Sarah Vancleave Vancleave (yep) – #6 –

Have a special feeling for Sarah as she was born on my birthday 15 December in 1781 Shelby County, Kentucky and was, of course, a daughter of Benjamin Samuel and Ruth (Munson) Vancleave. On 11 August 1802, she married her first cousin, John Benjamin Brent VanCleave son of Aaron and Rachel (Brent), who was one of 11. He passed fairly young 1825 in Kentucky, leaving Sarah with six children, the youngest but a year old and oldest 23. It is assumed that John was buried on their property in Shelby County, but Sarah does have a nice stone in Parke County at Union Cemetery (thanks to Patricia Stout Raether for the very nice photo on FAGrave). A few years after John’s death, Sarah came up our way with some (actually, I think all) of her children.

Speaking of which, John Brent as he was usually called and Sarah parented three daughters and three sons. Louisa, their first child, born 13 Dec 1802 Washington County, Kentucky married Moses Burks (1802-1875 buried Darr Cemetery in Parke County). Louisa lived to be 95, passing 14 Dec 1897 the day after her birthday in Morton (Putnam County) from pneumonia. Children: Sarah Ann; John F; Elizabeth; Nancy; James Allen; Louisa Jane; Margery; William; and Moses Rice (photo on FindAGrave – quite handsome – he was a farmer, stock raiser, maple syrup evaporator, was a strong Union man during the war, married Martha Clark and they had one son Jesse who farmed with his father). James Allen was a minister and lived in Piatt County, Ill. He and his wife, Mary Ann Hughes had no children. William made it through the Civil War but died after because of health problems from exposure. Elizabeth married Jonathan Stalker. They moved to Vermilion County, Illinois. They had one daughter and eight sons, he in a first marriage had one son who died at age 2. Charles died young as well. Although Stalker is a fairly common name in Parke County, don’t believe any of this batch stayed there but went on to Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.

Sarah Ann above married Robert Barnaby in Parke County 26 July 1840 and he likely passed away before the 1850 census when she is with her mother who left her beloved family the very next year. Sarah Ann had four Barnaby children, John and Sarah (nothing on these two); Marcus (skipped the area in 1866 leaving a three-year apprenticeship with George Overpeck, his employer) was a railroad man passing away in PA in 1916 and Jennie who died in her mid-20s.

William was born in Kentucky about 1805 and was with his mother in the 1850 census at age 44. I found nothing else on him and little on his brother, Allen, 41, who was also with her, both single and farming. In the 1860 and 70 census, Allen is living with the Burks’ as a farm laborer.

Nancy Vancleave born about 1807 daughter of John Benjamin Brent Vancleave and Sarah Vancleave seemed to be lost to about all, but I was pretty excited that I finally found her through the Parke County GenWeb page – Nancy was passed as well, listing her children as heirs of Sarah. I combed about 30 Ancestry families and checked about that many more ideas I had and nothing. I had that (from Allan Wenzel’s amazing Vancleve series – thanks Phil) married Edward Payne 19 Jan 1825 in Washington County, Kentucky. Well, that’s close, folks, but it was Edward Wayne – they are in the 1830 Washington County census along with several other Wayne families that I’m not planning to research at this point anyway, but sure they are relation. Their oldest two children are listed (John S age 24 in the Oct 1853 probate and Sophronia, 21) and the other children were: Sarah Eliza (whom I think may have married an older man, Claiborn Robinson and lived in Taylor County Kentucky as their children reflect Edward and Nannie. That’d take much more time to check out but it seems pretty suspicious as her birth is perfect (she’s 20 in the 1853 Parke County probate and this gal was born 11 Nov 1833). Nancy’s other children were Emily and Lucinda. Again, at least this Wayne info could help someone really crack this side of the family and poor Nancy won’t be left empty in the family trees.

John Benjamin was a baby when his father passed away in quite a crazy way. John Brent was using a maul to cut trees and it flew off the handle, hitting him in his stomach and chest. Sarah was amazing, continuing to raise their family, never remarrying. As far as I know, John did not carry the Brent part of his father’s name but would stand to reason if so. On June 17, 1849, John Benjamin married Charity Stalker (daughter of George and Mary (Turner) in Parke County). They are on the 1850 census with little baby Mary Ellen, age 2 months old. Sadly she passed away at the age of 17. Then a repeat happened. Their son, John Burdit (Brent?) Vancleave was born a month after his father died and Charity raised him. Charity did remarry Samuel Cox and they went to Pottawatamie, Iowa where John Burdit grew to adulthood. He married Susan Clara Selvy and they had (as far as I’ve found anyway) one daughter, Chloe Adeline who married Joe Frazier and they had two sons (Gerald and Edgar) and a daughter (Gladys).

Well, Sarah Vancleave Vancleave you led me on a merry chase, but at least have you a bit more compacted, now. Rest In Peace to both you, your husband, children … and beyond!

– Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].