USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 97
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As the eldest of the ten children left fatherless by the death of David Ankeney, Samuel Ankeney assumed the responsibility of developing the home place and in assisting his widowed mother to keep the family together. He married Margaret Gettard; who was born in the neighboring county of Warren and who had come up here into Greene county as a child with her parents, Henry and Catherine (Catick) Gettard, the family settling in Beavercreek township. After his marriage Samuel Ankeney continued his home on the home farm, of which he eventually became sole proprietor, and later became the owner of the neighboring farm of two hundred and seven-
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teen acres now owned by his son Horace, thus being the owner of four hundred and twenty-seven acres of land. On that place he spent his last days, his death occurring in the year 1867, he then being fifty-nine years of age. Samuel Ankeney and his wife were members of the Beaver Re- formed church and he was for years one of the officers in the same. Politi- cally, he was a Republican. His widow survived him for more than thirty years, her death occurring in 1898, she then being eighty-five years of age, and her body was laid beside that of her husband in the Beaver cemetery. They were the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the third in order of birth, the others being Joan, widow of Frederick C. Trebein, and who is making her home with a daughter in the South; Elizabeth, now making her home at Xenia, widow of the Rev. WV. G. More- head, who was for years president of the. Xenia Theological Seminary, and Horace, former representative in the Legislature from this district and the owner of the farm adjoining that of his brother Albert.
Albert Ankeney, elder son and third child of Samuel and Margaret (Gettard) Ankeney, was born on the place on which he is now living and which he for years has owned, December 15, 1846, and has always lived there. The house in which he was born was a large two-story log house with a veranda on two sides, overlooking the beautiful valley of the Little Miami, and which in its days was regarded as a rather pretentious dwelling house. In 1872 he built on the same farm the brick house in which he is now living and which has ever since served as a place of residence for liin ?- self and family. Upon completing the course in the old Beaver grade school Albert Ankeney entered Miami University and was graduated from that institution in 1868, the year in which he cast his first vote and the year in which he was married. Their father having died the year previously. Albert Ankeney and his brother Horace divided the estate, buying the interests held by their sisters, and in the division Albert acquired the home place of two hundred and ten acres and his brother, the farm adjoining, which .their father had bought some time after beginning his operations in this county, and the brothers thus have ever since carried on their operations side by side. Since 1873 Mr. Ankeney has given considerable attention to the breeding of pure-bred Shorthorn cattle. He is a Republican and for four terms served as trustee of Beavercreek township. Of late years Mr. An- keney has been living more or less retired from the active duties of the farm, the operations of the same having been taken over by his sons, Horace M. and Albert S. Ankeney.
On November 5, 1868, Albert Ankeney was united in marriage to Alice Maude Stoddard, who was born at Oxford. in Butler county, this state, daughter of Prof. Orange N. and Eliza (Wheeler) Stoddard, whose last days were spent at Wooster, this state. Prof. Orange Nash Stoddard at
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the time of his daughter's marriage to Mr. Ankeney was professor of science in Miami University at Oxford, but later transferred his connec- tion to Wooster University and at the seat of the latter institution he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. To Albert and Alice M. (Stod- dard) Ankeney eight children have been born, namely: Mary, who married Dr. J. L. Phythian, now living at Newport, KenKtucky, and has one child, a daughter, Margaret T .; Samuel, who died at the age of four years; Horace M., who married Mrs. Nora Slifer and owns and is operating a part of the home farm, living in a house nearby the old home place; Helen and Jose- phine, both also at home: an infant who lived but a few days; Margaret, who died at the age of twelve years, and Albert S., who completed his schooling at Heidelberg College at Springfield and is now giving his atten- tion to the home farm. The Ankeneys are members of the Beaver Re- formed church and for thirty-five years Mr. Ankeney has been an elder in the same. Their home is on rural mail route No. 10 out of Xenia.
DANIEL M. BAILEY.
Daniel M. Bailey, former trustee of Silvercreek township and one of the well-to-do farmers of that township, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life with the exception of a short period during the days of his early childhood when his parents were living in Illinois. He was born at Port William, in the county of Clinton, September 18, 1846, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Moorman) Bailey, both of whom also were born in this state, the latter in Silvercreek township, this county, daughter of Micajah and Anna (Johnson) Moorman, Virginians, who had come to this county during pioneer days. Micajah Moorman was twice married and was the father of seven children, three sons and four daughters. The Moormans were Quakers.
Daniel Bailey was one of the six children born to his parents, who were Virginians and early settlers in this part of Ohio, the other children having been Robert, James, Louisa, Almeda and Judith. James's daughter, Ester, was the wife of Governor Stubbs of Kansas. Reared in this state, Daniel Bailey was trained to the trade of brickmason and followed that trade until his death, working in and around Jamestown, Morrow and Port Williamn. and during the time of his residence in this county got a piece of land, madde a clearing and established a home in the woods in Silvercreek township, later moving with his family to Watseka, Illinois, where he was killed by an acci- dent at a mill-raising in 1850. His widow returned with her family to this county, driving through, and her last days were spent here, she being sixty- three years of age at the time of her death. To Daniel and Elizabeth ( Moor-
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man) Bailey nine children were born, namely: Susanna, deceased; Almeda, deceased; Granison, who served as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, being mustered out as captain of Company H, Third Missouri Cavalry, later conducted a grocery store at Jamestown, from which place he moved to the old Moorman place and died while on a visit to Chicago; Barcley, who also served as a Union soldier, a member of Company A, Seventy-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and spent his last days on a farm in the Jamestown neighborhood in Silvercreek township; Elizabeth, now living at Eureka, Kansas, widow of David Fogle; Addison, who died in childhood; Daniel M., the subject of this biographical sketch; Josiah, deceased, and Isaac, who died in infancy.
Daniel M. Bailey was but a child when his widowed mother returned to this county from Illinois with her family. He thus grew up here, receiving his schooling in the local schools and from the days of his boyhood became accustomed to "doing for himself." Among the boyhood "jobs" he held was one as a teamster at Camp Nelson in 1861 when he was but fifteen years of age, he having gone there with his brother Barcley to haul supplies for the soldiers. He later was employed for a year or more as a brakeman on the Erie railroad. After his marriage he began farming on a place south of where he is now living and was there for three years, at the end of which time he bought a fifty-acre farm in that same neighborhood and there made his home until 1887, in which year he bought the farm on which he is now living, the old Smith place, and has ever since made his home there. Mr. Bailey has an excellent farm of one hundred and twenty acres and has made numerous substantial improvements. For the past four years or more Mr. Bailey has been living retired from the labors of the farm. He is a Republi- can, having cast his first ballot for U. S. Grant, for President, and never missed an election since. For some time he served as director of schools in his home district and as trustee of the township.
In 1871 Daniel M. Bailey was united in marriage to Flora Glass, who was born in Silvercreek township, this county, daughter of Vincent and Deli- lalı (Stanley) Glass, the latter of whom was born in Madison county, this state, September 15, 1815, daughter of John and Susanna ( Beaver ) Stanley, who had come to Ohio from Virginia and settled in Madison county, later moving to the Mechanicsburg neighborhood in Champaign county. John Stanley and his wife were the parents of twelve children. Vincent Glass was born in Campbell county, Virginia, June 3, 1815, the fourth son and the sixth of the twelve children born to his parents, William and Lovina (Ross) Glass, who came with their family to Ohio in the second decade of the past century and established their home in Silvercreek township, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, William Glass living to the age of eighty-three years and his wife, eighty-four. Vincent Glass
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was but a lad when he came to this county with his parents and here he grew to manhood and in turn established a home of his own and became a well- to-do landowner in Silvercreek township. To Vincent and Delilah (Stanley) Glass were born ten children, of whom Mrs. Bailey was the eighth in order of birth, the others having been Susanna, Louisa, James A., Elias, William, Lucinda, Emaline, Rebecca and Charles, all of whom grew to maturity and married.
To Daniel M. and Flora (Glass) Bailey have been born five children, daughters all, namely: Carrie, who died at the age of twenty years; Della. wife of C. M. Burr, a Silvercreek township farmer; Ida, wife of Wilbur Hughes, who also is farming in Silvercreek township; Bertha, wife of Lee Earley, who is engaged in the grain business at Bowersville, and Dora, wife of Bonner Jones, a Silvercreek township farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey are members of the Disciples church, he having served as elder almost fifty years and have ever taken an interested part in the general good works of the community.
SEYMOUR WADE.
Seymour Wade, trustee of Silvercreek township and one of the progressive farmers of the Jamestown neighborhood, owner of a pleasant home in the outskirts of the village and of an excellent farm of one hundred and fifty acres in the neighboring township of Jefferson, is a native son of Ohio and a resident of Greene county since the spring of 1894. He was born on a farm in the vicinity of the city of Wilmington, in the county of Clinton, August 30, 1865, son of James R. and Martha C. (Sherman) Wade, both of whom were born in that same county, the former in 1843 and the latter, August 30, 1845.
James R. Wade was reared as a farmer and continued engaged in that vocation all his life, becoming the owner of an excellent farm in the vicinity of Wilmington, where he spent his last days, his death occurring on July 8, 1901. His widow survived him for more than ten years, her death occur- ring on March 18, 1912. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living, namely: Seymour, the immediate subject of this biographi- cal sketch ; Charles, born on August 26, 1866; Joseph, June 7. 1870: George W .. September 20, 1872; Laura E., August 17, 1875; Carrie, Marclı IO. 1878, and Cora, April 13, 1880.
Seymour Wade was reared on the home farm in the neighborhood of Wilmington, receiving his schooling in the schools of that city, and remained at home until his marriage in the fall of 1888, he then being twenty-three years of age. He then became engaged in farming on his own account in his home county and there remained until the spring of 1894, when he bought
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a farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Jefferson township, and on March II of that year took possession of the same, continuing to make his home there until in October, 1912, when he bought a tract of a fraction less than twenty-one acres just on the north edge of the corporation line of the village of Jamestown and moved to the same. Mr. Wade continues to operate both tracts and has done well in his operations. Mr. Wade is serving as trustee of Silvercreek township, rendering a useful public service in that connection.
On November 14, 1888, in Greene county, Seymour Wade was united in marriage to Mary Olive Hawes, who was born in Greene county, a daugh- ter of James M. and Nancy (Parker) Hawes, both of whom were born in Clinton county, the former on February 4, 1840, and the latter, January 7, 1840. Mr. Hawes died on September 3, 1912, and his widow, December 29. 1916. James M. Hawes enlisted in Company E, Ninety-fourth Ohio Regi- ment, August 9, 1862, and because of disability was discharged February 2. 1865. In August, 1865, he married Nancy Parker and they settled in Greene county, where they spent the rest of their lives, he dying on September 3. 1912, and she, on December 28, 1916. They were the parents of three daugh- ters, Mrs. Wade having had two sisters, Edna and Cora, the latter of whom is still living, the wife of David Lynch, of Jefferson township, this county. Edna Hawes married Joseph Cory and both she and her husband died on the same day, August 12, 1912, leaving one child, a son, Arthur Milton Cory, who is now making his home with Mr. and Mrs. Wade. The Wades are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
DANIEL BENJAMIN EARLY.
Daniel Benjamin Early, one of Greene county's substantial farmers, now living retired in the pleasant village of Bowersville, was born on a farm in Jefferson township and has lived in this county all his life. He is the son of Daniel Early, whose last days were spent at Bowersville, to which place he had retired upon leaving the farm.
Daniel Early was born on February 18, 1830, a son of Daniel and Rachel (Hesidine) Early, both of whom were born in Kentucky, who had come to Ohio and had established their home, the former dying at the age of sixty-nine years and the latter, at the age of seventy-three. They were the parents of three children, those besides Daniel having been John, who married Agnes Shinn and continued farming until 1890, when he moved to Washington Court House, and Sallie, who married John Carlisle and in 1885 moved to Greenfield, where both she and her husband spent the remainder of their lives. In 1855 Daniel Early, Jr., came to Greene county and located on a farm four miles from Bowersville, in Jefferson township.
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where he continued engaged in farming until his retirement and removal to Bowersville, where he and his wife spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring there in 1900. His widow survived him for ten years and was sixty-seven years of age at the time of her death in 1910. They were men- bers of the Methodist Protestant church and were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being the following: Lavina, who married Henry Allen Bingaman, a farmer of Jefferson township, and who, as well as her husband, is now deceased ; Rosie, who is now living at Bowersville, widow of David Haughey ; Mary A., now living in Maryland, widow of William Lewis, and Clara, wife of A. B. Lewis, a farmer living west of Bowersville in Jefferson township.
Daniel B. Early was reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, receiving their schooling in the neighborhood district school, and remained at home until his marriage in the spring of 1877, when he located on a farmi west of Bowersville and there established his home, continuing to make that his place of residence until 1906, in which year he bought a house in Bowers- ville, moved to that village and has since made his home there. He still owns his farm of one hundred and sixty acres and takes a proper interest in the operation of the same.
On March 17, 1877, Daniel B. Early was united in marriage to Ella May Fisher, who was born in Highland county, this state, daughter of San- ford and Lucinda (Schermerhorn) Fisher, both of whom also were born in that county, but who in later life made their home at Bowersville in this county. Mrs. Lucinda Fisher died in 1894 at the age of fifty years and Mr. Fisher is still living. He is a member of the Reformed church, as was his wife, and they were the parents of two children, Mrs. Early having a brother. . George Lewis Fisher, born in 1862, who became a resident of Xenia in 1880, married Rosa Tillif and is now connected with the service of the traction line.
To Daniel B. and Ella M. (Fisher) Early five children have been born, namely : Alice, who married Frank Beard, a farmer living east of Bowers- . ville, and has three children, Wilbur, Ona and Bernice: Emma. wife of Lisle Conner, a Ross township farmer: Daniel Lee Early, grain dealer at Bowersville, who bought the elevator there in 1904, and who married Bertha Bailey, daughter of D. M. Bailey, of Silvercreek township, and has two sons. Eldon and Paul: Rosie, who married Lester Bradds, of Upland, Indiana, and who now, with her husband, is attending Taylor University, she studying music there and he taking a theological course with a view to entering the ministry : and Elvie, wife of Ray Garringer, a farmer, living in the neigh- boring county of Fayette. Mr. and Mrs. Early are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Bowersville and Mr. Early is an ardent Prohibitionist.
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JAMES M. TIDD.
James M. Tidd, a Silvercreek township farmer and the proprietor of a well-kept farm on rural mail route No. 2 out of Jamestown, has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm in the vicinity of Washington Court House, in the county of Fayette, August 21, 1868, son of William W. and Lavina (Glass) Tidd, the latter of whom was born on the farm on which her son James M. is now living, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Stanley) Glass, both members of pioneer families in Greene county and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume.
William W. Tidd was born in Pocahontas county, Virginia, in 1840, and was ten years of age when his parents, John B. Tidd and wife, came to Ohio with their family and settled on the Dawson land in this county, their first home here being made in an old log house that had been built for church purposes. John B. Tidd cleared a hundred acres of land there, but later disposed of his interests in this county and moved over into Fayette county, where he got another farm and where he spent the remainder of his life. He and his wife were members of the Church of Christ and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, of whom William W. was the second in order of birth, the others being Josiah, who married Mary Johnson and continued farming the home place; Samuel, who married Lucinda Glass and moved to Delaware county, Indiana; Charles, who married Cynthia Robinson and continued farming; Newton, who mar- ried Arminta Steward and made his home in Indiana; Hamilton, who died unmarried, and Mary, who married Bascom Williams. Reared as a farmer, William W. Tidd followed that vocation all his life. For seven years after his marriage to Lavina Glass he made his home in Fayette county and then for three years was engaged in farming in Silvercreek township, this county, later returning to Fayette county, where he made his home for sixteen years, at the end of which time he returned to Greene county and bought . the farm on which his wife was born, a portion of the old Glass estate, now owned by his son James M., and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on March 12, 1911, he then being seventy-one years of age. His widow survived him for five years, her death occurring March 12, 1916, she then being seventy-four years of age. William W. Tidd was a Republican and he and his wife were members of the Disciples church at Jamestown. They had two children, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Myrtle. wife of Alva Lucas, a farmer, living in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. this state.
James M. Tidd was reared on the farm, receiving his schooling in the local schools, and as the only son of his father, was a valuable aid to the latter even from the days of his boyhood. After his marriage he con-
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tinued tó reside on the home farm, taking charge of the same after his father's retirement from active labor, and in time bought the farm and has since been operating it. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to the raising of live stock and is doing well.
On July 8, 1889, James M. Tidd was united in marriage to Retta Sodders, who was born July 20, 1871, at West Lancaster, in Fayette county, this state, daughter of A. J. Sodders and wife, the former of whom, a veteran of the Civil War, was engaged in the grocery business there, and to this union two children have been born, Bessie, who for five years was engaged in teach- ing school in this county and who married Ernest E. Hill, a farmer living in New Jasper township, two miles south of Jamestown, and Ray B., a Jefferson township farmer, living east of Bowersville, who married Chloe Garringer and has one daughter, Helen Louise. Mr. Tidd is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Disciples church at Jamestown.
DANIEL OSCO SPAHR.
Daniel Osco Spahr, one of the substantial farmers of New Jasper town- ship and former trustee of that township, now living retired in the village of New Jasper, was born in that township, on February 15, 1863, son of Daniel Erwin and Nancy (Fudge) Spahr, both of whom were born in that same neigh- borhood and who spent all their lives there, the latter dying in December, 1912. She was born in the neighborhood of the Hazlitt school house on Janu- ary 28, 1832, daughter of George Fudge and wife, who were the parents of seven children and both of whom died of typhoid fever in the early '50s.
Daniel Erwin Spahr, who died at his home in New Jasper township on August 2, 1891, was born on a farm about a mile east of the place on . which he died, August 1, 1830, son of William and Sarah (Smith) Spahr, the latter of whom was born in Hardin county, Virginia, in September, 1807, and died at her home in this county on March 25, 1888. She was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Kimble) Smith, who came with the Philip Spahr family to Ohio from Virginia in 1814 and further reference to whom is made elsewhere in this volume. William Spahr was born at Morefield, in Hardin county, Virginia, now included in West Virginia, May 3, 1805, and died at his home in this county on October 1, 1891. He was a son of Philip and Mary (Shook) Spahr, the former of whom was a son of John Spahr, a native of Germany. In 1814 Philip Spahr and his family came to Ohio and settled on Paint creek, in the neighboring county of Fayette, but a year or two later came over into Greene county and established their home in what is now New Jasper township. Philip Spahr had a farm of three hun- dred acres just south of the present village of New Jasper. He was a
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Whig and he and his wife were earnest Methodists. They were the parents of ten children, of whom William, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was the last-born, the others having been John, who made his home in Silver- creek township; David, who died six months after his marriage to Catherine Tressler; Eli, whose last days were spent in Jay county, Indiana; Gideon, who made his home in Sugarcreek township; James, who became a farmer in Jay county, Indiana ; Mary, who married Judge Whiteman and also moved to Jay county, Indiana ; Nancy, who married Joseph Lyons and moved to that same country ; Dorcas, who married the Rev. James Smith, a Methodist minister, and Temperance, who married Judge John Fudge, for years an asso- ciate judge of the court of Greene county.
William Spahr was about ten years of age when his parents settled in this county and here he grew to manhood. After his marriage to Sarah Smith he established his home on a farm he had bought in the vicinity of his father's place and in 1850 built on that place, one mile south of the village of New Jasper, the substantial old red brick house that is still serv- ing as a dwelling house there. In addition to his farm of more than one hundred and fifty acres there he owned a farm of four hundred acres in Jay county, Indiana. He was originally a Whig, later a Republican, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. On December 12, 1829, William Spahr was united in marriage to Sarah Smith and to that union were born twelve children, of whom Daniel E., father of the subject of this sketch, was the second in order of birth (with his twin brother, Philip D.), the others being Jacob L., who moved to Jay county. Indiana, where he enlisted as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War and died in service in 1863; Philip D., twin brother of Daniel E., who became a substantial farmer in New Jasper township and there died in 1914 ;: Mary, who mar- ried C. Martin, a New Jasper township farmer, and whose last days also were spent in that township: Elizabeth .1., who married the Rev. Cornelius Turner, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church: Sarah Temperance, who married Barley Gates; the Rev. William E. Spahr. a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, who died unmarried at the age of forty-six years : Katurah E. and Catherine L., twins, both now deceased, the former of whom married James Saville and moved to Washington county, Iowa, and the latter of whom married John Bales, who is now living in Xenia: Susan T., who died unmarried at the age of twenty-three years; Phoebe A., who is still living on her farm in New Jasper township, widow of John M. Boots, and David C., a widower and well-to-do farmer, who is now making his home with his sister, Mrs. Boots.
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