Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 5th ed., 1887, Jessamine Co. THOMAS J. RHORER was born January 17, 1833, the fourth son of Jacob and Mary (Hoover) Rhorer. Jacob Rhorer was born in Maryland, August 8, 1794, was brought by his parents to Kentucky when he was one year old, and finally settled in Jessamine county. He was a cooper by trade, working at his trade in the winter and farming in the summer. When about twenty-two years old he commenced to preach, and continued about thirty years, receiving no compensation all this time. He was a member of what was then known as the United Christian Church. He died in Jessamine County, September 19, 1871. Mary (Hoover) Rhorer was born in Jessamine County, and died July 2, 1851. Thomas J. Rhorer's paternal grandfather, Jacob Rhorer, was born in Germany, came to the United States when quite young and settled in Maryland. The maternal grandfather, Moses Hoover, was born in Maryland, and was a preacher, doing all the good he could. He often said before his death that he "expected to die in the pulpit." In about his sixtieth year he was stricken, in the pulpit, with apoplexy, never spoke afterward and died in a short time after the stroke. Thomas J. Rhorer was reared on a farm in his native county of Jessamine. He was married, May 23, 1861, to Miss Mattie J. Rice, of Callaway County, Mo., daughter of Jonathan and America (Wilson) Rice; her father and mother were both born in Kentucky. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rhorer: Gertrude T., born January 21, 1867 (she is now attending the female academy of Nicholasville), and Mary E., who died April 11, 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Rhorer and daughter are members of the Methodist Church. He owns land five miles west of Nicholasville, on the Mount Freedom and Jessamine County Turnpike, and near Wilmore, on the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway. Rhorer Hoover Rice Wilson = Callaway-MO MD Germany http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jessamine/rhorer.tj.txt