John’s surname is also spelled Bloxson and Blocksom. His parents spelled their name as Blocksom, but most of his own descendants prefer the Bloxson or Blockson spellings.

His gravestone in Friends Cemetery says John W. Blockson, died June 30, 1930, age 85 years 3 months 14 days.

The age at death would imply a birthdate of 16 March 1845, but that is quite inconsistent with census records, which recorded him as age 1 in the 1850 census, age 21 in the 1870 census, age 30 in the 1880 census, and age 51 born March 1849 in the 1900 census. (I have not located him or his parents in 1860.)

His enlistment record, on file at the Indiana State Archives, records John W Blockson, age 18, grey eyes, light hair, height 5’6”, fair complexion, residence Wabash Co., Indiana, born in Marion, Indiana, enlisted as a private on 1 Feb 1865 in Company F, 153rd Indiana Regiment, mustered out on 4 Sep 1865 at Louisville, Ky. His older brother Henry enlisted on the same day.

John would have actually been 15 when he enlisted, and 16 when he was mustered out.

The 153rd Indiana Regiment was posted to Kentucky. Hostilities in the Kentucky were light at that time, mostly guerilla skirmishes with irregulars, as all of the major battles in 1865 were taking place deep in Confederate territory.

http://www.civilwarindex.com/armyin/153rd_in_infantry.html

He entered the Indiana State Soldiers’ Home three times, the first from 25 May 1909 to 18 Sep 1912, the second time from 30 June 1914 to 13 Jan 1921, and the third time from 23 June 1930 until his death one week later. The first two times his wife Mary accompanied him.

In his first application for admittance, in 1909, he reported that he was born on March 6, 1847, near Somerset, Indiana, that he enlisted on 1 Feb 1865 at North Manchester, Indiana, served in Co. F., 153rd Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, musteed in at Louisville, Ky, discharged honorably at the end of war on Sep 4, 1865 at Louisville, Ky, that he received a pension of $12 month from Indianapolis, that his disablity consisted of partial paralysis of right side, unable to use right arm, that he had lived in Indiana for 62 years, current address North Wabash St., Wabash, Indiana, that he was married, date of marriage 10 May 1901 at Wabash, Indiana, his wife was age 50 years and wished to enter the Home as well, that he had four children living, Wilmore Blockson, Michigan, Earl Blockson, Urbana, Ind, Charles W. Blockson, Roann, Ind, and Homer Blockson, Wabash, Ind, that he had never previously been a member of any Home.

The application itself is undated, but it was approved 9 May 1909, and he entered the home on 12 May 1909. He was dishonarably discharged from the home on 18 Sep 1912 for refusing to comply with pension rules. I’m not sure what that means, but most likely refusing to turn over the required portion of his pension to the home.

His second application reported the same information except that he gave his birthdate as March 6, 1845 in Wabash Co., his residence as Sherman St., Wabash, that his pension amount was $24/month, that his marriage date was 10 May 1902, that his wife’s age was 54, and that he had four living children, listed as Wilmer Blockson age 35, Roann, Ind, Homer Blockson age 38, Wabash, Ind, Charles Bloxson, age 30, Lagro, Ind, and Rosa Smith, Big Rapids, Mich. (Note that this is five, not four, but it is what the application says.) It also states that he had been previously a member of the Lafayette Home, but that he had never been discharged. (I guess he felt that he had left voluntarily.)

The second discharge on 13 Jan 1921 was for being absent without leave for 60 days (both he and his wife.)

The third admittance is accompanied by a pair of certified letters, one from Will H. Anderson, county attorney, and one from Homer E. Hoover, identified as John W. Blockson’s legal guardian, dated 23 June 1930, swearing that he was paralysed since 10 Apr 1930, and unable to get about, mental condition unmanageable, that he was dependent upon his stepson who was unable to care for him. The application states that he resided at S. Carroll St. in Wabash from about 1924 to 1930, and at S. Allen St. since 1930, that he was receiving a pension of $90/mo, that his nearest relative was John F. Coburn, stepson, at Allen and Market Sts, Wabash, Ind.

He was admitted, but died one week later. His death notice from the Indiana State Soldier’s Home states that he died 30 June 1930 of cerebral apoplexy. It was addressed to his legal guardian, Homer E. Hoover, director of Hoover Funeral Home, Wabash, Ind.

In her first application for admittance to the Indiana State Soldiers’ Home, dated 8 May 1909, she reported that she was born 13 Oct 1860 near North Manchester, Indiana, that she had resided in Indiana all her life, her address was North Wabash St., Wabash, Ind, that she was the wife of John W. Blockson, that they were married on 10 May 1901 at Wabash, Indiana, that she had been previously married to Francis M. Coburn, now deceased, on 26 Dec 1878 at Wabash, Indiana, that she was the mother of one living child by her first husband, John Coburn, age 26, Cottage Ave., Wabash, Ind, that she had no income or property, that she was blind in her left eye and had rheumatism but was otherwise in good health.

In her second application, dated 2 June 1914,contains the same information except that it reports the date of her marriage to John W. Blockson as 10 May 1902, and it reports that her husband died in 1910 at Spiker, Wabash Co., Indiana. It is unclear whether on this line she is referring to her first or second husband, but either way, it seems odd, since John was still living, and in her 1909 application she reported that Francis was dead. Her son John F. Coburn is reported as living in Kokomo, Indiana.

Her gravestone in Friends Cemetery is next to that of John, and is inscribed Mary Catherine Blockson, died May 3, 1930, age 69 years 6 months 27 days.

The age at death would imply a birthdate of 7 Oct 1860, which is inconsistent with the applications.