My Genealogy Home Page:Information about Sophronia Eleanor McAfee
Sophronia Eleanor McAfee (b. 19 Apr 1828, d. 04 Dec 1887)
Notes for Sophronia Eleanor McAfee:
Birth: 19 APR 1828 in Bertie Twp., Lincoln County, Ontario
Death: 4 DEC 1887 in Fish Lake Valley, Nevada
Census: 1880 National Archives Film #T9-0758, Esmeralda, Nevada - page 128D
Reference Number: 137385
After Roberts death, Sophronia moved to Fish Lake Valley, Nevada, at the invitation of Robert's half brother, Angus George McAfee. She died there on 12/4/1887
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SOPHRONIA ELEANOR MCAFEE1828-1887
Sophronia Eleanor McAfee was one tough lady.She knew how to get things done, and did them.She was intelligent, helpful, capable, conscientious, and dependable. She was both nurse and teacher to her own children and to the Paiute children who lived nearby. She was cook, seamstress, rancher, and a friend to all. She lived the life of a frontier woman and yet had her poetry published
in New York's Century Magazine.
Sophronia's life was one not to be forgotten. There are stories about her in published books and
stories that have come through the generations of our family history.She was born in Bertie
Township, Ontario, in the province of Upper Canada, the eighth child and fifth daughter of Samuel
McAfee and Sophia Hoover's eleven children. She could trace her ancestry on her mother's side to the seventeenth century in Pennsylvania, and on her father's side back to Colonsay Island in Scotland. Her father was a Captain in the War of 1812. Her mother was a great reader and student.
Sophronia married her cousin, Robert Land Hughson McAfee, in Freeport, Illinois in 1849. Robert was the son of her father's brother Daniel McAfee and his first wife, Elizabeth Hughson. The Hughson's could also trace ancestors to the seventeenth century American colonies.
Robert Land, Robert's grandfather, was a loyalist during the Revolutionary War and became the first settler and founder of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.Sophronia and Robert grew up as cousins in a large and extended family on the frontier in Upper Canada. On the Illinois frontier their life together began in 1849 at the time everyone was talking about the rush across the vast expanse of the new continent all the way to California to get a share of the gold just discovered. Robert's half brother Angus, joined the rush west and built a ranch on the east side of the Sierra Mountains, in Fish Lake Valley, Nevada Territory. But Sophronia and Robert settled down in Illinois, going into the pottery business with her father.
They had six children, two had died in infancy, when Robert joined Capt.Isaac Arnold's Company A, 46th Regiment, of the Illinois Infantry on January 4, 1864, to help the Union fightin the War between the States. The Civil War had intruded on their home life in Illinois. Robert Daniel was born in May of that year after his father had gone to join the war.
Robert frequently wrote long letters to Sophronia describing the horrors of war and how he longed to be home. Those hand written letters are now preserved in three volumes in the Laws Museum in Bishop, California. Most of his military time was spent in various war zones in the campaign in Louisiana. He was apparently in ill health, consumption he called it, but resisted going to the Army doctors since he felt they made things worse.
In October of 1864, he spoke of his respect for President Lincoln, and his hope that "Lincoln would be put back in the big chair" again. He also longed for a picture of the new baby that had been born after he left. Letters from his older boys that they were being good he said brought tears to his eyes.
After having been away from his family and living in miserable conditions for two years, he received an honorable discharge on January 20, 1866 in Baton Rouge, LA.A baby daughter, Grace Rebecca, was born in February 1867, Carrie Maybelle was born the next year but died shortly thereafter.
Robert Land Hughson McAfee died of the service connected illness (consumption) on March 12, 1871 in Freeport, Illinois.Another daughter, May, was born three months after Robert's death.
More About Sophronia Eleanor McAfee and Robert Land Hughson McAfee:
Marriage 1: 21 Aug 1849, Freeport, Stephens Co. Ill..
Marriage 2: 21 Aug 1849, Freeport, Ill..
Children of Sophronia Eleanor McAfee and Robert Land Hughson McAfee are:
- +Louden Land McAfee, b. 01 Jun 1850, Freeport, Illinois, d. 10 Jan 1923, inyo Co. CA.
- Duncan Daniel McAfee, b. 27 Mar 1852, Freeport, Illinois, d. Jun 1857, Fish Lake Valley, Nevada.
- +Elizabeth (Lizzy) Sophia McAfee, b. 26 May 1854, Freeport, Illinois, d. 28 May 1930.
- +Camilla Catherine McAfee, b. 06 Apr 1856, Freeport, Illinois, d. 22 Jul 1935, Seattle, Washington.
- +Emma Melissa McAfee, b. 01 Feb 1858, Freeport, Illinois, d. 07 Apr 1913.
- Harold Dudley McAfee, b. 1859, Freeport, Illinois, d. 1860.
- +Frederick Duncan McAfee, b. 19 Sep 1861, Freeport, Illinois, d. 27 Sep 1943, Monterey Park, CA.
- +Robert Daniel McAfee, b. 09 May 1864, Freeport, Illinois, d. date unknown.
- +Grace Rebecca McAfee, b. 04 Feb 1867, Freeport, Illinois, d. 27 Dec 1914.
- Carrie Maybel McAfee, b. 07 Nov 1868, Freeport, Illinois, d. 08 Aug 1869.
- +May Sophronia McAfee, b. 03 Jun 1871, Freeport, Illinois, d. 04 Mar 1944, Stockton, CA..