James Harold Rinker b January 17, 1846; d October 10, 1914; m @ Clayton NM to
Lucinda Jane Pierce b November 1, 1850; d November 5, 1921

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James and Lucinda had 6 children; Oscar, Ennis, Biemmer, Ella, Butch and Roy.

James' parents were Henry Rinker b 3/20/1806; d 12/26/1879; and Sally Henkle b 4/7/1809; d 5/2/1850. They had 9 children; Rebecca (Cook) b 1831, Samuel b 1833, Amos b 1835; d 1912, Lewis b 1837, Polly b 1839, Minerva b 1841, William b 1843, James b 1846 and Elizabeth b 1848.

This is from Elizabeth Sweetman Waring, granddaughter of Amos Rinker: The family of Henry Rinker came to Virginia on a land grant from Lord Fairfax, and were German Speaking Swiss. Amos had many of the old family records which were destroyed when a cyclone hit in Kansas.

The following was excerpted from a history of the Cook and Rinker families by Grace Dixon, daughter of Emarine Gard and copied by Mrs. Wm (Thelma) Rinker Hubka in 1959:

Some years before the Civil War, probably between 1840 and 1845, a family of Quakers, the Cooks, settled on virgin land in Indiana, not far from the present city of Peru, on the Wabash river. At about the same time, or a year or two later, another family came from Virginiato make their home in the near by neighborhood. They were German speaking Henry Rinker, his wife Sally and their nine children. I am told the name Rinker is of Dutch origin, but there was a mixture of German and Swiss in the family. Henry and Sally were born in Virginia. Willaim died in camp as a Union soldier in the Civil War. Henry never remarried after Sally's death. Rebecca, grandmother of Grace Dixon was 19 at the time of her mothers death and took her place looking after the younger children. Elizabeth, the youngest lived with Rebecca and Milton Cook afterwards taking care of their 7 girls and 2 boys.

Near the end of the Civil War Amos Rinker married Milton Cook's sister Eliza Cook. They had three children; Louis, Ella and Elvie. Eliza died when Elvie was born and the care of the three youngsters was taken over by Grace's grnadmother and the older girls. As they were double cousins and the family was closely knit, the girls looked on these little ones a younger siblings. They had greatly loved and admired their Aunt Liza.

Rinker family gathering about Spring 1953, based on Leona's appearance per Louise Fornia.

Left to right around the table: first 2 are unkown. Mr Hardway, Alma's husband. Alma Hardway, Oscar Rinker's daughter (Oscar was Ella Rinker Chaney's brother), Leona Rinker Puckett, (Louise's mother) Roy Rinker (Ella Rinker Chaney's brother), next two unknown