The fifth of ten children, Elijah Cody Martin was born in Steuben County, New York, about June 7, 1808. He died on April 9, 1874, and his birth date is calculated from his age at his death as recorded on his headstone "65y 10mo 2ds." His parents, Uriah and Rhoda (Stiles) Martin, relocated to Greene County, Ohio, before 1816, where Uriah died in 1829.
On March 12, 1835, Elijah married Elizabeth Tingley, daughter of John Adams and Sarah (Cox) Tingley. She was born in Virginia. Elijah and Elizabeth were married in Xenia (pronounced zeen-ya), the county seat of Greene County, by a justice of the peace, William Cozad.
Of their 11 children, the first five were born in Miami Township, Logan County, Ohio. They were Indiana, William Jasper, Sarah Jane, John Webb and Tamsan Elizabeth. The next five children were also born in Logan County. Their names were Rhoda, Robert Mercer, Lucy Ellen, Samuel Kinsey Leedham and Rebecca Floral. Samuel and Rebecca were twins. As Elijah and his family were enumerated in Pleasant Township in 1850, it is likely these children were born there. Elijah's mother died there in 1849. The family removed to Muscatine County, Iowa between 1852 and the birth of the last child, Abigail C., on November 25, 1854.
In 1856, Elijah's family was living in Sugar Creek Township, Cedar County, Iowa; but, they were back in Muscatine County, Bloomington Township, by the time the 1860 Federal Census was taken. In 1870, Elijah, Elizabeth and some of their children were living in Moscow, also in Muscatine County.
Elijah was a farmer. He died in 1874 in Muscatine County. He is buried at the Oakdale Cemetery in Wilton, Iowa. Buried near him is his son-in-law, Levi A. Kellogg.
Tweet This!