SECOND GENERATION

9. Harley W. Stephens was born on Jun 12 1848 in Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Harley is listed in the U.S. Census record of the town of Cleveland, Bradley County, Tennessee taken on June 9th, 1860. His actual birth date has only been found as recorded on his gravestone in Galena, Kansas. He served in the military in 1865 in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia. Harley fought in the Civil War. According to statements given by Dave Stephens, his grandfather Harley, served with the northern Federal Army during the Civil War. Other members of his family sided with the Confederacy. He was a Corporal in Company I 4th Tennessee Cavalry and served along with his brother Daniel Stephens in the same unit. Their military unit was organized on February 9, 1863 and was mustered out on July 12, 1865.

Young Harley enlisted at age sixteen in Hamilton County, Tennessee on January 17, 1864. His enlistment record describes him as being 5'-5" tall, fair complected with dark eyes and light hair, being born in Harrison, Tennessee and had an occupation as a farmer. Harley mustered into "I" Company, 4th Regiment Tennessee Cavalry with the rank of Private in Nashville, Tennessee on March 16, 1864. Records show that he answered Company muster roll call through the months of April, May, June and July.

On July 30, 1864, while on a military raid at Newnan, Georgia, Harley was taken prisoner by the Confederates and was listed by Company I as missing in action. He was held in Vicksburg, Mississippi until transported to be released in Savannah, Georgia where he was paroled by the Confederates in a prisoner of war exchange program on November 20, 1864. He was transferred to Camp Parole USA Hospital near Annapolis, Maryland, then on to Columbus, Ohio where he rejoined his unit on January 2, 1865. His military service ended July 12, 1865 when he was mustered out with the rank of Corporal. He received back pay, a clothing allowance and retained his Remmington pistol and other equipment.

Following the Civil War Harley left Tennessee, married a girl from Texas, and participated in the Cimmaron Rush for territory in Oklahoma. Harley was a farmer according to Patricia Hudson Stephens and then became a Methodist minister according to Jeanne Brake Stephens.
He was ordained on Aug 9 1878 in Spavinaw, Benton County, Arkansas. The Benton County, Arkansas "Courthouse Marriage Record Book -B-" lists what is called Ministers Credentials. H.W. Stephens was found and the following is what is recorded as his "Minister's Credentials":

To all whom it may concern
Be it known by these present that Bro. H.W. Stephens is this day set apart and ordained to the work of an Evangelist, being in full fellowship with the advent church at this place and he is hereby recommended to the brothers and sisters of a like faith and to all whom he may choose to meet as a Christian gentleman of honest character and integrity, worthy of confidence and respect.
Done by order of the Conference this 3rd day of August A.D. 1878. Chalk Valley Church Spavinaw, Benton County, Arkansas.

J.D. Stephens, Evangelist - SW Mo, NW Ark
W.B. Covey, Minister
J.H. May, Clerk of Conference

Filed and Recorded August 9th, 1878, John Black, Clerk

According to the book Atlas of Religious Change in America: "Adventism, with its theological focus on the second coming of Christ, began as a movement among established churches in the United States early in the 19th century. When in the Spring of 1844, the second coming, as prophesied at that time did not occur, the movement coalesced into new organizations. Founded in 1860, the Advent Christian Church represents one such development. It is congregational in polity, and has a General Conference that meets every three years. Among its theologically distinct views is the claim that the dead are sleeping until the return of Christ."

Even more information about the Advent Christian Church and its background was found while researching Harley's son Thaddeus at Aurora College. The college and its founders had a strong Advent Christian affiliation. The following text is taken from the book "History of Aurora College" and was written at a time that the college was breaking ties to the Advent Christian Church so the authors treatment of the historical relationship between the college and the Advent Christian Church is at times less than flattering.

"History of the Midwest Advent Christian Church (Taken from the History of Aurora College)

As the early leaders who came together to form the Advent Christian church were originally from diverse denominational backgrounds, they also supported a variety of theological positions. In general the Adventists were in agreement on the belief in the soon return of Christ and on the doctrine of Conditional Immortality, though even here there were shadings of differences. Some even continued to set dates for that climactic event for which they all looked. Traditional doctrines such as the Trinity proved divisive in some groups of Adventists. Many churches split or died as a result of differences in those doctrines and no creed could have found agreement among them.

Because each church and even each Adventist was considered to be an independent entity, new churches were founded in most cases by individual evangelists or by conferences. Each conference was free to ordain whoever it pleased to the ministry.

A.C. Church Growth in Midwest

Very early in the Advent movement, evangelists and ministers, including that early pioneer, Joshua V. Himes, William Miller's right-hand man, conducted work in the west. Churches were established in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. Most of the early churches were located in crossroads towns, very few in cities of any consequence. Exceptions were noted in such places as Aurora, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Very few of the ministers of the mid to late 1800s in the Midwest earned their living as full-time pastors. Most were farmers or artisans who would preach on Sundays, often serving two or more country churches on alternate weekends, traveling from one to the other by horse and buggy and sometimes by rail.

Many of the churches in Iowa, Arkansas. Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other western states, had been founded by pioneer evangelists. They would come into a community, usually at a crossroads, start a series of services in a school house, rented hall, or a tent. As this was the "only show in town," attendance at such meetings was not too bad. At the conclusion of such a series of services, a church would sometimes be organized.

Now this procedure was not too different from that being followed by other denominations in that day. The principal difference was in the message and the means of its presentation. The Second Coming of Christ, Conditionalism, and the prophecies regarding His coming, with huge charts with all sorts of strange pictures supporting the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, were attractions. It would seem that the message preached was largely the Adventual doctrines with very little stress on basic Christianity.

Most of the churches so organized were extremely small, often containing but two or three families. And. because the Second Coming was expected without delay, there was no need to build a church building, or at best, much more than a shelter from the weather. Often times, schoolhouses were utilized for worship, The traveling pastor would conduct services on a once-every-other-week basis. sometimes not even that often. was paid very little beyond some produce and his meals and possibly lodging and hay and oats for his horse while there.

If the community was of any size there would exist a competing church or churches. These, not being in expectation of Christ's soon return, envisaged 'I more permanent ministry. Also, they were more popular as they represented denominations more familiar to the attendants and preached a gospel generally consistent with prevalent Christian tenets and practice, while the Advent Christian people were more interested in stressing "adventual truths."

Mostly Small, Rural Churches

So, during the later part of the 19th century, there were widespread Advent Christian churches and a number of conferences in the Midwest. There were very few of these churches with more than a handful of members and with but meager financial support. Actually, however, not too much financial support was needed when the church met in a schoolhouse and did not give much support to a pastor. As a group, these folk did not develop good stewardship habits. As times changed and families broke up, with children moving to the cities and wars taking others into the armed forces or into manufacturing, most of these scattered churches passed out of existence.

As mentioned before, most of the preachers, and but few of these could be described as ministers in the sense as ministering to a congregation, preached on a part-time basis. Their education was limited in most cases, though there were notable exceptions. This lack of education was keenly felt by some, while others contended that all that was required was a call from God and a Bible very little or no preparation, either for the ministry or for a particular sermon, for that matter."

He died on Jun 24 1906 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. H.W. Stephens died on a Sunday. He lived 58 years and 12 days. Harley W. Stephens' death date is recorded from a Family Group Record, prepared by Patricia Hudson Stephens, Westminster, Colorado.
He was buried on Jun 26 1906 in Oak Hill Cemetary, Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. H.W. Stephens is buried in section 32, plot 13 at the Oak Hill Cemetery. Oak Hill is located at the north end of town, across a bridge and left down a winding country road. It is a beautiful Cemetery and his marker is quite unique. It is a semi-tall stone, shaped like the Washington Monument with a Bible on the very top. When I saw Great-Great Grandpa Stephens grave on February 23, 1998, the stone was almost illegible. His name was recognizable, but the dates were starting to wear. How impressive it was to see this old marker with the Word of God on top. A symbol of what would have been his devotion to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
In 1880, according to the Benton County, Arkansas Personal Property Tax Listings, Harley owned only one horse valued at $30 and $10 in other personal property. He paid his tax on this property on March 22, 1881.

He was married to Margaret R. Canafax (daughter of Father Canafax and Mother Clark) on Oct 9 1870 in Bloomfield, Benton County, Arkansas. No official record or Marriage License could be found when I visited the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas. Benton County had recorded marriages well before the time of Harley's and Margaret's marriage, but still no document or index item could be located. The small town of Bloomfield does not exist today, but did back in the 1870's. A series of deductions can be made that Harley and Margaret were not married in Arkansas, but maybe in Texas (since Margaret is from Texas), or even in Oklahoma, and then the couple may have settled in Bloomfield, Arkansas. In putting this theory together with the story of Harley going to Oklahoma after the Civil War, it makes some sense that maybe an official marriage record for our ancestors is actually in Texas or Oklahoma. Margaret R. Canafax was born on Aug 1 1854 in Texas. Margaret is listed in the 1905 Census of Galena, Kansas as being 50 years old and having been born in Texas. This is the first official record of her birthplace being Texas. She died on Apr 4 1929 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Her death date is recorded from a Family Group Record, prepared by Patricia Hudson Stephens, Westminster, Colorado. Margaret's death record has not yet been found and it seems that maybe she did not die in Galena, Kansas because she is not buried in the same cemetary as her husband Harley. The possibility may exist that Margaret went to live with one of her children after the death of her husband Harley since 23 years passed between his death and hers. In addition, her daughter Alice died in 1913 which would leave her there in Galena by herself since her children Thaddeus, Venora, and Ruth were in Bible College at Aurora College in Illinois at the time of Alice's death. If that be the case, she possibly relocated, died and was buried in a place other than Galena, Kansas.

A contra to this theory is the story that Grace Stephens Marquis told of her grandmother Margaret Stephens coming to visit them at Aurora, Illinois. Grace said Margaret came in on a train from Galena, Kansas and that she remembers very well that Margaret was a small woman and had a terrible problem with pain in her knees. Her visit was not long, and soon after that Margaret passed away. Grace says she would have been 8 or 9 years old which would have put Margaret's trip in 1923 or 1924, at least five years before her death. If one draws a conclusion from this story, Margaret is still missing, but is maybe somewhere in the small town of Galena, Kansas. Between that time of her trip and the time of her death, Margaret does not appear in any records. One of the first clues that the Stephens were in Kansas was the picture of Margaret that was taken in Galena, Kansas. This led to further research to finally find more on the family.
Harley W. Stephens and Margaret R. Canafax had the following children:

13 i. Mary E. Stephens was born on Dec 21 1871.
14 ii. Edith Stephens was born about 1873. Edith is listed in a Family Group Record, prepared by Patricia Hudson Stephens, Westminster, CO. She died before Nov 1897.
15 iii. Evelyn Stephens was born about 1875. Evelyn is listed in a Family Group Record, prepared by Patricia Hudson Stephens, Westminster, CO. She died before 1897.
16 iv. Alice C. Stephens was born on Jun 20 1877 in Indiana. Alice is listed in a Family Group Record, prepared by Patricia Hudson Stephens, Westminster, Colorado. She is also listed in the 1905 census of Galena, Kansas as being 28 years old. Her gravestone also confirms her birth date.

Alice lists her birthplace in the 1905 census as Indiana. This is the only record to date that even suggests that Harley moved back east across the Mississippi, but yet may confirm the absence of any vital records or census information in Arkansas for her family prior to 1880. But this theory would conflict with the one that Alice's father Harley W. Stephens participated in the Cimmaron Land Rush in Oklahoma. Research may certainly reveal more about this mystery as to Alice officially claiming Indiana as her birthplace. She was a School Teacher on Mar 1 1905 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Alice is listed in the 1905 Census of Galena, Kansas with her profession being a Teacher. In that same census, she was single, owned her own home, and lived alone on the corner of Front and Short streets. She was also recorded in the Voter Registration of March 20, 1899 for the First Ward, Galena, Kansas, age 22. The thought would be that Alice moved away from her family and was the first of the Stephens to come to Galena, Kansas. Just a few years later, her parents Harley and Margaret Stephens also moved there, presumably to be near there daughter. Galena is a small town in southeast Kansas right on the border with Missouri. It was once a prominent community but has worn down throughout the years, It has many old buildings along Main Street still standing that would have been there during Alice's days in Galena. She died on Jul 17 1913 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Alice lived to be 35 years and 27 days old. Her cause of death at such a young age is not yet known. She was buried on Jul 20 1913 in Oak Hill Cemetary, Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Alice C. Stephens is buried in the Stephens' plot at Oak Hill. She is to the left of her father H.W. Stephens in section 32, plot 13. Her gravestone is a beautiful dark gray marble with a bouquet of flowers etched into the marble. A rather striking and impressive marker.
+17 v. Charles E. Stephens.
+18 vi. Rev. Thaddeus Luther Stephens.
19 vii. Florence Belle Stephens was born on Jul 5 1884 in Arkansas.
20 viii. Claude Grant Stephens was born on Mar 30 1887 in Missouri. He died in 1927 in Union Mills, LaPorte County, Indiana. A newspaper article reporting the death of Claude Stephens was found among various articles kept in a scrap book by his sister-in-law, Abbie Stephens. No date was recorded on the article itself. Given that Claude was born in 1887 and his age at the time of his tragic death was 40 years old, plus the other dated articles from 1927, it is concluded that Claude died in that year.
+21 ix. Venora Katherine Stephens.
22 x. Anna B. Stephens was born on Jun 26 1892 in Missouri. She died on Dec 28 1915 in Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Anna lived 23 years, 6 months, and 2 days. She was buried on Dec 31 1915 in Oak Hill Cemetary, Galena, Cherokee County, Kansas. Anna is buried in the Stephens plot in section 32, plot 13, behind her sister Alice C. Stephens.
+23 xi. Ruth W. Stephens.

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