Levi Costner

1827 - 1863  (36 years)

• Name	Levi Costner
  Born	1827	Cleveland, North Carolina, United States
  Gender	Male
  Buried	Jul 1863	Gettysburg, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States
  Died	3 Jul 1863	Gettysburg, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States
  Person ID	I8345	Costner Descendants
  Last Modified	16 Jan 2022

  
  

  Father	Daniel Costner,   b. 1803, Bessemer City, Gaston, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 6 Jan 1882, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States  (Age 79 years)
  Mother	Sarah Kiser,   b. 31 Jan 1790, Gaston, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 21 Feb 1890, Gaston, North Carolina, United States  (Age 100 years)
  Married	23 Feb 1823  [1]
  Family ID	F2000	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth Gales,   b. 22 Aug 1827, Gaston, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 27 Jul 1918, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States  (Age 90 years)
  Married	15 Jan 1847	Lincoln, North Carolina, United States   [2]
  Children	1. William Alexander Costner,   b. 18 Feb 1849, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 24 Feb 1936, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States  (Age 87 years)   2. Daniel Costner,   b. 1850, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Sarah Costner,   b. 3 Jan 1853, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 3 Oct 1945, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States  (Age 92 years)   4. Monroe Costner,   b. 1855, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Mary Susana Costner,   b. 25 Aug 1851, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 12 Dec 1941, Cleveland, North Carolina, United States  (Age 90 years)   6. Rachel E Costner,   b. 1860, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Vinny Costner,   b. Abt 1862, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Nancy Melvina Costner,   b. 18 Feb 1862, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 15 Oct 1918, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States  (Age 56 years)   9. Martha S. Costner,   b. Feb 1863, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States ,   d. 10 Jun 1897, Henry, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States  (Age ~ 34 years)
  Last Modified	15 Jun 2022
  Family ID	F2001	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Levi Costner was born in 1827 to Daniel Costner (1803-1883) and Sarah Kiser (1803-1844) in what was Lincoln County, now Cleveland. He was the third of 12 children. Other siblings were: Susan (1822-1925) married William Grigg; John R. 1825-1822) married Mary Polly Carpenter; Jacob C. (Jack) (1831-1908) married Martha (Patsy) Gladden; Christopher (1929-1862), a miller in the 1860 census, married Margaret A. Bryant; Elizabeth (1832-?) married William D. Grigg; Joseph (1836-1924) married Lucinda Hendrick; James (1837-1862); Jonas (1838-1865); Mary (1840-<1850); Sarah Ann (1841-1896) married Perry Wright; and Rachel (1843-1906) married Jacob C. Ledford. In the 1850 Cleveland Co. census, seven of Daniel Costner’s children were still at home. The three oldest had already married; Mary had evidently died before 1850 and Jonas' whereabouts is unknown. In the 1860 census, only Joseph James, Sarah and Rachel were at home. On 15 January 1847, Levi married Elizabeth (Betsy) Gales (1827-1918). In the 1850 Gaston Co. census, they lived next door to Betsy’s parents, William and Fanny Carpenter Gales and had one year old William. Eventually, they had eight children: William Alexander, Daniel (1851-1900) married Mary Carpenter, Sarah (1853-1945) married James Hartman, Monroe (born 1855), Mary Susana or Susan (1857-1941) Rachel 1861-1901) married Peter Hudson, Lavina or Vinny born 1862 married George C. Boyles/Boiles and Martha S. (1863-1897) married John Pinckney Johnson. After the birth of Martha, his last child, in February, 1863, he enlisted in April in the 34th Regiment, Co. E, NC State Troops. He was only in the service for about 60 days when he was killed at Pickett’s Charge on 3 July 1863. Levi was buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery in a mass Confederate grave. Three of his brothers also lost their lives in the Civil War: Christopher in 1862 in Petersburg, VA; James in 1862 in Gaines Mill, VA; and Jonas, 1865, also in Virginia. Four brothers, one third of the entire family, gave their lives for the Confederacy. In addition, William Grigg, husband of Levi’s oldest sister Susan, died in 1863 at David’s Island, New York Harbor Hospital. Elizabeth never remarried after Levi’s death and in June 1901, at age 70, she made a Widow’s Application for Pension in Lincoln Co. NC, but was unable to go before the board of Pensions. F. J. Leatherman, J. P., signed an affidavit stating her disability and her pension was approved in July of that year. Levi’s oldest son, William (Billy) was born 18 February 1849 in Gaston County, NC. In 1867, he married Margaret (Marge) Hoyle (1841-1917). Margaret is possibly the daughter of Henry Hoyle III and Elizabeth Howard Hoyle, as a 10 year old, Margaret appears with these parents in the 1850 Cleveland Co. census. Margaret had previously been married to a McClurd and had one daughter, Sophronia (1862-1945) who married D. Thomas Costner (a son of Levi’s brother Joseph) and they had three children. Billy and Margaret are listed in the 1870 Cleveland Co. census, with Billy listed as a farm laborer, Margaret "keeping house," and Saphrona (sic) eight years and Joseph two years "at home." Billy and Marge had two sons: John R. and Joseph Alexander. Billy was a well known farmer and religious leader in the community. He was one of the founders and a lifelong member of Big Hill Methodist Church. Family members remember his long beard. After Margaret’s death, he married Kathy Wortman. Billy died 25 February 1936 and is buried at Big Hill, along with other family members. His younger son John (1870-1942) married Margaret Buff (1873-1958); they had several children and lived at Shelby Mill. The older son, Joseph Alexander, was known as "Grandpa Joe" to his family. Born 2 August 1868, he married Dovie Julie (Lynnie Ollievine) Goodson (1871-1954) on 10 May 1886. Dovie was the daughter of Miles Goodson and Eliza Adaline Mull. They had seven daughters. When asked if he didn’t want a son in there somewhere, Grandpa Joe said it really did not matter. Listed in the 1870 census as a farmer, he lived in the Lawndale area. He built a house in Catawba County and was able to saw the lumber to fit exactly. He built two more houses for other people. His grandchildren remember him sitting under a walnut tree, whittling. He was a quiet man; he never raised his voice, got angry or said harsh words. Grandma Dovie gave all of her daughters three names: Hettie Flora Ellen (1887-1950) married McCoy Cooke: Effie Docia Bell (1889-1976) married Robert Seagle; Mary Vertie Lillian (1891-1976) married Emerson Propst; Beadie Maudy Alice (1894-1975) married Rev. Julius Hoffman; Maggie Eliza Annie (1896-19__) married Fred Wright; Hattie Minnie Rosalie (1902-1995) married Lannie Willis; and Nora Willie Jane (living) married Charles Smith. After his wife’s death in 1954, Grandpa Joe was able to stay at home with his daughter Doshie for five years. The last three years of his life, he made his home with his daughter Mary Propst (Mrs. E.L.). He was in very good health until a month before his death on 31 July 1961, just two days short of his 93rd birthday. Some of his great grandchildren remember him working on a culvert in the heat of the summer just before becoming ill. He was survived by six daughters, 37 grandchildren, 69 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren. Grandpa Joe was buried at Carpenter’s Grove Baptist Church. Sources: Family records, Cleveland and Gaston County Censuses, cemetery records, marriage licenses, Shelby Star obituaries and personal knowledge.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3287] Genealogy of Peiter Heyl and His Descendants, 86. [S31645] North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-2011. 42091_334950-00566.jpg