Jo Kester on Fanny Alger
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WAYNE_IN-L Archives
Accessed April 3, 2008 at
From: "Jack E. & Jo Ann L. Kester" <
Subject: [Fwd: Obit for Frances (Fanny) (ALGER) CUSTER]
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 13:46:46 -0500
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 13:26:16 -0500
From: "Jack E. & Jo Ann L. Kester" <
Reply-To:
Hello Fellow Rooters!
I recently became aware of an LDS cd that states that my maternal
gr-gr-grandmother, Fanny (ALGER) CUSTER married 16 Nov 1836 to Solomon
CUSTER of Dublin, Wayne, IN was the first plural wife of Joseph SMITH,
the founder of the Mormon Church.
Needless to say, this has disturbed me very much as there is no family
history, that I know of, that backs up this claim. There is family
history that states that Brigham YOUNG asked her to marry him but she
refused him.
This marriage to Joseph SMITH is possible as all her family were
following Joseph SMITH from NY to Utah. She seems to be the only member
of her family that didn't go on to Utah. Supposedly her marriage to
SMITH took place in 1835, a year before her marriage to Solomon CUSTER.
I would also be interested in knowing how she met Solomon CUSTER.
She died 29 November 1889 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN. I am assuming
she is buried at SouthLawnCemetery in Dublin, Wayne, IN next to her
husband. They had lived on Jackson St in Dublin, near the railroad
tracks.
I would also appreciate any other information about her that might have
appeared in local newspapers during her lifetime. Her husband, Solomon,
had been a merchant in Dublin.
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WAYNE_IN-L Archives
Accessed April 3, 2008 at
From: "Jack & Jo Kester" <
Subject: Re: Missing Gravestones
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2000 15:31:25 -0400
Again, thanks to those who answered my latest query. I am 99.9% sure my
Custers weren't part of the Quaker migration. My ggg/gm, Mary Custer Garber
1780-1869, is the daughter of a noted Dunkard minister, John Garver. Some
of the enclave of Custers who came from NC to Clermont Co, OH seem to have
been members of the Brethren faith. But it seems when Paul & Mary came to
Dublin c1820 they became members of the UniversalistChurch when it was
first organized in 1842.
HISTORY OF WAYNE CO. by Andrew W. Young 1872 Pages 265-266
The Universalist Church was organized in 1842 and reorganized in 1863.
Members at the first organization were: John Whippo, Paul CUSTER, Jacob
CUSTER, Gideon Myers, Edmund Lawrence, and others. Their meetings were
first held in the AcademyBuilding.
Solomon Custer 1816-1883
Frances "Fanny" Alger Custer 1817-1889 Her parents and maternal
grandparents were members of the Mormon church and followed Joseph Smith,
the founder, from New York to OH and eventually to Salt Lake City. LDS
history states Fanny was the first plural wife of Joseph Smith but no proof
has ever been found. Smith had hired her when she was 17 years old to care
for his ailing wife. Rumor and innuendo states his wife, Emma, found the
two of them in the hay in the barn. With all his lying, under oath,
whether he practiced bigamy or not and then having an affair with a young
lady, young enough to be his daughter and who was in his employ and probably
was dazzled by the attention bestowed on her by the leader of her church I
find it remarkably similar to events in Washington in recent years.
We do know Fanny did not accompany her family on Westward but met & married
Solomon Custer a year after she was supposed to have been a plural wife of
Joseph Smith.
From an article about Solomon Custer's death: Solomon F. CUSTER, after a
lingering
illness of some six weeks of typhoid pneumonia, died last Friday morning, in
the
69th year of his age. Mr. CUSTER was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, in
1816. He came to Jacksonburg Twp, IN with his parents in the year 1819.
Two years later they settled near this place, (Dublin) where he has been
living ever since. Being identified with the place so long, he became
familiar with the changes and incidents surrounding this place in that lapse
of time. His burial took place last Sunday. Funeral discourse by Rev.
Guthrie at the Universalist Church, which was crowded to its utmost, and all
seemed enrapt in the eloquent sermon preached. Being a Mason, his funeral
rites were conducted by members from the lodges of Milton, CambridgeCity
and Dublin-all chiming in with the thought and wish of peace to his ashes
and rest to his soul in climes beyond. His wife and three children, out of
nine, survive him.
Now you know why I feel this family wasn't of the Quaker persuasion.
Everything else, but not Quaker.
Jo
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ALGER-L Archives at
Accessed April 3, 2008
From: "Jo Kester" <
Subject: John ALGER, son of Samuel ALGER
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 16:06:59 -0400
Anyone researching this particular John ALGER? I believe he was a close
friend and confidant of Brigham Young. Is this true? John's parents,
grandparents and siblings had followed Joseph Smith from New York to
Illinois and then after Smith's death his parents, grandmother, and most of
his siblings traveled on West, some making it to Salt Lake City!
I recently found this information on Ancestry.com and hope someone on this
List can verify the information Also, I would like to know the mother's
name of each child. Thank you very much!
Jo
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ALGER-L Archives
Accessed April 3, 2008 at
From: "Lainee Denton" <
Subject: [ALGER] Fwd: {not a subscriber} RE: Fanny Alger & Solomon Custer
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 15:47:07 -0500
Notice in the subject line...NOT A SUBSCRIBER...please respond to Allen via
his email address, if you can help him, unless of course what you have to
say might help someone else on list, then copy the list in your response
also. :)
Lainee
Alger List Administrator
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Allen Alger" <
To: "'Jo Kester'" < >, < >,
CC: <
Subject: {not a subscriber} RE: Fanny Alger & Solomon Custer
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 07:29:49 -0700
Hi Jo,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write. Fanny's biography has
always been a bit uncertain to me and your letter helps to clear things
up.
For many years I have been collecting data on Alger history and
genealogy and placing it all into computer files for easy storage and
retrieval. I will make the changes you suggest right away in the master
copy of our data files. Unfortunately, it may take some time before the
web-site itself is corrected.
Are you saying that Fanny Alger and Joseph Smith were never actually
married? That they just had an affair that she later regretted? I've
never found any original documentation for a marriage. All I have is
information from a Mormon history book, which might be slanted to cast
Joseph Smith in a better light (if that is possible.) The book says
they were married and later divorced. Maybe the Mormon definition of
"married" means something different.
I would be absolutely delighted if you could be persuaded to send me the
information you have on any and all of Fanny's descendants and her Alger
ancestors. I would love to be able to add that valuable information to
the computer files. But whether you send your info or not, please let
me know if I can ever be of help to you in your genealogy research.
Whatever information I have is yours for the asking.
Sincerely,
Allen
------
Allen Alger
Alger family historian
Email:
"Even if you are on the right track, if you just stand there, you'll get
run over."
-----Original Message-----
From: Jo Kester [mailto:
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 9:14 PM
To: ;
Cc:
Subject: Re: Fanny Alger & Solomon Custer
I found the following erroneous information on the Alger Genealogical
Database Index on the Internet and I would like to set the record
straight.
Solomon and Fanny (Alger) Custer are my maternal gr-gr-grandparents and
I
have been researching them for over twenty years and my Mother was a
researcher for many years before I became interested in genealogy. As a
child, my Mother lived for several years with her maternal grandparents,
one
of which was a son of Solomon and Fanny Custer. And my Mother was born
and
raised in Dublin, IN, where Solomon and Fanny were married and resided
their
entire married life, and stated there was never a Mormon Church in that
area. In fact, Solomon & Fanny were members of the Universalist Church
of
Dublin, IN.
When Fanny fled from the home of Joseph and Emma Smith to be with her
parents in Indiana I believe she never had another encounter with Joseph
Smith. I also believe she was very ashamed of her affair with Smith as
she
never mentioned to her children.
My grandmother, who was a granddaughter of Solomon and Fanny, and her
aunt,
who was a daughter of Solomon and Fanny, were avid letter writers to
each
other from the late 1920's until the late 1930's and not once was there
any
mention of Joseph Smith. I feel if this daughter had known about the
affair
of her Mother and Smith she would have mentioned it. She did mention
that
Brigham Young, accompanied by Fanny's brother, John Alger, did come to
Indiana, before Fanny married Solomon Custer, to ask her to marry him.
She
answered him by saying, "You are a fine young man but I want to be an
only
wife".
It is my hope that the information provided by
and
will be changed to show the truths as I have stated
in
this email.
Fanny Alger
------
GIVN: Fanny
SURN: Alger
Sex: F
Born: 30 Sep 1816 in Rehoboth, Bristol Co., MA USA
Died:
Reference: FFFFF4
AFN: 3W0Z-S3
Record last updated: 10 Oct 2000
TIME: 10:57
Notes:
Although not verified by public records, it is thought that Fanny (or
Fannie) married Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, as his
first
polygamous marriage. When Joseph Smith fled west, Fanny went to Indiana
and
married someone there, presumably after divorcing Joseph. She remained a
member of the Mormon Church and a friend of Joseph Smith.
Fanny was also married to Solomon Custer.
References:
(1) Alger History Files - email message received from Dennis Wayne Alger
dated 6 Jan 1998
(2) LDS Ancestral File - AFN: 3W0Z-S3 - 15 Apr 1999
------
Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Alger Family Historian - email:
______
ALGER-L Archives
Accessed April 3, 2008 at
From: "Jo Kester" <
Subject: [ALGER] Re: Roll Call: Frances "Fanny" (ALGER) CUSTER
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 11:30:00 -0400
References: <>
I am searching for the burial place of Frances "Fanny" (ALGER) CUSTER.
She died November 29, 1889 in Marion Co, IN. Was she buried there
or was her body brought back to Dublin, Wayne, IN for burial on
December 01, 1889? She was the wife of Solomon CUSTER. Solomon
is buried in South Lawn Cemetery in Dublin, Wayne, IN
Jo
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BRETHREN-L Archives
Accessed April 3, 2008 at
From: "Jo Kester" <
Subject: Re: Stonelick Church -Clermont Co OH
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 17:03:32 -0400
In-Reply-To: <003501c46e53$40aae8e0$b3dafea9@l2b4m3>
Thank you, Merle, for sharing your collection on the migration of the
Brethren into Ohio!
As you know, I am very interested in this information as several lines of my
maternal ancestors were in this group of pioneers.
A gr-gr-gr-grandmother, Mary GARVER, daughter of Elder GARVER, married Paul
CUSTER, son of Johannes and Elizabeth (Hauser) CUSTER.
My maternal ancestry is a patchwork quilt of religious beliefs! The Custer
line, originally spelled KUSTER, which refers to Paulus KUSTER's occupation
in Germany as a sacristan in the Catholic Church. After a dispute with the
church he became a Mennonite. His grandson, Nicholas, became a Lutheran
after marrying a daughter of a Lutheran minister. Nicholas' son, Johannes,
became Old Order Brethren after his son, Paul, married Mary GARVER,
daughter of Elder John GARVER.
Solomon CUSTER, son of Paul and Mary (GARVER) CUSTER, who was born in
Montgomery Co, OH (7 miles west of Dayton) married Fanny ALGER, whose
ancestry was Mormon. In fact, LDS lists her as the 'first plural wife' of
Joseph Smith but since no one has been able to produce any proof of this I
refuse to believe it. LDS and family history states she was an attractive
seventeen yr old girl hired by Smith to help his wife Emma with the children
and household chores. The rest is history and when the affair almost
collapsed the Mormon Church in Kirksville, OH, Fanny fled Ohio for Indiana
and the Mormon Church, later to embrace the beliefs of Spiritualism. She
and Solomon raised their family in Dublin, Wayne, IN
(taken from my FTM Notes)
Brigham YOUNG came back East from Utah with Fanny ALGER's brother, John
ALGER, to ask Fanny to marry him. She refused him saying," You are a fine
young man but I want to be an only wife". She was a Spiritualist and
couldn't forsake her beliefs for "LDS". She has been severely chastised in
some writings of the Mormon Church in which terrible things are said about
her only to be refuted at the end of the writing and I believe they were
only written to blacken her name because she refused to marry Brigham Young.
The ALGER family along with the HANCOCK family had traveled west from New
York with Mormon leader, Joseph SMITH and then on to Utah with Brigham
YOUNG.
Sorry for the length of this but thought all might enjoy reading a synopsis
of my BRETHREN beginnings, plus a whole lot more. LOL
Jo Kester
The Paper on the Stonelick Church and the migration of the Brethren into
Ohio from this landing on the Ohio River, is now up:
.
Merle C Rummel
Church Historian
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accessed April 3, 2008
Fanny W. Alger[1, 2]
1817 - 1889
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Personal Information | Notes | Sources | All
Birth / 30 Sep 1817 / Rehoboth, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, USA [1]
Gender / Female
Died / 29 Nov 1889 / Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana, USA [1, 3]
- The following obituary was found in the Adolphus Barnes Family Bible (also known as the Stephen Barnes Family Bible). Spelling and punctuation are uncorrected.
"Fanny W. Custer, wife of the late Solomon Custer, was born in northern Ohio, near Cleveland, on September 30, 1817, and passed from this life at her son's home in Indianapolis, on the evening of November 29th, at the age of 72 years, 1 month, and 29 days.
Aunt Fanny, as all her long time friends and acquaintances of Dublin called her, was one of the earliest settlers of this locality, having come to Dublin, then a scattering hamlet with a hut here and there, that spoke of the advance of civilization, when this part of the country was looked upon as but the borders of the great wilderness to the westward -when the forests that abounded on every side were as nature formed them, and through whose inaccessable depths roamed the Indian, and the bear; and which were, at that time being gradually, but surely, pressed toward the setting sun, by that toward tide of civilization, that has at last covered the vast territory lying between the two oceans, lakes and gulf. The deceased was untied in holy wedlock to Solomon Franklin Custer, in this place, at the old tavern stand, that used to occupy the site of the late Benjamin Cruil's residence in the east part of town, on Nov. 16th, 1838. As the result of this union, she had born to her nine children, two of whom survive her. With the exception of a very short period at two different times, aunt Fannie had made "Dublin her home, since first coming to the settlement; then just forming, away back in the 20's. She was generally beloved by all who knew her, and was noted for her benevolence of spirit and generous-heartedness; being known as one who would share her last crust with whosoever should need it.
She joined the Universalist church on the evening of the 10th of Octrober, 1874, and until her last, held to that belief. She passed away peacefully and resignedly, with an abiding faith in the justice and love of an All Powerful and Supreme Being, and with joy in the full belief that she would meet with dear ones gone before.
Having fulfilled the duties of life, with a conscientious regard for the welfare and happiness of those who were compelled to lean on her in her middle and early life, she passed away, fully trusting that the welcome applaudit summons, "well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord," would greet her on the other side. Funeral services were held at the Universalist church in Dublin, on Sabbath morning, Dec. 1, 1889, Rev. P.S. Cook and C.T. Swain, officiating"
Person ID / I135 / Alger
Last Modified / 16 May 2007 09:08:00
Father / Samuel Alger, b. 14 Feb 1786, Uxbridge, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA
Mother / Clarrissa Hancock, b. 3 Sep 1790, Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, USA
Family ID / F26 / Group Sheet
Family / Solomon Franklin Custer, b. 1816, , Montgomery Co., Ohio, USA
Married / 16 Nov 1838 / Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA [1, 3]
- Solomon and Fanny were married "at the old tavern stand, that used to occupy the site of the late Benjamin Cruil's residence in the east part of town". [3]
Children / 1. Maria Clarissa Custer, b. 1840, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
2. Lewis A. Custer, b. 1844, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
3. Clarissa Custer, b. 1847, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
4. Suphrena Alice Custer, b. 1848, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
5. Benjamin Franklin Custer, b. 17 Oct 1849, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
6. Lafayette Paul Custer, b. 29 Aug 1854, Dublin, Wayne Co., Indiana, USA
Last Modified / 23 Oct 2005 15:15:00
Family ID / F1949 / Group Sheet
Notes /
- While still a young lady, Fanny had an affair with Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church. Mormon writings make it seem that Joseph and Fanny were married and if this is true, Fanny would have been Joseph Smith's first polygamous marriage. The Atwood reference says Fanny and Joseph Smith were probably married in 1835 in a ceremony conducted by her cousin, Mosiah Hancock. However no public records have been found to support a marriage and family tradition rejects that notion. According to Mormon literature, Fanny went to Indiana after the Mormons moved west to Illinois, but she remained a member of the Mormon Church and a friend to Joseph Smith.
The following account was written by Jo Kester, a descendant of Fanny Alger.
Solomon and Fanny (Alger) Custer are my maternal gr-gr-grandparents and I have been researching them for over twenty years. My Mother was also a researcher for many years before I became interested in genealogy. My Mother was born and raised in Dublin, Indiana, where Solomon and Fanny were married and resided their entire married life. As a child, my Mother lived for several years with her maternal grandparents, one of which was a son of Solomon and Fanny Custer. My Mother stated that there was never a Mormon Church in that area and in fact, Solomon and Fanny were members of the Universalist Church of Dublin, Indiana.
Fanny's affair with Joseph Smith took place in 1835. When their relationship became public knowledge, Fanny fled from the home of Joseph and Emma Smith to be with her parents in Indiana. I believe she never had another encounter with Joseph Smith. I also believe that she was very ashamed of her affair with Smith because she never mentioned it to her children.
My grandmother, who was a granddaughter of Solomon and Fanny, and her aunt, who was a daughter of Solomon and Fanny, were avid letter writers to each other from the late 1920's until the late 1930's and not once was there any mention of Joseph Smith. I feel if this daughter had known about the affair of her Mother and Smith she would have mentioned it. She did mention that Brigham Young [Joseph Smith's successor as leader of the Mormon Church], accompanied by Fanny's brother, John Alger, did come to Indiana, before Fanny married Solomon Custer, to ask her to marry him. She answered him by saying, "You are a fine young man but I want to be an only wife."
A reference from the internet (and recounted in an email message from Jo Kester) says:
"...the first documented "plural wife" in Mormon history was no widow, but rather a 16-year-old single girl named Fannie Alger, who was Emma Smith's housemaid. Several of Joseph Smith's intimate followers asserted that Smith "married" Alger around 1833, in Kirtland, Ohio. That relationship caused quite a scandal in Kirtland, wherein Smith's subordinates Oliver Cowdery and Warren Parrish attempted to bring Smith to a church trial on charges of adultery. Smith had a loyalist, Levi Hancock, spirit Miss Alger out of town to prevent her from testifying to the relationship. Miss Alger later civilly married one Solomon Custer in Indiana, and apparently had nothing more to do with Mormonism. In the 1890's, assistant LDS Church Historian Andrew Jenson listed Miss Alger as Joseph Smith's first-ever "plural wife." As Miss Alger was an unmarried teenager at the time of her relationship with Smith, and in fact was very marriageable in the eyes of Solomon Custer, Smith had no need to "marry" her to provide for her."
References:
(1) Alger History Files - email message received from Dennis Wayne Alger dated 6 Jan 1998
(2) LDS Ancestral File - AFN: 3W0Z-S3 - 15 Apr 1999
(3) Ref: Alger files - Family group record - Samuel Alger
Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Alger Family Historian - email: [1, 2, 3, 4]
Sources /
- [S31] Alger files - Atwood, Don, Don Atwood, Email from Don Atwood dated 30 Oct 2002 (Reliability: 3)
- [S32] Alger files - Kester, Jo, Jo Kester, Email messages from Jo Kester dated 4 Mar 2003 and 27 Apr 2003 (Reliability: 3)
- [S32] Alger files - Kester, Jo, Jo Kester, Email from Jo Kester dated 15 jul 2005 (Reliability: 0)
- [S185] Alger e-files - Atwood, Don, Don Atwood, Email from Don Atwood - 30 Oct 2002 (Reliability: 3)
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