| Notes |
- This story was assembled and written by William B. Rogers, Great Grandson of Elijah Rogers for a family reunion of the descendents of Elijah Rogers and his heirs. The reunion was held July 1st 1922 in Rogers park, Goshen, Indiana.
"To all the decendents of George Reason Rogers, Greeting:"
"In so much as there has never been a generation record of the Rogers Family kept, and the family has become so large, it is possible that many of them have but a limited knowledge of their relationship. And as it has always been my disposition to admire my relation, and to know as much about their nationality and multiplicity as I could, I always was delighted in asking the older ones of our family questions regarding their family relationship, from my boyhood.
As time and good providence has passed me along until I am among a small number of the oldest of the family now living, I feel the importance of the privilege in writing the history of my forefathers as I remember it from the information given me by my Granfather Rogers and my own father; also uncle Jeremiah Rogers and one John Murphy, a son of Nancy Rogers, a sister of Grandfather Rogers. John was a man like myself. He took pleasure in knowing all he could about his people, and it is from him that I speak largely of our Great uncle, William Wallace Rogers of Ohio, and the particpation our Great grandfather and his oldest son William Wallace took in the revolutionary War.
Our Great Grandfather, Elijah Rogers, was a native of Scotland and came to America with his family a few years before the Revolutionary war, and located in Virginia. He and his son William fought all through the contest. (The son being quite young.) When the war closed they were two hundred miles from home and had to make their way home through the dense forest with no shoes and their feet worn and bleeding; no food except what they could kill to eat and wondering if any of the family would be there to greet them when they arrived at the home spot.
Grandmother and children saw hard times, and had to flee from Indians for their lives many times. Soon after the war he moved to Ohio and settled in Licking county, Ohio where he remained until his death.
Our Great Grandfather had three sons, and four daughters, that I remember of, Possibly more daughters. I will give the names of their husbands, Joseph Wilcox, William Murphy, Authur Criffeild, and one Hursey, don't remember his first name. There was one heir to the union, and his name was Wilson. All I can say of the oldest son William Wallace, is that he married, and sixteen sons and daughters were given to the union and all became heads of families. An eighty acrre farm was given to each one of them as soon as they were married. He lived and died in his early home land.
The second son was George Reason Rogers, my Grandfather. he was married to Miss Phoeby Hanes, daughter of Solomon Hanes of Licking county Ohio. Eleven children were given to the union, nine sons and two daughters all of whom became heads of families. The names of whom I give in the regular order from the oldest to the youngest: William Wallace jr. married Catherine Heltzel; Jeremiah Married Harriet Whitmore; George Reason jr. married Susan Whitmore, a sister to his brother jeremiah's wife; Solomom my father married Sarah Heltzel, a sister to his brother William's wife. Fredrick married Harriet Blinegar of Foest Home, Iowa; Joshua married Ann Farmer, Forest Home, Iowa; and Joseph married Mary Matchett of Mahaska county, Iowa; a daughter Emoiliza, who married Abraham Keller; Elijah, eighth son, married Margaret Whirley; Sylvester, 9th and youngest son. Married Emma Fowler; second daughter and youngest child Lovina Married William Keller, Brother of Abraham, her sisters husband.
I am very proud of the famiy for their patriotic spirit and love of our country, as they have taken a fighting part in every war the united states has ever had. Great Grandfather and son William Wallace fighting through the Revoluntionary war and war of 1812, and Grandfather George Reason and his sons George Reason jr., Joshua and Elijah, fought in the civil war. They were members of the Twelfth Michigan Regiment, and a number of Great grandsons fought in the Philippine war, and many more of them took part in the Great World War.
Great Grandfather Elijah had hair as red as the plumage of a bird, was musical, played the fife in the marshal band in the wars in which he took part. He received one slight wound, an arrow from an Indian's bow cut the center out of one ear, leaving little of the upper and lower ends of it.
Grandfather was wounded in the battle of Shiloh and was discharged and sent home soon as he was able to travel, The son's clothes were pierced with bullets but no wounds inflicted.
The first reunion of the George Reason Rogers family was held at Goshen, Indiana, in Blasser Park, August 27, 1921. Members of the family, from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. One hundred twenty-five were present, and a time to be long remembered by all was enjoyed.
The little write-up I arranged last year of our forefathers and their ancestors was so favorably accepted, and many of the relatives suggested that it would be nice if we could have the record carried down to the present time.
I decided to undertake it, and continued the task of locating the friends and procuring their names and addresses. I have located relatives in sixteen states and have come nearly securing a complete record of a family that have been scattering over sixty years and have become legion.
Our Grandfather George Reason Rogers moved from Licking county, Ohio with his family, in the 1840's. perhaps near 1846, and located in Elkart Bottom, in Elkart County, Indiana. He remained in that vicinity until 1852. Meanwhile his sons, (William W., Jeremiah, George R. jr. and Solomon were Married.) he and all of his family emigrated to Black Hawk county, Iowa. All returned to Elkart county, Indiana, except Jeremiah and Alfred who remained in Iowa, and Solomon who moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan, and in december 1864 he moved to Elkart county Indiana. Grandmother died in 1863 at Millersburg, Indiana, and was buried in Browns cemetery where her sons William W., George R. jr., and Solomon are buried. She was born in Licking county, Ohio in 1807.
Soon after comming back to Indiana and Michigan, Josiah Rogers returned to Mahaska county, iowa, and married Miss Mary E Matchet and remained there the rest of his life time. During the Civil War, Joshua Rogers returned to Iowa and married Miss Anna Farmer and after the war closed he made his home in Iowa the rest of his life. In 1868 their sister Emozliza Keller and her husband Abram Keller and family moved from White Hall, Michigan to Mahaska county, Iowa, where they remained the rest of their lives.
Sometime in the later 1860's or early 1870's Jeremiah decided to go father west and he and a part of his family moved to Oregon. He remained in that state to the end of his life. He and his wife were buried at Milton Umaltilla county, Oregon, twelve miles from Walla Walla, Washington.
About 1869 Elijaqh Rogers jr. went from Indiana to Illinois to visit a friend and to regain his health, but died and by request was buried there. Sylester moved from Iowa to Kansas, his last home being in Kansas City. Kansas. He was laid to rest in Quindry Cemetery at Kansas City, Kansas. Lovina Keller's last home was in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was laid to rest beside her son Charles, who died at seventeen years of age, and was buried at Paw Paw, Michigan. I do not know where Alfred was buried but assume he was buried in Iowa.
Those in attendance decided to organize a permanent Rogers reunion association, and elected offcers as follows: President, Calvin Rogers, Millersburg Indiana; Vice President, Dallas K. Rogers, Shipshewana, Indiana: Secretary, W. B. Rogers, Watervliet, Michigan; asst Secretary, E, E Vanvoorhes, Marshalltown, Iowa; Treasurer, Edison Rogers, Millersburg, Indiana; Finance Committee. John E Rogers, 2270 Unity Walk, Toledo, Ohio, James E Rogers 926 N. Main St. Goshen, Indians; Committee on arrangements, Vony C Rogers, R 2, Goshen Indiana; Dallas K Rogers, Shipshewana, Indiana; Calvin Rogers, Millerburg, Indiana; Edison Rogers, Millersburg, Indiana. Second reunion to be held July 1st, 1922 in Rogers park, Goshen, Indiana.
Yours for time and a happy eternity,
William B. Rogers
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1762 - 1828 (66 years)
