Mary J. Grinter

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18 February 2006

Grinter Family

This article on Mary Jans Grinter and her family is for family research and genealogy only. It may not be used for commercial purposes or without the permission of the copyright owner Thomas Swiftwater Hahn E-mail: swiftwater@lenapedelawarehistory.net or 3751 Schefflera Drive, Fort Myers FL 33917-2040.

MARY JANE GRINTER

Queries and additions for this page should be sent to researcher thahn@lenapedelawarehistory.net

Mary Jane Grinter (married Defries) - She was born on 3 May 1841/1843 on the Delaware Reserve (present Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas). Mary Jane was the daughter of Kansas Delaware Anna Marshall (No. 127 on the List of Delaware Who Elected to Remain in Kansas) and Moses Read Grinter, the Indian Trader and the first white settler of present Kansas City, Kansas. Mary Jane (Grinter) Defries married on 3 April 1858 in Johnson County, Kansas, Audley Paul Defries. He was born in 1830 in Barren County, Kentucky and died on 27 July 1882 at Muncie, and was buried there in the Grinter Chapel Cemetery.

In the 1880 Census, Mary Jane Defries is listed at age 37 as keeping house, her father born in Kentucky, and her mother born in Arkansas. [It should be noted that her mother was supposedly born in Ohio, but in the 1880 census she is also reported to have been born in Indiana.] Her spouse, Audley Paul (erroneously listed as "S. P. Defries") at age 49, was occupied as a farmer born in Kentucky, and his parents were born in Kentucky.

In the 1885 Census for Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas, Mary Jane is shown as a widow with the following children: Line 25. Mrs. Mary Defries, age 44, widow, born KS, farmer. Line 26. Wm. A, age 21, born KS. Line 27. Mattie F., age 18, born KS Line 28. Moses R., age 14, born KS Line 29. Evie M., age 8, born KS (LDS Microfilm No. 976088)

In the 1895 Agricultural Census for Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas. Mary Jane is shown as a widow farming her 120 acres, with the assistance of her son, Moses Read Defries, who is listed as a farmer. The farm was still an actively producing one, with nearly three-quarters of it being cultivated:

Line 11. M. J. Defries. 120 acres, 89 acres under cultivation, 120 acres under fence. Number of rods of fences: 80 rail, 200 hedge, 160 wire. Farm value $6,000, farm implements $120. 8 acres corn, 14 acres oats, and 4 acres Irish potatoes. 150 bushels of corn on hand and 50 bushels of wheat. 12 acres of clover. Value of garden products sold $5, poultry and eggs $20. 50 pounds of butter made. Livestock: 9 horses, 2 milch cows, and 3 swine. Value of animals slaughtered $30. Bearing trees: 60 apple, 10 peach, 3 plum, and 20 cherry. Trees not bearing: 125 apple, 50 plum. Soft fruit: 1/4 acre raspberries 1 acre black berries, and vineyard 1 acre. 2 dogs. (LDS Microfilm No. 57046)

Mary Jane (Grinter) Defries Grave marker in the Grinter Chapel Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas. Her spouse, Audley Paul Defies has a separate, upright monument just to the right of this one, but who is Audley Edward DeFries who has the same birth and death data as Audley Paul? (Tom Hahn took this photo in September 1994.)

The children of Mary Jane Grinter and Audley Paul Defries were:
1. William Asher Defries, No. 894 on the 1862 Allotment List, was born on 30 June 1861 and died in March 1920. He married in 1885 Mariah Catherine Thomas. She was born on 23 November 1863 and died on 10 December 1866. In the 1880 Census at age 17, he was occupied in farming.

2. Annie Elizabeth Defries was born on 1 December 1854 at Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas and died in April 1940. She married in March, 1888 Eric Oscar Newman. He was born on 1 December 1854 and died on 18 December 1926. In the 1880 Census, she was age 15 and occupied in house work.

3. Martha "Mattie" Frances Defries (whom see) was born on 10 December 1866 at Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas, and died on 27 August 1950 at home at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. She married on 3 November 1886, probably in Wyandotte County, Kansas, Christian Frederick Hahn. He was born on 31 March 1864 in Swan Creek, St. Clair County, Michigan and he died on 3 July 1934 at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. They are both buried in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. Martha "Mattie" Defries is the maternal grandmother of Researcher Thomas Swiftwater Hahn:

4. Moses Reed Defries was born on 1 June 1871, in Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas. He did not marry. In the 1880 Census, Moses was age 8.

5. Eva "Evie" Marie Defries was born on 7 May 1873, at Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas, and married Frank Snyder. In the 1880 Census, Eva May [Marie] was age 1.
(Census data were from the LDS Census Extract for Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas, FHL Film 1254400, National Archives Film T9-0400, p. 420A.)

This photograph was taken in 1904, at which time Mary Jane Defries was about 61 years old. It was scanned from a copy of the original. I do not know where the original photograph is. The house is thought to be Mary Jane's on a 120-acre farm in Muncie, Wyandotte Township, Wyandotte County, Kansas. Her spouse, Audley Paul Defries had died some 20 years previously. A note on the back of the copy of the image says that the young man holding the horse was Marion Defries, her grandson. He was killed in 1908 by a gunshot wound in 1908 at age sixteen while climbing through a fence. Standing next to the tree on the left is William Asher Defries, a son of Mary Jane Grinter, the father of Marion. Another note on the back says that the four children on the back of the horse are "cousins, perhaps grandchildren of Mary Jane?" (Hahn Collection)

The image above was sent to Eve Harris who showed it to her father Tracy Defries, son of Asher DeFries. She said in an undated letter to Tom Hahn:

Tracy looked at your picture. The house belongs top Tracy's Grandmother, Mary Jane Grinter. He could not see Wm. Asher very well. . . . He does not know who the children are -- maybe Ethyl Thomas. Tracy said Wm Asher promised to give Marion a horse if he, Marion, would come and lived with Wm. Asher. Marion received the horse and a 410 shotgun from Wm. Asher, his dad. Mary Jane's house was located 1/4 mile south & 1/4 mile west from Stoney Point. Tracy has a similar picture, probably taken at the same time, it shows only the horse & Marion. no kids, Mary Jane, or Asher.

Above are the The five children of Mary Jane (Grinter) and Audley Paul Defries, and their spouses. From left to right: Eva "Tuck" Defries with her husband, Paul Snyder; Annie Elizabeth "Liz" Defries with her husband, Oscar Newman; Moses Reed Defries, unmarried; Martha Francis "Mattie" Defries, with her husband, Christian Frederick "Chris" Hahn, and William Asher Defries. Thomas Swiftwater Hahn Collection.

* * *

Mary Jane (Grinter) Defries was declared a Citizen of the United States on 14 January 1868 as per the following document:

U. S. District Court, October Session, Term A. D. 1867

Tuesday January 14th 1868 Court met pursuant to a adjournment Present as before

Be it Remembered that on the Fourteenth day of January A. D. 1868. personally appeared before the Honorable Mark W. Delahay, Judge of the District Court of the United States of America for the District of Kansas in open court at Topeka in said District, Logan Zeigler, George Zeigler, William Henry Grinter, and Lewis Ketchum male persons and Melinda Wilcoxen, Mary Ann Tiblow, Mary Jane Defries, Francis C. Grinter, Annie Grinter, Rosanna Grinter, Elizabeth Ketchum, Mary E. Ketchum, Sarah A. Ketchum, Ellen Swisher, female persons, adult members of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and whose names appear on the certified copy of the Register of the names of all said Delaware Indians, who have elected to dissolve their tribal relations and to become citizens of the United States, made by the Secretary of the Interior, as provided by the treaty herein after mentioned , and made proof to the satisfaction of the Court here in accordance with the requirements of several acts of Congress herebefore passed for the naturalization of aliens that they have resided in the United States for more than the space of five years _____ preceding this application, and for one year last past, within the State of Kansas, and that during the whole of that time they have conducted themselves as persons of good moral character, _____to the good order and happiness of same: And having made further proof to the satisfaction of the Court. in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty made with said Delaware Tribe of Indians and approved July 26, 1866, and proclaimed August 10, 1866, that [they] are sufficiently intelligent and prudent to conduct their own affairs and interests, and that they have adopted the habits of civilized [Ha!. Editor] life , and have been able to support, for at least five years, themselves and family, and having declared on oath that they will support the Constitution of the United States, and renounce and abjure forever and allegiance and fidelity to every foreign power, prince, potentate, state and sovereignty whatever and particularly that they will renounce and abjure ; membership with said Delaware Tribe of Indians; Thereupon it is Considered, Ordered and adjudged by the Court that full proof has been made in accordance with the provisions of said laws and treaty, and that the said Logan Zeigler, George Zeigler, William Henry Grinter, Lewis Ketchum, Malinda Wilcoxen, Mary Tiblow, Mary Jane Defries, Francis C. Grinter, Annie Grinter, Rosanna Grinter, Elizabeth Ketchum, Mary E. Ketchum, Sarah Ann Ketchum, Ellen Swisher, are competent persons to become Citizens of the United States. and to be admitted to all and singular the Rights, Privileges, and _____ of a naturalized citizen of the United States, and that the same be certified by the Clerk of the Court under the seal of said court accordingly.

Ordered that the Clerk issue in usual form Venires for 23 Grand Jurors and 24 Petit Jurors to serve at the next term of the Court, Ordered that Court stand adjourned Sine dir.

Page Revised on 02/18/2006 . Laser copy 6 November 2004. Times New Roman 14 point. Photo check A. TH)

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