After a week of almost continuous rain, Ritchey and I visited Mt. Hebron Methodist Cemetery in Anderson County – just over the line from Mercer.  It was a glorious day, complete with blue skies and puffy white clouds – and not too warm.

The first photos I took were of gravestones for the Houchin family, so it seemed natural to use them for this post.

William Houchin, born April 25, 1815, died March 23, 1893.  Mt. Hebron Methodist Cemetery, Anderson County, Kentucky.

William Houchin seems to be the patriarch of this family.  He and wife Mary Barnes were married September 12, 1844, according to Anderson County marriage records.  In the 1850 Census, after six years of marriage, William is listed as 35, a farmer; Mary is 34; son Allen Newberry is 5; and daughter Louisy Ann is 1.  A John Houchin lives with them, probably a brother to William.  In 1860 William is 45, born in Virginia, with a real estate value of 6,000 and personal estate of 1,000.  Mary is 41, Allen is 14, Louisa is 12, and there is an additional daughter, Missouria Helen Houchin, who is 7.

Missouria H., daughter of W. and Mary Houchen, born August 25, 1853, died April 10, 1882.

Mary, wife of W. Houchin, born October 24, 1815, died February 25, 1879.

Perlia A. Houchin must have been a granddaughter – she is buried between Mary and daughter Missouria.

Perlia A. Houchin, born August 5, 1873, died June 6, 1907.

Again going to the marriage records for Anderson County, I found a Harvey D. Williams, 22, residence Anderson County, parents born in Garrard County, who married Lucy Ann Houchin, 18, born and resides in Anderson County, father born in Virginia, and mother born in Anderson County, February 7, 1867, at William Houchin’s, surety William Houchin.  This is very likely daughter Louisy Ann in the census records with William and Mary Houchin.

A. N. Houchin, July 25, 1845 – April 7, 1918

Allen Newberry Houchin, 25, residence Anderson County, father born Virginia and mother born Kentucky, married Ophelia Price, 18, residence Anderson County, parents born in Garrard County, November 12, 1872, at Samuel Price.  Surety Samuel Price.

When Allen died in 1918 he was listed as a widower.  His death certificate giving his parents names as above and Mt. Hebron Methodist Cemetery as place of burial.  He was found dead on the floor of his room.

With a bit more searching I found the 1880 Census with Allen listed as 34, Ophelia, 24, Pearl, 7, (the Perlia buried beside her grandmother and aunt), Ernest T, 4, and Ira C., 1.  Unfortunately Ophelia died March 2, 1882, two years after the 1880 census.  In 1900 all three children are living with their widower father.  Ernest has married Laura Coke, but they had no children at that point.

Another family with their lives wrapped into a short post.  Just a synopsis gives the most basic pieces of their lives, I’m sure there were many joys and sorrows we cannot understand with this small amount of information.  But let us glory in what we do know about this Houchin family!