Thomas Wantland Purcell

Eliza L.Hartline

Thomas W. Purcell was born 18 July 1830, in Sullivan County, Tennessee. His family moved to Marion County, Illinois in 1832.

Eliza Hartline was born 18 March, 1833 in Ohio, possibly Pike County. She came to Marion County, Illinois in 1838.

Thomas and Eliza were married 23 October, 1855. John D. Purcell, Thomas' great grandson, says that Thomas and Eliza eloped by going to St. Louis on horseback. Eliza's father, Samuel, rode off to find them, and after finding them in St. Louis, brought them immediately back to Alma. However, they had already gotten married. They had the following children:

Lillian b. 12-2-1856 d. 8-24-1948

m. Noah Warner

Lizzie b. 1857 d.

Daniel Douglas b. 3-4-1859 d. 12-31-1927

m. Mattie H. Craig 9-23-1883

Franklin Hall b. 11-3-1860 d. 9-19-1929

m. Sarah Wilson 10-12-1882

George b. 5-16-1862 d. 3-25-1944

m. Violetta "Lettie" Bailey

Myra Florence b. 2-13-1864 d. 6-22-1948

m. Ranson McCarty (buried Alma)

Jeanette (Nettie) b. d.

m. Jack Basom

Charles Arthur b. 1-??-1867 d. after 1918

m. Lela Crippen(?)

Bertha b. d. (in California)

Sam b. 1869 d. 9-4-1870

Thomas Purcell was a farmer, stock raiser, Township Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, school teacher (one of first three school directors), and Clerk of Marion County (Democrat). He helped blaze the trail from Salem to Alma, which is now State Road 37. Thomas Purcell married Riley Williams and Hattie Chance, my great grandparents on the paternal side.

Ruth Wison, Thomas and Eliza'a granddaughter remembered the following when she spoke with me about 1991: Thomas had three brothers, John, who went to Texas, Charley, and Abraham. The descendants of Abraham have a reunion every year still in Salem, the Sunday before Labor Day. Thomas was only fourteen or fifteen years old when both parents died, and was then raised by his sisters and neighbors. She stated that Eliza was known as a wonderful, kind person. She said Eliza rode her horse "Topsy" sidesaddle, or rode in a buggy. She said that Thomas and Eliza were both dedicated church goers, but attended different churches, Thomas going to the Southern Methodist (Mt. Moriah) in the country, and Eliza the Methodist in Alma. Ruth said that Thomas lived with her family when he was older, and she once found him on the porch crying. She asked him, "What's the matter Grandad, don't you like living with us?", and he looked at her and said, "Your Grandma died 19 years ago today."

Eliza Hartline died in 1865 (or 1895?), exact date unknown. Thomas Purcell died 29 March, 1918, which made him almost 88 years old when he died. He died in Vinita, (or Sepulpa) Ohlahoma while visiting his daughter Lillian Warner. Both Thomas and Eliza are buried in the Hartline Cemetery. As this is written (1995), their's is one of only two gravestones remaining there.