Sarah Ann Shultz [Parents] was born 1 on 1 Dec 1816 in Claiborne County, Tennessee, USA. She died on 29 Oct 1870 in Shelby County, Illinois, USA. She was buried 2 in Knobs Cemetery, Dollville, Shelby County, Illinois, USA. Sarah married 3 John Neil about 1831 in Tennessee.
In an article (about their son Wesley) in the book "History of Shelby County" it's noted that John and Sarah moved to Illinois in 1832, shortly after their marriage. The book also says, "John Neil's sister, a Mrs. Hanson, had come with her husband to Illinois, some time before, and to their home John Neil brought his young wife". This almost certainly refers to SARAH's sister, Catherine Shultz, who married Conrad HANSON and moved to Illinois. The book also says, speaking of John Neil, "Later his wife's parents (Jacob and Mary Shultz), who had originally come from Holland, came to live with Mr. Neil". Unfortunately, there's no mention of how long they remained or if they died in Illinois.
John Neil claimed 40 acres of Government land and later increased his holdings until he eventually owned 700 acres. He had 400 acres under cultivation and dealt extensively in hogs, which he drove to market in St. Louis.
John's mother died when he was quite young and his father had remarried and had a large second family. About a year after John and Sarah had settled in Shelby Co, IL his father and step-mother moved there also. When they both died shortly afterwards John and Sarah took in his half-brothers and sisters from the second family. Those children were: Hugh, Prior, Landon, Katherine, Lucinda, and Luhaney.
