One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXIX  

DUDDLESON

Among the pioneer families that came to Union Township during the Civil War was that of JAMES DUDDLESON, who was of Scotch descent. The family originally settled in Pennsylvania, moving from there to central Ohio, near Upper Sandusky, during the late seventeen hundreds.

James was born April 23, 1802. Of his first marriage there is no family record except that there was a son named

Albert

was serving in the Union army and later rejoined the family. Due to his service in the army, he lost his eye­sight. For years he was well known in Argos. He was able to travel all over the town though he could see nothing. Made his home in Argos. He was the father of three children:

Samantha
Zina (deceased) married EMMA OVERMYER

Lucas
Alvin
Zina
FERROL DUDDLESON
Mrs. OSCAR ZECHIEL
Mrs. ELSIE WAGNER
Mrs. DOLLY SELLARS
Mrs. FLOYD DECK

Frank of Argos

His second marriage was to ROZELLA MOORE, a teacher, in 1837. JAMES DUDDLESON died July 2, 1893, at the age of ninety-one, and his wife March 5, 1897, at the age 6f [of] eighty-six. To this union were born:
Elizabeth

in the. Union Township schools for thirty years, and many of the older residents of this community were her pupils. She was one of the leaders of the M. E. Church, and took a great interest in the young people. She never married, and resided in Culver until her death in 1916.

Jane married JAY BARNHEISAL

moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana. She had four children, one of whom, Charles, is a missionary to Korea.

Lyda

married Dr. IRA BAKER, of Logansport. She also had four children, they all reside in Logansport.:

Mrs. OLIVE GRAHAM
Dr. ARTHUR BAKER, well-known optician
C. L. BAKER, cottager on Long Point
Mrs. BESSIE LANDIS, widow of the late FREDERICK LANDIS, Congressman-elect

Lavonia

married Dr. L. ROGERS of Culver, later of Kewanna. She had six children:

ED ROGERS
Ray (deceased)
Mrs. TENNIE GRIFFITH, Indianapolis
Mrs. TRESSIE MARLOWE, Chicago
D. E. ROGERS, Springfield, Illinois
Mrs. JESSIE HOUGHTON, Culver

Roger
Randall
Keith Junior
Irene

Irvin

married Miss MORRIS, of Maxinkuckee, and they had three children:

Oscar of Three Oaks, Michigan,
Orville, of Three Oaks, Michigan
Mrs. ANNA LARKIN, of South Bend

by a second marriage he also had one son:

Homer

Mary

became the first wife of L. C. DILLON, dying in early life and leaving one son:

HARRY DILLON, of Argos.

WALTER DILLON

Ozias (commonly known as "Bub").

was married to ELIZABETH MEDBOURN They had a family of four children:

MABEL DUDDLESON PLANT of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Earl deceased
Jennie, deceased
LULU DUDDLESON CAMPBELL of South Bend.


The family were about all grown though not married at the time they came to Indiana.

JAMES DUDDLESON was a man who believed firmly in education, and his boys and girls were given more advantages than were common at that time. Shortly after settling in Union Township, Elizabeth, Lyda, Lavonia and Mary became teachers in the country schools of this new region.

The DUDDLESON farm was the land now owned by the L. C. DILLON estate, and originally extended from the THOMAS HOUGHTON farm to the lake, on the west side of the Burr Oak Road. The land now occupied by the Vandalia Park was part of this farm, and was afterwards given to Dr. DURR in payment for medical services. The consideration was fifty dollars as grandfather DUDDLESON considered it of little farming value.

Because the children of the DUDDLESON family were largely girls, there are not many left in this vicinity to carry the name of DUDDLESON. Of the original family there are none living. Of the grandchildren there are HARRY DILLON and FRANK DUDDLESON of Argos, and Mrs. JESSIE HOUGHTON of Culver. Of the great-grand­children there are Lucas, Alvin, Zina and Ferrol DUDDLESON, Mrs. OSCAR ZECHIEL, Mrs. ELSIE WAGNER, Mrs. DOLLY SELLARS, and Mrs. FLOYD DECK. children of ZINA and EMMA (OVERMYER) DUDDLESON; WALTER DILLON; Roger, Randall, Keith Junior and Irene HOUGHTON.

While there are not many of them left, the descendants feel that the part taken in the social, educational and religious life of this part of the country by the children of JAMES DUDDLESON has helped make Union Township what it is today.