Isaac J. Shoemaker Family

Isaac J. Shoemaker was born in Clear Creek Township, Fairfield County, Ohio, on July 4, 1844, the son of Jacob, born 1813, and Elizabeth Gehrett Shoemaker, born 1814. They were the parents of eight children: Joseph, Solomon, Isaac, Henry, Elizabeth, Susannah, Lucinda and Malinda. Isaac was a Civil War veteran, having enlisted in the Union Army on October 21, 1862 and served with Company H, 54th Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded at Chickamauga and was discharged December 8, 1863.

Isaac married Rebecca 5. King, born February 24, 1844, in Fairfield County, Ohio, the daughter of Peter, born 1817, and Mary Shoemaker King, born 1818. They were the parents of nine children: Samuel, George, Rebecca, Levi, Henry, Malinda, Miriam, Peter, and Jacob. The parents of both Isaac and Rebecca moved from Fairfield County to Sandusky County, Ohio and that is where they were living at the time of their marriage in 1865. Isaac and Rebecca were the parents of three sorts: George Washington, 1866- 1921; Peter Van Buren, 1870-1942; and Jacob Monroe, 1872-1925. George W. and Peter V. were born in Sandusky County and Jacob was born in Damascus Township, Henry County, Ohio, where the family moved in 1872. Soon they acquired land in Liberty Township, Henry County, on the Henry and Fulton County Road. They raised their sons there and lived there until Rebecca's death in 1894.

In 1906, Isaac married Catherine Valentine and moved to Bluffton, Indiana where he lived until his death in 1923.

George Washington married Clara Pontious, 1865-1952, in 1888, and they had three sons and two daughters: Edith Catherine, born 1888; George Leonard, 1890-1962; William Isaac, 1894-1961; Maude Mae, born 1897; and Lawrence Arthur, 1899-1960.

Edith married Guy Carpenter; George L. married Vernice Steward; William never married; Maude married Merlin Hecker; and Lawrence married Ercell Graner.

Peter Van Buren married Julia Moore, 1874-1956, in 1892 and they ad Kathryn Rebecca, born 1894; Josephine Elizabeth, born 1896; and harles Hamilton, born 1900. Peter moved his family to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1911. Kathryn married Arnold M. Fee, Josephine married Mason T. Rodgers, and Charles married Agnes Storry.

Jacob M. married Nellie Boughten, 1875-1960, in 1897 and were the parents of Donald, 1897-1977; Robert, 1899-1963; Laura Ruth, 1902-1956; and Beulah Mae, born 1911.

Isaac's paternal grandparents were Rebeccah Brewer Shoemaker. Henry was born in Fairfield County, Ohio and Rebeccah was born in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of eight children: Jacob, Mary, Henry, Susanna, Elvina, Rosannah, Eli and Momeah.

Rebecca's paternal grandparents were George and Eve Myers King, both of Perry County, Ohio. They had just the one son, Peter. The first record of the King family is of Rebecca's great-grandfather, John, who was born in Virginia and migrated to Perry County.

The Shoemaker and King families both traced their ancestry to Germany. The Shoemakers first came to near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Kings to Virginia.

Submitted by: Bertha Shoemaker Leatherman