Three daughters were born to Daniel Wakenight (1792 to 1866) and Isabell Powell (1798 to 1881). Two lived in Mt Morris, Ogle, Illinois while the other moved to Boelus, Howard, Nebraska.

Mary M Wakenight:

Born: 22 APR 1817 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

Spouse: None

Married: None

Children: None

Died: 9 MAY 1875 in Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois

Burial: Cedar Hill Cemetery

Timeline:

1850 Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland
1860 Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois
1870 Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois

Records:

1840 to 1870 US Census Records
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

Notes:

Mary never wed. She lived with her parents all her life.

Susanna Wakenight:

Susanna and daughter, Mary Tockey Blumer, in Ashton, Nebraska.

Born: 16 JUN 1826 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

Spouse: Christian Henrich Tockey (1817 to 1891)

Married: 26 Mar 1857 in Polo, Ogle County, Illinois

Children:

Harvey Luther Tockey (1858 to 1863)
Perry Philip Tockey (1859 to 1863)
Frances Esther Tockey (1861 to 1943)
George McClellan Tockey (1863 to 1926)
Mary Elizabeth Tockey (1866 to 1928)
Martha Jane Tockey (1868 to 1877)
Margaret Ellen Tockey (1870 to 1870)
Dora Alice Tockey (1871 to 1954)

Died: 11 DEC 1919 in Ashton, Sherman County, Nebraska

Burial: Ebenezer Cemetery, Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska

Timeline:

1850 Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland
1860 Orange, Clinton County, Iowa
1870 Orange, Clinton County, Iowa
1880 Dannebrog, Howard County, Nebraska
1885 Dannebrog, Howard County, Nebraska
1890 Unknown (the 1890 Census was destroyed in a major fire)
1900 Ashton, Sherman County, Nebraska
1905 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1910 Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska
1917 Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska

Records:

1840 to 1880, 1900 and 1910 US Census Records
Nebraska, State Census Collection, 1860-1885
Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940
U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta)
The U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: Tacke, Tocky

Christian Henrich Tockey:

Christian Henrich Tockey

Christian was born on 7 SEP 1817 in Rahden, Minden-Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He died on 13 JUN 1891 in Boelus, Howard County, Nebraska.

Christian’s father was Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Fleddermann. He was born in 1784 in Ströhen, Minden-Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He died in 1848 in Rahden, Minden-Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Christian’s mother was Engel Marie Dorothee Tacke. She was born on 14 JAN 1799 in Rahden, Minden-Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She died in 1848 in Rahden, Minden-Lübbecke, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Before his marriage to Susanna, Christian had wed Catherine Price on 25 Feb 1847 in Ogle County, Illinois. The 1850 US Census shows them living in Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois.

Catherine Price was born on 28 OCT 1818 in Washington County, Maryland. She died on 17 AUG 1856 in Mount Morris, Ogle County, Illinois.

To this marriage were born four known children:

John Thurman Tockey (1847 to 1910)
Amos Holland Tockey (1849 to 1906)
Arthur Scott Tockey (1851 to 1927)
Susan L Tockey (1853 to 1912)

Notes:

The 1917 land ownership map shows that Susanna lived near the old Union Pacific railroad tracks. She owned one-acre of land on the northwest intersection of 7th Street and Pawnee Street.

U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 for Susanna Wakenight Tockey in 1917 Boelus, Howard, Nebraska

As I looked at an aerial view of this location, I noticed that the railroad tracks had been removed. I discovered that this branch was called the Omaha and Republican Valley Railway. It was operational from 1890 until 1948.

Isabell Wakenight:

Born: 2 JUL 1829 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland

Spouse: George Washington Thompson (1836 to 1867)

Married: 4 Jul 1858 in Ogle County, Illinois

Children:

Samuel Thompson (1859 to Unknown)
Daniel Webster Thompson (1862 to 1937)
Mary Agnes Thompson (1863 to 1944)
George Washington Thompson (1866 to 1947)

Died: 1915 in Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois

Burial: Cedar Hill Cemetery

Timeline:

1860 Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois
1870 Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois
1880 Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois
1890 Unknown (the 1890 Census was destroyed in a major fire)
1900 Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois
1910 Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois

Records:

1860 to 1880, 1900 and 1910 US Census Records
Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900
U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
The U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current

Variations of Surname: none

George Washington Thompson:

George preferred to use his middle name Washington. He was born in 1836 in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Parents are unknown.

Washington enlisted in the Civil War on 20 MAY 1864 in Mt Morris, Ogle County, Illinois. He served with the 140th Illinois Infantry. He was released from service on 29 OCT 1864 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

I could find no death record for Washington. Yet, the pension record shows that Isabell filed a claim on 6 MAY 1867. This leads me to assume that he would have died in late 1866 or early 1867.

Notes:

As I added the US census records to Isabell’s profile, a child’s name caught my attention.

The 1860 census listed her as Sarah Thompson, age 7 (1853), born in Maryland.

The 1870 census listed her as Sarah Kopler or Kepler, age 16 (1854), born in Ohio.

The 1880 census listed her as Catherine Fink, age 25 (1855), born in Ohio.

The 1860 and 1870 records did not disclose a relationship between Isabell and this person (i.e. mother or daughter). But, the 1880 record did. It describes Catherine as Isabell’s daughter.

This brought up several questions:

In 1850, Isabell’s parents were still living in Maryland. I could not find Isabell in the 1850 US census. Could she have married someone named Kopler or Kepler? The 1870 document is very difficult to read so the name could be something totally different.

Isabell’s 1858 marriage record listed her surname as Wakenight. Could this person have died and she reverted back to her maiden name?

Could Isabell have had this child out of wedlock?

Could Isabell and Washington have adopted a child after they married? This would mean that Isabell and Catherine were not related at all.

I did find an Illinois marriage record for Catherine Thompson. She wed Jacob R Fink on 28 FEB 1878 in Ogle County, Illinois. Catherine was living with Isabell on the 1880 census, but where was Jacob?

I found him in Pine Creek, Ogle County, Illinois. He was working for a farmer named George Palmer. Jacob did not list his marital status as married, but as single.

As I could find neither Catherine nor Jacob after 1880, I must assume that they did not stay together. No known children were born to this marriage.

Special Notes:

For more information on this part of the Wakenight family, please visit Sharon Strow’s website, “Descendants of Daniel Wakenight.”

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for births, marriages, and deaths.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory that is passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. The records can include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestor.

If you have a unique surname, like Wakenight, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are many others on the internet for other countries like Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on.  There are also family trees that go “forward into time.”  Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!