 Robert Anderson Rutledge was the youngest son of Rosannah Work and David Rutledge. Alexander Work 1805-1883 was his maternal grandfather. R.A. Rutledge gathered information from his mother and from other family members for many years, and eventually wrote this account. In a letter written in March 1934 to "Uncle James and Aunt Minnie" he says "Since I have been laid up I have again taken up something I laid aside several years ago and that is a record of the family. In some old papers I found some information which Uncle Thomas and Uncle Joe furnished several years ago and some which I have gathered from other sources." The typewritten document we have is dated May 4, 1934. It has been transcribed and readied for the web by Jane Crow Rutledge. We cannot vouch for the accuracy of every fact, but we do know that the information came to RAR from family sources. Corrections we are able to verify will be added in red, in square brackets. Additional information from RAR's papers will be added as we find it. Currently there's a transcription of a handwritten list of births and deaths, probably sent to him from a descendant of Diantha Work Smith. We've also added excerpts from a letter written in 1941 to RAR's daughter Helen Rutledge Beal by a McMichael descendant. Added June 15, 2008: Information on the Joseph Alexander Work family, from a handwritten document probably written by "Uncle Joe" himself. |
RECORD OF THE FAMILY OF ALEXANDER WORK1805-1883and his wives Margaret McMichael and Hannah March
Alexander’s mother’s maiden name was McQueen. He had two brothers, Robert and James. They were all born in East Waterford, Perry Co., Pa. [East Waterford is actually in Juniata County.] He also had one and perhaps two sisters. The record is not clear as to this.
James had one son and four daughters. The son’s name was Thomas M. The oldest daughter married a man named Doblets. The youngest daughter married a Mr. Deem. Robert had one son and four daughters. The son’s name was Robert and he never married. The oldest Daughter married but there is no record of her married name or of her family. The other daughters died when quite young. MARGARET McMICHAEL’S mother’s maiden name was Martha McDowell and she married Matthew [probably Thomas] McMichael. They had four sons and three daughters. The sons were Robert, James, Matthew and Thomas. The girls were Sarah, Polly and Margaret. Sarah married Robert McQueen. Polly married Robert Irven and after his death married James Randolph. Margaret married Alexander Work. Her father, Mathew McMichael, died in 1825 and is buried at Conneaut Lake, Pa., on the ground now occupied by the monument to Old Soldiers [I suspect that Margaret's father is the Thomas McMichael 1776-1825 buried at the McMichael Cemetery in Crawford County]. ALEXANDER WORK was born Oct. 29th, 1805 and married MARGARET McMICHAEL Aug 22nd, 1831. He died Mar. 30th 1883. She died Mar. 2nd. 1844. They had three sons and two daughters. The sons were Thomas McMichael, Robert McQueen and Matthew. The daughters were Rosannah and Martha Jane. ROSANNAH married DAVID RUTLEDGE and her family will be given under a separate head. THOMAS McMICHAEL was born Jan. 14th 1834 and his first wife was Margaret Irvin. They were married Feby.18th 1862, in Lawrence, Kans. She died about 1903, in Ellsworth, Kans. He then married Miss Dessie Long of Shippensberg, Pa. Aug. 18th 1905. Both are now deceased. ROBERT McQUEEN was born Sept. 11th 1836. and married Margaret Morgan probably in Wisconsin. Both are deceased. MARTHA JANE was born Nov. 26th 1838. and married James M. Stewart, a dentist, of Clearfield, Pa. Both deceased. MATTHEW was born June 20th. 1841, and married Mary Eliza Miller of Conneaut Lake Pa. Both deceased.
ALEXANDER WORK AND HANNAH MARCH were married in Perry Co. Pa. Nov, 7th 1850. They had five sons and two daughters. The sons were Joseph Alexander, James Wood, John Calvin, William Edward and Albert Patterson who died when he was four [originally typed as “seven”, crossed out and “four” substituted in longhand.] years old. The daughters were Diantha and Hannah Elizabeth. DIANTHA was born May 20th 1851 in Blain, Perry Co. Pa. and married Martin Smith in Perry Co. Pa. and moved to Odebolt, Ia. Were on a farm near there and then moved into town. Both are deceased. JOSEPH ALEXANDER was born Dec. 30th 1852, in Blain, Perry Co. Pa. and married Alice Anna Lupher in Springfield, Ohio. Both are deceased. JAMES WOOD was born Nov 2nd 1855 in Blain, Perry Co. Pa. and married Minne E. Fish of Canyon city, Colo. Both living 5-1-1934. JOHN CALVIN was born in Donnelley’s Mill, Perry Co., Pa. April 13th 1857. and married Suzanna Shelly in Odebolt, Ia. Oct. 13th 1885 and moved to Ord, Nebraska. She was born July 20th 1867. Both are deceased. WILLIAM EDWARD was born Nov. 7th 1858 and married Minnie Richardson in Sioux City, Ia. She died Aug 22nd 1898. He is living 5-1-1934. ALBERT PATTERSON was born July 11th 1860. Died Oct. 24th 1864. [1867 according to the Joseph Alexander Work listing quoted below] HANNAH ELIZABETH was born Aug. 3rd 1862. Married Wick King of Clearfield, Pa. She still lives there. He is deceased. The descendants of ROSANNAH WORK and DAVID RUTLEDGE will be given in a separate list. CARRIE EFFIE Born Dec. 8th1863. Died Sept. 26th 1864. HARRY, born Aug 3rd 1864, in Lawrence, Kans. Died Dec. 25th 1927, in Long Beach, Cali. WILLIAM BROWN born June 23rd 1867 in Lawrence, Kans. Died Nov. 28th in Las Vegas, N. Mex. Buried in Ellsworth, Kans. Harry married Chesta Yeager May 15th 1888. Chesta died Feby. 25th 1926. They had two sons and three daughters. Roy, Keith, Rita, Lucile and Hazel. ROY was born May 21st 1889 and married Carrie Harper of Hutchinson, Kans. Oct. 14th, 1915. They had two sons, John Harper, born Aug. 19th 1916, and LeRoy Work, born March 25th, 1918. After his first wife died, Roy married Leita B. Coover Sept. 29th 1921. They have no children. RITA was born Oct. 18th 1890. She married Walter Mann, an Atty. in Los Angeles, Nov. 24th, 1921. They live in Eagle Rock Cali. They have no children. LUCILE was born March 20th, 1894 and married Parker Allison, a Pres. Minister in Ellsworth, Kans. Dec. 27th 1918 and now live in Boston Mass. They have three children. William, born Aug. 21st 1920. Mary Lucile born June 15th 1925, and Martha Jean, born June 17th 1927. HAZEL was born July 7th 1898. She married Mr. Clark Richardson of Los Angeles, Cali. June 1st 1934. KEITH was born Sept. 29th 1907 and married Marguerite Crawford of Los Angeles, Cali. April 13th 1928. They live in Hollywood, Cali. and have no children. CELIA married Harry Hart and they live in Elroy, Wis. They have two children. ROSE died Dec 26th 1901. IDA married a Mr. Caney [probably Cheney] and they live in Elroy, Wis. A fourth girl died in early youth. MARTHA JANE WORK AND JAMES M. STEWART. Both deceased. CLARENCE married Ida C. Cardon of Clearfield, Pa. March 23rd 1898, and they now live in Pittsburg, Pa. MATTHEW WORK AND MARY ELIZA MILLER. Both deceased. ROBERT married in Andover, Ohio, and they still live there. They had three boys and two girls. The boys were Merrril R., Boyd H. and one died in infancy. The girls Lovinda married Nelson Scott at Conneaut Lake, Pa. They have two children, Chesta and George. CORINA married Walter Raydure. They have two children, Austa and Cecil. GRAND CHILDREN OF ALEXANDER WORK AND HANNAH MARCH DIANTHA WORK AND MARTIN SMITH had one son and three daughters. The son’s name was Cloyd. He built a rural telephone line into Sioux City, Ia. And sold at a profit and then organized The American Pop Corn Co. He was married but his wife is dead. He lives in Sioux City. The youngest girl married a Mr. Tinkleson.[Therkelsen] They have two sons and live in Denver, Colo. JOSEPH ALEXANDER WORK AND ALICE ANNA LUPHER [Lupfer], had two sons and two daughters. WILLIAM ROTH was born May 4th 1881. He teachers in Carnegie Inst. In Pittsburg, Pa. GRACE LUPHER [Lupfer] was born Nov. 30th 1882 and married Harry Dryer Hunter Oct. 12th 1904. NORMAN RALPH was born Oct 31st 1885. Died in early manhood. HELEN MARGUERITE was born July 27th 1895. JAMES WOOD WORK AND MINNIE FISH had one son and four daughters. MEROAH N. was born April 30th 1891. She married Clifford LaVergn Dunlap Sept. 27th 1919. They have no children and live in Denver, Colo. MARGARET was born April 9th 1893 and died March 9th 1914 in Ocmulgee, Okla. HELENE was born Jan. 15th 1806 and died Aug 6th 1897. FITZJAMES was born July 11th 1899 and was married April 10th 1922 to Nellie Tompkins. They live in Long Beach, Cali. LOUISE was born April 23rd 1902. She is a graduate trained nurse and lives in Denver, Colo. JOHN CALVIN WORK AND SUZANNE SHELLY had one son and two daughters. Have no record of the son. The oldest daughter, Grace married Mr. Keaton and lives in Loveland, Colo. The youngest is married and lives in ElCentro, Cali. WILLIAM EDWARD WORK AND MINNIE RICHARDSON had one son and one daughter. Have no record of their names or dates of births. ALBERT PATTERSON WORK died when four years old. HANNAH ELIZABETH WORK AND WICK KING had no children. TOPEKA, KANSAS. 5-4-1934. R.A. Rutledge. 828 West Street Also among RAR’s papers is a small sheet of lined paper with handwritten information. I do not recognize the handwriting, but it is probably from Diantha Work Smith or one of her family.
Alexander Work Died March 30, 1883 Born Martin Smith born Nov 17th 1849 Diantha Smith May 20 1852 Cloid Huber Smith Aug 14 1871 Clara May Smith March 15 1877 Dora Bell Smith Oct 7th 1879 Mernie Lucretia Smith Apr 19 1884 Roy William Smith Jan 11 89
Thos Jan 14, 1834 Robt Sept 11 1836 Martha Jane Nov 26 1838 Matthew June 20 1841 William Edward Work Nov 7th 1858 Albert Patterson July 11 1860 Hannah Elizabeth Aug 5 1862 Joseph Alex born Dec 30 1852 James Wood Nov 2nd 1855 John Calvin Apr 13 1857
Dated 13 Feb 1941, this letter was sent to RAR's daughter, Helen Rutledge Beal, from Myrtle Adams of Greenville, PA, after RAR's death. Miss Adams sends sympathy and mentions a visit she had with RAR in Lawrence, KS. She continues: "if you have any records of the Rutlege [sic] family would like to have them as Mrs Wallace and myself are trying to make a record of the McMichael families ... . Your father's grandmother is buried in the McMichael Cemetery near Adamsville Pa on part of the first grandfather's homestead. Her name was Margaret McMichael Work a sister of my grandfather Thomas McMichael. My mother was daughter. My mother passed away 3 years ago Feb 6th and was buried in this cemetery near her father and mother on same lot." Among RAR's papers is a list of births and deaths handwritten on a sheet of paper bearing the letterhead of The Springfield Metallic Casket Co. of Springfield, Ohio. Among the officers listed on the letterhead is E.N. Lupfer, Secretary and General Manager, which links the list to Joseph Alexander Work and his wife Alice Anna Lupfer.
Last updated 15 June 2008. Questions, comments, and corrections are welcomed; please email me. |
