USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 63
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109
.
571
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Oldtown and the present city of Chillicothe, passed through the farm, which is now occupied by Huston Cherry.
Reared on that pioneer farm, David Haslip Cherry grew up to manhood there and after his marriage made his home on the home place for about ten years, at the end of which time he bought the Watt homestead (where his wife had lived since she was six years of age), buying the farm from a Mr. Tressler, who had purchased the land from William Watt, father of Mrs. Cherry, in time having there a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres on the Federal pike, now owned by his widow and operated by his son, the subject of this sketch. In connection with his general farming, David H. Cherry for years gave attention to the raising of full blood cattle and sheep and his sons have continued this line. He remained on the farm until his retirement in 1903 and removal to Xenia, where he spent his last day:, his death occurring there on October 7, 1914. He was a member of the United Presbyterian church, as is his widow, who is still living at Xenia, and had served as a trustee of his local congregation. Mrs. Cherry was born at Bainbridge, in Ross county, this state, a daughter of William and Sarah Gordon (Carruthers) Watt, natives of Scotland, the former born in Glas- gow and the latter in Dumfrees, who were married at Chillicothe, this state, and later came to Greene county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, as is set out elsewhere in this work. Mary E. Watt was about six years of age when her parents came to Greene county and she grew to womanhood on the home farm in Xenia township, where she was living when, on Deceni- ber 21, 1865, she was married to David H. Cherry. To that union were born five children, namely: William J., who is living on a farm adjoining the old home place in Xenia township, where he makes a specialty of raising pure-bred cattle and sheep; Lulu, who died at the age of two years and six months: Avis Belle, wife of the Rev. Frederick Elliott, a United Presbyte- rian minister, now stationed at Mansfield, Ohio; Huston Hanna, the sub- ject of this biographical sketch, and David Haslip, who is engaged in busi- ness at Xenia, a member of the mercantile firm of Galloway & Cherry. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Cherry has continued to make her home at Xenia, where she continues her interest in church work and in temperance, missionary and Red Cross work.
Huston H. Cherry grew up on the home farm in Xenia township and received his early schooling in the neighborhood schools, afterward entering Cedarville College and had been a student in that institution two years when the Spanish-American War broke out. He straightway enlisted his services as a soldier and in 1898 went South as a member of Company D, Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, spending the summer with that command at Tampa, Florida, awaiting service in Cuba, but was not called over. The regiment
572
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
later was moved to Fernandina, Florida; then to Huntsville, Alabama, then back to Columbus, Ohio, where it was mustered out in November, 1898, the brief war then being regarded as over, though the treaty of peace was not made until the following December. Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Cherry returned home and then spent a year in study at Mon- mouth College, after which he resumed his place on the farm and upon his father's retirement in 1902, took charge of the farm and has so continued, having established his home there after his marriage in the summer of 1903. Mr. Cherry has made a specialty of the raising of pure-bred Shorthorn cattle and Dorset sheep and has a show flock that he has exhibited at state fairs in Ohio, New York, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Illi- nois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas and with which he has won literally "a barrel" of blue ribbons. In 1917 he was invited to take the position of judge of sheep at the International Live Stock Show at Chicago, which invitation he accepted. He is a director of the Dorset Club, the national association of Dorset sheep breeders. Mr. and Mrs. Cherry are members of the First United Presbyterian church at Xenia.
On August 14, 1903, Huston H. Cherry was united in marriage to Clara Gertrude Jackson, who was born at Cedarville, this county, and who had been teaching in the schools of her home town previous to her marriage. Mrs. Cherry is a daughter of the Hon. Andrew and Mary J. (Dunlap) Jack- son, both members of pioneer families in the Cedarville neighborhood, the latter of whom died on July 31, 1915, and further mention of whom, together with a comprehensive history of the Jackson family, is set out elsewhere in this volume.
On December 17, 1868, Andrew Jackson was united in marriage to Mary Jane Dunlap, daughter of James and Jane (Limerick) Dunlap, the former of whom was for many years engaged in the lumber business in Cin- cinnati, later making his home at Cedarville, where he died on January 25, 1890, at the age of seventy-six years, and to that union were born four children, of whom Mrs. Cherry was the fourth in order of birth, the others being Pearl, wife of R. G. George, who is engaged in the milling business at Jamestown, this county: Frank, sheriff of Greene county, and Fannie, wife of R. L. Baldwin, of Chicago. Mr. Jackson still lives in Cedar- ville in the house formerly owned by James Dunlap, father of Mrs. Jackson, to which home the latter came with her parents from Cincinnati when seven years of age, Mrs. Lillie Limerick, widow of Dr. Samuel Limerick, of Seattle, Washington, sister of Mrs. Jackson and only surviving member of the Dunlap family, keeping the old home for him-the house in which she was born and in which she is content to spend her last days among the friends of her girlhood. As noted above, Mrs. Cherry was a school teacher
573
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
before her marriage. Since then she has retained hier interest in general social- service work and in 1908 organized at Xenia a county branch of the Inter- national Sunshine Society, of which branch she is president. The object of the work of the Sunshine Society is to bring cheer, aid and comfort to the ill, shut-ins, aged and lonely and there are now more than three thousand branches of the society in the United States. For the past ten years Mrs. Cherry has been editor of the Sunshine Department of two. magazines and has done other literary work. She also organized in her neighborhood the Home Club, an association of twenty women, the object of the same being to afford entertainment of a literary character once a month, meetings being held in turn in the homes of the respective members, and to provide during the winter months monthly social evenings for the husbands.
VALENTINE P. COY.
Valentine P. Coy, proprietor of a farm in Beavercreek township, situated on rural mail route No. 8 out of Dayton, is a member of one of the oldest families in the county, his great-grandfather, Jacob Coy, having settled here upon coming into the then Territory of Ohio with his family from Pennsyl- vania in the year 1800, as is set out, together with much else of an interesting character relating to the Coy family in this county, elsewhere in this work. Valentine P. Coy has lived in this county all his life. He was born in a log cabin on a farm in Beavercreek township, the place on which one of his brothers and three of his sisters are still living, February 14, 1852, son of John and Catherine (Cosler) Coy, both now deceased, and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, John Coy having been one of . the sons of Peter Coy, who was a son of Jacob and Susanna Coy, the pio- neers, noted above.
Reared on the home farm, Valentine P. Coy received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and when twenty-one years of age was given the management of the home place, his father retiring from the active labors of the farm at that time, and for six years thereafter farmed there. He then took another place and continued renting land until four years after his mar- riage, when, on March 14, 1890, he bought the old Perry Hawker farm of seventy-three acres in his home township, established his home there and has ever since continued to make that his place of residence. Since taking possession of that place Mr. Coy has made numerous improvements on the place. On July 26, 1917, his barn was destroyed by fire and he at once erected a new and better one, a structure 60 x 38 feet in dimensions. In addition to his general farming he gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock.
574
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
On January 18, 1886, Valentine P. Coy was united in marriage to Savilla Folkerth, who was born at Dubuque, Iowa, daughter and only child of Abraham and Catherine (Willison) Folkerth, the former of whom was born in Montgomery county, this state, and both of whom are now deceased, their last days having been spent in Dubuque, where Mr. Folkerth was engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. Coy is a Republican, as was his father, but has not been an aspirant for public office.
JOHN TURNBULL, M. D.
In the memorial annals of Greene county there are few names held in better remembrance than that of the late Dr. John Turnbull, who died at his home in Bellbrook in the summer of 1907 and whose widow is still living there, her place of residence ever since her marriage at the close of the Civil War. Doctor Turnbull served as a surgeon in the Union army during the Civil War and a narrative of his experiences in that connection would make a most interesting book. He was graduated from Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia in the spring of 1861 and had hardly returned to his home in this county when the President's call for volunteers to put down the armed rebellion against the government came in April of that year. He at once enlisted for service and went to the front as a member of Company A. Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio. Volunteer Infantry, enlisted for three months. He was promoted to the position of hospital steward and after four months of service was mustered out in West Virginia. He then served gratuitously for nearly a year as a volunteer assistant 'surgeon with the Sixty-fifth Ohio and with the "minute men" of 1862, and then was appointed assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, joining that command at Tullahoma, Tennessee, July 4, 1863. The surgeon of this regiment, Dr. Charles N. Fowler, being constantly on detached service as medical director, Doctor Turnbull was practically surgeon of the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio until the close of the war and during that period of service rendered his professional offices with a skill and a kindliness of manner that endeared him to all members of the command. During the furious charges of the battle of Chickamauga, Surgeon Turnbull was on duty with his regi- ment and two men were shot while he was dressing their wounds. After the battle was over he was left to look after the wounded and was cap- tured by the enemy, but two weeks later was released and sent through to the Union lines at Chattanooga. While thus a prisoner the Doctor served friend and foe alike, but his kindly offices in behalf of such of the enemy as stood in need of surgical attention did not prevent a squad of Confederate
575
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
cavalry from robbing him of his coat, hat, boots, money, case of instru- ments-in fact, everything he had save his shirt and trousers, the rebels giving him an old pair of shoes in exchange for the good pair they took from him. So completely stripped was he that in afterward describing the act the Doctor quaintly observed that the "rebs" had taken from him "about everything except his hope of salvation, which was so small they did not find it." In consequence of the exposure thus entailed Doctor Turnbull was confined for several weeks in a hospital at Chattanooga.
Dr. John Turnbull was a native son of Greene county, a member of one of the oldest families in the county, both his father and his mother having been representatives of pioneer families in this section. He was born on a farm in Cedarville township, March 10, 1840, son of John and Catherine Margaret (Kyle) Turnbull, the latter of whom also was born here, daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Mitchell) Kyle, the former of whom was for many years a member of the bench of associate judges for Greene county. John Turnbull was born in the neighborhood of the "Hermitage," Andrew Jack- son's retreat 'in the vicinity of Nashville, Tennessee, February 17, 1801, and was still in his "teens" when his parents, William Turnbull and wife, came up here with their family in 1817 and settled on a tract of land on what is now known as the Columbus pike, in Cedarville township, about three miles from the village of Cedarville. Of the children born to the pioneer Will- iam Turnbull and wife six sons, Alexander, Thomas, Gilbert, John, James and David, and two daughters, Betsey, who married Joseph Sterritt, and Isabella, who married John Chalmers, grew to maturity and reared families of their own, hence the Turnbull connection hereabout became a numerous one, as well as in the neighborhood of Monmouth, Illinois, to which latter place William Turnbull and his sons, Alexander, Gilbert and David, moved in 1833, establishing their homes there. John Turnbull grew to manhood o:1 the pioneer farm in Cedarville township and on February 21, 1824, was united in marriage to Catherine Margaret Kyle, one of the daughters of Judge Kyle. After his marriage he began farming on his own accoant ou a farm in Cedarville township, erecting there a log cabin for the reception of his bride. In 1842 he supplanted the log house by a good sized two- story frame house, which on the night of the day on which it was finishe 1 was nearly destroyed by fire communicated from a blaze which had broken out in the adjoining and abandoned log cabin. The damaged house was then restored as a one-story house and in it the family lived until later a brick addition was erected. John Turnbull lived to be nearly eighty years of age, his death occurring on August 12, 1880, and he was buried in the Cedarville cemetery. He was twice married, his first wife having died ir. 1852, after which he married Margaret J. Allen, daughter of Hugh and
-
576
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Catherine Allen, and was the father of nineteen children, all of whom grew to maturity save three. The home place came into the possession of Samuel K. Turnbull, who rebuilt the house, tearing away the brick addition and erect- ing a two-story frame house. The Turnbulls, originally Seceders, became affiliated with the United Presbyterian church following the "union" of 1858.
The younger John Turnbull was reared on the home farin in Cedarville township, received his elementary schooling in the neighborhood schools. and early turned his attention to the study of medicine, presently entering Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated in the spring of 1861, at twenty-one years of age. Almost imme- diately thereafter he enlisted his services in behalf of the Union arms, as noted in the opening paragraph of this memorial sketch, and served until the close of the war. Upon the completion of his military service Doctor Turnbull returned to Greene county and opened an office for the practice of his profession in the village of Bellbrook, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on July 19, 1907. Doctor Turnbull served for some time as president of the local board of education, as a member of the town council and at one time was the nominee of the Democratic party in this district for a seat in the Ohio General Assembly.
On September 9, 1865, Dr. John Turnbull was united in marriage to Josephine Kyle, daughter of Dr. John and Caroline (Bullard) Kyle, of Xenia, and to this union were born two children, Jesse, who died at the age of sixteen years, and Pearl A., who married Harry Armstrong, attorney- at-law, Xenia, and has one child, a daughter, Josephine. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Turnbull has continued to make her home at Bellbrook.
WILLIAM WESLEY WHITEKER.
William Wesley Whiteker, cashier of the Spring Valley National Bank of Spring Valley, this county, was born at Cynthiana, county seat of Harri- son county, Kentucky, a son of Benjamin F. and Amanda M. (King) White- ker, both of whom were born in that same county, members of old families in that section of Kentucky. Benjamin F. Whiteker was a well-to-do land- owner, farmer and tobacco merchant. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and he and his wife were members of the Freewill Baptist church. They were the parents of six children, namely: Edward J., a farmer in the vicinity of Cynthiana ; Ella K., wife of John Barlow, of Havilandsville, Harrison county, Kentucky; William Wesley, subject of this biographical sketch : Charles R., a farmer and stockman at Cynthiana; Joseph D., also
WILLIAM W. WHITEKER AND FAMILY.
577
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
a farmer and stockman at that place, and Eureka, who is engaged in the banking business at Detroit, Michigan, connected with one of the savings banks in that city.
Reared at Cynthiana, William W. Whiteker received his early schooling in the schools of that city and supplemented the same by a course in the University of Kentucky, after which he was for two or three years engaged as deputy county clerk in his home county. In 1905 he became connected with the Farmers National Bank at Clarksville, Ohio, and was thus engaged for eight months, at the end of which time he came up into Greene county and was made cashier of the Spring Valley National Bank at Spring Valley, which position he still occupies. Mr. Whiteker is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge at New Burlington and of the chapter and coun- cil, Royal and Select Masters, at Xenia. He was made a Mason while living in Kentucky, member of Thomas Ware lodge at Claysville, and transferred his membership upon coming to Greene county. Mr. Whiteker is past noble grand of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Spring Valley and a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Bellbrook.
On September 30, 1912, at Spring Valley, William W. Whiteker was united in marriage to Laura Clark Alexander, who was born at that place and who was graduated from the Xenia high school in 1896. Mrs. Whiteker is a member of one of the oldest families in Greene county, her family having been represented here since the year 1803, the year this county was created as an independent civic unit. She is a daughter of Perry A. and Ella M. (Elgin) Alexander, the latter of whom, a daughter of Dr. M. B. and Mar- garet (Craft) Elgin, was educated at Spring Valley. Perry A. Alexander was born in Spring Valley township on September 28, 1856, son of William J. and Elizabeth (Weller) Alexander, the former of whom was born in that same township and the latter, in Washington township, in the neighboring county of Montgomery, April 18, 1825, and who were married on February 28, 1850. William J. Alexander was born on June 10, 1827, son of Wash- ington and Rachel (Clark) Alexander, members of pioneer families in Spring Valley township. who were married in that township in 1842 and who were the parents of seven children. Washington Alexander was born in South Carolina in 1801 and was but two years of age when his parents, John and Isabel Alexander, came to this county, by way of Butler county, and settled in the then mere backwoods hamlet of Xenia, John Alexander there becoming the first resident lawyer of the new county seat, all of which is told elsewhere in this volume. Washington Alexander studied for the law, but never practiced, instead, turning his attention to farming and became a landowner in Spring Valley township. He died in 1867. His second son,
(36)
578
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
William J. Alexander, also studied law and was admitted to the bar, open- ing an office for the practice of his profession at Spring Valley, later moving to Wilmington and thence to Xenia, where he died on April 18, 1897. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom Perry A. Alexander was the eldest. The latter is the owner of several hundred acres of land in the immediate vicinity of Spring Valley. He is a Democrat and in 1890 was the nominee of his party for sheriff. On November 28, 1878, Perry A. Alexander was united in marriage to Ella M. Elgin and to that union were born six children, of whom Mrs. Whiteker was the first-born, the others being William Elgin, Cantwell J., Ralph, Margaret and one deceased.
To William W. and Laura C. (Alexander) Whiteker one child has been born, a daughter, Laura Wesley, born on February 3, 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Whiteker are members of the Methodist Protestant church and Mr. White- ker is the superintendent of the Sunday school.
W. EDWIN DEAN.
WV. Edwin Dean, proprietor of a farm of two hundred and twenty-five . acres on rural mail route No. 1 out of Cedarville in Cedarville township, was born in that township and has lived there all his life. He was born on October 6, 1875, son of Daniel Milton and Caroline (Haines) Dean. both of whom also were born in this county, and the latter of whom is still living, now a resident of Cedarville.
Daniel Milton Dean was born on a farm in what is now New Jasper township, May 19, 1831, son of Joseph and Hannah (Boggs) Dean, the latter of whom also was born in Ohio, a daughter of Anthony Boggs, who had come to this country from the north of Ireland and had settled in Vir- ginia, later coming over into Ohio and locating in Jackson county, whence in 1818 he moved over into Indiana and located in Blackford county, where he established his home and where he was elevated to the position of judge of the court. Joseph Dean was born at Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, December 30, 1804, and was about eight years of age when his parents, Daniel and Jennie (Steele) Dean, came up into Ohio in 1812 and settled in that section of Greene county that many years later came to be organized as New Jasper township, becoming thus early recognized as among the influential and use- ful pioneers of that section. Daniel Dean was a native of Ireland, born in County Down, Londonderry. Upon coming to this country he first located in Pennsylvania, moving thence after a while to Virginia, where he married Jennie Steele: later moving to Kentucky, where he remained until he. came to Greene county in 1812, all of which is set out at considerable length
.
579
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
in this volume in a further and somewhat more comprehensive reference to the Dean family in Greene county. Joseph Dean grew up on that pioneer farm and after his marriage to Hannah Boggs established his home on a portion of the same, spending there the rest of his life. He and his wife were the parents of six children, those besides Daniel M. having been Joseph N., Lewis, Samuel S., Mary, who married John Wright, and Anna, who married Simeon W. Oldham.
Reared on the old Dean home place on which he was born, Daniel M. Dean remained there until his marriage to Caroline Haines when twenty-six years of age, when he started housekeeping on a part of the home farm, remaining there for three years, at the end of which time he moved to the Haines farm, the place where his wife was born and on which his son Edwin, the subject of this sketch, is now living, and there he spent the remainder of his life.
Daniel M. Dean was reared a Whig, but on the organization of the Republican party became affiliated with the latter and for twenty-five years was director of schools in his home district. By religious persuasion lie was a member of the United Presbyterian church. His death occurred on Decem- ber 1, 1912, and his widow is still living, now a resident of Cedarville. She was born on the farm on which her son Edwin is now living on April 21, 1838. To Daniel M. and Caroline ( Haines) Dean were born five children. two sons and three daughters, those besides the subject of this sketch being the following: Ella, now deceased, who was the wife of R. J. Kyle; Frank; Julia, wife of the Rev. R. B. Patton, a minister of the United Presbyterian church, living at Columbus, this state, and Gertrude, wife of W. R. Sibley, who is connected with the Erie railroad, with headquarters at Columbus.
W. Edwin Dean was reared on the place on which he is now living and supplemented the schooling he received in the neighborhood schools by atten- dance at the schools of Cedarville and at Columbus. In 1897 he assumed charge of the home place and after his marriage in 1901 established his home there. In 1907 he bought the place and has since then added to the acreage of the same until he now is the owner of two hundred and twenty-five acres. In addition to his general farming Mr. Dean gives considerable attention to live stock.
On December 18, 1901, W. Edwin Dean was united in marriage to Maude A. Beard, who was born at Enon, in the neighboring county of Clark, a daughter of William and Aletha (Russell) Beard, the latter of whom was a daughter of the Rev. Moses Russell, who formerly and for years was the pastor of the Presbyterian church at Clifton, this county. William Beard years ago moved with his family down from Enon into this county and
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.