Hezekiah Lamb, (F-611-Part II), the oldest child of John Lamb and Lydia Mendenhall, was born 16 July 1815 in Wayne County, Indiana. The full account of John Lamb's ancestors will be found in Part II. The full account of Lydia Mendenhall's ancestors will be found in Part III. This line is recorded as far back as years 300-400, the lines of King Alfred the Great of England, and William the Conqueror of England, Kings of Scotland, Ireland, Hungary, France, Germany, to Charlemaigne the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who claimed to be descended from Julius Caesar.

Hezekiah was married in Grant County Indiana, to Hannah Small, who was born 5 August 1820, probably in Randolph County, Indiana, daughter of Joshua Small and Jane Bowen. The full account of Hannah's ancestors will be found in Part IV.

Their oldest child was born five months before they were married. The Quaker record states that on 9 March 1836, Hannah was reprimanded for unchastity, but that she denied it. One can only read between the lines. Certainly, Hezekiah accepted James as his son. Their marriage license says the license was granted on the 20 May 1836 and that they were married on 20 May 1836 by a justice of the peace. To be married by a justice of the peace was contrary to Quaker discipline, and on 8 June 1836 at the Mississinewa-Marion Monthly Meering, Indiana, note was made; he was condemned for misconduct. On 16 July 1841 Hezekiah was charged with non-attendance, and for not satisfying a just debt.

They had lived in Grant County about 17 years, when they decided to move west as many of the Quakers were doing then, including the Moormans, Winslows, and Piersons. They left Indiana with teams and covered wagons. Hezekiah and Hannah lived briefly in Fayette County Iowa, where their son Hale was born, then settled in Dallas County Iowa, until 1864, then moved to Fremont County in the southwest corner of Iowa, near the little town of Riverton. After his father's death, his mother, Lydia, came to live with them for a time. There they finished raising their family. They had grandchildren who lived with them from time to time.

The Civil War was to cause them personal grief. They had two sons that enlisted in Iowa companies. Wilson Lamb marched with Sherman through Georgia, and came through safely, but his younger brother Joshua, died during the last days of the war. Joshua never saw his youngest brother, Luna Albert, born after he went away. Hannah saved many of their letters; they are included here, in Family Group "D" and "G." The letters give some personal insight to the close family ties, and family life.

About 1881 Hezekiah and Hannah moved to Jewell County, Kansas. With the exception of James who drifted a little south into Missouri, and Jane, Rebecca, and Mary Angeline, who were married and remained in Iowa, at least for a time, their children and their families also made another move west. Many of Silas' children moved to Custer County, Nebraska, although Silas stayed in Iowa until after the death of his wife in 1895. Jewell County lies on the Nebraska border, and the clans settled on both sides.

Hezekiah's farm was located three miles west and two south of Northbranch, straight north of Esbon, Kansas. It was a pretty little place between two small streams that met close by. It had a road that curved among the trees, and orchards and meadows. Today there are no buildings there. Northbranch, a Quaker community, once a thriving town, had a college, Friends' Academy, next door to the house where his son Hale lived after he retired. The Quaker cemetery where Hezekiah and Hannah were buried was across the street.

Hezekiah died 27 March 1897, at the age of 82, on the homeplace" west of Northbranch, Kansas, in Jewell County. He died rather suddenly, and there was speculation that he had ptomaine poisoning. After the death of his father, Luna Albert, who was still unmarried at age 34, promised to take care of his mother the rest of her life. She was then 77. In return he was supposed to receive the farm.

However, he was married shortly after that, to 18 year old Maud Wilson. The house had two rooms, and two baby boys came along shortly. The arrangement was not a happy one. Luna Albert decided to move to Ford County in southwest Kansas. After that, Hale and Mollie, who already had a large family, moved onto the place. They built a house for themselves, while Hannah lived in hers. After the death of Hannah, Hale used it to add extra space to his own house.

Hale's children remembered Grandma with great affection. She spoiled them and taught them to drink coffee. She told them a story about how she had Indian forbearers. This great granddaughter can find no evidence of such a thing, but the story still persists. Once, when a granddaughter remarked about the hole in her apron, Hannah turned it over and said, "Look, there's one on the other side, too."

Hannah died 1 October 1906, and was buried beside Hezekiah in the Quaker Cemetery in Northbranch, Kansas. The tombstone that now stands at the gravesite is not the original marker, (which was very small) and does not carry the correct birthday. Their son, John, seems to have been the one that put up the later one, because he thought the first one was wrong.

The Esbon Times for that week had this note: "The old lady Lamb died at the home of her son Hale north of town, last Sunday night, and was buried at the Stone Church Cemetery on Monday. She was 86 years old." The following week, 11 October 1906, the Burr Oak Herald carried this obituary: "Hannah Small was born 5 August 1820, died 1 October 1906, and married Hezekiah Lamb in 1836. She gave birth to 18 children, 11 of which survive her. She left 107 grandchildren, and approximately 140 great grandchildren, as near as can be traced, and 2 or 3 great great grandchildren."

There were at least 6 grandchildren born after her death. Today, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to have that many grandchildren. Apparently, she did try to keep track of them, although it is no wonder, that she did not know the exact number of great grandchildren. I wish I could have found her records. There must be someone in the family somewhere that has them. Luna Albert had a small Bible that had belonged to her, but did not carry family records.

Children:

1. James Squire Lamb, born 19 January 1836, Grant County, Indiana


2. Silas Overman Lamb, born 8 May 1837, Grant County, Indiana


3. Malissa Jane Lamb, born 1839, Grant County, Indiana


4. Wilson Beauchamp Lamb, born 17 October 1840, Grant County, Indiana


5. Lydia Mendenhall Lamb, born 30 November 1842, Grant County, Indiana


6. Rachel E Lamb, born 7 March 1844, Grant County, Indiana


7. Joshua S Lamb, born 1846, Grant County, Indiana


8. John Lamb, born 15 March 1847, Grant County, Indiana


9. Orange Lamb (twin), born 18 March 1848, Grant County, Indiana


10. Luther Lee Lamb (twin, born 18 March 1848, Grant County, Indiana

Smith Lamb, died in infancy


11. Rebecca Ann Lamb, born 1852, Grant County, Indiana


12. Hale Hezekiah Lamb, born 13 August 1854, Fayette County, Iowa


13. Mary Angeline Lamb, born after June in 1857, Dallas County, Iowa


14. Hannah Naomi Lamb, born 1859, Dallas County, Iowa


15. Elsworth Lamb, born 19 November 1861,Dallas County, Iowa


16. Luna Albert Lamb, born 29 December 1863, Dallas County, Iowa


17. son, died at birth, unnamed