Susan Fletcher Ankeny Barcroft
Susan Fletcher Ankeny was born in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio on July 22, 1832. She had four older brothers and was the first daughter born to Joseph and Harriet Ankeny. Susan was named after her mother, Harriet Susanna Giese; and her middle name, Fletcher, was the name of the family who raised Harriet Susanna Giese after her mother died back in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Susan was educated at the Female Seminary at Granville, Ohio. She married John Russell Barcroft in 1852. Mr. Barcroft had a law practice in Millersburg with General Josiah Given. Susan and her husband traveled by covered wagon to Iowa and lived briefly in Oskaloosa before settling in Des Moines. Josiah Given also came to Des Moines and he became an Iowa Supreme Court Justice. Mr. Barcroft entered into a law partnership with J. S. Polk and F. M. Hubbell in Des Moines. The Barcrofts had four children. Mary Louise, Harriet L. and Russell Ankeny were born in Ohio and Joseph Kinsey was born in Iowa. The Barcroft family lived in a large two story home at 1717 Tenth Street and after Mr. Barcroft's death Susan moved into a small bungalow at 4155 Ingersoll Avenue. Susan was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Susan died in April of 1916 and is buried in Woodland Cemetery.
Susan Fletcher Ankeny Barcroft
Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, Iowa
Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, Iowa
1-Susan Fletcher ANKENY (22 Jul 1832-Apr 1916)
+John Russell BARCROFT (13 May 1824-20 Jan 1901)
2-Mary Louise BARCROFT (5 Feb 1855-Jun 1946)
+George Elias KING (7 Jan 1846-25 Jan 1912)
3-Edith B KING (1 Sep 1879-Sep 1963)
+William W PEARSON (1870-)
+W W BELL (-)
3-Alice B KING (7 Aug 1881-13 Jun 1934)
+Frank Rhea BOTT (-)
4-Margaret King BOTT (9 Oct 1910-21 Jun 1934)
2-Harriet L "Hattie" BARCROFT (11 Jan 1857-Jun 1921)
+James McCullough MCCAUGHAN (1853-1900)
3-John Barcroft MCCAUGHAN (28 Mar 1877-2 Sep 1960)
+Amelia TALCOTT (28 Nov 1888-27 Jul 1974)
4-Norton J MCCAUGHAN (14 Apr 1913-27 Dec 2005)
4-Fletcher B MCCAUGHAN (19 Mar 1916-27 Apr 2008)
4-Mary MCCAUGHAN (5 Oct 1918-8 Feb 1998)
4-Harriet Avis MCCAUGHAN (7 Aug 1924-16 Jun 2007)
3-Susie E MCCAUGHAN (1879-1880)
3-Ralph L MCCAUGHAN (26 Aug 1881-19 Jul 1975)
+Dorothy Eva MANBECK (1885-)
4-James Russell MCCAUGHAN (18 Jun 1907-27 May 2000)
4-Roland Geil MCCAUGHAN (30 Aug 1908-2 Oct 1984)
4-Barbara MCCAUGHAN (1912-)
4-R Lewis MCCAUGHAN (1917-)
3-George Louis MCCAUGHAN (20 Nov 1884-Dec 1969)
+Emma Belle MILLER (1888-1964)
4-Dwight Lewis MCCAUGHAN (1 Feb 1908-6 Sep 1922)
4-Louise Ankeny MCCAUGHAN (17 Aug 1909-8 Dec 1980)
4-George Louis MCCAUGHAN Jr (1909-1910)
4-Rosie MCCAUGHAN (1910-1911)
4-Susan Jane MCCAUGHAN (26 May 1917-15 Aug 2001)
3-Louise Ankeny MCCAUGHAN (Dec 1888-Jul 1991)
+Otis Winfield PRAY (1885-1967)
4-William Pearson PRAY (24 Jun 1909-25 May 1999)
4-Eli Barcroft "Barry" PRAY (25 Jun 1912-19 Dec 1988)
4-James McCaughan PRAY (4 Apr 1915-1 Mar 1916)
4-Winfield Ankeny PRAY (9 Feb 1919-15 Jan 1991)
4-David R PRAY (27 Jan 1925-6 Mar 2011)
2-Russell Ankeny BARCROFT (8 Mar 1861-)
+Mary WRIGHT MINEAR (29 Apr 1864-)
+Fredericka STRASBURGER (1888-)
3-Russell A BARCROFT (15 Nov 1921-29 Apr 1991)
2-Joseph Kinsey BARCROFT (7 Aug 1865-28 Sep 1946)
+Harriet Etta COZENS (6 Jun 1875-)
3-Bazzelle B BARCROFT (3 Aug 1901-15 Nov 1984)
+Henry TAYLOR (1903-)
4-Henry D TAYLOR (1929-)
4-Josephine B TAYLOR (1931-)
+John Russell BARCROFT (13 May 1824-20 Jan 1901)
2-Mary Louise BARCROFT (5 Feb 1855-Jun 1946)
+George Elias KING (7 Jan 1846-25 Jan 1912)
3-Edith B KING (1 Sep 1879-Sep 1963)
+William W PEARSON (1870-)
+W W BELL (-)
3-Alice B KING (7 Aug 1881-13 Jun 1934)
+Frank Rhea BOTT (-)
4-Margaret King BOTT (9 Oct 1910-21 Jun 1934)
2-Harriet L "Hattie" BARCROFT (11 Jan 1857-Jun 1921)
+James McCullough MCCAUGHAN (1853-1900)
3-John Barcroft MCCAUGHAN (28 Mar 1877-2 Sep 1960)
+Amelia TALCOTT (28 Nov 1888-27 Jul 1974)
4-Norton J MCCAUGHAN (14 Apr 1913-27 Dec 2005)
4-Fletcher B MCCAUGHAN (19 Mar 1916-27 Apr 2008)
4-Mary MCCAUGHAN (5 Oct 1918-8 Feb 1998)
4-Harriet Avis MCCAUGHAN (7 Aug 1924-16 Jun 2007)
3-Susie E MCCAUGHAN (1879-1880)
3-Ralph L MCCAUGHAN (26 Aug 1881-19 Jul 1975)
+Dorothy Eva MANBECK (1885-)
4-James Russell MCCAUGHAN (18 Jun 1907-27 May 2000)
4-Roland Geil MCCAUGHAN (30 Aug 1908-2 Oct 1984)
4-Barbara MCCAUGHAN (1912-)
4-R Lewis MCCAUGHAN (1917-)
3-George Louis MCCAUGHAN (20 Nov 1884-Dec 1969)
+Emma Belle MILLER (1888-1964)
4-Dwight Lewis MCCAUGHAN (1 Feb 1908-6 Sep 1922)
4-Louise Ankeny MCCAUGHAN (17 Aug 1909-8 Dec 1980)
4-George Louis MCCAUGHAN Jr (1909-1910)
4-Rosie MCCAUGHAN (1910-1911)
4-Susan Jane MCCAUGHAN (26 May 1917-15 Aug 2001)
3-Louise Ankeny MCCAUGHAN (Dec 1888-Jul 1991)
+Otis Winfield PRAY (1885-1967)
4-William Pearson PRAY (24 Jun 1909-25 May 1999)
4-Eli Barcroft "Barry" PRAY (25 Jun 1912-19 Dec 1988)
4-James McCaughan PRAY (4 Apr 1915-1 Mar 1916)
4-Winfield Ankeny PRAY (9 Feb 1919-15 Jan 1991)
4-David R PRAY (27 Jan 1925-6 Mar 2011)
2-Russell Ankeny BARCROFT (8 Mar 1861-)
+Mary WRIGHT MINEAR (29 Apr 1864-)
+Fredericka STRASBURGER (1888-)
3-Russell A BARCROFT (15 Nov 1921-29 Apr 1991)
2-Joseph Kinsey BARCROFT (7 Aug 1865-28 Sep 1946)
+Harriet Etta COZENS (6 Jun 1875-)
3-Bazzelle B BARCROFT (3 Aug 1901-15 Nov 1984)
+Henry TAYLOR (1903-)
4-Henry D TAYLOR (1929-)
4-Josephine B TAYLOR (1931-)
The Legacy of Susan Fletcher Ankeny Barcroft
As of February 23, 2016 Susan had 65 (known) descendants: 4 children, 9 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, 21 GG grandchildren, and 10 GGG grandchildren.
Susan's second daughter, Harriet "Hattie" Barcroft, married Mr. James McCaughan who was an attorney and he practiced law with his father-in-law Judge Russell Barcroft and the Honorable Josiah Given. James McCaughan died an untimely death at age 47. "Hattie" continued to raise four children ages 12 to 23.
Photo of Susan Fletcher Ankeny Barcroft, her Granddaughter, Louise Ankeny McCaughan and her Daughter Harriet "Hattie" Louise Barcroft McCaughan (from the L Pray collection).
Photo of Susan Fletcher Ankeny Barcroft, her Granddaughter, Louise Ankeny McCaughan and her Daughter Harriet "Hattie" Louise Barcroft McCaughan (from the L Pray collection).
Susan's first daughter, Mary Louise Barcroft, married Mr. George Elias King. He was a bridge contractor. Mary Louise as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They had two daughters. Edith married Dr. William W. Pearson. Alice married Frank Rhea Bott, which ended in divorce, and they had one daughter, Margaret King Bott. The lives of Alice and her daughter Margaret came to tragic ends when they attempted a suicide pact in 1934. It seems Margaret was diagnosed with an incurable disease. They tied themselves together and tried to drown in Lake Michigan. Alice died but Margaret survived. Margaret was brought back to Des Moines and put in custody of her Aunt and Uncle Pearson. Within a short time Margaret found a gun and shot herself. Her final words were an apology for causing so much trouble. A headstone for Alice and Margaret is in the Woodland Cemetery.
Woodland Cemetery, Des Moines, Iowa
Mary Louise and George King Headstone
Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, Iowa
Woodland Cemetery
Des Moines, Iowa