Joseph Rooks was born in 1772 in Kentucky. he was the son of John and Hannah Rooks. He married Elizabeth Jackson who was born in 1786. They had 15 children. John was born in 1808 in Ohio, married to Temperance Jackson and died in 1862. Temperance was born in 1813 and died in August of 1880. The rest of the children were Uriah, Thomas, Samuel, Willliam, Hanna, Sarah, Mary, Charity, Phobe, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sybil, Lydia and James. John and Temperance were married on May5, 1831 in Delaware county, Indiana. They had six children. Vesta was the oldest followed by James, Willis, Joseph, Clinton and Charles. Joseph was born in a log cabin on March 16k 1846 at Unionville Mo. At the age of 15 he ran away from home and joined the army. he fought with the North in Co. M of the 7th Mo. Cav. during the civil war as a private. He enlisted on the tenth of August in 1861 and was honorably discharged on Feb. 29, 1864. He then served as a Corporal in Co. I of the 1st Mo. Cav. from 1864 to September 1865.