Rebecca Long

Rebecca Long's tombstone is one of light grey and is of obelisk shape; dark veins of grey run vertically through the stone.  The shadows and light of the clouds play on the stone, making it seem to wave with the passing of the sun.  I stood there thinking of who she was beyond the dates of census and the myriad of children she left on this earth,  carrying on part of her still.  We all one day will be like her, having to travel the road that is passed by, until it is our time to follow into the west.
Rebecca was born with the name of Phillips, so states the marriage record of her son Richard in his second marriage. (Other researchers have her maiden name as Justice; please leave comments if you have any information on this) It gives her maiden name and her husbands first name as Richard.  I find a Richard Lumpkins living in Clinton, Putnam, Indiana in the 1840 Census there are twelve people in the household.   In the Census there are 10 people under the age of twenty and 2 age range 20-49.  These pre 1850 Census do not give a lot of information on the family.  The age of the adults are correct, but beyond that not much is know.
In the 1850 Census, Richard the elder is no longer with the family.  The head of the house is Rebecca age 44, Martha J is 16, Sarah E., is 14, Talithia/Telithia is 13, Amanda M is 11, and Richard A. is 9.  All children are identified by the surname Lumpkins.  The family above them is a that of George Lumpkin who is 24 and could be a child of Rebecca's but no proof of relationship; more on George in his own sketch as he too is buried in Howards,  this is why a family relationship is suspected.
The next record that is attached to Rebecca is a marriage index 11 Nov 1858 she marries Jones Long in Boone County Indiana.
In the 1860 Census the family is headed by Jones Long age 67 and Rebecca age 57.  They are both from Virginia so one wonders if this was not an attraction of having something in common.  Jones is still farming at 67, but people did not retire as they do now, retirement was when you died.  He has 2,000 dollars in real estate and 600 in personal property.
By 1870 the real estate has increased to 3,000 dollars and the personal property is at 600 dollars. Jones is farming at 76.  The family under them in the census record is Rebecca's daughter Telithia who married a Jones Wilson.
By 1880 Jones Long has passed, so Rebecca had to bury a second husband, as I assume her first Richard died, as I could find no record for him after 1840.  Rebecca is living with her daughter Telihia  and her family in  Perry Township Boone County.  In this last census she gives her parents birth places as Virginia. 
Rebecca dies on the 8 of  Sep 1894.