Ricketts is also spelled Rickeots, Rickeotts, Rickett, Rickets, Ricket, Rickel, Rickle, Rickels, and
Rickles.
Edith Clark Wheeler
Indiana became a state in 1819. The north was settled by people from New England and New York, the center by people from the Mid-Atlantic states and Ohio, and the south by people from Southern states, particularly Kentucky and Tennessee.
In the Civil War (1861 to 1865) eleven Southern states seceded from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America.
Eliza Ann Ricketts Baker Clark was born about 1840 in Coal Creek Township, Montgomery County, Indiana. Her parents were Isaac and Catherine Ricketts.
When she was 23, she married Addison Baker in the middle of the Civil War on April 3, 1863 in Wayne County, Iowa. He was born about 1835 in Maine. Addison was the son of William Baker and Mary Polly Smith.
Eliza and Addison had two daughters who were both born in Iowa.
Martha Eldora Baker Way Miller (1864, married Alpheus Arthur Way), and
Lorna Baker (1865).
Addison Baker was drafted into the Union Army on October 6, 1864. He was 27 years old. He was in Company B of the 16th Infantry Regiment of Iowa. He mustered out on October 6, 1864. He died of disease on June 16, 1865. He is buried at the National Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia, in grave 3239.
Eliza married John Clark in Lucas County on September 14, 1868. John Clark was born in Indiana in January, 1843. He was the son of William Clark and Margaret Wallace.
Eliza and John's children were: George Edward Clark (1870, married Jessie O. Cackler),
Adella Clark Smith (1872),
Floyd Clark (1876, married Ida Larkin),
Margaret (Maggie) Clark Smith Oliver (1879, married Reuben Morton Oliver),
Edith May Clark Wheeler (1881, married Samuel Pearl Wheeler), and Edna Alice Clark Van Winkle (January, 1884, married Charles Perry Van Winkle).
At the time of the 1880 census, the household consisted of John age 28, Eliza age 38, George age 10, Dora age 16, Cora age 9, Floyd age 4, and Margaret age 1. John was a farmer and they were living in Fairview, Livingston, Missouri.
Eliza died November 12, 1906 and John also died in 1906.
In the 1830s settlers began arriving in Iowa from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. Iowa became a state in 1846.
The Civil War had more casualties than any other American war. Disease and infection were the biggest killers.
Chariton is the county seat of Lucas County, Iowa and is in Lincoln Township.
The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, November 15, 1906
Mrs. Elizabeth Clark was born Oct. 20, 1840 and died Nov. 11, 1906 at her home near Oakley, at the age of 66 years and 23 days, after a continued illness with dropsy. She was the wife of John Clark, whose death occurred only a few weeks ago, and the mother of eight children who were present at the last sad rites.
She was a member of the Christian Church at Oakley, a true devoted earnest worker for the Master, and her last days were full of new hope of a Heavenly home.
Funeral services conducted by Rev. Brown, were held at the Christian Church at Oakley, Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 2 o'clock p.m. and interment made in Mt. Zion Cemetery. Her daughters from a distance who were present were Mrs. Villa Smith of Indiana; Mrs. Dora Miller of Plano; and Mrs. Maggie Smith of Des Moines.
Dropsy or edema, is an abnormal accumulation of body fluids that causes swelling. It is often caused by heart and kidney disease.
A Whig was originally a supporter of the American Revolution and from about 1834 to 1855 was a member of the political party that opposed the Democrats. The party supported the supremacy of Congress over the Presidency and favored modernization and economic protectionism.
from Biographical and Historical Record of Wayne and Appanoose Counties, Iowa,
Chicago: Inter-State Pub. Co., 1886.
William Clark, one of the early settlers of Independence Township, located on section 34, where he now resides, in the autumn of 1856. His homestead, which contains 160 acres, is one of the best farms in the township, and in addition to this he owns forty acres on section 27, a half a mile from his home. He has worked hard to make his farm valuable. He has four and a half miles of fencing around his home farm, and his building improvements are excellent and in good repair. He is one of the most practical farmers in the county, his farm showing the result of having a thrifty and painstaking owner. He first visited Iowa in 1843 and entered eighty acres of Government land in Jefferson County, on which he located in 1846. He improved his land rapidly and soon had a fine farm of 150 acres, on which was one of the best orchards in the county. He sold his farm in 1856, and moved to Appanoose County.
He came to Iowa a poor man, and his present prosperity but illustrates what can be accomplished by industry and well-directed purpose, assisted by a good wife, a man's best gift. In addition to prosperity he has gained the confidence and esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances, which is more to be valued than riches. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church, and live practical Christian lives, work and faith going hand in hand with them. In his early life Mr. Clark was in politics a Whig. In the days of Fremont he became a Republican, and in 1878 identified himself with the Greenback party. Mr. Clark is a native of Pennsylvania, born near Philadelphia, May 15, 1816.
His parents, John and Elizabeth Clark, were natives of Scotland, and came to the United States in 1816, landing in this country about three weeks before the birth of our subject, and a few years later established his home in new Lisbon, Ohio, where our subject was reared, and there they both died, the mother in 1835 and the father in 1839, both aged about ninety years. Of a family of thirteen children our subject is the sixth. Of the others only Mrs. Christie Baker, John, Mrs. Ann Gammel and Margaret are living. Mathew and David died while in the service of their country during the war of the Rebellion.
Mr. Clark was married September 18, 1841, at New Lisbon, Ohio, to Margaret Wallace, who was born in Ireland, June 16, 1818, and when six years of age accompanied her parents, Peter and Margaret Wallace, to the United States.
They have a family of eight children: John, of Lucas County, Iowa; Margaret A., at home; George, of Kingman County, Kansas; Eleanor, wife of Michael Haney, of Decatur County, Iowa; Sarah, wife of Hiram Haver, of Butler County, Kansas; Alpheus, of Wayne County; Laura, wife of James Carroll, of Decatur County, and William, at home. Their first-born died in infancy.
Lucas County is in south central Iowa. It was founded in 1846 and the county seat is Chariton.
George Edward Clark
George E. Clark for many years a prominent citizen of the vicinity of Oakley died at his farm home on Saturday evening, July 19, 1937 at the age of 67 years, 2 months and 27 days. He had been in failing health for some time.
Surviving him are his wife and one daughter Leona of near Oakley and one brother Floyd Clark of Chariton; two sisters, Mrs. Delia Smith, Elkhart, Ind., and Mrs. Sam Wheeler of near Oakley.
Funeral services conducted by Rev. Browning were held at the Dunshee Funeral Home in Chariton, Monday afternoon at two o'clock and burial was in the Baptist cemetery north of Oakley.
from The Chariton Herald-Patriot, September 13, 1923
Mrs. Alice Van Winkle
Edna Alice Clark, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Clark, was born Jan. 12, 1885, and departed this life on Sept. 6, 1923 at the age of 38 years, 7 months and 25 days.
She was united in marriage to Chas. P. Van Winkle Nov. 23, 1902. To this union were born eleven children, all of whom, with the husband, survive.
She professed her faith in Christ and united with the M. E. church and died with hope of eternal life.
The funeral services were conducted from the Oakley M. E. church by Rev. E. W. Curtis on Sunday at 2 p.m., with a large crowd in attendance. The Oakley quartet sang very beautifully. Interment was in the Mt. Zion cemetery.
from Centerville Daily Citizen, November 8, 1910
DEATH CAME SUDDENLY WHILE MAN WAS WORKING
Alpheus A Way Stricken Without Warning at Rock Crusher
While working at the rock crusher of the paving contractors, McGuire & Stanton in the southwestern outskirts of the city yesterday afternoon Alpheus A Way, aged 42, was stricken by death and died before medical aid could be summoned. Mr. Way had only a quarter of an hour before eaten his dinner and returned to his work apparently feeling as well as usual and being in excellent spirits, having joked and laughed with his fellow workmen only a few minutes before his death. Two men stand at the rock crushing machine feeding into the crusher lime stone which is quarried nearby. Mr. Way's companion stooped to pick up a rock and hearing a noise looked up to see him where he had fallen apparently in a faint. The application of cool water failed to revive and the stricken man expired after a brief period of labored breathing without uttering a word.
Mr. Way was born and raised in Putnam county, Mo. but came here from Plano September 14th last, buying Mrs. McDaniel's property on West Cottage street which has since been his home. The rock crusher is located not far south of his residence on the Fenim place.
Mr. Way is survived by his wife but no children. He has a brother in Glennpin, Nebraska. Relatives from Missouri will arrive in the city this evening. Relatives living here are Sanford Stewart, an uncle, and J.E. Swafford, a cousin.
The funeral services will be conducted at the residence on West Cottage street, south of the Scandinavian coal mine tomorrow (Wednesday forenoon, and internment will be made at Thomasson cemetery west of the city.
The deceased was a member of the United Mine Workers and also carried an insurance policy for $500.
Coroner T Ont conducted an inquest and the jury returned a verdict that death had been due to heart failure.
The Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. It gave an applicant 160 acres of undeveloped land outside of the original colonies. Anyone who had never taken up arms against the United States could file an application. They had to live on the land and make improvements to receive title.
