• General Notes

  Hand-written, faded, worn documents are so difficult to read that sometimes a bit of imagination is necessary to piece together the ''Family Tree''. The name has been found spelled Bosser, Bosesters, Bosters, Boyster and Boister. By using the same first names (Phillip, John, Jonathan, Daniel, Solomon) over and over also adds to the confusion'.
  
  Phillip Bosser came from Alsace, Germany, in 1740, arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Records show a Phillip Boster born 175O-1760 in Montgomery County, Virginia, who was probably the son of the first Phillip. Also, Solomon Boster was born about 1781 in Virginia, as was John in 1789 and Jonathan on April 22,1791. We believe they were brothers, and may be sons of Phillip No. 2.
  
  Records show that Jonathan married Mollie Huffman between 1815-1820, as the 1820 census in Montgomery County, Virginia, reads of a Jonathan Bosters and wife, one son and two daughters.  We feel this son's name was Jonathan L. even though his grave marker is engraved "Born July, 1830; died June 3, 1887"
  
  The 1830 census in Montgomery County, Virginia, reads ''Jonathan Boster, four sons and four daughters,'' the mother evidently having died. Jonathan probably went to visit some of his family in Ohio around this time, where he met Patience Martin and married her on February 12, 1830. He did not move his family to Ohio until 1832-1835.
  The 1840 censes in Gallia County, Qhio (Harrison Township) reads  only Jonathan Boster so we wonder if he was widowed for the second time. Four sons, Jonathan, Wesley  Madison, another Phillip and --------   , and two daughters are listed also.
  
  By 1850 young Jonathan L. had migrated and married in Iowa. Census records for that year in Wapello County, Iowa, (Cempetine Township) tells that Jonathan L. Boster was thirty-six years old and was born in Giles County, Virginia. His description was six feet tall, light complexion, and grey eyes. His wife, another Patience    , was 29 and born in Ohio. Their children were:
  Charles Wesley, age 9: Stephen, age 7; Rhoda, age 5; Mary, age 5 and Phillip, age 2. Children born after this time were George, Rufus and Floyd.
  Then came the tragic Civil War. Jonathan L. answered the call by enlisting on April 11, 1862, and was discharged April 4,1864. He developed an eye disease contracted from being wounded by an exploding shell. He was pensioned at the rate of $12 a month beginning June 22,1883.
  
  They came to Kansas before 1875  , homesteading the farm in 28-11-2 .  Jonathan L Boster
  is buried at Bennington. Beside his grave marker is an iron star engraved: ''G. A. R. 1861-
  1865". A plan white small stone  is there, also, engraved: "Co. H, 351 A. lnf."
  
  His son, Charles Wesley, (January 7,1852), married Clara Chapman (August 2,1860) in 1877. They lived on the southwest corner of the J. B. Browne '8O acres'', which is located one mile north, one mile east, and one-half mile north of Bennington and now owned by Ray Roster. Indians would ride up to the house, demanding food, and the mother would take the two babies upstairs to hide. If Charles Wesley was home he would give them corn, meat, bread, or whatever there was; if not, they would raid the kitchen and help themselves! We know they lived  4 and 1/2 miles north east around this time, because the mother would push the small children in a buggy to her parents, the Chapmans, where Jim Cherry's now live, and walk on to town after groceries. Supplies were brought from Abilene on the road that went through the southern edge of town along the creek where John Berkley lives, and on to Dodge City. In 1882, five years after they were married, he moved his family to Concordia where he carried on a large draying and transferring business. He was delivery agent for the Pacific Express Company and also delivered the mail to and from the post office. At the early age of 47 he suddenly died on April 8,1899. In three different obituaries are listed three birthplaces: Ottumwa, Burlington and Nevada, Iowa. He was buried in Concordia.
  To this union of Charles Wesley and Clara (Chapman) Boster were born eight children: Varney
  Raymond, Della Mildred, Frances Marie, Charles Lawrence (his twin sister, Florence, died in
  infancy), and Clarence Edward. Two other young children, Nellie and Jessie died of diphtheria.
  In 1902 the widow purchased the farm located one miles north, one and one-haIf miles east of
  Bennington, and moved there with the remaining five children. She passed away January 17, 1935. Clarence Edward (January 24,1887) married Ethel Anna Morse (October 2,1894) on December 30, 1914. Two sons were born: Raymond L. and Charles D.
  
  Source:  taken from the 1966 Centenial Book published by the Bennington Business Assn.
  

Details of Johnathan's family with Mary Mollie Huffman