Person:Ephraim Tucker (8)

Biography^[1]
Ephraim Tucker III, oldest child of Ephraim and Phebe Hand Tucker was born December 16, 1792 in Essex County, New Jersey. Tradition relates that Ephraim Tucker preceded his family to Ohio and a part of the journey was made by boat on the Ohio River, when the boat came near Cincinnati, it was wrecked, young Tucker cast aside his shoes and swam ashore. He found refuge in a cabin on the shore, the owner of which, dried and pressed his clothing. When he was dressed again, but without his shoes, he found that his money was missing, either lost during his swim or removed during the drying process, at any rate, he was penniless among strangers. He found work immediately with a blacksmith. He served in the War of 1812 in the Ohio militia in Captain Enoch Gest's company of Colonel William Cotgreen's detached Regiment. Period of service from February 17th to March 17th, 1813.

He married Winnaford Hood in 1814. At the present time nothing has been learned of her parents though it is tradition that she was of the same family of Hoods that produced the Confederate General, Lieutenant General John B. Hood of Civil War fame. She was decidedly Scotch and boasted of her Scotch ancestry. She had a neice, Julia Hood, who married Joseph Dillman, they lived in Preble County, Ohio. She was a very large woman with black hair and brown eyes. She died March 17, 1853, from smallpox, contracted while ministering to the need of a destitute family in the neighborhood.

Ephraim Tucker was a large landowner in Preble County, Ohio, but the lure of cheap land in Indiana and the strain of adventurous blood in his veins probably decided this pioneer to move westward. Members of the family still own the original patents for many acres of land in Shelby and Johnson Counties of Indiana (1930's). Two of these entries were made as early as 1837, though it is probable that Ephraim Tucker did not come to Shelby County until 1839. In January of that year he sold his farm in Preble County, Ohio and the removal of the Tucker contingent must have been somewhat reminiscent of the removal of Jacob from Canaan into Egypt for tradition tells us that Ephraim Tucker started on this journey of somewhat over a hundred miles driving his sheep, hogs and cattle before him, followed by ten wagons. The latter containing his family, his household goods and implements. Of the length of time required for the journey, we have no record, but the cavalcade arrived at Tucker's Ford on Sugar Creek in sight of the new home in the wilderness at twi'light hour, the homesick women and girls of the party weeping and wailing and begging to return to their home in Ohio. This was not surprising for they had left a comfortable home, schools, (the older girls were educated at Oxford, Ohio) for a cabin in the woods surrounded by bears, wolves and occasional roving Indians, the fact that they were not harmed by these prowlers did not lessen the dread of what might happen and as long as Ephraim Tucker was able to attend church, walking the short distance from his home near Second Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, he carried his long gun over his shoulder and set it in the corner of the "meeting house", much to the amusement of the younger generation, who not having lived through the hardships of making this neighborhood, could not visualize the courage and fortitude required to attain the results we see today.

Mr. John Roe [possibly John T. Roe?] told this story, he being one of the youngsters who as he expressed it, "snickered" behind his hand when old "Uncle Effie" walked in. Ephraim Tucker gave to each of his children as they married, 150 acres of land, his generousity including Henry H. Tucker, a child who was reared in his home. After his death, April 3, 1873, 800 acres was distributed among his children.

His second wife was Nancy Welliver, widow of Isaiah Welliver, her maiden name was Nancy Sample. She and Isaiah Welliver were the parents of seven children. She and Ephraim Tucker were married in Butler County, Ohio, she received her part of his estate in money, he left $19,000. in cash beside the land. He died intestate and there was some difficulty over the settlement.

Ephraim Tucker and his wife, Winnaford Hood Tucker were members of the Second Mount Pleasant Baptist Church of Johnson County, Indiana. Their home place being situated across the road from the church, (this road is the county line road between Johnson and Shelby counties at this point). Ephraim Tucker lived in Shelby County but owned land in Johnson County also, and the Rev. John Reece in his historical sketch of the church, published in Brant and Fuller's History of Shelby County, Indiana, 1887, page 382, states "Beside the constituent members, the following deserve to be remembered as active workers in the church, viz: John Willard and wife, William A. Reese and wife, (the wife of William A. Reese was Emily Tucker, daughter of Ephriam and Winnaford Hood Tucker and Phebe Ann Tucker, first wife of the author of this sketch was also a daughter, William Needham and wife, Ephraim Tucker and wife, William Webb and wife, with many others did good service in the cause of Christ".

He was a devout man, liberal in disposition, and his epitaph was well chosen, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor, the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive; And he shall be blessed upon the earth".

Copy of record from Bible of Ephraim & Winnaford Hood Tucker, owned (1930's) by Mrs. Winnaford Strickler Allen.
Family Record
Births
Ephraim Tucker born December 16, 1792
Winnaford Tucker born September 28, 1792
Ann Mariah Tucker born March 4, 1815
Emily Jane Tucker born November 16, 1816
Sarah Ann Tucker born July 6, 1818
Phebe Ann Tucker born October 22, 1820
Mary Jane Tucker born December 5, 1822
William H. Tucker born March 5, 1825
James C. Tucker born April 26, 1827
Rhoda Tucker born April 16, 1829
Henry H. Tucker born January 27, 1820 (A nephew of Ephraim Tucker, but as of this date, 1998, I haven't been able to find out who his parents were.)

Marriages John Cornwell and Ann Mariah Tucker married March 8, 1832
William Beard and Mary J. Tucker married July __ 1839
William Clark and Sarah Ann Tucker married November 21st, 1839
John Reece and Phebe Ann Tucker married November 28th, 1839
William A. Reese and Emily Jane Tucker married July 22nd, 1841
William H. Tucker and Malinda Morris married November 13th, 1845
George Strickler and Rhoda Tucker married October 9th, 1845

Deaths Phebe Ann Reese died August 7th, 1846
Winnaford Tucker died March 17, 1853
Henry H. Tucker died _________ (not filled in)
Ephraim Tucker died April 3rd, 1873.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Grubb-Griffith-Downey-Harrison and Related Families, Marsha L Downey, 2008-03-26 , in RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project
   ID:I020506, accessed 24 June 2009.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Find A Grave
   Memorial# 23575075.

   Ephriam Tucker
   Birth: Dec. 16, 1792
   Death: Apr. 3, 1878, Indiana, USA
   Burial: Second Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana, USA
   Plot: Sec D Row 12
   Veteran of the War of 1812, Ohio Militia.

3. ↑ Hendricks Township, Shelby, Indiana, in United States. 1840 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M704)
   p. 344.

   Ephraim Tucker, 2 m 10-15 [James, William], 1 m 20-30 [unknown], 1 m 40-50 [Ephraim], 1 f 10-15 [Rhoda], 1 f 20-30 [Emily], 1 f 40-50 [Winnaford]