).
"The Ekases were famous for their hunting exploits, and many wolves yielded their scalps. At one time they killed a she wolf and nine young ones in a den on Smith's Creek. First, a number of shots were fired into the den, but of course it was impossible to know what they had effected. Finally, Jacob volunteered to go in and investigate. He crawled into the narrow opening between two rocks, felt his way along, and, putting his hand on the old wolf, found that she moved not. Supposing she had moved, where might he be to-day? The place was so confined that he could not turn around, but was obliged to crawl out backward, until those outside could get hold of his heels and pull him out. Another time, they received $57 bounty at one time, the scalp of an old wolf bringing $8, and that of a young one, half as much. Their hunting experiences would fill many pages, but we must pass over them thus briefly."

   [From Chapter 38 - Buffalo Township: History of Butler County Pennsylvania, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895; page 482]

"The broken character of the township deterred the immigrants who came to the county from the close of 1797 to the close of the War of 1812 from locating here. Of course many men, such as Hugh McKee, came in, remained some time, and then sought other neighborhoods for a home. The settlement at Ekastown in 1818 by John Ekas, and the opening of "Disappointment Farm" by John Weir the same year, were the beginnings of a new era in this township."

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Updated 9 Jul 2003