News!

4 Feb 2024 = Jeanette (Jeffries) Rush Pestock passed away. 

8 July 2023 = First time since Covid Lockdown, we had a Rush Reunion! Theme: Western. 

29 November 2022 = The compiler of the genealogy, The Rush Report (see below) passed away today. Our sympathy goes to Gaynelle Jenkins Stoddard Moore's (age 90) family. Legacy #38289024 and Findagrave #255427023

18 May 2022 = George Allen Robertson passed away. He was 84 years old. 

15 Feb 2022 = Vera Loree (O'Neal) Lane passed away. She was 82 years old. 

18 Dec 2021 = Robert "Bob or Robo" Lawrence Lane passed away. He was 80 years old. 

8 Apr 2021 = Dorthy Mack, genealogist for the Boone Society passed away. She stopped here after a Boone Reunion in 2016 and we took her out to eat. Here's a photo of the two of us together. 

27 Apr 2020 = Miss Lily Dog, abt. 10 yrs, passed away during our coronavirus lockdown. 

Oct to Dec 2019: CONTRIBUTED TO: Generations, a Journal of  M.A.G.I.C. (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition).

26 Oct 2019: NORMAN W. RUSH, 87, passed away.

2 Oct 2019: BARBARA CHASE PURTELL, 88, passed away. 

30 Sep 2019: PINKIE ANN (BIAS) CARRENDER, 78, passed away.

13 Jul 2019: RUSH REUNION. 

14 Jul 2018: RUSH REUNION. 

4 Apr 2018: ROSCOE W. RUSH, 92, Mary's Home. Died.

 7 Oct 2017: HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH MARKER DEDICATION. New Santa Fe, Mo. (present day Kansas City, MO). This was my contribution to the event - a coloring sheet of the historic New Santa Fe, MO. Christian Church. 

8 Jul 2017: RUSH REUNION. 


Jan-Mar 2017. CONTRIBUTED TO: Generations, a Journal of  M.A.G.I.C. (Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition).

9 Jul 2016: RUSH REUNION. 

8 Nov 2015: SOLD OUT! Gaynelle Jenkins Moore compiled and published several books of her family history and its allied lines. The 2003 "Rush Report," is one such book and it is of the descendants of William and Henson Rush, along with the allied families of Bittle, Farley, Johnston, Loveall, Mertell, McAlister, Spalding, Williams and Winters. It covers 3433 descendants and 15 generations on 530 (8 ½" x 11") pages. It has over 200 photos with an index and comb binding.

Previous books were "The Spalding Report," "The Jenkins Family @1998," and "Eugene, Missouri: The Town that Lived (and Died) with the Railroad." Her newest book is "The Loveall Report" published in 2010. Each of her books were published in limited editions. For a hard  copy, check out the Miller County, MO. Historical Museum's archives in Tuscumbia, MO. or the Mid-West Genealogy Center, Independence, MO. 

19 Sep 2015: CONCERT. Border Ballads by Hank Roberts and Tom Raffiner. 


11 Jul 2015: RUSH REUNION. FREE Fan Template


29 Jun 2015: BIRTHDAY.

19 May 2015: PRESENTED PROGRAM. My husband and I traveled to Lincoln, IL to give a presentation about my 3rd great-grandparents, Eld. Martin and Kiturah (Fletcher) White. Martin was Logan County, IL's very first elected representative in the Illinois State Legislature. This was the write-up in the paper advertising my very first program. 

19 Oct 2014: CEMETERY PHOTO DAY.


 29 Sep 2014: MELBA K. RUSH, 78, Bonner Springs. Passed. 


14 Sep 2014: GENE E. RUSH, 80, Kansas City, Kansas, died. 


12 Jul 2014: RUSH REUNION. 

22 Mar 2014 = ORDER NO. 11 MARKER DEDICATION. I represented the third of the families who returned to Bates County, MO after the Civil War.

Spring 2014: TRANSCRIPTION CONTRIBUTION. I extracted information from cookbooks, old magazines, and vintage valentines for the Missouri State Genealogy Association Journal (MOSGA). One was a series of articles called "Missouri Contributors to National Women's Magazines."

5 Dec 2013: LORETTA A. SCHOLTZ, 90, Kansas City, Kansas, passed away

8 Oct 2013: PHYLLIS A. RUSH = July 6, 1948-October 8, 2013.


13 Jul 2013: RUSH REUNION. Another Poem

25 Jun 2013: PEGGY SMITH HAKE, 77, of Independence, formerly of Miller County, MO, passed away. Kinship -- Mrs. Hake was David's fourth cousin through the LOVEALLS.

14 Dec 2012: WILLIAM E. RUSH (1919-2012) passed away. 


 2 Aug 2012: ARCHIE TRUEMAN RUSH, Jr. passed away. 


14 Jul 2012: RUSH REUNION Poem and Recap Article


26 Jan 2012: GOLDIE (WINTERS) HOOPER HARRISON passed away. 

11 Nov 2011:  WEDDING: Eldon Church of the Nazarene, Miller County, MO. Pastor Jerry FRYE officiated at not only the bride and groom's wedding, but also the bride's mother and father’s wedding and it was like a reunion of the RUSH and CARRENDER families with three hundred guests, at least! 

11 Nov 2011: VETERAN TOMBSTONES: Two new tombstones have been ordered and delivered from the government for family Civil War veterans - Rev. Alexander SULLENS, Spring Garden cemetery and Isham GORDON, Eugene cemetery. Both will be set later this week. 

16 Jul 2011: STATE FAIR. One of the highlights of country life is exhibiting or working in county or state fairs. While listening in to several conversations going on around me at the reunion, I heard rumors that there might be exhibitors at one of the upcoming county fairs? Great show and tell for all the kid’s hard work this past year in 4-H, Future Farmers of America or in scouting.
I know that several family members have worked at or exhibited at our state fair in Sedalia, Missouri in the past. If you have won a ribbon, congratulations! Please make a note of it in the comments below and tell what you won the ribbon for so all of us can congratulate you also!

9 Jul 2011: RUSH REUNION. Great success! It looked as though we had some newly built picnic tables with stained wood at the shelter, so that was a welcome sight! Sunday morning we attended church at Eldon Church of the Nazarene. I saw quite a few of the Rush family there! Very good sermon on family! Isn’t it amazing how timely God is?

30 Jul 2010: LARRY "KELAN" SPALDING, Age 74, passed away Friday, 30 Jul 2010, in Springfield, MO.

10 Jul 2010: RUSH REUNION. The day dawned beautifully; not too warm with a nice breeze under the picnic shelter at the Eldon Air Park. I heard that Friday's pool party had a good turn-out, but we missed several at the potluck on Saturday. You know one can't beat a picnic to the park with good company and making memories with the kids and grandparents. 

19 Jun 2010: NEW TOMBSTONES. Last year, just before the annual Rush Reunion, two new tombstones were placed on the graves of brothers, James M. "Kain Tuck" Rush and John William Rush, who fought in the Civil War together in the Rush Chapel Cemetery. The Rush family collected enough money last year to replace ten gravestones that were badly deteriorated. They were replaced with new ones by the Kidwell Monument Company, Versailles, MO. in May.

6 Jun 2010: VIANNA LOUISE (FARLEY) STEEN, 72, of Independence, Missouri, passed away. 

Spring/Summer 2008: TRANSCRIPTION. "The Pioneer Wagon" Journal of the Jackson County, MO. Genealogical Society.

Compiled by Dolores J. Rush, Updated: 5/25/2022

How Rush Chapel Cemetery Came to Be

James M. "Kain Tuck" Rush (1826-1892). Carpenter. Farmer. Pioneer. James M. was born in 1826 to Henson and Margaret Stout Rush, the first son of six children.

James married 2 times, first to Mary Blake (Blaydes; Blades), daughter of Walker I. Blades, circa 1851 in Kentucky. They were the first Rush family to migrate to Missouri. The following year, after Mary died in childbirth in Booneville, he headed west to California's gold fields.

Enroute with his wagon train, he stumbled across a nearly dead man who had been fenced in because he had fallen ill. Rather than risking the spread of a possible deadly disease, wagon trains often left the sick in wooden pens to ward off wild animals, with enough food and water to last them for a few days. As the wagon train meant to camp close by a few days, James nursed the man, named John Walls, until he regained his strength and was able, with James' help, to keep up with the travelers when they moved on. Mr. Walls dubbed James "Kain Tuck," because James was a "Kaintuckian" (from Kentucky); he felt indebted to the man who rescued him.

James had little success in finding gold, so he returned to Missouri, sailing around South America. He married his 2nd wife, Theresa Jane Loveall (1835-1909), February 1, 1855 in Miller County. Seven children were born to this union.

James was listed as a southern sympathizer in August of 1862 after the Civil War began, automatically revoking his citizenship. However, since he served in the Union Army as a private in Co. B, 6th Regiment MO. Cavalry from June 11, 1863 to July 18, 1865, was honorably discharged with no injuries, his citizenship rights were restored in May, 1866.

Both were laid to rest in the Rush Chapel Cemetery, Miller County, MO.

Rev. Edward Everett Sullens, M.G. (1865-1940) Circuit Rider. Edward was born July 3, 1865 in Brazito, Cole County, Mo. to Peter Washington Green and Sarah Ann (Johnston) Sullens. Edward began preaching for the Lord when he was about 19 years of age.

Edward married Viola Catherine Loveall (1866-1940), daughter of Daniel David and Frances Ann "Annie" (Sweaney) Loveall, May 18, 1887 in Tuscumbia, MO. They had 9 children. He performed two of his children's marriages and two of his daughters married ministers – Alva married Rev. Harrison Gordon Butler and Flossie married Rev. Clifford Moody.

Rev. Sullens organized the Jim Henry Methodist Church in the late 1800s. The church and furniture were built by himself and his brother, Enos Asbury Sullens (1867-1934). James M. and Theresa Jane Rush donated part of the Rush Hill land for the church and cemetery. It was known as the Jim Henry Methodist church for many years because of the location – Jim Henry was an Osage Indian who lived in the area between Tuscumbia and Mary's Home. The township now carries his name. Later the name of the cemetery was changed to Rush Chapel in memory of the early Rush pioneers who are buried there.

The Jim Henry church was one of Rev. Sullen's early pastorates. The rickety building was torn down about 1962. All that remains is the cemetery and a small picnic shelter that was built in the 1980s. The Rush family continues to meet there on Decoration (Memorial) Day once a year to decorate their loved ones graves. A descendant of Ephraim, James M's brother continues to care for the cemetery grounds.

Edward died August 26, 1940 in Hitchcock, OK and Viola died 3 months and one week later the same year in Eakley, Ok. Both are buried in Hobart, OK.

More to Read:
1.) Peter Sullens and Mary Carson and Two Hundred Years of Decendents. By Maude Sullens Hoffman, 1971.
2.) The Rush Report. Compiled by Gaynelle Jenkins Moore. Research Assistance: David W. Rush. March 2003. Internet Archive.
3.) The Loveall Report. Compiled by Gaynelle Jenkins Moore. April 2010.
4.) Place Names Of Six South Central Counties of Missouri. Frank Weber. M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938. Repository: State Historical Society of Mo.

5) Jim Henry-Rush Chapel Cemetery Read, by Dianna (Hale) Mattingly & Glenda (May) Crawford - May 18, 2001. Miller County, MOGenweb. 

6) The "Lost" Marriage Bonds of Adair County, KY 1840-1870. Angelfire. 

7.) Findagrave


Places to Visit in MO.
1.) Rush Chapel Cemetery, Jim Henry Road, Mary's Home, MO.
2.) Miller County Museum, 2005 Highway 52, Tuscumbia, MO.

Postscript: Most of the Rush family attended the Jim Henry Methodist church until the 1940s when the church closed. Afterwards, most of the family began to attend the Church of the Nazarene, then some left the Nazarene church to attend the more conservative Church of God of Holiness, both in Eldon, MO. A few, like Ishmael & Marie Rush, eventually chose to attend churches near their homes.

Biographies written by Dolores J. Rush. Updated: 6/13/2023. 

Genealogy Computer Software.

My husband, David, the Rush family historian, uses this software program to keep track of his family history research. It is by Broderband and is called the "Family Tree Maker 7.0." It is very easy to use. Before he bought it, he had many, many paper files in filing cabinets, cardboard boxes and photo albums. It was very hard to keep it altogether.