VANCLEAVE SAGA #7 – Ralph B 1784

Ralph Vancleave was the 8th child, fourth son, of Benjamin Samuel and Ruth Munson Vancleave, born in Kentucky the day after St. Pat’s day in 1784. In Shelby County where he and his brothers and sisters grew-up, Ralph married Elizabeth (Betsy) Stubbins 25 Feb 1805 she having just had her 16th birthday, Ralph five years older. Toward the end of that same year, their son Jonathan appeared, the first of their 8 children who were all born in Kentucky before they ventured to MoCo (Brown Township). On Oct 21, 1811, his father gave Ralph a tract of land in Shelby County next to his brother Samuel’s land on Bullskin Creek. Ralph owned around 80 acres in Kentucky along with (1819 tax list) horses and two slaves. Elizabeth passed on the 23rd of November 1848; buried Old Union Cemetery north of Waveland and near their property. He joined her on 2 Feb 1855. Sue P. did a great deal of work on FAGrave early on; here is her photo of Ralph’s grave. His wife is on one end of the greenery and Ralph’s on the opposite, both sideways according to the photos.

Jonathan above was a December baby born the 13th in 1805 and passed away here 3-5-1900. On April the 6th 1827 in Shelby Co, his uncle, Rev. Samuel Vancleave married he and Elizabeth Vancleave (slightly older than Jon, born Nov 10th 1803 daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Griffin). They were 2nd cousins. Jonathan joined the Indian Creek old Baptist Church in May of 1842 and Elizabeth followed in July. They moved with her father here in the Fall of 1826 and the next fall, he build a cabin where they lived the remainder of their lives. With a “divine calling,” Jonathan began preaching in the Indian Creek church in 1848 and was ordained in Nov 1849. From this time on through 1899 he preached in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and of course Indiana at the Indian Creek Church. He preached his last sermon eight days before Christmas in ‘99. Never once did he take a salary for preaching (he was also a farmer and a gunsmith) as it was “his calling!” (obit) Buried Old Hickory cemetery in Brown Twp. His children were William (July 19, 1828-Jan 20, 1832 buried Old Hickory). David born Nov 15, 1830 died Sept 9, 1892 in MoCo married Emaline Davis – their children were Keziah (married Albert Martin having 5 children); Amanda (married Shelby Johnson Pickett lived Putnam County – no children). Her life was one of upright love of the Lord and people; after her husband passed, she lived with her brother Manning (Manson whom I believe never married and lived quite a long life). Son Jonathan H passed away about 5 years old. (Wenzel). Jonathan and Elizabeth also had: Anna; Emily; Lucy; Jane; Ransom; Adam; Aaron and Ralph. I have bits and pieces about all of ‘em but not much on Anna and Emily.

In the 1850 census two of Ralph’s four girls are not married (Lucy 39 and Emily 25) and living with him. There are three Vancleave young ones with them – Isiah 13; Edwin 8 and Marion 6 who are three of five children of his daughter, Malinda who imagine passed due to childbirth (7th April 1846) with her and John Vancleave’s daughter Rebecca born 3 April – she passed the next year in February. Malinda’s husband John (10 Sept 1815 Shelby Co KY son of Aaron and Elizabeth Vancleave) had passed the month before. They also lost an Emily but the three boys grew to manhood Emily passed at age 30 here (born 4 October 1822) just three years after the 50 census, dying 9 June 1853 and is buried at Old Union. Edwin was a well-known local farmer, married to Sarah Hicks for 55 years before his death (Oct 1916) and was an active member in the Indian Creek Baptist Church. He and Sarah had six daughters and one son John Sanford who died at age 20. (Wenzel). Ralph’s daughter, Lucy just reached by 4 days 1 April 1810 – 5 April 1884 her 74th birthday.

Ralph and Elizabeth also had Cary, just four at the 1823 death. Elizabeth “Jane” (born Valentine’s Day 1812) buried Old Union passing 13 July 1846, married Adam Wible and mothered at least William “Milton” (died age 18), and Matilda. Adam remarried Elizabeth Vancleave (daughter of Levi and Matilda Vancleave) and had Martha, Jennie and Matilda although FAGrave doesn’t agree with me.

Ralph’s son William married (4 Dec 1828 in MoCo) Elizabeth Wilson and they had three sons (Jonathan; William Newton; Robert) and a daughter with an unusual name if I have it right: Monimia. Just 32 at his death, his boys didn’t live too much longer than he, but produced several children nonetheless. The boys were carpenters and farmers. Moni married Abner Jarrett here, moved to Minnesota and they were parents of four daughters.

I have one more child for Ralph who is Nancy born in Kentucky in December (16th in 1817). For the longest time, she was my mystery, but eventually discovered her and the hubs (Isiah Boone Wible marr 3-22-1838) in Vermilion County, Illinois. The next year they had Andrew Murray Wible whom I surprisingly discovered was born in Waveland 7 June 1839 and is buried in the same cemetery (Stearns in Muncie, Ill) as his parents and all but one sibling. Other children for Nancy and Isaiah were: Robert Bruce who served in the 40th Indiana. He did not marry until he was in his 50s – no children. Daughter Rebecca Wible also buried in Stearns was 60 at her death and never married. Charlotte died at age 24 Lucy, as Charlotte and Rebecca also did not marry (born when they lived in Iowa shortly 24 March 1856 died in Champaign Co Il) 4 August 1930 but buried at Stearns. I assume Nancy and Isaiah’s last child, Isaiah C. was also not married as he too is buried with the rest. Oh and on a couple of Ancestry trees there was possibly a William Pinkney born 7 June 1845 in MoCo. So, to my calculations, with six (7) children, there were no grandkids.

Well, blessings to Ralph and his clan!

– 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].