Biographical Documents & Genealogical Research

Reminiscences & Letters

Civil War Reminiscences of Sarah Fowler Rainwater, wife of Charles Cicero Rainwater

The Rainwater Family by Mrs. Charles Cicero Rainwater (Sarah Fowler Rainwater), The Missourian newspaper, 16 July 1932, 217 KB. PDF

Recollections of Mary Catherine Rainwater Pettijohn, from the archives of Ann Pettijohn Tomlinson, PDF

History of Catherine McCall and James Rainwater, by a granddaughter of Eli Rainwater, believed to be Nellie Rainwater Mills, daughter of Dr. Bradley Rainwater, 2MB, PDF

Research

The Family Tree of Clois Miles Rainwater and Nancy Jane McIlhaney: One Texas Family’s Origins, 1706-2012” by Susan Chance-Rainwater and R. Steven Rainwater, available through Lulu.com

The Rainwater Family Research of Oscar S. Brooks, June 2009

Here’s the Plan of the Rainwater Clan” by Roscoe Rainwater, 1972

Genealogy of the Rainwater Family” by Donald S. Webber, Dec 1981

Excerpts from ‘My Folks,” genealogical research (1984) and research notes (1966) of Thelma P. Sargent, Mesa, AZ

Shirley, Rainwater, Crawford,” from ‘Ancestors and Friends: A History and Genealogy” by William Lusk Crawford, Sr., published 1978

Rainwaters: A Family History” by Richard James Rainwaters

Profile of the Delilah Rainwater & Richard Phillips familiy,” from the Pioneer History of Forsyth Co., GA

Research into the Descendants of Burrell & Elizabeth Rainwater,” by Kay Ohana, June 2009

Descendants of Richard Rainwater,” by James M. Jordan, 1997-1998

The Rainwater Family of Fayette County, Alabama and Waldrop Family of Wesley Chapel, Alabama, by Lynn Fusinato, Richardson TX, 2010, published on Rootsweb.com,

“Old money, blackmailed judges, moonshine and murder,” — moonshiner William James Rainwater, by Dave Tabler, AppalachianHistory.net, 24 Mar 2021

“Following migration trails from the Carolinas westward” (excerpt), by Damon Veach, query from Mrs. Merton R. Bowe regarding the descendants of John R. Rainwater and Margaret Burrow, Louisiana Ancestors, Sunday Advocate, 27 Feb 1983

Susan’s Research Notes

Dr. W. E. Rainwater, African-American dentist and activist,” by Susan Chance-Rainwater, March 2024, Dallas Genealogical Society blog

The Many Marriages of William Richard Rainwater of Mississippi,” by Susan Chance-Rainwater, 25 Jul 2023

Two Claras, or one. Take your pick. The identity of Clara Caldwell,” by Susan Chance-Rainwater, Feb 2021

A childhood murder changes two lives: the tragic backstory of Paul E. Rainwater
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Dec 2020

Reconsidering Thomas J. Rainwater and Horace Rainwater, Jr., with a deep dive into their natal family,
Susan Chance-Rainwater, June 2020

Jonathan Russell Rainwater aka John R. Rainwater, of Wood Co., Texas: wouldn’t it be simpler for genealogists if people just stuck with their original names?
Susan Chance-Rainwater, 22 May 2020

Rakish Rainwater: Riley Rainwater’s Bigamy Case
Susan Chance-Rainwater, 13 Feb 2020

The Perplexing Problem of Jane Rainwater Rash, c1809-before 1900,
Susan Chance-Rainwater, May 2019

A Case of Familicide in Orrick, Missouri: The William B. Rainwater Murders
Susan Chance-Rainwater, 2018

Determining the Identity of Nancy J. Rainwater of Muhlenberg Co., Kentucky
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Nov 2017

Rebecca J. Rainwater’s maiden name – McDaniel, McDonald, or McPherson?
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Nov 2017

Jessie Etnie / Martha Edna Rainwater name and date issues
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Apr 2019

Finding Kansada Rainwater’s Maiden Name
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Feb 2017

Nothing is obvious: reasoning to the parents of John Lysander Rainwater
Susan Chance-Rainwater, Aug 2019

Franklin Pierce Rainwater murder case, 1925, South Carolina,” Susan Chance-Rainwater, 2017

Who are the parents of Eulis Rainwater?”, Susan Chance-Rainwater, Sep 2020

Analysis of the spouses and children of Wilkes Berrywine Rainwater,” Susan Chance-Rainwater, Aug 2021

Why I disbelieve the claim that Martha Branham Rainwater and Martha Jane McCarter Rainwater are the same person,” Susan-Chance-Rainwater, revised 2023

An Analysis of the Children of James Rainwater, ca 1735-post 1790, Surry Co, NC”, Susan Chance-Rainwater, 1999

Articles

How (Huston Tillman) Rainwater became the iceman, The Miami Herald, 5 Jan 1968

Personality Profile: Lloyd Rainwater knows about bears in region, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 7 Jun 1970

Pioneer Recalls Trip Across Oklahoma Without Firearms, recollections of Martin Van Buren Rainwater, Fort Worth Star Telegram, 27 Sept 1935

Panama Duty Career Highlight, recollections of Roscoe Rainwater, Vernon Daily Record, Jan 1963

“Matriarch built a flush family without plumbing”, Thelma May Rainwater, 20 Sep 2009

Vernon Inez Waldrop Connaster Rainwater: “Struggles, triumphs: woman overcomes tough times with courage”, 23 Nov 1987

Lemuel Flewellyn Rainwater, 1848-1933, Mississippi, Profile

Biography of Annie Heads Rainwater, 1912-1992, Carrollton, TX, PDF

Conservation Profile: R. Sloan Rainwater, from Soil Conservation magazine, Sept 1966, Vol 32, No 2, pg 45

Rev. James Rainwater, 1795-1871, Georgia, from History of the Baptist Denomination in Georgia, published 1881

The Rainwater Researcher Family Newsletter, 1994-1998

The Rainwater Researcher, a printed newsletter, edited by Robert O. Albert, Jr., lasted four years and helped create a cohesive research community. It was the forerunner of and inspiration for this website. While some of the information contained in the newsletter is questionable, most is of good quality and there are many fascinating family stories worth preserving. Non-genealogical filler material, such as poems, cartoons, etc. have been dropped for file size considerations.