Posted on: Biographies of Van Arsdale & Related Families Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/VanArsdaleBios?read=111 Surname: Van Ausdal, Banta, Kitson ------------------------- From: History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. H. Z. Williams & Bro. Publishers, 1881. Printed by W. W. Williams, Cleveland, OH. Page 275. Peter VAN AUSDAL was one of the earliest pioneers of this part of Preble county. He came out of Virginia in 1805, being then unmarried. He commenced clearing up a farm in section tenÑthe farm now owned by his son, James M. His father, John VAN AUSDAL, moved out a short time after, and settled upon this farm, Peter then entering land in section seventeen. He was born in 1777, was married to Rachel BANTA, and died February 11, 1857. His wife, Rachel, died in 1843, and he was, subsequently, again married. Of his five surviving children three are living in the west and twoÑÑJames M. and CorneliusÑÑin this county. James M., who lives in west Alexandria, was born in January, 1813. His wife was, before marriage, Martha KITSON. John VAN AUSDAL, father of Peter, died February 21, 1826, in the seventy-fourth year of his age. The VAN AUSDALs, with Peter and Isaac BANTA, and a few others, are buried in the family burying-ground on the old homestead.

If I remember correctly, the last part of this biography is no longer true. I combed Preble County in the 1960s and gathered most of the records - sometime later, I heard that the stones had been removed and stored at someone's house for a time - I haven't been able to locate anyone, including family members I've questioned, who knows where that might have been or exactly what happened to the remaining stones. Sasha Stanley Greene Co OH