One of the most important characters of our family history during the last generation was the subject of this narrative. He was the son of William Levi Outten, grandson of Mathias Outten and great grandson of Levi and Sallie Outten, who early in the nineteenth century moved from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.
Mathias G. Outten was born at Lexington, Kentucky, May 5 1855. He married Lillian Frances Miller, July 22, 1856, and they were the parents of three children. Emma Levi Outten was born Sep. 29, 1883 at Lexington, Ky. She married Henry J. Armstrong, Dec. 12, 1900. They had no children, but they adopted a boy whose name is H. Jackson Armstrong. He was born Feb. 2, 1911 at Knoxville, Ten. and married Louise Beecher, Mary 22, 1936. They have two children, Judith Snn [Ann], born Nov. 29, 1942, and Linda Louise, born Aug. 15, 1946. The second husband of Emma Levi is A. Howard Ross, and they live at Cincinnati, Ohio.
The second child of Mathias G. and Lillian was Rene Miller Outten. She was born May 22, 1887 at Lexington, Ky. and she married Roy Vernon Swink, Dec. 6, 1913. Their children were Jeanne Outten Swink, born Sept. 1914, at Hamilton Ohio. She married John Calvin Slade Sept. 5 1940. The second child of Rene and Roy was Roy Vernon Jr. born at Hamilton, Ohio Jan. 3, 1916. He served in the US, Navy on a Destroyer Escort U.S.S. Mosley, during the Second World War. Their third child William was born at Middletown, Ohio, Dec. 22, 1922. He also served in World War Two, as Ariel Gunman, Navy Air Corps. His Corps received the distinguished Flying Cross Nov. 10, 1945, and he was honorably discharged.
The father of these children, Roy Vernon Swink, passed away Sept. 7, 1933, and their mother has remained a widow. She is an educated, refined and scholarly Christian woman, who has travelled extensively in the United States and in Europe. Cousin Rene has furnished the writer with all the facts he has concerning her branch of the Outten family as far back as Levi and Sallie Outten, or nearly 150 years, and she has given him the most perfect family chart containing names and dates that he has ever seen. All the credit for the production of this little family history must be given to Mrs. Rene Outten Swink.
The third child of Mathias G. and Lillian was their only son, Norman Bernard Outten. He was born Dec. 16, 1892 at Hamilton, Ohio, and he died July 27, 1910, at the age of seventeen. It seems like a tragedy that the only child that could perpetuate the name of Mathias G. Outten should pass away so early in life. But unfortunately that same thing has occurred in many other Outten families during the past generation. And the writer has found that while the family has been perpetuated in the female lines, and therefore known by other names, the male members of the families have all died, and the family is gone.
The father of these children died Sept. 9, 1935 in the eighty first year of his age, and their mother died Oct. 20, 1936, and was buried on her eightieth birthday. The writer regrets exceedingly that he was not personally acquainted with these for distant Cousins, but he has seen their photographs, and admired them very much. "May we all meet together in the Land where they never grow old".
Mathias G. had a brother who was older than he was. His name was John William Outten. He was born Sept. 6, 1853 at Lexington, Ky, and he married Laura Riley. They were the parents of three children. Their first child Ione, died in infancy. Their second child Mary Arline was born Dec. 2, 1881 at Lexington, Ky. She married Barak Foley, and they were the parents of John Outten Foley, who was born Feb. 2, 1906 at Lexington, Ky. Jurinta B. Whintington Feb. 8, 1932, and they have two children Gerord Mayne, was born Oct. 17, 1933, and Jenet Arline born July 3, 1935.
The third child of John William and Laura was John Mathias Outten. He was born Sept. 5, 1883 at Lexington, Ky. and he married Caroline Barnes. The writer does not know anything about their family, but unless there are male children, the name of the Levi Outten family in this line will soon cease to exist.
Mathias G. Outten also had a sister who was younger than he was. Her name was Fannie Levi. She was born Jan. 29, 1857. She married George Dunlap Karsner Jan. 10, 1882, and they were the parents of seven children. Mary died in infancy. William Mathias was born Oct. 1, 1885, and died aged three years. Albert Sharkey was born Oct. 2, 1884. He married Sarah Featherton Feb. 1913 and they were the parents of three children. Sarah Belle Karsner was born Dec. 25, 1913 and she married William Beard. Milo G. Karsner was born Feb. 11, 1915. He married Alice Ambery and they have two children. William Sharkey Karsner, born Jan. 11, 1942 and George G. Karsner born May 6, 1940. The third child of Albert and Sarah was Albert Sharkey Jr. born Feb. 12, 1817.
The fourth child of Fannie and George was Ralph Outten Karsner. He was born April 20, 1886, married Jennie Fishback and they have one son born Oct. 1918. The fifth child was Mary Frances, born Jan. 1890. She married William Mason Shryarck, and they were the parents of Mary Frances Jr. born June 19, 1916. She married Charles B. Lovell, and their son is Charles B. Jr. Jan 2, 1939 is the date of his birth.
The sixth child was George Dunlap Jr. born June 16, 1892, and married Marjorie Weeks. They have one child born Feb. 13, 1926. Her name is Patricia Jeanne Karsner. And the seventh and last child was Allie tanner Karsner born May 9, 1894. She married William James Watts at Lexington, Ky. They had two children, who died at birth.
When the writer had reached this point in his history of Mathias G. Outten, he decided to send his sketch to Mrs. Rene Outten Swink, daughter of Mathias G. for correction and further information. He also requested Cousin Rene to write a sketch of her immediate family. It therefore give me great pleasure to insert her record here. So the remainder of this chapter was written by Mrs. Rene Outten Swink, and it contains a vast amount of valuable information that could not have been obtained in any other way.
Family History of William Levi Outten, by his grand daughter Mrs. Rene Miller Outten Swink.