Person:John Rittgers (10)

Many family papers state he was born in Pennsylvania, but there is no evidence that the family ever resided in Pa. He states on later census records that he was born in Virginia. John married about 1824, Catherine _____. The early records of the area are sparse, and with the many spellings attributed to Rittgers in those records, the marriage may be uncovered with diligent search of those misspellings. In records of the Ruff Cemetery, Hocking Co., Oh., we find that one "Savilla, daughter of John & Catherine Rittgers died 2 Sept 1856." (Sect 16, Row 3, Lot #4) John bought 84.11 acres, the E 1/2 of the SE quarter of section 10, Twp. 15, range 10, on 5 July 1826. [Kocher, Section Maps]. At the time of purchase, this was in Fairfield Co., but in 1850 this section was transferred into Hocking Co.

    We find on the 1830 census Hocking Co., Oh., John Rittgers, with one male and one female , 20-29 (This also pointing to the fact that Lydia not first wife); one female 5-9; and one each between 0-4. [reel 132] This supports the report of the three older children, who's names we have only from undocumented family records.
    He married (2) Lydia _____about 1831 in Oh.  A family group sheet sumbitted gave us the birth date of 12 Jun 1812, but calculated from her age on the Ruff Cemetery records, it is the 1808 date. (Ruff Cemetery section 16, Row 5, plot #9)  On the 1850 census, she is listed as 37, which comes out to 1813.  John and Lydia bought for $300 the NE quarter of Section 14, Twp. 16, range 17.  Also in this deed, dated 8 Feb 1834, and a part of the transaction, was part of a 33 acre tract in the SW quarter of Section 11, Twp. 16, Section 17. [Hocking Co. Deed book W., p. 328-329]  In the 1840 census, we see 9 children in the home, one male and 2 females 10-14; two males and one female 5-9; and three females 0-4.  This conforms to our information on the children.[reel 132] On the 1850 census of Marion Twp., Hocking Co., Oh, John is age 48, farmer, $1200 value of Real Estate, b. Va. Has wife Lydia, age 37, b. Pa. and 10 children. [p. 841, fam. #118 /120] Lydia died before 1859 in Marion Twp., Hocking Co., Oh.
    There are several deeds in John's name in the Hocking Co. courthouse, as he takes mortgages on various properties, as well as buying and selling land.  In one, dated 17 Nov 1831, he accepts a mortgage of $150 from the widow on the property of the Estate of Abraham Miller. [Fairfield Co. Deed Book 1, p. 263]  Then on 21 Jan 1838, he filed a Petit Suit against Daniel Shaw and other heirs of Abraham Miller.[Bk 10, p. 353]  He is still owed $88.89 by the widow and he forecloses on the property.  The sheriff finally deeded the land to John on 24 Oct 1844. [Bk 10, p. 430] In 1848, John filed a suit against his siblings to force them to partition their parent's property. {Fairfield Co. Court of Common Pleas, bk 17, p. 90.]
    John, Jr. married (3) Catherine (Fought) HOCKMAN 21 Apr 1859 in Hocking Co., Oh.[Hocking Co. Marr. Bk B., p. 302] She was the daughter of Jonas and Mary Ann (Moyer) Fought, born about 1814 in Va., and the widow of Abraham Hockman.  She and Abraham were the parents of Abraham Hockman that married Anna (Rittgers) Wolf, daughter of John and second wife Lydia.
    He is still in Marion Twp. on the 1860 census, where John, age 57, b. Va., farmer, has $1000 value in Real Estate & $350 worth of personal property. He has wife Catherine, age 46, b. Va., and three children, including Leah, age 14.  She is really "Leah Hockman".[p 150, fam # 936/924]  Missing from the census, that we would have expected to find in the home are John A. III who would be 18, Margaret who would be 15, and Jacob who would be 13.  We haven't found John III or Margaret as yet, but found Jacob living with older sister Elizabeth(#13.9).[Marion Twp., p. 158, fam 1040/1028]
    The 1870 census shows us John, age 69, a farmer with real estate valued at $2000. Wife Katherine, 66, and youngest daughter, Rosan - here stated age is 15, but on the 1860 census, she was 10!  A common error on census'.[p. 510, fam #269/272]
    John died 6 Apr 1880 at the age of  78yrs, 2 mo., and 6 days.  He "resided in Marion Twp . - farmer - died of palsey.".[Hocking Co. Death Bk 1, 1867-1883, p. 128, record #2043] His estate is in Hocking Co., Oh., #1190.

1. ↑ Family Group Sheet.
2. ↑ Hocking Co., Oh., Deaths. (Hocking Co., Oh., County Courthouse, Maron, Oh.).
3. ↑ Hocking Co., Oh., Deaths. (Hocking Co., Oh., County Courthouse, Maron, Oh.)
   128, record #2043, 22 Jan 1977.