In the 1830 census for Ohio, Clark Co., Greene Twp., under Joseph Rakestraw there is listed a male aged 0 - 4, this is probably Ayres. In the 1840 census for the same area and person there is listed 2 males ages 10 - 14, one of these being Ayres and the other being his older brother Malon. The the 1850 census, same area and family is Ayres is named and stated as being 16 years old.
John was born at
Clark Co., Ohio, on 2 May 1834. He was the son of
Joseph P. Rakestraw and
Priscilla Bates. He married
Elizabeth Weller at
Clark Co., Ohio, on 5 March 1857. John was listed as the head of a family on the 1860 Census at
Cedarville Twp., Greene Co., Ohio. He died on 11 March 1896 at
Chetopa, Cherokee Co., Kansas, at age 61. He was buried in March 1896 at
Pitcher, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma.