The first Heaston that I am ready to verify through absolute documentation is Jacob Heaston born May 1814, Ohio and passing away in 1907 Gage county, NE. He married Margaret Walters, July 29, 1834 in Wayne county, Indiana. Jacob and Margaret parented seven children. Maria died of typhoid fever quite young (1858) leaving Jacob with young ones still at home along with older married children.

Jacob decided to accompany his sons, John and Lewis and their families as they began a wagon drive west apparently with the hope of reaching Oregon. It is believed that they decided to make the trip West to avoid serving in the Civil War as they were pacifists. A rough winter stalled them in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here they decided to stay for a time as they were expert carpenters and their skills were needed to help build the Mormon Tabernacle. They owned a sawmill where they worked the mahogony wood used in the Temple. However, several members of the family did not wish to make Salt Lake City their permanent home. Maria's mother took ill and it appears that John, Maria and family went back home to help her out for a few years prior to moivng on to Nebraska.

Jacob returned with John and Maria to Iowa. I believe Lewis and family returned, also, but not completely sure. At any rate, by 1880 they were all residing in Rockport township, Gage county, NE. John and Maria went on to raise 12 children! Lewis and his wife, Mary Teeter, raised seven (to my knowledge at this time from records in census data). 

One of John and Maria's twelve children was John Frank Heaston, my great-grandfather. He was born Oct. 28, 1868 in Salt Lake City, Utah and passed away on May 10, 1956 in Colorado Springs, CO. John married Margaret Ann Goin, Sept. 25, 1892 in Gage county, NE. They were blessed with six children. They spent most of their young families years in NE, but did make the move to Antioch, CO in about 1921. John Frank has suffered all his life from allergies and during a trip to visit his brothers Alfonzo and William who had settled in CO, he discovered that his allergies were much improved. Thus he and Margaret made the deicison to relocate. 

One of their children, Grace Mae Heaston. Is my Grandmother. She was born during a brief stay in Brighton, Missouri, on July 14, 1895 and passed away in Gage county, NE, June 10, 1986. She married Thomas Earl Hart on June 11, 1913. To their home were born three children one of whom is my mother, Margaret Eileen Velvick.