Ancestors

Parkis Woodruff

Parkis Woodruff was born in New Jersey on 25 March 1791. His family moved to eastern Ohio, to the district that became Mahoning County. There he met Jane Shields, whose family had come from Virginia, and married her.

He served in the War of 1812 as a sergeant. He farmed and also made brooms. He became a large landowner, with one of the best farms in Mahoning County, and served for many years as a justice of the peace. He and Jane were Presbyterians.

They had eight children. Nancy Ann died in 1838 and John Shields in 1834. The others were Jemima, Mary, James, David, Rebecca and Parkis. The 1850 census finds the family at Boardman, Mahoning County: Parkis, fifty nine, born in New Jersey, Jane, fifty four, born in Virginia, three children, and David Sayre, seventy, also born in New Jersey.

In 1851 he sold out and moved to Louisa County, Iowa. He persuaded his brother John C. Woodruff, who had always worked beside him, to sell up too; John went to Monroe County. Parkis bought a pre-empted claim of 160 acres on sections 15 and 21, and another 160 acres on Long Creek, and began to improve them.

Jane died in September of that first year. He survived her by ten years. He died on 23 January 1860, aged sixty eight years, nine months and twenty nine days. He was buried in Long Creek Cemetery. His daughter Mary was later buried there too.

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Cite: Heirology, "Parkis Woodruff (1791-1860)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/parkis-woodruff-1791-1860-faf2ba.