Lutes/Lutz Families of Germany, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Missouri
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Lutes/Lutz Ancestors of Sophronia Herndon Lutes

Surnames
Lutes/Lutz Eikenberry/Eikenbary Herndon Miller
Steele Other? Other? Other?



Sophronia Herndon Lutes

Sophronia (Frona) Herndon Lutes was born December 17, 1878 near Harrisonville, Cass County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Elias Pinkney and Susan Miranda Herndon Lutes and was the fifth of thirteen children by Susan Miranda. Elias Pinkney Lutes was married first to Sophronia Mayo and had six children by her. Sophronia Herndon Lutes was undoubtedly named for Sophronia Mayo Lutes. Such honoring of a first wife by naming a child for her in a later family was not at all unusual in prior times. Her middle name honored the surname of the second wife. This naming pattern can be very useful in genealogical research in identifying the correct ancestors. We were unable to locate an actual birth record for Sophronia but her birth date and place are given on her death certificate and her parents are listed as Pinckney Lutes and Susan Herndon. (Photo of the Elias P. Lutes Family in 1900 (Ref. 1))

Sophronia Herndon Lutes married Fred Welch Eikenberry on the 26th day of August A. D. 1900 at E. P. Lutes's residence near Knobby in the County of Benton, Missouri. (Marriage Certificate). Fred Eikenberry's family history is linked under Surnames above. We are not including information beyond the early 1900's in her history as it can be a basis for identity theft which is fairly rampant now. We will gladly share information privately with interested descendants - email link at the bottom of the page.

Elias Pinkney Lutes and Families

Elias Pinkney Lutes was born 25 December 1837 in Lumpkin County, Georgia. He was known as "Pink" within the family and was son of Joseph and Sarah Frances Steele Lutes. Pinckney Lutes is given as parent of Sophronia Herndon Lutes on her death certificate and that was the likely spelling of the name. Pinckney was a famous Carolina surname. There were statesmen from the Carolinas and a Revolutionary War leader in the Carolinas named Pinckney. The Pinckney Treaty established the final southern boundary with the state of Georgia. Much of the Revolutionary War in North Carolina was fought very near the homes of George and Jacob Lutz. (George was ancestor of Joseph) and Colonel Pinckney fought in that area and it is even possible that the Lutz's knew him or quartered him and his soldiers so the name may well have been in the oral history of the family. The Joseph Lutes family had left North Carolina for Georgia sometime between 1830 and 1832 (more below) and established a tannery in Georgia. Pink learned to be useful in the tannery and learned to make shoes that were sold cheaply to negroes who had income from their masters. The Lutes family itself never owned slaves.

Ref. 3 below includes a wonderful document "A Historical Record of the Westward Migration of the Joseph Lutes Family "From Georgia to Missouri." It was put together by Lida Elizabeth Kimsey Rule granddaughter of Elizabeth Falby Lutes Kimsey from Elizabeth's verbal recollections. Elizabeth was 20 years old at the time of the migration so no doubt had a wonderful recollection of it. Joseph Lutes, Jr., older brother of Pink, had joined a caravan to Oregon early in 1854. Arriving safely, he sent back word to his parents and urged them to come too. This they decided to do and set out in September 1854 along with a Bailey family. Ref. 1 also includes recollections from the trip. They loaded their possessions into a wagon with a yoke of oxen driven by Joseph Sr. Mrs. Lutes, her four daughters, and her young son Gray (Daniel Graham), rode in a light wagon called a carry-all, drawn by one horse. Their son Alfred Burton Lutes also brought his family with oxen and wagon. To Pink, now 17, fell the task of providing game for the family food. He walked, carrying his gun, over the long trail throughout the summer as the procession slowly moved forward.

Arriving in Platte County, Missouri in the autumn the Lutes family was persuaded by relatives [Joseph's brother Philip who migrated there about 1842 (Ref. 2)] to remain until spring before continuing their hazardous journey across the continent. The next spring their only horse that pulled the carryall was stolen. Joseph Lutes set out to recover the stolen horse. In his absence young Pink decided to clear a field for planting corn. The plow behaved badly, cutting so deep a furrow that the oxen could scarcely pull it. Joseph returned to worn out oxen and the prospects of a poor crop. But the deep plowing was exactly what the soil wanted and the field yielded 85 bushels per acre of corn. Encouraged by the good crop the Lutes family decided to remain in Missouri. (Ref. 1)

E. P. and Sophronia Mayo Lutes

E. P. Lutes, as he then signed his name, chose a 16 year old girl as his bride. He married Sophronia O. Mayo, daughter of Jackson and Rebecca McComas Mayo, on March 1, 1860. "Pink" Lutes and his bride are living with his parents in 1860 in Carrol Township, Platte County, Missouri: #286 Joseph Lutes, 56, farmer, 700, 750, N Car; Sarah, 56, N Car; Pinckney, 22, farm hand, Ga; Sophronia, 16, Mo; Graham, 20, farm hand, Ga; Sarah, 16, Ga.

Sophronia's mother had passed away when Sophronia was very young and she lived with her uncle and aunt, Burke and Nancy McComas. Her father was a gentleman from Virginia, and a judge after the Civil War. He gave his son-in-law a set of large Bibles with commentaries. He was murdered one day by bushwhackers upon his way home from court. [Note: This is incorrect information carried in one of the Lutes genealogies. According to the Annals of Platte County, Missouri, page 356, the Judge was Henry B. Mayo, grandfather of Sophronia, and his estate was administered Jan 18, 1864 upon bond of $10,000. He came to Platte County about 1841 from Kentucky. "He was a noble specimen of a generous, kind-hearted Southern gentleman. In August 1844, he was elected county judge, and served a term, with Lewis and Freeland as his associates. His children were well educated and highly esteemed. He married Margaret McGuire." It does not mention the murder but the fact there was no will indicates his death was probably sudden, however the Annals says simply "he died." The Annals continues: Judge Mayo's son "Jackson J. Mayo went west and died. He married Rebeca McComas." Ch: Theresa Mayo, md Ant. Palmer; Susan Mayo m. James Price Haydon; Henry Mayo ii; Monroe Mayo; "Sophronia Mayo md March 1, 1860, E. P. Lutes. She died, leaving [a] Rebecca; [b] Lizzie; both md Holloways." The information about Sophronia living with her aunt and uncle may be incorrect as well. She is not with them in the 1850 census in Preston, Platte Co, Mo, when she would have been only six years old. #151 Jefferson Mayo, age 31, born Ky, no occupation, is living next door to #152 Henry B. Mayo, farmer, 59, born Va; wife Susan, age 61, born Florida. Jefferson has a 19 year old bride Mary, born Ky, and a son Richard, 1/12, born Missouri. This would have been Sophronia's uncle and grandfather on the Mayo side. We were unable to find Sophronia anywhere. Her uncle Burke on the McComas side is found in 1850 at #14 in Preston Township: Burk McComas, 40, farmer, born Va; Nancy, 36, Va; Pembroke, 17, farmer, Va; Stephen, 15, farmer, Va; Elisha, 13, Va; Moses, 11, Va; Saunders, 9, Mo; Julia, 7, Mo; James, 5, Mo; Israel, 2, Mo. That the families were close, there is no doubt, as Elias P. Lutes and daughter Rebecca are found in 1870 with Burke McComas's son: 1870 census Weston, Platte, Missouri, McComas, Elisha, 33, farmer, Va; Hannah C. {Catherine}, 33, GA; Joseph, 10, MO; Burk, 8, MO; Walter, 6, KS; Laura, 4, KS; Nancy, 1, MO; Lutes, Elisha P, 31, GA (Elias Pinkney Lutes); Rebecca Lutes, 8, MO.

To further clarify some information on Sophronia's Mayo relatives: Her grandfather Henry B. Mayo did marry Margaret McGuire (Peggy McGuyer) on Jan 14 1812, married by Simeon Justice, M. G. per Floyd County Kentucky Marriage records. Sophronia's father James J. Mayo married Rebecca McComas on Sept 21, 1837 in Floyd County, Kentucky. We assume his name was James Jackson and that he went by Jackson since that is how he is named in the Annals. We do not find him anywhere in census records and assume that he did go west and die as mentioned in the Annals and that his death occurred before 1850, so all the children were then left as orphans.

E. P. and Sophronia Mayo Lutes had children George P., Rebecca Jane, Sarah A., Nancy L., and Elizabeth [Note the Annals of Platte County list only Rebecca and Lizzie]. George P. and Sarah A. soon died. On August 18, 1869 Sophronia and another baby passed away on the same day. Relatives took the other children and E. P. was alone. E. P. was a user of tobacco but gave it up suddenly when he was 25. He also never took alcoholic beverages. Rebecca and Elizabeth did marry Holloways as mentioned in the Annals: Rebecca married Dewey Holloway 18 March 1885 and Mary Elizabeth married George Wesley Holloway on 25 February 1885. Daughter Nancy Louise also survived and married William Anderson Herndon on 25 October 1882. William Anderson Herndon was brother of Susan Miranda Herndon who would then marry Elias Pinckney Lutes.

E. P. and Susan Miranda Herndon Lutes

Susan Miranda Herndon, daughter of Simeon Branham and Emaline Miller Herndon, married E. P. Lutes on February 26, 1871 in Platte County, Missouri. Miranda was at home in 1870 in Weston, Platte County, Missouri: #434 Simeon Herndon, 53, farmer, born Ky; Emeline, 48, Ky; Miranda, 20, Mo; Joseph, 17, Mo; Eliza, 14, at school, Mo; William, 12, at school, Mo; Emeline, 7, at school, Mo; Francis, 4, Mo. There is a link at the top of this page to the Herndon family of Susan Miranda Herndon. (Photo of Susan Miranda Herndon in 1870 from Ref 1)

E. P.'s daughters from his first marriage moved in with them and they began a new family. Sorrow followed the family once more as a daughter Fannie was born and died on November 14, 1871. Next daughter Kate lived less than two months but after that healthy children followed: Flora Agnes was born April 9, 1874; Jessie Elmire Oct 28, 1876, Sophronia Herndon Lutes December 17, 1878; Maggie May January 2, 1881 and a first son, Joseph Henderson Lutes, on July 18, 1882.

Soon after this the kindness of E. P. Lutes created a financial problem. He had signed a note for a neighbor and was obliged to pay it himself. The family decided to move to southern Missouri where land was not expensive. They bought a home in Benton County, 20 miles from Warsaw, in about 1884. Susan Myrtle was born here January 20, 1885; William Branham was born April 10, 1887, Carrie Collins was born November 4, 1889 and Louis Daniel on October 23, 1892. Mrs. Lutes was no longer in good health and the oldest daughter Flora mothered the new baby. Hard work was always the rule in the Lutes family, with the women knitting and sewing all the clothing for the large family. The strain of so much needlework may have been too much for Susan as she was not able to read or sew after the age of 56. Daughter Carrie often read to her.

We are not certain about the "buying a home in 1884" (Ref. 1). We do know that Elias P. Lutes filed a homestead application on December 1, 1890 (document attached)where he gives his residence as Hastain, Missouri. The homestead land was located just northwest of Knobby, Missouri (map attached). This is "Knobby" that Sophronia Herndon Lutes gives as her residence on her marriage license application in 1900. It is interesting to note that Sophronia's future husband, Fred Eikenberry, lived nearby. Also William Paxton who wrote the Annals of Platte County, Missouri (ref. 2 below) lived very near the family. Evidently the families were not close as there were errors in the Lutes family information in the Annals.

On the third day of November 1905, Elias P. Lutes received another land patent for purchase of an additional forty acres, being the east half of Lot #1 NE of Sec 4 which evidently adjoined his homestead tract. We do not currently have a Missouri map that shows either Hastain or Knobby but will try to locate one.

Although Pinckney Lutes worked long and hard he never forgot the Sabbath. He would chop wood on Saturday night by lantern light rather than chop wood on Sunday. Washing and ironing was done on Saturday to have clean school clothes for Monday. The family were members of the Protestant Methodist Church. Susan and Pinckney eventually went to Logan County, Nebraska to the homestead of their son Joe about 20 miles northwest of Gandy. Soon after their arrival Pinckney filed on a homestead in Thomas County about 3 1/2 miles south of the Dismal River.

Elias P. Lutes passed away on December 7, 1914 at the age of 77 from pneumonia. His was the first grave in the newly organized Lone Star Cemetery at the east side of McPherson County. Susan passed away in Kearney, Nebraska, on February 22, 1922. Susan and Elias apparently went to Nebraska after 1910 as they are in Union Township, Benton County, Missouri in 1910: #120 Elias P. Lutes, head, 72, married 38 years, farmer, Ga, parents born NC; Susan M., 59, married 38 yrs, 12 children born, 1 living (error); Carrie C., 20, Mo, Ga, Mo; Louis D., 17, Mo Ga Mo, helper, home farm. Daughter Sophronia had married and was living also in Union Township, Benton County, Missouri: #102 Fred Eikenberry, 36, married 9 years, born Il, father Il, mother USA; Sophronia, married 9 yr, 4 children born, 4 living, Mo, Ga, Mo; Edna,8, Mo, Il, Mo; Edith, 7, Mo, Il, Mo; Florence, 5, Mo; Howard, 2, Mo. Daughter Myrtle was living with brother Joseph in Cody Lake Township, Logan County, Nebraska: #124 Joseph Lutes, 27, Mo, Ga, Mo (can't read occupation); Myrtle, sister, 23, Mo, Ga, Mo.

Again there is a bit of misinformation in the above paragraphs. Joseph Lutes had indeed filed on a homestead in Logan County, Nebraska on Sept 16, 1912 (patent #291565 for W/2 and NE Sec 9 plus NW Sec 10 T19N R29W). We already knew that if Elias had filed and received one homestead he could not file another in the United States. We therefore looked up the Thomas County land on the Bureau of Land Management Site and did find a homestead patent under Elias and Susan Lutes; however the patentee was Susan M. Lutes, widow of Elias P. Lutes, filed on Section 27 T21N R29W in Thomas County on the 14th day of February 1916 (after Elias's death). The patent was #513808 for 640 acres of land. Susan was living on this land in 1920: Banner Precinct, Thomas County, Nebraska, #257 Lutes, Louis D., head,farmer, own, age 27, born Mo, father born Ga, mother Mo; Susan M. mother, 70, widow, Mo, parents born Kentucky; Susan M, sister, 35, Mo, Ga, Mo; Carrie C., 35, Mo, Ga, Mo. Son Joseph was in Logan County: #190 Joseph H. Lutes, own, 36, mo, Ga, Mo, farmer; Mary, 27, wife, Ia, Ia, Ia; Joan, daughter, 1 6/12, Ne, Mo, Ia. Joseph Lutes married Mary Ann Reynolds on 26 June 1917 in Logan County, Nebraska.

Sophronia Herndon Lutes and husband Fred Eikenberry had gone to Logan County, Nebraska in about 1915 (we wonder if it was perhaps a bit earlier before her father's death?) and then had migrated on to Wyoming by 1917.

Joseph and Sarah Steele Lutes Family

The Family in North Carolina

Joseph Lutes, son of Johannes George Lutes III and Elizabeth Lorrance Lutes, was born 14 September 1803 in Lincoln County, North Carolina, and died 16 August 1880 in Platte County, Missouri (Ref 2). He married Sarah Frances Steele, daughter of Abraham and Francis Taylor Steele, about 1828 in North Carolina (Ref 1). She was born 18 March 1803 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. There is no record of the marriage of Joseph and Sarah but this is not necessarily suprising. If they were married by an itinerant preacher no marriage bond would have been necessary. Itinerant preacher's records are often still in the possession of their descendants and not readily available to the public. Even if they had a church marriage there was no central repository for marriage records in that time period and there are few actual marriage records available in North Carolina at that early date. Joseph and Sarah had a child who died in infancy and their second child, Joseph T. Lutes, was born 10 June 1830 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Joseph T. never married and went to Oregon Territory.

The Move to Georgia

Their next son Alfred Burton Lutes, was born 28 February 1832 in Rabun County, Georgia, making their move from North Carolina to Georgia sometime between 1830 and 1832. Times were hard in North Carolina. The land was fertile but the roads were bad and streams unnavigable; farmers spent half their crop in getting their crop to market so most farmed mostly for their own use. There was no attempt to maintain the land's fertility. By the 1820's the future was so bleak farmers felt they must "move, improve, or starve." So a great migration began that included the Joseph Lutes family. According to Margaret Lutes, Joseph was administrator of his father's estate about this time and this may have given the family money to make the move.

Joseph and Sarah had two more children (Elizabeth Falby, 9 March 1834, and Catherine C., 1836) born in Rabun County, Georgia, and Elias Pinkney born in Lumpkin County, Georgia, on 25 December 1837. Lumpkin County was formed in 1832 from Cherokee, Habersham and Hall Counties. These Counties, as well as Rabun, had been formed from Cherokee Indian Lands. In 1829 there was gold discovered in this northeast corner of Georgia and in 1832 there had been a land lottery held when the Cherokees were dispossessed from their lands. We do not necessarily think the Lutes family went after gold or even land since Joseph Lutes was by profession a tanner at this time; but there was a good living to be made from gold miners for people with a service to sell. Joseph may have gone ahead to look at the land as he appears in the 1836 county census of Lumpkin with one other male and no women in the household.

Joseph and Sarah had three more children in Lumpkin County, Georgia: Daniel Graham Lutes, 3 May 1840; Nancy J., 30 March 1842; and Sarah F., 27 Feb 1845. Gordon County, Georgia, was set off from Cherokee County in February 1850 and the Lutes family is found there in the 1850 census. It is a little difficult in this time period to determine if it was an actual move or if county boundaries simply changed around them. It may have been an actual move as Joseph by now is a farmer: 1850 Division 12, Gordon County, Georgia, #155 Joseph Lutz, 47, farmer, 1600, NC; Sarah, 47, NC; Joseph, 19, carpenter, NC; Alfred B., 18, Ga; Elizabeth, 16, Ga; Catharine, 14, Ga; Elias P., 12, Ga; Daniel G., 8, Ga; Nancy, 6, Ga; Sarah, 4, Ga. Some of the Lutes family histories say that son Joseph had started for Oregon in 1849 but it must have been after the census in 1850 as he is at home. When Joseph arrived in Oregon Territory he sent word for his parents and family to follow him. This they decided to do about 1854. This was an important decision for the future of the family as they thus missed all the terrible consequences of the Civil War in Georgia. By 1860 the family was established in Carroll Township, Platte County, Missouri (census record above under Elias Pinckney and Sophronia Mayo Lutes.)

Joseph's brother, Phillip Lutes, had been instrumental in persuading the family to remain in Platte County, Missouri instead of continuing on to Oregon and we find Phillip in Platte City in 1870: #360 Phillip Lutes, 62, furniture dealer, born NC; Pauline, 55, Ky; Nanny (f), 34, Mo; Nealy(m), 25, Mo, so they had come very early to Missouri (Ref 2 says 1842). Joseph and Sarah and son Alfred were established as farmers in Weston Township, Platte Co: #1557 Joseph Lutes, 66, farmer, born NC; Saray, 66, born NC; Georgie(f), 12,Mo, at school; William, 6,Mo, at school; Joseph, 16, NC. The children were grandchildren and children of son Alfred Lutes who was next door: #1558 Alfred P. Lutes, 34, farmer, born Ga; Catharine, 35, In; Mary, 14, Ga; Sarah, 12, Mo; Lina [Paulina], 8, Mo; Stephen, 9, Mo; Nancy, 4, Mo; Sophia, 6/12, Mo.

By 1880 Joseph and Sarah were living with daughter Elizabeth who was married to Wade H. Kimsey: 1880 Carroll Township, Platte County, Missouri #14 Wade H. Kimsey, 56, farmer, born Mo, father Al, mother NC; Elizabeth, 46, born Ga, parents NC; Joseph W, 17, Mo, Mo, Ga; Samuel G, 15, M; Sarah C, 12, Mo; Mary V, 7, Mo; Clay S, 3, Mo; Joseph Lutes, 77, farmer, NC, parents NC; Sarah, 77, NC, parents NC. We noticed that Wade Kimsey furnished a number of obituaries for family members to Platte County newspapers over the years.

Joseph Lutes died later the same year but Sarah lived many more years. An obituary for her is included in Ref 3: Grandma Lutes Dead. Mrs. Sally Lutes died at the residence of her son-in-law, Wade H. Kimsey, Wednesday night [16 August 1897]. She would have been 95 years of age in March. She was the mother of Mrs. W. H. Kimsey [Elizabeth], Mrs. Elisha McComas [Catharine], Mrs. Al Swaney [Nancy], Mrs. Kate Henderson [Sarah] of Kansas and Joseph Lutes of Oregon, Dr. Gray Lutes [Daniel Graham], Burter Lutes [Alfred Burton] and Pink Lutes [Elias Pinckney]. Her remains were buried in the family burying ground today, Friday. Funeral services were held at the Centenery Methodist Church by Rev. M. L. Gray.

Photos of Joseph Lutes and Sarah Steele Lutes

April 3, 1896 Front Page - Platte City Landmark
Birthday Dinner

Assembled at the residence of the writer March 18, 1896, in honor of Grandma Lute's 93rd birthday, five of her children, two sons and three daughters, one son-in-law, one daughter-in-law, 17 grandchildren, 1 grandson-in-law, 2 granddaughter-in-law, 5 great grandchildren. Mrs. Bailey and daughter, Miss Addie, Harrison Farmer and wife, Misses Dora & Maud Moore, and Miss Mat Moore to boss the crowd. About noon the table was spread and all participated in a sumptious dinner mostly furnished by the participants for which we are under many obligations. All enjoyed themselves. Grandma Lutes has been a member of the Methodist Church for about 72 years and has never been censured for a wrong in the church, When the disturbance arose between the North and South, she being a southerner of course sided with the South, which was natural and right. Grandma has 8 living children. Her eldest died when but an infant. Her oldest son, Joseph T., resides in the Skamokawa Valley, Washington. He never married. The youngest daughter lives in Kansas, the rest in Missouri. Grandma has 53 grand children and 63 great grandchildren living. She has been confined to bed for nearly four months.



We have an enormous collection of Lutes/Lutz family information thanks to the hard work of several cousins. On this page we trace only the direct ancestry of Sophronia Herndon Lutes. We have included on the site a very messy and temporary page containing most of the Lutes/Lutz information that we have.

References:
(1) Lutes Family Tree, by Ernestine Lutes, Printed by Lone Tree Printing, Central City, NE (n.d.)
(2) Annals of Platte County, Missouri, edited by W. M. Paxton (Kansas City: L. Hudson-Kimberly Publ Co 1897) Mr. Paxton was a neighbor of Joseph and Sarah Lutes.
(3)Beacon Beginnings..., compiled by Sylvia Jane "Sal"Miller, 1997 (descendant of Joseph and Sarah Steele Lutes). Among much of her own research material, she quotes many other Lutes researchers.
(4)Johannes Georg Lutz 1706-1756 and His Descendants, Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, by Margaret D. Lutes (deceased 1987) This reference has been used extensively in Refs 1 and 3 above.


This page was created March 2007. Updated 5/27/2007 with more information on the Mayo family. On 7/20/2007 we removed some rather egregious errors for which we apologize and added more family information. We wish to thank Neil Hall for calling the errors to our attention and also for finding E. P. Lutes in the 1870 census.


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