Edward Osborn Ervin & Mary Ann Yetter

Edward William Osborn Ervin was born in Kentucky on June 1, 1821.  He was the father of  Amanda Ervin (Kimbrough) and my wife's 3rd great grandfather.  I have a reference to his birth being in Hopkinsville, KY but have not found any real evidence of this.  By the time he was 21 years old he was living in Carthage, Illinois were his wife and her family were from.  I don't believe his parents lived in Carthage however.  He married Mary Ann Yetter born June 14th 1827 in Lancaster Pennsylvania on July 7, 1842 in Carthage.  Both Mary and Edward were life long residence of Carthage which is on the west side of Illinois near the border of Iowa and Missouri, and close to the Mississippi river.  They lived in Carthage at the time of the murder of Joseph Smith (founder of the mormon church) and his brother in the local jail.

Their children were Martha Ann, George, Willis, Amanda, Thomas, Sarah and William.  Edward worked as a miller and a farmer, in 1874 he farmed 75 acres just east of the town center.  Mary died July 16, 1867.  This was only a year after their youngest son, William, was born.

Edward continued to raise the children and does not appear to have remarried.  He lived until November 4, 1887, age 66.  His headstone is pictured above.  Both are buried in the Franklin Cemetery in Carthage.