Nancy Rittenhouse

Obituary of Nancy C. Kelly Rittenhouse Rushville Times, June 21, 1900 Mrs. Nancy Rittenhouse died at her home in Bainbridge township on Tuesday at the advanced age of 78 years. She had been ill but a short time. Mrs. Rittenhouse was an early settle in Schuyler county, moving here in 1848. She was the mother of eleven children, a number of whom are residents of this county. Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock

Rushville Times - June 28, 1900 Nancy Kelly was born in Switzerland county, Indiana, Nov. 9, 1822, died June 19, 1900, aged 78 years, 7 months and 10 days. She was married to Wm. Rittenhouse Jan. 1st. 1839. To this union was born 15 children, 11 of whom are left, with one brother and two sisters, to mourn her loss. She came to Illinois in 1848 and settled in Schuyler county, where she has since resided. When 12 years of age she professed religion and joined the Union Baptist church and has lived a devoted Christian ever since.

The golden gates were opened,

A gentle voice said come. And with farewells unspoken

She calmly entered home.

Note: She is the daughter of Henry and Sarah "Sary" Reamer Kelly and granddaughter of David and Nancy Smith Reamer.

Kelly AKA Kelley (???).
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Nancy Kelly-Rittenhouse was the second child born to: Henry Kelly, born in Virginia, 17-Dec 1793. He died on 8 Aug 1843 in Posey Township, Switzerland County, Indiana. Nancy's mother was Sarah Reamer (AKA Remer?), the 6th daughter and 9th child of David Reamer and Nancy Smith. Sarah was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, 6 May 1800 and died 20 Sep 1851 most likely Cave-in-Rock, Hardin, Illinois. They married 26 Mar 1818 in Posey, Switzerland, Indiana and had the following children...

CHILDREN of Henry Kelly and Sarah Reamer. (i.e. the siblings of Nancy Kelly-Rittenhouse)}

1. William, born 18 Aug 1820, died 4 Oct 1842, no issue.

2. Nancy [this F.A.G. record], born 9 Nov 1822, died 20 Jun 1900, married William Rittenhouse.

3. David, born 9 Mar 1825, died Dec 1875, no issue.

4. Thomas, born 18 Nov 1827, died 31 Mar 1854, married Mary Jane Roberts.

5. Catherine, born 21 Dec 1829, died 28 Jun 1914, married Isaiah Gustin.

6. George, born 5 Mar 1832, died 28 Jul 1852.  Nothing further known.

7. James, born 13 Nov 1834, died 17 May 1923, married Mary Jane Roberts, daughter of William Roberts and Elizabeth Waugh.

8. Hannah, born 23 Feb 1837, died 4 Oct 1839, 2 years, 7 months, 11 days.

9. Sarah, born 26 Aug 1839, died 15 Sep 1920, married John Henry Lawler. 10. Henry, born 20 Mar 1842, died 5 Mar 1884, no issue.

Nancy's parents, Henry and Sarah Kelly farmed 80 acres in Switzerland County, Indiana. Martin Blum & James Finley released the West ½ of Sec 31 T3N, R1W to Henry on 9 Aug 1831. Peter Lostutter sold to Henry and Sarah Kelly, William and Nancy Rittenhouse a parcel of land comprising of eight and 43/100 in the NE1/2 of the NE ¼ Sec 31, T3N, R1W.
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Nancy married William Rittenhouse on 1 Jan 1840, Posey Township, Switzerland County, Indiana. William was born 8 Jan 1818 in Switzerland County, Indiana and died 23 Apr 1879 in Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler County, Illinois. The following children were born to them: Henry, Enoch, Washington, Sara, Rosanna, Marion Francis, Mary, Thomas, William S., Delila, James, Hiram and Nancy Jane. They moved to Schuyler County, Illinois around 1848 and settled on Section 17 in Bainbridge Township.

"After four of their children were born, William came to Illinois and made a claim on what is now known as Aunt Nancy and Uncle Tom Burnside farm, south of Rushville. He returned to Indiana for Nancy and the four children. They came down the Ohio and up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers by boat, landed at Frederick in the fall of 1848. They walked and carried Washington and Sarah. Enoch was six years old and Henry was eight years old, Washington was three years old and Sarah was one year old. They also carried a boiler of dried apples and clothes and a rifle. They walked as far as Bill Icenogle's homestead the first day, on what is now known as the Henry Burnside's farm. They settled on 160 acres, where Aunt Nancy Burnside lived. William and Nancy were a good, honest, hardworking couple, very religious, they were Baptists. They soon made friends on arriving here, cleared the land, made ties and cord wood, raised cows and hogs. As the boys grew up, they loved to hunt and trap. There were a lot of wild tomatoes on their land and they tried to feed them to the hogs, but they refused to eat them, so William and Nancy were afraid to eat them also. After they were there for a while, William traded his rifle to a Mr. Warrington for 40 more acres. William said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, to part with his rifle. Nancy's hobby was knitting socks and smoking a pipe. She carded wool, colored it and made their clothes. William's death was caused from a carbuncle and pneumonia. He died at the age of 61 years - 21 years before Nancy's death. Nancy and Tom Burnside moved on the old homestead in the fall of 1899 and Nancy lived with them. She passed away in June 1900 at the age of 78 years. She suffered terribly from what the doctors called lockage of the bowels. Nancy requested that she be buried the same day she died, as she did not wish to be embalmed". Her wish was granted and she was buried the next afternoon."

"Nancy, undoubtedly the oldest or the next to the oldest of the oldest of the Kelly family married William Rittenhouse and came to Frederick about 1842. . He owned the 40 acres now owned by his youngest and only living child, Nancy Burnsides. He had a very large family who has made history in Schuyler County, they were, Henry, Enoch, Washington, Marion, Thomas, James, William, Hiram, Mary Rittenhouse Hatfield, Sarah Montague, Rose Grist, Nancy Burnsides. Wm. Rittenhouse lived until about 1879 and died at his home near Hard Scrabble Church, Bainbridge Twp. Nancy, his wife, died in the 90's".
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See also (book): "History & Genealogy of the Manlove - Tharp - Reamer - Smith - Kelly Pioneer Families of Schuyler County, Illinois" by Oliver Harmon Kelly.
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Obit of Nancy, 21 June 1900. "Mrs. Nancy Rittenhouse died at her home in Bainbridge township on Tuesday at the advanced age of 78 years. She had been but ill for a short time. Mrs. Rittenhouse was an early settler in Schuyler county, moving here in 1848. She was the mother of eleven children, a number of whom are residents of this county. Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock."

Nancy and William are both buried in the Ebenezer AKA "Hardscrabble" Cemetery in Schuyler county, Illinois. A large stone marks their grave site.

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Obituary of Nancy C. [sic] Kelly Rittenhouse - Rushville Times [Schuyler Co., Rushville, IL], June 21, 1900: "Mrs. Nancy Rittenhouse died at her home in Bainbridge township on Tuesday at the advanced age of 78 years. She had been ill but a short time. Mrs. Rittenhouse was an early settle in Schuyler county, moving here in 1848. She was the mother of eleven children, a number of whom are residents of this county. Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock." --- Rushville Times - June 28, 1900: "Nancy Kelly was born in Switzerland county, Indiana, Nov. 9, 1822, died June 19, 1900, aged 78 years, 7 months and 10 days. She was married to Wm. Rittenhouse Jan. 1st. 1839. To this union was born 15 children, 11 of whom are left, with one brother and two sisters, to mourn her loss. She came to Illinois in 1848 and settled in Schuyler county, where she has since resided. When 12 years of age she professed religion and joined the Union Baptist church and has lived a devoted Christian ever since."

The golden gates were opened,

 A gentle voice said come. And with farewells unspoken

 She calmly entered home.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 29 2020, 15:35:50 UTC

Obituary of William Rittenhouse: "Rittenhouse, William - Died on the 23d inst., at his residence in Bainbridge township, of typhoid pneumonia, after a few days illness, Mr. William Rittenhouse, in the 61st year of his age, The deceased was a native of Kentucky, but emigrated to Indiana when he was a young man, where he married Miss Nancy Kelly. He united with the Baptist church in 1840 in Switzerland county, Indiana, emigrated to this county in 1848, where he has resided ever since. respected by his neighbors for his honesty and uprightness. He leaves a wife and 12 children (8 boys and 4 girls) to mourn his death."

SOURCE: Rushville Times [Schuyler Co., Rushville, IL], April 25, 1879.

Note: William was born January 8, 1818 in Boone County, Kentucky, the son of Enoch Rittenhouse and Rosana "Rosey" Smithers-Rittenhouse, died April 23, 1879 Bainbridge Township, Schuyler County, Illinois, buried Ebenezer Cemetery, Bainbridge Township, Schuyler County, Illinois.
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Married: 01-JAN-1840 Posey Twp., Switzerland Co., IN.
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DEATH RECORD:

1. 216 - Wm. Rittenhouse; Age: 61y; Died: 23 Apr. 1879, Where died: Bainbridge Tp.; Where buried: Ebenezer Cemetery, Bainbridge Tp.

SOURCE: Schuyler Co., IL. - Death Records, Book 1, 1877-1903, Pages 15 - 21, Rec. No.216.
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CHILDREN: i. Henry Rittenhouse b.14-OCT-1840 Switzerland Co., IN. ii. Enoch Rittenhouse b.01-MAR-1842 Rising Sun, Switzerland Co., IN. iii. Washington Rittenhouse b.13-OCT-1845 Rising Sun, Switzerland Co., IN. iv. Sarah Rittenhouse b.24-SEP-1847 Rising Sun, Switzerland Co., IN. v. Rosana Rittenhouse b.06-SEP-1849 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. vi. Marion Francis Rittenhouse b.31-JUL-1851 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. vii. Mary Mavis Rittenhouse b.29-JUL-1853 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. viii. Thomas Rittenhouse b.26-APR-1855 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. ix. William S. Rittenhouse b.11-FEB-1857 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. x. Delilah Rittenhouse b.24-FEB-1859 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL. xi. James Rittenhouse b.26-FEB-1861 Schuyler Co., IL. xii. Hiram Rittenhouse b.13-NOV-1863 Schuyler Co., IL. xiii. Nancy Jane Rittenhouse b.23-AUG-1865 Bainbridge Twp., Schuyler Co., IL.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 29 2020, 16:53:20 UTC