M. 7 Apr 1853 in Jersey County, Illinois
Wife: Mary Jane Davis
D. 8 Mar 1884 in Labette County, Kansas
The Midwest of the 19th century was made up of men like Samuel Luckey. He raised crops, farm animals and a large family on a farm he proudly owned. And he followed in the pattern of his father by picking up and moving further west.
Samuel’s parents, Joseph Luckey and Esther Tucker, came from North Carolina, but there is no existing record of their marriage; it’s believed they lived in Tennessee before moving to Missouri around 1829. The family was listed as living in St. Charles County in the 1830 census, and Samuel was born there on January 7th of that year. By 1833, the family relocated back across the Mississippi to Greene County, Illinois (which became Jersey County in 1839). Joseph Luckey died in about 1842, and as his oldest son, Samuel likely played a large role in managing the family farm.
On April 7, 1853, Samuel set off on his own as he married Mary Jane Davis, a young woman whose parents were also from North Carolina. The Luckey and Davis families appeared to be closely related and may have migrated to Illinois together. Samuel acquired a farm in Jersey County, and he fathered a family of ten children, born between 1854 and 1874.
The 1870 census gives us a glimpse of Samuel’s farm. Of his 60 acres, 40 were cleared of trees. That year he harvested 300 bushels of winter wheat, 100 bushels of corn, and 150 bushels of oats, slightly above average from the farms around him. He owned five dairy cows along with two other heads of cattle, and also kept three horses, nine sheep and 40 swine. Samuel paid out $100 in wages to those who worked for him. The total value of his farm was $1,500, and he had $75 worth of farm equipment.
1872 plat map showing Samuel's Jersey County farm.
In 1879, Samuel decided he wanted to move to one of the western states, to newly cultivated territory. He bought a farm in Labette County, Kansas, and the entire family moved there, including a married daughter with her family. Unfortunately, his health began to fail. On the 1880 census, Samuel was listed as suffering from ague, a lung disease common on prairie farms. He died four years later on March 8, 1884. Mary Jane survived him by over 43 years, passing away in 1927.
Children:
1. Mary Edith Luckey — B. 18 Jun 1854, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 18 Jan 1899, Labette County, Kansas; M. (1) James Ross (1852-1884), 24 Jul 1872, Jersey County, Illinois; (2) Albert Leonartz (1849-?), 8 Aug 1887, Labette County, Kansas
2. Caroline Elizabeth Luckey — B. 29 Nov 1855, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 2 Aug 1887, Labette County, Kansas
3. Eliza Ann Luckey — B. 1858, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 24 May 1862, Jersey County, Illinois
4. Eleanora Luckey — B. 6 Aug 1859, Jersey County, Illinois; D. Jan 1865, Jersey County, Illinois
5. Laura Jane Luckey — B. 2 Apr 1861, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 18 Apr 1954, McMinnville, Oregon; M. John Walter Brown (1852-1919), 23 Oct 1879, Jersey County, Illinois
6. Joseph M. Luckey — B. 23 Feb 1863, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 4 Feb 1941, Parsons, Kansas; M. Rachel Matilda Minder (1864-1953), 2 May 1884, Osage, Kansas
7. Rosa Bell Luckey — B. 30 Sep 1866, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 31 May 1941, Los Angeles, California; M. George Willis Reed (1867-1944), 2 Jan 1889, Parsons, Kansas
8. Margaret Louisa Luckey — B. 24 Dec 1868, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 22 Feb 1952, Parsons, Kansas; M. Alexander Taylor (1857-1940), 25 Dec 1888, Parsons, Kansas
9. John F. Luckey — B. 16 Apr 1870, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 8 Mar 1884, Labette County, Kansas
10. William Anderson Luckey — B. 8 May 1874, Jersey County, Illinois; D. 7 Dec 1935, Sedalia, Missouri; M. Ella Lucinda Mashburn (1880-1959), 23 Dec 1896, Parsons, Kansas
Sources:
Handwritten records of Pefley Cemetery, Parsons, Kansas
1830, 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Censuses, Missouri, Illinois and Kansas
Marriage record of Samuel Luckey and Mary Jane Davis, 7 Apr 1853, Jerseyville, Illinois
Family Bible of Mary E. Leonartz
Marriage certificate of James Ross and Mary E. Luckey, 23 Jul 1872, Jerseyville, Illinois
Records of Pefley Cemetery, Parsons, Kansas
Tombstone inscriptions of Keller Cemetery, Jersey County, Illinois
Jersey County, Illinois marriage index
Atlas Map of Jersey County, Illinois, 1872
Death record of John Walter Brown, 29 Mar 1919, Greene County, Illinois
Obituary of Rachel Luckey, Parsons Daily Sun, 1953, Parsons, Kansas
Kansas marriages, 1840-1935
California death records, 1940-1997
