A Husband in Prison — Ellen Ann Luckey

B. 1829 in Tennessee¹
M. 3 Apr 1850 in Jersey County, Illinois²
Husband: John Ross
D. 1882 in Labette County, Kansas³

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.¹ 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.⁴ Within a couple of years, they settled on the east side of the Mississippi River, in Jersey County, Illinois.⁵

Ellen’s father died about 1840,⁶ 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.² She gave birth to a son in January 1852,⁷ and had at least four more children by 1866.

In 1864, Ellen was involved in a transaction along with her five siblings when they sold off the 84-acre homestead of their father.⁸ In a pair of deeds, the land was split into two with one assigned to Ellen and her brothers Samuel and John (the deed for the other half had the other three siblings on it). Ellen made her mark rather than signing which suggests she was illiterate. It’s interesting that younger sisters Mary and Rachel were able to sign their names.

Making her mark on land transaction document. (AI-generated image)

The man Ellen married was of questionable character. Some people who knew John Ross claimed he was “lawless” and had a drinking problem.⁹ 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.¹⁰ 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.⁹

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 1868.⁹

Ellen, John and the children were listed living next to his parents’ farm in 1870,¹ 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."³

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

Children:
1. James Ross — B. 14 Jan 1852, (probably) Jersey County, Illinois;⁷ D. 17 Feb 1884, Labette County, Kansas;⁷ M. Mary Edith Luckey (1854-1899), 24 Jul 1872, Jersey County, Illinois¹¹

2. Rachel Ann Ross — B. 14 Jan 1857, (probably) Jersey County, Illinois;¹² D. 27 Aug 1910, Labette County, Kansas;¹² M. Warren Hinsey (1854-1927), 2 Feb 1876, Jersey County, Illinois¹³

3. John H. Ross — B. Oct 1857, (probably) Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁴ M. Mary Frances Tullis (1861-?), 31 Dec 1881, Crawford County, Kansas¹⁵

4. Ella Ross — B. about 1863, (probably) Jersey County, Illinois⁷

5. Joseph Ross — B. May 1866, (probably) Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁴ M. (1) Minnie J. Shigley (1866-?), 25 Mar 1888, Parsons, Kansas;¹⁶ (2) Katherine ______ (1874-?), before 1920¹⁷

Sources:
1    1870 U.S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois
2    Marriage record of John Ross and Ellen Ann Luckey, Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Ellen A. Ross
4    1830 U.S. Census, St. Charles County, Missouri
5    Find-a-Grave listing for Joseph Luckey
6    Estimated death date of Joseph Luckey based on birth date of his youngest child, counting back 9 months.
7    Family Bible of Mary Edith (Luckey) Leonartz, transcribed by Ora Ross in 1976
8    Deeds of sale of Joseph Luckey’s land, Jersey, Illinois Deeds, 1864-1866, FamilySearch.org
9    Pardon petition file of John Ross, Springfield, Illinois, 1867-1868
10  1860 U.S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois
11  Marriage record of James Ross and Mary Edith Luckey, I.M.
12  Find-a-Grave listing of Rachel A. Hinsey
13  Marriage record of Warren Hinsey and Rachel Ann Ross, I.M.
14  1900 U.S. Census, Parsons, Kansas
15  Marriage record of John H. Ross and Fannie Tullis, Kansas County Marriages, 1855-1911, FamilySearch.org
16  Marriage record of Joseph Ross and Minnie J. Shigley, K.C.M.
17  1920 U.S. Census, Parsons, Kansas