Isaac Frost, Transcription of Will

Isaac Frost Will
Recorded in Book D
Page 143
Journal K 156

Proved and append (?) in
Open Court May 2 1839

Est. A, No. 621

Isaac Frost of the township of Olmsted, county of Cuyahoga, and the state of Ohio, being sick in body but of sound and disposeing mind, memory, and understanding do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say

First: it is my will that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be paid.

Second: I give devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Annise Frost in heir of her dowry one third of all the movable property to be her owne and the use of the other tow thirds for two years use of all my farm on which I now reside situated in the township of Olmsted on the road runing west from Elias C. Frost containing about 30 acres for as long as she lives; she however first disposeing of a sufficensy there of to pay my just debts as afforesaid & when she has done with it all the property bequeathed to her as aforesaid except the one third of moveable property to be her owne to my grandchildren that I shall here after disignate and to their heirs and assigns forever in the following manner, vis.

Third: I give and divise to the children of Sally my eldest daughter one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Forth: I give and divise to the children of Easter my second daughter one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Fifth: I give and divise to the children of Lyman my second son one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Sixth: What remains is to be divided into four equal parts to the children of the aforesaid Sally one part, the children of the aforesaid Easter one part, and the children of the aforesaid Lyman one part, to the children of Elias one part to their heirs and assigns forever.

Seventhly: It is my will that Elias C. Frost ____ inheritance in my estate.

And lastly: I hereby constitute and appoint Annice Frost, wife, and William Wood to be my executors for this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me made and satisfying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.
Signed Isaac Frost

In testimony whereof I hereby set my hand and seal this thirty first day of December, AD one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight.

Sined published and delivered by the above named Isaac Frost and from his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request singed as witness of the same.
John Kennedy
Hiram B. Gleason
William Wood


_______________
My notes:
I believe Isaac Frost died early 1839. His first wife, Anna, had died about 1812. The second wife, Annise, was much younger than her husband, but I don't find any children by the union. She is still living in Olmstead Twp. Ohio in 1840, age 40 - 50.

One of his daughters was Sarah "Sally" Frost who married Mr. Hosmer Merry. Both Sally and Hosmer had died by the date of this will. They had six children.

Daughter, Esther Frost, married Mr. Abijah Comstock. I don't have her children listed at this time. She was still living at the time of this will.

Older son, Elias C. Frost was a physician. He married Phoebe McIlrath, and had 6 children. In 1840, two or three of his sons migrated to Johnson County Iowa. I believed he traveled there soon afterward, leaving his wife and other children in Olmstead OH. An Iowa record says he was buried in Johnson County, Iowa, as were 2 or 3 of his sons, Jarvis, Jackson, and possibly a son named Lyman.

Second son, J. Lyman Frost is my ancestor. He was a Dr. although I believe self-proclaimed. He married Oriana Paine. They had 4 children born in Ohio. In 1830, the family migrated to Michigan, then in 1836 to Peoria, Illinois, where his wife died. By 1841, Lyman and his family had moved to Johnson County Iowa, about the same time as did his nephews above.

Although there is a missing word (torn corner) in the will concerning son, Elias C. Frost, it is possible that being the oldest son, he inherited the balance of estate. Or the missing word(s) could say that he "has no" inheritance in the estate. Note that none of Isaac's other children received anything, just grandchildren. In 1840, Isaac's widow still lives on the estate, near Elias and family. She may have remarried after that... no record found yet.

Will of Isaac Frost, 1759 - 1838

Isaac Frost, b. Waterbury CT, 1759. Lived in Cuyahoga County OH from early 1800s to his death. This will was written and signed by him Dec. 31, 1838. Probate was in early 1839. We do not know the exact date of his death. The scan is hard to read, but I will follow up with a transcription.

James Rodgers Biography from History of Pocahontas County

Among the worthy industrious persons whose arduous toils and severe privations helped to make our county what it is, deserving of respectful mention was the late James Rodgers, Senior. He was a native of Madison County, born February 13, 1789. His first marriage was with a Miss Jackson of Madison County. The -issue of this marriage was seven children. The sons were Robert, whose wife was a daughter of John Smith, one of the pioneers of Stoney Creek, Joseph, and Drury. The daughters were Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Tabitha. Respecting these children we have virtually no particulars in hand. James Rodgers came to Pocahontas County in 1824 and settled in the woods on Lewis Ridge, at a spot overlooking the Buckeye Cove. (A short distance north of Greenbank. Remember that Greenbank is where Samuel Given got started in the mercantile business before coming to Upper Glade.) Thus he and his family became identified with the county almost from its organization.

His second marriage was with Nellie Lewis, of the Little Levels, a granddaughter of Alexander Waddell, whose descendants are so numerously represented by prosperous and influential citizens in our county at this time. By the second marriage there were six children: Margaret, who became Henry Adhinson's first wife. Rebecca, who became Mrs. Fillren. William Rodgers married Polly Fleming, daughter of the late James Fleming of Swago, and settled on part of the Fleming homestead near Buckeye, where his widow and two daughters now reside. He was a Union pensioner for service in the Union Army. Chesley Rodgers married Mrs. Sally Morrison and settled near Jacox. John Rodgers married a Miss Harter. James L. Rodgers, Junior, was married twice. The first wife was Eliza Burgess. There were ten children in the first family: Justice N. R. Rodgers of Buckeye; the late Mrs. Hannah Wade; G. W. Rodgers of Beaver Dam; Davis Rodgers, deceased; John H. Rodgers, also dead; Maggie became Mrs. William Adkisson of Buckeye; Eliza became Mrs. Olie Auldridge and lives at Hillsboro, Mary and Alvin W. near Buckeye.

By the second marriage with Mrs. Mary Kellison there was a son Lewis, who is now dead, and a daughter Laura.

Thus the writer has endeavored to present the available information concerning this worthy old citizen and his family, aided by his grandson, A. W. Rodgers.

In his time James Rodgers had the reputation of being one of the most industrious of working men. He tried to train his sons and daughters to habits of industry and strict economy. Soon as they became old enough for service they went from home and found ready employment as field hands and housekeepers. This venerable man was a zealous and devoted adherent of the Methodist Protestant church. He was one of the first members in the Buckeye society, and probably one of the first in the country. His prayers and experiences talks were in good language, interspersed with allusions to the parables and quotations of the promises. All this indicates that in early, impressible youth he must have been familiar with persons of more than ordinary culture, such as Madison County was distinguished for. In his speech he had the tone and style that characterized the old Virginia gentry, as the writer learned to know in subsequent years from actual acquaintance with east Virginians.

The writer cherishes the memory of this old citizen with feeling of much respect, as the two often toiled in the meadows and harvest fields side by side in his boyhood. He remembers being often impressed by the pathos and fervency of the old man's occasional prayers in the morning worship. This was some thing which was never omitted in the old Marlington home. The belief of the old people was that "prayer and provender hinder no man" and so time was always found for prayer, as well as for breakfast and supper.

Some of his expressions still linger in memory after more than fifty years. One was an allusion to the grapes of Eschol as typical of the richness of the promised land. His idea was that God would give his humble praying people here while on the pilgrimage a cluster now and then from the heavenly vine so as to refresh and encourage them to put forth their earnest, faithful efforts to go up and receive possession of the heavenly land. This allusion was utilized as suggestive of a sermon prepared and preached by the writer thirty years ago. May we meet and see for ourselves the blessed land in all its richness -and glorious beauty, and especially the vine from which the clusters were gathered that cheered and encouraged him.