John William Rodgers and Emily Francis Allison

John Will and Emily Francis Rodgers

John William Rodgers was born 31 May 1852 in Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky.  His parents were Jeptha Rodgers and Catherine (Bohannon) Rodgers. 

In July 1854, when John Will was 2 years old, his father died.  A year later in July 1855, his mother, Catherine, remarried to John W. Deakins (this surname is sometimes found as Deskins).

The 1860 census for Franklin Co., Kentucky shows John and Catherine Deakins with the following in their household: Henry B. Deakins, Robert E. Deakins, Noel Lee Deakins, and John W. Rodgers.  Noel was the son of John Deakins and his first wife, Mary Lee; Henry and Robert were the sons of John and Catherine Deakins.

On 11 February 1869, when he was just 16 years old, John Will married Emily Francis Allison at her father’s home in Franklin Co., Kentucky.  Emily was just 17 years old.

 

Marriages recorded in the Rodgers Family Bible

Emily Francis Allison was born 19 May 1851 in Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky.  Her parents were William Henry Allison and Nancy (Rynearson) Allison.  Emily had red hair.

The 1860 census for Franklin Co., Kentucky shows Emily with her parents and siblings.

John William and Emily Francis (Allison) Rodgers

John Will and Emily’s first child, William Jeptha Rodgers, was born 22 November 1869.  The baby was probably named for his two grandfathers, Jeptha Rodgers and William Allison. 

The family was found on the 1870 census in Shelby Co., Kentucky.  The household was John Will, Emily, and baby, Jeptha.

John Will was a farmer and a blacksmith.  His grandson, Jim Perry, remembered that John Will sometimes pulled teeth for his customers.

On 8 June 1871, Jeptha died.  He was 1 ½ years old.  A few months later, on 7 November 1871, son Thomas Walter was born to John Will and Emily.

The next child we know of was Julius Rodgers born 31 October 1875.

On 3 June 1878, son Julius died.  He was about 2 ½ years old.

Daughter, Alice Myrtle, was born 17 July 1878.  She was a red-head, like her mother.  Alice Myrtle was my great-grandmother.

The family was still living in Shelby Co., Kentucky when the 1880 census was taken.  The household consisted of John W. Rodgers, 28, Farmer; Emily F., wife, 29; Thomas W, son, 8; and Alice M., 1, daughter.

Daughter, Leoma, was born 22 December 1881.

Alice Myrtle and Leoma Rodgers

On 15 September 1898, daughter, Alice Myrtle, married James Madison Perry at the home of Newt Harrod in Frankfort, Kentucky.  On the marriage bond, John Will signed with his mark, so he apparently could not write.

On 27 October 1898, daughter, Leoma, married Ambrose Polsgrove.

On 8 March 1899, son, Tom, married Ann Eliza (“Lizzie”) Sheridan.

Lizzie and Tom Rodgers

On the 1900 census, John Will and Emily were found in the Bald Knob district of Franklin Co., Kentucky.  On the 1910 census, they were found in the Court House precinct, Franklin Co., Kentucky.  John W. was 58, born KY, parents born KY, occupation blacksmith.  Emily was 59, born KY, parents born IN.

Daughter, Leoma, died 27 November 1907 in Frankfort, Kentucky.    She was buried in Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery.  Leoma and her husband had two children: James Howard Polsgrove born 1899 and Clara Bell Polsgrove born 1902.

On 8 June 1914, their son-in-law, James Madison Perry, died, leaving their daughter, Alice Myrtle, a widow with two children, James Mortimer (age 14) and Venus (age 13).

Emily Francis and John Will Rodgers

On 2 June 1915, Emily Francis (Allison) Rodgers died.  She was 64 years old.  Her death certificate says she was a housewife, born May 19, 1851 in Franklin Co., Kentucky.  Father Wm Allison, born Franklin Co., Kentucky;  mother Nancy Rinearson, born Indiana.  Informant was J. W. Rodgers.  Emily was buried in Lebanon Cemetery, Franklin Co., Kentucky.

Emily was apparently addicted to pain medication.  One family story is that she hurt herself somehow and was in great pain, so the doctor prescribed morphine.  Another story is that she had crippling arthritis for years.  She became addicted to morphine.  When she tried to break the habit, she quit taking the morphine and then died.  This story has not been verified.

John Will Rodgers and his daughter, Alice Myrtle

John Will Rodgers and his grandson, James Mortimer Perry

John Will Rodgers with his daughter, Alice Myrtle, and grandchildren, Venus Perry, John Marion Clifton, James Mortimer Perry

According to Jim Perry, when he was about 17, he and his grandfather, John William Rodgers, left Kentucky and headed for Akron, Ohio where Jim had a job lined up on a newspaper. On their way to Akron, they stopped off in Muncie to see Jim's mother, Myrtle, and sister, Venus.  Both women had come to Muncie earlier to find work.  They asked them to stay.  They did and went to work in local factories.  The 1917 Muncie city directory shows John W. Rodgers, a blacksmith; Mortimer Perry, working at TW Warner; Myrtle Perry, widow of James M.; and Venus Perry, working at Republic Iron & Steel.  They were living at 121 E. 9^th St. in Muncie.

Catherine (Bohannon) Rodgers Deakins Stephens and her son, John Will Rodgers

I have not yet found information on John Will from that 1917 city directory entry until he appears on the 1930 census living with his daughter, Myrtle, and her husband, John Marion Clifton, in Boone Co., Indiana.  I know that John Will’s mother, Catherine, was living in Indianapolis from about 1921 until her death in 1923, so perhaps he was living near her for a time.  This is a place to do more research.

John Will Rodgers died in Indianapolis, Indiana on 20 May 1930.  He was 77 years old.  He was buried in Lebanon Cemetery, Franklin Co., Kentucky in an unmarked grave.

Here are the descendants of John Will and Emily:

John William Rodgers, b. 31 May 1852 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 20 May 1930 at Marion Co., IN

+Emily Francis Allison, b. 19 May 1851 at Franklin Co., KY, m. 11 Feb 1869 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 2 Jun 1915 at Franklin Co., KY

├── William Jeptha Rodgers, b. 22 Nov 1869 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 8 Jun 1871 at Franklin Co., KY

├── Thomas Walter Rodgers, b. 7 Nov 1871 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 2 Jan 1952 at Franklin Co., KY

│   +Ann Eliza "Liza" Sheridan, b. Sep 1866 at KY, m. 8 Mar 1899 at KY, d. 1959 at KY

├── Julius Rodgers, b. 31 Oct 1875 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 3 Jun 1878 at Franklin Co., KY

├── Alice Myrtle Rodgers, b. 17 Jul 1878 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 16 Aug 1943 at Marion Co., IN

│   +James Madison Perry, b. 18 Dec 1848 at Anderson Co., KY, m. 15 Sep 1898 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 8 Jun 1914 at Franklin Co., KY

│   ├── James Mortimer Perry, b. 26 Jun 1899 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 21 May 1986 at Delaware Co., IN

│   └── Venus Perry, b. 19 Nov 1900 at Franklin County, KY, d. 22 Mar 2002 at IN

│   +Marion C. Clifton, b. 26 Apr 1863 at Hendricks Co., IN, m. 23 Feb 1917 at Delaware Co., IN, d. 9 Oct 1945 at IN

│   └── John Marion Clifton, b. circa Oct 1919 at IN, d. 6 Jun 1944 at Normandy, France

└── Leoma Rodgers, b. 22 Dec 1881 at Franklin Co., KY, d. 27 Nov 1907 at Franklin Co., KY

    +Ambrose Polsgrove, b. 25 May 1875 at KY, m. 27 Oct 1898, d. 28 Dec 1936 at Franklin Co., KY

    ├── James Howard Polsgrove, b. 3 Nov 1899 at KY, d. 24 Sep 1965 at Franklin Co., KY

    └── Clara Bell Polsgrove, b. 8 May 1902 at KY, d. 11 Aug 1962 at Franklin Co., KY

 The Rodgers Family Bible had been passed to Tom Rodgers, who we believe, gave it to Jim Perry.  It is now in possession of one of Jim's granddaughters.  Here are the pages of family data from the Bible.

In addition, there were several pictures and other items tucked into the pages of the Bible.  We have not yet been able to identify the people in the pictures, so I will post them here in hopes someone will recognize them.