Hezekiah Ragsdale and Nancy Harel

Hezekiah Ragsdale, born 08 July 1779

(Source: (1) Bureau of Vital Statistics, Edward S. Ragsdales's death certificate, (Los Angeles: California State Board of Health, 1907), gives his father's name as Hezekiah Ragsdale born in South Carolina.,

(2) Nebraska Health and Human Services, Elizabeth R. Hartwell's death certificate, (Reg. No. 725), as reported by Mrs. H.M. Kokjer states that Elizabeth's father, H. Ragsdale, was born in Virginia.,

(3) Mrs. Blake Ragsdale Van Leer, The Ragsdale Family in England and America, (Canton, Georgia: privately printed, 1975), p. 36, Thomas Ragsdale "apparently had at least one son Hezekiah (5) Ragsdale b. Va. July 8, 1779, Bible record.",

(4) Ray W. Ragsdale, Hezekiah Ragsdale: His Roots and Branches, (Evansville, IN: privately published, 1981), between pages 12 and 13, a copy of a page believed to be from Hezekiah's Bible courtesy of "Ernest and Norene Ragsdale." The page is torn so that at the top all that can be seen is _____ Ragsdale 1779. Hezekiah's first name is not visible and a place of birth is not shown. It appears that there wasn't room to include it.); died 1854 in Daviess, Co., Indiana. He might be the son of 2. Thomas Ragsdale and 3. Mary Comer. He married (1) Nancy Harel

Notes for Hezekiah Ragsdale:

I've located death certificates for two of Hezekiah's children: Elizabeth R. Hartwell and Edward S. Ragsdale. The information on each disagrees but I've placed more credibility on the information of Edward because his supplied information about his mother's place of birth.

Edward's death certificate doesn't identify an informant but he was a resident of a home for soldiers and vital information about him was probably obtained directly from him when he became a resident and placed in his records. Therefore he may have provided the information about his parents which appears on his death certificate while the source of information for Elizabeth's death certificate was probably a descendant of hers.

Edward's death certificate identifies his father as Hezekiah Ragsdale born in South Carolina and Nancy Harel born in South Carolina.

More About Hezekiah Ragsdale:

Fact 1: 1800, Union Dist., SC census record page 222

Children of Hezekiah Ragsdale and Nancy Harel are:

i. Mary Ragsdale, born 02 November 1800 in Union Dist., SC; died 13 January 1869 in Daviess Co., IN; married Joseph Allison Jr. 16 August 1820 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Carol Hulen, comp, Daviess County, Indiana 1850 Census and Marriages 1817-1849, (Bicknell, IN: Carol Hulen), pp. 214, 234, Joseph Ellison/Allison and Polly Ragsdill Book A, p. 10.).

ii. John Ragsdale, born 28 December 1802 in Union Dist., SC; died 10 September 1848 in Daviess Co., IN; married Elizabeth Palmer 07 November 1827 in Daviess Co., IN.

iii. Larkin Ragsdale, born 30 December 1804 in Union Dist., SC; died 1849 in Daviess Co., IN; married Polly Palmer 27 March 1825 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Daviess Co. Marriage Bk. A, pg. 29.).

iv. William Ragsdale, born 10 March 1807 in Union Dist., SC.

v. Martha Ragsdale, born 03 August 1809 in Union Dist., SC; married Unknown Pride in Pike, IN.

vi. Thomas Termin Ragsdale, born 24 February 1812 in Daviess Co., IN; died 22 February 1885 in Hamilton Co., TX; married (1) Sarah Stanley; married (2) Louisa McDonald 05 June 1841 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Daviess Co. Marriage Book B, pg. 302.); married (3) Maria A. Stringer 01 February 1844 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Marriage Book B, pg. 428.).

vii. James H. Ragsdale, born 25 February 1814 in Daviess Co., IN; died 10 July 1883 in Plainville, Daviess Co., IN; married Susan Bassett 08 July 1837 in Daviess, Co., IN.

viii. Amos Ragsdale, born 26 February 1816 in Daviess Co., IN; died 08 November 1880 in Newton Co., KS; married Sarah Jane Lindsey 24 May 1838 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Daviess Co. Marriage Bk. B, pg. 175.).

ix. Ann Ragsdale, born 09 November 1817 in Daviess Co., IN; married Joshua Palmer 22 June 1839 in Daviess Co., IN.

x. Elizabeth Ragsdale, born 22 December 1819 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Nebraska Health and Human Services, Elizabeth R. Hartwell's death certificate, (Reg. No. 725), Elizabeth's date of birth was Dec. 22, 1819.); died 30 November 1916 in Clarks Co., NE (Source: Nebraska Health and Human Services, Elizabeth R. Hartwell's death certificate, (Reg. No. 725), Elizabeth died Nov. 30, 1916 of chronic interstitial nephritis in Clarks Co., NE. She was age 96 years, 11 months and 8 days when she died.); married Calvin Hartwell 08 March 1837 in Daviess Co., IN.

xi. Nancy Ragsdale, born 30 September 1821 in Daviess Co., IN.

xii. Edward Smith Ragsdale, born 04 October 1823 in Daviess Co., IN (Source: Bureau of Vital Statistics, Edward S. Ragsdales's death certificate, (Los Angeles: California State Board of Health, 1907).); died 13 September 1907 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA (Source: Bureau of Vital Statistics, Edward S. Ragsdales's death certificate, (Los Angeles: California State Board of Health, 1907), Edward was a resident of a soldiers home in Los Angeles County, California at the time of his death. He died of bronchitis.); married Alma Delia Lomis 13 January 1850.

xiii. Malina Ragsdale, born 01 October 1825 in Daviess Co., IN; died 19 January 1863 in Daviess, Co., IN; married James Glezen.

Nancy Harel

(Source: (1) Nebraska Health and Human Services, Elizabeth R. Hartwell's death certificate, (Reg. No. 725), the informant on her death certificate, Mrs. H.M. Kokjer, reported that Elizabeth's mother's name was Nancy Harlan, place of birth unknown.,

(2) Bureau of Vital Statistics, Edward S. Ragsdales's death certificate, (Los Angeles: California State Board of Health, 1907), Edward's mother was shown as Nancy Harel, born in South Carolina.,

(3) Mrs. Blake Ragsdale Van Leer, The Ragsdale Family in England and America, (Canton, Georgia: privately printed, 1975), pp. 35-36, states that Hezekiah's wife was Elizabeth and mentions the Bible record as a source.,

(4) Ray W. Ragsdale, Hezekiah Ragsdale: His Roots and Branches, (Evansville, IN: privately published, 1981), between pages 12 and 13, copy of a page "believed to be from Hezekiah Ragsdale's Bible" which is torn obscuring the name of Hezekiah's wife. All that can be seen: ______le was ______ 1783. It appears that no room was available to enter a place of birth.), born 08 April 1783 in South Carolina; died Bef. 1841 in Daviess Co., Indiana.

She married (1) Hezekiah Ragsdale Abt. 1799. He might have been the son of Thomas Ragsdale and Mary Comer.

Notes for Nancy Harel:

It is said that Nancy's date of birth was recorded in the family bible where she was identified as "Nancy Ragsdale." The page is torn however and all that can be seen are the letters "le" (presumably the last two letters of Ragsdale) and the year of her birth. A birthplace was not given.

The death certificate of her daughter, Elizabeth Hartwell identifies her as Nancy Harlen, birthplace unknown and the death certificate of her son Edward Ragsdale shows her as Nancy Harel born in South Carolina. While there isn't enough information to determine for certain which record is correct, I believe that the name Harrell or Horrall is more likely than Harlen for the following reasons. The Allisons and Ragsdales were more involved with Horrall families than with Harlens. No Harlens came to Indiana with Hezekiah and Nancy. The Harlen family has been well researched and Nancy can't be found among their group. The informant on Edward's death certificate seemed to know more about Nancy than did the informant on Elizabeth's death certificate.

Nancy was probably deceased by the time Hezekiah made the following land transfer (she didn't release her dower): Daviess Co., Indiana Book E, pg. 280, I Hezekiah Ragsdale in consideration of the sum of $700.00 to me paid by Thomas T. Ragsdale do sell the SW quarter section four Town 2 Range 7 west containing 138 acres, 30 October 1841.