Job Margeson's Story
Published 9/14/2026
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Job remained a single man throughout his life. Yet he was a true "family man". When his father died in 1827, with Job age 29, he became head of the family with his mother then 64. During the next eight years Job was especially devoted to his mother. He treasured his mother's spinning wheel, along with his father's shoemaking gear. Their simple mementoes we found listed with the old family Bible among Job's possessions after his death. Job worked together with his brother Israel until Israel's untimely death. Job and Hannah teamed up to take care of their mother and Israel's three children. The young Israel, named after his father, became Job's protegee and part owner of the homestead (see 1844 map) until the older man's death in 1863. These details are to appear in our "Life History" of the Old Homestead established in 1812. Homes like this have many memories hidden away to share had they been gifted with human speech. Even the old deeds and other documents have been made to recount events and secrets after resting in the small treasure chest, now in our possession. In an inventory of Job's home and farm property, we have found the old Thomas Margeson Bible, and have traced it through the holders, Israel III, Israel II's daughter Mary A., right down to the present time. You have already examined a photostat copy of your first family. Our story now continues with the youngest sister, Mary. She became the sole survivor of her big family and also the one to be the oldest upon her death. Most of her contributions are in her own handwriting. Without Mary's records, we would have faced an impossible task. Her few lines in Prof. Clayton's County History listed the twelve brothers and sisters. Perhaps of events during her early years, she had only a name or a fragment of details about her older sisters and brothers. One exception, however, were many references to "big brother" John. She was only a child of three years when the family moved to Wayne. This is how your editor has assembled the facts recorded by this second-generation daughter. It began with the many family conferences beside the fireplace with Father as "Storyteller." Young Mary had a "good question" of "How did we all get our names?" Father began with his own grandparents, his parents, and how he just happened to meet Mother. In turn, Mother told about her parents and the town where they lived. "When you children arrived, we decided to name John the same as my parents and grandparents. Mother had a brother a year older than herself also named John. Her parents were named Caleb and Susanna Brundage, that took care of two more Margesons. From the old family Bible, the names of Cornelius, Thomas, Benjamin, Job, Israel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary. As for Charles, we found a St. Charles in early church history and among the English history names. During long winter evenings, both parents retold stories of colonial times, others about the war years of 1775 to 1783, of their marriage and the New Jersey years. Mary even remembered the long rough journey to their new home, but John and Thomas claimed that a girl only three years couldn't possibly have remembered so much." Mary's lively interest in all these stories and her clever compositions in her classes at District School delighted her teacher and classmates. It was also interesting to have her own brother, John, as Trustee of the School which was scarcely a half mile north of home. At the family conference, Mary was nominated and elected Family Historian. The friendship of Mary and her brother John lasted throughout their lives. By her written notes, we trace John into Allegany County. At home, Mary proved to be most helpful in many ways, helping with her brother and sister in the care of their young nephew and nieces. Mary was 76 (in 1879) after the death of sister Hannah and sister-in-law Polly, and she went to live with her nephew, Israel, and his wife Cynthia and their family. Continuing her duty as recorder and historian, she began a list of the deaths and ages of her family. For the record, We print it as below: before 1820 no record: Susanna and Elizabeth 1822 Cornelius age 36 1827 Father age 66 1829 Israel age 27 1831 Benjamin age 34 1831 Caleb age 43 1835 Mother age 72 1857 Charles age 65 1861 John age 77 1861 Thomas age 71 1863 Job age 65 1880 Hannah age 77 1883 Israel age 57, nephew To this list, Mary A. Margeson Beckwith added the name: 1888 Mary age 85 Our records give the name of John's eleventh child, Almeda, born 1829, married a Mr. Ellis, lived in the State of Iowa, died 1930 at the age of One Hundred Years and Ten Months, lacking only two months of 101. Almeda holds the record for our family. Could it have been the Iowa climate? Iowa has the climate where "The Tall Corn Grows." Mary's records reveal her understanding of some legal matters. The old treasure chest contains two legal documents as follows: A formal deed proposing a legal transfer of ownership of the home burial plot to the Town of Wayne. This transaction was never completed. A survey of early burials in the Town revealed over twenty such private interments. Many of these had no marker other than a plain flat fieldstone to mark the graves. Signs of neglect and some vandalism have left much to be desired. The second document is Mary's Last Will and Testament. We copy this will verbatim.
Method & sources consulted
Excerpt taken directly from 1970s Margeson family history book using OCR