Tombstone Tuesday: Joseph Rinehart and Margaret Shanklin

Hubby's great-great-grandfather was Joseph W. Rinehart (1806-1888) and his great-great-grandmother was Margaret Shanklin (or Shankland or Shank, 1807-1873).

These Rineharts are buried in Oceola Cemetery #1, a cemetery that isn't the easiest to locate without precise directions for Crawford County, Ohio. Hubby and I went there a few years ago to photograph their graves and research their lives. It turns out they are the only Rineharts in that cemetery, although other Rineharts that belong to the same family are buried not far away.

There are still so many unanswered questions. What was Joseph's middle name? What was Margaret's real maiden name? Most important, where in Europe did the Rinehart and Shanklin families leave to come to America in the 1700s?

Joseph was reportedly born in Pennsylvania--where? His parents' names are a mystery (father's first name, I don't know; mother's first name was Elizabeth but maiden name unknown). Margaret was reportedly born in Delaware--where? And what were her parents' names? Still researching...

By 1834, they were married and living in Ashland county, OH, where the first child was born. Later, they moved to Crawford county, OH. In all, Joseph and Margaret had 6 children that I know of: Elizabeth Jane, Joseph Charles, Hugh, Mary Elizabeth, Sarah, and Nancy.

On Tombstone Tuesday, I'm remembering them by submitting edits to link the family on Find A Grave.

52 Ancestors #39: Great-Great Grandma Margaret Shank or Shankland?

Just 207 years ago this month (September, 1807), hubby's great-great grandma Margaret Shank was born, supposedly in Delaware (according to the 1850 and 1860 censuses). She married g-g-grandpa Joseph W. Rinehart (1806-1888) in the 1830s and they were the parents of 6 children:

• Elizabeth Jane
• Joseph Charles
• Hugh
• Mary Elizabeth
• Sarah
• Nancy (Nannie)

Margaret's maiden name is either Shank (Shenk? Schenk?) or Shanklin, according to various documents. Findagrave has 11 "Shank" folks buried in Crawford County, OH, where Margaret died in 1873 and not one Shanklin. Similarly, Delaware's Findagrave has no Shanklins but some Shanks buried. However, the 1860 Census has 2 Shanklin families in Sussex county, Delaware--but is that because the surname wasn't spelled correctly?

Shanklin might also be spelled Shankland--and there were Shanklands in Delaware, I know from various histories. Looking again at Findagrave, I found no Shanklands in Crawford County but six early Shanklands in Delaware. Checking the 1820 census, I found two Shankland families in Sussex county, Delaware, a Daniel and a Saloman, with very small households. No Shanklands in the 1860 Delaware census, by the way, but 8 Shanklands in the 1860 Ohio census and 15 Shanklins in the 1860 Ohio census (none in Crawford county).

In particular, one couple (Mary [maiden name UNK] Shankland, d. 1855 and William Shankland, d. 1815) are possible parents for Margaret. They were buried in Lewes Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Lewes, Delaware. Was this Margaret's family? More "digging" is in my future.