Mary "Polly" Purget Reser, daughter of Henry Purgett, was born in 1788 in Hampshire County, VA, now WV. Mary is listed in Henry Purgett's will as Mary Reser (from original copy of will dated February 1835). Mary Purget was born on 10 February 1788 in Hampshire County, VA, her tombstone gives her death as 24 August 1854, age 66y, 6m, 14d. She married Jacob Reser circa 1808. According to his tombstone, Jacob Reser was born on 20 February 1780 in Hampshire County, VA and died on 09 July 1862 in Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, IN, age 82y, 4m, 19d. They are both is buried in Salem Cemetery.
Most of the information on Mary and her husband Jacob Reser is documented in two books from Indiana. In "History of Indiana from Exploration to 1920," by Logan Esarey, printed in 1828: Jacob and Mary (Purget) Reser married about 1808 in Hampshire County, VA, now WV, and moved to Springfield, Ohio in 1814. In 1835 they and their 10 children came to Indiana on the historic Strawtown Road, taking 20 days to travel 200 miles. They spent their first winter in a cabin near Concord, now Conroe, and the next spring came to the land of Daniel and Sarah Hoover in Wea Twp., known as the Booth farm for 70 years. They lived in a cabin on Big Wea Creek and then bought 360 acres from Stanford Keeler a short distance from the present village of Stockwell. Their brick house was built in 1844. The bricks were made on the property and burned there, the clay tramped by horses. Besides being a farmer, Jacob had a forge until he was way past 80. He spoke German almost exclusively and it is believed he was born there, in Germany, in 1779 (no proof). He died on the farm July 9, 1862, and is buried in Salem Cemetery. His wife, born in 1788, died August 24, 1854. Hiram, Sidney, and Eliza were born in Hampshire Co. Va.; and Margaret, Hezekiah, Samuel, Mary, David, Harvey and James F. in Ohio. Harvey, born in Springfield, Ohio on 04 February 1826, died 14 July 1906, married Sarah Waymire on 10 September 1857. All the brothers farmed and drove cattle to Pittsburg on the hoof."
Jacob Reser is listed in 1820 and 1830 census in Moorfield Township, Clark County, Ohio. He is also listed in Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, IN in 1850. In an excerpt from "Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe Co., IN" published in 1888: "Jacob Reser was born abt. 1780 in Hampshire Co., Va, where he was reared, and married to Miss Polly Purget, who was born and reared in the same county." "Jacob Reser, the father, learned the blacksmith's trade in early manhood, which he followed as long as he was able to work, his sons attending to the work of the farm. He settled in Tippecanoe Co. with his family, as before stated in 1836, the date of their arrival being Nov. 28. They lived in Randolph Township about three years, and in the spring of 1840, Mr. Reser purchased a tract of land on section 32, Sheffield Twp., consisting of 360 acres, all of which was prairie but 80 acres of timber land. The land was almost unimproved, but a log cabin had been built into which the family moved, and with the assistance of his sons, Mr. Reser soon had a good farm on which he lived until his death, in July, 1862. His wife had died at the homestead several years before. The humble log cabin was replaced by a fine substantial brick residence, before the death of the father, and the farm became one of the best in the neighborhood. Jacob Reser was a typical pioneer, honest, industrious and enterprising. In politics he was a Whig, and later affiliated with the Republican party." Jacob and Mary are both buried in Salem Cemetery, Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. They had 10 children. Hiram, Sidney, Eliza, Margaret, Hezekiah, Samuel, Mary, David, Harvey and James.
Sidney Reser (1 Henry Purgett 2 Mary "Polly") was born on 30 September 1810 in Hampshire County, VA, and died on 13 July 1885 in Howard County, IN. She is said to have married Adonijah Gordon in 1833 in Clark County, OH. Sidney was buried in Russiaville Cemetery, Russiaville, IN.
Eliza Reser (1 Henry Purgett 2 Mary "Polly") was born in 1812 in Hampshire County, Virginia, and died on 15 AUG 1888 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, age 76y, 2m, 19d. She is buried in Salem Cemetery, Tippecanoe County, IN.
Margaret (Peggy) Reser (1 Henry Purgett 2 Mary "Polly")
Hezekiah Reser (1 Henry Purgett, 2 Mary "Polly") was born in 1817 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, and died on 13 September 1854, 36y, 10m, 3d. He is buried in Salem Cemetery, Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
Samuel Reser (1 Henry Purgett 2 Mary "Polly") was born on 10 June 1819 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, and died on 22 May 1847, 27y, 11m, 12d. He is buried in Salem Cemetery, Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
Mary "Polly" Reser (1 Henry Purgett, 2 Mary "Polly")
David Reser (1. Henry Purgett, 2. Mary "Polly") was born on 02 April 1823 in Clark County, Ohio. He moved with his family to Tippecanoe County, IN in 1836. In 1848 he married Mary Ann Brelsfoard, daughter of John and Ann Brelsford. She was born in 1820 in Butler County, Ohio. Excerpt from Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe Co., IN, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1888, pp. 562-563: "David M. Reser, whose name heads this sketch, was about thirteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to this county, and has a clear remembrance of the appearance of the country fifty years ago. He grew to manhood on the homestead farm in Sheffield Township, his youth being spent in assisting with the work of the farm, and in attending the district school. He was married in 1848, to Miss Mary Ann Brelsfoard, born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1820, a daughter of John and Ann Brelsfoard. Her parents came from Butler county to Tippecanoe county in 1846, where the father died one year later. His widow survived him until November, 1850. Mr. and Mrs. ReserR are the parents of seven children - Eunice Ann, Benjamin B., Franklin C., Mary Alice, Amanda I., Allen B. and Laura B. MR. Reser has lived on his present farm on section 30, Sheffield Towhship, since 1848, where he has eighty acres of well improved and finely cultivated land, the entire surroundings of the place indicating care and thrift. Besides this farm he has a tract of timber land on section 35, of the same township. Mr. Reser is a man of genial disposition and cordial manners, and has had his share of the pleasures of this world. Politically he is a Republican, casting first presidential vote for Henry Clay, in 1844, since which time he has voted for every Republican candidate for the presidency. Both he and his wife are faithful and earnest members of the Universalist church at Dayton."
A David Miller Reser died on 21 June 1900, age 77, in Sheffield Township (Book S-12L, p. 18, the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration).
Harvey Reser (1 Henry Purgett, 2 Mary "Polly") was born on 04 February 1825 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio and died on 14 July 1906, age 81. Source: Book S-13L, p. 85, from series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.
James F. Reser (1 Henry Purgett, 2 Mary "Polly") was born circa 1831.