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Information regarding the family of Joseph Etherton and his wife Elizabeth was sent to Robert Scott in the 1970s by Wilson Buchanan (1886-1997), originally of Jefferson County, and finally of Dallas Center, Iowa. Wilson (given name John Wilson Buchanan) was the son of John Buchanan and Mary Etherton. Mary was the daughter of Napoleon Etherton and Mary Jamison. The dates of Joseph and Elizabeth, and the names of Milton, William, and Silas Etherton, their children, were listed by Wilson as having been copied from the family Bible. Wilson sent a handwritten copy of this information. Wilson listed other information on the Etherton and Hillis family, which he wrote was copied from a printed sheet that had two holes for filing. His transcription shows that Louisa Etherton, wife of Hiram Hillis, was daughter of Joseph Etherton and Elizabeth Simmons.

According to the Bible record, “Joseph Etherton died Oct. 24, 1878, age 97 years, 4 mos and 3 days. Elizabeth Etherton, his wife, died Oct. 20, 1846, age 56 years.” The Bible records do not report this, but Joseph was probably the man who married Elizabeth Coleman on 12 March 1849 in Jefferson County after the death of his first wife. Elizabeth Simms Etherton was probably the sister Elizabeth Etherton received by Brushy Fork Baptist Church by experience on 18 April 1824. Joseph did not join.

Joseph voted in an election in Madison Township on 7 August 1826, but that does not necessarily mean he lived in that township as voters from throughout the county went to Madison to vote in this election. In 1827, he was taxed for 80 acres of second-rate land in the E1/2 NE1/4 Section 26 Twp. 5N Range 11E. which he acquired by patent. He was also taxed for two horses and one poll. His listing is the same in 1828 and 1831, and in 1833 the listing is the same except he was taxed for only one horse. Land records show Joseph patented the W1/2 NW1/4 Section 25 Twp. 5N 11E on 5 July 1831 (80 acres) 1 Aug. 1838 he patented SE1/4 NE 1/4 Section 23 and the SE 1/4 NW 1/4 of section 26 (total of 80 acres.) These tracts are all in the south central part of Shelby Township, along the East Fork of the Indian Kentuck Creek.

The records of Floyd Mohler of Frankfort, Ind., have a few additional notes and one major difference. In a letter written in August 1973, he states that Joseph Etherton was born in Culpeper County, Va., and that he married Elizabeth Simms (instead of Simmons) on 6 June 1811. He does not say where the marriage occurred. However, because the tombstone of their daughter Louisa Etherton Hillis shows she was born in Virginia, we should assume it took place in that state. Floyd had records for the following children only: Louisa Etherton, wife of Hiram Hillis; Jane Etherton, wife of Robert Gallatin Benefiel; Elizabeth Etherton, wife of Hiram McKay, Napoleon Etherton, Maria Etherton Hillis and Nancy Etherton Lansbury. He did not know the names of the spouses of the last three. He states family “legend” says there were 11 or 12 children.

The names of some of these heirs are shown by two commissioners deeds that involve settlements of the estate of Catherine Hillis. On 16 May 1879, a deed was written (Jefferson County Deed Book 42 page 170) that cites the case of Napoleon Etherton vs. Maria Hillis, Nancy Lansbury, Jane Benefiel, William McKay, the heirs of Joshua HiIlis [I suspect this should be Louisa Hillis who had died in 1877. These names are from a typewritten transcription], and the heirs of Catherine Hillis. The deed notes that as a result of an order from Jefferson County Circuit Court, the commissioners sold Lot 181 in Hendricks and Groves Addition in Madison. A similar deed dated 8 Oct. 1879 involved a deed that transferred twenty feet off the west side of Lot 9 and ten feet off the east side of Lot No. ten in Lanier’s addition to Nancy Lansbury. This suit involved Napoleon Etherton vs. Maria Hillis, Nancy Lansbury, Jane Benefiel, Elizabeth McKay, William T. Hillis, Malissa Stewart, Victoria Neil [sic O’Neal], Napolian Hillis, Joseph Hillis, Franklin Josephus Price, H. Hillis, Newton Hillis, Jerome Hillis, Sue Gray, and Salona Tate Gordon.

The additional names are grandchildren. Eight of these are children of Hiram and Louisa Hillis. Wilson Buchanan’s record gives birth dates for their eight children as follows: William Trimble Hillis; Elizabeth Caroline Hillis; Malissa Ann Hillis; Joseph Etherton Hillis; Mathew Calvin Hillis; Victoria Hillis; Harrison Napoleon Hillis, and Hiram Franklin Hillis. The others were presumably children of Catherine Hillis. Since she had children were survived her, this was a settlement involving her interest in the lot belonging to her father.

Joseph was buried in the family cemetery which was described as being east of Canaan, on East Prong Road about 1 mile from Hwy. 62 on the west side of the road, across a creek and situated under a big cedar tree. It was not transcribed by the DAR for its cemetery book that was published in 1941 and was apparently first surveyed by Jackie Owen on Nov. 1, 2000.

Children of Joseph and Elizabeth Etherton
1. LOUISA ETHERTON (19 Jan. 1813-28 Sept. 1877) She m. on 19 May 1831 in Jefferson County, Hiram Hillis (1 Jan. 1811-5 Jan. 1876), both buried Jefferson Presbyterian Church. In 1833, he was taxed in Shelby Twp., Jefferson County, for one poll and one horse. They were listed in Shelby Township in 1850, 1860 and 1870.

2. CATHERINE ETHERTON (23 Oct. 1818-12 July 1865), buried Ryker’s Ridge Cem. Her tombstone inscription calls her w/o James Hillis, She m. on 27 Oct. 1836 in Jefferson Co., James M. Hillis. She was listed as a deceased heir on 16 May 1879 when a lot in Madison (belonging to her father) was sold as a result of a suit by Napoleon against other heirs. The 1833 Madison Township tax list shows Hillis owning 160 acres of second-rate land, Section 29 Twp. 4N Range 11E, which he had acquired by patent. They were listed in Shelby Township, in 1850; in Milton Township in 1860. James probably remarried as a James, age 55, was listed in Michigantown, Clinton County, in 1870. There was a Mary 47 in household. They were listed three households before Robert and Jane Etherton Benefiel.

3. JANE ETHERTON (11 Oct. 1824-11 March 1906) Born in Jefferson County, she m. 11 Nov. 1843 Robert Gallatin Benefiel (30 Nov. 1820 2 Sept. 1912). He was born in Jefferson Co., and died in Frankfort, Ind. She was alive in 1900 in Frankfort. They were listed in Shelby Twp., Jefferson County, in 1860, in a household next to her parents; in Michigantown, Clinton County, in 1870. He was listed as a dry goods merchant in Frankfort in 1880, where his occupation was given as a grain merchant. They were listed at 60 Washington Ave., Frankfort, Clinton County, Ind., in 1900. He was listed there in 1910. Jane was probably the Jane Benefiel, age 81, who died in Frankfort on 11 March 1906, according to a death record transcribed by the WPA.

4. NAPOLEON B. ETHERTON (14 Sept. 1827-27 Oct. 1893), buried Etherton Cemetery. He had married 1st in 13 Nov. 1850 in Jefferson Co., Mary Jamison (7 Feb. 1828 25 Jan. 1856), buried Caledonia Cem. Napoleon and his two children were listed in his parent’s household in Shelby Twp., Jefferson County, in 1860. He m. 2nd on 8 Dec. 1861 in Jefferson County, Lucinda Risk (10 Mar. 1833 6 Jan. 1920), buried Hebron Cem. He was listed in the 1870 census in Shelby Township, although his wife was listed as Nancy. The 1870 census for Jefferson County has many such errors. He and Lucinda were listed in Shelby Township in 1880. He was 67 when he hung himself according to an undated obituary. The tombstone transcription of Napoleon’s dates exactly match the family Bible dates.

5. ELIZABETH ETHERTON (14 Aug. 1829-after 1920) She m. on 22 Jan. 1846 in Jefferson County, Hiram McKay (27 Sept. 1823-26 Apr. 1896), who was born in Milton Township and died in Anthony, Kan. She survived. They were listed in Monroe Township in 1850 and 1860. According to his obituary, they moved to LaSalle County, Ill., in 1861; to Kansas in 1879. His obituary was published in the Madison Courier of 18 May 1897. She was probably the Elizabeth Etherton who joined Brushy Fork Baptist Church on 19 Sept 1843 and who was expelled in July 1852 as Elizabeth Etherton now McKay. They were listed in Erienna Twp., Grundy County, Ill, in 1870; in Independence Twp., Montgomery County, Kan., in 1880. In the 1885 Kansas census, they were listed in Lake Twp., Harper County. He was shown as H. McKay in Anthony in the 1895 census. Elizabeth was the only other person in the household. In 1910, she was listed in the household of her son George W. in McPherson Twp., Stephens County, Okla.; in her daughter Sophia’s household in the same township in 1920.

6. NANCY ETHERTON (b. ca. 1822/23) She m. 1 Feb. 1844 in Jefferson County, Joseph Lansbury. She was listed in the census for Shelby Twp. Her age is given as 37. Lansbury wrote his will in Jefferson County on 13 March 1852 and it was record on 13 June 1852. He left his estate to his wife, not named. Hiram Hillis was one of two witnesses. She was listed in Washington Twp., Boone County, Ind.

7. MILTON ETHERTON. Listed as child in the Buchanan family Bible. Since he is not in the suit against the heirs, he probably died young and without issue. Dates were not given for these last three children.

8. WILLIAM ETHERTON Listed as child in the Buchanan family Bible. Since he is not in the suit against the heirs, he probably died young and without issue.

9. SILAS ETHERTON Listed as child in the Buchanan family Bible. Since he is not in the suit against the heirs, he probably died young and without issue.