Joseph Martin, son of John Martin Jr. and Appolonia Bucher
Joseph Martin, son of John Martin Jr. and Appolonia Bucher, was born in Fayette County Pennsylvania March 4, 1797, and moved to Montgomery County Ohio by 1817. He married Nancy Miller (1800, Ohio -1823, Montgomery County Ohio), daughter of David Miller and Magdalena Maugans, Feb. 26, 1818, in Montgomery County Ohio and, after Nancy's death, married Nancy's sister, Susannah Miller (1800-01,Ohio - 1851-2, Randolph County Indiana), June 5, 1823, in Montgomery County Ohio. Joseph, Susannah, and their family, moved to Randolph County Indiana some time between July, 1836, and the 1840 census. Susannah died there about 1852, and Joseph married Oct. 7, 1852, in Randolph County Indiana, Elizabeth Romizer, widow of Andrew Romizer. Joseph died June 16, 1861, in Randolph County Indiana.
A newspaper article describing a September 24, 1908, Martin family reunion states that, "Joseph Martin was married four times and was the father of twenty three children." "Joseph Martin was the father of Mrs. Joseph Creager of Horatio and of Mrs. Abigail Willis of Pikeville, and the grandfather of Rev. James N. Martin of Peru Ind, Geo. Martin and Mrs. W. H. Anderson of Dayton, Ind., Mrs. Cyrus Derricks of Frankfort Ind, and Mrs. Wm Warwick of Dayton Ind." I have worked with Joyce Fagerness in trying to reconstruct Joseph Martin's family, and she found much of what I will report below. I will try to differentiate between what is proven and what is just conjecture.
An obituary for Susannah Martin Lennon, daughter of Joseph Martin and Susannah Miller, states that Susannah was born February 16, 1842, on the Martin homestead north of Farmland and was "left without a mother's care at the age of ten years." This means her mother, Susannah Miller Martin, probably died in 1852. The 1850 Randolph County Indiana census shows Elizabeth Romizer and her husband, Andrew, with their seven children. Cemetery inscriptions of Old Winchester Cemetery, Randolph County Indiana show Andrew Romaser died 16 Nov 1850 age 43 years. Also in Old Winchester Cemetery are Catherine Romiser died 11 July 1851, age 4m 19d, Dau of A. and E., and George W. Romiser, died 20 May 1853, age 1y 4m 3d, Son of A. and Elizabeth, Either one of the inscriptions was read wrong or George W. wasn't really the son of Andrew.
Eight years after Joseph and Elizabeth were married, the 1860 White River Twp, Randolph County census shows Joseph and Elizabeth Martin living with his daughter Susannah, three of her Romizer children, and three children
they had together. I believe that the 23 children referred to in the newspaper article include the 7 step-children Joseph acquired with his marriage to Elizabeth Romizer and that his marriages produced 16 children, 3 with Nancy, 10 with Susannah, and 3 with Elizabeth. We have found no records of a fourth marriage for Joseph Martin. A list of cemetery inscriptions in the old Winchester Cemetery in the HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY shows Joseph Martin, died June 16, 1871, 71 years, and Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Martin, born at Parmasen, Rhein, Bavaria, in 1815, and died June 8, 1874, 59 years. I suspect that the number on Joseph's grave that was read as "71 years" was actually a 74.
Children of Nancy Miller and Joseph Martin:
F1 John Martin, born January 7, 1821, Montgomery County Ohio, died Nov. 25, 1892, Tippecanoe Co. Indiana, buried Dayton Cemetery, Dayton Indiana (age 71 y 10 m 18 d), married April 17, 1845, Montgomery County Ohio, Ellen Lohrer, born April 29, 1830, Pennsylvania, died Dec. 8, 1893, Tippecanoe Co Indiana, buried Dayton Cemetery, Dayton Indiana (age 63 y 7 m 9 d) - Census records show that John and his family were living in Montgomery County Ohio in 1850, Darke Co Ohio in 1860, and Tippecanoe County Indiana in 1880. This fact that he is the son of Joseph Martin is proven by census and marriage records that show that this John Martin was the father of the five grandchildren of Joseph Martin listed in the 1908 newspaper.
F2 David Martin, born about 1821-22, Montgomery County Ohio - probably the David Martin who married Mary Diggs April 7, 1842, in Randolph County Indiana - David Martin 28 M Ohio, his wife Mary 29 F VA and their 3 children were living next to Joseph and Susannah Martin and their family in the 1850 Monroe Twp, Randolph County Indiana census.
F3 Jacob Martin, born Jan 25, 1823, Montgomery County, Ohio, died July 7, 1893, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, buried Fink Cemetery, Lafayette, Indiana, married Sept. 13, 1849, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amanda Smith, born March, 1829, Michigan, died June 28, 1906, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Jacob had moved to Tippecanoe County by his 1849 marriage. Jacob, Amanda, and their family appear in 1850, 1860, and 1880 Tippecanoe County censuses. By the 1880 census, F1 John Martin and his family had moved next to them. Because John Martin had moved next to this Jacob Martin and Jacob is a very common name in this family, I believe that John and Jacob were brothers and that this Jacob Martin was a son of Joseph Martin and Nancy Miller. It is very likely that she died in childbirth giving birth to Jacob.
Tree Outline of Miller Generations