Orinda H. Church
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1804 | Orange Co., VT | ||
| Death | 20 Aug 1884 | Knightstown, Henry Co., IN | ||
| Burial | Knightstown, Henry Co., IN |
Children
None; never married.
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Co., VT | 1804-1825 | ||
| Liberty, Union Co., IN | 1825-1835 | ||
| West Liberty, Henry Co., IN | 1835-~1836 | ||
| Knightstown, Henry Co., IN | ~1836-1884 | ||
| Greenfield, IN | 1863 | ||
| Cumberland, IN |
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Wayne, Henry CO., IN, page 53. Dated 25 Jul 1860. Line 39: Orinda Church, 55, is an English school teacher living alone. She was born in VT. |
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| 2 | 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Knightstown, Henry CO., IN, page 27. Dated 2 Jul 1870. Line 21: Malinda Church, 65, is a house keeper living alone. She was born in VT. |
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| 3 | 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Knightstown, Henry CO., IN, district 13, page 7. Lines 26-27: Orinda Church, 76, never married, living with her sister Luvina S. Gephart, 65, widowed. Luvina's occupation is listed as "visiting." Both were born in VT, their fathers were born in NH, their mothers in ME. |
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| 4 | U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918, for 1862 in IN, district 6, page 81. Orinda Church lives in Greenfield, IN, and is a "Retail Dealer." Her taxes this year were $10. |
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| 4 | U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918, for 1863 in IN, district 6, page 72. Line 40: Orinda H. Church lives in Greenfield, IN, and is a "Retail Dealer." Her taxes this year were $6.67. |
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| 5 | Obituary for Orinda H. Church, born in Orange Co., VT, in 1804, to father Samuel Church and mother Elizabeth Church. Moved to IN in 1825 to become a school teacher in Liberty, Union Co., IN. Moved to West Liberty, Henry Co., IN, in 1835. Moved to Knightstown, IN, in ~1836, and lived there until her death. Also lived in Greenfield and Cumberland, IN, at some point, where she worked in the mercantile business. Died 30 Aug 1884, funeral was at the M.E. Church, Knightstown, IN, 1 Sep 1884.
The assertion is that Orinda was a sibling of Erastus Church. The connections are the parents names, the birth location, and the timing of moving to IN from VT. Samuel, Elizabeth, and children are said in [3] to have moved from Orange Co., VT, to Brooksville [sic, there is no Brooksville. Probably Brookville], IN, in 1827. Orinda is said to have moved to IN in 1825 to begin teaching in Liberty, IN, which is about 15 miles away from Brooksville. These two moves from VT to IN are likely one and the same. The Church Family History by Chester R. Church mentions that the daughters of Samuel Church, when they came to IN, took up their father's profession of teaching, so Orinda's life as a schoolteacher fits this as well. Based on this text, the link between Orinda and Samuel Church seems very strong. Some researchers have raised questions about the validity of this text, however, as this version was typed by a man using it as justification for his Sons of the American Revolution application. The original obituary is being sought. If this transcription proves to be accurate, the case for Orinda being a sibling of Erastus Church is good. |
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| 6 | Gravestone for Orinda H. Church in Glen Cove Cemetery, Knightstown, Henry Co., IN. Photo not available on findagrave.com. Available information at findagrave.com indicates that Orinda died 31 Aug 1884 at age of 80 years, 5 months. This corresponds to an approximate birth date of end of March, 1804. | [1] |
| 7 | New Castle Mercury newspaper from New Castle, IN, published 16 Mar 1876, page 2, indicates that the Commissioner's Court has given Orinda Church an allowance of $6 for "house rent for poor." New Castle is the next major town up river from Knightstown, IN. Original image of paper hidden behind paywall here: [2] | |
| 8 | New Castle Mercury newspaper from New Castle, IN, published 15 Jun 1876, page 2, indicates that the Commissioner's Court has given Orinda Church an allowance of $9 for "house rent for poor." |  |
| 9 | New Castle Mercury newspaper from New Castle, IN, published 21 Sep 1876, page 2, indicates that the Commissioner's Court has given Orinda Church an allowance of $9 for "house rent for poor." |  |
| 10 | New Castle Mercury newspaper from New Castle, IN, published 15 Mar 1877, page 2, indicates that the Commissioner's Court has given Orinda Church of Wayne Twp. an allowance of $9 for "medical attendance on poor." |  |
| 11 | New Castle Courier newspaper from New Castle, IN, published Saturday, 5 Sep 1884, page 2, includes a brief obituary for Orinda Church which reads, "Miss Orinda Church, an old lady of four score, died on Saturday after a lingering and painful illness of many months." The calculated date of death is 29 Aug 1884. |  |
Source Notes
- [2] The 1870 census record is for "Malinda" Church, which we believe is a reasonable mistake on the part of an enumerator not prepared for the unusual name "Orinda." The age, location, birth location, and lack of family are all perfect matches for Orinda, and there are no other matches for her in 1870.
Research
- The New Castle Mercury newspaper published 16 Mar 1876, page 2, mentions that the commissioners court made an allowance of $6 to Orinda Church for "house rent for poor." New Castle is just up the road from Knightstown. [3]
