Posted By:	Michael Rappe
	Email:
	Subject:	Re: Lafayette Rape Born Darke Co 1845
	Post Date:	October 14, 2009 at 05:32:00
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/rape/messages/200.html
	Forum:	Rape Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/rape/

I would agree that the Simon Vital dit Rape' is a stretch. My father Floyd Aaron Rape'(Rappe) was only guessing that Simon Vital was the same person (he showed it to me when he found it). Regardless of that John Jacob Rape was probably a soldier with Lafayette. The published information in "History of Preble County" was provided by his grandson's wife Sarah and his grandson was named Gilbert deLafayette Rape' by the son (Lewis) of John Jacob Rape that must have known his fathers history. My father in his travels told me that he did not find many Rape's in France but over the years I have met other Michael Rap(p)es and I know of at least one who's father was born in Germany. Since the Alsace-Lorraine region has moved back and forth between France and Germany I don't think that any conflict may exist between a person of German/French heritage serving with Lafayette reguardless of how his name was originally spelled.