Ivy Luther

To be well born is one of the greatest blessings that can come to a child. Ancestry counts for benefits and becomes a matter of pride only as if confers attributes of character and family traits that enable later generations to live more fully and with greater usefulness to themselves and their community than the generations that have preceded them. No matter how much may be charged to circumstances and environments in the making or marring of character, it is as true as the hills that :blood will tell.: These remarks have special application to the Luther family in Grant County. They come of many generations of strong, sturdy Americans, characterized by mental and moral qualities of a high order, and the present generation has well lived up to the standards set by its predecessors.

The family history is authentically traced back to John Luther, a brother of Martin Luther, the great German and reformer and founder of German Protestantism. One of the descendants of that John Luther came from Germany to England prior to 1630. The first American of the family was also named John Luther, born in England before 1630, and emigrating tot he American Colonies previous to 1640. This immigrant was known as Captain John Luther, and was killed by Indians in Delaware Bay in 1644. He married Sarah Butternut, who was probably an English girl, and they were probably married in England, since their son Hezekiah Luther, next in the line of the family history, was bon in England in 1626. Hezekiah Luther married and had children, among whom was Michael Luther, who was born in Maryland about 1656-7. From Maryland he moved south into North Carolina, settling in Randolph County, the point of origin for so many Grant County settlers. There he died in 1734. In religion he was a Methodist. He was twice married and had children by both wives.

From Michael Luther to Godfrey Luther, there is a break in the family genealogy, of one or perhaps two generations. Godfrey Luther was born December 14, 1776, and died August 3, 1855. He grew up in Randolph County of North Carolina, and married Elizabeth Stride, who was born in 1779, and died in 1816. They were farming people and members of the Methodist faith. Godfrey and Elizabeth Luther had five children, Sarah, Jacob, Martin, William and Catherine. Of these children Martin was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, September 6, 1805. He grew up in his native vicinity, took up farming as his occupation, and married Sarah (Sally) Kearns. She was born in Randolph County in 1807. After their marriage, which occurred about 1830, they settled on a farm in Randolph County, and spent the rest of their lives there. He died march 26, 1883, and she on December 15, 1892. Their religious faith was Methodist.

The children of Martin and Sarah Luther were as follows:

Mary Ann, born August 18, 1832, died after her marriage to Richard Graves, and left a family.
Ivy was born February 22, 1834, and is head of the well known Grant County family of that name.
James W. was born July 14, 1836, and died unmarried during the Civil War in North Carolina.
Josiah was born March 4, 1840, died in his native county, and married Anna Crawford, and their children were Elsa and Martin.
Martha E. died after her marriage to M. Lathrock, and left children, Ivey and Vetura.
Emily Maria is the wife of William Fletcher Hicks, and has seven children.

Ivy Luther, whose birth has been noted, and who is now in his eightieth year, ahs had a long and honorable career. Reared on a farm, he early found himself out of sympathy with the tide of public opinion before the war, and when the war broke out was conscripted for service in the Confederate Army. Instead of going to the front he managed to secure an appointment in the Government Salt Works, but soon after left the south and journeyed to Henry County, Indiana. There he had his home for seven years, and then moved to Grant County, where he bought eighty acres of land adjoining the Fairmount corporation. He ahs placed many improvements including a fine home and barns and other outbuildings on that land, and is living in comfortable circumstances.

In Randolph County, North Carolina, Mr. Luther was untied in marriage August 28, 1855, to Sarah Stuart, who was born in Randolph County, August 21, 1833. She was reared and educated in that vicinity, and she and her husband were school children together. her parents were Jehu and Rebecca (Hicks) Stuart, natives of North Carolina, where they lived and died a s substantial farmer people and strict adherents of the Quaker faith. The Stuart family has an interesting genealogy. Jehu Stuart, father of Mrs. Luther, was a son of Henry and Mary (Nelson) Stuart, both natives of Chatham County, North Carolina, where they died at a good old age. Alexander Stuart, going back still another generation, was a son of Robert and Martha (Richardson) Stuart, natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married and afterwards moved to Virginia. These last named couple were of English parents and were probably immediately descended from some of the Quakers who came over with or soon after William Penn and located in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. and Mrs. Ivy Luther have the following children:

Dorothy, was born in Grant County, received her education in the city high school, and also the Earlham College at Richmond and the State Normal School at Terre Haute. She was for seventeen years a successful teacher in the city public schools and now lives at home.
Narcissa, is the wife of Elias Bundy, an attorney of Marion. Their two children are Homer L., and Howard E., both in the city schools.
James A., is one of the prominent business men of Terre Haute, Indiana. He is one of the executive officials in the National Drain Tile Company, is connected with the Lower Vein Coal Company, and an official in various banks and other corporations. He married Lizzie Scott, and their children, Forest J. and E. Agnes, are both married.
Emily R., is the wife of Alvin B. Scott, a well known business man of Fairmount, whose family history will be found on other pages.

Mr. and Mrs. Luther are both prominent members of the Friends Church at Fairmount, and at the present time in point of years are the oldest couple in the local congregation. Their children were all reared in the same faith. Mr. Luther in political allegiance is a Prohibitionist.

Source: Centennial History of Grant County Indiana 1812-1912. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1914, page970, 971, 972.

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