Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Ricketts Family

Friday I hit the road on a whim and went to visit the grave sites of the Ricketts/McGreevy side of the family.

Down OH-13 through Somerset to Junction City, I saw a few tar paper shacks, a few goats, and a few beautiful views of the hills of ohio.

I will try to organize this by generations, as I have before.

Grandma McGreevy's parents are Daniel W Ricketts (b. 16 Dec 1887 Monday Creek Township, Perry County, Ohio - d. July 1965) and Hazel G Starner (b. 5 Oct 1892 Perry County, Ohio - d. 1967)


Next to their plot is their son, Pearl, Grandma McGreevy's brother who died of disease (I believe Scarlet Fever) at age 7.

Most of Hazel's family is found here in New Lexington Cemetery, while the Ricketts line is mostly found in Friendship cemetery, so I will continue with the Starners.

Hazel's parents are Charles William Starner (b. 4 May 1870 Perry County, Ohio - d. 16 Mar 1947 Perry County, Ohio) and Malinda Thompson (b. 23 Sep 1869 Perry County, Ohio - d. 21 Feb 1951).

With them are their two sons, Morris (b. 1894 - d. 1894) and Cecil (b. 1895 - d. 1897).

I don't know much about Malinda's parents, so that line ends with her.

Charles' parents are Morris Starner (b. 24 May 1844 Perry County, Ohio - d. 30 Nov 1918 Perry County, Ohio) and Sarah Ann Burnside (b. 1844 Perry County, Ohio - d. 27 Aug 1923 Perry County, Ohio).

Their headstone has been broken, as you can see here,  however a photo can be found on Find a Grave.com of the stone held in tact.

As far as I know, Sarah's parents are Abraham Burnside (b. 13 Oct 1813 Fairfield County, Ohio) and Harriett Griggs (b. 1 Oct 1817 Sussex, New Jersey - d. 2 Oct 1853 Jackson Township, Perry County, Ohio). I have noted that Harriett is buried in Griggs Farm Cemetery, however the location of this is on private land and the best photo I can find online shows the stones in very poor shape, so identifying hers would likely be a challenge. I have more research to do in this line with the Burnside and Griggs families.

Morris' parents were Charles Starner (b. 15 Nov 1809 Smithfield, Pennsylvania - d. 25 Apr 1894 New Lexington, Ohio) and Rachel LaBar (b. 28 Apr 1808 Northampton County, Pennsylvania - d. 15 Mar 1850 New Lexington, Ohio)



This is the memorial for Charles and his second wife, Elizabeth. Rachel is buried in another cemetery at the First Methodist Church in New Lexington.  I didn't visit this cemetery on this trip.

Rachel's parents are George LaBar (b. 1763 - d. 1875) and Mary Magdalena Engle (b. 1769 Pennsylvania - d. 1835 Pennsylvania) They are buried together in central/eastern Pennsylvania at the Woodale United Methodist Church Cemetery. A book was written about George, because of his age of 112.

Charles' parents are Johan Geoge Starner (b. 7 Apr 1780 Northampton County, Pennsylvania - d. ) and Catharine M. VanVliet (b. 9 Jul 1787 Northampton County, Pennsylvania - d. 18 Aug 1823 Lower Smithfield, Pennsylvania). More information can be found on this line here. The only non-US born ancestor I can find here came from Germany.

This brings us back to the Ricketts family. Daniel W Ricketts' parents are Ignatious Wesley Ricketts (b. 21 Feb 1862 Perry County, Ohio - d. May 1951 Perry County, Ohio) and Margaret Cagretta Hill (b. 17 July 1866 Westmorland County, Pennsylvania - d. 19 Oct 1946 Perry County, Ohio). I found the memorial for Margaret in New Lexington Cemetery, however it seems I didn't find Ignatious.

I know little about Margaret's parents. Ignatious' parents are John Wesley Ricketts (b. 18 June 1835 - d. 1 June 1863 Triune, Tennissee) and Keziah Harrison (b. 18 Oct 1836 - d. 7 Apr 1904). John died serving in the Civil War. They are buried separately, John next to his parents in Friendship Cemetery, and Keziah in Shawnee Cemetery.



Keziah's parents are still unknown to me. John's parents are Reverend Daniel Ricketts (b. 28 Dec 1812 Old Randolph County, Virginia - d. 19 July 1892 Monday Creek Township, Perry County, Ohio) and Lucy Wickizer (b. 22 Dec 1813 Delaware County, Ohio - d. 2 Apr 1888). They are buried together in Friendship Cemetery.




Lucy's parents are Conrad Wickizer (b. About 1775 Berks County, Pennsylvania - d. Aug 1842 Delaware County, Ohio) and Lydia Weeks (b. 6 Oct 1781 - d. 28 May 1867 Perry County, Ohio).

Daniel's parents are Ignatious Wesley Ricketts (b. 18 Oct 1781 Old Frederick County, Maryland - d. 10 Dec 1855) and Margaret Poling (b. 29 June 1787 Allegheny County, Maryland - d. 3 Oct 1865). They are buried in Friendship Cemetery with matching gravestones.





I have limited knowledge of the ancestors beyond this. There is a great deal of information about the Ricketts and Ploing lines following the male lineage, however many of the wives' families information is lost to history (or more research).

I enjoyed my trip to Perry County. It's nice having roots and knowing where you come from. I'm also thankful, though, that Grandma and Grandpa McGreevy moved out of Perry County so that I know a life outside of that as well. I remember hearing Grandma reminisce about New Lex/Shawnee, but sadly the town of Shawnee is no longer what it used to be. It's declared a historical place, so the buildings have somewhat been preserved from demolition, however a lot of them have been condemned or sit either empty or full of junk. A furniture store and a few restaurants still operate in a few of them, but it's clear it's not the bustling small town that Grandma would remember.

2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed your little trip in Ohio. I was scanning pictures of Webb and Hazel this afternoon and found this in a quick web search. Webb was my grandmother's brother. Martha

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  2. Hello, I also am trying to garner help to restore the Griggs farm cemetery. I am also related to the Griggs, Abraham and Hariett (Griggs) Burnside. She, Harriet would be my lineage. Please contact me if you have any other information including pictures. The cemetery has been encroached by a farmer and he has since sstayed far enough away so as to cause less damage. I do have permission from the land owner to try to clear the weeds away. Harriet's stone is the only stone we have found so far. Broken as in your picture.

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