Rodenbough, John J. (1832-1906)

RODENBOUGH

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 8/1/2008 at 13:51:56

John Jackson Rodenbough
June 10, 1832 - Sep 1, 1906

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.104, Grove Twp.)
John Jackson Rodenbough, barmer, P. O. Wheeler's Grove; born in New Jersey, June 10, 1832, son of George S. and Elizabeth (Jackson) Rodenbough, both natives of New Jersey; he, a shoemaker, was born about 1802, is still living; she died in August 1878. They had twelve children, ten of whom are living. Subject received a common school education, commenced life as a farmer, and was married the first time in Illinois, in 1859, to Mary A. Axtel, who died in 1872, and was a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Robb) Axtel, of Pennsylvania, who are both dead. In Illinois, in 1873, he took for his second wife Eunice Dilley, born in Pennsylvania in 1839, and daughter of William Dilley, born in Pennsylvania, and who still lives. There are four children by the first marriage, viz., Wilbert E., George T., Flora B. and Hattie, and three by the scond wife, viz., Mary A. E., William H. and Janetta, all living. Subject is a member of the Methodist Protestant Church; a Republican; and moved from New Jersey to Illinois about 1863; from thence to this county in 1867; broke prairie; worked on the railroad, and about 1870, bought forty acres at $10 per acre; he now owns 120 acres, valued at about $35 per acre. there is a small orchard, and forty acres of brush and timber on the place. He has six first-class horses, eighteen young cattle and fifty hogs.

(From 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.278)
JOHN JACKSON RODENBOUGH, one of the well known pioneers of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, came here in 1866. A sketch of his life will be found of interest and is as follows:
His father was George S. RODENBOUGH, who married in New Jersey, Miss Elizabeth JACKSON and had twelve children, six sons and six daughters. Mr. RODENBOUGH has always been a great admirer of Mr. JACKSON, and when, June 10, 1832, the subject of this sketch was born, he was given the name of that hero. He was reared in his native state, receiving a common school education, and learned the shoemaker’s trade from his father. When he was twenty-one years of age, the entire family removed to Warren County, Illinois. There the parents spent the rest of their lives, the mother dying at the age of seventy years and the father at eighty four.
Mr. RODENBOUGH served for a time in the State Militia, but was not accepted by the United States into regimental service. He was married September 4, 1859, to Mary Ann AXTELL, a native of Warren County, Illinois, and daughter of Thomas and Sarah (ROBB) AXTELL, natives of Pennsylvania. Four children were born to them, three of whom are living, viz.: William E., who resides in Washington; George of the same state; Flora, wife of Nathan MOORE, Grove Township, this county. Mrs. RODENBOUGH died January 29, 1873. Two years later, December 25, 1874, Mr. RODENBOUGH married his present wife, Miss Eunice DILLY, a native of Mercer County, Pennsylvania and a daughter of William and Mary (AXTELL) DILLY, also of Pennsylvania. She was two years of age when her parents located in Warren County, Illinois, where she was reared. Her father was a strong Abolitionist and was a delegate to Springfield, Illinois, at the time Abraham Lincoln was nominated for President. Mr. DILLY now resides at Sterling, Kansas. By his second marriage, Mr. RODENBOUGH has three children; Mary Elizabeth, William Herbert, and Nettie May.
Mr. RODENBOUGH came to Pottawattamie County in 1866, as already stated at the beginning of this article, and first settled at Silver Creek. He subsequently came to Grove Township, and was employed for a time on the RRI Railroad. Previous to his coming west, he had helped to build one of the first railroads in the United States, in New Jersey. After the death of his wife, he returned to Illinois and remained a year, when he came back to this county. He is the owner of 140 acres of good land, which is well watered.
Politically, our subject is a Republican. He voted for General Fremont and all the Republican candidates for President since that time. He and his wife and two of their children are members of the Methodist Church. Mr. RODENBOUGH is firm in his convictions of right and wrong, plain in his speech and manner, and honest in all his business dealings.