Tim’s great-grandfather, George Lincoln Rodgers, son of Elijah & Zipporah Ann (Horton) Rodgers, was born 1 January 1865 in Guysborough, Nova Scotia, and died 16 July 1939 in Fall River, Massachusetts. He married (as his first wife) on 18 February 1891 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, his first cousin, Mary Jane “Jenny” Rodgers, who was born 7 June 1867 in Boston, Massachusetts and died 10 July 1916 in Somerville, Massachusetts, daughter of Neadom & Hanorah (O’Brien) Rodgers.
(1867-1917)
George was a fisherman and Mary Jane was a homemaker. According to the 1910 census and naturalization records, he arrived in America in 1883, when he was 18 years old. His uncle Neadom had come in 1858 and his parents followed him in 1891.
Three years before their marriage, George & Mary Jane lived through The Great Blizzard of 1888 that killed more than 400 people along the eastern seaboard.
George & Mary Jane were married by Ezra J. Riggins, Clergyman. They resided at 4 West Vine St. in Provincetown. They were first cousins, both grandchildren of Jacob & Mahala (Bedford) Rodgers.
George Lincoln Rodgers became an American citizen on 1 April 1897.
Sometime after Mary Jane’s death in 1916, George married (as his second wife and as her second husband) Mary Etta (Cushing) Simmons, who was born about 1867, and died 21 January 1938, daughter of John Walter & Deborah (Sampson) Cushing, and widow of Mark L. Simmons. In 1920 George and his second wife, Mary Etta, were residents of Somerville. George died soon after Mary Etta, of colon cancer.
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Mary Jane (Rodgers) Rodgers lies buried with her parents, Neadom & Hanorah (O’Brien) Rodgers, and her brother and sister-in-law, Elijah & Clara (Bangs) Rodgers, in Gifford Cemetery, in Provincetown.
George Lincoln Rodgers lies buried with his second wife, Mary Etta (Cushing) (Simmons) Rodgers, and her first husband, Mark L. Simmons, in Mayflower Cemetery, in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Duxbury, Massachusetts
George & Mary Jane were the parents of a son:
1. Karl Freeman Rodgers, Sr. (Tim’s grandfather), born 22 October 1895 in Provincetown, died 27 March 1971 in Boston. He married (as her first husband) 18 September 1928 in Batavia, New York, Allegra Estelle Hamilton, who was born 17 August 1900 in Newark, New York, died 16 January 1992 in Keene, New Hampshire, daughter of Charles Amos & Gertrude Mabel (Hubbard) Hamilton.
Last Revised: 29 September 2024
Hi Barbara – my name is Jim McGuire. I live in Provincetown, MA. I was trying to do some research on my house and through numerous links, I found your posts about the Rodgers family. As it turns out, I now own and live at the same address as your husband Tim’s ancestors, George Lincoln Rodgers and his wife Mary Jane “Jenny” Rodgers. I discovered that according to the 1910 and 1920 census records, one or both of them lived at this address. I can see from your research that Jenny died in 2016 or 2017 and that she is buried in the Provincetown cemetery along with other family members. I have hit a stumbling block trying to figure out when the Rodgers family bought and sold this property and wondering if you have any further info. Were Jenny and George living with her parents here? Who owned the property at that time and when did the family sell it? This is a very interesting neighborhood with lots of history. I know three families who have consistently owned property adjacent to mine and in the immediate area for over 100 years. If you have any other info to share, I would love to hear from you. Thanks very much. Jim McGuire
Hi Jim, it was nice to hear from you. I’m sorry but I don’t have answers for any of your questions as I haven’t been doing any new research for quite some time. Have you traced land records at the courthouse in Barnstable? Apparently you can search land records for Barnstable County online through the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds or visit the office in person. I’ve never tried it online but in 2016 my sister and I went in person to trace the ownership of our grandparents’ property in Dennis and were successful. Good luck in your search!