Fonner Family Newsletter August 1996 Volume I Issue I

About the Author

My name is Randy Fonner and I am the author of this newsletter. Andrew Jackson Fonner, Sr. is my great-great grandfather. I have been researching the Fonner Family for about six years (1990). I have approximately 1,200 Fonner's and Fonner relatives in my database. My database has Fonner families in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey and Michigan. Additional Fonner's are listed from all over the United States, but not yet linked to other Fonner's.

I am trying to contact Fonner's all over the United States (slowly but surely) and ask for information about their ancestors. Hopefully, this will provide the links that enable me (and others) to prove or not prove any connection between the different families of Fonner's in different states.

Andrew Jackson Fonner Sr. was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1828. He married Miss Lydia Gillogly on March 22, 1851. They moved from their native state to what is now Douglas County, Illinois, in the Fall of 1857 and settled on a farm seven miles northwest of where Newman now stands. A few essential possessions and two sons, James, age five years, and Robert, age two years, were moved by covered wagon. The county was then largely unsettled, especially the prairie portion. They felt many of the wants and deprivations incident to the settlement of a new country for a number of years after their arrival here. On this homestead, the following children were born: Margaret, Spencer, Andrew J. Jr., Marion, Charles, Thomas, George, and three who died in infancy. This farm has always been owned by Fonner descendants, being presently owned by Emmerson Fonner of Deland, Illinois(not sure if this is still true - since he is deceased), who is the son of Charles.

The prairie land south of the ridge was drained, and in 1884, Mr. Fonner purchased the farm where the children of Mrs. Ray Wax now reside. At this time, four older children were married and the remainder of the family moved to the new farm. Here Marion died in 1888 of typhoid fever at the age of 19 years. This farm has since been operated and lived on by Fonner descendants. Mrs Wax is a great-granddaughter, being descended from Zala Fonner Maris, who was the daughter of Andrew J. Jr.

In 1890, the family moved to Newman and Mr. Fonner operated a livery stable in the location of the present Grab-It-Here store. He prided himself on fine horses for hire. Surries and buggies were also rented. The home was on Yates Street immediately west of the stable. Here Mrs. Fonner died on March 22, 1895. She had been a rheumatic invalid for years. Following this, Mr. Fonner retired from active business to oversee the operation of his farms.

On September 14, 1898, he married Emily Howard, and they moved to a home in the west part of town. Mr Fonner died February 18, 1908, nearly 80 years of age. Many of his descendants still live in East Central Illinois.

Do you know what in what city there is a Fonner Street?

Did you know there is a Fonner golf course?

Did you know there is a Fonner Park?

John Fonner was born in New Jersey in 1788 and dies in September, 1852 and is buried in Alpha Cemetery in Adams County, Indiana. His wife, Mary Crouse was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1799 and died in 1854 and is buried in Monmouth Cemetery in Adams County, Indiana. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Fonner was said to be a "noble Christian woman, and had a great love for her family. Her education was superior for that day, and she was a teacher by profession."

John and Mary Fonner moved from Greene County, PA in 1832 to Athens County, OH. There they bought an improved farm from Ohio University. Their family consisted of three boys and five girls. One daughter was later born in Indiana.

In the fall of 1840, John Fonner sold his farm and moved to Troy, Miami County, OH, where they spent the winter. Mr. Fonner would not leave the state of Ohio until he had voted for General Harrison for President. Having been a soldier under the General, he wanted to vote for him. Previous to this, Mr. Fonner had been a Democrat, but here after he was a Whig.

After the election, the family stayed in Ohio through the winter because the cost of provisions for "man and beast were cheap". Corn was 12.5 cents per bushel in Ohio and in Indiana corn was from 75 cents to $1.00 a bushel. Having to feed five horses, several cows and young cattle, it was cheaper to winter in Ohio than Indiana.

In 1841, the Fonner family moved to Adams County, Indiana. They settled in the woods which were full of game. School was attended in a blacksmith shop in Monmouth and was a subscription school. The school was made of round logs and "was filled with puncheon seats, and writing desks were put around the walls". The only floor was a dirt-floor.

The only child I know much about is John A. Fonner. He was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1826. On January 9, 1856, he married Miss Elizabeth Pillars. She was born and raised in Adams County, Indiana. "Her father, Benjamin Pillers, was born in Pennsylvania, Sarah A. (Rice) Pillers, in Culpepper County, Virginia, on May 27, 1815. Her family came here (Adams County) in 1839 and settled in Root Township, on section 14, which was then wilderness". Her father built a sawmill on the stream called "Seventeen-Mile Creek," which ran through his farm.

John A. and his wife Elizabeth had "five children – Edith May, born September 18, 1858, wife of J. Robert Christen; Sarah A., born February 12, 1862, wife of A.J. Smith; Mary A., born July 10, 1864, living at home; Nellie E., born December 7, 1866; John H., born July 10, 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Fonner were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Fonner voted the Republican ticket. His grandfather, John Fonner, was probably born in New Jersey, and died in Pennsylvania". His maternal grandfather, John Crouse, was born in Pennsylvania, and died in Missouri. Nothing is known about his maternal grandmother. (Source is the Biographical and Historical Record of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. Lewis Pub. Co. 1887).

Probably the next issue will be in late December 1996. Topics to be covered likely will be Fonner's in New Jersey, the various theories for the first Fonner to come to America, info on Fonner born in Ireland, and of course answers to the Fonner Trivia questions. Hopefully, an issue in the spring of 1997 will be about Fonner’s who fought in the Civil War.

Dedication: This first issue is dedicated to Mrs. Charlotte Maris Wax. She is the granddaughter of Martha Nelson and Andrew J. Fonner, Jr. Through the Stephen A. Douglas Chapter of Douglas County, Illinois, she submitted dozens of pages of information and pictures from bible records and newspaper clippings. This was my first major find of information about the Fonner family in east central Illinois. It’s her work I am trying to continue, combining my own interest in my ancestors and in American History.