Much interesting data was lost when the family bible was burned in a fire which destroyed the home of Mary Elizabeth (Staley) Rhodes at Saegertown PA in the late 1800's. Some family tradition has been preserved through the memory of William Samuel Rhodes and most of it concerned his grandfather, George Washington Rhodes Sr.

It is believed that George W Rhodes was "bound out" to learn the distillery trade at Redbank, Armstrong Co, PA and that upon completion of his apprenticeship moved directly to Crawford Co, PA. It is known that he did operate a distillery for a Mr Hornstein on French Creek between Saegertown and Meadville for many years. Tiring of this in middle age, George purchased a tract of white oak timber a mile west of Saegertown in Hayfield Twp and he and his sons cleared sufficient acres for farming. A portion of the original log cabin was still standing and being used as a wagon shed as late as 1925 but it has since been destroyed.

G W Rhodes, as he was known, appears to have been a devout Baptist and considered himself a pillar of the church at Saegertown where he served as a deacon. He spoke English with a decided German accent and was known to lapse into German when excited. Willilam S Rhodes recalled an incident that occurred when he was a boy visiting his grandfather's farm. All had gone into the house for a meal when G W discovered that the cows had broken through the fence and were in the corn field. Excitedly he shouted, "boys, boys, come out with your arms to throw" and then went into a flood of German as he ran toward the corn field.

It is a matter of record that the settlement of Saegertown, feeling the need of a church, erected a log cabin meeting house through the combined efforts and resources of the Baptists and Methodists. This building was to be shared by the two groups but the Methodists became dissatisfied at the arrangement after a short time. A meeting of the elders was held to work out a solution and during the course of which several expressed their dissatisfaction with considerable stress on the "too violent conduct" of the Baptists in their manner of worship. One member went on at some length and to illustrate he cited an incident that had occurred at a recent Baptist prayer meeting. This was to the effect that during a prayer by G W Rhodes, he stood on the seat and fervently exclaimed "Oh God, come down through the roof and I will pay for the shingles". This anecdote had been a family tradition until William S Rhodes, in going over some old records in the Methodist Church at Saegertown, came upon the minutes of this meeting and found the incident recorded there.

There is another tradition to the effect that a meeting of the elders of the Baptist Church was being held to decide upon the introduction of an organ into their meeting house. After considerable discussion, it was noted that G W Rhodes had not expressed an opinion and he was called upon to do so. "Let the golden calf bellow, I can kneel down beside it and pray" is said to be his answer.

During an interview with an old local gentleman, the gentleman readily recalled George Washington Rhodes and his activities as a deacon in the Baptist Church at Saegertown. He remarked that some of these activities caused him, as a boy, to receive more whippings than for all other reasons combined. He explained that the deacon (G W Rhodes), known for his long-winded prayers, developed a technique of covering his face with his hands while praying and peering out through his fingers. In this manner, he could observe the conduct of the boys in particular. Tired and restless at long sessions on hard board seats, the boys were certain to become inattentive and by gesture and whispering would ridicule the deacon. At the close of the meeting he would report the offenders to their elders and the old gentleman recalled with amusement, all the trips to the woodshed that were made as a result of the deacon's system.

Mr Rhodes composed and practiced his church prayers. It was by using his team for an audience while working about his farm and orating to them in a voice that could be heard on adjoining farms. The old gentleman also laughed and recalled, "Yessir, the worst hypocrite in the county, beat the daylights out of his wife and then go to church" (meaning G W Rhodes, the deacon).

George Washington Rhodes Sr was born in 1801 Armstrong Co PA and died Dec 2 1870 Hayfield Twp, Crawford Co PA. He married Mary A Brookhouser in 1827. George was the son of Christian Rhodes and Susanna Shaffer. Mary Brookhouser was born 1805 and died June 26 1891 Saegertown,Crawford Co PA. She was the daughter of Adam Brookhouser and Keziah Mason. George and Mary Brookhouser Rhodes are buried in the Saegertown Cemetery. CHILDREN: John married Elizabeth Dugan; Julia Ann married James M Jones; Susanna Fietta married (1)Jacob Hartman Jr, (2)Joseph Woodring Jr; Adam P married Margaret Greeves; Hiram Jackson married Lovian Ruth Sackett; Elias Mason married (1)Mary Elizabeth Staley, (2) Mary Robinson McMullen; George Washington Jr married (1)Louise Brookhouser, (2)Matilda Sitler; Isaac Mason married Anna L Beatty.

Information on Lovina Ruth Sackett ancestors and descendants is available at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Etsfa/sackett1/paf...