USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 94
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On November 23, 1868, at Yellow Springs, Charles D. C. Hamilton was united in marriage to Hester Horney, daughter of Anderson and Mary (Baldwin) Horney, of that place, who were the parents of eight children, of which number Mrs. Hamilton was the seventh in order of birth, the others being: Reese, who died while rendering service in behalf of his country as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War: Caroline, unmarried, who is liv- ing at Yellow Springs ; Mrs. Mary Robinson, a widow, also living at Yellow Springs; Mrs. Eliza Gist, also a widow, now living at Richmond, Indiana ; Uriah, who died while giving his service to his country as a soldier during the Civil War: Julia, who died in infancy, and David, deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were born four children, one of whom, Olivia Letha. died when eight or nine years of age, the others being Mrs. Ottie Justice, of
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Springfield, this state; Mrs. Rena Pyle, of Richmond, Indiana, and Dr. How- ard Hamilton, who is now enrolled as a surgeon in the national army. Since the death of her husband, Mrs. Hamilton has continued to make her home in Yellow Springs. As was her husband, she is a member of the Presbyterian church.
JOSEPH DOWNEY.
Joseph Downey, one of the "old settlers" of Miami township, this county, living on a farm about two and a half miles west of the village of Yellow Springs, where he has made his home since the year 1868, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life. He was born in the city of Zanesville, on October 9, 1832, and on Thanksgiving Day, 1855, at Spring- field, this state, was united in marriage to Anna Ahern, who was born in Ireland on March 6, 1835.
After their marriage Joseph Downey and his wife set up housekeeping on the Kelley farm just north of Yellow Springs and there made their home for five or six years, at the end of which time they moved to the village of Yellow Springs, where they remained until 1867, when they moved to a farmi three miles west of that village. In the following year, 1868, Mr. Downey bought the farm on which he is now living, about two and a half miles west of the village, and there has ever since made his home, for some years past. however, living practically retired from the active labors of the farm, his sons now managing the place. He and his wife celebrated their golden- wedding anniversary in 1905 and have now been married sixty-two years. Mr. Downey is a life-long Democrat. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith
To Joseph and Anna (Ahern) Downey nine children have been born, namely: Edward. William, John, James, Joseph (deceased), Mary, Charles, Martin, and Anna (deceased). Of these children, Edward, William, James and Mary are at home caring for their aged parents' interests and looking after the affairs of the farm, and Charles and Martin are operating a saw- mill at Fairfield. Edward Downey, the eldest son, received his schooling in the schools of Yellow Springs and at what then was known as the Confer school, in the district to which the family moved upon leaving the village, the other children being similarly schooled, and as a young man became engaged at the carpenter trade. He continued working at that vocation most of the time up to about two years ago, since which time he has been devoting his time to the home farm, he and his brothers being engaged there in general farming.
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THOMAS VINCENT ILIFF.
Thomas Vincent Iliff, a veteran of the Civil War and formerly and for years engaged in the lime and quarry business, now living retired at his home in Cedarville, was born on a farm three miles south of Cedarville on August 24, 1842, son of Wesley and Sarah (Ballard) Iliff, the former of whom also was born in this county and the latter, in the state of Pennsylvania.
Wesley Iliff was born on a farm in the vicinity of the village of James- town, a son of James and Betsy (Hill) Iliff, who had come to this county from Pennsylvania about the year 1804 and had established their home in the Jamestown settlement. James Iliff there spent his last days. His widow later went over into Indiana, where her last days were spent. They were the parents of eight children, Jesse, James, John, Wesley, William, Thomas, David and Helen. Reared on the farm on which he was born, Wesley Iliff early became engaged in the lime business at Cedarville and for forty years was thus engaged, the business after his death being carried on by his eldest son, the late William H. Iliff. In early manhood Wesley Iliff married Sarah Ballard, who was born in Pennsylvania and who was but a girl when she came to Greene county with her parents, Joseph and Sarah Ballard, the family establishing their home on a farm two and one-half miles northeast of James- town. Joseph Ballard was a son of Lyman Ballard, a soldier of the Revo- lutionary War. Wesley Iliff died in 1889, he then being seventy-one years of age. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, Mary. William H., Thomas Vincent, John W., Martha, Emma, Harriet, Flora, Louise and Charles. Mary Iliff, now deceased, was twice married, her first husband having been Joseph Lawrence and her second, Joseph Williamson. The late William H. Iliff, who was for years engaged in the stone and lime business at Cedarville, had the distinction of having been the first man in Cedarville township to enlist his services in behalf of the Union following the President's call for volunteers on that fateful day in April. 1861, and he went to the front as a member of Company D, Twelfth Ohio Volunteers. His service as a soldier covered a period of three years and thirteen days. His widow, who was Susan Small, is still living at Cedarville. John W. Iliff, who is now living in Chicago, went to the front as a drummer boy, he having been too young for other service, going as a member of Company D, Forty-fourth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for three years. He also was engaged in the stone business until his retirement. His wife, who was Josie Adams, is now deceased, and he makes his home in Chicago. Martha Iliff is also living in Chicago. Emma Iliff died in the days of her girlhood. Harriet Iliff married W. H. Owens, a Cedarville blacksmith, and is still living in that village. Flora Iliff married William Karch, now deceased, and she makes her home in Chicago. Louise Iliff died in early childhood. Charles
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Iliff, who married Minnie Phillips, was a blacksmith and is now living retired in Chicago.
Thomas V. Iliff received his schooling in the schools of his home neigh- borhood and early became engaged in the limestone quarries with his father and brothers, continuing thus engaged until on August 13, 1862, when he enlisted for service as a soldier of the Union and went to the front as a member of Company D, Forty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which his brother John also was connected. It is but fitting in this connection to note that the three Iliff boys were in active service before they had attained their respective majorities, each celebrating the twenty-first anniversary of his birth in the field. Mr. Iliff went with his command by boat from Cincinnati to Maysville, in which latter place he became engaged in his first battle. His service in the army covered a period of nearly three years and included action pretty much all over the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Iliff returned home and resumed his place in connection with his father's kilns and quarries. He married in the fall of 1869 and continued to make his home at Cedarville until 1888, when he opened an establishment for the sale of lime at Cincinnati, where the Iliffs already had developed a business, and there made his home for three years, at the end of which time he sold the business to D. S. Ervin, of Cedar- ville, and moved to Columbus, where for something more than seven years he was engaged in the selling of lime. He later became connected with the contracting firm of his nephews, Harry and Walter Iliff, and continued thus employed until his retirement.
On October 27, 1869, Thomas Vincent Iliff was united in marriage to Sophia Lovett, who also was born in Greene county, a daughter of George R. and Elizabeth (Moore) Lovett, of New Jasper township, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania and the latter, of Virginia. George R. Lovett was a farmer and upon his retirement moved to Cedarville, where he died at the age of seventy years. His widow survived him for some years, she having been seventy-five years of age at the time of her death. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were eight of these children, three of whom died in youth, the others, besides Mrs. Iliff, being Bushrod, who enlisted his services as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War and died of small- pox in camp at Columbus; Mary, widow of John Phillips, of Springfield, this state; Lila, who married Frank Humphries and is now deceased, and Rosa, widow of Charles Minser, of Cedarville. To Mr. and Mrs. Iliff were born two daughters, Gertrude and Nellie, the former of whom has been twice married, after the death of her first husband, Fred Fields, she having married Hugh Stormont, a rural mail carrier out of Cedarville. She has two sons, Fred L. and Roger. Nellie Iliff married George Winter, of Xenia, and
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has two children, Olive Gertrude and James Alfred. Mr. and Mrs. Iliff are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Cedarville. Mr. Iliff is past commander of Curry Post No. 94, Grand Army of the Republic, at Cedarville.
WILLIAM L. CLEMANS.
William L. Clemans, formerly and for years engaged in the banking business at Cedarville and now engaged in the real-estate business, with offices at Cedarville and at Jamestown, making his home on a farm in the imme- diate vicinity of the former city, was born at Jamestown, in this county, and inost of his life has been spent in Greene county, a continuous resident here for more than thirty years. He was born on July 7, 1865, a son of the Rev. Francis M. and Sarah Isabella (Chaffin) Clemans, both of whom also were born in this county, on adjoining farms in Ross township, the latter a daugh- ter of Solomon and Elizabeth Chaffin, who were among the early residents of that part of the county. She was born in 1841 and died on November 5, 1885.
The Rev. Francis M. Clemans, who was for many years an influential figure in the Methodist Episcopal church in this state and who died at his home in the city of Washington Court House, in the neighboring county of Fayette, January 7, 1915, was born in 1834, a son of William T. Clemans and wife, the latter of whom was a Dalby, both born in Maryland and who had come to this county with their respective parents in pioneer days, the two families settling in Ross township. The pioneer Clemans bought in good faith a tract of one hundred acres out of an old military grant in that town- ship, paying for the same two dollars an acre, and there established his home and made improvements. After he had become comfortably settled on the place a man from Pennsylvania came along and disclosed a prior claim to the land, but offered to settle at the original purchase price. The new-comer's title was proved to the satisfaction of Mr. Clemans, who mounted his horse and rode down through the mud to Xenia, where he borrowed two hundred dollars at the old State Bank, taking the amount in silver, and rode back, turning over to the Pennsylvania claimant the load of silver. And thus the old Clemans farm was paid for twice. William T. Clemans grew up in that township and became in turn the owner of a good farm there, remaining there until 1850, when he moved to Van Wert county and bought a farm adjoining the city of that name. There he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were the parents of two sons and three daughters.
When his parents moved to Van Wert county Francis M. Clemans was sixteen years of age and he remained in Greene county. He early began
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teaching school, first teaching in the district schools in his home township. During the term 1858-59 he served as superintendent of the Bowersville schools and then was made superintendent of the Jamestown schools, a position he occupied during the Civil War period and for two years thereafter and during which time he married Sarah Isabella Chaffin, who was a teacher in the Jamestown school when he assumed the superintendency of the same. In the meantime Mr. Clemans had been giving his attention to the study of theology with a view to entering the gospel ministry and in 1866 was ordained as a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, a vocation he followed until his voice failed in 1905 and he was compelled to retire from the pulpit. The first charge held by the Rev. Francis M. Clemans was the old Union circuit around Bellbrook in his home county, his next charge was at Spring Valley where he remained a few years, and thence in succession to Kings Creek circuit, three years ; Mechanicsburg, three years ;. Middletown, three years : Miamisburg, three years; Jamestown, three years: Franklin, three years ; Fairfield for a period and then to the Broadway church at Dayton, where he was serving as pastor when his retirement became necessary by reason of a partial paralysis of his vocal organs. Upon his retirement from the pul- pit he and his wife moved to their farm of two hundred and thirty-two acres eight miles east of Washington Court House. In 1914 he left the farm and moved into the city of Washington Court House where he shortly afterward died. Mr. Clemans was an active worker in the cause of temperance and for three years after his retirement from the pulpit rendered service in that behalf as the superintendent of the Cincinnati district of the Ohio Anti- Saloon League. For fifty years he had been a Mason, a member of the James- town lodge of that order, and had attained to the thirty-second or Scottish Rite degree, a member of the Miami Valley consistory at Dayton, and was also a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. affiliated with the temple at Dayton. Mr. Clemans was twice married. As noted above, his first wife and the mother of his children, died in 1886 and he afterward married Mrs. Clara (Chaffin) Clark (a cousin of his first wife ). who died on September 6, 1914. He had two sons, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Frederick Marion Clemans, of Mechanicsburg, cashier of the Farmers Bank there.
William L. Clemans grew up subject to the variations of his father's itinerary in so far as places of residence were concerned and his early schooling was thus obtained in the various towns in which his father was engaged as pastor. When seventeen years of age he left school and entered the Farmers Bank of Mechanicsburg as a bookkeeper, a position he occupied during the years 1883-86. In the latter year he became cashier of the Peoples Bank at Jamestown and there remained until 1888, in which year he entered into a
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private partnership with George Harper, of Cedarville, and opened the Bank of Cedarville, a concern with which he remained connected until 1896, since which time he has been engaged in the real-estate and insurance business at Cedarville, also maintaining an office at Jamestown. Mr. Clemans is a Repub- lican and has rendered service as a member of the Cedarville town council. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Masonic lodge at Cedarville. In addi- tion to his other property interests Mr. Clemans is the owner of his father's old farm of two hundred and thirty-two acres in Fayette county and has a farm of three hundred acres near Kenton, in Hardin county, Ohio.
In June, 1890, William L. Clemans was united in marriage to Retta Belle Turnbull, who was born on the farm on which she and Mr. Clemans make their home nearby the village of Cedarville, a daughter of John M. and Margaret (Allen) Turnbull, both now deceased, the former of whom was a member of the well-known Turnbull family in this county, further men- tion of which is made elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Clemans are members of the United Presbyterian church. They have one son. Frederick Leroy Clemans, who lives on his farm, adjoining that of his parents, and operates both his place and theirs. Frederick L. Clemans married Gert- rude Reynolds, daughter of Professor Reynolds, a former teacher in the schools of this county and now county superintendent of schools.
Z. T. SWEENEY.
Z. T. Sweeney, proprietor of a farm of two hundred and seventy-two acres in Beavercreek township, rural mail route No. 4 out of Osborn, was born in the state of Virginia on June 8, 1848, son of John B. and Mary (Wil- son) Sweeney, also Virginians, who came with their family to this county about the year 1850 and settled in the Cedarville neighborhood. During the Civil War John B. Sweeney enlisted for service in the Union army and served until discharged on account of ill health. His third son. John Sweeney, also enlisted for service and was killed at the battle of Murfreesboro .. John B. Sweeney and his wife were Methodists. They were the parents of six children, the subject of this sketch, the youngest, having had four brothers, James M., Joseph, Jolin and Madison S., all now deceased, and a sister, Mary, widow of George W. Duffield.
Having been little more than an infant when he came to this county with his parents in 1850, Z. T. Sweeney was reared here, receiving his schooling in the Cedarville schools, and early learned the trade of carpenter, at which he worked until his marriage in 1872 to Mrs. Rebecca Tobias, after which he began farming in Beavercreek township and has ever since been thus engaged. He is a Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney have five children,
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namely : Lesse Kate, wife of William Kendig, of Miami county, this state; Julianna and Jeannette, twins, the former of whom married Harry Kendig, an Osborn merchant, and has one child, a son, John, and the latter of whom mar- ried D. I. Harshman, secretary and treasurer of the Harshman Improve- ment Company of Montgomery county, and has a daughter, Jeannette; Fred C., making his home on a part of the home farm, and who married Anna Harner and has seven children, Lester, Robert, Kathleen Louise, Jeannette, Edward, Jasper and Mary Elizabeth; and Bertha Rebecca, who married Kendall Mays, a Dayton landscape gardener, and has two children, Gerald and Izora Rebecca.
JOHN EDWIN TURNBULL.
John Edwin Turnbull, proprietor of a farm of about two hundred acres two miles southeast of Cedarville, was born on that farm, as was his father before him, the place having been in the family ever since its original entry from the government. He was born on November 9, 1859, son of Samuel Kyle and Catherine (Funston) Turnbull, the latter of whom was born in the. neighboring county of Clark, three miles north of Clifton, daugliter of John and Hannah Funston, who had settled there upon coming to this country from Scotland. Samuel Kyle Turnbull was born on August 8, 1829, son of John and Margaret (Kyle) Turnbull, pioneers of the Cedarville neigh- borhood, and further mention of whom is made elsewhere. The Turnbulls were members of the Massies Creek Seceder church and after the "union" became affiliated with the United Presbyterian church at Cedarville. S. K. Turnbull became owner of the homestead farm and there erected the house in which his son John E. made his home until the spring of 1918. Upon retiring from the farm in 1895 S. K. Turnbull moved to Cedarville and there died on January 5, 1917. His wife had died in August, 1913. They were the parents of four children, of whom John E. was the second in order of birth, the others being Flora, now living at Cedarville, widow of Charles Dobbins: Fannie, also of Cedarville, widow of Charles Barber, and Melda. who married Ed. O. Bull and who, as well as her husband, is now deceased.
Reared on the home farm, John E. Turnbull received his schooling at the Crossroads school and at Cedarville and from the days of his boyhood was his father's "right-hand man" in the operation of the farm and after his father's retirement in 1895 assumed charge of the place, one hundred and thirty-six acres of which he inherited after his father's death. Since then he has bought an additional sixty acres and is thus now the owner of about two hundred acres of land. Mr. Turnbull is a Republican and for eight years has served as a member of the township school board. He and his
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family are members of the United Presbyterian church at Cedarville and he is a member of the board of trustees of the same. In the spring of 1918 Mr. and Mrs. Turnbull retired from the farm and moved to the village of Cedar- ville, where they now reside.
On November 23, 1883, John E. Turnbull was united in marriage to Jennie Smith, who also was born in Cedarville township, daughter of John- athan and Ellen Smith, whose home was on the Columbus pike, and to this union have been born three children, Nellie, wife of Leroy Marshall, a Xenia lawyer ; Howard E., who married Letta Bumgardner and is engaged in farm- ing in Cedarville township, and Paul B., who is now (spring of 1918) in the National Army officers training school at Camp Sherman. Paul B. Turn- bull was graduated from Cedarville College and from Marietta College and during his college days acquired quite a reputation as an athlete. He was one of the first twelve called to service from this county in the making of the National Army in 1917 and is now stationed at Camp Sherman. In August, 1917, he married Marian Fudge.
CHARLES McPHERSON.
Charles McPherson, proprietor of a farm of about one hundred and fifty acres on the lower Bellbrook pike four miles southwest of Xenia in Spring Valley township, was born on that farm and has lived there all his life. He was born on April 29, 1855, son of William and Mary Ann ( Rader ). McPher- son, both of whom also were born in this county, members of old families.
William McPherson was born in the then village of Xenia on February 16, 1816, son of John H. and Margaret ( Hivling) McPherson, the latter of whom was born in Maryland and was a daughter of John Hivling, who was sheriff of Greene county back in 1813-14. John H. McPherson was one of the early artisans to locate at Xenia and was a chairmaker and painter. For some time he served as postmaster of Xenia and for more than ten years served as recorder of the county, his tenure in that office beginning in 1830. Of the children born to him and his wife, John, Moses, Sophia and William lived to rear families of their own and of these William McPherson was the last survivor, his death occurring in 1913, he then being at the age of eighty-seven years.
Reared at Xenia, William McPherson received his schooling in the schools of that city and when eighteen years of age went to Dayton, where he spent a year learning the trade of saddle-making. He then returned to Xenia and was engaged working at that trade until until his marriage in 1840. after which he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and began to farm a tract of land belonging to his grandfather Hivling on what is known as Day-
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ton hill, now a part of the city of Xenia. In 1848 he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty-three acres in Spring Valley township, the place now owned and occupied by his son Charles, and in 1850 established his home there. Mr. McPherson was a Republican, was a member of the Reformed church at Xenia and, fraternally, was affiliated with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in that city.
William McPherson was twice married. It was in 1840 that he was united in marriage to Mary Ann Rader, daughter of Adam and Christina (Smith) Rader, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to that union were born ten children, seven of whom grew to maturity, those beside; the subject of this sketch being John H., former auditor of Greene county; Joshua, who served as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, going to the front as a member of Company C, Seventy-fourth Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died at Nashville while engaged in service; Ann, who married E. S. Barnett, of Xenia township; Sophia, who married Will- iam Priest, also of Xenia township: Adam, who moved to Iowa, and William, who was graduated from Ohio State University and later became professor of chemistry in that institution. Following the death of the mother of these children Mr. McPherson in 1891 married Mrs. Mary Ann ( Price ) Wright.
Charles McPherson was reared on the farm on which he was born, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools. He graduatly relieved his father of the responsibilities of farm management, and after his mar- riage in 1892 assumed management of the place. After his father's death he bought the interests held by the other heirs in the home place and has since been owner of the same, with the exception of fifteen acres of the original tract which he sold for the convenience of a neighbor. Of late years Mr. McPherson has been aided in the operations of the farm by his son, Donald McPherson, who is married and lives on the place. In addition to their general farming Mr. McPherson and his son give considerable attention to the raising of live stock.
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