John Jacob Rafuse (1822 - 1889)

Born 10 Sep 1822 in Martins Brook, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 9 Aug 1889 at age 66 in Middle New Cornwall, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Biography

John Jacob Rafuse was born in 1822 at Parkland, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the son of Johann (John) George Rafuse and Mary Magdalena Speidel (Spidel).

He married Sophia Speidel (Spidle) sometime prior to the 1848 birth of their first child, Jacob. They were the parents of ten known children, all born in Nova Scotia:

• Jacob Rafuse b. abt 1848;
• Asaph J Rafuse b. 2 Feb 1850, d. 14 Mar 1909;
• Hannah "Anna" Rafuse b. 9 Jun 1852, d. 12 Dec 1927;
• Elizabeth Rafuse b. 11 Mar 1854, d. 10 Jul 1940;
• Kezia M Rafuse b. 22 Dec 1855, d. 1932;
• Sophia Rafuse b. 18 Jun 1858;
• Ezra Manassa Rafuse b. 17 Sep 1860, d. 7 Jun 1946;
• Joseph Stephen Rafuse b. 4 Apr 1861, d. 30 Jan 1943;
• Alice V Rafuse b. 9 Aug 1865, d. 27 Sep 1958;
• Zeruah (?) b. 31 Aug 1868.

The 1871 Canadian census report shows the family living at Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Jacob, age 49, is listed as a Baptist of German descent, occupation Farmer; wife Sophia age 45; Asaph 21; Elizabeth 17; Kezia 17; Sophia 12 ;Ezra 10; Stephen 8; Alice 5; Lerish (sic) 2.

1881 Canadian census for Blockhouse, a District of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, shows Jacob age 58, Sophia 54, Kezia 22, Sophia 20, Ezra 18, Stephen 16, and Serua 12.

Jacob died in 1898 at Middle New Cornwall, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia where he is buried at the Middle New Cornwall Memorial Gardens.

Sources

• "Canada Census, 1871," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M485-SGQ : 19 March 2021), Jacob Rafuse, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing 1871; citing National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

• "Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV65-Z4F : 2 March 2021), Jacob Rafuse, Blockhouse, Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Database with images. Ancestry. (www.ancestry.com : 2008); citing Jacob Rafuse, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155122450/j-jacob-rafuse), memorial page for J Jacob Rafuse (18 Sep 1822–9 Aug 1889), Find a Grave Memorial ID 155122450, citing Middle New Cornwall Memorial Gardens, Middle New Cornwall, Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada

• NSHVS