Text Box:

IOWAN ANCESTORS

OF SOUTHEAST IOWA

             Reasoner William Doak was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania 20 December 1843.  On the 15th of April 1861 when Rease was 18, he left Fremont, Iowa riding a horse and traveling with an immigrant or prairie train of covered wagons drawn by oxen.  The wagon train was led by a man called Cummins.  Twenty men, women and children were in the train.  There were four wagons and in Oskaloosa, Iowa they met six more.  Rob Doak, Rease’s brother was also with the train.  Farther out west they overtook a Missouri train of thirteen wagons and traveled with them the rest of the journey.  Many unforgettable experiences were endured in the months on the trail.  They met Indians but had no trouble with them.    The wagon train reached Walla Walla, Washington 15 September 1861, five months to the day that Rease had signed on in Fremont.  He stayed in the west 13 years and while there he worked for a pack train that carried supplies to the mines. 

 

             Rease married a young lady , Melvina Paul, from the wagon train.     

To this union was born one child whose mother died when he was only a week old:

 

                          Robert Elliott Doak          (married Evie Barton)—lived in Oregon

                                                                 children: Ellen, Rease, Olive & Margarite

 

In 1874, shortly after Rease’s mother died, father and son returned to Wapello County, Iowa by stagecoach .

             Four years later on 17 March 1879, he married Miss Sarah Ellen Butler.  Reasoner and Sarah resided west of Hedrick, Iowa and to them were born 4 children:

 

                          Frank Doak                    -see Frank Doak page-

 

                          Elizabeth Doak               (never married)

 

                          Raymond Doak               (husband of Juanita Grace Bacon)

                                                                     children: Belva (Doak) Dickey, Geest

                                                                                                                       married George Dickey

                                                                                                                       2nd marriage Henry Geest

                                                                                                       Walter Doak

                                                                                                                       married Helen E. Wilhoit

                                                                                                                       children: Gary Doak

 

                          Alice (Doak) Neff            (wife of Benjamin Franklin Neff)- lived in Missouri

                                                                 children: Charles Neff

                                                                                                                       married Mary Whitmarsh

                                                                                                                       children: Charles Jr., Lee

                                                                                                       Loren Neff

                                                                                                                       married Marilyn Brown Bradshaw

                                                                                                                       children: Ralph, Kay, Nesa, Mark, Chad

                                                                                                       Martha (Neff) Sheehan

                                                                                                                       married John Sheehan

                                                                                                                       children: Kathleen, Thomas

 

             Reasoner was one of the best known farmers and long time residents of his community.  He died 13 years after his beloved wife on 2 January 1930 at the age of 86.  Both are laid to rest in McCormick Cemetery, Wapello County, Iowa.

 

                         

             Sarah Ellen Butler was born the 22nd of  January 1854 in Fulton County, Illinois to Abia Cline Butler and Elizabeth Celia Emery (a descendant of Conrad Emery).  Abia and Elizabeth were both born in Ashland, Ohio but were married in Canton, Illinois the 25th of August 1852.  Abia was mustered into the Civil War the 29th of November 1864 a member of Company “F” 50th Illinois Infantry and mustered out the 13th of July 1865.  The couple traveled  farther west to homestead in Wapello county, Iowa some time around the 1870 census. 

                                       -see Butler Branch page for more details-

 

Sarah Ellen was one of  7 children born to this union:

 

             Emma Butler                                (died infant)

             Sarah Ellen Butler                      -see Reasoner Doak page-

             Alice Adora (Butler) McCormick   (wife of L.W. McCormick)

             Laura Butler                                 (died infant)

             Eva M. Butler                               (died age 10)

             Frank H. Butler                             (died age 11)

             Lois Iona “Ona” (Butler) Marsh    (wife of U. Marsh)- lived in Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

             At the age of 25, Sarah Ellen married Reasoner Doak on the 17th of March 1879. 

To this union were born 4 children:

 

                         Frank Doak                    -see Frank Doak page-

 

                         Elizabeth Doak               (never married)

 

                         Raymond Doak               (husband of Juanita Grace Bacon)

                                                                children: Belva & Walter

 

                         Alice (Doak) Neff            (wife of Benjamin Franklin Neff)

                                                                children: Charles, Loren & Martha

 

             Her parents later moved  to Oklahoma where her father died the 23rd of  September 1906  . Her mother united with the M.E. church at Highland Center in 1891 and remained a faithful and consistent member until her death in 1909.  She was an estimable lady, a good neighbor, and a kind and loving wife and mother.

             Sara Ellen died age 65 on the 11th of  April 1919 due to diabetic kidney failure.  She was laid to rest near her parents in McCormick Cemetery, Wapello county, Iowa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other family members buried in McCormick Cemetery:

             sister                  Eva M. Butler

             brother                Frank H. Butler

             parents               Abia & Elizabeth Butler

             husband             Reasoner Doak

             son                     Frank Doak and wife

             son                     Raymond Doak and wife

             daughter            Elizabeth Doak

             daughter            Alice Neff and husband

            

            

 

            

 
Text Box: Obituary R.W. Doak– Hedrick Journal (resident of vicinity of Hedrick for 70 years) Hedrick, January 3, Reason William Doak, on of the best know farmers and long time residents of this community, died at his home four and one-half miles from here Thursday. He was born December 20, 1943 in Pennsylvania to Robert and Elizabeth Doak. From Pennsylvania the family moved to Virginia, in 1850 to Lee County Iowa until 1859 when they moved to Wapello County. In 1862 Mr. Doak crossed the plains by immigrant train to Walla Walla, Washington where he resided for 13 years. While there he was married to Melvina Paul, to this union was born Robert E. whose mother died when he was only a week old. In 1875 father and son returned to Wapello county, Reason was 86 years old and though in ill health for some time had been in bed only three weeks. He lived in this section of the state since 1859. Mrs. Doak died eleven years ago…...the funeral will be at 1 o’clock Saturday at the house...Burial will be made in McCormick Cemetery. Text Box: Obituary of Mrs. Sarah Ellen Butler Doak– Hedrick Journal 16 April 1919 Mrs. Sarah Ellen Doak, age 65 years died Friday afternoon at 1 o’clock at her home north of Highland. She is survived by her husband, R.W. Doak, two sons, two daughters, one step-son, one sister, and five grandchildren. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the residence…… Interment in McCormick Cemetery.