Ketchum Family

Peter Reasor Ketchum married Ann Burrell on 12 October 1825 in Blount County, AL, apparently not long before leaving for Illinois. Their daughter Minerva was born estimated 1826 and is buried in Cullman, Alabama. The next child, Lavinia, was born in Illinois. Three of his children were born in Alabama before 1825. It's probable that the later children were born of Ann Burrell and likely that she was the mother of all of the children. In frontier times it was not uncommon for couples to pledge their fidelity to each other and become man and wife, solemnizing the marriage at a later time. The obituary of C.V. Ketchum, Peter's son, says that he came to Limestone County, Texas with his parents (plural) at age 9, and then later moved to Caldwell County, Texas. This was about the same time Caldwell was created out of Gonzales County. If the obituary information is correct then Peter's wife (still Ann Burrell?) died in Limestone or Caldwell, or the trip between the two Texas counties, between 1848 and the 1850 census. No gravesite has been found for either.

After moving to Texas, Peter Ketchum lost three sons and a son-in-law to indian massacres in three different times. James (Jim) and John in 1867, Peter R. Jr. in Medina County in 1861, and Reuben C. Smith, husband of Lavinia, in Medina County in 1864. It's possible that his brother Jacob who died in Texas before 1840 was killed by indians too, probably in Fannin county where he owned bounty land.

History of Christian County Illinois by Henry L. Fowkes: Peter and Christopher Ketchum, natives of Alabama came here about 1825, the former being a Methodist preacher who organized the first Methodist church in the county in 1828, holding the meetings at his own residence for many years.

After removing to Texas between 1847 and 1849, Peter was also a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South in Caldwell Co., Texas and he in fact described himself as a minister on the 1860 census records. (He performed wedding of David L.Howard to Sarah Tate on Sept 8 1850 according to Guadalupe County Marriage Records Book #1). Previous to that, Peter R. Ketchum is listed as the clergy who performed the marriage of son Green B. Ketchum and Tempe Widick in Macon County, Illinois.

Peter Reasor Ketchum married Arabella Waggoner in 1852 in Caldwell County, TX. They had no children together. Marriage of Peter and Arabella is recorded in book A, Caldwell County, Texas. Arabella was widow of James B. Waggoner who died in 1851. James Waggoner and Arabella Waggoner had at least four children. James Waggoner, Mary Frances Waggoner, Sarah Waggoner (married to Moses Howard by Peter R. Ketchum, Methodist minister, on June 27, 1852), and Amanda J. Waggoner who married a Schooler (or Schuyler).

Peter Ketchum died on 6 April 1868 in Caldwell County, Texas. See Book C, Page 70, Probate Minutes, Caldwell County.

Peter Ketchum was the grandfather of outlaws Samuel W. and Thomas E. "Black Jack" Ketchum. Samuel was born in Caldwell County.