650 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. at Columbus. He married Dora Briggs, who has borne him two children, Bernice and Charles, Jr. Olive, the youngest of the family, remains in the home, while the parents had the misfortune to lose two of the children, Clay and Ellen. Special honor is due Mr. Swope in that he was one of the faithful boys in blue who marched to the front in the early sixties, sworn to preserve the integrity of the union. He enlisted on May 2, 1864, as a private in the One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Ohio Regiment and served under Colonel Jackson in the division known as the Army of the Potomac. After the expiration of his service, he returned to his home and again took up the interests of life where he had laid them down at the nation's cry for help. Mr. Swope is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church in Bloomingburg and does all within his power to further its interests. Politically, he is a member of the Republican party and, while interested in its affairs, has never found opportunity to devote much time to active work in same. Mr. Swope possesses one of those sturdy characters which measure well up to the lull standard of manhood, having proven throughout his life his faithfulness to any and all trusts imposed in him. He has ever been interested in advancing in every manner possible the social, moral and educational life of the community, bearing always in mind his responsibilities as a father and desiring for his children the best possible environment. Mr. Swope holds an enviable position in the hearts of his many friends and neighbors, sure!' a fitting tribute to one who has endeavored to live a correct and useful life. RALPH ALLEN. One of the younger farmers of Fayette county who is making a name for himself as a successful tiller of the soil is Ralph Allen, of Concord township. Starting out as a renter eleven years ago, he now rents his father's farm of two hundred and fourteen acres. He has already gained a comfortable position in life, .which is proof that it is possible for the average man to do likewise. The chief difficulty with most men is the lack of definite plans or the lack of energy to carry out their plans after they are once made. Ralph Allen, the son of James H. and Ellen (Rankin) Allen, was born May 7, 1881, in Milledgeville, Ohio. His father was horn in West Lancaster, Ohio, the son of Ethan, a native of Vermont, and a soldier of the War of 1812. J. H. Allen and wife were the parents of four children: FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 651 Tenn, who married Emma Wilson; Ralph, with whom this narrative deals; Lora, single; Mabel, who married Arthur McCoy. Ralph Allen attended the schools at Octa, Wabash and Buckeye in Fayette county and received a good common school education. This has been supplemented with wide reading since he left the school room, so that he is now well informed on all ,the main questions before the American people today. He began farming for himself immediately after his marriage and takes a commendable pride in keeping everything about the farm in good repair and has thus gained the reputation of being a careful and conscientious farmer. He raises all of the crops usually grown in this section of the state and gives a due share of his attention to the breeding of live stock. Mr. Allen was married on New Year's day, 1903, to Mary Myrtle Stafford, the daughter of Charles and Mary (Johnson) Stafford. To this .union has been born one son, Charles H., November 13, 1904. Fraternally, Mr. Allen is a member of, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the encampment as well. He is a genial, affable and pleasant man to meet and is well deserving of the high esteem in which he is universally held by his friends and acquaintances. WILLIAM E. STURGEON. One of the prosperous farmers of Perry township, Fayette county, Ohio, who has never been seized with the desire to wander from his. :native county is William E. Sturgeon, who has spent his life of more than half a century on the farm where he was born. His whole career has been spent in agricultural pursuits with the exception of a short time when he was engaged in business in the county seat and his efforts have been rewarded with a success commensurate with his ability. His well directed energies in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his business interests, and his sound judgment have brought him a success which .speaks well for his efforts. At the same time he has borne his share of the burdens of his community and has always so conducted himself as to. win the approbation of his fellow citizens. William E. Sturgeon, the son of William and Mary Ann (Lease) Stur- geon, was born. on the farm where he is now living in Perry township in.; February, .1858. His father was a native of .Ross county, and is. 3, son of Robert and Plube (Briggs) Sturgeon, natives of Virginia. 652 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. William E. Sturgeon attended the district schools of his home township and completed his education at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio. He then beg-an to work for himself by renting land from his father, and with the exception of a short time when he was in the implement business in Washington C. H., he has remained on the farm where he was born. He now has a well improved farm of one hundred and fifty-six and one-half acres on the Sturgeon Mill road, about seven miles from Washington C. H. Here he raises excellent crops and gives a considerable amount of his attention to the breeding and raising of a high class of live stock. Mr. Sturgeon was married in 1885 to Minnie J. Grove, the daughter of Christian and Nancy A. (Orr) Grove, and to this union have been born three children, Homer F., Maizie B. and George W. Homer F. married Essie Elliott and has two daughters, Mary and Catherine; George W. attended school at Delaware, Ohio, and. Lebanon University, after completing the course in the common schools of his home township. He is living at home with his parents and assists his father on the home farm. Mr. Sturgeon is a Republican in politics and takes an intelligent interest in all the current issues of the day, but he is not a partisan in any sense of the word. He reserves the right to cast his vote for the best men in local elections, for those whom he feels will best administer affairs in a satisfactory manner. The only official position which Mr. Sturgeon has ever held is that of school board director. He has lived a quiet and unostentatious life, devoting himself primarily to his home duties, and vet taking an interest in everything which affects the general welfare of his community. HUGH W. BINEGAR. One of the best remembered men of a past generation in Fayette county, Ohio, is H. W. Binegar, who spent his whole career of fifty-five years within this county and in the township where he was born. He possessed great simplicity, purity. and humility of character. He had convictions, yet was careful and patient in coming to conclusions, but when he finally made up his mind as to the course he wanted to pursue nothing could swerve him from what he considered his duty. A busy man. interested in his daily tasks, yet he was never too busy or too absorbed in his temporal affairs to give time and thought to the service of his church, which, with his home, lay close upon his heart. He had the faculty of becoming interested in the daily affairs of FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 653 the people about him and when one met him he felt at once that Mr. Binegar was genuinely sympathetic. As a citizen he was easily among the foremost. Any movement which had for its object the betterment of his home city met with his hearty support. He was always courteous and those who differed with him admired his fairness and his open-hearted honesty. The late H. W. Binegar was born in Perry township October 27, 1858, and died on his home farm in the same township April 23, 1913. He was the son of John and Frances (Fishback) Binegar, natives of Virginia and early settlers in this county: John Binegar and wife were the parents of seven children, only three of whom are now living, Margaret, Matilda and Nettie. H. W. and three who died in infancy have passed to that better world. H. W. Binegar received his education in the schools of New Martinsburg, Perry township, and commenced farming at the age of eighteen. That he was remarkably successful is shown by the fact that at the time of his death he was the owner of a finely improved farm of three hundred acres in Perry township. Mr. Binegar was married January 15, 1885, to Sarah E. Black, the daughter of Jacob and Christine (Sprinkle) Black. Jacob Black came from Kentucky with his parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Snyder) Black, when a youth and settled in Brown county, this state. Samuel Black was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving in a Kentucky regiment. Jacob Black and wife were the parents of a family of eleven children, Mrs. Sarah E. Binegar, William, Mrs. Hannah Bond, Samuel, Mrs. Mary Van Eman, Walter, Jesse, Mrs. Elizabeth Starr, Mrs: Frances Godfredson, Rose and Mrs. Sina Erfurth. All of these children are still living except Samuel and Rose. Mr. and Mrs. Binegar are the parents of five children, three of whom are living: Waldo; Wallace,. who married Nina Haines, and has two children, Harlan and Wanda, and Velma, who is 'still attending school. Two children are deceased, Omer and one who died' in infancy. Waldo married Lois Tod-hunter, and had one son, Herman, the mother and child 'being dead.; Velma lives with. her mother. Fraternally, Mr. Binegar was a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen' of America and the Patrons of Husbandry. Religiously, he, as well as all the members of the family, was a stanch adherent of the Methodist. Episcopal church and actively identified with. its various interests. Wherever Mr. Binegar went his geniality, kindness and honesty made him welcome, and these characteristics won him friends,. who were glad to enumerate him: among their acquaintances. 654 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. EPHRAIM L. ALLEN. The Allen family first came to Fayette county, Ohio, nearly a century ago, and have been identified with the history of Jasper township during all of these years. Ephraim L. Allen has spent the half century of his life within the limits of this township and consequently is well known by the residents of his township. His life has always been conducted along such lines as to merit the high esteem in which he is universally held, and he is conceded by every one to be one of the progressive and representative citizens of the township, Ephraim L. Allen, son of Elijah and Mahala (Harper) Allen, was born September 11, 186o, on the farm where he is now living. His father, who was the son of Elijah and Sorilia (Hinkle) Allen, was born in Jefferson township, near Lancaster, this county, in 1827. Elijah Allen, Sr., came from Pendleton county, Virginia, and was one of the early pioneers of Fayette county, Ohio. Elijah Allen, Jr., and wife were the parents of twelve 1 children, James, Mrs. Adelia Sanderson, Mrs. Selvelia Wilt, Mrs. Christina 1 E. Street, Ephraim L., Emma, Ella, William S., Carrie and Maywood P. Of these children, Emma and Ella are dead. The education of Ephraim L. Allen_ was received in the Milledgeville and Octa schools, finishing at the latter. He remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age and then began working out by the month. After his marriage he rented land of his father and subsequently purchased sixty-nine acres where he is now living. He has always engaged in general farming, dividing his attention between the raising of grains and live stock in such a manner as to make his farm yield the best results. He has a good country home, excellent barns and outbuildings and everything which the successful farmer needs to farm to the best advantage. Mr. Allen was married in 1893 to Frances Servis, the (laughter of Phillip and Martha (Harrison) Servis. Phillip Servis \vas the son of 4 Charles Servis, a native of New Jersey and an early settler in Fayette county. 1 Phillip, Servis and wife reared a family of nine children, Phillip, Ollie, Mrs. Elizabeth Lambert, Mrs. Martha Watts, James, Phoebe, Mrs. Frances Allen, Jacob and Charles. Four of these children are deceased, Philip, Ollie, James and Phoebe. Mr. Allen and his wife have a family of seven children, five of whom are living, Oscar, Melvin,. Grace, Edith and Harry. Grace married Arthur Houser and has one daughter, Helen Lucile. The second and the last children born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen, Katie and Charles, are both deceased FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 655 Politically, Mr. Allen is identified with the Republican party and has always taken an active part in local politics. He has served as road supervisor and school director, filling both positions with credit to himself and satisfaction to the citizens of the township. Mr. Allen is a whole-souled man, interested in everything which might benefit the general welfare of his community, and is a strong supporter of all worthy moral, educational and civic enterprises. ALMER HEGLER. The Hegler family is of Swiss descent, and Almer Hegler, whose history is here presented, is the fifth in direct line from the first member of the family to come to this country. The heads of the respective generations are as follows: Sebastian, Jacob, Abraham, Milton and Almer. Sebastian was born in Virginia in the earlier part of the eighteenth century. One of his sons, Jacob, married Mary Dice, and to this union was born Abraham, the grandfather of Almer, with whom this narrative deals. Abraham Hegler was born in Virginia in 1789, and was twice married. The first wife of Abraham Hegler was Elizabeth Shobe, and to this union three children were born, Lucinda Stingley, Mrs. Mahala Latta and Adonijah. The second marriage of Abraham Hegler was to Dolly Stookey, and to this union six children were born, Milton, Cyrus, Allan, LaWson, Huldy, Effa, all deceased. The father of Almer, the immediate subject of this sketch, was the eldest of his family. Abraham Hegler moved to Ross county, Ohio, in 1809, and lived there the remainder of his life. Milton Hegler, one of the six children born to Abraham and Dolly (Stookey) Flegler was born in Ross county, Ohio, March 21, 18r6, and after his marriage took up his abode in Fayette county. He was a life-long resident of this county and died here in 1887, at the advanced age of eighty-brie. Milton Hegler was twice married, his first marriage occurring in about 1850 to Abigail DeWitt, the daughter. of Henry and Abigail (Davis) DeWitt., His first wife died February 14, 1858, leaving her husband with two living sons, Lawson and Almer, and two who died in infancy. Lawson has since died. The second wife of Milton Hegler was Sarah J. McCoy, the daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Harper) McCoy, this marriage occurring December 24, 1862, and to this second union four children were born, Mrs. Dora Shobe, Orris, David S.; and Iva B., the wife of Harry T. Baker. Milton Hegler was one of the wealthiest men of his 656 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. county at the time of his death and left an estate of over one thousand acres of land in Wayne township. He had extensive business interests outside of his land holdings and was a director in the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company for many years. Almer Hegler, son of Milton and Abigail (DeWitt) Hegler, was born November 17„ 1854, in Wayne township, this county, and has spent his entire life within the township where he was born. He was educated in the schools of his home township and finished in the graded schools of Washington C. H. He has spent all of his life in farming, although he has been engaged in various business enterprises along with his agricultural pursuits. For several years he and Elijah Hopkins had a factory at Washington C. H., where they made the Eclipse hog holder and the Eclipse hOg ring, which were endorsed and widely used by the most substantial stock raisers of the county. At the present time Mr. Hegler' is largely interested in the manufacture of fertilizer, to which he gives a great deal of attention and which has proven very remunerative, from which he has just retired, November r, after seventeen years spent in these lines. For many years Mr. Hegler was the manager of his father's estate of twelve hundred acres and is now farming his share of the paternal estate. He has a beautiful country home with attractive surroundings and is classed among the most substantial men of his township and county. Mr. Hegler was married September 21, 1887, to Mrs. Laura (McCoy) Thompson, the widow of Wesley C. Thompson and a daughter of Allen and Malinda (Kuhl) McCoy. FRANK M. ALLEN. The success of any man is not the measure of material wealth that he may be able through his genius to accumulate, but by the actual good he may perform for himself and for others. It has been wisely stated that "he who causes two blades of grass to grow where one grew before is a benefactor to mankind." The man who is loyal to his family, to his community and to his country always makes a model citizen. Some men are gifted in one way and others in another, but the man who can adapt- himself to his environments and do well his part in life's conflict, best serves the purpose for which he was created. Such a man is Frank M. Allen, supervising editor of the historical portion of this volume. Hence the following notice concerning FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 657 Mr. Allen, the present county superintendent of schools in Fayette county, whose career as a teacher, a soldier, a county official and most exemplary American citizen, will be briefly referred to. Frank M. Allen was born June 3o, 184.6, in Jefferson township, Fayette county, Ohio, the son of Armstrong and Jane (McHenry) Allen, natives of Ohio and Kentucky, respectively. Armstrqng Allen was horn in Madison county, Ohio, December 25, 1808, and was reared to manhood in his native county. His wife, Jane McHenry, was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1809, the daughter of John McHenry, a native of Scotland, who came to this country in young manhood and -became the American ancestor of this McHenry family. ,John and Mary McHenry were the parents of five children, Elizabeth, Isaac, Green, John and Jane. The last named became the wife of Armstrong Allen. Her brothers, Green and John, were soldiers in. the War of 1812. Armstrong and Jane (McHenry) Allen were blessed with children as follows: Elizabeth, Rachel, John C., Mary, William, David, Isaac and Frank M. John C. Allen, of this family, was captain of Company K, Forty-fourth regiment Ohio Volunteer infantry, during the Civil War. In this same regiment also loyally served three other sons of Armstrong Allen and wi fe, viz: William, Isaac and David, while the youngest. child, Frank M. Allen, who was too young to enlist at the beginning of the war, managed to enter the-army in February, 1864., and served as an efficient soldier until his final muster out on August 6, 1865, having participated, under Gen. Phil Sheridan, in Virginia during the last year of that memorable conflict. Thus it will be seen that all of Arnistrong Allen's five sons were soldiers from their native state—a splendid record of loyalty .indeed. The father, Armstrong Allen, died February 19, 1847, when Frank M. was less than one year of age. The good mother survived until August 12, 1895. Frank M. Allen attended the common schools of Jefferson township, then went to the graded schools of Jeffersonville, after which he entered the Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, from which he subsequently graduated. He then. began teaching in the district schools of Fayette county, continuing many years with marked success. He was promoted as an instructor to the principalship of the Bloomingburg schools. In 1879 he was elected principal of the high school at Washington C. H. The last named position he left for the purpose of taking the superintendency of the city schools of Muncie, Indiana, where he gave universal satisfaction, and resigned to accept a more lucrative position as superintendent of the North Denver schools, in Colorado. (42) 658 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. His, latest school teaching was at Jefferson, Ohio, where he taught a few years before being elected clerk of Fayette county. Rich with the experience of years in the school rooms of this and other states, it is no wonder that he was elected, under the new school law of Ohio, in July, 1914, as county superintendent of schools. In this he is proving the same methodical, painstaking educator that has characterized him so long as an instructor. Politically, Mr. Allen has long been identified with the Republican party and, because of his ability, he has been honored on numerous occasions and was elected to the office of county clerk, beginning in 1887 and serving faithfully and well for three terms. He has also served as a member of the Washington C. H. school board and as county examiner. For many years he was on the county board of equalization, and was appointed by Governor Cox as a trustee of the Ohio. Soldiers and Sailors' Orphans. Home at Xenia, which position he still holds. He is also a member of board of examiners of the state, being appointed by the supreme court. In this role he serves as chairman of the committee on general learning. He has served as commander of Hays Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Washington C. H. and is much interested in this post. He has served as senior vice-commander of the state. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons having joined this fraternity in 1876, at Bloomingburg, Ohio. He is also identified with the Knights of Pythias order at Washington C. H. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as are the members of his household. Unlike the man who has had fortunes showered upon him from his youth, what he possesses in way of prosperity has come by the industry and toil so well known to .every citizen of Fayette county, Among his holdings may be mentioned his two-hundred-acre farm. on Mallow pike, three and half miles to the west of Washington C. H. To this he gives personal super. vision, and delights in seeing it produce its annual and also in making improvements from year to, year as needed. The family home in Washing. ton C. H. is situated. on East Temple street, where genial hospitality is 0) appreciated by a legion of friends. Of Mr. Allen's domestic life it may be stated that he married Sarah daughter of Harvey and Mary (Brooks) Sanderson, on June 18, 1868. Mrs Allen was born. near Milledgeville, Ohio, in Jasper township, this county Her father was born in the same township, a son of Harvey and Ruth (Fig. gins). Sanderson. Harvey Sanderson; Jr., one of four in his parents' family FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 659 was a prosperous farmer in Jefferson township ; was a zealous church worker; was active in political work and one of the best known citizens here in his day and generation. Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Allen are the parents of three children, Aurelius (Rell G.), Claude and Ralph. Aurelius Allen, the le son, graduated from the high school at Washington C. H., after which he entered the Cincinnati Law School, from which he graduated in 1896. He has been in active practice at the county seat for a number of years. He served as deputy clerk in the Fayette county court ; was mayor of the city three terms and is now probate judge of Fayette county. He is ranking major in the Ohio National Guard. Claude, the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Allen, graduated from the local high school, and entered the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated. She is now the wife of Guy B. Saxton and their daughter, Jane Saxton, is attending the Ohio Wesleyan College, at Delaware, Ohio. Ralph, the third and youngest of the family of Frank M. Allen and wife, .is deceased. JOHN L. BARNES. In the respect that is accorded to men who have fought their own way to success through unfavorable environment we find an unconscious recognition , of the intrinsic worth of a character which can not only endure so rough a test, but gains new strength through the discipline. John L. Barnes, of Fayette county, Ohio, was not favored by inherited wealth or the assistance of influential friends, but in spite of this, by perseverance, industry and wise economy, he has attained a comfortable station in life and made his influence felt for good in his community. Additional honor should be accorded him because he is numbered among those patriotic sons of the North who assisted in saving the integrity of the Union in the dark days of the sixties. John L. Barnes, the son of David L. and Margaret (Shannon) Barnes, was born September 14, 1843, in Pickaway county, Ohio. His father was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Quaker extraction, and,- when a young man, left his native state and settled in Pickaway county, Ohio, near Williamsport. He first followed the blacksmith trade and later, after moving to Fayette county, in 1857, engaged .in the buying and shipping of live stock. 660 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. Nine children. were born to David L: Barnes and wife, John L., George, Edward, Joseph, Mrs. Catherine Kerney, William, Harry, Mrs. Flora Flower and James. John L. Barnes attended school in Pickaway county and received most of his education in Circleville, the county seat of that county. He was nineteen years of age. when his parents moved to Fayette county and here he had spent the remainder of his life. He enlisted in 1864 in Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer infantry, and served as second: lieutenant, but saw active service for only a short time. He was captured by the Confederates at Cynthiana, Kentucky, but afterwards released by the enemy and returned to his company before the close of the war. He was mustered out at Camp Denison, Ohio, in the summer of 1865. Immediately after the close of the war he returned to Fayette county and after his marriage, in 1857, began farming in Jasper township, where he has since . resided. He has a fine farm of two hundred acres, which is well improved and one of the most productive farms in the township. This was all covered with woods when he settled here. Mr. Barnes was married May 7, 1867, to Sarah. L. Ford, the daughter of E. L. and Martha (Snider) .Ford. E. L. Ford was a native of Cumberland county, Maine, where his birth occurred September 20, 1819. Aft receiving. a good common school education he began teaching school at the age of fourteen and continued to follow that profession until 1841, when he left his native state and removed to Ohio, where he taught school in Hamilton county until 1843. He was married to Martha M. Snider, the daughter of Gen. John Snider, of Hamilton county, June 4, 1843, and to this union seven children were born, Mrs. Sarah Latham, Mrs. Lucy Miller, Mrs. Mary Tichoir, James, Charles, Frank and William. Mr. Barnes and wife are the parents of ten children, Estella, Roscoe, Clara, John L., Pearl, F. H., W. F., Grace, Harry and Lillian. Estella is the wife of Jerry Acton. and has four children, Arnot, Carl, Harry and Eugene: Roscoe married Jessie Jenkins and has one son, Harold; Clara is the wife of Allen Ferguson and has one son, John; John L., the fourth. child of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes is the only one of the family who is deceased; Pearl is the wife of Lares Compton Spitler ; F. H. is unmarried ; W. F. married May Carr and has one son, Howard; Grace is the wife of John Cannon and has two chi dren, Robert and Dorothy ; Harry married Ruby Weimer ; Lillian, the youngest of the family, is still single. Mr. Barnes and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 661 church and have always been prominent workers in the church and Sunday school. He is a member of Millikan Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and is very much interested in everything pertaining to the welfare of the old soldiers. The fifty years which Mr. Barnes has spent in Fayette county have given the people an excellent opportunity to know him in his every-day life, and the fact that he is held in universal esteem and respect is indicative of the clean and wholesome life he has led. WILLIAM A. HOLDREN. In contemplating the Many estimable qualities of the late William A. Holdren, integrity and industry appear as prominent characteristics, an integrity that no personal or other consideration could swerve and an industry that knew no Pest while anything remained undone. When a given task was accomplished he would throw off all care, retire to his home and loved ones and devote himself to domestic and social enjoyment for which he had the keenest zest and relish. His temper was calm and equable and his manners those of the gentleman. His devotion to every-day duty was intense, and although his life was a busy one yet he never allowed it to interfere' with his Christian obligations or the faithful performance of his church duties. Always calm and straightforward, never demonstrative, his life was a steady effort for the worth of Christian doctrine, the purity and grandeur of Christian principles and the beauty and elevation of Christian character. He commanded the respect of all classes by his exemplary life, and his memory will long be revered by his many friends and acquaintances. William A. Holdren was born in Buckskin township, Ross county, Ohio, May 26, 1859, and died at his handsome country home in Wayne township, Fayette county, Ohio, January 5, i9o5. He was the son of John W. and Mary ( James) Holdren. His father was a native of Virginia, coming to Ross county, Ohio, with his parents when he was only three years of age. In that county he grew to manhood, married and reared a family of seven children, William A., Mrs. Hattie Harper, R. G., Otto, Lily, Olive and Lafayette. Only three of these children are now living, Otto, R. G. and Lafayette. William A. Holdren was educated at the Pisgah and South Star schools in this county. When a young man he worked at the carpenter trade and followed that until he married and then he engaged in farming in Ross 662 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.. county, this state. In 1900 he came to Fayette county and purchased his farm of one hundred and eighty-three acres in Wayne township. He was an excellent farmer, and although a resident of this county hut five years, yet in that short time he impressed his neighbors as a man of tine ability and a man who always strived to do the right thing. Mr. Holdren was married September 18, 1884, to Arizona B. Rogers, daughter of William and Malinda (Divens) Rogers. Her father was a native of this township, and to him and his wife were born three children, Arizona, Mrs. Jennie Culy, and Samuel H., deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Holdren were the parents of three children, Lee, Glenn R. and Esta M., Lee being deceased. Mr. Holdren was a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife still holds her membership in the Baptist church. He was a man of pleasing presence and easily made friends. His upright career and wholesome moral influence made him a popular man in the community. His influence was always salutary and his example worthy of imitation. Such a man is a blessing to any community and it is eminently fitting that his career be placed in this biographical history of his county. WILLIAM A. SAUM. There never was a time in the history of the world when the farmer was not the most important factor in the life of the nations. Holding, as he does, the life of the people in his hands, he is the very bulwark of every nation in the world. With the introduction of labor-saving machinery the life of the farmer is fast losing most of those objections which it once had. No more is the farmer compelled to rise early in the morning and work late at night; the farmer of today can get more work done in one day than his grandfather could in a week. A modern reaper can do as much work in one day as two men can do in two weeks and with infinitely less labor and, at the same time, in a much more efficient manner. Farming under modern-day conditions is really an enjoyable occupation and it is gratifying to note that so many of our best young men are turning to this time-honored occupation for a livelihood. Among the progressive farmers of Fayette county who are fully abreast of the times is William A. Saum, of Perry township. William A..Saum, the son of Solomon and Samantha (Parrett) Saum, was born April 22, 1865, in Jefferson township, Fayette county, Ohio. Solomon Saum was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Winegardner) Saum and FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 663 was born in Perry county, Ohio, in 1841. Jacob was born in Pennsylvania of German descent and was one of the early settlers in Perry county, Ohio. Solomon Saum was reared to manhood in Perry county and came to Fayette county after his marriage in 1865, where he lived until his death. Samantha Parrett, the wife of Solomon Saum, was the daughter and only child of Henry and Sarah (Glaze) Parrett, and was born in Fayette county. Three children were born to Solomon Saum and wife : William A., Charles C. and Elmer H. Mr. Saum received all of his education in the district schools of his home township and remained at home until his marriage. At the age of thirty-one he married and began farming for himself on his present farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Perry township. He has placed many improvements on the farm since he bought it and by a system of scientific crop rotation brought the farm to a high state of productivity. He raises excellent crops and gives considerable attention to the breeding of a high grade of live stock. Mr. Saum was married April 23, 1896, to Mary Dowler, the daughter of Charles and Josephine (.Baxley) Dowler. To this union there has been born two children, Ralphord H. and Reva .L. Mr. Saum and his wife are stanch members of the Methodist Episcopal church and deeply interested in all church and Sunday school work. Politically, Mr. Saum is a Democrat, and, while interested in good government, has never been a candidate for any public office, preferring to devote all of his time and energy to his agricultural labors. He gives his unreserved support to all worthy measures which are launched in his community for the general welfare of his fellow citizens. EDWARD POST. An enterprising and progressive farmer of Jasper township, Fayette county, Ohio, is Edward Post, who is the owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres on the Ford pike. Reared to the agricultural life, he has devoted all his energies to farming and with a success which speaks well for his efforts. As a public-spirited citizen and advocate of good government, he has been prominently identified with the civic life of his township and is now serving his second term as trustee of Jasper township. Edward Post, the son of Abraham and Margaret (Harper) Post, was 664 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. born March 13, 1876, on the farm where he is now living. His mother is the daughter of Benjamin Harper and wife. The education of Mr. Post was received in the district schools of Jasper township and at an early age he began to work for himself. When only nineteen years of age he began renting land and, being a very successful farmer, was soon enabled to purchase land of his own. He sold his farm and now rents the Ford farm of two hundred acres. Being a good manager and a man of ceaseless industry and patience, he has added to his original land holdings from time to time. The farm he rents is well improved, well equipped with all the latest machinery for successful .farming and well stocked with high grade animals of various kinds. He has given particular attention to the breeding of hogs and in addition to the raising of them is actively engaged in buying and selling hogs for the local markets. Mr. Post is a member of the Democratic party and has been one of the leaders in political affairs in the township for many years. His party nominated and elected him trustee in 191 I, and so successful was his first term that he was renominated and re-elected to the same position, a fact which speaks well for his efficiency as a public servant in the administration of the many duties which fall to the lot of the township trustee, in which he has shown himself abundantly able to care for in a satisfactory manner, and thus has won the high esteem of the citizens of the township, irrespective of party affiliations. REV. F. M. CLEMANS. There is no earthly station higher than the ministry of the Gospel and no life more uplifting and grander than that which is devoted to the amelioration of the human race. The life of the minister means sacrifice for the betterment of the brotherhood of man, yet there are always men who are Willing to cast aside earthly crowns and laurels of fame in order to follow in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene. It is not possible to measure adequately the height, depth and breadth of such a life, for its influences continue to permeate the lives of others through succeeding generations, so the power it has cannot be known until the "last great day when the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible." One of the self-sacrificing, ardent, loyal and true spirits who has been a blessing to his race, who has left in his wake an influence that ever makes the world brighter and better, is the Rev. F. M. Clemans, now living a retired life near New Hol- FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 665 land, Ohio, on his farm, known as the Guy Halme place, after having spent nearly a half century in the service of his Master. Rev. F. M. Clemans, the son of William T. and Elizabeth (Dalbey) Clemans, was born June 28, 1835, in Greene county, Ohio, near Jamestown. His father came to Greene county when two years old with his parents, Hezekiah and Martha (Stacy) Clemans, locating in that county in 1813. Hezekiah Clematis was a soldier of the War of 1812 and served under "Mad Anthony" Wayne in his campaign against the Indians in the northern part of Ohio. William Clemans, the father of Hezekiah, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and fought at the battle of Cowpens January 17, 1781. William Clemans' father came from the northern part of Ireland and settled in Virginia about the middle of the sixteenth century. It is interesting to note that Samuel Clemens, familiarly known as "Mark Twain," was a nephew of William Clemens, the great-grandfather of Rev. F. M. Clemans. Practically the whole career of Rev. F. M. Clemans has been spent as a student, teacher and minister of the Gospel. His early education was received in the district schools of his home township, after which he entered Great Grove Academy. He then taught school for several years, during which period he devoted all of his spare time to reading and study. At the age of thirty-one years he resigned the superintendency of the Jamestown schools to take up the ministry and was ordained as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, and for nearly half a century ministered to the spiritual wants of different congregations. While still a young man he spent considerable time in study, and is the holder of several degrees from reputable colleges. He was granted the degree of Master of Arts by Ohio Wesleyan University; the degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Chicago, and the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the East Tennessee University at Athens, Tennessee. His life has been one of devotion to the work of the Master. Thousands have heard his voice and been benefited thereby. It is not within the province of men to estimate the good which can be accomplished during the life of such a man, and especially when it is taken into consideration that he preached for nearly fifty years. He retired from active service in his church a few years ago and is now living a quiet and retired life near New Holland. He and Mrs. Clemans have two farms aggregating three hundred and fifty-six acres in Marion township, over which they maintain a careful supervision. Rev. F. M. Clemans was married in 1859 to Sarah Chaffin, and to this union four children were born : W. L., of Cedarville, Ohio ; Fred M., of 666 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. Mechanicsburg ; Lillie V., deceased, and Nellie G., deceased. Mrs. Sarah Clemans died November 5, 1885, and on July 25, 1888, Mr. Clemans was married to Mrs. Clara Chaffin Clarke, a cousin of 'the first wife. The last marriage took place at Delaware, Ohio. Mrs.. Clara Clemans has been a true helpmate and a great' .help to her husband, both financially and in his ministerial work. She inherited from her parents the home farm, which has been in the family for over one hundred years. Rev. V: M. Clemans. has always taken an intelligent interest in political matters, hut owing to the nature of his life work, has never been active in political affairs. He has always been an independent voter and cast his ballot for the men who, he felt, were the best able to conduct the affairs of government, irrespective of their political affiliations. Fraternally, he has long been a member of the Free and Accepted Masons. He is a man of modest and unassuming demeanor, a fine type of the self-made American, a friend to the poor, charitable to the faults of his neighbors, a man who always stands ready to unite with them in every good work. He is a man who in every respect merits the high esteem in which he has always been held and now, in his declining years, he can look back over a life which has been well spent in the service of his fellow men and his Master. Rev: Clemans was first superintendent of the Dayton and Cincinnati District of the Anti-Saloon League and took a prominent part in that organization, being all his life a temperance advocate. Guyholme, the country residence of Rev. and Mrs. Clemans, is one of the oldest homes in Fayette county. The land was purchased by Jonathan Shepherd, Mrs, Clemans' maternal grandfather, of Gen. Duncan McArthur, the noted Indian fighter, to whom it had been given by the government for his services in the wars. Here Jonathan and Elizabeth Shepherd and little daughter Susan (afterward the wife of Smith Chaffin) settled in 1811, so that the farm has been in the possession of the family over one hundred and three years. Mrs. Clemans' mother used to tell her how, when a child of four years, she came with her father and .saw him cut down the first tree ever felled on this tract of land, and how she played around while he cleared one acre and built his cabin. She also told how, in 1812, she saw a body of soldiers marching up the White pike on their way from Chillicothe (then the capital) to Detroit, where they were afterward in Hull's surrender. She visited Indian camps along the stream—Compton creek—which flows past the farm, and grew up amid the hardships and privations of pioneer life. Jonathan and Elizabeth Shepherd literally hewed the farm out of the wilder- FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 667 ness. The tract was' noted for its fine timber and still possesses many beautiful trees. Mrs. Shepherd was a niece of the illustrious John Champe, the intrepid voung Virginian whom General Washington selected to carry out the hazardous enterprise of capturing Benedict Arnold,. after his traitorous scheming for the surrender of West Point. He wished to secure Arnold and save from execution Major Andre. Perhaps no event of the Revolution. required more coolness, courage and good judgment than this attempt of Champe and though, at the last moment, Arnold escaped, it required the nerve of, a hero to get back to the American headquarters, where his admiring chieftain gave him an honorable discharge and a bodyguard to take him home in safety. Elizabeth Daily Shepherd inherited from her mother, Fanny Champe, heroic qualities and sterling virtues, which well fitted her to lead the life of a pioneer, and here, amid the primeval forest, she and her husband established a Godly home, a- center of industry, thrift. and all the homely virtues transplanted from old Virginia soil. Hither, in due time, came an alert and promising young man, Smith Chaffin, who wooed and won the daughter of the house. He was born October 4, 1809, his mother a beautiful Maryland girl, his father a sturdy native of North. Carolina, reared in Virginia and, after marriage, emigrating to Ohio. Smith Chaffin and wife became large landholders in Fayette and Pickaway counties and were known for their sterling worth. He was a man of inflexible purpose,.sound judgment and a clear and lofty perception of duty. He had the logical mind of a statesman and in debate was a foeman worthy Of • any man's steel. His clear-cut sentences contained not a superfluous word and drove the argument home with telling effect. The wife was a woman of cultured mind and heart, though a product of the old "deestrict skule," graduating from the alphabet into the New Testament with never an "ism" or an "ology" in her curriculum. A reader of the best literature, she made the Bible a special study and was 'so familiar. with it that she needed no concordance. With a superb equipoise, she pursued the even tenor of„ her way, unmoved by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. With a heart "by hope made strong, by faith made high," she sat like Patience on a monument, amid the most trying circumstances. Mrs. Clematis is the youngest Child of this couple and is the last surviving member of this family. She was graduated in the classical course from Xenia College in 1866, and was elected a member of the faculty of that institution the week before graduation. She resigned this position to be 668 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. united in marriage with Maxwell Gaddis Clarke, a son of the Rev. John NV. Clarke, one of the old and best known ministers of the Ohio conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. Clarke was a cousin of the renowned linguist and commentator, Dr, Adam Clarke, and, like him, possessed a wonderful command of language. This gift descended to the son and likewise to the grandson, Guy Max Clarke, a brilliant young graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, who passed away to heaven in his twenty-third year. The farm was named "Guyholme" in his honor, and his mother has established a professorship in his alma mater bearing his name. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Clarke returned to Xenia College as its preceptress, a place she filled very acceptably. Afterward she taught in the schools of Delaware. Ohio, resigning the position to join her fortunes with those of the Rev. F. M. Clemans. Of frail physique, she has ever tried to do what she could and "lend a hand." JOHN R. HUCHISON. The life of a farmer is the most enjoyable life a man can lead. In no other occupation or profession is a man his master as he is in the farming profession. He always has fresh eggs and meat and never wants for anything good to eat. With the introduction of labor-saving machinery the life of the farmer has lost practically all of the drudgery which formerly handicapped it. One of the prosperous farmers of Fayette county who started at the foot of the ladder and climbed to a position where he commands the respect of his neighbors is John R. Huchison, of Wayne township. Starting in life on his own responsibility at the early age of seventeen years, he has been a hard and conscientious worker all his life and well merits the success which has attended his carefully planned career. John R. Huchison, the son of Richard and Zipporah (Hanna) Huchison, was born August 7, 1861, in Union township, this county. His father was a native of Virginia and came here when a lad as an orphan. He came alone and first located in Ross county, this state, where he found work with a kind-hearted farmer. He grew to manhood in that county, married and in 1856 located in Fayette county, where he began on a rented farm. He enlisted at the opening of the Civil War in the One Hundred and Seventeenth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was killed in the siege of Vicksburg, May 22, 1863, and is buried on the battlefield, and the beautiful monu- FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 669 ment dedicated to this regiment by the state of Ohio now adorns the battlefield. John R. Huchison was less than a year old when his father went to the front and was less than two years old when he died. Consequently he has never known a father's care. Five children were born to Richard Huchison and wife, William, James M., Mary, Eliza and John R. The two daughters are deceased, while the three sons are still living. John R. Huchison was reared by his good mother, who kept her little flock together and gave all of them a good, common school education. John R. attended the Brock school in his home neighborhood and later completed his education in the Chaffin school. When he reached the age of seventeen he began to rent part of the home farm from his mother, and after his marriage came to his present farm of one hundred and thirty acres six miles from Washington C. H. He has improved this farm in many ways by the erection of new buildings, fencing, drainage and the planting of all kinds of fruit trees. Mr. Huchison was married February 4, 1886, to Della Davis, who was born November 26, 1866, in this township. Mrs. Huchison is the daughter of Nelson and Maranda (Anderson) Davis, natives of Fayette county, Ohio. Mrs. Huchison was born in Wayne township and raised in Union township by Robert Hanse and wife. Nelson Davis and his wife both died when Mrs. Huchison was only three years of age. Nelson Davis, who was the son of Benjamin R. and Jane (Compton) Davis, had a large family of children, only two of whom are now living, Martha and Della, the wife of Mr. Huchison. Martha, has been twice married, her first husband being Isaac Lorrimer, and to this union two children were born, Hazel; and Isaac W.., deceased. After the death of. her first husband, Martha Davis was married to Benjamin F. Johnson, and to her second Union two sons were born, Henry and Benjamin F. Mr. and Mrs. Huchison are the parents of three children : Harry L., who married Orpha Dennis, and has two children, Pauline 'E. and Delbert; Elmer T. and Mabel G., both of whom are unmarried and still living at. home with their parents. Mr. Huchison and his wife. are consistent members. of the Methodist Episcopal. church, while, fraternally, Mr. H.uchi.son is a member of the Sons of Veterans, .an organization which includes the sons of those who fought in the Civil War. Politically, he is a Democrat, but has never been inclined to take an active part in political matters. Mr. Huchison is a man who has lived a clean life and has always so conducted himself as to merit the hearty approbation Of those with whom he has been associated. 670 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. JOHN H. ROOK. A veteran of the Civil War and a resident of Fayette county, Ohio, for more than thirty years, John H. Rook has been an important factor in the life of his community for that length of time. He enlisted in the Civil War at the beginning of that struggle' and acquitted himself with honor. The old soldiers are fast answering the last roll call and it seems that they should be accorded all honor possible while they are still living. This volume contains the biographies of many of the veterans of Fayette county. These men who volunteered their lives for the sake of their country are especially deserving of mention in the history of their county. John H. Rook, the son of Gibson and Hannah (Hill) Rook, was born November 16, 1835, in Jackson county, Ohio. His father, the son of John :RoOk, was born and reared in Jackson county and was also in the Civil War. John Rook, Sr., had three children, Nancy, Betsy, and Gibson, the father of John H. Rook. Gibson Rook and wife were the parents of six children, john. H., William, Elliott, Mrs. Elizabeth Miller, Icebenda and Gibson. Of these children only one, John H., is still living. John H. Rook was educated in the common schools of Jackson county, Ohio. His education was necessarily limited because of the meager facilities offered by the schools of his day. He continued working with his father on the home farm until the opening of the Civil War, when he enlisted in 1861 in Company K, Ninety-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served under Col. John Turley, his regiment being a part of the Eighth Army Corps and attached to the .Army of the Cumberland. During his services of three years he participated in many of the bloodiest battles of the war and was never wounded. or captured, although he had many narrow escapes. He was finally discharged from the service at Cumberland, Missouri, and mustered out at Cincinnati, Ohio. Immediately after the close of the war, Mr. Rook returned to Ohio and located on his farm in Ross county, where he lived for eighteen years. He then brought his family to Fayette county, Ohio, and bought a farm of fifty-four acres five miles from Washington C. H. On this farm he has lived for the past thirty years, devoting his time to general farming and stock raising. Mr: Rock was married in 1862 to Polly Case and to this union eight children have been born, William C., Charles, 1Samuel, Pearl, Jake, Grant (died in infancy), Elizabeth and Malinda. The mother died in 1896 and the subject married in 1808 Mary Allpree,. to whom no children have been born. FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 671 Mr. Rook and his family have been consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Rook's fraternal connections have been with Harry Rodgers Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Rook is one of the most highly respected men of his community, although he is now approaching his seventy-ninth birthday, yet he is enjoying good health and takes an active interest in the life of his community. DAVID C. McCUNE. The manager of the largest farm in Fayette county is David C. McCune, who has for the past twenty-seven years been the superintendent of the Humphries Jones estate of eighteen hundred acres in Wayne township. The supervision of such an extensive tract of land requires ability of an exceptional kind and that Mr. McCune has been on the estate for more than a quarter of a century indicates that his work has been very satisfactory. D. C. McCune, the son of Wallace and Amanda (Hill) McCune, was born October 3o, 1862, in Jackson county, Ohio. His father was born in the same county and died of the typhoid fever while serving his country in the Civil War. H is mother then married James Irwin. Wallace McCune and his wife were the parents of three children : An infant, Ferendas, and D. C. To James Irwin and wife were born eight children, Alice, Rebecca, William L., Charles, Bertha, Anna, James and Ethel. The father of D. C. McCune died when he was a babe in arms and consequently he knows very little of the history of his father's family. He went to the district schools in Jackson county and remained at home until he was twenty years of age. He then came to Fayette county and began to work out by the month on farms in that county. He married at the age of twenty-one and at once went to the Selsor farm, where he lived one year. Such was his success as a farmer on this place that he was offered the management of the Jones estate and moved on to it in 1887. He has twelve men under his control the year around and raises more grain and stock than any farmer in the county. He has every modern convenience for advanced farming and handles everything on a large scale. For instance, he sells his live stock by the car load and thus is able to command the highest market price at all times. Mr. McCune was married on Christmas eve, 1884, to Josie Yerian, the daughter of Allen and Mary (Reed) Yerian, natives of Jackson county. To 672 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. this union there have been born ten children, Homer, Charles, William C., Elmer, Elva, 011ie, Herman, Leland M. and two who died in infancy. Homer married Myrtle Cramblet and has two children, Helen and Wayne. Charles married Ollie Kier and has four children, Stanley, Thelma, Russell and Nellie. William C. married Jane Price and has two children, Forrest and Annie Lee. Elmer married Stella Hook. Elva is the wife of Herschel Fletcher, and has one daughter, Josie Belle. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and liberal contributors to its various needs. Politically, Mr. McCune is independent and his extensive agricultural interests have demanded all of his time and energy. He is a man who is interested in everything which pertains to the general welfare of his community and can always be depended upon to give his hearty support to all such movements. Personally, he is a genial and whole-souled man, who has a word of cheer for everyone and a man who is well liked by all who know him. GEORGE B. PARRETT. Ninety years ago there was born in this county a lad who was destined to become one of the most prominent citizens of Fayette county. Although he has now passed to his reward, yet the sincere and fruitful life he led was such that his influence is still felt in the community where he spent so many years of his active life. He was a man of great force of character and always stood on the right side of all moral questions. He was an ardent Prohibitionist and was a strong foe of the liquor traffic all his life. Successful in business, he never lost sight of his obligations to those around him and was in the forefront of every movement which was launched for the betterment of his community. Such men give character to a locality and of such strength was Mr. Parrett that he was a leader in all uplifting movements. He. will always be remembered as a man who stood for better and higher things and therefore left a name which will always be cherished by his children and honored by those who were so fortunate as to know him. The late George B'. Parrett was born January 19, 1834, in Fayette county and died in Madison township, July 4, 1913. He was the son of Joseph J. and Rebecca (Fansher) Parrett, both of whom were natives of Coke county, Tennessee, and the youngest of a family of eight sons and one daughter. Joseph J. Parrett served in the War of 1812 and, among other privations, FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO - 673 subsisted at one time for three days on a half pint of meal. Rebecca Fansher was the daughter of Isaac Fansher, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. Joseph J. Parrett and wife reared a family of nine children, Isaac, Benjamin, Frederick, David, Pleasant, Russell, Jackson, Mrs. Minerva Allen, and George B., with whom this narrative deals. George B. Parrett was married August 21, 1856. to Amelia A. Bush. She was the daughter of Daniel and Mary E. (Webster) Bush, of Fayette county, and was born September io, 1835. The Bush family came to this county from South Carolina. Brice Webster, the grandfather of Mrs. Parrett, was an early merchant and physician of Washington C. H. Mr. and Mrs. Parrett were the parents of a family of twelve children : Euphemie Estaline, born in 1857; Edward Ankney, born in 1858 ; Ella Gazelle, born in 1860; Florence Jane, born in 186i ; Ada Verrell, born in 1863; Warren Webster, born in 1864; Erie Harlan, born in 1866; Alice Gertrude, born in 1868 ; Noyes Marvin, born in 1871; Dio Ladell, born in 1873 ; George Clyde, born in 1877; Anna Blanche, born in 1881. Euphemie E. Parrett became the wife of Harry Crow and had three children : Georgia, who married Elza Steward and has two children, Vergil and Paul; Willie, who married Frank Steward and has three children, Selma, Pauline and Grace; and Grace. Edward A. Parrett married Francis Taylor -and has five children : Earl, who married Amelia Michael, and has two children, Helen and one other; Harvey; Inez, who married Charles England and has three children, Ellen, Edward and Parrett; Scott, who married Euda Beal; and Edward. Ella G. Parrett married Dr. Jasper N. Clark and has nine children : Mabel (the widow of Dr. Shaw, deceased), Lewis, Lydia, 'Pauline (the wife of Hubert Nichols and the mother of two children, Hubert and Dorothy), Zelma (the wife of Earl Beckwith and the mother of an infant child), Ralph, Winifred (the wife of Charles Lewis), Lucy and Jasper. Florence J. Parrett married J. B. Harrison and has five children : George; 'Pleasant, who married Flora Dennis and has one daughter, Dorothy ; Catherine, who married Lugen Bell ; and two single, Blanche and Olive. Ada V. Parrett married Everett Harrison (deceased) and has eleven children : Homer (deceased). Ray, Howard (who is married and has four children), Scott, Grover, Edward, Bateal, Grant, Mary, Clay and Florence. Warren W. Parrett married Ida Noble and has four children : Charles (deceased), Ross (married and has two children, Juanita and Charles), Floyd and Paul. Erie Harlan' Parrett married Minnie Puckett and has seven children : Marion (married Edna Graham and has one son, Harlan), Marie (married William (43) 674 - FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO. Dick and has one son, Harold), Pearl (married Ray Downs and has one child, Minnie Marie), William, Glenn, Willard and Robert. Alice Gertrude Parrett is deceased. Noyes M. Parrett married Ellen Terry and has three children, Olive, Clay and Margaret. Dio Ladell Parrett married Belle Coe and has one son, George, deceased. George Clyde Parrett married Alda Long and has two children, Cleo and Eugene. Anna Blanche Parrett married Benton Cross and has one son, George Benton. Mr. Parrett was a life-long member of the Methodist church and was always interested in the welfare of the church. He was a stanch advocate of temperance and was a loyal supporter of the Prohibition party. He was one of the most successful farmers of Madison township and left a well-improved farm of two hundred acres. He was a man of kindly impulses and was always ready to assist those less fortunate than himself, with the result that he was one of the best loved men in the county. He was a man of domestic tastes and was never happier than when seated by his own fireside surrounded by his loved ones. He left a name which was free from all censure and a reputation which places him among the representative men of his county. CAPT. THOMAS F. PARRETT. The Parrett family was one of the first to settle in Fayette county after its organization in 1810 and have been prominently connected with the various phases of its history for more than a century. A large number of the family served in the Civil War and made gallant records for themselves. One of the leaders of the family in this county for nearly seventy-five years is Captain Thomas F. Parrett, a distinguished veteran of the Civil War and one of the most successful farmers of Fayette county. Thomas F. Parrett, the son of George and Anna (Fletcher) Parrett, was born April 19, 1840, in Jefferson township, in this county. His father, the son of John and Catherine (Wendell) Parrett, was born in the same township in 1813, being one of the first white children born in the county. John Parrett was a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and was married in that state before coming to Ohio. To John Parrett and wife were born ten children, Mrs. Sarah Griffith, Eli, George, A. F., Mrs. Leah Allen, Mrs. Bessie Kirk, Allan T., Mrs. Balinda Brown and two who died in infancy. The first two children were born in Virginia before the family located in