Thursa Stufflebeam is the third known child of Michael Stufflebeam (1763-c1830) who left New York and lived in Ohio and Illinois before settling in Indiana at the end of his life.

Thursa was born c1805 in New York and her birth sits in the middle of the gap between brother John born in 1795 and her sister Eleanor born c1812. Whether Abigail was her mother is not known, but it seems likely.

Thursa married (1) John M.C. Smith on 15 October 1821 in Lawrence County, Illinois. However, little is known about John other than he died between 1828 and 1830. He isn’t found in Lawrence County, Illinois or Warren County, Indiana in the 1830 census.

John and Thursa had two surviving sons, James, born c1826 and John, born in 1829 in Illinois. James was already married and on his own by 1850 while John was unmarried and lived at home at that time. Benjamin Hulbert would have been the only father that the brothers ever knew and they were remembered in his will when Benjamin died.

It would have been just about impossible to track James and John, with their very common given names, but their parents had the foresight to give each two middle names. Unfortunately, I’ve not found a document wit their full names, but they often went by their initials.

Benjamin left a will naming James and John and daughter, Savanna.

Thursa’s estate administration in Nodaway County, Missouri began in December 1881. J. B. Seeley was the administrator who was directed to pay heirs James and John Smith and Savannah Eckley. They finally received $3.62 each!

Children: (Smith)

1. James A.J., born c1825, Illinois; died 1880-1900, probably Allen County, Kansas, where he lived with son Franklin’s family in 1880; married Cassandra Torrey, 10 August 1847, Peoria County, Illinois. They were the parents of six children. They have descendants today. This couple may have separated as Cassandra was living with two of her minor children in Henry, Vernon, Missouri in 1880.
2. John M.C., born 6 January 1829, Illinois; died 11 September 1908, Baca County, Colorado; married Sarah Pierce, 20 August 1854, Peoria County, Illinois. They were the parents of eleven children, four of whom died in childhood. They have descendants today.

Thursa married (2) Benjamin Hulbert on 29 July 1830 in Warren County, Indiana soon after the death of her father, Michael.

Benjamin, Thursa and her two boys were living next door to her sister Eleanor’s family and two doors from her mother in 1830:

Note that an error was made when extracting the Hulbert family information. Ancestry says there was only one female 50-60 years old, but when examining the actual page, the female is 20-30. So, we have newly married Benjamin and Thursa with James A.J., born c1825 and John M.C., born c1829.

Benjamin and Thursa were also the parents of one daughter together.

Child: (Hulbert)

1. Savanna, born 10 January 1835, probably Peoria County, Illinois; died 24 May 1907, Holt County, Missouri; married Ephraim Eckley, 16 February 1853, Peoria County, Illinois. They were the parents of 9 children with four living in 1900.

Next, we will look at the descendants of Michael Stufflebeam through daughter Eleanor (Stufflebeam) McManus.