A Husband in Prison — Ellen Ann Luckey

B. 1829 in Tennessee
M. 3 Apr 1850 in Jersey County, Illinois
Husband: John Ross
D. 1882 in Labette County, Kansas

Ellen Ann Luckey was the wife of a man who at the height of their marriage, committed a crime that put him in prison. Ellen was born in 1829 to Joseph Luckey and Esther Tucker, the oldest of their six children. Both of her parents came from North Carolina, and migrated to Missouri shortly after they got married; Ellen’s birth took place somewhere in Tennessee, but it isn’t known if they ever made a home there. By 1830, the family was living in St. Charles County, Missouri. Within a couple of years, they settled on the east side of the Mississippi River, in Jersey County, Illinois.

Ellen’s father died about 1840, leaving her mother to raise the children by herself; it’s likely Ellen that took on a role of helping to look after her younger siblings. On April 3, 1850, Ellen married John Ross, who lived on a farm nearby. She gave birth to a son in January 1852, and had at least four more children by 1866.

The man Ellen married was of questionable character. Some people who knew him claimed he was “lawless” and had a drinking problem. He didn’t seem to have his own farm and for at least part of their marriage, they lived under the roof of his parents. One night in November 1866, John and oldest son James were arrested for burglarizing a grocery store. The boy was released, but John was convicted of the crime and sent to prison.

For the next year or so, Ellen was alone with her children. There’s no record of where she turned for assistance, but it’s likely she had the help of her in-laws. An effort was made by those close to the family to get John released, and because his parents were so highly-regarded, they were able to successfully petition for a governor’s pardon. John came home in early 1868.

Ellen, John and the children were listed living next to his parents’ farm in 1870, and then they disappeared from census records after that. By the 1880s, four of her five children moved to Kansas, and Ellen moved with them, probably as a widow. She died in 1882, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons, Kansas under a headstone that says "Mother."

Ellen's grave at Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons, Kansas (Source: Find-a-Grave)

Children:
1. James Ross — B. 14 Jan 1852, Illinois; D. 17 Feb 1884, Labette County, Kansas; M. Mary Edith Luckey (1854-1899), 24 Jul 1872, Jersey County, Illinois

2. Rachel Ann Ross — B. 14 Jan 1857, Illinois; D. 27 Aug 1910, Labette County, Kansas; M. Warren Hinsey (1854-1927), 2 Feb 1876, Jersey County, Illinois

3. John H. Ross — B. Oct 1857, Illinois; M. Frances M. (1861-?), about 1882

4. Ella Ross — B. about 1863, Illinois

5. Joseph Ross — B. May 1866, Illinois; M. (1) Minnie J. Shigley (1866-bef 1920), 25 Mar 1888, Parsons, Kansas; (2) Katherine (1874-?), before 1920

Sources:
1830, 1850, 1860 and 1870 U.S. Censuses in Illinois
Marriage record of John Ross and Ellen Ann Luckey, Jersey County, Illinois, 3 Apr 1850
Pardon petition file of John Ross, Springfield, Illinois, 1867-1868
Tombstone inscription of Ellen Ann Ross, Oakwood Cemetery, Parsons, Kansas
Family Bible of Mary E. Leonartz
Marriage certificate of James Ross and Mary E. Luckey, 23 Jul 1872, Jerseyville, Illinois
Tombstone inscription of Warren and Rachel Kinsey, Oakwood Cemetery, Parsons, Kansas
Illinois marriage index, 1763-1900
Kansas marriages, 1840-1935