DERIXSON FAMILIES

Job Derixson was born 24 July 1846 in Nicholas County, Kentucky in slavery, and died northwest of Newton, Illinois on 20 Oct. 1931. His brother, William Jefferson Derixson was born in 1854 in Nicholas County, Kentucky in slavery, and died 31 Mar. 1928 northwest of Newton. They escaped with their mother, and followed the underground railroad to Indiana. There Job married Mary E. Roberts, born 26 Nov. 1846 and died 17 Feb. 1941. Jeff married Anna Walden, born 25 Feb. 1861, died 2 Jul. 1902 in Jasper County, II. Buried in the Diel Cemetery.

Job and Mary were the parents of ten children, four died as infants or very young.
Jasper, Arrlious, Nellie, Fred, Katherine, and Samuel grew to adulthood. 
They came to Jasper County in 1880 and engaged in farming. They lived just south of the Redford Cemetery, on the west side of the road. Most of their children left the area and went to Terre Haute, In. or Mattoon, II. 

Jasper was born in 1882 and stayed in the Newton area. He married Laura M. Bowman (born 3 Jul. 1886) on 11 Nov. 1906. He was a laborer, and soon became noted for his great strength and endurance. He dug many of the sewer lines in Newton, and tiled out much of the river bottom. He once moved a new printing press into position for the Newton Press. Jasper and Laura died two hours apart in Chicago on 17 Apr. 1963, and were returned to Newton for funeral and burial. Father Gavin gave mass for the double funeral service, and it was reported to have been the largest crowd to ever attend a funeral in Jasper County.

The children of Jasper and Laura were Jeanie, Jessie, Lloyd “Bones”: Joe, Weltha, and Edna May.
“Bones” was a laborer, and also learned to box and wrestle. During the early forties the carnival came to-the Newton Fair, bringing a professional boxer to challenge all corners. “Bones” accepted the challenge, and beat the “carnie” so badly that he crawled out of the ring and run out through the crowd. “Bones” later perished in a cabin fire north of Terre Haute, In.

William and Anna Walden lived just east of the Mt. Olive School — the present Paul Clark place. Their family is not known, but one of their daughters was Anna. She was born 25 Feb. 1861 and died 2 July 1902. She married Jeff Derrickson (note variation in spelling) and to this union were born Ruth, Roscoe, Ola, Elza, Elizabeth, Dora, Della and Dessie. Their home was on top of the hill where the Frank Temperrnan farm was later located. Jeff was a blacksmith. Their children also left the area, Ola being the only one to stay in the area. He first lived just east of the Ned Waltz place in the river bottom, then moved to the top of the hill just east of the Elza Clark place. 
His children were
Chester, Zelma, Helen. Nellie, Cleda, Alfred. Virgil and Beola.
“Aunt Minnie” Coston lived just north of the Howard Phillips place. She came from Richland County and was a fortune teller. She had quite a brisk business at one time. She is buried in the Brick Cemetery, just inside the gate on the west side. There is no marker for her grave, so future grave.diggers take note!
“Uncle Billy” Wright used to live in a cabin one-quarter mile east of the Frank Kinsel farm the present Eddie Michl residence. It was believed that he could cure cancer without medication, or even seeing the patient. A rail fence used to mark his burial site.

Submitted by HaIIie Strole