RACHEL FAMILY HISTORY

Nathaniel grew up in the Ravens Nest Post Office area in Washington County, Virginia. Nathan J. Rachel and Sarah Ann Fleenor lived very close to each other growing up. After Nathan and Sarah Ann married, they lived in the township of Kinderhook, Abingdon Post Office district which is also near the present day Mendota. They were listed on the 1870 Washington County Census in Dwelling #370, Family #370, with their 3 year old daughter, Mary, 6 month old son, William J., 41 year old sister, Susan M., and 15 year old brother, Henry A. living with them. While living in Washington County, Virginia, they had four children, Mary (Molly) E, William Jackson, Cyrus King (Joe), and Caldonna (Donna) E. It should be reported here that living on one side of Nathan and Sarah in Dwelling #371, Family #371, were her parents, Allen and Sarah Fleenor and in the house next to them in Dwelling #372 and Family #372 was Nathan's father, James V. Rachel, brother, James Jackson and his wife, Isabella and their five children.

Between 1874 and 1877, they migrated to Little York, Gibson Township, Washington County, Indiana where they had three more children, Henry Allen, Eddie Hugh, Pearl Jane. It should be noted here, that Sarah Ann's father, Allen Fleenor, had two brothers, John Benjamin Fleenor, Jr. and Hugh Bliss Fleenor, who had migrated to Washington County, Indiana earlier.

Deed records of Washington County, Indiana, show that on February 7, 1879, William C. Faubush furnished a quit claim deed to Nathan J. Rachel, for land. On October 15, 188? (year not readable), Nathan sold the same land to Wiley Hurst. The year was probably 1880 or 1881.

In 1881 they migrated to Texas and had four more children, Willis B., Omer O., Virgie G. and John Lester. We are not sure why the Rachels moved to Texas. Their oldest son, William Jackson married Ida Lee Bonham in 1890. Her parents were John Wiley Bonham and Elizabeth Fleenor. Both were born in Virginia. Since Ida Lee was born in Maud, Texas, her parents would been living in Maud at the time the Rachel Family moved there from Indiana. Elizabeth Fleenor Bonham was the daughter of Berryhill Fleenor, (brother of Allen Fleenor, father of Sarah Ann Rachel) and Margaret P. Deck Vanhook of Washington County, Virginia. She and Sarah Ann were first cousins.

The Nathan J. Rachel family reportedly first settled near Corley, in Bowie County, Texas, where they built a log cabin. Then they bought land near Maud and built a home site where they lived and reared their children.

Nathaniel James Rachel was generally known as Nathan James Rachel or N. J. Rachel. His given name was Nathaniel, as confirmed by the marriage license of his sister, Susan M. Rachel, which shows she was married at the "residence of Nathaniel Rachel."

From the time he moved to the area of Maud, Bowie County, Texas, Nathan J. Rachel was a farmer and a Baptist minister, until he died. As long as he could work, he was a farmer to support his family, was a preacher ministering to the community.

A group of farmers and early settlers of the Maud Community met in 1882, to organize a school. With Brother N. J. Rachel as chairman, it was decided that a Baptist Church and school be built together. Since the building was situated on the highest point in the community, it was called 'Center Ridge Baptist Church' with Brother N. J. Rachel as the first pastor.