NancyW_email

Hello Scott:

Your information on Jacob R. is interesting however slightly inaccurate. Jacob R. was married 3 times. The first on Aug.13,1844 to Mary Ann Houser. Mary Ann died in1849. On April 15, 1850 in Bartholomew Indiana Jacob married Mahalla Ashley (as documented with Indiana marriage records.) They had 3 children Julius Jackson named after his uncle born 17/1/1851, Baker Ashley born 24/10/1852,and Minerva Eldora born 11/1/1855. Jacob R. and Mahalla were divorced 27/3/1855. As divorces were rare and kept quiet at that time and I believe this information missed your family history. Interesting to note Minerva's birth to Minerva and the divorce were 1 month apart.

I know this information as I am Baker Ashley's great,great,granddaughter. He is listed as a member of Jacob Rhodes household in the 1870 census and worked at the griss mill at that time. He married Lucinda Golden from Van Meter , Iowa her father was Eli Golden.

Jacob R's third marriage was to Mary Peabody with whom he had 7 children the first child Ellen was born in1856.

Jacob Rhodes met a lot of adversity in his life but I guess you can not keep a good man down. It is interesting to note that Jacob's father remarried 3 times more after Jacob's mother Elizabeth Grundy whom he married in 1820 died (Jemima Nelson 1832, Elizabeth Treadway and 1836,Sarah Thompson 1849).

I felt it necessary to clarify on Jacob R's true second marriage as my grandma Van Meter was very upset when she read the Van Meter book and Mahalla was excluded. Grandma is long passed away but I felt I should clarify for her memory.

Baker Ashley's family settled in the Pacific Northwest and I am from British Columbia, Canada so the descendants Of Joost Jansen Van Meteren have covered the continent.

Take care and I enjoyed your articles.

Nancy W.