By Jared Olar
Library Assistant
Today we conclude our genealogical account of the descendants of Nance Legins-Costley (1813-1892), known to history as the first African-American slave to be freed by Abraham Lincoln. The account below covers Nance’s known great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, bringing the lineage down only as far as the late 20th century and early 21st century so as to protect the privacy of living persons.
These particular generations show the families of the two daughters of Ambrose E. Lewis (1863-1937) of Peoria, a maternal grandson of Nance (and who is buried in Springdale Cemetery in Peoria). Ambrose was African-American and his two known wives were both white. The daughters born of his second marriage were light-skinned black women who were identified as “white” in the U.S. Census, and they in turn married white men. Thus, Ambrose’s living descendants are white. At least some of Ambrose’s descendants are aware of their African-American ancestry and of their descent from Nance Legins-Costley.
Fifth Generation
Madeline Lewis, elder dau. of Ambrose E. and Catherine Elizabeth (Hunt) (McKeal) Lewis; b. 13 March 1901 in Saratoga, Carbon Co., Wyoming, d. unknown; m. 1st. 21 March 1919 in Portland, Ore., Chester E. Marabetta, b. 10 Feb. 1899, in Portland, Ore., d. unknown; issue one son; m. 2nd. by 2 April 1930 in Washington State Elmer Marshall Moore, b. 26 May 1893 in Kelso, Wash., d. 5 Dec. 1985 in Vancouver, Wash.; no issue from this marriage; Madeline is last seen in 1940 U.S. Census living with her son in Reno, Wash.; Elmer later m. 2 Oct. 1943 in Mason Co., Wash. (but cohabited with her as early as 1940 U.S. Census), Mabel Mae Hunter, b. 23 Sept. 1892 in Lanark, Ontario, Canada, d. 11 Jan. 1981, buried in Yale Memorial Cemetery in Ariel, Wash.
Child:
- Clinton Joseph (‘Jimmie’) Marabetta, b. 6 Aug. 1919 in Portland, Ore., d. 9 Jan. 2006 in Kelso, Wash., m. Gladys Ellen Creed, b. 2 July 1925 in Sanford, N.C., d. 17 March 2007 in Kelso, Wash., had issue.
Evelyn Emma Lewis, younger dau. of Ambrose E. and Catherine Elizabeth (Hunt) (McKeal) Lewis; b. 7 Feb. 1903 in Spokane, Wash., d. 21 Feb. 1978 in San Mateo, Calif., buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, San Mateo, Calif., m. 1st. 12 Nov. 1918 in Everett, Wash., Elmer Chester Larson, m. c.1900, d. 1952, buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Portland, Ore.; no issue of this marriage; m. 2nd. 27 Jan. 1930 in Chehalis, Wash., John Lee Edwards, b. 14 July 1905 in San Francisco, Calif., d. 14 May 1966 in San Mateo, Calif., buried in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, San Mateo, Calif.; issue one son.
Child:
- Donald Richard Edwards, b. 19 June 1933 in San Francisco, Calif., d. 24 Aug. 1999 in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa Co., Calif., widow still living, with issue.
Sixth Generation
Clinton Joseph (‘Jimmie’) Marabetta, son of Chester and Madeline (Lewis) Marabetta, b. 6 Aug. 1919 in Portland, Ore., d. 9 Jan. 2006 in Kelso, Wash., m. Gladys Ellen Creed, b. 2 July 1925 in Sanford, N.C., d. 17 March 2007 in Kelso, Wash., with issue a living son and a living dau., and a living grandson and a living granddau., all born in Washington State.
Donald Richard Edwards, son of John Lee and Evelyn Emma (Lewis) Edwards, b. 19 June 1933 in San Francisco, Calif., d. 24 Aug. 1999 in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa Co., Calif.; m. 1st. 1956, widow still living, with issue a living dau. and a living son., and a living grandson, all born in California; m. 2nd. 1975, widow still living, no issue.
Over the next few weeks we will proceed through a genealogical account of the descendants of William Ashby of Liverpool Township, Fulton County, Illinois, patriarch of an old African-American family in Pekin that provided four soldiers to the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War, three of whom are eyewitnesses to the first Juneteenth in 1865.
