Lydia Hellenback Born: 01 Dec 1817 PA Married: 02 Dec 1834 Vermillion Co., IN Died: 03 May 1876 Vermillion Co., IN Buried: Helt's Prairie Cemetery, Vermillion Co., IN FATHER Unknown MOTHER Unknown HUSBAND Enoch White

see FAMILY TREE

CHILDREN

1. Phebe Ann White b. 1835

2. Samuel Ryerson White b. 1838

3. Mary White b. 1840

4. Sarah Jane White b. 1842

5. Isabel White b. 1846

6. Rosella Caroline White b. 1849

   died: 29 Sep 1859

7. Frank B. White b. 1860

Lydia Hellenbach
by Susan Brooke
Jan 2023

According to her obituary, Lydia Hellenbach was born 1 Dec 1817 in Pennsylvania.  (1) She was a foster child of Samuel R. Ryerson and his wife, Phoebe Howard. The name on her marriage application is listed as Lydia Hellenbeck even though she was raised by Samuel and Phoebe Ryerson.  In the Mack family bible (see Isabel White Mack) she is listed as Lydia Hollanback.  The census records and obituary indicate she was born in PA.  Her obituary says she came to Helts Prairie and 1819 and the obituary for her foster mother, Phoebe Howard Ryerson, says she, Phoebe, came to Indiana in 1819. 
According to the Biographical and Historical Record of Vermillion County, published in 1888 by the Lewis Publishing Co., the Ryerson family settled in Vermillion Co., in 1819.  The cornerstone of the Ryerson home reads, "S. Ryerson 1828", so Lydia may have been living with the Ryersons in this house at the age of 11. (2)  Their farm was very close to the farm of Abraham White, the father of Enoch White.  Enoch and Lydia married 02 Dec 1834 when he was 20 and she 17. (3) According to her obituary, she died 3 May 1876.
Information on her foster parents is recorded below. (4) There is no real information leading us to her biological parents. (5)

Sources
 

(1) Obituary of Lydia Hellenback

Hoosier State  May 11, 1876

Newport Hoosier State Wednesday, May 11, 1876 Lydia, wife of Enoch White, was born December 1, 1817, in the state of PA, and came to Helt township, Vermillion County, IN, in 1819. She was converted at a prayer meeting at the residence of Father Rush, in 1832. Her conversion was clear and happy, and she lived a good member of the M.E. Church for 44 years. She was married to Enoch White on December 2, 1834, and died peacefully at her home, May 3, 1876. Very much be said in honor of her worth, and character in all the relations of life. Her devotion to her family was of the tenderest and the most ardent kind, as was fully attested by her life of constant toll, and sacrifice for their happiness. She had the pleasure of seeing her love reciprocated by kindness and consideration on their part. Her piety was not so much proclaimed by profession as by fidelity in the practical duties of life, and private devotion to God. She never borrowed trouble by anticipating, but met the responsibilities and burdens of life with Christian fortitude. On the 4th of May, after a sermon by the presiding elder of the district, her remains were followed by a large congregation to the beautiful cemetery near Summit Grove.

(2)  House built by her foster father,  Samuel R. Ryerson in 1828

 (3) Marriage License 01 Dec 1834
 

(4) Information on the foster parents

The following is an excerpt from the Biographical and Historical record of 1888.

"1819 - Samuel Ryerson, who died January 31, 1862, at Clinton.  His wife Phoebe, died in the fall of 1874 at the age of seventy-nine years.  She was a remarkable woman, at the age of twelve years had never heard one pray.  At that time she attended a Methodist meeting where the expected preacher did not arrive and the class leader sang and prayed.  Which was the means of her conviction and conversion and she remained a zealous member of the church all her life.  She and her husband formed the first Methodist class on Helt's Prairie consisting of eight persons soon after their settlement here.  A short time before her death she willed $1,500 to the Missionary Society, $500 to Asbury University, $200 to the educational fund of this county and $200 to the Biblical Institute of Evanston, ILL besides other sums to various individuals."

The obituary at the right is of Lydia's foster mother, Phoebe Ryerson, who was born in Hampshire Co, VA in 1795, emigrated to Green Co., PA in 1805 and then to Pickaway Co., OH in 1810. Phoebe was married in 1812.  Lydia was born in Pa in 1817.  In 1819, according to the obituaries on both women,  Lydia and her foster mother, Phoebe Ryerson, emigrated to Helt township, Indiana. Probably as a family.  If so, then it is interesting to speculate how a baby born in PA in 1817 was taken in by a family living in Pickaway Co.. OH.

Hoosier State Nov 19, 1874

Hoosier State Nov 19, 1874 "The subject of this notice was born in Hampshire county, Va., July 16, 1795, and was, consequently, at the time of her death, which occurred at 1 o'clock on Wednesday morning of last week, 79 years, 3 months and 25 days old.  She emigrated to Green county, Penn., in the year 1895, and from thence to Pickaway county, Ohio, in the spring of 1810. At the age of 12 years she had never heard any one pray.  She went to hear a Methodist minister preach, but the minister not putting in an appearance, the class leader sang and prayed which was the means of her conviction.  She then promised God that when she became married she would unite with the church.  In 1812 she was married to Samuel Ryerson, and soon after she and her husband united with the M. E. church.  They went home and at once erected a family alter, which was ever sustained afterward, when it was at all possible.  She was converted to God at the bedside of a dying sister, while her husband was in the army. They emigrated to this county and settled on Helt's Prairie in the year 1919, fifty-five years ago.  At that time there was no Methodist meeting of any kind in that vicinity.  He formed a class of eight persons, consisting of himself and wife, aunt Polly Helt, Esq.  Samuel Rush and his first wife, and others.  In the year 1848 Salem church, on Helt's Prairie, was erected, and for many years Mr. R. and his wife were attendants of this church, after which they moved to Clinton where he died on the 31st of January, 1862. A short time before Mrs. Ryerson's death she made a will of which the following shows a partial list of those whom she rewarded: $1500 to the Missionary Society; $500 to Asbury University, Greencastle; $200 to Rev. David Handley; $400 to Rev. John M Stafford, of Groveland, Newton county, Ind., the minister who preached her funeral; $200 to her niece, Mrs. John W. Casebeer; (This is probably the Martha Rush born about 1840 in IN to Samuel Rush and Sarah McNeeley);$200 to Educational fund of this county; $200 to biblical Institute, of Covington, Ill., $200 to Phoebe Skidmore, of Summit Grove."

Lydia's foster father was Samuel Ryerson..  Below is an excerpt from the following book.

Genealogy and History of the Knickerbocker Families of Ryerson, Ryerse, Ryerss; also Adriance and Mar Families: all descendants of Martin and Adriaen Reyersz (Reyerszen) of Amsterdam, Holland
by Albert Winslow Ryerson 1916

John Ryerson, (Lucas, Joris, Martin), son of Lucas and Johanna (Van der Hoff) Ryerson, was b. in New Jersey about 1756, and d. in Pickaway co., O, Jan 1, 1814. He removed from New Jersey to Pennsylvania with his sister prior to the American Revolution and, it is said, settled at Easton, Pa. (Dr. Schenck.) Mr Ryerson probably removed from Easton to Wheeling, W. Va., where one child was born in 1801. He then removed to Pennsylvania again, thence to Pickaway Co., O., where he resided until his death. He usually signed himself "John Ryerson of Pennsylvania." He studied for the ministry and was ordained in the Episcopal Church. He was twice m., first perhaps, before he left New Jersey, for his son, Samuel, was born in Hunterdon Co., NJ. The name of the first wife we have not been able to ascertain. She died about 1810. Hem. second, Mrs. Margaret Friend. Issue by first wife:

I. Samuel, m. Phoebe____. He resided in Indiana during the greater part of his life, then removed to Peoria, Ill. He left no children.

2. John b. Mar. 18, 1801; d. Oct 13, 1878; m. twice. Spelled his name "Ryason."

3. James, b. Dec. 14, 1803; d. Feb. 4, 1893; m. three times. Spelled his name "Ryason."

4. Isaac, b. June 23, 1808; d. April 4, 1887; m. Susanna buscark.

5. Elizabeth, m. a Mr. Crouch.  Issue:

   1. Hannah Crouch, m. John Rhodes.  Residence, Kansas

6. Hannah, m. Levi Nelson, of DeKalb County, INd.  Isue:

    1. Cornelius Nelson

     2. Sarah Nelson

     3. A daughter, whose name we have not.

(5) Information on her biological parents

Bible kept by her daughter Isabelle Mack indicates she was born in PA. Samuel Ryerson and his wife Phoebe both lived in PA at some points, but were in Pickaway OH by 1810 and married in Pickaway in 1813..  Amos Hollenbach of Circleville, Pickaway Co., OH was in Ohio in 1817.

My DNA matches the trees of David Colloy, 47 cm, lkatterheinrich 24 cm, Corey Clark 23 cm, ViWise, 21 cm, Patricia Wells 17cm, KAruda 10cm, D.B. 10 cm and each of these trees match at least two of the other trees.  These trees all lead back to Johann Conrad Hollenbach who was born 20 Jan 1752 in Franken, Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz.  He married about 1775 to Anna Catharian Probat.  They had 9 children, all born in PA. Johann Conrad Hollenbach died 20 Sep 1832 in Perry Co. PA.  One of his younger daughters, Maria Barbara Hollenbach, was born 4 Nov 1792 in Berks Co. PA. She married her first husband about 1814.  He died about 1817 and she remarried about 1817.

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