Mahetable “Hettie” Casterline was born on May 26, 1842 in Blackford County, Indiana. Hettie married David Franklin Miles on December 24, 1862, in Blackford County, Indiana. Hettie Casterline died on June 3, 1941, in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas.
Mahetable “Hettie” Casterline was born on May 26, 1842, the 8th of 11 known children born to Ira Casterline and Malinda Saxon. She lived in a log cabin with her family until her marriage.
On December 24, 1862, at the age of 20, Hettie married David Franklin Miles in Blackford County Indiana. Hettie and David had the following known children:
- Rosetta Isabel Miles
- Phoebe Ann Miles
- John Edward Miles
- Malinda May Miles
- Bertha L. Miles
- Cora Effie Miles
- Alvah Oloy Miles
- Charlotte Mable Miles
Hettie and David spent the first ten years of their marriage in Grant County, Indiana, where Hettie gave birth to 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy.
In mid 1871 the family moved to Marshall County, Kansas and settled near Marysville. Hettie gave birth to another girl, Bertha. David found that boarding railroad workers was quite profitable so he began a boardinghouse. The US census taken in June of 1880 records the family boarding 13 railway workers. Shortly after the census, the family moved to Wymore, Nebraska, where the Burlington and Missouri (B & M) Railroad planned to construct a major hub. Hettie was pregnant at the time. In October Cora was born in Wymore, Nebraska.
In 1881 oldest daughter Rosetta “Etta” married Eugene Barton. Eugene was a contractor working on the B & M Railroad. By 1883, the family moved back to Kansas, settling in Onaga. Hettie's husband, David, became a cook and also an inn proprietor.
The family moved between the towns of Onaga, where children Alvah and Charlotte were born, and Sabetha and Oneida, Kansas. Less than 2 weeks after the birth of Alvah, 12 year old daughter Bertha died.
In Onaga, daughter Phoebe married Oliver Crumbaker in 1883 and Malinda “Minnie” married Martin Day around 1884.
Hettie's youngest daughter Charlotte was born in 1885. In 1888 daughter Minnie died.
Although Hettie was raised a Baptist, sometime in her early years she became a member of the Congregational Church, likely when she arrived in Kansas.
In 1900 the family lived in Oneida, Kansas where David ran a hotel. David's health was failing and by fall of 1900, David died, leaving Hettie with three teenage children to raise. Hettie moved back to Onaga with the children. Her three oldest children lived nearby with their families.
In 1901 Cora married James Conlin, who she had met in Oneida, and they moved to Sabetha, Kansas. Charlotte “Lottie” married Matthew Caron in 1905 and stayed in Onaga. Alvah lived with his mother in Onaga, Kansas, until he was married around 1909 and then moved nearby to Soldier, Kansas. Lottie stayed in Onaga, Kansas, near her mother until sometime in the 1920's when she and her husband relocated their family to Topeka, Kansas.
In 1930 Hettie was 87 years old and lived by herself. Daughter Etta was still in Onaga, but Hettie's other children who had lived in Onaga, relocated to Topeka, Kansas and her daughter Phoebe was deceased. Her children and their families visited her and Hettie's descendants have pictures showing 4 generations with Hettie as the Matriarch. In 1937 Hettie moved to Topeka, Kansas to live with Lottie. According to her obituary, she “enjoyed good health until October of 1940 when she was taken to bed and has never been able to be up and around since that time.”
Mahetable Casterline Miles died on June 3, 1941, in Topeka, Kansas, at the age of 99. She had outlived her husband by 41 years, and 5 of her 8 children. Hettie was buried next to her husband David in Onaga Cemetery.
Genealogical Research and Life Sketch Completed: April 2021
Sources:
"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch, Mahitable in household of Ira, Licking Township, Blackford, Indiana, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch, Mahit Castuline in entry for Ira Castuline, 1860.
"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019," database with images, FamilySearch, David Franklin Miles and Mahetable Casterline, 23 Dec 1862; citing Blackford, Indiana, United States, Marriage License, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004201885.
"United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch, Hetta Miles in entry for David F Miles, 1870.
"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch, Mahetable Miles in household of D. F. Miles, Washington Township, Republic, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
"Kansas State Census, 1895", database with images, FamilySearch, Hettie Miles in entry for Miles, 1895.
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch, Hettie Miles in household of David Miles, Gilman Township Oneida, Nemaha, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 115, sheet 2A, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,492.
"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch, Hettie Miles in entry for Gene Berton, 1920.
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch, Maketable N Miles, Onaga, Pottawatomie, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 18, sheet 2B, line 76, family 54, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 715; FHL microfilm 2,340,450.
"United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch, Hettie Miles in entry for Matt M Caron, 1940.
“Miles, D. F.” obituary. The Onaga Herald (Onaga, Kansas), 18 October, 1900.
“Miles, D. F.” death notice. The Onaga Herald (Onaga, Kansas), 25 October 1900.
“Miles, Mahettable.” obituary. RootsWeb. Onaga, Kansas. Obituaries.
“Conlin, Cora E.” obituary, Sabetha Herald (Sabetha, Kansas), 3 February, 1954.
