John Mitchell Coston

Notes:

Listed as James M. COSTON in the Apr 1910 census for Omaha, 45 years old, occupation: lumber yard laborer.

Listed in the 1934 Omaha city directory as "watchman, Beacon Press", when he would have been 70 years old.

John married Anna May Snodgrass on 6 Oct 1885 in What Cheer, Keokuk, Iowa. Anna (daughter of Moses Snodgrass and Elizabeth A. McClenahan) was born in 1867 in Iowa; died on 15 Dec 1885 in What Cheer, Keokuk, Iowa; was buried in Indianapolis, Mahaska, Iowa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Vitiline Joubert on 2 Sep 1888 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska. Vitiline (daughter of Louis Joubert and Emilie Bastien) was born on 16 Sep 1867 in Murphysboro, Jackson, Illinois; died on 7 Mar 1958 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Arthur Mitchell Coston was born on 27 Jun 1889 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 29 Jan 1933.
2. Edward Edgar Coston was born on 26 Jun 1891 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 26 Sep 1972 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska.
3. Edith Edna Coston was born on 26 Jun 1891 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 22 Jul 1982 in Bella Vista, Benton, Arkansas.
4. Hazel Ethel Coston was born on 29 Jun 1898 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 24 Jan 1970 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Green Acres, Scottsdale, Maricopa, Arizona.
5. John Francis Coston was born on 23 May 1901 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 7 Aug 1928 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska.

Notes:

Also perhaps "Joseph." Or perhaps "Castin", "Caston", or "Costin". His origins are the biggest "brick wall" in the ancestry of TNH.

The record of his headstone, and the record of his pension (it calls his widow "Abigail Hardin", which is not a garbling of "Hatton", because by then she had remarried to John Vardemon Hardin), agree that he served in Company H, Indiana 79th Infantry Regiment, so these records surely refer to the same man. He enlisted on 15 Aug 1862 and was mustered out on 13 Jul 1865.

Since he died in Morgan County, Indiana, it's possible that he was born there as well. The 1874 The People's guide: a business, political and religious directory of Morgan Co., Ind. lists three Costins then living in that county, any of whom could be related to our John (or Joseph):

* M. A. Costin, farmer of Gregg Township, born in Kentucky in 1836, settled in Morgan County 1842. Democrat, Protestant.

* R. H. Costin, farmer of Ashland Township, born in Indiana in 1850. Democrat, Protestant.

* William Costin, farmer of Adams Township, born in Kentucky in 1840. Democrat, Protestant.

Gregg and Ashland townships are reasonably close to Martinsville. Adams Township is farther away, well to the north of Indianapolis.

A John Coston of Jefferson County, Indiana, appears on a May 1865 Federal excise tax assessment list.

A John W. Caston married Nancy St. Killes on 12 Sep 1843 at Warrick, Indiana.

A John W. Coston appears on the 1850 US Census, age 12, in the family of Paul Coston (age 36, born in Pennsylvania) and his wife Eleanor (age 34), living at Pleasant, Hardin, Ohio. Someone on ancestry.com has submitted an "alternate information" ticket claiming that the handwritten census form actually reads "Castor", but this reading is only supportable on the line for Paul Coston himself. The last letter of the surname for all the other family members is unmistakably an "n". The handwriting is loose enough that the name could as easily be "Caston" as "Coston", but this family was clearly not named "Castor."

John married Abigail Hatton on 5 Jan 1858 in Owen County, Indiana. Abigail (daughter of Ephraim Hatton and Elizabeth Bailey) was born about 1842 in Van Buren, Brown, Indiana; died on 24 Dec 1917 in Washington Township, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Between 1838 and 1841, Indiana
• Alternate birth: Nov 1840, Brown County, Indiana

Notes:

Their marriage license was issued on 4 Jan 1858.

Notes:

Living with his wife and children in Van Buren, Brown, Indiana in 1850. The Asa Hatton who owned land in Van Buren township as early as 1834, who was recorded as a poll tax payer in 1848, and who is said to have died in 1853 or 1859, was a brother of this Ephraim Hatton.

Ephraim married Elizabeth Bailey on 27 Oct 1833 in Bartholomew County, Indiana. Elizabeth was born about 1810; died after 1850. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sometimes called Elizabeth Bailes or Bales.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: Abt 1830
• Alternate death: 1830, New Albany, Floyd, Indiana
• Alternate death: Bef 1840

Notes:

"Asa and Susan Hatton migrated to Martin Co., Ind. near Loogootee prior to 1820. Fourteen children were born to this union, all settling in Brown, Bartholomew, Floyd and Jackson Counties, Indiana." [Hatton Families by Reeve & Reeve, citation details below]

Asa married Susan Damrell. Susan was born in Virginia; died in Audrain County, Missouri. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Said to have been a daughter of Onesiphorus Damrell.

"After Asa's death his wife Susan and children Allen R. and Elizabeth moved to Audrain Co., Mo., where Asa's brother David had homesteaded." [Hatton Families by Reeve & Reeve, citation details below]

This has to have happened after the 1840 Federal census, since on that record "Susan Hatten" is shown as a head-of-family in Martin County, Indiana. This also establishes that Asa Hatton has to have died before 1840.