John Milton McINDOO, Sr.

John married Elizabeth Carolina CUNNINGHAM on 18 Sep 1864 in ,,Indiana. Elizabeth was born on 8 Jan 1847 in Logansport, Cass, Indiana; died on 13 Jul 1935 in Portersville, Tulare, California. [Group Sheet]

William married Eliza Altona LAKE in 1887 in ,,Illinois. Eliza was born about 1867 in ,,Illinois. [Group Sheet]

Martha married Lester S. COLEBANK on 12 Apr 1882 in Iroquois, Iroquois, Illinois. Lester was born on 18 Dec 1852 in Crooked Run, Monongalia, West Virginia; died on 4 Apr 1944 in Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota. [Group Sheet]

John married Susie BALLIET on 1 Aug 1895 in ,Christian, Illinois. Susie was born on 26 Sep 1869 in ,,Illinois; died on 6 Jun 1949 in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. [Group Sheet]

George married Minnie STRAND on 26 Feb 1899 in Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota. Minnie was born in 1874 in ,,Minnesota; died on 18 Apr 1941 in Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota; was buried in Apr 1941 in Oakland Cemetery, Saint Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota. [Group Sheet]

Ella married Henry Michael KOLLN on 4 Sep 1895 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Henry was born on 3 Mar 1872 in Lieth Elmshorn, Holstien, Germany; died on 15 Aug 1952 in Portersville, Tulare, California; was buried in Hillcrest Cemetery, Portersville, Tulare, California. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

This article was created by: Susan Zmrzel
Record added: Oct 13, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial #43034803

James Simeon McIndoo was born July 5, 1880 on his grandfather's farm in Crescent City, Iroquois, Illinois. He was the seventh child born to John Milton McIndoo Sr. and Caroline Elizabeth Cunningham McIndoo. His sister Martha Jane McIndoo Colebank was 13 when James was born. The family moved to Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota when James was 14.

He was a normal child at birth, but when he was 7 he contracted whooping cough. Soon afterwards he complained of a pain in his head and sleepiness, and this was the point in time when he started abnormal growth. His eyes bothered him a great deal so he didn't attend school. He had a genial temperament, however, and was kind and generous. He was a genius when it came to making things. He made his own violin which he played well and he loved to take watches apart and repair them. "He was a sensitive boy. He liked music and had a natural talent," according to Linda Colebank, his nephew's wife. "People would give him an instrument and he?d fiddle around with it for a while and pretty soon he'd sit down and play it."

His growth continued at an astonishing rate throughout his youth. His obituary noted that he had to have an extra-large meal every 20 hours; slept from 15 to 20 hours, then remained awake the same length of time. He could eat as much as three or four working men. He would eat a peck of apples or a basket of grapes and think nothing of it. He was 7'3" in height and weighed 325 pounds when he died, and he would undoubtedly have kept on growing had he lived. His feet were 24" long and he could span 13 ½" with one hand. Curiously, he never shed his baby teeth. When he was 17 he traveled with the Sells-Forepaugh Circus as an oddity exhibit, but he didn't care to have people staring at him. While with the circus he cleaned and repaired watches for many of the circus people and did a great deal of intricate work with almost no tools. On one occasion he got a watch with a broken mainspring, and his associates joshed him considerably about it, telling him he couldn't repair it. He drew temper out of the ends of the spring by heating them with lighted matches, drilled holes and riveted it together and then the watch was running again.

He returned home from the circus on November 24, 1898, but became ill shortly after. He realized he was near death?s door, and the night before he died he told his mother that the angels were waiting to take him to heaven. He had suffered a great deal here and said he would have a good time when he got in heaven. He died in mid-December (December 16, 1898) at the age of 18 years, five months and eleven days. John and Caroline allowed several medical doctors from the area to examine his body, and they found that he had one large tumor in his brain that was bearing down on the eye and cheek bone, which had in fact partially absorbed the bone. Another smaller tumor was found in his temporal region directly on the speech center. He had enlarged kidneys, which may have contributed to his death as well. His casket had to be specially ordered. He was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota, in the same grave as his niece Susie McIndoo, because his parents feared that his body would be stolen for medical study. His grave is still unmarked.

The disorder from which James suffered is called "gigantism" today. Only about 100 cases have ever been diagnosed. Today pediatric endocrinology has made many advances, and children with similar pituitary tumors can be successfully treated.

Berthena married Samuel Joseph SEXTON in Sep 1903 in Sedan, Pope, Minnesota. Samuel was born on 25 Jan 1882 in Monroe City, Knox, Indiana ; died on 8 Jul 1957 in Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas; was buried in Greenwood Memorial Park & Mausoleum, Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas. [Group Sheet]

Ida married James J. SAUSE. [Group Sheet]

Anna married Samuel David GIBSON, Sr. on 12 Sep 1905 in Grove Lake, Pope, Minnesota. Samuel was born on 2 Jul 1876 in Dormore, Downs, Ireland; died on 23 Nov 1941 in Lingle, Goshen, Wyoming. [Group Sheet]

Lester married Linda Victoria NASMAN on 19 Mar 1921 in St James, Watonwan, Minnesota. Linda was born on 28 Jun 1894 in Adrain, Watonwan, Minnesota; died on 13 Aug 1994 in Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota. [Group Sheet]

Susie married Herman Carl ROXIN on 16 Jun 1928 in Truman, Martin, Minnesota. Herman was born on 14 Aug 1901 in Welcome, Martin, Minnesota; died on 28 Jul 1980 in Madelia, Watonwan, Minnesota; was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, St James, Watonwan, Minnesota. [Group Sheet]