The Shemwell Family

William Thomas Barnett Obituary and Family Listing William Thomas Barnett, son of Thomas W. and Mary Troutman Barnett, was born in Fulton county, Indiana, November 20, 1844, and departed this life at his home in Iola, Kas., January 27, 1933, at the age of 88 years, 2 months, 7 days. He was the last of a large family to answer the call. His parents were among the earliest settlers of Fulton county and their oldest child was the first white child born in Fulton county. His paternal grandfather was born in Virginia but at the beginning of slavery trouble moved to Ohio. He and his family were of the Quaker faith and traced their ancestry back to Scotland through emigrants who came to America before the revolutionary war. At the age of 18 he enlisted in Company A, 26th Indiana Vol.Inf., in which he served 3 years and saw much hard service in the long siege of Vicksburg and many other engagements. He received several wounds some of which troubled him to the end of his life. In September 1863 he with his two brothers and others of his company were captured and spent 10 months in rebel prisons most of the time at Tyler, Texas. He also acted as military court officer until mustered out at Vicksburg, on January 17, 1866. Mr. Barnett was one of the few remaining Civil war veterans here. The sole survivor of is company is A. Hunneshagan, of Kewanna, Ind. In 1866 in badly broken health he returned to his home and remained there for about 3 years. In September 1869 hoping to improve his health and also to gain a home for himself in the West, he came to Kansas, stopping at Topeka first, where he worked on a farm for a short time, then to Iola before a railroad was here. After traveling over eastern Kansas and part of Indian territory he returned to Iola and bought the first 80 acres of the farm he left to his children, paying for it by working by the month for cattle men. Among them were: McClure, Brundage, and Brooks and the late Judge Arnold. He then began farming for himself and through his industry and management added two more eighties to the first. On February 26, 1874, he was married to Miss Mary E.Cox of Decatur, Ill. she passed away November 4, 1906. to this union were born ten children, namely: Mary E.(Mrs. R.E.Sullivan)Iola; Centennial R.(wife of S.E.Wilson) who died Nov 19, 1923; Thomas W., who died Aug. 31, 1909; Elmer A., Iola, who for 14 years has been his father's constant companion; Harry C., Nevada, Mo.; Noble R., Iola; C.Ralph, Wichita, Kans; Florence W.(Mrs. Paul McKinley)Iola; Russell J., Chillicothe, Mo.;Robert Bruce who died Aug. 13, 1911. In 1910 Mr. Barnett moved to Iola where he has since resided. The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. N.L. Vezie at the Sleeper Chapel January 28, 1933 at 3 pm. Burial in Iola cemetery. (The Iola Register, January 28, 1933, Submitted by Nancy Willis) Kansas Trails Allen County, Kansas Obituaries A-B http://genealogytrails.com/kan/allen/obitsAB.html