Data Summary:

Full Name: Alexander Franklin McFann
Also known as: Franklin McFann (see note 1 below)
Born: 29 October 1848 in Waynesburg, Greene Co PA
Died: 31 January 1934 in South Bend, IN
Burial: Riverview cemetery, South Bend, IN
Places of Residence: North Manchester, Wabash Co IN; Blue Hill, Webster Co, NE; McHenry Co, IL; Logansport, Cass Co, IN; South Bend, St Joseph Co, IN
Military Service: Co G 138th Indiana Infantry, 12 May 1864--22 September 1864; 1st Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery, 1 Nov 1864--22 August 1865


Parents:

Father: Asa B. McFann
Born: 2 July 1826 in Waynesburg, Greene Co PA
Died: 3 Nov 1912 in Lafayette IN

Mother: Amanda A. Martin
Born: 13 May 1830 in PA
Died: 1 November 1885 in North Manchester, Wabash Co, IN

Mary Ellen [or Elizabeth] Clemens
Born: 7 August 1852, in IN
Died:
Date of Marriage: 16 November 1873 (license issued in Wabash Co, IN)
Date of Divorce: 22 May 1885

Sarah Elizabeth Mulford
Born: 23 June 1859, in Covington, KY
Died: 23 January 1941 in Minneapolis, Minn
Burial: Riverview cemetery, South Bend, IN
Date of Marriage: 9 June 1885 in Logansport, IN

Elton Eugene McFann
Born: 6 March 1875 in Butler, IN
Died: 19 May 1944 in Gary IN
Married: Myrtle Bell Fanning (Fannin), 23 September 1896, in Wabash Co, IN

Edna Mary McFann
Born: 30 March 1888, in Blue Hill, Webster Co, NE
Died: 10 November 1918, in South Bend, IN
Burial: Riverview cemetery, South Bend, IN

Lucile McFann
Born: 17 July, 1891, in Bigfoot IL
Married: Wilbur Van Scoik, 2 August 1922, South Bend, IN

Inez C. McFann
Born: 5 November 1893, in Bigfoot, McHenry Co, IL
Died: 24 September 1979 in New Port Richey, FL
Burial: Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater, FL
Married: Glen Van Scoik, 14 September, 1925, in South Bend, IN

Sources:

Franklin A. McFann (a.k.a Alexander F. McFann):
1850: in the household of his father, Asa B. McFann, Greene Co PA, page 243.
1860: in the household of Asa B. McFann, Chester township, Wabash Co IN, pg 345.
1870: in the household of Asa B. McFann, Chester township, Wabash Co IN, pg 5.
1880: in North Manchester, Wabash Co IN, Enumeration District 183, sheet 37.
1890 Special Census of Civil War Veterans: under the name Alexander McFann, in Potsdam Precinct, Webster Co, NE.
1900: in South Bend, St. Joseph Co IN, Enumeration District 135, sheet 8.
1910: not yet found.
1920: under the name Alexander McFann, at 719 Sherman Ave in South Bend, St. Joseph Co, IN (National Archives Microfilm T625, Roll 463, Enumeration District 226, sheet 3, family 54).
Mary E. McFann:
1900: in North half of Chester township, Wabash Co IN
1910: in Liberty Mills Village, Chester township, Wabash Co IN, Enumeration District 141, sheet 6, family 136

Marriage License, Frank McFann to Mary E. Clemens (16 November 1873), Book 8, page 218, Wabash County Court. I have not seen the original record. The book and page number reported here was taken from Wabash County Marriages (cited below).

Marriage License, E. E. McFann to Myrtle Bell Fannin (23 September 1896), Book 13, page 142, Wabash County Court. I have not seen the original record. The book and page number reported here was taken from Wabash County Marriages (cited below).

Wabash County Marriages: 1835--1899, compiled by Larry and Cynthia Scheuer (Warsaw, IN: Scheuer Publications, 1996). Contains the information from the Wabash County record books of the marriage of Frank McFann to Mary E. Clemens and the marriage of E. E. McFann to Myrtle Bell Fannin, including the book and page number of the original records. Linda Thompson looked up these records and sent me the information.

Indiana Marriages: 1851--1900, Family Archive CD 243, (Broderbund Software). Contains index entries for the marriage records of Frank McFann to Mary E. Clemens, and E. E. McFann to Myrtle Bell Fannin. The information was extracted for me by a lookup volunteer from the Genealogy CD List.

Application for Marriage License, Inez McFann, 14 Sept 1925, St Joseph Circuit Court. A copy of this record was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

Alexander F. McFann's pension file, Office of Veterans Affairs, XC 875872.

"A. F. McFann, 85, Veteran, Dies", South Bend Tribune, Thursday, 1 February 1934. A copy of this obituary was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse of the South Bend Genealogical Society.

"Speeding Jitney Kills Edna McFann", South Bend Tribune, Monday, 11 November 1918. A copy of this article was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

"Mrs. A. F. McFann", obituary, South Bend Tribune, Friday, 24 January 1941. A copy was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

"Glen Van Scoik", obituary, South Bend Tribune, Thursday, 2 June 1936. A copy was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

"Wilber Van Scoik", obituary, South Bend Tribune, Wednesday, 29 July 1959. A copy was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

"Mrs. Inez C. Van Scoik", obituary, South Bend Tribune, Tuesday, 25 September 1979. A copy was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

Coroner's Inquest into the death of Edna McFann, 13 November 1918, St Joseph County, IN. Edna McFann died after being hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street with two companions. A copy of the inquest was sent to me by Irvin L. Morse.

The famous McFann band, date unknown, from the collection of Wilber Van Scoik.

Alexander F. McFann and Family, taken around 1910, original in the possession of Charles E. McFann.

Four generation picture of Alexander F. McFann and descendants, taken around 1928, original in the possession of Charles E. McFann.

Alexander F. McFann and Sarah E. Mulford McFann, taken around 1935, from the collection of Wilber Van Scoik.

David A. Heiden has traced the ancestry of Sarah Mulford back to the 18th century. See his reply to my query on the Walworth County, WI Queries board. For further information, write to him at daheiden@mindspring.com.

Notes and Credits:

1. He appears in all the earlier records, including his enlistment papers, as Franklin A. or Frank McFann; and he was known by that name to my grandfather. The first record I know of on which he appears as Alexander F. McFann is the 1890 special census of civil war veterans. It is common in this family for men to be known by their middle names.

2. I am grateful to Irvin L. Morse of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society, for finding and sending me copies of the obituaries and other documents listed above. Without his help I probably would not have known that Franklin A. McFann was also known as Alexander F. McFann. The obituary for A. F. McFann was especially helpful because it also gave me the married names of two of his sisters and the location of his son Elton. I am also grateful to Linda Thompson for all her time and effort looking things up for me.

3. Information on Elton E. McFann was provided by his grandson, Charles E. McFann, from family sources.

4. The full date of birth for Franklin McFann was taken from the 1898 circular in his father's pension file.

5. Sources for the information on Asa B. McFann and Amanda Martin are on Asa B. McFann's Family Page.

6. The name of Frank McFann's first wife and the date of their marriage, and the name of Elton's wife and the date of their marriage, were taken from their marriage licenses (cited above) and also from the information supplied by Charles E. McFann. The 1915 Questionaire in Alexander F. McFann's pension file gives her middle name as Elizabeth. The date of their divorce comes from the Questionaire and also a copy of their divorce decree that was found in the pension file.

7. Dates of birth for all of Alexander F. McFann's children are given in the 1915 Questionaire in his pension file. Edna's obituary (cited above) gives her place of birth as Blue Hill, NE. The date and place of birth of Inez McFann was taken from her marriage application (cited obove) which agrees with her obituary (also cited above). The date of her marriage was taken from her obituary and is the same date that the marriage application was signed. The date of Lucille McFann's marriage to Wilbur Van Scoik was taken from Van Scoik's obituary (cited above).

8. Scans of the pictures were sent to me by Charles E. and Ellen McFann. Charles E. McFann is the great grandson of Alexander F. McFann.