Callie Wise History (1926)
(Written by Callie Wise)
Transcribed by Jean Netherton     May 21, 2001


Sunday August 29, 1926

Our Family " The Wises" dates back to the early settlement of this countey.

The oldest of which I have any record is Abraham Wise who was born in 1767 and died in 1849.   He married Dolly Day who was born in 1776 and died in 1862.   From all accounts I find they are Virginians of Scotch and English descent, commonly called Scotch-Irish having originated in Scotland and going to Ireland thence to America settling in Virginia, going from there to Kentucky.  They came to Indiana from Mason County Kentucky about 1820.

Abraham and Dolly Wise were the parents of fifteen children, Lucy, Polly, Elizabeth, Charity, Adam, Morgan Day, Susan, Dolly Ocy and Abram Henry who were twins.  Twelve of these lived to be grown, married and had families.  Lucy died in 1792, aged one year.  Nancy Ann died in 1808, less than one year old and Charity died in 1814, Aged five years.

Elizabeth was married in 1816 to James Grant and their children were John, Dolly, Jane, Clary and Nancy Judson Grant.  I have no further record of the Grant Family.

The next to marry was Polly who married John Jett and their children were Dolly, Catherine, Elizabeth and Mary.  Mary married Ransom Moore and they had two children Laura and Belle but I could find nothing more about them.  Catherine Jett married William Foster and four children were to them.  Anna who married Thomas Harris had nine children, is still living.  John Foster married Mary Stears and had two children, William who married Lettie Meridith had seven children all living, and Laura who married Delos Jackson has two children Clara-Widow of Hiram McCafferty and Lois living at home.





John Wise, son of Abraham and Dolly wise was born in Virginia in 1798, was married in 1825 to Dully Berry and they were the parents of eleven children, Henry B., Beverly, Alfred, Mary Ann, Lucinda, William, Morgan, Ocy, Sarah Jane, John and Abram the baby who died about nine months old.  Beverly died about the same time at the age of 23 years.  Henry B. the oldest child was born in 1824 and died in 1895.  He was married twice, his first wife was Mary Ann Coleman, and to them were born four children, Eliza, Dully, John,  and Emma.  Eliza the oldest married John W. Clark a Captain in the Civil War and to them was born four children.  Ephraim of St. Petersburg, Florida.  John of Daviess County, Ind..  Carrie who died and Harlan T. who lives in Philadelphia, Penn.  John Wise married Grace Kramer and lives in Vincennes.  Dully married John Haynes,  they had seven children.  Dully is dead but several of her descendents are still living in the West.  Emma the youngest married Charles Johnson of Vincennes, they had seven children some of them still living in Vincennes, some in Terre Haute and some in Indianapolis.  Emma is dead.  Henry B. Wise married for his second wife Rachel Ruggles and to them were born ten children.  Anna who married Dr. Barnett of Rockport.  Ida who married Dr. Goldman, Mae who married Emmit Martin, Edith married Will Shively and Emma is unmarried.  The others were Aaron, Willie, Frank and George all dead.

Alfred the third child of John and dully wise was born in 1828, married four times.  His first wife was Mary Veale and and one daughter Lucinda was born, still living, she married James Ragsdale who was a soldier in the Civil War.  Two sons were born to them, Austin Ragsdale of this County and Mell Ragsdale of Detroit, Michigan.  Alfreds second wife was Mary Scott a widow with one son.  The third wife of Alfred was Ella Jane Fitzgerald and they were the parents of nine children, the oldest dying in childhood.  Of those living are Mollie who married Milton Fitzgerald and they were the parents of seven children, all living.  They being Omie who married Austin Arthur, Pearl married John Meade, Kate married Don Ellis, Hallie married Luther Robinson, Grace married Irvin Allison, Clinton married Inez Purcell and Carrie single living at home.

Cora, daughter of Alfred Wise was married twice, her first husband was McMurray and they had two children, her second husband was William burke and they have six children, all living.

John Wise son of Alfred married Lillie Thomas.  They have eight children, all living. Edna married Travis Barber, Curtis married Onetia Giltner, Callie married Martin Dayton, Gladys married Otto Ritterskamp, Lela married Nolan Barber, Wilbur married Emma Hart, Robert married Ruth Lenard and Bernard married Helen Davidson.



Lydia Wise daughter of Alfred Wise married John Baldwin and to them were born ten children, eight still living.

Dully another daughter of Alfred Wise married Herschel Reynolds they have five children, all living.

Alfred wise married the fourth wife who was Nan Way and they had two children Inez Moore and Hardy Wise.

Mary Ann Wise was the eldest daughter of  John and Dully Wise, she was married at the age of fourteen to Hopkins Stringer and to them were born seven children, Nelson, Martha, Dully, Henry, Ellen, Sarah and Sammy, only two of whom are living they being Martha Fuller of Vincennes whos first husband was James Abernathy and Sarah the wife of Andrew Steffy and living in Knox County.  Henry Stringer who married Flora Johnson died but the widow, a son and two daughters are still living.

Dully Stringer married Alex Rutherford and to them were born four children, John, Mary, Walter and Grace.  I find the three grand children of John Rutherford and the two of Mary Rutherford Shepard are of the seventh generation of the descendents of Abraham and Dolly Day Wise, also on great grand child of Mrs. Martha Fuller making six children of the seventh generation.

Lucinda another daughter of John and Dully Wise was born in 1835-died 1912, she married Thomas Harrod and they were the parents of eight or nine children, only four of whom are living, they being Jennie who married Frank McCafferty, Sentney who married Maud Buckley, Mollie who married Eugene Hopson and Nettie who married John Harnes.  The deceased are Alfred, Steward who Married Ann Smoot, Edith who married Thomas Deering and Frank who married Ida Zollars.

William Wise another son of John and Dully was born in 1837, died March 26, 1923.  He married Letha Massey and to them were born three children, Mollie and James both dead and Victor who is still living at Eldorado, Ill.

John Wise another son of John and dully Wise married and died near Eldorado, Ill., left a wife and children.

Ocy Wise another daughter of John and Dully was born in 1841, died Oct. 18, 1923, she married Milford D. Johnson and to them were born six children, two of them, Mollie and Edward are dead.  The living ones are Ola who married Oberest lives near Evansville has several children.  Stella who married Will Solomon lives in Harrington, Kan  Luther who married Nettie Whayne lives in Vincennes has one daughter married, and Pearl the wife of W.B. Allen has two sons, Morgan another son of John and Dully Wise, born 1839 was never married.

Sarah Jane died at the age of 19 years.  Now comes Catherine Wise born in 1800 daughter of Abraham and Dolly Day Wise, she was married in 1823 in Daviess County to William Carnahan and to them were born five children, they being Winnie, Sophrona Ann, Adam William and Abram.

Winnie married William McClellan and to them were born six children, only two of whom are still living, they being George and Abram McClellan, but several grand children are living, among them being Sam Hopkins, Ada Thomas, Lucas children.

Sophrona Ann married Sentney Wood, left one daughter who married Goodwin and has descendents still living at Muncie, Ind.

William was a soldier in the Civil War, settled and married in Illinois where his descendents are still living.

Abram was also a soldier in the Civil War, he was taken prisoner at Browns Ferry and died in Andersonville prison in 1864.

Lewis Wise the next son of Abraham and Dolly Day Wise was born in 1802, was married in 1823 in Daviess County to Deborah Jones daughter of a Methodist preacher Ebenezer Jones and they were the parents of eleven children, John, William, Abram, Smith, Ann, Kenneth, Martha, Enoch, Thomas, Mary and James, twins.  Kenneth was a doctor, went to Los Angeles, Calif., and became a millionaire.

A great grand daughter of Lewis Wise is Mrs. J.E. Ramsey of New York whose father s Adolph Wise, her grand father William Wise.  Another descendent is Mrs. Nora Clements of Evansville, still another is Seibert Day Wise of Harrisburg, Ill.

Clary Wise born in 1804 married Enoch Davis had four children, Morgan who married Elizabeth Hopkins, William who married Mary Marmaduke and Elizabeth and Henry who never married.

Next comes Kenneth Wise son of Abraham and Dolly Day Wise was born in 1806, his first wife was a Brayfield and to them were born three children.  Eliza who was the second wife of Sentney Wood left one daughter who married a Shirey and their descendents live in California.

Mary Elizabeth whose first husband was Stafford, they had one son Kenneth.  Her second husband was named Fullerton.  Franklin Wise who married Rebecca Carnahan and to them were born three children only one of whom is still living, he being A.C. Wise living in Washington.  Kinneth took for his second wife, Ellen Shircliff and they had one daughter, Deborah Ellen who married Clark Lawrence and to them were born five children, Frank, Julia, Mary Elizabeth, Addie and Kenneth  W. Lawrence.

Susan Wise daughter of Abraham and Dolly Wise was born in 1815.  She was married to Leonard Stringer and they had three children, Harvey, Mary, and Ann.  Leonard moved to Texas where some of his descendents are still living.

Morgan Day Wise was born in 1812- died in 1895, was married to Elizabeth Stringer and they were the parents of nine children, Maria J. Anderson, Lewis, an infant, Clara, Nancy Ann, Martha, George and Morris.  Anderson and Lewis were soldiers in the Civil War and died from the effect of exposure in the War.

Clara married Aikman Carnahan who was a soldier in the Civil War and they had two children, Faloura still living and Abram Roscoe who died in El Paso, Texas.

Nancy Ann married Samuel Lewis and to them were born two children, Morgan and Rosetta.  She later married Ed Horrall (deceased) and she died in Oklahoma several years ago.

Martha Wise married William H. Godwin and to them were born three children, two of whom are living being George Godwin who married Etta Purcell and Nadia Godwin who married Louis Mackey now living in Vincennes.

Morris Wise, youngest child of Morgan D. and Elizabeth Wise was born in 1858, still living, he married Hattie Snow of Poplar Bluff, Mo. And has one son George Wise born in 1910.

Kenneth W. Lawrence whose mother died was taken when very small by Morgan and Elizabeth Wise, his mother being a Wise and niece of Morgan Wise.  Kenneth was born in 1868.  Died in 1923.  Married Goldie s. McConnell, left two children, Mrs. Charles Bushman of Vincennes and Ray Lawrence of Mt. Carmel, Ill.

Abram Henry first married Ann Mattingly and had four children (all dead) who were Lewis, Ann, Judson and Laura.  His second wife was Sarah H. Hopkins and they had four children all of whom are dead.  They were Emmons, Zelek, Thomas and Virginia.

Adam wise born in 1810 son of Abraham and Dolly Wise married Eliza Jane Allison in 1842 and to them were born four sons, Jefferson who married Hannah Ann Donaldson, Warder who married Martha Carnahan (born Sept 18, 1847), Albert who married Mary Myers and Milton still living who married Belle Jacobs.  Milton's children are Oliver, Adrian, Herman and Eupha.  I find on writing to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that there were no less than twenty persons named Wise and twelve named Day who served in the Revolutionary War.

I also find in a D.A.R. Magazine a history of the ancestors of the Wises in Virginia.  The Wises of Devonshire dwelt in the west of England before the Norman Conquest.  One Oliver Wise was seated at Greston in Cornwall.  Fourth in descent from him was William Wise living in 1100. William's great grand son was Sir James Wise, Lord of Greston.  One John Wise of Sydenham house was High Sheriff of Devon in the reign of Henry IV (1404).

Sydenham House contains the arms of Wise above the doorway.  The Arms, Crest and Motto of the Devonshire and Virginia Wises were granted to John Wise of Sydenham in 1400.  The motto is "Sapere Andez"

The founder of the Wise family in Virginia was John Wise.  He settled on the Eastern shore in 1635.  In 1668 Governor Berkeley made a grant of 1060 acres of land to John Wise, out of this was carved two estates which were handed down by wills for 204 years from father to son.

Henry A. Wise born Dec. 3rd 1806 was Governor of Virginia, Was elected in 1835.  He was the eldest son of Maj. John Wise. He died Sept, 12, 1876, was a member of Congress from 1833 to 1844. In 1840 he called for "Union of the Whigs for the sake of the Union", which phrase became the rallying cry of his party.  He was an earnest advocate of free schools and used his oratory and pen to urge their adoption. It is said that when Abraham Lincoln made his memorable visit to Richmond, Virginia after the war Governor Wise was the one whose advice he sought.