VAN DEREN, BARNARD
, born May 22, 1789, in Harrison county, Ky., was married there May 27, 1813, to Eliza McKee, who was born May 16, 1795, in the same county. They had nine children in Kentucky, two of whom died there. The family moved to Sangamon county, Ill., arriving June 12, 1835, in what is now Curran township. When they came to the county the greater part of it was flooded with water. Barnard VanDeren was never a strong man physically, and the over-exertion and anxiety connected with bringing his family to so new a country brought on disease. There was not sufficient vitality left to counteract it, and he died July 6, 1835, less than a month ofter their arrival. Of their seven children--CYRUS W., born May 6, 1815, in Kentucky, was married there April 2, 1835, to Margaret Patton, and came to Sangamon county, Ill., in 1838, three years later than the other members of the family. They had three living children. ELIZA J., born March 7, 1836, in Kentucky, was married Nov. 21, 1855, in Sangamon county, to Jesse F. Taylor, who was born Jan. 2, 1828, in Clarke county, Ky. They have three children, CYRUS W., LITTLEFIELD and JESSE F., the first born in Jackson county, Missouri, and the last two in Helena, Montana Territory, where Mr. Taylor and his family reside. MARTHA S., born in Woodside township, Sangamon county, married John M. Taylor. They have three children, GEORGE WILLIAM, FREDERICK and LUELLA, and live in Chatham, Illinois. MARY L., lives with her parents in Chatham, Sangamon county, Ill. Cyrus W. VanDeren was for a number of years a justice of the peace, and before the township organization, he was one of the Sangamon county judges, and was elected state senator in 1856, serving one term.
BARNARD A., born May 11, 1819, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Ill., Nov. 7, 1839, to Mary J. McGinnis. They had two living children. MARY J., died aged 12 years. JOHN D., married Lydia A. Smith, and lives in Oswego, Kansas. Mrs. Mary J. VanDeren died in July, 1852, and Barnard A. VanDeren was married Nov. 8, 1853, to Mary A. Baker. They had two children, THOMAS N. and MAGGIE L. B. A. Van Deran died Feb. 25, 1866 and his widow married John Lowry. They had two children. BARNARD A. died in infancy. MARY LOUISA lives with her parents. John Lowrey and family live near Loami, Sangamon county, Illinois.
MARTHA J., born Oct. 24, 1821, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, Illinois, Nov. 3, 1842, to Lewis Johnson. See his name.
DAVID M., born Feb. 12, 1824, in Kentucky, was married June 17, 1851, to Margaret Evans. Mrs. Margaret Van Deren died in December, 1853, and D. M. VanDeren was married Dec. 8, 1859, to Rebecca M. Kinney. They had one child, MAGGIE E., and D. M. VanDeren died Feb. 15, 1874, in Springfield, where his widow and daughter still reside.
MARGARET W., born June 9, 1828, in Kentucky, was married in Sangamon county, March 13, 1849, to William F. Thompson. See his name. They had one living child, ELIZA F., who lives with her mother. William F. Thompson died, and his widow was married July 18, 1854, to Lewis Johnson. See his name.
ARCHIBALD J., born Jan. 15, 1831, in Kentucky, brought up in Sangamon county, was married there May 22, 1866, to Mary W. Lloyd. They have four children, LLOYD, JOHN JAY, MARY and ARCHIE ALEXANDER. A. J. VanDeren and family live in Central City, Colorado. He was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free Masons of Colorado in its early history, and was a member of the territorial legislature of Colorado for 1863.
JOHN M., born May 26, 1833, in Kentucky, brought up in Sangamon county, was married there Sept. 8, 1864, to Louisa M. Coe, who was born April 18, 1838, in Waterbury, Connecticut, and raised in Morgan county, Illinois. They have five children, ARCHIE C., FRANK W., HELEN, CHARLES W., and JOHN E.; the latter died in infancy. John M. VanDeren and family now--September, 1876--live in Chatham, Ill., but expect soon to move to Boulder City, Colorado.
As an illustration of the slovenly manner farming has been done in Sangamon county, J. M. VanDeren says he has seen the corn on land that produced from fifty to sixty bushels to the acre stand in the field until time for planting again. Then they would knock down the stalks of corn and burn all together to clear the ground for planting a new crop. As already stated, Barnard VanDeren died within one month after bringing his family to the county in 1835. His widow, Mrs. Eliza VanDeren, thus left alone in the prime of life, has remained a widow now more than forty years, and still lives with her children in Chatham.
On the 6th of June, 1874, just as she entered her eightieth year, a family reunion was held at the house of her son where she lives. There were present seven of the ten children of David and Jane--Wallace--McKee, of Harrison county, Ky.
The parents and three children are dead. The seven present were Mrs. Eliza Van Deren, of Chatham, Ill., aged seventy-nine, Mrs. Nancy McClintock, of Huntington city, West Virginia, seventy-two. Miss Margaret McKee, of Catlettsburg, Ky., aged seventy-one. Rev. D. D. McKee, of Hanover, Indiana, aged sixty-nine. Mrs. E. G. Hamilton, of Vinton, Iowa, aged sixty-seven. Mrs. Cynthia A. Reynolds, of Murrayville, Ill., aged sixty-six. Elder W. McKee, of Mexico, Missouri, aged sixty-four.