An American Family History

Prior Ricketts was born on January 8, 1824 in Dearborn (now Ohio) County, Indiana. His parents were William Rickeets and Elizabeth Oxley. 

He married Mary J. Saltsgaver on June 24, 1849 in Vermillion County, Illinois. Her parents were probably Jacob and Margaret Saltzgaver.

Prior and Mary's children were Martha E. Ricketts (1849), William Ricketts (1851), Rebecca Ricketts (1852), David Ricketts (1854), and John Ricketts (1858).

Prior died about 1861. After he died, Mary married John Orr. John Orr was a Predestination Baptist Minister, the branch often called "Hard Shelled Baptist's." John Orr's first wife, Parthena Smith, died about the same time Prior Ricketts did.  Apparently John Orr went to visit his wife's nephew, James Smith, and met Mary Jane Saltsgaver Ricketts who was a close neighbor of James. 

In 1873, John Orr built a house in the new village of Oakwood, Vermilion County, Illinois. A year later John and "Jane" Orr sold the house. They may have gone back to Indiana.  John Orr died shortly after that.

"Jane" appears in the 1880 Indiana census.  She went back to her first husband, Prior's, name. The two younger girls in that census, Margaret and Sarah, were actually Orrs. James D. (David) Ricketts was living nearby in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana. John H. (Junior) and Martha Ricketts Orr were also living nearby.