This is a photo from an album which belonged to Reuben Fletcher Ross and his son, Harlan Ross. The album is now owned by Opal and Glenn Sparks.

The back of the photo reads "Becky Ross, born 1831". This identifies her as Rebecca L. James, born 14, 1831 in Carter Co., KY, died April 21, 1882 in Neodesha, KS.. Rebecca is buried in the Ross Cemetery, West of Neodesha, Wilson Co., Kansas. Rebecca was the daughter of George W. and Rebecca (Zornes) James.

Rebecca married Reuben Truman Ross on September 7, 1848 in Carter Co., KY.. Reuben was born September 18, 1822 in KY, and died September 29, 1868 in Neodesha, KS.. Reuben is buried Ross Cem., West of Neodesha, Wilson Co., KS. Reuben drowned while foarding the Fall River, near Neodesha. Reuben had moved his family to Kansas in the mid 1850’s.

On the 1850 Carter County census, Reuben and Rebecca Ross are residing very near the family of John Nelson Ross. There is much circumstantial evidence which leads me to believe the Reuben and John were closely related in some way, not the least of which is the existence of this photo in an album which belonged to John Nelson Ross' son, Reuben Fletcher Ross.

Reuben was the son of Richard Ross and Catherine McCleese (married 29 Sep 1814 in Bath Co. KY.). Also related to the McCleese clan are Andrew Zornes and Rachel Rhodisa "Dicie" Tackett. Andrew and Dicie are related to John Nelson Ross. My guess is that, some time after Reuben Truman Ross died in Kansas, Rebecca, well on in years, decided to send a photo of herself to her husband’s family in Kentucky.

Reuben Truman Ross might have been John Nelson Ross’s cousin, it doesn’t seem possible that they were brothers.

The above Richard Ross, father of Reuben Truman Ross, also had a son named Jacob, and daughters Mary, Margaret and Eleanor.

Jacob Ross married Elizabeth Denton, the same Denton clan as Elizabeth (Denton) Vanlandingham) on 26 Sep 1815 in Bath Co., KY.

Mary Ross married Rev. Jeremiah M. Hunt on 27 October 1805.

Margaret Ross married Wesley Denton on 23 Nov. 1818 in Fleming Co., Ky..

These Denton and Hunt families also married into the Bath County Vanlandinghams, AND, were the same families that John Nelson Ross appears to be living next to (or with), on the 1840 Bath County census!! Jeremiah's Hunt family intermarried with this Denton clan about a dozen times, that I have been able to document. Margaret's husband, Wesley Denton, was the son of Abraham Denton and Sarah "Sally" Hunt. Wesley Denton was uncle to Elizabeth (Denton) Vanlandingham. John Nelson Ross's son, Jeremiah Jacob Hunt Ross (my great grandfather), was born about one year after the death of Rev. Jeremiah Hunt, the husband of Mary (Ross) Hunt. Rev. Jeremiah Hunt is a possible source for my great grandfather’s rather unusual name.