Ray O’Daffer

Ray and his sister May were twins. Ray had an 8th grade education. He was a farmer, sold seed corn, was a pretty fair carpenter, and a good father. He was generous, and had a good sense of humor. He was president of the Prairie View School school board for several years.

His wife, Ruby, described him as “accommodating” and considerate with others. When she met him, he liked to dance, but Ruby’s mother was against dancing, so they never did much of that.

As an adult, he moved a country house to the town of Weldon and totally remodeled it.

Ray was killed in a farm accident in 1949. He was caught in a mechanized post hole digger while building a fence on his mother’s farm one half mile south and 1 1/2 miles east of Weldon, Illinois.

Pall bearers at his funeral were John Clow, Charles Baker, Wayne Jiles, Vernelle Leischner, Will Glynn, and Carl Kingston. The Rev Dwight K. Sailor officiated.

William Eliga Odaffer

Reported in the Piatt Co. Republican, page 5 #2 Dec. 28, 1893.

Bill Odaffer and his sister, Alice Odaffer had a double wedding Dec. 25, 1893. Alice married Farmer Lowe and William (age 26) married Clara Royce. Clara died two years later at age 22.

Ruby Atteberry, wife of Ray Odaffer, Bill’s nephew, said Bill was probably her favorite of all of Edmon’s brothers. She said he was a kind, honest man, and was always good to her.

Edmon Odaffer

As told by Ruby Odaffer Atteberry, wife of Ray Odaffer, Edmon’s son.

Edmon Odaffer lived on a 120 acre farm 1/2 mile south and 1 1/2 mile east of Weldon, Illinois, which he had purchased. The farm had two houses on it and they were put together to make one large house with 13 rooms and a long porch across the front of the house.

He took pride in his farm and built a white picket fence around the yard and a new grainery for storing the oats which were much raised at that time. There was a large barn for horses and cows, a hog house, a chicken house, a cob and coal house, a summer kitchen house, and a brooder house. He was a thrifty person and expected everyone to do their share of the work.

He was fast and could do lots of work in a short time. He knew all the ways to do things quicker. Every gunney sack on the farm had to have a strip of cloth sewn to the top of the sack sot it could be tied up after it was filled with grain, cobs, fee, or whatever it was needed for.

He was regular with his his work. The cows were milked at exactly the same time every day; feeding was done on schedule and the the work was done in time to have the meals on time. In the spring he planned to be starting to the field by the time the sun came up. That meant that all the chores were done by then.

He was married to Mattie Florence Harlow from Mt. Vernon Illinois. They were the parents of five children.

When the family were growing up he taught them all to work and lots of work was done on that farm. Chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cows, and horses were raised and a big garden was raised and there was an orchard with apple, peach, cherry, plum, and pear trees. A long grape arber, gooseberry, blackberry, and rasberry bushes were also grown. Their living was made from the farm, and Edmon helped with all of it.

After he retired and moved to Weldon and his son took over the farming he was not satisfied so he moved back to the farm. He was unable to do the work and in 2 years he moved back to town. He was a person who wore his old clothes all the time at home but if he was going uptown for anything he dressed up in his suit. Some of the guys kidded him about it.

In his time it was coal stoves that were used and a poker made of iron was used to punch up the coals. It usually laid on a sink under the stove and while still on the farm if there would be a knock on the door, Edmon always took the poker with hime when he went to the door and his wife would light the lantern because it was dark with no electricity. I don’t think he was afraid but he had the iron poker in case.

Bill Odaffer, his brother lived close and he and Edmon did some of their work together. Edmon bought a team of big black shiny horses from the sale when his brother Lemuel died, and they were always a pride of his. He kept them looking beautiful.

He was one of the early owners of a car when they first came out. He bought a Reo car back then when the roads were dirt and were muddy a lot of the time- only driving it when the weather permitted.

He bought a piano for his 3 daughters which they were very happy about. Sometimes they had square dances in their big house. The living room and dining room were large rooms. The carpets were rolled ;up and the furniture moved out.

They attended the Enterprise church which was a country church 2 miles south of the Prairie View school. His children attended that school. Mattie was good to help in times of sickness and many times went to help the neighbors out. She was a large woman and wore a size 52 dress. She was a good “Pennsylvania Dutch” cook. She pieced many beautiful quilt tops during the winter months. She gave them to her grandchildren. There were 11 grandchildren. As Edmon became older he had trouble with his eyes and couldn’t drive his car. He had a neighbor boy drive him out to see his farm.

He and Mattie sat on the front porch of their home in Weldon much of the time as they got older and often some friend or neighbor was sitting there with them. They were friendly people.

Ed resided around Weldon, Illinois for 52 years. In later years he was a member of the men’s bible class at the Methodist Church.

David Odaffer

As told by Gertrude Odaffer Oakes, William’s daughter and David’s grandaughter.

David mortgaged all the horses, cows and calves and farming equipment when he decided to divorce Amanda and marry Julia Frazer. The sheriff came one day and drove off with everything. Uncle Lem, the “hot head” , fought the sheriff and threw rocks at him. Bill Odaffer often talked of this bitter day, which they never forgot.

David came from Ohio pretty well off and Amanda wanted him to buy 1000 acres at $1 per acre near Monticello. Of course David would not hear to that and fooled all the money away.*

David’s boys were hard workers. They bought a corn shelling and thrashing outfit and went all over the country shelling corn, etc. for people. They always thought Abe died of TB because he had breathed too much dust. George died of typhoid fever.”

* The abstract in the court house in Monticello, IL, says that David ODaffer bought 69 acres from John Dove on Jan 2, 1864 (lots 1, 2, and 4 in Secs 13, 14, township 18, range 5.) for $1360 dollars and sold them Nov 16, 1868 to Joseph G. Foster for $1800.

David’s wife, Amanda Kinser Odaffer, was the youngest of four Kinser sisters — Sally, McHailey, and Teena were her sisters’ names. When Amanda was a few weeks old, her mother died. She and the family had gone out quilting. On the way back they got caught in an April shower, the mother came down with pneumonia, and died soon after.

A woman, who Amanda always called “Mammy” took Amanda and raised her. Amanda got married to David at age 16. She was later described as “a very strong person and had what it takes to get by — with all the hardships she had to face.” Relatives say that she stayed with Bill Odaffer during the time David was leaving her.

She is purported to have locked herself in an upstairs room when David came to Bill’s house, and threatened to jump out the window if he came near her. When Amanda died in 1916, she owned two homes, one in Weldon and one in Clinton.

Amanda’s sister Sally Kinser was married to John Ramon, and settled around Monticello. They had 5 children: John, George, Maggie, Alice, and Kate. John Ramon deserted his family a week after David Odaffer deserted his.

Kate never married — her cousins called her “Aunt Kate.” Maggie married a man named Tull, who ran Tull’s clothing store inFarmer City. Maggie died young and left children.

Johann (John) Wolfgang Odoerfer

Johann Wolfgang(John) Odoerfer, who came to this country from Germany, and started the Odaffers in the United States, died March 2, 1816, at the age of 71, when his youngest child with Elizabeth Rowe was 8 years old! His obituary was published in the Maryland Herald and the administrators for his estate were bonded on March 28, 1816.

His personal property was inventoried and appraised on April 3, 1816, and part of the original copy is shown below. Note he had shortened his name to John Oderfer.

A partial list of John Oderfer’s Personal Property upon death, March 3, 1816

A typed copy of the complete list of John Oderfer’s property, with words spelled as in the document is as follows.

An Inventory and appraisial of the personal property of John Oderfer Deceased taken this 3rd day of April, 1816 by Audrey Clissa and Peter Rough

• One Horse 30.00
• One Halter Chain 1.00
• 1 Black Cow 17.00
• 1 Brindle Cow 19.00
• 1 White Cow 20.00
• 7 Sheep and three …. 22.00
• Fourteen Hogs 36.00
• One Iron Kittle 1.00
• One Dutch Oven 1.50
• One Iron Pot 1.00
• One Old Pot 00.75
• One Small Cittle 00.50
• One Frying Pan 00.30
• One Small Pan 00.40
• One Paire of Holles 00.50
• Three Axes 3.50
• 1 Mall and too Wages 1.25
• Two old Tin Buckeds 1.00
• One Coffy Pot 00.30
• One … of Sadlas? 1.00
• Six Puter Dishes 3.50
• One Small Basin and a lot of old spoons 1.00
• One set of teacups and a croone chocks 00.50
• Four Boles 00.30
• Three White Plates 00.25
• Fourteen old crocks and three earthen dishes 1.00
• One lot of old tin cups 00.75
• Three bottles 00.50
• One lot of old ???? 00.75
• One Small Cabbig knive 00.25
• One lot of old tin ware 00.75
• Two old coffy stills 1.50
• One small cobard? 00.50
• One lot of old tin ware 00.50
• One Vinegar Bag 00.40
• One lot of old lizard baskets ? 00.60
• Five Sheets 6.00
• Three Table Clothes 2.50
• Some Striped Lyncy?? 1.40
• One Small old Ceverle?? 00.50
• Four Hand Towels 00.50
• One Cheast 4.00
• One Dito 3.50
• One Do? Tray 1.00
• One lot of Hemp? 2.00
• Five Old chairs 2.00
• One Hand Saw 00.75
• One lot of ordg ????? 1.50
• Five Lamps 00.75
• One lot of toe? yarn 2.50
• One Chock Rool?? 1.00
• One lot of Wole 2.00
• One box of Chock 00.25
• One Weaver Loom 8.00
• One Dito?? 5.00
• Nine Bread Weaver Gears? 11.25
• Nine Dito?? 10.75
• Two Spoling Wheels 2.00
• One Spool Rack and spools 1.70
• Seven Tourbels?? 1.00
• One lot of Tacleus?? 1.00
• Two Reels 00.50
• Four pairs of wever brushes 00.75
• One Worben gear?? 00.75
• Two Bauches 00.20
• One Cow ??? 00.10
• Two Pot Racks 2.00
• One set of knives and forks 00.75
• Cash on hand 15.50
• One Black Coat 4.00
• One Velved Jacked 2.00
• One Brown Coat 3.50
• One Cloathe Jacked 1.50
• One Ditto Coltern? 00.50
• One pair of overhalls striped 1.50
• Three pairs of stockings 00.60
• Three old shertz 1.50
• One pair of mittens 00.50
• Two pairs of lysee? overhalls 1.50
• One red handkerchief 00.30
• One white handkerchief 00.25
• One small red handkerchief 00.20
• One pair of cotton stockings 00.40
• One wool hat 00.50
• One paire of shoase 1.00
• One apron 00.25
• One Straw Bonnet 5.00
• One old Silk Bonnet 00.50
• One Ryding Coat 7.00
• One Camrick frock 5.00
• One Camrick Handkerchief 00.75
• One Black Handkerchief 00.25
• One White Handkerchief 00.11

Total $338.38

Debts due John Oderffer

• John Patterson? 11.65
• John Cushiva Ditto 6.90
• Adam Troup Ditto 3.60
• Henry ButterBough Ditto 27.46
• Henry James desperate Ditto 00.75

49.53

Washington County, to wit: On this 16th May 1816 came Henry Butterbaugh and made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God that this is a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the good and chattles of John Oderffer late of said County deceased, that hath come to his hands and possession at the time of the making thereof and that what hath since or shall hereafter come to his hands and possession he will return in an additional Inventory that he knows of no concealment of any part or parcel of the said deceased Estate by any person whatever, since that should he hearafter hear of any concealment or suspicion of concealment he will acquaint the Court therewith that it may be inquired into according to law. Certified by Leo Smoot, Regr.

One year later, on April 15, 1818, his estate, of $387.91 after expenses, was finally settled by Henry Butterbaugh (Puderbach), after a trip back to Germany. The money was distributed to his wife Elizabeth, and his living children at that time, Henry, Barbara, Mary(Anna Marie), John, Esther, Sarah, and Margaret. The widow received 1/3. The children received an equal share of 2/3.