Benjamin Maulsby, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Benjamin Maulsby
56. BENJAMIN MAULSBY married Rhoda Williams.
CHILDREN SIXTH GENERATION.
(264) RACHEL MELVINA (MAULSBY) SHOEMAKER, December 29, 1839; April 24, 1864.
(265) MARY ELIZABETH (MAULSBY) SHOEMAKER, June 29, 1841.
(266) INFANT, June 29, 1841; died unnamed.
(267) LEWIS AMERICUS, June 19, 1843.
(268) JOHN LUNA, June 30, 1845; July 31, 1864; died in Andersonville prison.
(269) EDWIN, January 23, 1848; January 30, 1848.
(270) ERWIN, January 23, 1848; February 3, 1848.
(271) ERASTUS TYLER, February 19, 1849; December 1, 1885.
(272) MARISSA (MAULSBY) WALTER, February 5, 1852.
(273) THOS. CLARKSON, March 11, 1854.
(274) WENDELL PHILIPS, May 10, 1856.
(275) VIOLA MALINDA (MAULSBY) COTTON, March 6, 1859.
Benjamin (Benny) Maulsby and Rhoda Williams, daughter of Richard and Rachel Williams, were married in Wayne county, Ind., January 13, 1839. They lived about one year in Wayne, then moved to Porter county, buying land in what was called the "big timber" near Valparaiso. They built a cabin and cleared a farm. About ten years later, they built a story and a half frame house, which with an addition built in the early sixties, is still standing, the black walnut doors and their casings, the window casings and sash, looking as they did fifty years ago. Benny and wife Rhoda were very devoted Quakers. When they moved to Porter county they were in a neighborhood of Friends, the families of William Barnard, Lemuel Maulsby (51), Nathan Bales and John Maulsby (60) being of the number. By death and removal their Quaker meeting was reduced to two families, Benny Maulsby's and Nathan Bales'. These two families held their meetings faithfully for years, first in the church, then in a school house, and then in their homes, on first day at Benny Maulsby's and on fifth day at Nathan Bales'. On one fifth day Benny could not go, so he sent his son Thomas (273), a barefoot lad of nine years. Nathan and the boy were alone at the meeting, which was then held in the school house. They sat for one hour in silence, shook hands and went home. Thomas recalls it as the time when he sat next to the head in meeting. On account of wanting better church privileges for the family, the home in Porter county was sold in 1864. Benny bought a farm six and a half miles north of Marshalltown, Iowa. The family moved there in March, 1865, making it their permanent home, Benny and Rhoda both dying there. Both were buried in the Friends cemetery near their home. Benny was born in Greene county, Ohio; Rhoda in Wayne county, Ind. Rhoda (Williams) Maulsby, February 14, 1818; October 1, 1891.
Benny's children live in or near Marshalltown. Lewis A. (267) married Fannie M. Ward; Erastus T. (271), Maria Anna Fogg; Thomas C. (273) Christyann Beason; Wendell P. (274), Minnie T. Palmer.
Source: Payne, Cora M. 1902. Genealogy of the Maulsby Family for Five Generations, 1699-1902. Des Moines, Iowa: George A. Miller Press. 142 p.
Page(s) in Source: 111-112
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook