LaRue or Larew is also spelled as La Rue, Le Roux, Lerrew, Larrew, La Rew, Lerrue, Laroux, and La Roue.
Montgomery County, Indiana was established in 1822.
American pioneers migrated west to settle areas not previously inhabited by European Americans.
Elizabeth Ricketts Larew Blankenship was born on January 18, 1801, probably in Mason County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Robert Ricketts and Susannah Wilson.
She married her first husband, Garret Larew, on April 17, 1817 when she was only 16 years old.
Their children included:
Esther Larew Miller (1818, married John H. Miller),
Reuben Larew (1819),
Abraham Larew (1822),
Nancy Larew Vaughn (1824, married Thompson Vaughn),
Elizabeth Larew (1836),
Garret Larew (1838, married Amanda Denny and Eliza Jane Drake) and
Mary Jane Larew Zerface (1840, married Martin Zerface).
Esther, Reuben and Elizabeth died young.
Garret, Sr. died on September 25, 1840 in Montgomery County, Indiana. He was buried in Potts Cemetery, Elmdale, Montgomery County.
She married her second husband, John W. Blankenship, on September 16, 1846. John was born September 7, 1804 in Lincoln, Kentucky. His parents were Noel and Amy Blankenship. He had been married before to Elizabeth Hinds and had a daughter, Amy J. Blankenship Utterback (1829, married Henry Utterback).
At the time of the 1850 and 1860 censuses they were in Wayne, Montgomery County, Indiana. In 1859 John was a juror in the famous murder trial of Jonathan Owen.
Elizabeth died on July 14, 1865 in Montgomery County, Indiana and was buried in Potts Cemetery, Elmdale, Montgomery County, Indiana.
After Elizabeth died, John W. married Susan K. Nicholson.
Ricketts is also spelled Rickeots, Rickeotts, Rickett, Rickets, Ricket, Rickel, Rickle, Rickels, and
Rickles.
Mason County, Kentucky was established by the Virginia legislature in 1788 from Bourbon County. Nineteen Kentucky counties were formed from the original Mason County.
from Garret Larew, Civil War Soldier by Karl Larew, p. 139.
Elizabeth's second husband was John W. Blankenship, the son of Noel and Amy Blankenship. He was born in Lincoln, Kentucky on September 7, 1804. . .The first wife of John W. Blankenship was Elizabeth Hinds. . .John and Elizabeth were married in 1828 and had one daughter, Amy J. Blankenship, born September 2, 1829, died September 6, 1889, in Holton, Kansas. . .After the death of Elizabeth Hinds Blankenship, John Blankenship married a second time.
His second wife was Elizabeth Ricketts Larew, as we have seen. After her death in 1865, he married a third time; his third and last wife was Susan K. Nicholson. Neither the second nor the third marriage resulted in any children. . .
Blankenship was a public spirited man; he held many township offices, being assessor for six years, constable for six years, overseer of the poor, and administrator and guardian for many estates and children. He was a life-long Democrat. . .
History of Fountain County, Indiana by H. W. Beckwith
published by H. H. Hill and N. Iddings, Chicago, 1881
Montgomery County - A Noted Criminal Trial
The most noted criminal trial that ever took place in Montgomery county was that of the state against Jonathan S. Owen, who was charged with the murder of his wife. . . One night late in 1858 she died very suddenly, and was buried the next day. The suddenness of her death, together with symptoms indicating poison, and other circumstances, soon began to arouse the suspicions of some of Mrs. Owen's relations, and they determined to have a resurrection of the body and a post-mortem examination.
This greatly agitated Mr. Owen, and when he found it was fully determined on, he secretly sold his farm, disguised himself and fled to Canada. The post-mortem examination showed very conclusively that Mrs. Owen had died from the effects of strychnine. . . The trial came on at Crawfordsville, at a special term of the circuit court, on July 21, 1859. . .The jury selected and sworn to try the case . . . included] John Blankenship.
. . . A verdict of acquittal resulted. Great indignation was felt and expressed throughout the county at this unlooked for outcome of the trial. . .
