Lester or Dr. John F. Rodgers (1800s)?
Hello,
My grandfather, Lester Samuel Rodgers, was born in Decatur Co., Indiana in 1887. I am searching for the roots, parents or line of him and his father, my great grandfather, Dr. John Fleming Rodgers. Dr. was born in Bourbon County in 1830 and died at his home in Cifton in Woodford County in 1902. He served as a Surgeon or "Asst.Surg" with the 11th Ky. U.S. Cavalry during the Civil War.
I am not sure of his first wife's name or their children or where they were from. My grandfather Lester Rodgers told my uncle that he had five half-siblings from his dad's first marriage but had never met them and didn't know them. Dr. Rodgers' first wife's name might possibly have been Margaret E. Pattie and if so they married in 1853. I am unsure of Dr. Rodgers' last wife's name either, who was my great grandmother. I was always told that my greatgrandmother's name was Belle Glass. They all called her "Ma Belle". But my grandfather's birth certificate and obiturary both say that he was the son of Dr. John Fleming Rodgers and Sarah Isabel Williams. I am not sure where she was from either. My grandfather Lester's birth certificate says he was born in Decatur Co., Indiana. I think he had some cousins up that way. So I don't know if Dr. Rodger's family was from there originally or perhaps he went up there and had some of his kids and then moved back to Ky or what.
Also, the 1880Woodford Co. census has Dr. Rodgers, age 49and a "Sallie Belle Rodgers" , age 17, living in the home of a family by the name of Shyrock/Shryock. I don't know if "Sallie Belle Rodgers" was his daughter, or perhaps a wife and Sallie Belle was slang or a nickname for Sarah Isabel Rodgers. As for Belle Glass, I think that "Ma Belle" remarried a Glass after Dr. Rodgers' death. Dr. Rodgers not only had my grandfather Lester by his last marriage, but daughters Emma and Lea. Emma married a Blackerby and Lea a Hawkins. Emma and her husband Thom. O. Blackerby lived in Main or somewhere like that for a while then Emma and Lester eventually moved to Alabama, where I was reared up, and I heard Lea did too but am unsure of this.
Any info on Dr. Rodgers, his life, his first or second marriage, who his parents were or his line of Rodgers would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
David Middleton Edelen II
Hello