An American Family History

Rebecca Ricketts Winings was born on January 3, 1803 in Mason County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Robert Ricketts and Susannah Wilson. Rebecca moved to Indiana with her parents when she was about two years old.

Rebecca married Daniel Winings on January 13, 1821 (maybe June 13, 1821) in Rising Sun, Dearborn (now Ohio) County, Indiana. He was the son of John Wining and Elizabeth Grider. He was born May 13, 1798 in Pennsylvania. His brother, Abraham Winings married Rebecca's sister, Sarah Ricketts.

Their children were Mary Jane Winings, Mahala Winings, Garrett Winings, Sarah Winings, John Winings, Robert Winings, Abram Winings, and James K. Winings (James K. may have been Mary’s son).

At the time of the 1850 census the household consisted of Daniel, Rebecca, Mary Ann, Sarah, Robert and James K. At the time of the 1860 census the household consisted of Daniel, Rebecca, Abraham and James. At the time of the 1870 and 1880 censuses the household was Daniel, Rebecca and Abraham. There is a notation that Abram was “deaf and dumb.”

Rebecca and Daniel settled on a farm half a mile south of Rising Sun, Indiana where they lived until they died. They farmed in the summer and engaged in flatboating and coastal trade in the winter.

Daniel died November 20, 1881 and she died on December 23, 1885 and was buried in Cedar Ridge Cemetery near Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana.

from Combined History of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois (1881) Source and comments provided by John Winings.

William and John Winings, William Brooks, Frederick Eichinger, J.J. Nicholson, John Nicholson, John Odor, David Stapp and Elijah Logan settled in the northern part of Dora [Township] before 1860. [Moultrie County formed 1843 from parts of Shelby and Macon Counties, townships formed 1866. William and John Winings were cousins, sons of Sarah Ricketts-Abraham Winings and Rebecca Ricketts-Daniel Winings.] 

Lake City sprang into existence on the building of the Paris and Decatur Railroad . . .The first building was a small grain office erected by a grain firm at Arcola, Ill. This is still used for the same purpose, and is [now] owned by William Winings [since 1880]."