The Rhoads Family

Through all the ancestry research I've done, most of it has been with surnames other than my own. The name I write day by day has yet to come up on a gravestone in all of my searching; and my life. I had never previously visited a grave of a Rhoads ancestor. While in Frame Cemetery we not only saw many Rhoads' but a J. Rhoads. I believe his name was James, but it was somewhat startling to see what could have been my name on a gravestone.

We had made it about half way there when I realized that I'd forgotten my camera. Both of them. So, I relied on my BlackBerry to take the photos, they're not half bad, but I would have been more comfortable and more photo oriented if I would have had my DSLR. Or even a point and shoot. But, I made it work with what I had. There aren't many photos but these are what I have.

Back to the ancestry at hand...

My great-grandparents are Loy Rhoads (b. 28 Jan 1906, Meeker, Ohio - d. Jul 1975, Enon, Ohio) and Floreine Spain  (b. 31 Mar 1904, Mingo, Ohio - d. 16 Dec 1993, Monroe, Michigan). They were married 19 Jun 1926 in Covington, Kentucky. The two of them are buried in Enon, Ohio. I have yet to visit their memorial, or those of the many other ancestors buried in the Dayton area.

Floreine's family is traced in my previous blog post on The Spain Family.

Loy's sister Lucy is buried in Frame Cemetery, Meeker, Ohio. She died in a tragic accident when her oven exploded, leaving three children.

She is buried next to her stepmother, Caddie Creviston Rhoads. Caddie married Homer Rhoads 18 Jun 1933, after the death of his first wife.

Loy's parents are Homer D Rhoads (b. 23 July 1884, Meeker, Ohio - d. 9 June 1967, Meeker, Ohio) and Della May Ducatt (b. 5 Dec 1886, Meeker, Ohio - d. 25 Nov 1931, Meeker, Ohio).

They were married 10 Jun 1905 in Marion, Ohio. A century later, on what would have been their 104th anniversary, my son was born, June 10.  I find that interesting, though the dates are sure to repeat throughout all these lives and events I have tracked.

The two of them are buried together in Frame Cemetery, Meeker, Ohio.

Next to them are two matching grave stones for children Clay and Ruth. They are siblings of Homer's, children of Absalom Perry Rhoads and Eliza Cathrine Wood. Clay was born 28 Sept 1889 and died 14 Jan 1907. Ruth was born 9 Sept 1894 and died in 1895.

Della May's parents are Anthony J Ducatt (b. 30 Apr 1850, Ohio - d. 19 Sept 1934, Meeker, Ohio) and Minerva Jane Guthery (b. 5 Aug 1852, Marsailes, Ohio - d. 27 Sept 1934, Meeker, Ohio). The two of them were married 14 Oct 1871. They, too, are buried in Frame Cemetery.

Early on in my research I noticed that Homer had a rough 4 years. In 1931, he lost his mother, father, and wife. He remarried in 1933, then in 1934 he lost his first father and mother in-law, both in September of that year. The following year, his daughter Lucy died. When looking at dates it seems easy to skip over the timeline of the events, but I think you get a better idea of what life was like for your ancestors when you link the events to each other.

Anthony Ducatt's parents were Anthony Wayne Ducatt, born about 1853 in Michigan, and Margaret, born in Michigan. I don't have much on them.

Minerva's parents are William Guthery (b. 16 May 1817, Ohio - d. 20 Mar 1863, Ohio) and Lucinda Manville Cleveland (b. 15 Oct 1819, New York - d. 4 Aug 1879, Ohio). The two of them are buried in Guthery Cemetery, a bit south west of Meeker, near LaRue, Ohio.

 William's side.

                                                       Lucinda's side.
















Lucinda is said to be a direct descendant of Governor William Bradford of the Mayflower, whose son William (also her ancestor) was Major and Deputy-Governor of the Plymouth Colony.

Her family also includes a line to President Grover Cleveland, together they are related through Moses Cleveland, whose descendant founded Cleveland, Ohio.

Lucinda's parents are Silas Hall Cleveland (b. 22 Nov 1795 - d. 23 Apr 1875, Norton, Ohio) and Betsy Briggs (b. 2 May 1792). I attempted to find Silas' grave at Wyatt Cemetery, but it appears the cemetery isn't accessible. The plots are on what looks like private land, or an easement to the cemetery but I wasn't going to intrude.

William's parents are Joseph Guthery (b. 29 Mar 1790, USA - d. 5 Feb 1856, Ohio) and Hannah Dever (b. 18 Jan 1796, Kentucky - d. 7 Mar 1864, Ohio). They are also buried in Guthery Cemetery. They have two monuments, an original and what looks like a newer one for each.

Hannah's parents are John Dever (b. about 1766, Virginia - d. 10 Nov 1827, Ohio) and Hannah Cubberly (b. 25 June 1763 - d. 1834). They are buried in Dever Historical Cemetery in Lucasville, Ohio. This is on my list of places to get to.

Joseph's parents are John Guthery (b. 14 Apr 1744, Greene County Pennsylvania - d. 1 Jun 1823, Piketon, Ohio) and Lydia Baldwin (b. 16 Feb 1755, Greene County, Pennsylvania - d. 14 July 1816, Piketon, Ohio) They are buried together in Mound Cemetery, Piketon, Ohio. John's marker is at the top of a large burial mound. I have previously visited their memorial.

The Guthery line continues from there, but I will go back to where we left off in the Rhoads line, with Homer's parents; Absalom Perry Rhoads (b. 1843, Marion County, Ohio - d. 1931 Meeker, Ohio) and Eliza Catharine Wood (b. 21 June 1858, Ohio - d. 14 Jan 1931, Ohio) who were married 30 Nov 1877. They are buried behind Homer and Della May in Frame Cemetery.

Eliza Catharine's parents are Hampton Wood (b. 1814, New Jersey - d. 8 May 1889, Ohio) and Susannah Marsh (b. 25 Apr 1823 - d. 26 Apr 1878, Ohio).

Susannah's parents are Mahlon Marsh (d. 14 Mar 1852, Meeker, Ohio) and Mary A. Yeazell        (b. 19 Jun 1796, Virginia - d. 7 Mar 1858, Meeker, Ohio).

Hampton's parents are Isaac Wood and Sarah.

Back in the Rhoads line again, Absalom Perry's parents are George P. Rhoads (b. 1 Feb 1810, Ohio - d. 20 Jan 1884, Ohio) and Drussilla Yoakum (b. 4 Jan 1819, Meeker, Ohio - d. 25 July 1896). They are buried together in Frame Cemetery.

Drusilla's parents are Absolum Yoakum (b. 1794, West Virginia - d. 1877) and Rachel Hall. They are buried in Yoakam Cemetery. This is a small family cemetery on the top of a hill next to Dry Lane Road. It is both small and old, with an old wooden fence surrounding it. The grounds aren't maintained, as there are lots of weeds growing up around the memorials. To get to it you have to climb up the small hill through the weeds, though it's not too hard to access.

This is Rachel's stone, what's left to be read.

 And this is Absalom's.

The Yoakam line continues from there, Michael and Drussilla are Absalom's parents, and I don't know anything about Rachel's.

George's parents are James Rhoads (b. 17 Apr 1783 - d. 5 May 1845, Ohio) and Nancy Susannah McKelvy (b. 2 July 1781, Pennsylvania - d. 2 Apr 1850, Ohio).  I don't have much information on them.

There are always missing links and data in the process of ancestry research. I hope to find the answers I'm looking for as I casually search the internet and cemeteries on my way to things I already expect to find.

Thanks for reading!