Women played an essential role in American society as mothers and homemakers.
Guardianship is when a court gives an adult custody of a child and/or the responsibility of managing the child's property. Before women could own property, guardians were appointed for their minor children if their husband died.
Rebecca Margaret Branstetter Hullinger was born in September, 1811 in Heidelberg Township, Northampton County, now Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Daniel Branstetter and Christina Bauman.
She came with her family to Ohio about 1818 where they were early pioneers.
Her brother, John Branstetter, was appointed her guardian when she was twelve years old.
She married John Hullinger on February 25, 1836 at the age of eighteen in Clark County, Ohio. John was born March 4, 1817 in Ohio. His parents were Christopher Hullinger and Mary Crabb.
Their children included:
Charles Hullinger (1836, died age 2),
William L. Hullinger (1840, married Nancy Ann Tuller),
Ellen R. (Ella) Hullinger Zirkle Niece (1843, married Cornelius Zirkle and John S. Niece),
Harvey D. Hullinger (1846, married Jenneta Maier and Letitia Edgington)
John N. Hullinger (1849),
Jason Pierce Hullinger (1852, married Mary Ella Tudor),
Mary Eliza Hullinger Russell (1855, married John Russell), and
Wesley Hullinger (1859, died 20 months).
In 1840 they were in German Township. They were still there in 1850. The household in 1850 consisted of John age 35 who was a wagoneer, Rebecca who was 32, William who was 10, Ellen R. who was 6, Harvey who was 3, and John who was 1.
From an Ohio newspaper in 1840.
The Hullinger family appeared in the 1870 census of Richland Township, Logan County, Ohio. The household consisted of John age 56, Rebecca age 52, John age 20, Jason age 17, and Mary age 14.
They remained in Richland for the 1880 census. The household consisted of John age 65, Rebecca (Rabecca) age 63, and their granddaughter Jeneora age 3.
John died on April 3, 1885.
Rebecca lived with her son Jason before she died.
Rebecca died on February 27, 1906 in Logan County, Ohio and is buried in McGraw Chapel Cemetery, Richland Township, Logan County, Ohio.
Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.
Heidelberg Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania originally included Washington Township and Slatington. It is located on Trout Creek and Jordan Creek.
Northampton County, Pennsylvania is on the eastern border of the state in the Lehigh Valley. It was formed in 1752 from parts of Bucks County. Easton is the county seat.
American pioneers migrated west to settle areas not previously inhabited by European Americans.
The first Europeans settled in the Northwest Territory in 1788. Migrants came from New York and New England. Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1, 1803.
