23 August 2007

The story begins in Nelson Co, Virginia...

...Well, it actually begins in Austria or Prussia, both given as the 1798 birthplace of our first known Sack ancestor, Christian A. SACK ("Christopher" or "Christoph" in some records). Wherever he was born or whatever name he answered to, he was in Nelson Co, Virginia by 15 Apr 1828, the date on which he wed 18-yr-old Mary "Polly" HITE, b. 1810 in Augusta Co, VA, a daughter of George Hite and Elizabeth "Betsey" FRENGER.

Christian and Polly's first child, Amanda E. Sack, arrived in 1829, probably in Nelson Co. Second child Harriet Lewellen Sack, according to her obituary, was born 31 Oct 1830 in Little York, Nelson Co.

In the fall of 1832, Christian, Polly, Amanda and Harriet, Polly's parents, all of her siblings except brother John and possibly her Hite grandparents, left Virginia for Rush Co, Indiana. They would join her uncles William and Alexander Hite and their families, and finally be able to visit the grave of her aunt Mary "Polly" (Hite) Croddy. The journey, however, stalled for several months in Pickaway Co, Ohio, for the birth on 17 Dec 1832 of Christian and Polly's first son, William C. Sack. The move to Indiana resumed the following March.

Second son (George) "Washington" Sack was born in Rush Co in 1834. Nothing more is known of him other than he may or may not be the George W. Sack whose estate was probated in Shelby Co, IN in 1865.

In Feb 1837, son Christopher F. Sack arrived in Rush Co, followed on 11 March 1939 by our ancestor, John L. Sack.

Next child Greenbury (or Greenberry) Hite Sack was born on 5 Nov 1842, in Greensburg in neighboring Decatur Co. "G.H." became a teacher and attorney in Warrensburg, MO, married twice, then disappears after 1885. His only son Roy H. Sack moved to Sarpy Co, NE, and was reportedly chief of police of Ashland, NE.

Christian and Polly's last child (who really may've been Amanda's) was Mary C. Sack, born in Rush Co in 1847. Mary married French immigrant George BAINIER and moved to Osage Co, MO, where they had four children, including a set of fraternal twins. The last "sighting" of Polly is with Mary and family in the 1870 Osage Co census. Mary and three of the children apparently died before 1900, as only George and son Fred appear in the census that year. Fred disappears after 1900, but George, who remained a widower, died in Osage Co in 1924 and is buried there.

Sometime after 1850, Christian and Polly moved north and west to Jasper Co, Indiana. Christian probably died there after 1870 but before 1880, exact place unknown at this writing.

Jasper County had long been home to the OVERTONs, and was where Harriet Sack married Lewis Overton on 6 Jun 1847. On 18 Aug 1854, brother Wm C. Sack married Lewis's niece, Martha Ann Overton. By 1866, Wm C. and Martha had moved to Sarpy Co, NE. In the mid-1870s, Harriet and Lewis Overton also left Indiana, for Lincoln Co, Kansas. John L. Sack and second wife Zerilda (CONN) left Indiana shortly after the birth of their first child (son Albert W. "Bert" b. 11 Oct 1869) to join her parents in Iriquois and Ford Co, IL, but in 1876 followed Harriet and Lewis to Kansas, settling briefly in neighboring Ellsworth Co.

As previously mentioned, George W. Sack had died sometime after 1860, Amanda (Sack) BOYS had moved to Ohio, Greenbury Sack and Mary C. (Sack) Bainier to Missouri, Wm C. Sack to Nebraska, and Harriet (Sack) Overton and John L. Sack to Kansas. Only brother Christopher remained in Indiana. Around 1860, he wed Rebecca Ann RHIVER; no children. Both died in Rensselaer, Jasper Co...Christopher on 20 July 1919 and Rebecca on 24 May 1922...and both are buried in Crockett Cemetery, a small cemetery approx 2 mi SE of Rensselaer.