Merritt Cornell ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  General Notes:

Source: "Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical ," Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 381 Porter Township:

Merritt Cornell was born in Boone Township, this, 18 Aug 1850, and is the son of Alvin and Lydia (Lightfoot) Cornell, who were born in Wayne, Ohio, in 1820 and 1822 respectively, and they were married 29 Jan 1843, and shortly after came to this county. Merritt Cornell, on attaining school age, attended regularly until sixteen, and after that worked on the home farm in summer, and attended school in winter for several terms. On 25 Dec 1873, he married Miss Serena E., daughter of A. R. and Sophia House. To this union there have been town two girls - Miriam, 1 Mar 1875, and Stella Pearl, 22 Feb 1877. In 1873, he located on his present farm of 160 acres, in this township; his place is in first-class condition, and improved with a good two-story frame house of eight rooms, all in good order; his mother here makes her home with him. They are all members of the Christian Church, and in politics Mr. Cornell is a Democrat. The new Chicago & Atlantic Railroad passes through his farm, greatly enhancing its value.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Boone Township, Porter, IN on 13 September 1860. ⁴

1860 US Census
Page 150, Roll 289, Dwelling 1131, Family 1098
Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana
Morrit Cornell..10..IN
(Living with parents.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 18 Aug 1850, then his age should have been 9 instead of 10.
.

• He appeared on the 1870 US Census in Boone Township, Porter, IN on 28 June 1870. ⁵

1870 US Census
Page 15, Dwelling 127, Family 122, Roll 351
Boone Township, Porter County, Indiana
Merit Cornell..19..IN..Working on Farm
(Living with parents.)
.

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Porter Township, Porter County, IN on June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 524B, Roll 0305
Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana
Merrit Cornell..Head..29..IN..Farmer
(Living with wife, 2 daughters, and widowed mother.)
.

• He was buried after 27 May 1911 in the Graceland Cemetery in Valparaiso, IN.

Merritt married Serena E. House on 25 December 1873.^{1 2} (Serena E. House was born in 1851 in Indiana ² and died after 9 January 1884.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Porter Township, Porter County, IN on June 1880. ²

1880 US Census
Page 524B, Roll 0305
Porter Township, Porter County, Indiana
Merrit Cornell..Head..29..IN..Farmer
Serena E. Cornell..Wife..29..IN..Keeps House
Miriam L. Cornell..Dau..5..IN..At Home
Stella P. Cornell..Dau..3..IN..At Home
Lydia Cornell..Mother..57..OH..At Home
Eli Folts..Othr..19..IN..Farm Laborer
.