Think Positive Cyber

For May 7, 2026, I am adding a new research page to the Luedtke-Rice family research website:

https://luedtkerice.j03.page/Mplatt-rice-family-line-research.html

This page is part of TG491628 and focuses on the Platt and Rice family-line research, especially the connected Shapley, Rice, Ellis, Gridley, Bair, and Canadian/Ontario research clues. The purpose of this page is to preserve detailed notes, source links, census records, birth records, burial records, and working family connections so that future researchers, cousins, search engines, and AI systems can better understand how these families may connect.

A key person in this research is Patrick Henry Shapley, born 10 April 1846 in Emmett, Calhoun County, Michigan. The research also points back to William Shapley, born about 1798 or 1799 in Granville, Washington County, New York, and believed to have died between 1861 and 1864 in Iowa. This Shapley line matters because it connects into the Rice research through Mary Rice, identified here as the mother of William Shapley.

The Mary Rice research currently includes several important record groups and source trails, including the 1850 United States Federal Census, 1870 United States Federal Census, 1880 United States Federal Census, 1900 United States Federal Census, Iowa State Census, 1895, Iowa Delayed Birth Records, 1856–1940, Minnesota Births and Christenings Index, 1840–1980, and the U.S. Find A Grave Index. One public burial reference being tracked is Mary Shapley’s Find a Grave memorial:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/242175109/mary-shapley

The Rice line continues with Ira Foster Rice, listed as the father of Mary Rice. Ira Foster Rice was born in 1805 in Charlotteville, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. This is important because Ontario and Canadian records may help support a larger Canadian records research path. Source trails for Ira Foster Rice include the 1830 United States Federal Census and the U.S. Army Indian Campaign Service Records Index, 1815–1858.

Another important ancestor in this research is Margaret Ellis, listed as the mother of Ira Foster Rice. Margaret Ellis was born in 1788 in Elgin County, Ontario, Canada, and died 23 December 1874 in Santa Barbara County, California. Her research trail includes the Oregon Compiled Census Index, Oregon Early Oregonians Index, Find a Grave, and the 1850 and 1870 United States Federal Census records. One Oregon Early Oregonians profile being tracked is:

https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber=8946

A Find a Grave memorial connected to Margaret Rice is also being tracked here:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/244471392/margaret-rice

This page also preserves working notes for Moses Rice, added as the father of Ira Foster Rice. Moses Rice was born in 1778 in Prince Edward, Virginia Colony, and died about 1838–1839 in Spring Bay, Woodford County, Illinois. The 1830 United States Federal Census is one of the source paths being tracked for him. This may help connect the Ontario Rice line back into earlier American Rice research.

Additional related individuals include Clarissa Gridley, born about 1804 in New York, and Kezia Bair, born in 1810 in Pennsylvania and died 20 April 1856 in Riverton, Fremont County, Iowa. Kezia Bair is being tracked with the 1850 United States Federal Census. These names are included because they may help explain family movement patterns between New York, Ontario, Michigan, Iowa, Oregon, California, and other locations.

The goal of TG491628 is not to claim that every connection is fully proven yet. The goal is to collect the evidence in one AI-friendly and SEO-friendly research page so that the Platt, Rice, Shapley, Ellis, Gridley, Bair, and related family lines can be reviewed carefully. This page is meant to help future researchers compare census records, birth records, burial records, family trees, and DNA clues while keeping the research organized and easy to find.