The son of Jesse Riley Rickman and Mary Trantham
He married Sarah Sitton which was the sister of Joseph Sitton which married Merritt's sister
Rebecca Rickman. On 24 Jun 1837 Merritt was ordained at the Mills River Church he was the first regular pastor of the church, a position that he held for the next 17 years. In 1855 Merritt and Sarah and their family of 13 children moved to Macon County, North Carolina where Merritt became pastor of the Cowee Baptist Church near Franklin, North Carolina, which union substained for 19 1/2 years and only servered by his death. His Christian life was exemplery, devoted and untarnished to its close. He entered to rest 3 Oct 1874 at age 62 years. His remains were properly interred in the Cowee Baptist Church yard.
Sarah Sitton Rickman lived for over three years after the death of her husband. The church records state that "she was faithful to all her trust until her death 13 Jul 1878. She also is buried in the church yard of the Cowee Baptist Church.
Jesse Harrison Rickman the Grandson of Jesse and Mary Trantham Rickman, son of Merritt and Sarah Sitton Rickman. Married Winifred Sitton on 17 Dec 1846 in Rabun County, Georgia, they had seven children. Winifred is buried: Head of Tennessee Baptist Church Cemetery in Dillard, Georgia.
Sarah Albertine Rickman the daughter of Jesse Harrison and Winifred Sitton Rickman and Great grandaughter of Jesse and Mary Trantham Rickman
Sarah Albertine married William Eliph Roper. They were living in Colorado at the time of her death. She died at the home of son-in-law and daughter, Andrew and Sallie Gebbie while visiting them in Pomona, California. Buried from Law Undertaking Colorado Springs, Colorado, Evergreen Cemetery
William Eliph Roper is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs. Colorado.
The first post office in the county was at Jesse Rickman's House, on the Iowa City and Fort Des Moines route; it was established in 1846
