Bios: Akers Family: Brush Creek Township, Fulton Co Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Michael Caldwell. msc@juno.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Transcription of an undated (but probably 1940s) letter written to Mrs. Timothy Haslet WALTERS (Dolly Viola (Hixson) Walters) by Elizabeth "Lizzie" Akers of Bellwood, PA, apparently in response to a request for genealogical information on the Akers family. Background information: Dolly Viola HIXSON, wife of Timothy Haslet WALTERS of Crystal Spring, Fulton County, PA, was born 2 Jan 1889 in Fulton County and died 30 Jul 1970 in Crystal Spring. A copy of this letter was found amongst the papers of submitter's great grandmother, Nancy Maye (Akers) Barnes, upon her death. Comments at the close of the letter were added in her handwriting. Nancy and Mrs. Walters were close friends and had also corresponded on various Fulton County families. Any interested researchers may contact the submitter at msc@juno.com for further information on the Akers family of Brush Creek Township, Fulton County, Pennsylvania. NOTE: The claim in the penultimate paragraph about a family connection to Abraham Lincoln has since been disproved. For more on this, contact submitter at msc@juno.com. _____________________________________________________________ Elizabeth Akers 332 So. Second St. Bellwood, Pa. Dear Mrs. Walters, After I wrote you a few days ago I happened to think of some papers I had laid away and when I unearthed them I found the story. Although not the date on the big stone house. Here it is, but if Emory Slagle should send you a different story I should take his word. I also found some family tree information. Not knowing how far you wish to go along that line I have just given data on the original family. Are you going to make up a booklet? If you are, I'll be glad to buy some of them. Also I'll try if you wish to round up some of the Timothy Akers descendents for the service Ministers. Israel Akers had two sons, both of whom felt themselves called to the ministry. Joseph Benson Akers entered the conference in 1858. He served until 1889, he died having suffered a paralytic stroke just a week after his retirement. John Milton Akers entered the conference in 1861 and in 1868 was transferred to Minnesota Conference. He died of pneumonia in Feb. 1889 just after closing a highly successful revival meeting. Jesse R. Akers entered the conference in 1869 and served for ten years, then was obliged to retire because of throat trouble. During the years he was in business he was frequently called to preach and was widely known for his wonderful voice. He died in 1904. The big stone house was built by Ephraim Akers. First he built a log house (the one Emory Slagle talks about where they went to see the twin babies) and a mill above the Akersville Church. Later that house burned down and he built the stone house that stands on the hill. He was two years building it. It is now as substantial apparently as when built. The boxing around the eaves was carved by hand, double doors were beautifully made, and the mantels and sides of the fireplaces, which are in almost every room, were all carved by hand. In the sides of one of the fireplaces glass is set and back of it are hymns. There was a portico with high white pillars extending to the top of the second story windows, carved with flowers and vines twining round them. The porch rotted under them and it was feared they might fall, so they were taken down and cut up. The next summer Ephraim Akers build a barn, fell from the top and was killed. This data is taken from a letter written by Miss Elizabeth Stiffler of Clearville, Pa. R.D. who is a great-great-granddaughter of Ephraim Akers, who built the stone house. Ephraim Akers had three children, John, Ephraim JR., and Zillah who married John Hoy. Their son Ephraim Hoy was Miss Stiffler's grandfather. After Ephraim Akers' death his son John Akers went to live with his mother and eventually took title to the property. Their mother, Ephraim's wife, was Rachel Hanks. Her sister Nancy Hanks married Robert Akers, after the death of her first husband, Nicholas Schooley. Rachel and Nancy Hanks had a brother, William Hanks, who was Abraham Lincoln's grandfather. Lincoln's mother was a namesake of Nancy Hanks Akers. Ralph Sr. is the one of whom I wrote you as being a Revolutionary soldier and ancestor of all the Akers connections. Truly for the "Faith of our Fathers." Lizzie Akers [handwritten notes by Nancy Maye (Akers) Barnes]: The old stone house was built before the church. The church was built in 1858. (That is the year Martin Barkman was born.) [submitter's note]: Ephraim Akers, builder of the old stone house, died 14 Mar 1817, so the house must have been built shortly before then. This house is still (1997) standing in Akersville, Brush Creek Township, Fulton County, PA.