| Notes |
- 1850 United States Federal Census <http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8054&enc=1>
about John Bonebrake
Name: John Bonebrake
Age: 61
Birth Year: abt 1789
Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Home in 1850: Marion, Iowa
Gender: Male
Family Number: 444
John Bonebrake in the 1860 United States Federal Census
Name: John Bonebrake
Age: 71
Birth Year: abt 1789
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Pennsylvania
Home in 1860: Dallas, Marion, Iowa
Post Office: Newbern
Family Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
Daniel Daurylple 30
Lydia Daurylple 28
John Bonebrake 71
HISTORY OF JOHN BONEBRAKE, SON OF DEWALT BONBRAKE.
WRITTEN BY HIS SON, JACOB BONEBRAKE, April 28, 1884
(From the papers of Mrs. Ruby C. Wuestenberg, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) This was given her by 0.0. Zehring of Germantown, Ohio. (Obtained from Our Bonebrake Heritage by Marie Rizek Bonebrake).
John and Jacob Bonebrake (twins) were born in Pennsylvania February 28, 1789, moved to Athens County, 1800, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in year 1806 and to Preble County, Ohio, 1807. In 1810 he became of age. His educational advantages were quite limited but while a boy he got a common education in German language, later he received six months schooling in English language, but he improved at home on what he had learned at school, and became a good reader and a very good scribe in both the German and English language, but he knew little about mathematics until some years later. In the year 1809 he was married to Katherine Starr, a native of North Carolina who had immigrated with her parents to Preble County, Ohio, a few years before. He served twelve months in the War of 1812, after he returned home, and purchased 80 acres of land seven miles west of Eaton, the County seat of Preble County, Ohio. He opened a farm of about 25 acres in heavy beach and sugar timber, but a year or two previous to his moving on this place he became concerned about the salvation of his soul, sought for months and after a hard struggle he found peace by believing in the Lord Jesus, and joined the Church of the U.B. in Christ of which he was a member to the time of his death and served many years as Class leader. In February 1821 he concluded to emigrate further west, sold his land and started with his family, consisting then of wife, two sons and three daughters, landed in Fountain County, Indiana, bought 80 acres of land, built a house and commenced opening another farm in heavy timber in the frontiers thinly settled, plenty of game and rattle snakes here, but land was of a good quality and as he had learned the use of a rifle and how to hunt in his young days while in the Hocking Hill in Athens County and Preble County, Ohio, he found it of great advantage to hunt here as meat was scarce and hard to get he could take his rifle and go to the woods and supply his family with meat without spending much time, as deer and turkey were very plenty. After 19 years of time had elapsed, his family numbered ten, five sons and five daughters, respectively, Jacob, William Fredrick, Rachel, Katharine, Rhoda, Mary Ann, Noah, John, Lydia, George, Conrad. The two oldest were married and had small families, his disposition of emigrating west was again aroused in which all the children acquiesced. He sold his farm and started for Iowa in fall of 1840 with his children but as it was late in the season he stopped in Illinois one year but in fall of 1841 he resumed his march westward, crossed the Mississippi, landed in the border settlement, with plenty of Indians, but they were peaceable. The country settled up rapidly and a few years assumed a home-like appearance.
Father made several short moves and finally purchased land in Marion County. Here he made his last farm and lived on it until Mother died which was in the summer of 1853, and until all his children were married, and lived in Marion County, except the youngest, Conrad, who went to Indiana and got married.
When the war of the rebellion commenced he volunteered, served in the Union Army three years, finally was taken prisoner by the rebels and confined in Libby prison and very near starved and took fever, that always follows starvation and died in September 1863 at town of Newburn, Marion County, Iowa, for three of his children resided there at that time. But to return again after Mother died, Father sold his farm and bought him a good horse and buggy and just went around among his children. He, John, was a man of pleasant disposition, very honest and highly respected by all who knew him as a citizen and Christian.
The tale of John H serving as a soldier is highly unlikely. Not too many 71 yr olds joined up plus there is no evidence to support him joining the army. Libby prison was in Richmond Virginia so how did he get from there Iowa?
Gordon L. Drollinger
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1789 - 1851 (62 years)
