John RODKEY

                   Note: I have a John who was a son of Jacob Rodkey, Sr.'s. Jacob's willwas dated 12 May 1840. Jacob's will was probated 18 April 1848 inHuntingdon Co., Pennsylvania as a widower with issue of: Solomon, John(dec'd), Jacob (Jr) Catherine Jones, Mary Higgins (dec'd). ("A FamilyTree With Branches", pg. 89)
This person's information was combined while in Ancestral File.  The following submitters of the information may or may not agree with the combining of the information: DIANE LIVINGSTON/CAMERON/   (2153022) GERALD B./NEAL/   (2196651) DANIEL A./STIFFLEAR/   (2279170) DOUGLAS A. & CARY L./MEYERS/   (2296437) ROBERT E./NESSLE/   (2343548) WILLIAM H./BONEBREAK/   (2497705)
Taken from records of a Mary Hancock, 812 Paxton Place, Indianapolis 20 IN, in 1962. I also have a birthdate of about 1785. I also have a death date of 1833.
There is a renuncuation of Esther (Hester) Rodkey to administer the estate if her late husband, John Rodkey, Apr 6, 1833. Leters of administration was given to Jacob C. Rodkey.

The John Rodkeys of Allegheny Township
early to mid 1800s , Allegheny Township, Pennsylvania
Per "Rodkey Memorabilia" by Ruth Barnard Rodkey, etc.
THE JOHN RODKEYS OF ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP
________________________________________
On December 24, 1805, John Rodkey, son of Elias and Rosina Rodkey, married Esther Christian. After their marriage, John and Esther Rodkey lived for a time on his farm, "Montpelier", in Woodberry Township. However, by 1815, they had sold 179acres, 142 perches of the Montpelier tract to Geo. Kneopler, by deed dated 6/3/1815 recorded 7/11/1815, Deed Book 01, Page 410, and were living in Allegheny Township. On this deed, John signed his name in German and Esther signed hers withan X. From this we can conclude that John and Esther had never attended a school. What learning John had in German must have been obtained at home. John Rodkeysettled on land just to the east of Allegheny Mountain and not far from his father-in-law, Philip Christian, near Eldorado. He received a survey & patent to 234 acres, 37 perches in Oct. 1822.
John Rodkey died of pneumonia on March 4, 1833 at 53 years of age. His estate was probated in Huntington County, in Will Book 3, page 404. Jacob C. Rodkey and Michael Thompson were appointed Administrators on 4/10/1833. On 5/6/1833 an inventory was filed listing $1,007.77 1/2. A subsequent Administrator account was filed 8/13/1835 showing an additional receipt of $1,304.42. Another accounting the same day showed; Amount of sale - $706.04; Amount to Widow $369.20.
In Orphans Court, Docket D, page 290, File V No. 203, Jacob Rodkey, oldest son of John Rodkey, by his attorney, A. Burns, acknowledges that he received house and lot in the town of Gaysport, and accepts payment at the appraised value of $183.00.
In Docket D, page 365, File W, No. 129, November term, 1837, there can be found the petition of Aaron Burns, showing that he sold 234 acres, adjoining lands of Joseph Christy, Adam Albaugh, and Christian Snyder, to Henry Stiffler, for the sum of $3,530.47, at public sale held Monday, Oct. 16, 1837. In this petition, itis stated that 120 acres of the 234 were cleared and that there was a log houseand a log barn.
Unfortunately, Henry Stiffler did not pay for this property as he should have. As late as 1859, the Rodkey children were still trying to collect from him. In Book K of Blair County, page 257, 258, 259 and 260, there are Powers of Attorney from Philip Christian and David Bolinger of Miami County, Ohio, Samuel Rodkey, David Rodkey, Christian Stiffler, Mary Stiffler, David Lehman and Margaret Lehman of Clinton County, Indiana, Joseph C. Rodkey and Josiah Rodkey of Huntington County, Indiana, and Samuel Albaugh and Anna Albaugh of Montgomery County, Ohio to John Rodkey, Jr. to Howard County, Indiana, to collect by whatever means monies owed them as heirs of John Rodkey, Deceased, by Henry Stiffler.
In the Carson Valley Cemetery, now in Blair County, Pennsylvania, between Duncansville and Altoona, on State Route 764, can be found the grave of John Rodkey. His gravestone reads John Rodkey - b. 8/10/1780 - d. 3/4/1833 - aged 52 years. tothe left of his grave is a small stone with name Stiffler on it. This is perhaps a child's grave. Mary Rodkey married Christian Stiffler, and the family moved to Indiana where she died near Kokomo. To the left of that grave is the grave ofWirt Thompson, son of Michael and Susan J.C. Thompson, b. 2/10/1835, d. 1/1/1856. Susan J.C. was Susan Jane Rodkey. The family moved to Andrew County, Missouri, where she died on 3/10/07, aged 91.
To the right of John Rodkey's grave, we find space large enough for a grave but no stone. More than likely it is the grave of Gideon Christian, husband of Margaret Christian. In the next space, is the grave of Margaret Christian, died 7/11/1824, aged 83 years. She is the grandmother of Esther Rodkey.
Next to that is the grave of Philip Christian - b. 8/23/1761- d. 10/13/1822 - aged 61 years. He is the father of Esther Rodkey.
The next space is the grave of Barbara Devolt Christian - d. 4/11/1831 - aged 63years. She is Esther Rodkey's mother.
John Rodkey was the largest landholder of any of the Rodkeys in Pennsylvania. Hewas prosperous. At the time of his death, he owned his land free and clear.
He was well- respected and participated in civic affairs of the community. In AFRICA'S HISTORY OF HUNTINGTON AND BLAIR COUNTIES, he is listed as a supervisor ofAllegheny Township in 1821 and a constable of Allegheny Township in 1823.
At the time of his death, six of John's eleven children were minors. They were Margaret, John, Joseph, Josiah, David and Samuel. Three of his children, Jacob Rodkey, Susannah Thompson and Mary Stiffler had married and lived nearby in Huntington County.
Two of his children, Elizabeth Bollinger and Anne Albaugh, had married and movedto Miami County, Ohio.
John had made no will, so his estate descended to his widow and all of his children.
Shortly after his death, his widow Esther, and all of the minor children moved to Miami County, Ohio, and settled near the two older children.
Their departure occurred before they had arranged to sell the large farm that they had inherited from him. Their haste certainly cost them money, for the land had to be sold by way of the cumbersome and costly procedure of probate court. Asbefore noted, the purchaser wasn't required to pay cash for the land, and they probably never did receive payment in full. One explanation for their quick departure is that they were lured by the rich lands of the Northwest Territory. Manyof their friends, relatives, and neighbors were leaving Pennsylvania during this time, and moving to Ohio and Indiana.
The descendants of John Rodkey followed the American frontier to the west. They settled in Ohio, Indiana, then Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Idaho.
They were attracted west by the inexpensive land of the frontier, the rich virgin soil, and the need of their growing families for more land.

John Rodkey and Esther Christian Rodkey
1779-1858 , Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio
4. JOHN4 RATTGE (ELIAS RATTGE3 JR., ELIAS2 RATTGE, SR., NICKOLAS1) was born September 10, 1779 in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, and died March 04, 1833 in Huntington Indiana. He married ESTHER CHRISTIAN December 25, 1825 in West Milton, Ohio.She was born November 04, 1787 in Pennsylvania, and died in Montgomery, Pennsylvania.
Notes for JOHN RATTGE:
John changed the family name from "Rattge" to the proper spelling of "Rodkey" inthe year of 1800, when he was 21 years of age. He was married about five years later and spent his life in Williamsburg. About two years after John died, Esther took her family and migrated to Ohio settling north of Dayton Ohio in west Milton.This information obtained from Portia Kitt Rodkey
Huntington Co. Will book 3 page 404.
Notes for ESTHER CHRISTIAN:
Esther took her children and migrated to Ohio in 1835 after the death of her husband. The family settled north of Daton in West Milton. Notes per book "The RODKEY Memorabilia" by Ruth Rodkey Barnard and E. Stanley Rodkey.
Esther Christian Rodkey was born the daughter of Philip Christian of German or Penn. Dutch descent and Barbara Devolt Christian of French descent. She married John Rodkey, and they had eleven children. He died prematurely at age 52 and lefther the hard job of raising six minor children. This she did and very well. Every one of her children married, left home, and became a farmer. They all owned their own land (with their spouses). Most of them went on virgin land and had to clear it. By today's standards they were both poor and rich. Their personal belongings were simple and hand made. Their farming implements were also. Their energy sources were candles, animals, and their own muscles.
However, the Midwestern land that she and her children were able to acquire was some of the best farm land in the world. The present day value of the combined farm lands that they owned at the time of her death would easily be $6,000,000.00- (12 farms - approx. 200 acres each at today's price of $2,500.00 per acre.
Ohio
Esther and her children attended the New Salem Church (Dunkard) in Montgomery County, a little to the Southwest of her home. She and her brother, Joseph, are buried in Bethel Cemetery, which is east of the New Salem Church.
Esther built a large house near the southeast corner of her farm. Across the road, a little to the east, was the large farm of John and Elizabeth Dohner. The Dohners were of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and the family had originally come from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Esther lived out her life in Ohio, where she died in 1858. Her estate was probated in Miami County, Ohio. She left a will dated 8/11/1856. Under it, she nominated Philip Christian and David Bollinger as Executors. She directed them to sell her personal estate, which they did on January 14 and 15, 1859, for the total price of $1,086.26.On 9/24/1859, pursuant to a public sale held on 9/3/1859, Philip Christian and David Bollinger, for the sum of $5,436.00, conveyed her 139 1/2 acre farm to Paul Pearson. Said deed is recorded in Deed Book 35, page 107.
Esther took her children and migrated to Ohio in 1835 after the death of her husband. The family settled north of Daton in West Milton.
More about JOHN RATTGE and ESTHER CHRISTIAN:Marriage: December 25, 1825, West Milton, Ohio
Children of JOHN RATTGE and ESTHER CHRISTIAN are:
5. i. JACOB CHRISTIAN5 RODKEY, b. October 10, 1806, PA; d. 1901, Wichita, Kansas.
6. ii. ELIZABETH RODKEY, b. April 1808, Pennsylvania; d. 1839, Ohio.
iii. ANN RODKEY, b. July 1810; d. 1839, Ohio; m. SAMUEL ALBAUGH, 1827.
More about SAMUEL ALBAUGH and ANN RODKEY:Marriage: 1827
iv. MARY RODKEY, b. December 1812; d. 1880, Indiana; m. CHRISTIAN STIFLER, 1831.
More about CHRISTIAN STIFLER and MARY RODKEY:Marriage: 1831
v. SUSAN JANE RODKEY, b. April 1815; d. 1909, MO; m. MICHAEL THOMPSON, 1832.
More about MICHAEL THOMPSON and SUSAN RODKEY:Marriage: 1832
vi. SAMUEL C. RODKEY, b. December 1817; d. 1897, Indiana; m. MARY ANN KAUFMAN, 1840.
Notes for SAMUEL C. RODKEY: More about SAMUEL RODKEY and MARY KAUFMAN:Marriage: 1840
vii. DAVID RODKEY, b. November 1820; d. 1883, MO; m. ELIZABETH ELLER, 1847.
More about DAVID RODKEY and ELIZABETH ELLER:Marriage: 1847
viii. MARGARET RODKEY, b. April 1823; d. 1912, Indiana; m. DAVID LEHMIEN, 1841.
More about DAVID LEHMIEN and MARGARET RODKEY:Marriage: 1841
ix. JR. JOHN RODKEY, b. January 1826; d. 1875, Indiana; m. ELIZABETH DOHNER, 1849, Indiana; b. February 10, 1826.
More about JOHN RODKEY and ELIZABETH DOHNER:Marriage: 1849, Indiana
7. x. JOSEPH CHRISTIAN RODKEY, b. September 02, 1828, Pennsylvania; d. September09, 1907, Kansas.
xi. JOSIAH S. RODKEY, b. December 1831; d. 1862, Indiana; m. MARY CELESSER, 1857.
Notes for MARY CELESSER:Name was hard to read.
More about JOSIAH RODKEY and MARY CELESSER:Marriage: 1857