Mahlon was born at
Clark Co., Ohio, on 26 December 1830. He was the son of
Joseph P. Rakestraw and
Priscilla Bates. He married
Mary Elizabeth Baber on 27 December 1869. Biography of Mahlon Rakestraw, page 694. History of De
Kalb County, Indiana. Inter-state Publishing
Company, Chicago, 1885
Mahlon Rakestraw, farmer, section 6, Keyser Township, was born in Clark County, Ohio, Dec.26, 1830 a son of
Joseph and Priscilla (Bates) Rakestraw. He was reared on a farm, assisting his father, and attending school the earlier part of his life. After reaching manhood
he engaged in the mercantile business, which he followed successfully six (6) years. In September, 1865, he came to De Kalb County, Ind., and bought eighty (80) acres of land in Keyser Township, where he has since resided. He is an enterprising and thrifty agriculturist, and has made a success of this as other vocations in which he has engaged. Politically Mr. Rakestraw is a Republican,,but has no aspiration for official honors. He was married Dec. 26, 1869, to Mary Elizabeth Baber, a native of De Kalb County, a daughter of Achilles and Rebecca Baber, who came from Dayton Ohio, to De Kalb County in a early day. Mrs Mary E. Rakestraw died Dec. 27, 1874, leaving one (1)
daughter--- Melissa Estella.
Mahlon died on 25 October 1899 at age 68.