I’ve posted about my 5th great grandfather, Aaron Vanness previously. But until recently I didn’t know the names of his parents. But, I am pleased to report that Aaron Vanness is no longer a brick wall!
Aaron was a shoemaker, opening the second shop in the village of Shabbona in the spring of 1873, prior to that he was a farmer. All I knew about his life prior to moving to Dekalb County, Illinois was that he married Euphemia Dey/Dye in Newark, Essex, NJ in 1832. He passed away at the home of his last living child, Lewis D. Vanness in Shabbona Grove on February 16, 1904
Recently, I’ve located the names of Aaron’s parents in addition to his birthplace and birthdate in the register of births and baptisms at Stone House Plains Dutch Reformed Church, Essex County, New Jersey. According to the record, he was born September 21, 1810 and baptized January 1, 1811 in Stone House Plains to Aaron Vanness and Abigail Mandeville. Aaron’s maternal uncle, Nicolas Mandeville also lived in Shabbona from at least the time of the 1860 census until his death in 1881.
Further evidence tying Aaron Vanness II to Abigail Mandeville was located in the 1841 will of his maternal grandfather, John Mandeville. Abigail is also mentioned in the will under the name Abigail Tucker. The surname Tucker is a familiar one, since Aaron had a man by the name of Jabez Tucker (born in NJ – 1823) living with his family on the 1860 US Census in Afton, Dekalb, Illinois. In 1870, Jabez lived next-door to Aaron and Euphemia with their son, Lewis D. Vanness and family. As mentioned before, in 1850 Jabez was living in Newark, Essex, New Jersey in the home of Abby Pierson, 58 along with Giles M. Tucker, 23 and William Tucker, 12. Could they all be additional sons of Abigail Mandeville? An interesting note is that the three Tucker boys share the trade of shoemaking with Aaron Vanness.
In the same birth/baptism register that I located Aaron Vanness’ birth in, there was also an entry for a Ralph Tucker born May 18, 1819 to Abigail Mandeville and John Tucker. Further research to connect the Ralph, Giles, Jabez, and William Tucker as sons of Abigail Mandeville Vanness must, and will be done.
Resurrecting Memories 
We share our hunt for Abigail (Aaron’s mother). I believe she was also the mother of my Great Grandfather (Reuben Ward Dodd). He is also listed in the Mandeville will and I know he moved to Illinois and farmed near Aaron and also their uncle Nicolas. I have never been able to find a death for Aaron Sr. or a first name for Reuben’s father or a marriage date or death for him. I did have the information that she was married to Tucker and her date of death. It is a puzzle and still looking for answers.
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Your hunches are correct. Abigail Mandeville had four husbands: Aaron Vanness Sr, ___ Dodd, Ralph Tucker, and ___ Pierson. In her father’s will (John Mandeville) she is given $150 and John’s grandsons: Aaron Vanness (Jr) and Reuben Dodd are given $25 each making a total of $200. Abigail’s sisters get $200 total. This indicates that Aaron and Reuben are both her sons.
Ralph Tucker and Abigail had (at least) John, Jabez, Giles Mandeville, Hannah and William and likely 2 other daughters.
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Reuben Ward Dodd also lived in Shabbona Grove, Illinois for some years. He lived near Aaron VanNess and his uncle Nicolas Mandeville before moving to Humboldt County, Iowa. He and his wife are both buried there and a number of family members live there as well, including family members of his daughter Mary Elizabeth (Dodd) Terwilliger who is my 2nd great grandmother. Still no details on first name of his father and New Jersey was home to a great many Dodds. The search goes on, but it is definitely a puzzle.
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