The Children of Levi L. and Martha Jane Corbin Plummer: Anna L. Plummer

AnneaL. Plummer was the first and oldest child of Levi L. "Lawn" and Martha Jane (Corbin) Plummer.   She was born June 2, 1877 in Adams County, Nebraska.  Levi was 25 and Martha Jane was 21 when Anne was born.

In preparing the genealogy for Anna L. Plummer, I thought that I had also found the family ancestry of her father, Levi L. Plummer.   Here's why.

Anna L. Plummer married Spartan Thomas West on December 15, 1903 at Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.   Spartan Thomas West was thirty years older than Anna Plummer, and had been married twice before he married Anna Plummer.   Both of his earlier wives had died before his marriage to Anna in 1903.

Spartan Thomas West was born on May 28, 1847 in Georgia, the only child of Curtis Green and Melvina (Collins) West.   His family moved north where they are found in Tennessee when the 1850 U.S. Census was taken.  Ten years later, when the 1860 US Census was taken, they were living in Elm, Putnam County, Missouri.  In a family testimonial, a descendant states "Grandpa West told me he wanted to find his fortune farming in the west, and moved to Putnam County, Missouri."  Spartan Thomas West was then 13 years old. If you have been following the story of the Corbin Family, you will also recall that James and Cynthia (Casteel) Corbin and their extended family were also living in Putnam County, Missouri and continued to do so until moving to Adams County, Nebraska to take homesteads in the mid-1870s.   Therefore, the Spartan and Corbin Families were acquainted in Missouri.

Spartan Thomas West was first married to Elizabeth McDowell.  Elizabeth McDowell was the daughter of Patrick Henry and Sarah Jane (Dickenson) McDowell and was born on May 30, 1850 in Ohio.  She married Spartan Thomas West on March 26, 1868.

Spartan and Elizabeth (McDowell) were married just a little over a year when Elizabeth died giving birth to their first child,  May Villa "Zella" West, on May 1, 1869 in Fremont County, Iowa.  I have not been able to find a burial place for Elizabeth (McDowell) West.  

I don't want to leave Elizabeth (McDowell) West before mentioning that she came from a distinguished Colonial Family.   The McDowell Family migrated from Ireland and settled first in Pennsylvania a few short years before moving to Virginia where they became large landowners.   Her ancestors served with distinction in the American Revolutionary War.   Her grandfather moved to Pike County, Georgia where he established a large plantation and owned over 100 slaves.  Elizabeth's father, like so many younger children of wealthy parents, moved north and west because most of the time wealth and land was given to the oldest son.

Spartan west then moved West to the State of Nebraska where he located.   There, he married a second time to Mariah Louisa Plummer.  Mariah was born September 25, 1855 in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Joseph West and Mary (Parsons) Plummer.   She married Spartan West in 1871 and they become the parents of ten children over the next 23 years.    She died on November 22, 1896 in Canton, Montana at the age of 41.

In Mariah Plummer West, I thought I had also found the families and ancestors of Levi L. "Lawn" Plummer, but that was not the case.  I do continue to believe that there is some distant relationship, but I do not know how they are related.   Mariah's father, Joseph West Plummer, was born into the Plummer families that lived in Frederick County, Maryland.   He then moved west to Jefferson County, Ohio, and on west to the State of Iowa where he lived out the remainder of his life.  

I spent many days researching the genealogy of the entire Joseph West Plummer line including his siblings, parents, their children and grandparents.   But to no avail.   I did not find Levi L. "Lawn" Plummer or anyone that could have been his parents.   Levi L. "Lawn" Plummer was born in Ohio, but that is all we know of his ancestry at this time.

I have to ask the question:   Is it just coincidence that Mariah Louisa (Plummer) West died, and her widower then marries a third time to Anna L. Plummer?   There must be some kind of relationship but I have not found it.

Anna L. Plummer was raised in Hastings and Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.   When she married the widower Spartan Thomas West, he was thirty years her senior and had ten children.   Spartan and Anna (Plummer) West never had any children, but Anna raised all of Spartan's children as her own.  Those children are as follows:

Mother: Elizabeth (McDowell) West
             May Villa "Zella" West - May 1, 1869
Mother: Mariah Louisa (Plummer) West
             Inez Louise West - July 10, 1873 - Council Bluffs, Pottawatomie County, Iowa
             Curtis William West - January 22, 1875 - Putnam County, Missouri
             John Peter West - January 31, 1878 - Putnam County, Missouri
             Helen Orpha West - December 14, 1878 - Putnam County, Missouri
             Chester Carl West - June 25, 1882 - Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana
             Joseph Charles West - December 31, 1883 - Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana
             Ida Montana West - September 21, 1885 - Helena, Lewis & Clark, Montana
             Walter Spartan West - December 23, 1888 - Canton, Broadwater, Montana
              Earl Plummer West - June 23, 1896 - Canton, Broadwater, Montana

Keep in mind, that Anna L. (Plummer) West was younger than three of her step-children when she married Spartan Thomas West.   Anna was very brave to take on raising 10 step children who were not so different in age from she.    Life was very hard in Montana, where most of the Plummer and West Families were engaged in mining coal or silver.

Anna and Spartan West moved from Montana to Washington State in the 1920s, then to California, and finally back to Washington where Spartan died at Leavonworth, Chelan County, Washington on November 10, 1933.   He is buried in the Leavonworth Cemetery there.

After Spartan's death, Anna (Plummer) West moved to San Diego, California where she lived the remainder of her life.   She died there on July 16, 1940 at the age of 63.

Anna and Spartan did not have any children of their own, therefore, Anna L. (Plummer) West does not have any direct descendants.   However, I have done the genealogy for all of the West children and most had large families.  Their descendants number in the hundreds and many must think of their step-mother, Anna L. (Plummer) West, as the only mother they knew.

All of the genealogical information on the children of Spartan Thomas West, can be found on my genealogical website at:   http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/53479667/person/26044416802

Happy Trails!!