Page 104, 105 (top)

33 JACOB WATSON HEATH was born in Wayne County, Ind. 1828. After a liberal education for his day in the log school house and the academy at Muncie, he became a teacher, after which he married, in 1850, Rhoda Perdieu, by whom was born six sons and two daughters. He lived for many years in the Mt. Zion neighborhood and was elected several terms assessor of his township; but seeing a large number of children growing up around him without any prospect of their getting homes in that section of the country, he migrated to Missouri with his family, where several of them were soon taken sick. As soon as they were able to travel they came back, and not being able after the expense of this trip, to buy a farm, they located in Muncie where each one struck out for himself but all making home their headquarters and contributing to the support. This proved a blessing in disguise, as it gave an opportunity for development they never could have had in the west and all have made a success of their opportunities. Jacob was a licensed local minister in the M. E. Church and for several years was president of the county local ministerial association. He died in Muncie, Ind. 1902 at the age of 74. Leaving his dear old wife Rhoda in a comfortable home, where she is still living with her daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Bowman. She has been a wise and valuable counselor for her family in which each one always seemed to confide and seek her advice. Jacob was a prominent member of the masonic order.

Delaware County, Indiana Index to Marriage Record 1827 - 1920 Inclusive Name: Jacob Heath Spouse: Rhoda Ann Perdiu Marriage Date: 24 Dec 1850 Book: C-2 OSPage: 467 County: Delaware

WPA Death Record of Delaware Co.
Heath, Rhoda Ann F W Age: 79 Date: Aug 17, 1911 Place: Muncie Book/Page: CH-3 34
Heath, Jacob R. M W Age: 73 Date: Oct 9, 1901 Place: Muncie Book/Page: CH-6 7

Heath Cemetery Listing
Heath, Arthur son of Jacob W. and Rhoda A. Heath died August 18, 1872 age 8 mo.

History of Delaware Co., 1881, by Thomas B. Helm
Arthur B. W. Heath, the last child of the subject of this sketch was born December 18, 1871, and died August 18, 1872.

Portrait and Biographical Record Delaware County, Indiana By A. W. Bowen & Co.
REV. JACOB W. HEATH, was born February 23, 1829, in Wayne County, Indiana, and is of English stock; his great-grandfather, together with two brothers, crossed the Atlantic, from their London home, and stopped in Maryland, where the the grandfather, Jacob Heath, was born and reared; and, early in his life, removed to Guilford county, North Carolina, where Ralph Heath, father of Jacob W., was born, reared and married to Miss Mary Tomlinson. After the birth of three sons and one daughter -- the daughter dying in infancy -- the parents decided to move the young family to the wilds of Indiana, and in October, 1828, they left their home in the sunny south, crossing the mountains in the little wagon, to Wayne county, Indiana, where Mr. Heath stopped with his family for one year. During the summer of 1829 Ralph Heath came to Delaware county, to enter land; less that 200 voters were in the county, and much of the land, where the city of Muncie now stands was congress land, subject to entry, at $125 per acre. But Mr. Heath finally located in Salem township, five miles southwest of Muncie; built a cabin, and brought his family here December 25, 1829 -- but one family living nearer that the little village of Muncietown, five miles distant. The growling of the bear, the scream of the panther, and the howling of the wolf with all the loneliness of this wilderness country, were what the father and mother had to endure. The sons older than Jacob W. were Albert Heath, now of Hannibal, Mo.; John W. Heath, of Muncie, and the Rev. James W. Heath, deceased, who all shared in the hardships of pioneer life with their father and mother. The father was a christian man and was among the first to open his cabin to the early missionaries of the M. E. church. This cabin was the preaching place in the early settlement of years, and this early training that Jacob W. received from the early ministers and parents fixed him in his religious convictions during life.

Jacob W. Heath remained with his parents until of age attending the district schools during the winter and working on the farm during the summer. In 1848 and '49, he was a student in the old Delaware county seminary. In 1850, he was united in marriage to Miss Rhoda A. Perdiue, daughter of the Rev. Abner Perdiue, a pioneer minister, and an early settler of Delaware county. Mr. Heath,, at the time of his marriage, was engaged in teaching, but soon engaged in the business of the farm, and continued in the same till 1868, when he removed to Muncie, since when his time has been taken up in the grocery business, life insurance and real estate.

Mr. Heath joined the M. E. church when sixteen years of age. He has filled the offices of leader, steward, trustee, Sabbath school superintendent, exhorter, and for the last seventeen years, local minister. Mr. Heath became a member of Delaware lodge, No. 46, Free & Accepted Masons, in 1856, and is a strong believer in the principles of that order. He has been for many years a zealous worker in the cause of temperance, and has been heard from in almost every pulpit in the county and state. He attended the constitutional amendment case of the supreme court, in the city of Des Moines, Iowa, in 1883, and did effective work there.

In politics, Mr. Heath is a republican, and has been at all times in line with his party, and taken an active part in all political campaigns since 1860. While Mr. Heath was not in the army during the dark days of the war, there was no man in the south part of the county, where he at that time resided, who did more for the support of the families of the men who went to the front, according to his financial ability. The fruits of J. W. Heath and wife's marriage, have been six sons and two daughters, namely: John B. Heath, Frederick W. Heath, Perry S. Heath, Fletcher S. Heath, Cyrus R. Heath, Cassie E. Heath, and Mary A. Heath, and one son, Arthur Heath, deceased.

Mr. Heath calls to mind, the first death and funeral, that occurred between the very small village, of Muncietown and Middletown. In December, 1833; was present at the funeral, and saw the few early settlers deposit the remains of the wife and mother in the silent and new cemetery; this being the first one laid to rest in what is known now as the Old Heath cemetery.

History of Delaware Co., 1881, by Thomas B. Helm
Jacob W. Heath was born in Wayne County, Ind., February 23, 1829. His father, Ralph Heath, removed on the 27th of December, 1829, into Salem Township, Delaware County. That portion of this county was at that time an unbroken wilderness....His opportunities for education were very limited, and were generally confined to about two months during each year, and he was compelled to walk about two miles every day during the sessions. At the age of eighteen years, having obtained what was then termed a very good business education, he entered the Old Seminary School of Muncie, taught by Profs. Farris and Abbott. This school was attended at that time by many of the staid business and professional men now of Muncie...At the age of twenty-one years, he taught the first school organized in the McKimmey District, Monroe Township...This was the year 1850; and during this term of school he was married to Miss Rhoda A. Perdieu, daughter of the Rev. Abner Perdieu, near Muncie....1868 he moved to Laclede, Mo. He became convinced that society there, owing to the disruptions caused by the late war, was not of that character in which he desired to rear and educate his family, and he returned to Muncie where he placed his children in school.

During the past seven years, Mr. Heath has been engaged in the real estate and general agency business. Being raised by Methodist parents, and the house of his parental ancestors for many years became the pleasant haven of the weary itinerant, he early in life became a member of that denomination, and has never wavered in his religious convictions...He is now a licensed local preacher. He has been a member of the Masonic Fraternity for twenty-five years, and an ardent advocate of the cause of temperance. In plitics he was a Free-Soilor when a young man, but identified himself with the Replubican party soon after its birth, and with might and main labored for the entire Replubican ticket in 1880.

He is the father of eight children, seven of whom now live--two daughters and five sons.

Reminiscences Our Grandmothers of Muncie
For a Benefit called "The Grandmother's Rally" Given in Interest of First Baptist Church of Muncie 27 Oct 1892
Rhoda A. Heath was born in Henry county, Indiana, April 26th, 1833. Her father was a Methodist minister and she was raised and indoctrinated in that church, and at the age of sixteen years became a member. On December 24th, 1850, she was married to her present husband, Rev. Jacob W. Heath. Their union was blessed with six sons and two daughters. All are living except the youngest son, who died at the age of eight months. The sons are John W. Heath, of Marion, Ind., Perry S., of Washington City; Fletcher S., of Hamilton, Ohio; Frederick W. and Cyrus R., Mrs. Cassie E. Bowman and Miss May A. Heath, of this city.

Page105