John Haner Crees ^{2 3 4 5 6 7}

  General Notes:

For the 1870 US Census, John was widowed, his wife having died just 1 year prior. Living with him were only 2 children, his 1 adopted daughter, Elizabeth, and 1 young apparent granddaughter of unknown parentage (perhaps Nancy was the mother). Still living with him was his youngest son, Joseph who would marry in about 2 years, and his only daughter, Nancy, who apparently never married. All of his other sons were married with families of their own and all were living nearby in Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1850 US Census in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA on 28 August 1850. ²

Page 85, Roll 182, Dwelling 47, Family 47
Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa
John H. Crees...44..PA
(Living with wife and 6 children.)
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• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Goshen Township, Muscatine, IA on June 1860. ³

Page 132, Dwelling 922, Family 917
Goshen Township, Muscatine County, Iowa
John H. Crees...54..PA
(Living with wife and 4 children.)
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• He appeared on the 1870 US Census in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA on 24 August 1870. ⁴

Page 24, Roll 380, Dwelling 183, Family 184
Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa
John H. Crees...63..PA..Farmer
Nancy...40..PA..House Keeping
Joseph...30..OH..Farmer
Elizabeth Crees...23..IA
Sarah Crees...4..IA

(John was widowed and living with 2 children, 1 adopted daughter, and 1 young grand-daughter of unknown relationship.)
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• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA on June 1880. ⁵

Page 172C, Roll 0331
Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa
John H. Crees...Head..74..PA..Widowed..Retired Miller
Nancy Crees...Dau..50..PA
Sarah N. Crees...Granddaughter..14..IA

(John was widowed and living with his daughter and grand-daughter.)
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• He was buried after 17 April 1882 in the West Bethel Cemetery in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA.

John's gravestone was a white sandstone gothic tablet that has weathered quite badly. Most of the inscription is no longer readable with any certainty but the Masonic symbol is clearly visible at the top along with his name shown as "John H. Crees". The year of death is easily visible as "1882" and his age at death is clearly visible as "76 Ys". It probably says "Aged 76 years 3 months 4 days".

Find A Grave Memorial #50763674
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John married Sarah McLaughlin on 5 March 1829 in Pittsburgh, PA.⁷ (Sarah McLaughlin was born on 21 May 1804 in , Sherman's Valley County, PA,^{2 3 7 8} died on 26 June 1869 in Iowa ^{7 8} and was buried after 26 June 1869 in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA ⁸.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1850 US Census in Iowa Township, Cedar County, IA on 28 August 1850. ²

Page 85, Roll 182, Dwelling 47, Family 47
Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa
John H. Crees...44..PA
Sarah Crees...46..PA
Nancy Crees...20..PA
Henry Crees...19..PA
Thomas M. Crees...18..PA
Neely Crees...16..PA
Joel Crees...15..OH
Joseph Crees...11..OH
Elizabeth Robinson...3..IA

NOTE - I'm sure of the exact relationship to Elizabeth Robinson but she shows up on the 1860 Census under the name of "Elizabeth Crees" with an age of 12. Because of this, many researchers mistakenly assume that she was another daughter born to John and Sarah. I believe she was probably an illegitimate daughter of Nancy who was shown on this 1850 Census as "Elizabeth Robinson" and later was referred to as "Elizabeth Crees" simply because she lived with and was raised by Nancy and her parents. Another possibility is that she might have been some unknown relative that was orphaned in 1850 and was adopted, either officially or otherwise, by John and Sarah thus explaining her name change by 1860.
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• They appeared on the 1860 US Census in Goshen Township, Muscatine, IA on June 1860. ³

Page 132, Dwelling 922, Family 917
Goshen Township, Muscatine County, Iowa
John H. Crees...54..PA
Sarah Crees...55..PA
Nancy Crees...29..PA
Neely Crees...26..PA
Joel Crees...25..OH
Elizabeth Crees...12..IA
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