HEPSEY ANN JOHNSON was born in 1822 in Portage County, Ohio.  She was the daughter of Daniel Harris Johnson and Anna North.

Asahel B. Parker and Hepsey Ann Johnson” were married on 01 January 1840 in Portage County Ohio.  A federal census was taken in 1840.   They do not appear to have been living with her parents at the time.  I have found a listing for an “A.B. Parker” in Bedford Township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.   This is only 1 township away from Streetsboro in Portage County.  Listed in this household is a male age 20-30 and a female age 15-20, which would match the ages of Asahel and Hepsey exactly.  No children were listed here, which would also make sense, since they had just gotten married.   Also, according to various sources, 3 of their children said they were born in Ohio “outside of Cleveland”.  This would also fit with a Cuyahoga County address.

On this 1840 census, A.B. Parker’s household is living right next door to “Silas Parker”.    The oldest male listed is age 10-15, which I would assume is Silas.  There is a female age 40-50 in the household, which would make me believe that perhaps the father died.  Is this family related in some way to A.B. Parker?

Interestingly, this A.B. Parker is listed just 1 page away from Hepsey’s brother Harris’ future wife’s family.   If this household truly is our Asahel & Hepsey Parker, perhaps this is how her brother Harris met his wife.

Again, according to our family history, after leaving Ohio, the family then moved to around Fort Wayne Indiana.  I have been able to locate them in the 1850 federal census in District 52, Huntington County, Indiana (which is the county right next to Fort Wayne or Allen County).  “Asia B. Parker” is listed as a farmer, age 32, born in New York.  “Hepsey A.” is listed as age 29, born in Ohio.  Living with them is “Sephus C.” age 9, “Cyrus W.” age 9, “Armitha L.” age 8, and “Cloe J.” age 6.

Then our family history states they moved to Michigan.  Asachel B. Parker purchased a lot from the school district No. 3 Mottville for $10.00 on 11 October 1856.  He was grantee of Lot 8, section 10 Stewart, Clark & Stewart addition to the village of Mottville.   The deed was recorded on 17 April 1861 at 9:00 a.m.

According to a transcription of the records of the Porter Baptist Church, Azel B., Cyrus W. and Hepsey Parker were all received as members on 09 January 1858.   Chloe Parker was received on 21 January 1860 and baptized the next Sabbath.  In an undated part of the church records, Cyrus Parker is listed as a male member.

On the 1860 federal census in Mottville, St. Joseph County, Michigan, “A.B. Parker” is listed as a Master Mason [I think this is incorrect], age 41, born New York.  Also in the household is “H.A. Parker”, age 39; “Cephas C. Parker”, age 19; “Cyrus W. Parker”, age 19; “A.L. Parker” age 17; “Chloe J. Parker” age 16; “Anna A. Parker” age 9.   They were also listed on the 1860 agricultural census.   He is listed as owning 12 acres of improved land with a cash value for the farm of $800, which is quite a bit lower than most of his neighbors.  He owned 1 horse, 2 cows and 2 sheep and grew 100 bushels of wheat, 75 bushels of corn, 25 bushels of potatoes and made 100 pounds of butter.  I’m sure that circuit riders or preachers weren’t paid much (if at all) and so they needed the farm to feed themselves.  Our family history also states that he was a Baptist circuit rider. 

Things seemed to be going along pretty well for this family.  But in 1861, everything changed.  Again our family history stated that Hepsey Ann died in March 1861 when the last set of twins were born.  This date is confirmed by the records of the Porter Baptist Church.  We believe that these twins died at birth.

Living at home when she died was her son Cephas (age 20), Cyrus (age 20), Aramintha (age 19), Chloe (age 17) and Anna, age 10.   Aramintha married in April 1861.  Cyrus enlisted/was drafted into the Civl War in August 1861.    Per letter written from Cynthia Hammond Holmes to Anita Blumenthal 26 Oct 1960, "After grandmother [Hepsey Ann] died, my mother [Aramintha] raised her sister Anna and had Chloe's boy (Dewey) part of the time.

Asahel remarried quickly to Margaret Aben on 23 August 1861 in Elkhart County, Indiana.  Mottville, where the Parkers were living, is in the southern part of St. Joseph County.   Elkhart County is just across the county and state line into Indiana.  As a preacher circuit rider, he probably would have met her during his travels.

In 1862, tragedy again struck the family.  We have an eye witness account of the accident that happened to Asahel.  In a letter his son Cephas wrote to his niece, “Your Grandfather Parker was a Baptist minister.  The day I was 21 (22 February 1862) Father started to attend the covenant meeting of the church of which he was a Pastor some 15 miles distant.  He had a horse & cutter.  The sleighing was poor & he drove up on a bank of the road some 3 ft. high.  Others had drove there also, but his cutter skiped off the bank.  The result was he smashed his left knee.  In 4 weeks from that day (20 March 1862) he died age 43 yr 8 months & some days.  Mother had died 1 yr before & Father had just married again.  That morning they had eaten their breakfast.  Stepmother was out of the room about 30 minutes doing the morning work.  When she went into his room he was dead.  The Doctor [said] it heart trouble.  His limb seemed to be doing fine.  It does good to know he was trying to live a christian life.  At our best all come short of the pattern which is Christ.”  A medical aside here -  he seemed to be doing well with his leg.  Is it possible that perhaps a blood clot broke off and went into his heart and caused the heart attack?

Both Asahel and Hepsey Ann, along with the last set of twins we believe, were buried in the Mottville Cemetery in Mottville.   The township records listed A.B. Parker as the owner of lot 52.   According to our family history, vandals had removed the main headstone from the lot.  2 small side stones are still there, but so worn that no trace of lettering is visible.

After Asahel’s death, there seemed to have been some problems between the children and the stepmother.    Some personal correspondence between Aramintha & Cephas and a debtor was discovered very recently in the Clarke Historical Library in Mount Pleasant Michigan.   There was apparently some debts owed after their father’s death.   2 of the letters are asking the note holder to be patient about the $10 debt.   Also, one of the letters talks about how stepmother wanted the land, but wouldn’t pay any of the debts until the children signed off and gave her title to the land.  The children wouldn’t give her the land until she paid the debts.  Apparently the children paid off some of the debts, and then stopped, when they discovered that stepmother would not pay any more of them.  It will be interesting to look at the land records and see what eventually happened.

Asahel and Hepsey Ann had thirteen known children, all surnamed PARKER: