Omri P. Fast ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7}

  General Notes:

Omri Fast had as many as 6 different wives and maybe up to 7.

1. Ellenoch ??? - married before 1869
There is a Find-A-Grave Memorial # 40157367 with a photo of a gravestone with Omri's name on it as the husband. The inscription is very difficult to read but could possibly be as follows "Ellenoch, wife of Omri Fast, Died ??? 19, 1869. The cemetery is Walnut Cemetery at Banner, Fulton County, Illinois which is the location in which he was born and grew up. No marriage record has yet been located and the full name of the wife is not known.

2. Mary Elizabeth Kellsa
Supposedly the manuscript by Gerry Wirt Faust, "By Way of Rotterdam," on pages 289 and 360 referenced this marriage as occurring on 4 Jul 1869 in Fulton County, Illinois. No document of the marriage has yet been located but it can be confirmed by the birth register for their son, Martin Tracy Fast, in which the mother name was listed as "Mary A. E. Killsa".

3. Mary Ann Gilfillan
Supposed married on 23 Oct 1875 in Fulton County, Illinois. Once again no marriage record can be found but one researcher claims it was referenced in the "Illinois Marriage Records, 1815-1900" database. That database source has yet to be located and verified. But the 1880 US Census shows Omri living with his 4 sons and Catharine Gillfillian who was listed as a sister-in-law, thus indicating that Omri must have been married to Mary Ann Gillfillian. Living next door to them was another Gilfillan who appears to be a brother to Mary Ann and Catharine.

4. Catherine Gilfillan
Married 27 Jan 1881 in Mason County, Illinois
The marriage exists in the "Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935," database which can be verified at the URL https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2PS-3JY.

5. America C. Bell
Supposedly married on 20 Jul 1884 in Fulton County, Illinois.
Gerry Wirt Faust referenced this marriage as occurring on 20 Jul 1884 in "By Way of Rotterdam" on pages 289 and 360. No other official marriage document has yet been found.

??? - Possibly another wife whom he married in 1886. This may be just a confused year of marriage from 1884. The date comes from his information on the 1900 US Census while he was living in the Soldier's Home in Quincy, Illinois.

6. Mary Just (previously married and Just was not her maiden name)
Married in 1906 in Adams County, Illinois
This record can be verified at the following URL: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X2TT-LTP
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  Burial Notes:

Find A Grave Memorial# 27123994

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1850 US Census in Utica, IL on 21 November 1850. ²

1850 US Census
Page 329A, Family 8, Roll 107
Utica, Fulton County, Illinois
Onevi (?) Fast..6..IL
(Living with parents.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 30 Jun 1844, then his age should have been 5 instead of 6.
.

• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Banner Township, Fulton, IL on 6 July 1860. ³

1860 US Census
Page 137-138, Roll 179, Dwelling 986, Family 964
Banner Township, Fulton County, Illinois
Omrie Fast..16..--..Farm Hand
(Living with father and step-mother.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 30 Jun 1844, then his age should have been 15 instead of 16.
.

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Banner Township, Fulton, IL on 22 June 1880. ⁴

1880 US Census
Page 43D, District 31, Dwelling 220, Family 227, Roll 207
Banner Township, Fulton County, Illinois
Omri Fast..Head..35..IL..Laborer..Widowed
Frank Fast..Son..12..IL
Albert Fast..Son..9..IL
Martin T. Fast..Son..8..IL
Thomas Fast..Son..3..IL
Catherine Gilfillan..Sister-in-law..20..IL..Keeping House

(Omri was widowed, living with 4 sons, and his sister-in-law.)
.

• He appeared on the 1900 US Census in Quincy, IL on 9 June 1900. ⁵

1900 US Census
Sheet 11A, District 144, Line 27, Roll 236
Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, United States
Soldiers & Sailors Home
Omri Fast..Inmate..Jun 1844..56..IL..Married 14 years

(Living by himself in the Soldiers' Home but his wife's location is not known.)

NOTE - Presumably his wife at that time would have been America Bell whom he supposed married in 1884 making his marriage 16 years old instead of the 14 reported on his census. Perhaps there was another wife that he married in 1886.
.

• He appeared on the 1920 US Census in Chillicothe Township, Livingston, MO on 13 January 1920. ⁶

1920 US Census
Sheet 4B, District 94, Family 93, Roll 918
Chillicothe Township, Livingston County, Missouri
Farm owned, with mortgage
Omri Fast..Father..76..IL..Widowed
(Living at the home of his married son, Albert.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 30 Jun 1844, then his age should have been 75 instead of 76.
.

Omri married Ellenoch before 1869. (Ellenoch was born about 1849, died in 1969 and was buried in 1969 in Banner Township, Fulton, IL.)

Omri next married Mary Elizabeth Kellsa on 4 July 1869 in , Fulton County, IL.¹ (Mary Elizabeth Kellsa was born about 1849 and died after 16 February 1872.)

  Marriage Notes:

No record of their marriage has yet been located but it can be confirmed by the birth register for their son, Martin Tracy Fast, in which the mother was listed as "Mary A. E. Killsa".
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Omri next married Mary Ann Gilfillan, daughter of Gilfillan and Unknown, on 23 October 1875 in , Fulton County, IL.¹ (Mary Ann Gilfillan was born about 1849 and died after 1877.)

  Marriage Notes:

Although one researcher claims a marriage record exists in the database"Illinois Marriage Records, 1815-1900", no source or location of the database is given nor can it be located. Searches on all other known marriage databases fail to locate any such marriage record.

But the 1880 US Census shows Omri living with his 4 sons and Catharine Gillfillian who was listed as a sister-in-law, thus indicating that Omri must have been married to Mary Ann Gillfillian. Omri's marital status was marked as widowed so clearly his sister-in-law was living in the household to help raise the children.

Within six months of the 1880 US Census, Omri would end up being married to Catharine Gillfillian on 27 Jan 1881 in nearby Mason County, Illinois.
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Omri next married Catharine E. Gilfillan, daughter of Gilfillan and Unknown, on 27 January 1881 in , Mason County, IL. (Catharine E. Gilfillan was born in 1860 in Illinois ⁴ and died after 27 January 1881.)

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Omri Fast
Age: 35
Spouse's Name: Catharine E. Gillfillian
Spouse's Age: 21
Event Date: 27 Jan 1881
Event Place: Mason,Illinois
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M53376-2
System Origin: Illinois-ODM
GS Film number: 1313034

Citing this Record:
"Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2PS-3JY : 29 December 2014), Omri Fast and Catharine E. Gillfillian, 27 Jan 1881; citing Mason,Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,313,034.
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Omri next married America C. Bell on 20 July 1884 in , Fulton County, IL.¹ (America C. Bell was born about 1849 and died between 1884 and 1920.)

Omri next married Mary Just in 1906 in Adams County, IL. (Mary Just was born about 1849 and died after 1906.)

  Marriage Notes:

Name: Omri Fast
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 1906
Event Place: Adams, Illinois, United States
Spouse's Name: Mary Just
Spouse's Titles and Terms: Mrs.
Page: 16716
GS Film Number: 001870158
Digital Folder Number: 004539871
Image Number: 00529

Citing this Record:
"Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X2TT-LTP : 3 March 2016), Omri Fast and Mary Just, 1906; citing Adams, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,870,158.
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