By Linus Joseph Dewald Jr., Editor
Spring 2007 and Revised 1 Apr 2009
Update of 1 Apr 2009: Clay Prentice is Henry Clay "Clay" Prentiss, #39.1 in our Johathan-3 eBook. That material now replaces this article.
1. Clay Prentice is shown with multiple birth dates and places in census records:
- 1850 census says he was b. c. 1830, VA.
- The 1870 census says he was b. c. 1832 in VA where he appears in the 1870 census in Quincy Ward 5, Adams Co., IL, with his wife and family.
- The 1880 census names him H. C. Prentice and says he was b. c. 1830 in VA, as were both of his parents.
- However, the 1930 census record for his son, Isaac, below, says that Clay was b. in Ireland
He first appears in the 1860 census in Quincy, Adams Co., IL, as "Clay Prentiss" with his wife, Melinda. No children shown.
In that 1850 census, also shown in his home was Catharine Baringer, b. c. 1805, Germany; her relationship to Clay is not presently known, but might be his mother in law. Also shown was Robert Willson(?), b. c. 1838, England.
Clay was then living next door to "Benj Prentiss" (b. c. 1829, VA) and his family, perhaps a brother.
He m. Melinda. She was b. c. 1832, OH; however, the 1930 census record of her son, Isaac, says she was b. in KY. Children per 1870 and 1880 census records:
- Isaac Prentice, b. c. 1850-1852, IL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [2]
- Lucy B. "Belle" Prentice, b. c. 1858, IL. At home in 1870 in Quincy Ward 5, Adams Co., IL, and in the 1880 census in Shelton, Knox Co., MO. She m. Josiah Taylor who was b. c. 1850, IL.
- Carrie Prentice, b. c. 1861-1862, IL. At home in 1870 in Quincy Ward 5, Adams Co., IL, and in the 1880 census in Shelton, Knox Co., MO.
- Clay Prentice, b. c. 1863, IL. At home in 1870 in Quincy Ward 5, Adams Co., IL, and in the 1880 census in Shelton, Knox Co., MO. He does not appear in the 1900 and later census records.
2. Isaac Prentice, b. c. 1850, IL (the 1880 census says he was b. c. 1852, but the 1930 census says b. c. 1863, perhaps because his wife was much younger). He does not appear in the 1850 or 1860 census. Isaac was at home in 1870 in Quincy Ward 5, Adams Co., IL. He was at home in the 1880 census in Shelton, Knox Co., MO. He is not in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 census. According to the 1930 census, his father was b. in Ireland and his mother was b. in KY. He appears in the 1930 census in Lynchburg, Mason Co., IL, with his wife and family.
He m. Rosa, b. c. 1891, IL, as were both of her parents.. Children per census records:
- Emery Prentice, b. c. 1917, IL. At home in 1930 census. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [3]
- William Prentice, b. c. 1919. At home in 1930 census.
- Isaac Prentice, b. c. 1925. At home in 1930 census. He is probably the Isaac D. Prentice shown in the SSDI as b. 3 May 1925 and d. 16 Oct 2005 in Urbana, Champaign Co., IL
- Linus Prentice, b. c. 1927. At home in 1930 census. Not in SSDI as of 2007.
3. Emery Prentice, b. 23 Jan 1917, IL, and d. 9 Jan 1991 at an unspecified location (per SSDI). Not in the 1920 census. At home in 1930 census.
He m. Mary E. Beebe who was b. 14 Nov 1920, in Manito, IL, to Alonzo A. and Lillie Hackman Beebe. Her Obituary reads as follows:
- MANITO - Mary E. Prentice, 85, of 230 Court St., Apt. 507, Pekin, where she resided for the last 14 years, died at 6:13 a.m. Friday, July 28, 2006, at the home of her son in Forest City. She was formerly of the Manito and Topeka areas.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Maas Funeral Home in Manito with the Rev. John Richardson, her grandson, officiating. Internment will be in Meadow Lawn Cemetery in Manito. Family will receive friends one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Forman Ambulance Service in Manito.
She was born Nov. 14, 1920, in Manito to Alonzo A. and Lillie Hackman Beebe. She married [1st] Fredrick Morris Jan. 5, 1939, in Missouri. He died Dec. 6, l940.
She later married [2nd] Emery Prentice on Oct. 1, l943, in Tazewell County. He was b. 23 Jan 1917, son of Isaac and Rosa Prentice of Lynchburg, Mason Co., IL. He obtained his SS# in IL, and d. 9 Jan 1991 (per SSDI).
She also was preceded in death by one infant daughter, three grandsons, one great-granddaughter, three sisters and six brothers. She was a homemaker. She was of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are one son Dean Prentice and his wife, Jeri, of Forest City; three daughters, Sharon Woiwode of West Peoria, and Darlene Richardson and Kay Brown, both of Manito; 11 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Rollin Dutch Beebe of Pekin.
She enjoyed playing cards and bingo.
1830 census records only show the names of the heads of families. We checked the 1830 VA census to identify any Prentice families living there. We found the following:
- James Prentis, Petersburg, Dinwiddle, Virginia
- Jonathan Prentiss, Morgantown, Monongalia, Virginia
- Elizabeth Prentis, Monroe, Virginia
- Joseph Prentis, Nansemond, Virginia
- James Prentis, Prince George, Virginia
- John Prentis, Prince George, Virginia
- Oliver Prentice, Richmond Madison Ward, Richmond (Independent City), Virginia
- John B Prentis, Richmond Monroe Ward, Richmond (Independent City), Virginia
If you have any information about the folks mentioned in this article, please send your information to us at the Prentice Newsletter. Be sure to give the full title and date of this article in the Subject line of the email.
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