Rufus Cleveland

Cleveland, Rufus, died Feb. 22, 1838, age 82 yrs. Revolutionary War.

Find A Grave contributor Cathy Combs adds:
Rufus Cleveland, the eighth child of Benjamin and Rachel Cleveland, was born in Canterbury, CT, June 14, 1754. He married first, in Ellington, CT, Sept. 9, 1779, Mary Chamberlain, eldest daughter of Capt. James and Abigail (Boynton) Chamberlain. She was born in Coventry, CT, Aug. 7, 1759; died in Winsted, CT, Nov. 13, 1807. He married second, in Winsted, CT, May 1, 1808, Mrs. Alice (Jenkins) Kent, wid. of John Kent, and daughter of Edward and Jerusha (Neal) Jenkins. She was born in MA 1771; died in Winsted, CT, Oct. 14,1833.
Children, by wife Mary:
1. Chester, born June 30, 1780; drowned Aug. 26, 1795.
2. Clarissa, born Feb. 6, 1V82; died June 12, 1822.
3. Alexander, born Oct. 16, 1783; died Sept. 5, 1860.
4. Oren, born May 3, 1785; res, Huntsburg, Geauga county, OH.
5. James Chamberlain,* born Jan. 9, 1787; died Sept. 1, 1875.
6. Horace, born Feb. 25, 1789; died Sept. 13, 1864.
7. Mary, born March 21, 1791; died Sept. 21, 1791.
8. Nancy, born Aug. 22, 1792; died May 20, 1827.
9. Betsey, born Aug. 31, 1794; died Oct. 18, 1827.
10. Mary, (again), born May 23, 1796; died Oct. 12, 1838.
11. Son, born June 5, 1798; died June 5, 1798.
12. Daughter, born Feb. 17, 1800; died Feb. 17, 1800.
13. Daughter, born Sept 14, 1801; died Sept. 14, 1801.
14. Charles Chester Warner, born Jan. 20, 1803; res. Catskill, NY by wife Alice:
15. Alice, born Oct. 2, 1809; res. Perry, Pike county, IL.
16. John Kent, born May 12, 1811; res. Perry, Pike county, IL.
Rufus Cleveland, was a farmer. He was of medium height, florid complexion, light curly hair, and blue eyes. Was a fine singer, fond of a good story, and industrious and temperate in his habits. He served as a soldier during the Revolutionary war, and paid his marriage fee in one hundred dollars of Continental currency. Being employed by Capt. Chamberlain upon his farm, he conveniently courted and in due time married his first wife. Miss Mollie, eldest daughter of his employer; and when his father-in-law removed from Ellington, in Tolland county, to Warehouse Point, in East Windsor, Hartford county, CT, he, with his wife and family, accompanied him. This was in the spring of 1782 or 1783. He remained in East Windsor until the spring of 1787, when he removed to Barkhamstead, Litchfield county, CT, and purchased a farm of his own on Wallen s Hill. Here his wife died in the autumn of 1807, of a fever contracted from nursing a neighbor s wife, and who also died of the same fever, which at that time prevailed as an epidemic in the neighborhood. Her kindness to the sick, and readiness to watch with and care for them at all times, made her greatly beloved, and her departure from earth was mourned as if a ministering angel had been taken away indeed. In the old burying- ground on the Hill may be seen the graves of this worthy couple, and the inscriptions upon the headstones placed there are as follows:
"In memory of Rufus Cleveland, who died Feb. 22, 1838, aged 83 years."
"In memory of Mrs. Mary Cleveland, wife of Rufus Cleveland, and daughter of Capt. James Chamberlain, who died Novem. 13, 1807, in the 49th year of her age."
His second wife, who died of cancer after a distressing and protracted illness, was buried in the village cemetery, in Winsted. The inscription on her tombstone is simply —
"Alice, wife of Rufus Cleveland, died Oct. 14, 1833."
Rufus Cleveland was in his eighty -fourth year when he died, and not in his eighty-third, as the inscription indicates. As will be noted, four children are yet living — two by the first and two by the second wife — but very soon the places which know them now, will know them no more forever.

Inscription
As per "A Genealogy of Benjamin Cleveland, A Great-Grandson of Moses Cleveland, of Woburn, Mass., and a Native of Canterbury, Windham County, Conn.", by Horace Gillette Cleveland. 1879:

The inscription on his headstone reads:
"In memory of Rufus Clevelan, who died Feb. 22, 1838, aged 82 years."