Lavina is the oldest of ten children born to Reuben J Seamans and Elinda Seamans. Her parents are second cousins once removed.

The Seamans Family has its roots in the Plymouth Colony. The early family tree is outlined in a book published in 1933 - The Seamans family in America as descended from Thomas Seamans of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1687.

Lavina's gravestone gives her birth date as December 28, 1812. However, she has a brother Jeremiah who was born October 28, 1811, which means the gravestone has the wrong birth year. Census records show her as one or two years older than Jeremiah. The 1933 Seamans Family book has her birth date as December 23, 1809.

The gravestone spells her maiden name Seamons, but the most common spelling for the surname is Seamans.
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According to William's obituary, he and Lavina had twelve children; all were born in New York State.

William and Lavina were married November 27, 1828 in Montgomery County, New York. The New York, Iowa, and Federal Census records provide names or evidence for eleven of their children.

Catherine E b. 1829
Reuben James b. 1831
(FNU) Son b. 1832-1835
Orlando b. 1836
William C b. 1838
Cordelia b. 1840
Jeremiah b 1842
Elmira M b. 1844
Lavina M b. 1846
Adaline Creta b. 1847
Mary A b. 1850
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Their oldest daughter Catherine married William Lynch; he is buried in East Side Cemetery (FAG # 38152447). She died after Jun 1880 (U.S. Census) and before her father's death in May 1892. She may be buried in Missouri; William Lynch's obituary reports that the family moved there in the early 1880's.
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The connections between William and Lavina and nine of these children are well documented in the birth, death, marriage and census records. Reuben James and the unknown son appear only in the 1840 Census, which doesn’t list their names. The 1840 Census lists five children: one female (10-14); two males (5-9); and two males (under 5). Catherine is the daughter, and Orlando and William are the boys under 5, which leaves two male children born between 1831 and 1835.

The connection between Reuben James and his parents was not easily established. For some unknown reason, Reuben changed his surname from Lingenfelter to Anderson.

There are several bits of evidence that support a connection between Reuben and his parents, but not conclusively. Reuben’s biography appears in a 1907 History of Southern California; according to the biography he moved to California in 1853. In California he uses the surname Anderson, not Lingenfelter. The biography identifies his parents as William Anderson, born New York; and Lavina Simmons, born Rhode Island. His own birth place is given as the Mohawk Valley of New York State. This account matches fairly well with William and Lavina Lingenfelter, other than the difference in surname.

Reuben is a name used repeatedly in the Seamans Family; Lavina’s father and grandfather were named Reuben. Reuben James names one of his daughters Lavina Jane. In addition, Reuben’s birth date fits well with the 1840 Census.

However, the definitive proof of the connection between Reuben James and his parents comes from DNA technology. DNA test results link Reuben’s GG Grandson to both the Lingenfelter and Seamans families.
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