M. 11 Jun 1826 in Vincennes, Indiana2
Husband: Jean Baptiste Edeline
D. 8 Jan 1872 in Vincennes, Indiana3
During the first few decades of the 19th century, the town of Vincennes, Indiana was undergoing a cultural shift. It had been founded a couple of generations earlier by French-Canadians, but after the American Revolution, a wave of non-French settlers from the East moved in. Isabelle Hunter was from one such family, and by marrying a French man, she became a part in blending the two groups together.
Isabelle was born to Robert and Naomi Hunter in about 1803, probably in Vincennes.1 She seems to have been their oldest child, and the cabin where they lived soon became crowded with the addition of many siblings.4 Her father had been born in Ireland,5 undoubtedly of Scottish descent, and her mother was from Delaware.5 There are no handed-down stories that give any clue as to how and why Robert and Naomi both ended up in Vincennes. While the family was later shown to belong to the Presbyterian church,6 no records exist showing Isabelle ever being a member.
On June 11, 1826, Isabelle married Jean Baptiste Edeline in Vincennes, Indiana.2 Since she wasn’t Catholic, they weren’t allowed to be married in the church that Jean’s family attended, so it was a civil marriage. Jean had a long heritage in Vincennes going back to the days when it was a French fur trading outpost. The French people in Vincennes were considered “Creoles" — they had their own traditions, food and music which was a hybrid of French, Native-American and American frontier culture. This was certainly very different from the lifestyle Isabelle grew up with.
Isabelle's marriage record.
Between 1827 and 1848, Isabelle gave birth to seven children, one of whom died as an infant.7 Her oldest boy died at age 14.8 All of the children were baptized as Catholics, except possibly the two youngest because there is no record of them in the church. The family had a farm on the southern outskirts of Vincennes, and the children did go to school, at least for a few years.9
In March 1849, Jean died, probably of a sudden illness because his will was written just days before his death.10 Isabelle's youngest son was a baby, but the other two boys were almost of age and helped keep the farm going. The 1850 census showed the farm to have a value of $1,500,5 considerably more than the ones around it. By 1860, though, one of Isabelle’s sons was listed as the head of the household and the farm was worth a lot less money.9
Isabelle spent her remaining years among her children, and was with her married daughter’s family in 1870.1 She died two years later on January 8, 1872 in Vincennes.3 The family got permission to have her buried next to her husband in a small Catholic cemetery. Unfortunately, the cemetery was desecrated years later by a farmer who used the headstones for the foundation of his barn.3
Children:
1. Joseph Edeline — B. 21 Oct 1827, Vincennes, Indiana;11 D. Jan 1842, Vincennes, Indiana9
2. Marie Jeanne Edeline — B. 5 Oct 1829, Vincennes, Indiana;12 D. about 1851, Indiana;10 M. Paul D. Richardville (~1825-?)), 21 Sep 1850, Knox County, Indiana10
3. Robert A. Edeline — B. 26 Sep 1831, Vincennes, Indiana;13 D. after 1870;1 M. Suzanne Queret (~1840-?), 14 Jan 1861, Vincennes, Indiana14
4. John Edeline — B. 9 Dec 1833, Vincennes, Indiana;15 D. 23 May 1896, Cairo, Illinois;10 M. (1) Eliza Joyeuse (~1836-~1873), 19 Feb 1855, Vincennes, Indiana;10 (2) Moliea Pauline Owens (1848-1927), 18 May 1875, Vincennes, Indiana10
5. Patience Naomi Edeline — B. 10 Feb 1838, Vincennes, Indiana;16 D. before 24 Oct 1838, Vincennes, Indiana7
6. Isabelle Edeline — B. 10 Apr 1840, Vincennes, Indiana;17 D. 24 Mar 1895, Vincennes, Indiana;17 M. John Richard Glass (1830-1908), 25 Jul 1858, Vincennes, Indiana10
7. William L. Edeline — B. about 1848, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;18 D. before 24 Oct 1876, (probably) Knox County, Indiana;19 M. Mary Louise Ravellette (1850-1918), 24 Nov 1868, Knox County, Indiana20
Sources:
1 1870 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
2 Marriage record of Isabella Hunter, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
3 Find-a-Grave listing for Isabella (Hunter) Edeline
4 1815 Vincennes land ownership list which shows Robert Hunter with lot 157
5 1850 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
6 Minutes of the Session of the Indiana Church, Knox County, Indiana, Mary Aline Polk, 1965
7 Burial record of Little Deline, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 4 Oct 1838
8 Burial record of Joseph Edeline, St. Francis Xavier parish records, Jan 1842
9 1860 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
10 “My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
11 Baptismal record of Joseph Edeline, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 16 Mar 1828
12 Baptismal record of Marie Jeanne Edeline, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 7 Oct 1829
13 Baptismal record of Robert Deligne, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 22 Nov 1831
14 Marriage record of Robert Edeline and Susan Boyer, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 14 Jan 1861
15 Baptismal record of John Edeligne, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 11 May 1834
16 Baptismal record of Patience Naomi Deline, St. Francis Xavier parish records, 6 Jun 1838
17 Find-a Grave listing of Isabella Edeline Glass
18 1870 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
19 Probate record of William Edeline, Knox County Records Library
20 Marriage record of Wm Edoline and M Ravalett, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1941, Ancestry.com
