Ricks Family History, Tangipahoa, Washington and St.Helena Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Hugh A. Ricks, laughart(a)home.com
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The following is a history of my Ricks line, starting with my
father's generation and working back to the earliest known ancestor.
It is not an authoritative work of my own and it contains a great
deal of unsubstatiated and undocumented information. Much of the
information has been collected from oral tradition, family Bible
records, family members and the work of several knowledgeable
researchers (see note at end of history). Undoubtedly, there are
errors and omissions and I hope to hear from you if you have a
criticism, comment or contribution.
I apologize for submitting what might be called a reverse
genealogy, but it seemed to me that the reader might be more
interested in going back from a familiar place than going forward
from 1638.
It is my intention and indeed my current task, to document all of
the information listed below and to make it available to those
interested in this branch of the Ricks family . Names and dates are
constantly being added and revised and I will endeavor to keep
available an updated version of this genealogy. New information is
being gathered even as I write.
Anyone with information, photographs or documents, please contact me
by e-mail at:
laughart(a)home.com).
Hugh A. Ricks
6440 Canal Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70124 Telephone 504-482-0562.
1.Van A. Ricks, born Feb. 28, 1905, Tangipahoa Parish, La. ; died
June 2, 1948, New Orleans, La.
Married 1st: Katherine Ritt, born New Orleans,.La. ?; died Feb.
15, 1990, Metairie,La.
Children of Van A. Ricks and Katherine Ritt:
i. Shirley Mae Ricks, born Feb. 25, 1927, New Orleans, La. ;
died Dec. 19, 1986, Kenner, La.
was married to Royce D. Bufkin.
ii. Gertrude Gabriel Ricks, born Nov. 10, 1928, New Orleans,La.
Married 1st.S.N. Hudson;
2nd. Edward Sutton ; 3rd. Joseph Clark.
iii. Van A. Ricks,Jr., born May 31, 1932, New Orleans, La.;
died Feb.1, 1933. Died at 9 mos. of
congestive heart failure.
Married 2nd: Ida Mae Hales, born Dec. 11, 1908, West Greene,
Greene Co., AL ; died Nov. 12,
1975, New Orleans, La.
Children of Van A. Ricks and Ida Mae Hales:
i. Hugh A. Ricks, born Jan. 20, 1939, New Orleans, La. Married
1st. Janice Darlene Schmit;
2nd. Laura Marie Rizzo.
ii. James Patrick Ricks, born April 9, 1941, New Orleans, La.
Married 1st. Yvonne Deslatte;
2nd. Nola Mae Barnes; 3rd. Elinor Stansel Meyer.
iii. Van Dewey Ricks, born Jan. 7, 1947, New Orleans,La. ; died
Nov. 14, 1996, New Orleans,
La. Married 1st. Mary Ellen Stolf; 2nd. Tanya Rita Hymel;
3rd. Cheryl Ann Maher; 4th.
Dorothy Davis Mooney.
Van A. Ricks' siblings were:
i. Will W. Ricks, born Aug. 5, 1894, Tangipahoa Parish, La.; died ?.
ii. Edith Ricks, born June 20, 1896, Tangipahoa Parish, La.;
died abt. 1989. Married
Elmer Leath.
iii. Burell (Buell?) Ricks, born Aug. 19, 1898, Tangipahoa, La.
; died ?.
iv. Tincie Ricks, born Aug. 20, 1902, Tangipahoa, La. ; died
abt 1980-85. Married Archie
Miller.
v. Dewey H. Ricks, ( later given the Christian name James
Patrick Ricks) born May 16, 1904
Tangipahoa Parish, La. ; died 1995, New Orleans, La. Married Blanche ?.
vi. Herman Chess Ricks, born Jan. 23, 1907, Tangipahoa Parish,
La. ; died Mar. 28, 1985 ,
Baton Rouge , La. Buried Bolivar Baptist Church Cemetery. Bolivar, La.
Married Winnie Bell Crawford, born MAR. 13, 1916.
2. Henry Chess Ricks, born Aug. 7, 1869, Tangipahoa Parish, La. ;
died Mar. 13, 1924, Tangipahoa Parish, La.
Married Nina (Ninnie) Strahan, born July 19, 1874 ; died Jan. 23,
1907 (childbirth),
Tangipahoa Parish, La.
Children of Henry Chess Ricks and Nina Strahan are listed above
under siblings of Van A.
Ricks.
Henry Chess Ricks' siblings were:
i. Delilah Julia Ricks, born Mar. 26, 1856, died ?.
ii. Charles Neven Ricks, born Sept. 15, 1857, died ?. Married
Mary Jane Parker.
iii. Leah Elizabeth Ricks, born Mar. 27, 1858; died JUNE 9,
1939 . Buried Beulah Baptist Church Cemetary, Kentwood, La. Married
Charles Crawford.
iv. Rebecca Ann Ricks, born Mar. 27, 1861; died ?.
v. Joshua Ricks, born Mar. 3, 1862; died ?.
vi. Major Obediah Ricks, born Apr. 14, 1865, died ?. Married
Rosa Ricks.
vii. John Sherrod Ricks, born Dec. 8, 1866; died ?. Married
Francis Elizabeth Ricks.
viii. Frances Dona Ricks, born Feb. 21, 1871; died ?. Married
Jonathan Dent Grace.
ix. Otis Dudley Ricks, born Mar. 24, 1873; died ?. Married Dolly Ricks.
x. Lewis Benjamin Ricks, born Aug. 6, 1875; died 1958.
Married 1st. Mary Goings. 2nd. Rosa
Arabelle (Arabella) Barker, 3rd. Ada Fussell Wainwright.
3. Warren Woodard Ricks, born Aug. 13, 1830, Washington Parish, La.
(later Tangipahoa);
died Feb. 24, 1909, Tangipahoa Parish, La. Warren was a Confederate
Veteran of the Civil War.
Married Nancy Caroline Varnado on Jan. 25, 1855. Nancy was born
Feb. 8, 1831, Washington Parish, La.; died Dec. 15, 1900 in
Tangipahoa Parish, La. Nancy was the daughter of William Pearl
Varnado, B. abt. 1811 in Indian village on the Pearl River in Marion
Co.,MS and Rebecca Jane Thompson, b. July 10, 1813 in Pike Co. , MS.
Children of Warren Woodard Ricks and Nancy Caroline Varnado are
listed above under siblings of Henry Chess Ricks.
Warren Woodard Ricks' siblings were:
i. John Quincy Ricks, born (he was 21 years old in the 1850
census); died ?.
ii. Robert (Bob) Ricks, born ( he was 14 years old in the 1850
census); died ?. Some family
tradition has it that Bob was killed by Indians in West Texas
or New Mexico while on his
way to California as a young man.
4. Benjamin Sherrod Ricks, born abt 1800 in Georgia; died between
1836 and 1838 in Washington Parish, La. (since I have no birth date
for Benjamin, I am not certain of the birth order between he and his
siblings, but I believe that he was the eldest son). Tradition has
it that Benjamin was killed while breaking a horse at his home near
Spring Creek. This house was still standing when I visited it in 1973.
Married Rebecca Cutrer. Rebecca later married Jesse Tate. Rebecca
was the daughter of Joseph Cutrer, b. ? in SC , d. 1837, Washington
Parish, LA. and Nancy Pendarvis, b. ?, d. ?.
Children of Benjamin Sherrod Ricks and Rebecca Cutrer are listed
above under siblings of
Warren Woodard Ricks.
Benjamin Sherrod Ricks' siblings were:
i. John Debro Ricks, born about 1803 ( he is listed as 67
years old in the 1870 census). Died ?.
ii. Robert Ricks, born about 1809 (he is listed as 61 years
old in the 1870 census). Died ? Married Elizabeth Cutrer (sister of
Rebecca Cutrer).
5. John (C?) Ricks, born abt 1770, North Carolina; died before 1830,
Washington Parish, La.
John moved to Georgia from Nort Carolina sometime before 1800. He and
his brother Johannon Ricks moved to Washington Parish, La. about
1810. All of John's sons (listed above)were born while they were in
Georgia.
Married Catherine (Steadman, Steadway, Treadway ?) born 1776,
North Carolina; died
after 1850, Washington Parish, La.
Children of John (C?) Ricks and Catherine are listed above as
siblings of Benjamin Sherrod
Ricks.
Siblings of John Ricks were:
i. Isaac Ricks, born ( was "of age") in 1790, died ?.
ii. Jacob Ricks, born (was "of age") in 1790; died ?.
iii. Ann Ricks, born ?; died ?. Married John Watkins.
iv. Richard Ricks, born ?; died ?.
v. Sarah Ricks, born ?; died ?. Married a Denson.
vi. Delilah Ricks, born ?; died ?.
vii. Johannon Ricks, born after 1775, North Carolina; died ?,
Washington or St. Tamanny
Parish, La. MarriedEleanor Thompson, born ?; died 1840 in La.
viii. Gideon Ricks, born ?; died ?.
ix. Redmond Ricks, born ?; died ?.
x. Larry Ricks, born ?; died ?.
xiJesse Ricks, born ?; died ?.
6. John Ricks, born 1732 in Virginia; died 1790 in North Carolina.
Married 1st. Ann Ross, 2nd. Esther Horn Ross, 3rd. Mary Denson.
Dates of these marriages and birthdate of #5 John C. Ricks tend to
indicate that Esther Horn Ross was #5 John C. Ricks' mother. All of
John Ricks' wives were born in Virginia.
Children of John Ricks and his three wives are listed above as
siblings of John C. Ricks.
Siblings of John Ricks were:
i. James Ricks, born about 1728 in Virginia, died 1792. Married
1st. Judith Ross, 2nd. Mary Crudrope, 3rd. Phoebe Horn.
ii. Sarah Ricks, born 1734 in Virginia; died 1781. Married Daniel Ross.
7. Isaac Ricks , born Dec. 27, 1702 in Virginia; died ?.
Married Eleanor Bunn, born ???; died 1790 in North Carolina.
Children of Isaac Ricks and Eleanor Bunn are listed above as #6
John Ricks and his siblings.
Siblings of #7 Isaac Ricks were:
i. William Ricks, born July 15, 1698 near Chuckatuck Church,
Va. ; died ?. Married 1st.
Esther Long, 2nd. Sarah ?.
ii. Jacob Ricks, born Feb. 11, 1705 in Va. ; died after 1758.
iii. Benjamin Ricks, born 1707 in Chuckatuck, Va. ; died (will
closed on May 5, 1744.
Married Patience Helty.
iv. Robert Ricks, born ?, died ?.
v. Richard Ricks, born ?, died ?.
vi. Abraham Ricks, born ?, died ?.
vii. Alice Ricks, born ?, died ?. Married Colonel Benjamin Sherrod.
viii. Elizabeth Ricks, born ?, died ?.
8. Isaac Ricks, born June 17, 1669 in Va., died after Sept. 27, 1736.
Married (Sarah?)
Children of #8 Isaac Ricks and wife (Sarah?) are listed above as
#7 Isaac Ricks and his
siblings.
Siblings of #8 Isaac Ricks were;
i. William Ricks, born Aug. 5 1670 in Va. , died ?.
ii. John Ricks, born Oct. 30, 1672 in Va., died ?.
iii. Abraham Ricks, born Oct. 10, 1674 in Va., died ?.
iv. Jacob Ricks, born Jan. 17, 1677 in Va., died ?.
v. Robert Ricks, born Oct. 14, 1679 in Va., died ?.
vi. Benjamin Ricks, born Nov. 17, 1682 in Va., died ?.
vii. Kathren Ricks, born 1683 in Va., died ?.
viii. Richard Ricks, born May 30, 1684 in Va., died ?.
ix. Jeane Ricks, born June 30, 1687 in Va. , died ?.
x. James Ricks, born Jan. 17, 1690 in Va. , died ?.
9. Isaac Ricks, born 1638 in England or Virginia, died Nov. 3, 1723 in Va.
Married Kathren (?), born ?, died August 11, 1717 in Va.
Children of #9 Isaac Ricks and Kathren (?) are listed above as #8
Isaac Ricks and his siblings.
I do not know of any siblings of #9 Isaac Ricks.
End of History.
Notes: I make no claim to groundbreaking discoveries in the research
of this Ricks family. Instead, I have simply recorded what I have
found to be available from the sources listed below. I think that it
would be impossible to know anything about our families if we did
not rely on the works and knowledge of those who preceeded us and
took the time and energy that is required to keep a living history
of a family. It is my sincere desire that those who have an interest
in this genealogy will help to keep it alive by adding to it where
it is lacking and correcting it where it is in need of correction.
i. Mr. Guy Scoby Rix, History and Genealogy of the Ricks Family of
America, 1908
ii. Mr. Donald Milton Ricks, The Descendants of Jonas Ricks and
Other Ricks Families in America, Published by the author in 1998.
Copies of this excellent book are available by contacting the author
at e-mail: donrix(a)worldnet.att.net
iii. Mr. Norman J. Flythe of Raleigh, NC who has provided me with
some of the earliest records of the Ricks Family which are on record
in the NC State Archives in Raliegh.
iv. Mr. Herman Chess Ricks (my uncle) who first gave me information
that spurred my interest in family history. Much of what is recorded
here was passed down from him while sitting on his porch near Bolivar
in Tangipahoa Parish.
v. Mr. Truett Ambrus Ricks (my cousin) and his son, Mr. Bobby Earl
Ricks who taped an interview with Mr. Junie Ricks of Kentwood. They
then transcribed from those tapes, 113 pages of dialog with "Uncle
Junie".
vi. Winnie Bell Crawford Ricks (my aunt) who has kindly given access
to her home and anything that she has that could contribute to this
project.