Personal Experience with A Biographical Outline for Joseph Rader and Martha(Rayburn) Rader:

Bear with me everyone, the following information is from my personal research. It is included for the purpose of showing the method I used to put together a biographical outline on Joseph Rader (1790-1880). This information is mostly on my webpage in a different format so I do not mind sharing of this information. The individuals within this example are all deceased. The information listed below concerns several families, many of which I believe that my target ancestor, Joseph Rader, would have known and associated with due to family ties. I have also copied the notes that were listed below the family listing of the individuals in the listing in question.

A. The Beginning of my Search: Secondary Data

When I first started doing the Rader family, I had only a questionable listing of the family of my ancestor, Mariah (Rader) Pickerell, which stated her father was Joseph Rader and her mother was Martha Rayburn. It also stated that Joseph's father was Michael Rader and his mother was Catherine Long. I didn't buy this book, my Uncle had a copy and he copied it for me. I have since seen a copy of this book in the West Virginia Archives collection. This was from a book compiled by Mrs. Mazie Sims Cochran called: "Sims Family History" It was written in May of 1971. This is questionable because of the items that this book contains and the fact that it does not list all the sources of its information. This is copied from a section of the book that deals with the families in question. I did not copy the section that the author placed in here that she called "Excerpts from his <michael>'s application for pension (reason is if you wish to see the full record you just need to go to the "Current Projects" link on my homepage and download the whole zip file):

(pg. 134)
"RADER, Michael
b. 8 Mar 1750, Rockingham Co., Virginia
d. 1 June 1839, Jackson Co., (W) Va; buried on home farm on Gay Road
m. 25 Dec. 1769, Rockingham or Shenandoah Co., Virginia
....LONG, Catherine
....b. 16 Feb. 1753
....d. Jackson Co., (W)Va.; buried on home farm (died after Michael)
Children:
1. Elizabeth, b. 28 Dec. 1771
...................m. 24 Nov. 1791, Shenandoah Co., Va., HOLMAN, Andrew
2. Catharine, b. 29 Dec. 1773
3. Susannah, b. 23 Dec.1776
....................m. KOUNTS (KOONTZ), Michael
4. Abraham, b. 20 Jan. 1779
5. James, b. 28 Jan. 1782
...............d. 12 June 1839
...............m. 6 June 1805, ALLEN, Hannah (Cannady), b. 19 Jan. 1781
.....................................................................................d. 1861
6. Philip, b. 26 Mar. 1784
7. Mary (Polly), b. 18 Feb. 1786
.........................d. 1824
.........................m. RAYBURN, James, b. 11 Oct. 1783
.............................................................d. 8 Aug. 1840; son of Henry
8. Michael, Jr., b. 12 Feb. 1788
........................d. 19 Mar 1867
........................m. 23 Feb. 1813, Gallia, Ohio
.............................ROUSH, Catherine, b. 28 June 1793
9. Joseph, b. 21 Oct. 1790
The Michael Raders lived and farmed in Rockingham, Shenandoah, and for ten years in Greenbrier Counties; then moved to Gay Road, Jackson County, (West) Virginia. Michael was a major in the Revolutionary War and first Justice of the Peace in Mason County, (West) Virginia. The "Rader Lutheran Church" was established at Brocks Gap, Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia, in 1757 ("Virginia Valley Records" by Wayland). He received $70 per year for his Revolutionary War Service." <excerpt of Rev War pension file would have went here>

(pg. 136)
"RADER, Joseph (son of Michael)
b. 21 Oct. 1790
d. 27 Nov. 1880 in Wirt Co., WVa; buried in Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, near Reedy, Roane Co., WV
m. 8 August 1813 in Mason Co., (W)VA to RAYBURN, Martha
.....b. 9 Nov. 1791, Greenbrier Co., (W)VA
.....d. 15 June 1881, Wirt Co., WV; buried in Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, near Reedy, Roane Co., WV
.....daughter of Henry and Margaret Christal Rayburn
children:
1. Bennett, b. Mason Co., (W)VA
2. Maria, b. 13 Oct. 1815
3. Harriet, b. 15 Dec. 1818
4. Susan, m. THOMASSON, Mordecai
5. Catharine, m. MOUNTZ, Humphrey
6. Nancy, m. ARMSTRONG, Mathias Brown
7. James
8. Philip, b. 1 Aug. 1825, d. Monticello Co., Ind.
............m. CONRAD, Hulda
............children: 2 sons, Henry and Samuel Rudolph
9. William Allen, m. 1. CALLOW, Elizabeth (Betsy); m.2. CONRAD, Elizabeth (sister of Hulda)
10. Andrew Jackson (Jack), m. GIVENS, Sophronia
11. Henry

Joseph Rader was a sergeant in the War of 1812. The Joseph Raders lived on the Elk Fork of Mill Creek, Jackson County, (West) Virginia, and between Reedy and Elizabeth, Roane County, West Virginia."

The individual I was concerned with was his 2nd child, Mariah. According to the listing she was the wife of my Levi Pickerell, Jr. the listing continues:

"RADER, Maria (Mariah?) (daughter of Joseph)
b. 13 Oct. 1815, Mason Co., (W)VA
d. 3 Oct. 1875 in Wirt or Roane Co., (W)VA; buried Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, near Reedy, Roane Co., W.VA
m. 1. 18 July 1833 to WALKER, Macklin,
.........b. 1805, Kanawha Co., (W)VA
.........d. 1844, Jackson Co., (W)VA; buried Rader Cemetery, Gay Road, near U.S. #33, Jackson Co., (W)VA.
.........son of William and Margaret Burdett Walker
m. 2. PICKERELL, Levi Jr.
.........b. 10 Dec. 1822, Fauquier Co., Virginia
.........d. buried Good Hope Cemetery, Roane Co., WVa
.........son of Stephen and Susannah Hit Pickerell (Levi Sr.); Susannah's twin sister Elizabeth Hitt (b. 1790) m. John R. Callow (b. 1774) in Ireland (Wirt county Census 1850)" (end of pg. 136)

(pg. 137 continues this listing)

"Levi Pickerell, Sr. (b. 1774) settled at the mouth of Folly Run, Wirt County, (W) Va., 1833. He came overland from Frauquir County, Virginia, in a one-horse cart. Levi Jr.'s sister, Lucy, married Thomas Maze, son of James Maze.
Children:
(1) 1. William Parkinson (Park) b. 14 May 1834, Kanawha Co., W.Va.
................................................d. 1905
...............................................m. 9 Mar 1855, Nicholas Co., W.Va.
...............................................McCLUNG, Mary Jane, daughter of Alexander and Jane Withrow McClung
.....................Rev. Park Walker was an outstanding minister in W.Va.
2. Samantha - burned to death when a child
3. Elizabeth Catharine b. 3 Aug 1838, Jackson Co., (W) Va.
.................................d. 7 Mar 1896
.................................m. SMITH, Jacob Brown b. 6 Mar. 1837, Kanawha Co., (W) Va
.........................................................................d. 22 Apr. 1896
4. Susan Margaret b. 5 Nov 1840, Jackson Co., (W) Va.
.............................d. 6 Jan 1934
.............................m. 1 Nov. 1860, Roane Co., (W) Va.
..................................SHEPPARD, Addison Hyatt (Hite)
.....................................b. 2 June 1843, Wirt Co., (W)Va.
....................................d. 6 Jan. 1934
....................................son of Rev. Samuel and Amelia Full Sheppard
5. Roselyn b. 1843, Jackson Co., (W) Va.
.................d. 16 Oct. 1927
.................m. May 1864, Wirt Co., W. Va.
.....................SIMS, Henry Madison (Dock) - see Sims listing
(2) 6. Anna Eliza, b. 11 Mar 1849
...........................d. 26 Aug. 1882
...........................m. SIMS, John Wesley - see Sims listing
7. Andrew Jackson (Jack), d. 30 Nov. 1917, about age 65
..........................................m. SIMS, Elizabeth - see Sims listings
8. Martha Ellen, m. STALNAKER, David
9. Harriet Lucinda, b. 23 Mar 1856
.............................d. 21 Sept. 1918
.............................m. 30 Mar 1882
..................................WILLIAMS, Marcellus
10. Mary Sophronia, b. 1851
................................d. 1931
................................m. GEORGE, Peter, b. 1856
................................................................d. 1937
11. Benjamin Franklin, b. 1860
...................................d. 1939
...................................m. 12 Sept. 1880, Roane Co., W.Va.
........................................SEAMAN, Mary F. b. 1861
........................................................................d. 1932
........................................daughter of David and Nancy Seaman
3 other children who died young." (end of pg. 137)
(pg. 138 - my copy of this page is faded in some spots where I cannot read I note in < >)
RADER, Harriett, (daughter of Joseph)
b. 15 Dec. 1818 <cannot see where, but in (W)Va.>
d. 25 July 1902, Burried in Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, Roane Co., W.Va.
m. 8 March 1836 in Jackson Co., (W) Va.
.....(1) ASHLEY, James Madison, brother of Wiley Ashley who married Elizabeth Walker, sister of Macklin Walker
.....(2) SLEETH, Renfrew Salathiel (Welsh descent)
Children (1).
1. Emma Delia, b. Aug. 1840, Kanawha Co., (W) Va.
............................................d. Dec. 1926
............................................m. Roane Co., (W) Va.
................................................SMITH, John D. Lewis, b. 2 Dec. 1840, Kanawha Co., (W) Va.
......................................................................................d. 1871
2. Martha, m. CLINE (?), Girard
3. Benson, m. THORN, Clarissa
4. Albert, m. THORN, Emily
5. Catharine, m. SIMS, Martin Luther (Lute) - see Sims listing

RADER, Samuel Randolph (son of Phillip) - Closest neighbor of Benjamin J. Sims
b. 1853
m. CAIN, Susan Louisa
Children:
1. Vincent
2. George
3. Otto
4. Leander, m. SIMS, Susan, daughter of Charles Monroe SIMS
5. Herbert
6. Laura
7. Estile, m. SIMS, Granville (II), son of Charles Monroe SIMS"

End of listing for RADER FAMILY

Andrew Jackson Pickerell (Mariah's and Levi's child) was my great great grandfather. He married Susan Elizabeth Sims ( I have their marriage record and it lists them as A. J. Pickerell and S. E. Sims). pg. 16 of the same book as above lists the following:

"Information obtained from: "History of Roane County" by Bishop, pg. 654-655

SIMS, Martin W.
b. 12 June 1815, Harrison County, Virginia
d. 15 Feb 1882, Roane County, Virginia; buried Cain's Run, Sims Cemetery
m. 1835
.....WAGGONER (WAGNER), Susannah, b. 1814
children:
1. Granville, b. 1837, Harrison (now Lewis) County, Virginia
2. John Wesley, b. 20 Oct. 1839, Lewis County, Virginia
3. Edward (Ned), d. age 16; drowned in James River in Virginia during Civil War while in military service
4. Minter B., d. 24 Mar 1852 in youth
5. Henry Maddison (Dock), b. 1843, Harrison County, Virginia
6. Perry C. (Pad), d. 1920?
7. Martin Luther (Lute), b. 30 Mar 1856
8. Olive M. b. 2 Mar 1847
9. Mary Eliza (Lizzie), b. May 1849
10. Susan Elizabeth (Bett), b. 14 Nov. 1853

Martin and Susanna Sims lived the first seven years of married life in Lewis County, W. Va., moving to Reedy area, Roane County, in 1845. They bought a farm in 1852 of 900 to 1000 acres from William Sheppard (See Jackson County records). They hired 10 to 15 neighbors to clear and till the land while Martin built and established a store.

During the Civil War, when his sons Granville, John Wesley and Edward (Ned), along with many men of the community went to war, Martin tried to provide for the women and children who were left alone and nearly went broke doing so and had to sell much of his land.

The old Sims Cemetery, located on Cain's Run, is part of the farm where he first settled when he came to the valley of Left Reedy Creek in 1845.

Martin Sims contracted and built part of the Spencer - Ravenswood Pike, which passed through the town of Reedy, not far from his home. He was also part or share-owner of the first steam mill in Roane County; he was a protestant methodist and a democrat, and a carpenter by trade.

Frank and Nelson Sims, brothers of Martin, came to Jackson, Wirt County, W. Va., about 1830 bringing with them Wallace Dobson, whose wife was a Waggoner, sister of Susanna Sims. They were daughters of William Waggoner of Lewis County, W.Va. Their grandfather, John M. Waggoner, was a famous indian fighter and scout of pioneer days and a Revolutionary Soldier. The John Waggoner and John Sims (grandfather of Martin) families were close friends and neighbors for many years, each living in Hardy, Tucker, and Lewis Counties at the same times, according to history and census records. (Taken from "West Virginia and Its People," Vol. 3 and "Sims Genealogy" by Harold D. Somerville of Sandyville, W.Va.)" (end page 16).

B. Proving the Secondary Data:

It seems that most of the research is done doesn't it? well...since this work doesn't contain sources I find it hard to believe that everything is correct in it. Add to the fact that the book states that my Sims family is connected to Tecumsah directly and I just HAVE to question its authenticity. So its on to the courthouse records to prove or disprove the information that is contained in the book.

The first record I look for is Joseph Rader and Martha (Rayburn) Rader's death certificate. It is the latest record that would be found in the lifetime of Joseph Rader and Martha (Rayburn) Rader and being the closest to the present time probably the best bet to get a primary source for the information. Since the book states they both died in Wirt Co., WV that is the first place I look and after looking through the record I find the 2 death certificates. They both are the same date listed in the record above. They also both list the age of Joseph and Martha at the time of their deaths. I can now start my biographical outline.

Example 1: Beginning the biographical outline (putting known data on the individual B/M/D, leaving spaces for known census years that the individual could have been listed in.) Note: I put this in order from death to birth. I will flip it later. If you want to do it the other way you can, I just think it is easier if I do not know the exact date of birth for an individual to start with their death:

This is the simple beginning of the biographical outline. Remember, when you start you may only have one item on the individual, be it death date, marriage date, birth date or even a census listing. As you research the individual further you will be able to fill in the obvious dates for B/M/D's (Birth, Marriages, Death). Your goal is to fill in between the B/M/D dates using any documents that you might find on an individual, including but not only the following: Census records, Children's B/M/D dates, Church Records, Land Records, Probate Records and other significant data. Note that I left a line open for every year that occurred in the timeline of this couple's lifetime. I did that because it helps me find and place new information in the format that I have made for this biographical outline. I've also noted the years of the census records for this individual in the outline.

Remember, if you cannot locate a date, a biographical outline can assist in determining them. For instance, in using an outline, you can estimate the marriage dates by the dates of the birth of the first child known (I use 1 to 2 years before their birth). If the last child was 2 in the census after the mother died (father is listed as widow) you can estimate that she died after the time that the child was born and before the census was taken. Note this is not a definite approach, this is just an estimated time frame for further research. I usually note my Estimates with the word Est. In the spot where my date is usually located.

My next step is to find them in their census records. Upon searching through the census records I discover that the 1790 and 1800 census records were destroyed for Virginia (WV didn't separate till 1864). I add the census records to the outline, look to see when the area was formed and from what counties it was formed and add that to my outline. Then I look at my outline and note any war's or important events that are known to me that occurred during their lifetime. I use the locations found in the census records, when they were formed and where they were formed from to check for other courthouse records and documents that can add to my outline.

The next step is to find out if the individual had any siblings, children and parents and place the B/M/D's that occurred within the lifetime of my target individual in my outline. These would have probably affected his life. If I can I find their estate, wills or find them in the land records, I place the information into the outline as well.

I found a cousin who had a copy of some of the pages from a bible from a great grandson of Joseph Rader and sent me the page on Joseph Rader's family. She did not have a copy of the publication date page for the bible so I have noted the birth of Alton Clyde Rader in the outline. I did this because records from his bible were listed as a source. Since the date of publication is not known for the bible, the fact that Alton Clyde Rader lived during the lifetime of Joseph Rader has relevance in determining the validity of the source.

Then I gathered up all the data I had for Joseph and Martha (Rayburn / Raburn) Rader and placed it into the biographical outline

So now my biographical outline looks like this:

From this abbreviated listing of my biographical outline for this family, you can see that even basic outlines can get quite lengthy.

Before I got the copy of Joseph Rader's War of 1812 papers, I didn't have a marriage date, but I did know when the first child was born from the Bible Record so I estimated (Est.) the marriage date of Joseph Rader and Martha Rayburn at about 1813. I would have liked to have found the marriage record for them at the courthouse . . . but that is a problem with records this early. So I decided to continue to fill in data for the outline. The areas that Joseph Rader and Martha Rayburn lived had numerous courthouse fires and also that the marriages for this time frame are sketchy if they do exist. So I looked for available records at the courthouses and find that the marriage license is not recorded for the time period that I listed in my estimate, indeed not for the entire year and 5 years before or after the date. I finally admitted that it was probably destroyed or not recorded so I realized that I needed to look for further data to see if I can locate more information on this marriage date to lock it down.

I noticed that my original listing has that Joseph Rader served in the War of 1812 and his father, Michael Rader served in the Revolutionary War. I send out to the National Archives for Joseph Rader's War of 1812 pension file and find Michael Rader's Revolutionary War pension file online at Heritage Quest. I include what I find in the two pension files in my biographical outline. Within Joseph Rader's War of 1812 pension from the National Archives I finally find a date and place of marriage for Joseph Rader and Martha Rayburn. I note this in my outline deleting my estimated date and putting the actual date in its place. I also note any names that I didn't have in my file and if known what relationship to the family in the outline. I also note that Ancestry.com states that a Michael Rader served in the War of 1812. I am not sure whether or not this is my Michael Rader (the father of Joseph Rader) or his son, Michael Rader, Jr. (brother of Joseph Rader). I have not recieved any papers on this service.

So I add the following lines in their proper place to my outline listed above:

At this point, I am pretty sure that without a trip to West Virginia or ordering a ton of films from The Church of Latterday Saints that I have basically come to knowing everything I can about Joseph Rader. My next step is to flip the biographical outline, putting birth information first and the death information on Martha (Rayburn) Rader last on the listing. I then look for clues to what I am missing, what I need to order from The Church of Latterday Saints or look into on my next trip down to West Virginia, the state that he lived in. I also need to add maps to the area if I can find them to help understand more about the area. There is still a lot to be done and more to find out about Joseph. The biographical outline has answered some of my questions, but it has raised several others. One of which is what happened to Joseph's property? I haven't been able to find a will. Did he make one? What does the Fidiciary note mean that W. A. Rader, their son, took for his mother after she died? Is there some estate sale or inventory that I am missing? I need to add more day to day information. What happened to them in 1840? Did the fact that so many individuals in the family died in that year have something to do with the reason I can't find them? I need to look for new areas to research and fill out my research checklist for them to put in my file so that I can see what I need to order or get from the courthouse.