USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 74
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BENJAMIN F. COY.
The late Benjamin F. Coy, who died at his home in the Zimmermans neighborhood in Beavercreek township on July II, 1911, and whose widow is still living there, was born in that township on August 5, 1841, and all his life was spent there. He was a son of Nicholas and Charlotta (Shoup) Coy, both members of pioneer families thereabout and further and fitting reference to whom is made elsewhere in this volume, together with a com- prehensive history of both the Coy and Shoup families in Greene county.
Reared on the home farm, Benjamin F. Coy received his schooling in the local schools and upon attaining manhood began farming on his own account, a vocation he followed with success the rest of his life. He was a member of the Church of the Brethren and took an active interest in the affairs of the same, as does his widow. Politically, he was a Republican.
On January 4, 1867, Benjamin F. Coy was united in marriage to Catherine Silzel, who was born in Dalton county, Pennsylvania, fourth in order of birth of the ten children born to William and Catherine (Sellers) Silzel, and to this union four children were born, namely: Emma, who mar- ried William Glotfelter, now living at Dayton, and to whom two children have been born, Benjamin (deceased) and Russell; Clara, now deceased, who was the wife of John Lesher, of Alpha, and who was the mother of two children, but one of whom. Bessie, is now living; Lydia, also deceased
BENJAMIN F. COY.
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who was the wife of George Feirstein, of Beavercreek township, and who left two children, Roy and Harold; and Florence, wife of Louis Stewart. of Alpha, to whom four children have been born, Marcus, Kenneth, Evan- geline (deceased) and an infant (deceased).
MILTON A. SMITH.
Milton A. Smith, distributing clerk in the postoffice at Xenia, was born on a farm one mile south of the village of New Jasper, in the township of that name, March 7, 1877, and has been a resident of this county all his life, formerly and for seven years prior to entering upon service in the Xenia postoffice having been a school teacher in the county. His parents, William Albert and Keziah (Thomas) Smith, also were born in this county and the latter is still living, having made her home at Xenia since her husband's death in 1908. She was born on December 3, 1855, daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Beason) Thomas, the former of whom was a son of Benjamin and Eliza- beth (Bayliff) Thomas, Benjamin Thomas having been a son of Jacob and Ellen Thomas, who settled on Painters run in this county about the year 1802, Benjamin Thomas there marrying Elizabeth Bayliff, a neighbor, daugh- ter of Joshua and Margaret (Fry) Bayliff, who had come here from Virginia about that same time or shortly prior thereto and had settled in the Painters- ville neighborhood on Painters run in Caesarscreek township, all of which, together with a comprehensive history of this family, is set out at length else- where in this volume. Eliza Beason Thomas, mother of Mrs. Smith, was a daughter of Thomas and Keziah Beason, who had a farm three miles south of New Jasper on the Paintersville road and who were the parents of twelve or fourteen children. Mrs. Smith was the first-born of the eight chil= dren born to her parents, the others being the following: Joshua, born on August 4, 1858, who died on November 18, 1863; Benjamin, January 29, 1860, who died on November 30, 1863; Lydia, June 7, 1862, wife of Jacob R. Jones, of Mt. Tabor, this county; Alice, August 7, 1864, who married J. C. Bales and died on January 4, 1892; Loretta, April 10, 1866, who mar- ried Frank M. Spahr and who, as well as her husband, is now deceased, her death having occurred on June 1, 1915; Francis Marion, February 1, 1868, who married Alice L. Brown and lives on a farm in New Jasper township, and Jacob Lewis, May 8, 1870, who married Ida Hite and is now living in Logan county, this state.
William Albert Smith was born on a farm in Caesarcreek township, this county, son of .Burrell and Mary (Bales) Smith, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families, and further mention
(42)
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of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Burrell Smith was a son of John and Margaret (Burrell) Smith, the latter of whom was born in Caesars- creek township, this county, August 16, 1808. John Smith was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, and was eighteen years of age when he came to Ohio, riding through on horseback to Greene county, where he eventually established his home, becoming the owner of a farm of two hundred acres in Caesarscreek township. He was one of the early assessors of that town- ship and there is a tradition that he had a difficult time convincing some of the settlers that it was their duty to return their property for taxation. He was a Whig and became one of the organizers of the Republican party in this county. By religious persuasion he was a Methodist. His death occurred on1 January 31, 1883, he then being eighty-four years of age, and he was buried in the Baptist graveyard near Jamestown. On January 16, 1823, John Smith married Margaret Burrell and to that union were born twelve children, of whom Burrell Smith, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was the first-born, the others being the following: William, born on August 3. 1825, who married a Miss Ireland and lived at Blainetown; Elnora, Sep- tember 9, 1827, who married John Ford and moved to Indiana : Henry, Sep- tember 12, 1829, who died in childhood; Sarah Ann, April 9, 1831, who married Lafayette Lucas and moved to Indiana; Eli, March 21, 1833, who married Lucy E. Hobbs and moved to Indiana: Elizabeth, September 21, 1835. who married William St. John and lived in Caesarscreek township; Nancy, October 17, 1837, who died unmarried; Alfred, December 6, 1839, . a carpenter, who went to Missouri; Mary Jane, December 30, 1841, who married Asa Devoe and moved to Indiana; Margaret, February 11, 1844, who is still living, making her home in Jefferson township, widow of James W. Clark, a memorial sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume, and Emily, September 27, 1848, who married Joseph Bosman and moved to Indiana.
Burrell Smith was born on December 10, 1823, and was reared on his father's farm. After his marriage to Mary Bales, who was a member of one of Greene county's old families, he established his home on a farm on the line between New Jasper and Caesarscreek townships and spent the rest of his life there. He and his wife were Baptists. They were the parents of four children, one of whom died in infancy, the others besides the father of the subject of this sketch being John B. Smith, now living at Xenia, a mem- ber of the firm of Bales & Smith, and Emma Jane, wife of J. S. Bales, of Xenia.
William Albert Smith grew up on the home farm and at the age of nineteen years began teaching school, a profession he followed with slight
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intermission for many years, or until his health became so broken that he no longer could be of service in the school room. He owned a farm in New Jasper township, devoting his summers to the cultivation of the same. In 1893 he attended college at Ada, Ohio, graduating in 1894, and later taught school at Bellbrook. Then in 1896 he located on his father's old home place in Caesarscreek township and on the latter place spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there on February 19, 1908. During his long service in the public schools of this county William A. Smith was for several years thie superintendent of the Bowersville schools, for two years was superinten- dent of the Bellbrook schools, for two years head of the schools at New Burl- ington and later was returned in charge of the schools at Bowersville, where he was serving when his health failed and he was compelled to retire front the school room. He was a Republican and a member of the Mr. Tabor Nicthodist Episcopal church. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Smith has been making her home with the family of John Bales at 33 West Third street, Xenia. It was on March II, 1875, that William Albert Smith and Keziah Thomas were united in marriage. To that union were born four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being Lucien E. Smith, who lives on a farm in the vicinity of Mt. Tabor church, seven miles southeast of Xenia; Prof. Orma J. B. Smith, now an instructor in the University of Idaho, and William M. Smith, a farmer, living in Caesarscreek township.
Milton A. Smith spent his youth mainly on the farm and his early school- ing was received in such schools as his father would be teaching from term to term, his course being completed by attendance at the high school at Ada and the high school at Bellbrook. When twenty-one years of age he began teaching in the schools of this county and was for seven years thereafter thus engaged, employing his summers on the farm. In July, 1909, Mr. Smith accompanied his widowed mother to Xenia and has ever since made his home in that city. Upon taking up his residence there he entered a civil service examination and in the following October was appointed to service in the postoffice, being put on as a substitute mail carrier. Not long afterward he was transferred to a position as clerk and presently was promoted to the position of distributing clerk in the postoffice, a position he ever since has held.
On May 14, 1913, Milton A. Smith was united in marriage to Lavina A, Martin, who was born in Maryland, daughter of John and Amanda Martin, now living on a farm in the Cumberland valley in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Reformed church at Xenia and he is a mem- ber of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife reside at 410 West Main street.
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ALBERT F. HERING.
The late Albert F. Hering, who died at his farm home in Beavercreek township, rural mail route No. 10 out of Xenia, December 31, 1912, and whose widow is still living there, was born in that township on December 16, 1845, a son of Jacob and Mary (Steele) Hering, both of whom were born in that same township, members of pioneer families. Jacob Hering having been born in 1808, a son of Jacob and Barbara (Richenbach) Hering, natives of Switzerland, who settled in this county not long after their ar- rival in this country and were thus among the earliest settlers of this part of Ohio. They established their home in Beavercreek township and there reared their family, the one son, Jacob, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Mar- garet and Barbara.
The younger Jacob Hering early became associated with his father in the management of the home place and after the death of his father con- tinued the operation of the place. For twelve years he served as treasurer of his home township, was also for some years township trustee and during the most of his active life was a school director. Fraternally, he was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Xenia and he and his wife were mem- bers of the Reformed church. They were married in 1831 and were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the last born. Two of the latter's brothers served with distinction during the Civil War, Henry F. Hering being mustered out at the close of the war as captain of Company E, Seventy-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and is now a retired physician, living at Minneapolis. John J. Hering was commissioned first lieutenant of Company E of the One Hun- dred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, but was later transferred to Company A and was made adjutant of the regiment. After serving three months he contracted typhoid fever and was sent home, where he died in October, 1864.
Albert F. Hering completed his schooling in the Xenia schools and upon attaining his majority began farming on his own account on the home place and after his marriage in 1874 continued to live there until 1893. when he bought the Bates place, remaining there until 1906, when he bought the old Harris Munger place on which he spent his last days and on which his widow still resides, a place of about one hundred and eighty acres. Mr. Hering was a Republican and was for years a member of the local school board, serving in that capacity at the time the Beavercreek high school was organized. He was a member of the Reformed church, as is his widow, and for years he was a deacon of the church and a trustee. He was buried in the Beaver Creek cemetery.
In 1874, Albert F. Hering was united in marriage to Matilda Munger,
af Hering
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who was born in the neighboring county of Montgomery, daughter of Harris and Elizabeth Munger, who later became residents of Beavercreek township, this county, and further reference to whom is made elsewhere in this vol- ume, and to that union five children were born, namely : Clarence Franklin, now living at Osborn, where he is engaged in the railway service, and who married Alice Cora Wilson, of Madison county, and has one child, a daugh- ter, Elizabetlı Isabel; Edgar Russell, now living at Hamilton, this state, where he is engaged as a stationary engineer, and who married Catherine Turner, of this county, and has four children, Emma, Matilda, Russell, Catherine and Edward Everett; Harris Munger Hering, now assisting in the building of aeroplanes at Lorain, who on April 7, 1913, married Lena Gantz, of Alpha, and has two sons, Leroy Martin and Arthur Franklin; Mary Edna, who on March 10, 1914, married Ora A. Allen, a rural mail carrier out of Jeffersonville, and has one child, a son, Robert; and Jacob Early, who is operating the home place for his mother and who on Feb- ruary 27, 1915, married Daisy Nelson, of Springfield.
ISAAC B. PRESTON.
Isaac B. Preston, former mayor of Clifton and for years engaged in the milling business in that village, proprietor of the water-power flour-mill that was established there in 1892, and who also furnishes the electric power for the villages of Clifton, Cedarville and Yellow Springs, is a native of Missouri, born in Mercer county in that state, January 10, 1868. Mr. Pres- ton has always been connected with the flour-milling business, as were his father and his grandfather before him, and in all his housekeeping career he has never had to buy flour but once, and on that occasion a twelve-and-a- half-pound sack of flour tided him over the emergency. His father, Jesse Preston, was born at Bloomington, Illinois, in 1831, his father at that time being there engaged in the milling business, one of the pioneer millers of that section of Illinois.
Jesse Preston grew up to the milling business and when twenty years of age became thus engaged on his own account. He married Eliza Bryan, who was born in Tennessee, and in the '50s located in Mercer county, Mis- souri, where he became a miller, later moving to Barry county, in that same state, where he had a mill eight miles south of Cassville. Jesse Preston died in 1891. His wife died in the year 1878. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fifth in order of birth, the others being William, who died in youth: Anna, who also died in youth; Matilda, who died in 1888; Sherman, a machinist, now living in California,
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who married Angie Quinn and has two children; Ada Caroline, who mar- ried E. J. Tartar, a blacksmith, now living at Vinita, Oklahoma, and has eight children; Berry J., unmarried, who is engaged in the milling business with his brother Isaac at Clifton, and Anna (second), who died when a young girl.
Isaac B. Preston was fifteen years of age when his parents moved from Mercer to Barry county, Missouri, in 1883, and he there grew up to the mill- ing business, continuing there thus engaged, in the mill eight miles south of Cassville, for twenty-five years, at the end of which time he disposed of his interests there and came to Ohio, locating at Clifton, where he bought the water-power mill and has since been engaged in the milling business at that place. The Clifton mills were established at the fine water power at that site many years ago and the present mill is the third that has been erected at that site. Mr. Preston took charge of his present property there on April 3, 1907, and has since then made many improvements to the industry. In addition to his flour-milling business he is also operating, by the same water power, a saw-mill, stone crusher and an electric-light plant, from which latter the villages of Clifton, Cedarville and Yellow Springs derive their light. Mr. Preston is a Democrat and during his residence in Missouri for years held the position as committeeman from his home precinct. Upon coming to Greene county he continued his interest in political affairs and is now a member of the county Democratic central committee. During the term 1913-14 he served as mayor of the town of Clifton. Mr. Preston was made a Mason in 1889, made an Odd Fellow in that same year and in 1907, the year of his arrival at Clifton, became a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at that place. He also is a member of the United Com- mercial Travelers Association.
On October 18, 1888, in Barry county, Missouri, Isaac B. Preston was united in marriage to Edith M. Hartley, who was born in Delaware county, this state, but who in 1887 had moved to Missouri with her parents. the Rev. B. W. Hartley and wife, the former of whom was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and to this union two children have been born, Cleo F., born on August 24, 1889, and Chester M., June 24, 1891. Cleo F. Preston married Fred W. Corry, of this county, who is now engaged in the milling business with Mr. Preston, and has three sons, Preston, Dewitt R. and Chester. Chester M. Preston, who also is engaged with his father in the milling business at Clifton, in 1912 married Ruth Corry, daughter of Robert E. Corry, a member of the present board of county commissioners, and to this union two children have been born, one an infant who died at birth, and Robert Chester, born on April 7, 1918. The Prestons are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church.
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GEORGE GREINER.
The first house on what is now the site of the village of Fairfield, in this county, was built by George Greiner, a soldier of the American Revolution, who came over to this part of Ohio about the year 1805 and settled at that point, which then was included in Beavercreek eownship, but which in 1807 became organized as Bath township. There this Revolutionary soldier and his family established their home, the Greiners thus becoming numbered among the first families of Greene county, and are still represented at Fairfield, Otto A. Wilson, a great-grandson of this pioneer, now being mayor of the village.
John Greiner, one of the sons of the pioneer George Greiner, was born in 1799 and was thus but six years of age when he became a resident of this county, the rest of his life being spent here. After his marriage he established his home in Fairfield, where he became engaged in the building trades, one of the leading carpenters in that part of the county. One of his sons, George Greiner, grew up at Fairfield and as a young man learned the blacksmith trade, but later took up farming and was engaged in the latter vocation until 1873, when he moved with his family to Xenia and there became engaged in the clothing business. Upon his retirement from business he continued to make his home in Xenia and there spent his last days, his death occurring in 1913. He and his wife, the latter of whom was Patience Folkerth, were the parents of four children, two of whom died in infancy and the other two of whom, a son and a daughter, Russell and DeEtta, are still living, the latter still a resident of Xenia. Russell Greiner is one of that considerable number of the ambitious sons of Greene county who have achieved something more that merely local fame in other places. He is engaged in the lithographing and engraving business at Kansas City and is a past president of the International Rotary Club.
DeEtta Greiner was living at Xenia at the time of her marriage to the late Major William M. Wilson and is still living there at the corner of Church and King streets. Mrs. Wilson is a member of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church, as was her husband, and is the present regent of Catherine Greene chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The late Major William M. Wilson was born at Zanesville, this state, and was twenty-one years of age when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted for service in behalf of the Union cause and went to the front as the first lieu- tenant of the company to which he was attached, presently being promoted to the rank of captain of Company B, One Hundred and Twenty-second Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, attached to the Army of the Potomac. While serving with that conmand at the battle of the Wilderness he was captured by the enemy and for nine months thereafter was confined in Southern prison pens
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before securing his exchange. Near the close of the war he was breveted major and with this rank was mustered out after a service of nearly four years. Upon the completion of his military service Major Wilson located at Xenia, in 1865, but a few years later went to Logansport, Indiana, where he became engaged in the hardware business. Upon his retirement from busi- ness he returned to Xenia, there married Miss Greiner and there spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1915. The major was a York Rite Mason, elevated to the commandery, Knights Templar, in Indiana, and upon his return to Ohio was demitted to the Xenia commandery.
DAVID O. SHEELEY.
David O. Sheeley, a retired farmer now living at Alpha and the pro- prietor of a farm of something more than one hundred and eight acres in the southern part of Beavercreek township, was born in that part of the county now included in Jefferson township on August 25, 1846, son of William B. and Elizabeth (Osborne) Sheeley, the latter of whom was born in Clermont county, this state, October 31, 1816. Her father, a Virginian and a Meth- odist preacher, blacksmith and farmer, came to Greene county with his family in 1833 and bought about one thousand acres of land in that part of Silvercreek township that later came to be set off as Jefferson township. Her maternal grandfather, the Rev. Philip Gatch, was one of the pioneer Meth- odist preachers of Ohio and a noted evangelist in his day, and for twenty- one years was one of the associate judges of Clermont county.
William B. Sheeley was born in Greene county on October 24, 18II, and on November 14, 1841, married Elizabeth Osborne. He became a farmer in Jefferson township and there died on May 21, 1870. His widow survived him until 1890. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being Preciosa, deceased; Mrs. Sarah Tysor, of Missouri; Mrs. Pallas Brookbank, deceased; Moses, who died at the age of two weeks; Isaac, deceased; Lydia, unmarried, and Mrs. Harriet Hunt, of Clinton county. By a previous mar- riage William B. Sheeley was the father of two children, Reuben and George.
David O. Sheeley was reared on the farm and early became engaged in farming on his own account, becoming the owner of a farm of a fraction more than one hundred and eight acres in the southern part of Beavercreek township, on which he lived until his retirement about five years ago and removal to Alpha, where he is now living, renting his farm land. Politically, Mr. Sheeley is a Democrat, and by religious persuasian is a Methodist.
On April 30. 1868, David O. Sheeley was united in marriage to Alice
MR. AND MRS. DAVID O. SHEELEY.
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J. Weeks, who was born in Warren county on October 10, 1850, and who died on December 9, 1917. To that union three children were born, Charles C., John W. and Ivy Ethel, the latter of whom married William Netherton, a Beavercreek township farmer, and has eight children, William, Etliel, Arthur, Alvida, Elizabeth, Elwood, Stephen and Charles. Mr. Sheeley's elder son, Charles C. Sheeley, now foreman of a machine shop at Dayton, married Catherine Greenwald and has six children, Anna, Dorothy, Bessie, David, Frederick and Caroline. Anna, the first-born of these, is married and has one child, Charles Caron. John W. Sheeley, also a machinist, now living in Detroit, married Matilda Neff and has three children, Ruth, who is married and has one child, and Alice and John.
JOHN L. McKILLIP.
John L. McKillip, for some' years past living practically retired at his farm home in Silvercreek township, is a native "Buckeye" and has been a resident of Greene county and of the farm on which he is now living ever since his marriage when twenty years of age. He was born on a farm west of the village of Jeffersonville, in Jefferson township, in the neighboring county of Fayette, in sight of his present home, February 17, 1840, son of James and Rachel (Mills) McKillip, the latter of whom was born in Greene county, a member of one of the pioneer families here.
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