Vancleave - Jonathan - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

VanCleave, Jonathan (Rev) PO New Market; Farmer and Minister, son of Ralph and Elizabeth VanCleave, who settled on Sec 18 in 1826; was born in Shelby Co KY Dec 13, 1805 and settled on Sec. 4 in 1826. Sept 6, 1827 he married Elizabeth VanCleave; had 10 children: Anna (dead) ; William (died at age of 3 1/2); David; Lucy (now Mrs. M. SHELTON) ; Ralph; Jane (now Mrs. William COONS); Ransom, Adam, Aaron (died at age 24); Emily E (now Mrs. M. BADGLEY). Mr. VanCleave was ordained a regular minister of the Gospel by the Indian Creek Old School Baptist Church in 1849. At the same time he began the work of repairing firearms, at which, and farming, he has since been engaged.

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Source: Tri-County News & Waveland Independent Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana Oct 27, 1955

When Jesse VanCleave's grandfather Johnathan, came into this area, most of Montgomery County was still raw wilderness. That was in 1826, Jonathan filed his land on a tract of land about three miles west of New Market, then returned to Kentucky for his wife. The VanCleave's developed the farm and in the course of it acquired more land just to the north. Today, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse VanCleave still live on the part which lies to the north of the original claim of Jonathan VanCleave's. The VanCleave's have farmed all their lives tho Jesse who is approaching the 80-year birthday Dec 26, has quit actually farming. He has seen and had the ups and downs of farming over the years and is not ? if he had the choice to do it again, that he would choose farming as a vocation. Jesse met his wife, then Leota WRIGHT, a registered nurse at St. Vincent's hospital, Indianapolis who came from Greenwood, Indiana when she was employed by his parents as a nurse for his younger brother who was ill. They were married at Greenwood Oct 15, 1913, then came to the farm home where they have since lived. They have one daughter, Mrs. John Smith of Crawfordsville. Jesse is one of 13 children in the VanCleave family, and a notable characteristic of his family has been that nearly all have lived long lives. S till living besides Jesse is a brother, Jonathan, who makes his home with the Jesse VanCleaves and 3 sisters, Mrs. CN Airhart of New Market; Mrs. James Hardee and Mrs. Shelby Hicks, both of Crawfordsville.

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Source: Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke & Fountain Counties, Indiana (Chapman Brothers, 1893) p 507

Jonathan Vancleave, the venerable and eloquent pioneer preacher whose early round of ministerial duties called him to speak the word throughout Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana, located in Montgomery County, Indiana more than 3 score years ago and is to day an honored resident of Brown Township. Aged in years, he is yet well preserved in mind and body and strong in the service of the "Master." Ordained in 1849, and ever since with never-failing zeal engaging in religious work, our subject can today deliver a sermon whose arguments are as clear, forcible and persuasive as they were fully 40 years ago. Born in Shelby County, KY 1805, the Rev. Jonathan VanCleave may claim direct descent from an ancestry of brave and hardy patriots. His great grandfather, Aaron VanCleave, a man of strong character and earnest purpose, emigrated from Holland to America before the colonists had engaged in their determined struggle for independence from the mother country. Stirring events, however, were near at hand; the whole country was ablaze with indignation, the colonies joined in a federal union and the war of the Revolution was declared. Actuated by stern resolve and ardent enthusiasm, 7 stalwart sons of the Old Hollander entered the ranks and bravely fought for God and liberty. Two of these patriotic defenders of our national existence served in the War of 1812. The Vancleaves settled in an early day in Ky. And 5 elder sons of old Aaron - Jonathan; William; Ralph; Aaron and Benjamin - made their home within the borders of that state, but one son located in Ohio and another in Virginia. The only sister of these 7 energetic, hardy men was Jane, who married Squire BOONE, the brother and devoted companion of the famous old hunter and Indian scout, Daniel Boone, whose wife and daughters were the first white women who ever stood upon the banks of the Kentucky River. While Daniel Boone and his brother were on a hunting excursion, Squire Boone was killed and scalped by Indians. Amid the perilous and exciting scenes of those pioneer days upon the borders of frontier life, the father of our subject, Ralph Vancleave, was born; his wife Elizabeth STEBBINS was a native of Puritanical New England and a woman of rare character and ability; both parents were deeply imbued with the spirit of religion and were active members of the Baptist Church. Jonathan Vancleave, their son and our subject, was born in Shelby County, Kentucky in 1805. He was the eldest in a family of 7 children and was reared in his early home. In 1827 he married Elizabeth Vancleave, a daughter of Aaron Vancleave, a distant relative of the family into which the young wife now entered. The newly wedded couple journeyed at once to Montgomery County, Indiana and settled in the dense woods upon a farm, where they now reside. The Indians occupied a large body of land nearby, but the newcomers were fearless and soon grew accustomed to their daily presence. Our subject has never enjoyed the advantages of even a primary school, but soon after his marriage his intelligent and cultivated wife taught him to read, and assisted by her earnest efforts the husband gained a wide book of knowledge and a liberal education. Later, feeling himself called to preach the Gospel, he made a preparation and was ordained in the county in 1849. There were present at the ordination, from various localities near and remote, the delegates of 17 different church organization, all deeply interested in the addition to their religious forces of a powerful leader and representative of a family long noted for their zeal in church work. The Rev. Jonathan Vancleave, as we have before mentioned, did not confine his ministerial duties to the state of Indiana, but preached eloquently in all the neighboring states, and through his earnest sincerity and strength of purpose wrought much good and made for himself a lasting remembrance in the religious work of this progressive century. Our subject and his faithful wife were blessed with a family of 8 children: of whom 7 are still living: Davis is a farmer in Parkersburg; Ralph a carpenter in Elmdale; Ranson lived upon the old homestead; Adam is a resident of Trenton, MO; Aaron is dead; Lucy the wife of Mark SKELTON; Jane married William COONS; Emily is the wife of Martin BADGLEY. Although fast nearing his 88th birthday, the Rev. Jonathan Vancleave is still a hale and hearty man. His wife, the devoted sharer of his life work, died in 1888. Their children, useful, upright and highly respected are living within easy distance and thus the venerable pioneer is gliding down life's pathway surrounded by the loving care of sons and daughters and still enjoying the society of old friends and neighbors of more than a half century's acquaintance. Our subject owns a ¼ section of fine land and carefully treasures the old parchment deed which fully records the right of his full possession to the valuable acres therein described. The Vancleaves have almost always supported the Democratic party since its first formation and our subject, while never neglecting his religious work to engage in politics, has ever done his duty at the polls as became him as a true American citizen and ardent advocate of reform and progress. ============= Crawfordsville Daily Journal 6 March 1900 - Elder Jonathan VANCLEAVE is dead. He was taken ill with the grip last week and grew steadily worse until death came last evening at 5 o'clock at his home 9 miles SW of town. He was unconscious most of yesterday but shortly before the end he became conscious and recognized his family. His demise closes the career of one of the most remarkable and intense personalities in the history of Montgomery County. Jonathan VanCleave was born in Shelby Co, KY on Dec 13, 1805 being the son of Ralph Vancleave. Ralph VanCleave was the son of Ben Vancleave, whose father, Aaron came from Holland in 1745. Aaron had 8 sons and one daughter, the daughter marrying a brother of Daniiel Boone. All 8 of the sons were Revolutionary Soldiers and served with distinction in the struggle for independence. After the war 5 of the brothers settled in Shelby Co, Ky where many of their descendants still live. Jonathan came to this county in 1826 and entered the 160 acres farm he die don. In the low rambling old house is still treasured the government deed in parchment bearing the signature of John Quincy Adams. Ther eis also held the deed to the farm entered by the elder's father-in-law, Aaron Vancleave (th elder married a distance cousin) who entered his farm in 1833. This grant bears the signature of Andrew Jackson who is the political saint of the Vancleave family and for whom the first vote of Elder Vancleave was cast. The early Vancleaves were all Old School Baptists of the strictest class and the to the day of his death Elder Jonathan held to the peculiar doctrines with amore than religious devotion. His earliest recollections were of the big Baptist meetings in the blue grass woods of old Ky but not until he was 14 did he become convicted of his sin. And for a numbe rof years after that he wrestled with his sad lot not reaching the mountain top of triumph until 1840, when "he felt the spirit of the Lord come upon him like a white dove" in the Indian Creek Church which had been erected in 1832 by Elder Steppleton, Elder John Lee and Randall Davis. Bonam Kester was apastor when Jonathan felt that he was at last gloriously converted and saved and he soon gave place in the pulpit to the new convert who entered a pastorate of over 60 years, just now closed by his death. A night or so after his conversion Jonathan had a remarkable vision sent to him as he verily believed by the Lord, the object of which was to present to him his duty to enter the Christian ministry. He did so at once, and while he was not formally ordained until 1849, he became in fact the pastor of the Indian Creek Church immediately after his conversion and a most faithful shepherd did he prove. He preached there monthly until a few weeks ago and on the other SUndays he could be found in other pulpits. He did not confine his ministry to this locality but all over Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Ky the name of Jonathan VanCleave was a name to conjure with in old school Baptist circles. In 1896 he stated to a representative of The Jouranl that he had averaged 3 sermons/week, exclusive of funeral sermons, since 1840. And Elder VanCleave did not preach sermonettes. In the old school Baptist Church a 3-hours sermon is not a long one. The elder never received a cent for his services as a minister and had a profound and deepseated contempt for a "hireling ministry." He would always quote on this subject the words, "a hireling fleeth and careth not for the sheep." He made his living by farming and in the early days by acting as gunsmith for the rural community - an important trade 40 or 50 years ago. His work in no wise interfered with his effectiveness int he pulpit for he regarded it as wrong to prepare for a sermon. He spoke on the inspiration of the moment and always prefaced his sermon with the statement that the text would be found somwehre between the covers of the Good Book. In the early days of his ministry it was a custom of most mininsters of his denomination to take off their coats after they had fairly warmed to work int he pulpit, but Elder Jonathan Vancleave always frowned on this. He was a stickler for ministeria dignity and his appearance was always neat. He made himself an example to the young in more ways than one. He believed and preached the doctrine of election and a literal hell and in no church in which he preached was there ever such an abomination as instrumental music. "We use Duprez hymn book," said he, "and the sound goes up to God from the souls of those hwo sing and not from squeaky music machines." The elder was a democrat among Democrats and was proud of the fact that he had never scratched his ticket. he lived and died a sincere believer in states rights and during the war he preached and ?. He was bitterly opposed to slavery but his sympathies during the war were with the south on the doctrine of state sovereignty. The wife of Elder Vancleave died some years ago and of the six children born to them 4 still live: Mrs. William Coons; Mrs. Mark Badgely; Ralph Vancleave and Ransom VanCleave, the last named now living at the old homestead. Two children, Dvid and Aaron are dead. Elder VanCleave, while a partisan in politics and in relition was a man esteemed by all for he never allowed bitterness to enter his life or conduct. His conversation was always mild and even in debate he eschewed all that savored of invective or satire. He mildly lived and mildly died and his own words spoken to The Jouranl several years ago, may well be repeated now: "I have in my time seen more and in a broad sense, I have lived longer than old Methuselah with all his glorious history. I have seen the forest and wild supplanted by blooming garden sof the Lord. A week today sees more than a year did once. I have, indeed, lived long and every year I see more clearly the purpose of The Creator running through all tings. And when my time comes to go, I shall go prepared."

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Source: Unknown newspaper but probably Crawfordsville Daily Journal early March 1899 - or it may be from a paper called "The Standard" although there's no indication Montgomery County ever had a paper of that name

A Standard representative had the pleasure as well as honor to call on the oldest person in Montgomery County and probably the oldest in this section of the country yesterday afternoon. This person is the well known Jonathan Vancleave who lives on a farm about 3 1/2 miles west of New Market but is at present visiting his children and other relatives in this part of the country. Elder VanCleave if he lives will be 94 years old 13 December. He was born in Shelby County, KY and when in his 21st year entered 160 acres near New Market, residing there ever since. He has the parchment patent that he received from the government at that time. He can well remember the battle of New Orleans in 1815 and of his uncle's infair two years before the battle. He said the men all wore knee breeches with fancy buckles at the knee cap. Their shirts and trousers were made of flax and a white shirt was not known of then. During the civil war he and one of his sons were engaged in gunsmithing. In 1839 he joined the Christian Church and in 1843 commenced to preach being ordained in 1849. Since that time he has devoted his time to the saving of souls. He was ordained in the same church he joined and has preached in the same place over 50 years. He is the only one of the family that can trace his ancestors as far back as his great great great grandfather, Aaron VanCleave who came from Holland. A few weeks ago he decided to hold a family reunion and on last Tuesday they gathered at the old homestead, one of the largest and happiest gatherings ever held in Montgomery County. After the crowd of about 500 had assembled, a short program was given, after which a bountiful dinner. The afternoon was spent in recalling ye olden times. The generation will trace forward as follows: 10 children, 59 grandchildren, 68 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

 Transcribed by kbz