On This Day - Janaury 24

RACHEL HOUCHIN was born on January 24, 1841. She is the daughter of Preston Houchin 1(818-1893) and Elizabeth Bessie Bonnine (1821-1873). Preston was born in Kentucky but his parents moved to Illinois about 1829 where he married Elizabeth in 1938. Preston and Bessie lived the rest of their lives there.  Rachel was the first daughter and second of 13 children born to Preston and Bessie. 

In 1859 Rachel married Samuel Tallman in Livingston, Illinois.

The 1860 census shows Samuel, Rachel and a 4 month old daughter living with Rachel's parents and six of her siblings. In 1863 Samuel registered for the military. There were no children born between 1862 and 1865 but I found no record of Samuel serving in the war.

By 1870 the family has expanded to six children, ages 10 to 3 months.  They are living near Odell, Livingston County, Illinois and Samuel is farming. Twins, Ira and Ida, were born in 1866 but only Ira survived.

In 1880 Rachel and Samuel have four children at home, two were born since 1870 and son Ira has died as well as his sister Hattie.  Daughter Mary married in 1880.  Living next to them is the Larkin Houchin family, a cousin of Rachel's. Another daughter marries in 1885 and then in 1891 there is a double wedding with Elmer and Mahala marrying on January 8.

Rachel's husband dies at age 56 in 1892.  I have not been able to find Rachel in the 1900 or 1910 census.  Her son John was in North Dakota between 1904 and 1907 and in Orange County, California in 1910.  But Rachel is not with them.  Nor is she living with any of her other children. John dies in California in 1910.  In 1920 Rachel is living in Pontiac, Illinois where John's wife and children are.

Rachel Houchin Tallman died April 16, 1926 in Overland, St. Louis, Missouri.  She is buried next to her husband in Swygert Cemetery in Livingston County, Illinois.


Rachel is my 2nd cousin 3x removed.