52 Ancestors: #33 - John Frank RUCKER

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a challenge:  write one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor.  It can be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem – anything that focuses on one ancestor.

For many years the Rucker Society has argued over whether my 3X great-grandfather John Frank RUCKER was the son of Jarvis or Angus.  Traditional wisdom favored Jarvis.  However, common sense and the DAR won out and gave the prize to Angus. 

John Frank was the fifth of six children born to Angus and Jane Allen Rucker.  Unfortunately, his name never appears in a census record, to my knowledge.  Born about 1794, John Frank was likely the 16-25 year old male living in his parents’ home in Madison County, Virginia in 1810.  In 1820, he might have been in the household of his bride’s family, the Jarrells. 

Or perhaps he missed the census that year because he was off defending the country during and following the War of 1812.  There is a service record for John F.

as well as a record of enlistment in Madison County. 

John F. Rucker enlisted under Captain Mann P. Lomax.  John Frank was 26; he had brown hair,
hazel eyes, and dark complexion.  He was a farmer from Madison County.

John Frank enlisted in 1819 and was discharged in 1821.  Inspection Returns indicate he served
at Fort Monroe (Hampton, VA) and Fort Norfolk (Norfolk, VA).

How interesting to learn that John Frank had hazel eyes and served at Fort Norfolk, just a short drive through the tunnel from where I grew up. 

In 1830, he and his wife Mary were probably the 30-39 year old male and female living with Angus in Madison.

John Frank, Mary, and the kids must have moved to Rockingham County soon after.  John Frank died in Rockingham about 1839, as proven by the Abstracts of Guardian Bonds: 

"15 July 1839, Guardian Bonds, Rockingham Co., Va., 

Parent, John F. Rucker; Orphans, Onslow, Angeline, 

and Eliza; Guardian Jared Powell, Bond was $2,000, 

bondsmen, John Cook and Honorias Powell."

Two children were not mentioned, probably because they were already married and on their own.  One was Sarah Jane, and the other was Franklin Rucker, my great-great grandfather.

Sadly, where John Frank is buried is unknown, although it is probable that he lies in the Baugher Cemetery in Beldor, Rockingham County, Virginia, along with his wife Mary Jarrell Rucker.

Mary P. Rucker
Asa Baugher Cemetery in Beldor
photo courtesy Jan Hensley

THREE GENERATIONS

John Frank RUCKER ( 1794 Madison VA – 15 Dec 1839 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Mary P. JARRELL ( 1791 Madison Co, VA – 25 Sep 1871 Rockingham Co, VA )    10 Feb 1816 Madison Co, VA

1. Sarah Jane RUCKER ( 11 Apr 1819 Madison Co, VA – 01 May 1897 Rockingham Co, VA ) & James H. FRAZIER (1824 – 03 Apr 189723) Dec 1838 Albemarle, VA

• Noah W. FRAZIER ( 1840 Rockingham Co, VA – 24 Jan 1916 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Mary E. UNKNOWN ( 20 Jan 1844 – 02 Feb 1910 Rockingham Co, VA )
• George Allen FRAZIER ( 11 Jan 1841 Rockingham Co, VA – 12 Jan 1916 Chariton, Randolph, MO ) & Mary Melvina HALL (1852 – 1917 )
• Lavinia FRAZIER ( 1844 – )
• Amanda FRAZIER ( 1847 – )
• Victoria Virginia FRAZIER ( Sep 1852 Rockingham Co, VA – 1900 Page Co, VA ) & John MERICA ( 27 Sep 1851 – 24 Aug 1920 Page Co, VA )  18 Oct 1877 Rockingham Co, VA
• Mary Elizabeth “Bettie” FRAZIER ( 1854 Rockingham Co, VA –  1904 Rockingham County, VA ) & Summerfield DAVIS  (25 Nov 1845 Petersburg, Grant, WV –  08 Jan 1913 Harrisonburg,  VA ) 14 Dec 1882 Rockingham Co, VA
• Robert F. FRAZIER ( 30 Nov 1855 Rockingham Co, VA – 27 Mar 1927 Rockingham Co, VA ) &  Serina Cornelia MERICA (12 May 1866 Page Co, VA – 24 Aug 1961 Rockingham Co, VA )  15 Apr 1886 Page Co, VA

2. Franklin RUCKER ( 1824 Madison Co, VA – 05 Nov 1880 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Sarah A. HERNDON  (1832 Rockingham Co, VA –  19 Mar 1893 Rockingham Co, VA ) 15 Sep 1851

• William RUCKER ( 1852 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• John Wesley RUCKER ( 20 Jul 1854 Rockingham Co, VA – 29 May 1889 Shenandoah, Page, VA ) & Matilda Esther STOCKDELL (27 Aug 1855 – 18 Dec 1943 Shenandoah, Page, VA )
• Elizabeth RUCKER ( 1858 Rockingham Co, VA  – )
• Mary S. RUCKER ( Apr 1860 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• George Allen RUCKER ( 11 Dec 1862 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• Robert Edward “Bob” RUCKER ( 15 Aug 1863 Rockingham Co, VA –  01 Jan 1951 Shenandoah, Page, VA ) & Mattie T. WOOD (23 Jul 1877 – 20 Aug 1956 )  1901
• Walter Newman RUCKER ( 26 Dec 1866 Rockingham Co, VA – 16 Apr 1932 ) & Ada EPPARD ( Jan 1877 Page Co, VA –  17 Sep 1957 Page Co, VA )  1893
• Susan White RUCKER ( 21 Aug 1870 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• James C. RUCKER ( 1873 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• Joseph Calhoun RUCKER ( 26 Jul 1874 Rockingham, VA – 1933 Shenandoah, Page, VA ) & Mary Susan “Sudie” EPPARD  (Oct 1875 Rockingham Co, VA –  1958 Shenandoah, Page, VA )  1897
• Clint A. RUCKER

3. Onslow RUCKER ( 1826 – Before 1860 Rockingham Co, VA )

4. Angeline “Anna” RUCKER ( 1827 Rockingham Co, VA – 23 Jul 1900 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Mickleberry Michael B. ROACH (1821 Greene Co, VA – Oct 1893 Rockingham Co, VA )  31 Jan 1840 Rockingham Co, VA

• Emanuel Berryman ROACH ( 1841 Rockingham Co, VA –  27 Aug 1917 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Mary FAULKNER (Nov 1844)   27 Jun 1867 Rockingham Co, VA
• William M. ROACH ( 1843 Rockingham Co, VA – ) & m1) Sarah BEASLEY ( 1848 Greene Co, VA – Before 1889) 24 Jun 1866 Greene Co, VA ; & m2) Frances UNKNOWN ( 1850 – Before 1902 Rockingham Co, VA ) 20 Apr 1889 ; & m3) Susan WELLS 10 Sep 1902 Rockingham Co, VA
• Mary ROACH ( 1847 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• Jonathan Scott ROACH ( 1849 Rockingham Co, VA – Before 1920) & m1) Rachael WILLIAMS (1849 Hardy, WV –  07 Jan 1885 Hardy, WV ) May 1879 Hardy, WV ; & m2) Cora Virginia KECKLEY (Jan 1865 West Virginia –  16 Sep 1936 Greene Co, VA )  1890
• Charles O. ROACH ( 06 Sep 1853 Rockingham Co, VA –  06 Mar 1928 Rockingham Co, VA & m1) Margaret Elizabeth MORT 1872 (06 Jun 1844 Maryland – 01 May 1909 Frederick, MD) ; & m2) Annie Magdeline GARRETT (01 Apr 1871 – 07 Aug 1949)  24 Mar 1889 Hardy, WV
• Joseph ROACH ( Jun 1855 Rockingham Co, VA – 1922) & Comora Frances MORRIS (Jul 1860 – )  13 Dec 1889 Rockingham Co, VA
• Amanda ROACH ( 1858 Rockingham Co, VA – ) & m1) Unknown ; & m2) George W. WILLIAMS (1852 – ) 05 Apr 1880 Rockingham Co, VA
• Rebecca ROACH ( Oct 1863 Rockingham Co, VA – Jul 1920 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Jacob Clay WARBLE ( Jul 1853 – 1930 )   1877
• Enoch Blakely ROACH ( 1864 Rockingham Co, VA – 25 Nov 1893 Greene Co, VA ) & Lydia Margaret STRICKLER (08 Oct 1870 Rockingham Co, VA – 01 Jul 1922 Rockingham Co, VA ) 16 Aug 1891 Rockingham Co, VA
• George Richard ROACH ( 01 Apr 1872 Rockingham Co, VA – 21 May 1930 Lynchburg, Campbell, VA)  & Ella Nora Francis ROYER (16 Sep 1874 Rockingham Co, VA – 07 Jun 1938 Lynchburg, VA )  03 Mar 1891 McGaheysville, VA

5. Eliza F. RUCKER ( 1829 Rockingham Co, VA – 08 Feb 1900 Beldor, Rockingham Co, VA ) & Asa Samuel BAUGHER (13 Feb 1819 Rockingham Co, VA – 24 May 1895 Rockingham Co, VA ) 11 Mar 1842 Rockingham Co, VA

• George Tazwell BAUGHER ( Oct 1843 Rockingham Co, VA – 18 Nov 1915 Rockingham Co, VA) & Bettie Mildred DUFF (Mar 1847 Greene Co, VA – 31 Dec 1914 Rockingham Co, VA )  17 Jan 1867 Rockingham Co, VA
• Angus Gordon BAUGHER ( 13 Jun 1846 Rockingham Co, VA –  12 Mar 1921 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Susan Nellie SHIFLETT (23 Dec 1850 Rockingham Co, VA – 19 Sep 1928 Rockingham Co, VA ) 27 Jun 1867 Rockingham Co, VA
• Andrew Jackson BAUGHER ( 27 Jul 1849 Rockingham Co, VA – 01 Mar 1882 Rockingham Co, VA )  & Annie Catherine LAWSON (15 Dec 1851 Rockingham Co, VA – 15 Dec 1931 Rockingham Co, VA )  23 Dec 1871 Rockingham Co, VA
• Virginia Frances BAUGHER ( 10 Feb 1853 Rockingham Co, VA –  before 1860 Rockingham Co, VA )
• Columbia Elizabeth BAUGHER ( 10 May 1856 Rockingham Co, VA – 25 Feb 1896 Rockingham Co, VA ) &  John Willis MORRIS (12 Apr 1850 Rockingham Co, VA – 09 Dec 1912 Elkton, VA )  02 Jun 1879 Rockingham Co, VA
• Victoria BAUGHER ( 1859 Rockingham Co, VA – )
• Ada BAUGHER ( 1865 Rockingham Co, VA –  )
• Michael Samuel BAUGHER ( 01 Sep 1867 Rockingham Co, VA – 1957 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Barbara Ann LAWSON (Apr 1870 Rockingham Co, VA – after 1930 Rockingham Co, VA )  19 Aug 1890 Rockingham Co, VA

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