Union County
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Caraker Family Collection

I have been compiling information on the Caraker Family of Union and have tons of information on many or our family members. I just registered and was approved as a "Daughter of the American Revolution" (DAR) where we had to prove direct lineage and proof of our patriot as supporting the United States against the British.

This Caraker family changed their name many times. Howard H. Carriker spent a lot of effort researching and developing Carriker Origins also spelled Caraker, Cariker, Carreker, Karraker, Karriker, published in 1993. This detailed book includes ten chapters, five appedixes, plus many Carriker census charts and ancestral charts. A great resource!

Johann Philip Karcher

Johann Philip Karcher, Jr., and his father came from Bingen off the Rhine in Germany. They arrived in US in 1749 through Philadelphia, PA. John Kerker "did secret service as scout and messenger" during the Revolutionary War  1    2 . The father was commonly called John, and the son was commonly called Philip.

Andrew Carriker, son of Johann Philip Karcher

Andrew Carriker, formerly Karcher, was born in Berks County, PA, in 1755. See DAR documents  1    2 . He moved to NC buying a US land grant  1    2    3  to protect the land against British invasion and to support the war. 1823 Deed  1    2    3    4  . Andrew's special oath of allegiance and the land entry mentioned can be found on the NC Land Grant site. Andrew had a several sons who moved to Union, Illinois, around 1816.

George Karcher, son of Johann Philip Karcher

George, a brother to Andrew, was a well-documented soldier in the war and later moved to GA.  1    2    3    4    5    6  

Daniel Karraker, son of Andrew and Christina Carriker

Daniel Karraker was born in 1793 in NC. He migrated to Union County around 1816, before Illinois became a state in 1818. Daniel was the first of the family to arrive, according to St. John's Lutheran Church history. He is listed in the 1820 Census of Union County (4th from the bottom of the page). He married Rachel Blackwelder. Daniel died in 1861.

Mark Arslan has done a fantastic job researching the Blackwelder family. Daniel and Rachel can be found on page 8.

Jacob Karraker, son of Andrew and Christina Carriker

Jacob Karraker, which is my lineage, was born in NC, and fought in the War of 1812 prior to coming to Illinois. Jacob married Jane Meisenheimer in NC in 1813 and had 3 sons, Mathias, Reubin, and Israel. Jacob was the second in the family to come to Union with his wife, Jane Meisenheimer, and his two sons.  They arrived prior to the birth of their last son, John Israel Caraker, born in 1819 in Union County. Jacob is listed (mid-page) in the 1820 Census records for Union County. Jane passed away in 1825. A year later Jacob married Phebene Verble, October 1826, in Union County, Illinois, and had 11 children, of which five served in the Civil War. Family Data Sheets   1    2    3    4    5  . They owned land in Illinois through a land grant in 1843, data sheet, and 1855 data sheet  1    2  . His wife, Phebe, drew a war pension after his death in 1864. Pension Papers  1    2    3    4    5  .

Three of Jacob and Phebene's sons, Henry, Tobias, and Samuel, joined the 109th Illinois Infantry, in Anna, Illinois and they were later transferred to the 11th Illinois Infantry when the two infantries combined into one. Then James M Caraker joined the 6 Illinois US Cavalry and Elijah joined the 31st Illinois Infantry.

Henry Caraker, son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

During a campaign in Tennessee, Henry Caraker was struck with disease and returned home, where he died in 1864. We are not sure where his body lay, but suspect he is buried where his father was put to rest that same year.

Daniel Caraker, son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

Daniel Karraker was born 1828, one of the early births in Union county. He married 25 Mar 1849 to Nancy Haire. Family Data Sheets 1    2    3  . Daniel's obituary . Visit "FindAGrave" for his memorial.

Mathias Caraker, son of Daniel and Nancy Karraker

Mathias Caraker was born 5 Apr 1850 In Union County, Illinois. He and Venecia Jane Stout were married 19 Sep 1878, in Union County, Illinois. They had six children. Mathias was County Commissioner from 1909 to 1912. He died 1 Mar 1932, in Williamson County, Illinois. Mathias' obituary .

Tobias Caraker,  son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

Tobias Caraker completed his full military service (about 3 years) and returned home to Union, after he mustered out in Baton Rouge, LA, in July 1865. Civil War documents  1    2    3    4  .

Tobias died in 17 Aug 1915 death certificate, and his family had no money for a headstone, so for 103 years, he had none. Then In 2018, his great grandson, William, applied for a military headstone, and it was put in place in the Fall of 2018. He is buried at Fairmont Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on the other side of the Mississippi. The grave is in the “Old” Section, Lot 22, Grave 8. Visit Find A Grave for his memorial.

The Honor Guard is providing full military honors with taps 21 gun salute, and folding of his flag, which will be presented to William, his Great Grandson. Further, his great-great and great-great-great grandchildren will be present and will be receiving flags in his honor. Father Allen Saunders from St Mary’s Cathedral will be blessing the grave, followed with the Honor Guard presentation. The Turner Brigade, a Civil War reenactment group, will also be present, in period costume, along with the presence of the Sons of Union Veterans.

An invitation.  All are welcome to attend the event on 25 May 2019 at 11 am at Fairmont Cemetery (Old Section, Lot 22, Grave 8).  An article.

Tobias Caraker and Sarah Jane Haire were married 17 Jan 1856 . Sarah died 30 Dec 1895.

Robert Caraker, son of Tobias and Sarah Caraker

Robert was born 20 Jun 1865 in Union County, Illinois. Robert died 13 May 1910, death certificate.

Franklin Caraker, son of Tobias and Sarah Caraker

Franklin Earnest Caraker married Cora Burdick in Alexander, East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, on 1 Dec 1898. They had a son, David Allen Caraker born 17 Nov 1900. Cora died shortly after giving birth to David Allen Caraker, at a young age of 24 on 20 Sep 1901. Cora is buried at Fairmont Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and her parents are unknown.

We found Gussie Brown’s autograph book that Cora and Franklin [and Addie] had signed; so we know that Cora and Franklin were friend’s of Gustavia A. (Thompson) Brown, who was married to John Brown.

Franklin, then married a second time to Mary Jane Richards. They had a boy that died at birth in 1910 and later had a daughter, Bessie Juanita Caraker, in 1912, and Mary Jane Richards Caraker passed away shortly after that in the same year.

Franklin Caraker died in 27 Jul 1936 due to heat stroke, death certificate. Franklin's obituary has the wives backwards; he was married to Cora Burdick first and then Mary Richards.

David Allen Caraker, son of Franklin and Cora Caraker

David married Lydia Lydia Delverine Kimbel (also spelt Kimbell, Kimble, and Kimball, in many documents). [The Kimbel line moved to Schuyler County, Illinois, from KY in the 1840 to 1850 timeframe.] David and Lydia had a son, Paul.

David Allen Caraker

Paul Lewetzel Caraker
Mary Helen McCart
Wedding Photo
(WWII uniform)

Paul L. Caraker
1921 - 1996
Military Headstone

Samuel Caraker,  son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

Samuel Caraker was born 23 Oct 1837. He served in the Civil War. He was promoted to Corporal during the war. Military. He died 11 Mar 1921 and was buried at Ebenezer Cemetery. Visit Find A Grave for Sam's memorial. 

James M. Caraker,  son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

James M. Caraker, who was in the 6th Illinois Infantry, data sheet 1, data sheet 2, died during the war and is buried in Memphis Tenn National Cemetery. Visit Find A Grave for his memorial. Family Sheets   1     2   

Elijah Caraker,  son of Jacob and Phebene Karraker

Elijah Caraker completed his military service in the 31st Illinois Infantry and is buried in Oak Grove cemetery, Charleston, Mississippi County, Missouri. Military   1    2 . Visit Find A Grave for Elijah's memorial. He was married to Dollie Ann Lence Caraker, who was buried at Fairmont Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and is shown on page 24 of the Fairmont Index. She was a Cherokee Indian and is on the rolls, making her children also of Indian descent. Family Sheets   1     2     3  .  Visit FindAGrave for her memorial.



Contributed Jan 2019 by Tammy Jetton marymostadmirable@gmail.com


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