R. A. Albea was born on July 27, 1850. He is a son of William and Elizabeth (Hayse) Albea. William Albea was born on April 11, 1828, and died on May 14, 1871. He was the son of Zachariah Albea, who was born on December 6, 1794, in Maryland, and who later moved to North Carolina, where he lived on a farm for the remainder of his life. He died on June 2, 1860.

William Albea was twice married, his first wife, who was the mother of the subject of this sketch, was Mary Elizabeth Hayse, who was born on January 13, 1831, and who died on July 23, 1863. She was a daughter of Charles and Martha (Rutledge) Hayse who were farmers in Iredell county, North Carolina. William Albea lived his entire life in North Carolina. He was a slave-owner and owned a tract of four hundred acres of land. At the time of the Civil War he was a soldier in the Southern army. To his first marriage were born the following children: Joseph W., who was born on June 9, 1849, and who died on June 23, 1849; R. A., the subject of this sketch, who was born on July 27, 1850; Mary J., October 20, 1852; Martha E., August 3, 1855; Charles Z., November 18, 1857; James L., November 30, 1859, and William H., March 4, 1862. All of these latter are living and R. A., who is the subject of this sketch, came first to this state and county on February 2, 1870, and then the other brothers and a sister followed in the years to come.

After the death of Mary Elizabeth (Hayse) Albea in 1863, William Albea married Jane West, who was born on December 24, 1843, and who died on June 16, 1883. To this union were born the following children: A.C. who was born on December 5, 1864; Thomas M., October 2, 1866, and John W., October 2, 1870.

R. A. Albea lives in Green township on a farm of fifty-two acres, which he owns and farms himself. He does general farming. He has a 1915 model Ford car. He maried on March 8, 1874, Mary E. Wilson, who was the daughter of James and June Wilson. Mr. Albea has not been blessed with any children. He raised a nephew, C. H. Albea, taking him when two days old, who is now twenty-one years old. He also partly raised two other boys.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 1052-1053.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI November 8, 2001.

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