John Jackson RODENBOUGH from the "Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa"

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JOHN JACKSON RODENBOUGH, one of the well known pioneers of 
Pottawattamie County, Iowa, came here in 1866.  A sketch of his life 
will be found of interest and is as follows:

His father was George S. Rodenbough, who married, in New Jersey, Miss 
Elizabeth Jackson, and had twelve children, six sons and six 
daughters.  Mr. Rodenbough has always been a great admirer of Mr. 
Jackson, and when, June 10, 1832, the subject of this sketch was born 
he was given the name of that hero.  He was reared in his native State, 
receiving a common-school education, and learned the shoemaker's trade 
from his father.  When he was twenty-one years of age the entire family 
removed to Warren County, Illinois.  There the parents spent the rest 
of their lives, the mother dying at the age of seventy years and the 
father at eighty four.

Mr. Rodenbough served for a time in the State militia, but was not 
accepted by the United States, into regimental service.  He was 
married, September 4, 1859, to Mary Ann Axtell, a native of Warren 
County, Illinois, and a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Robb) Axtell, 
natives of Pennsylvania.  Four children were born to them, three of 
whom are living, viz.: Willbert E.. who resides in Washington; 
George, of the same State; Flora, wife of Nathin Moore, Grove 
Township, this county.  Mrs. Rodenbough died January 29, 1873.  Two 
years later, December 25, 1874, Mr. Rodenbough married his present 
wife, Miss Eunice Dilly, a native of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and 
a daughter of William and Mary (Axtell) Dilly, also of Pennsylvania.  
She was two years of age when her parents located in Warren County, 
Illinois, where she was reared.  Her father was a strong Abolitionist, 
and was a delegate to Springfield, Illinois, at the time Abraham 
Lincoln was nominated for President.  Mr. Dilly now resides at 
Sterling, Kansas.  By his second marriage Mr. Rodenbough has three 
children: Mary Elizabeth, William Herbert and Nettie May.

Mr. Rodenbough came to Pottawattamie County in 1866, as already stated 
at the beginning of this article, and first settled at Silver Creek. 
He subsequently came to Grove Township, and was employed for a time on 
the R. R. I. Railroad.  Previous to his coming West he had helped to 
build one of the first railroads in the United States, in New Jersey. 
After the death of his wife he returned to Illinois and remained a 
year, when he came back to this county.  He is the owner of 140 acres 
of good land, which is well watered.

Politically our subject is a Republican.  He voted for General Fremont 
and all the Republican candidates for President since that time.  He 
and his wife and two of their children are members of the Methodist 
Church.  Mr. Rodenbough is firm in his convictions of right and wrong, 
plain in his speech and manner, and honest in all his business 
dealings.

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If you would like more information about anyone mentioned in this
biography, please write to the Pottawattamie County Genealogical
Society at:

PO Box 394
Council Bluffs, IA 51502-0394

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