From the 1885 History of Steuben County, Indiana

pages 830-831

Andrew Jackson was born in Stark County, Ohio, Dec. 3, 1829, a son of John and Orpha (Watson) Jackson. His father died about 1831 and his mother twenty-seven years later. His mother married a man by the name of Asa Church, and moved from Stark County to Crawford County, and then to Wood County, thence to Williams County, Ohio, where she died. She was the mother of four boys by her last husband. When he was two years of age he was taken into the family of Peter Boyer, and remained with them till about fourteen years of age. Peter Boyer moved to DeKalb County, Ind., in the year 1836, and settled in Franklin Township, where he and his wife died. Andrew Jackson endured all the hardships that were incident to the earlier settlers of our now beautiful county. He did not wear shoes until after he was ten years old. In the winter when he was sent out to cut fire-wood he would warm a shake to stand on, and when it would get cold he would go in the house and warm it again, or until he had completed his wood cutting. After the death of Mr. Boyer, Andrew lived in the families of Abram F. Beecher and John Fee a short time and when sixteen years of age went to Defiance County, Ohio and remained one season, then came to Steuben County and attended school the following winter. In the fall of 1849 he went to Cook County, Ill., where Evanston now is, and engaged in garden farming for a man by the name of Eli Garfield. In December, 1853, he returned to Steuben County. Dec. 24, 1856, he was married to Mary M. Rima, a native of Northern Ohio, born June 20, 1838, daughter of Daniel and Anna (Burr) Rima. In 1843 her parents moved to Green County, Wis., and in 1853 to Steuben County, Ind., where they both died. For two years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Jackson lived in Franklin Township, DeKalb County, and then moved to Steuben County and bought 120 acres of land on section 20, Otsego Township. In 1875 he sold his farm and moved to Grand Traverse County, Mich., and six years later returned to Steuben County and purchased his old farm, where he has since lived. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have no children, but have an adopted daughter, Nellie May Stoddar, born Jan. 23, 1874. They also reared Judson Jackson, who is now a young man. In politics Mr. Jackson is a Republican.

Submitted by Kim Davoli

E-mail: davoli82@juno.com