Their 13 children are, in order of birth, David Cruise, Peter D., George Washington, Louisa An, John Gabriel, Aaron D., Jr., Henry H., Teny Elizabeth, Thomas Chesley, Sarah Lucinda, Fielden Columbus, Charles Granville, and William Linkus.

The following is transcribed from a note in the handwriting of Aaron's eldest son, David Cruise:

Eld. A. D. Rakes was born in Franklin County, Virginia, October 26, 1822 and moved with his parents to Patrick County when a small boy and lived in Patrick County for many years. He married Lucinda Cruise June 30, 1843 and joined the Primitive Baptist Church at Concord Church, Patrick County, Va. in November 1846 and commenced trying to preach the same year."

Another son, Fielden Columbus, wrote:
When I was six or seven years old, we moved form Patrick to the head of Levis River in Buchanan County--two miles from the mouth of Grassy Creek, where my brother David later lived. I can remember the move. My brother Charley was a baby at the time of the move. We lived there seven years and then moved to the head of Tilda Anderson Branch on the ridge near Sand Lick, Dickenson County. We stayed there seven years and moved to Big Ridge near Tarpon. My parents were buried there on a high knoll with a cedar tree on top."

According to the 1860 census, A. D. was living in Carrol giving Fancy Gap as his post office, date August 8, 1860. In 1867 Aaron was still in Carrol County where his son Charles was born. Sometime thereafter but before the 1870 census, he left Carroll going to Poor Valley to Buchanan County, and eventually to Dickenson County. Lum gave the reason for coming to Buchanan and Dickenson counties as a search for "plenty of range for cattle and hogs."

A. D. was pastor of the Sand Lick Church from 1876 to 1879. He also taught grammar school. There were few settlers at that time; it was mostly virgin timberland. In 1879/80 he moved to the Tarpon community, where he bought a farm and established the Rakes cemetery in which he is buried.

Aaron served in Company E, 54th Regiment, Confederate Army during the War Between the States. He owned a mill and was released early to go home and grind the neighborhood corn. Aaron's son, Peter, slipped off and joined the Army but was never heard from again.