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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Madison County, Ohio
Its People, Industries and Institutions
Chester E. Bryan, Supervising Editor
With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and
Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families
- ILLUSTRATED -
Published by B. F. Bowden & Company, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana
1915
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MILTON E. THOMAS,
son of Milton and Margaret Thomas, was born in Union
township, Madison county, Ohio, July 29, 1873. When he
was eight years old the family purchased a farm known as the
Horace Sanford farm, in Monroe
township, and moved there. Milton grew to
manhood, attending school during the winter and helping with
the farm work in the summer, until at the age of twenty-five
years he started to farm for himself, on rented land, first
in Monroe, then in Pleasant, last in Pike township, where he
lived for eight years on the C. W. Phellit farm of
seven hundred acres. Leaving this farm he moved to the
house purchased of Frank Kaufman (in March,
1910), consisting of seventy acres, with an eight-room
house, having all the modern conveniences, as furnace, bath,
acetylene lights etc.; barns for horses and other live
stock; a plant for the manufacture of drain tile; a saw-mill
and houses for the principal men. In addition to his
own farm, Mr. Thomas rents an adjoining tract
of one hundred and ninety-six acres.
Mr. Thomas is especially interested in
the breeding and raising of good stock, having full-blooded
Percheron horses, Shorthorn' cattle and Poland-China hogs.
He has held several large public sales, which were well
patronized, because of the quality of the stock offered and
the fact that he stood back of them.
On Mar. 6, 1900, M. Eugene Thomas was
united in marriage with Neil A. Williams. daughter of
Joseph and Adelia (Bradley) Williams. She was
born on Oct. 22, 1875, in Madison county, where she has
always lived with the exception of two years spent with an
aunt in San Diego county, California. Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas grew up on adjoining farms and went to the same
school. They have two children: Lohren Williams, born
on Feb. 11. 1901, and Margaret Adelia, Sept.
25, 1908.
The family are all members of the Plumwood Methodist
Episcopal church and are connected with the Rosedale Union
church, where Mr. Thomas has served several
years as Sabbath school superintendent. They take an
active part in the temperance cause through the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union and the Dry Federation. and have
a deep and sincere interest in the advancement of the
welfare of the community.
Politically, Mr. Thomas is a stanch
Republican, taking an active interest in local politics,
serving in various offices; at present he is on the central
committee of Madison county.
The prosperous and well-cared for farm owned by Mr.
Thomas is located on rural route 3, seven miles
southeast of Mechanicsburg, where he has won and retains the
respect of the entire community.
John Milton Thomas, father of the subject of
this sketch, was born near South Solon, Ohio, and was a son
of Benjamin Thomas, a direct descendant of
Joseph Thomas, the “White Pilgrim.” John
M. Thomas was united in marriage with Margaret Anna
Carr, by whom he had seven children, four of whom are
living in 1915: Luella, unmarried, and living in
Mechanicsburg, Ohio; M. Eugene; Mamie, wife of
Charles A. Arganbright, of Lima, Ohio, and Howard
C., of Chicago. Those dead are Samuel,
Linnie Wilson and Florence Reed.
Source: History of Madison County, Ohio -
Illustrated - Published by B. F. Bowden & Company, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana - 1915 - Page 601 |
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RALPH W. THOMAS,
the superintendent of the Madison county infirmary since
1908, and one of the best-known citizens of the county, was
born in Stokes township, Madison county, Sept. 4, 1878.
Mr. Thomas is the son of Moses and Catherine
(Blessing) Thomas, the former of whom was born in
Madison county and who was the son of William and Lavina
(Beacham) Thomas. William Thomas was born
in Virginia, Dec. 18, 1813, the son of Moses and
Catherine (Williams) Thomas. Lavina Beacham was
born in Clark county, Ohio, in 1815. Mr. Thomas'
grandparents came to Madison county in an early day.
Catherine Blessing was a native of Madison county and
was married to Moses Thomas, the father of Ralph
W., in this county.
To Moses and Catherine
(Blessing) Thomas were born nine children as follow:
Dora, who is the wife of George C. Adams, of
Lafayette, Ohio; Amanda, who is the wife of Robert
Chapman, of St. Joseph, Missouri; Lavina, who
married David M. Henry, of Jeffersonville, Ohio;
Austin, who is a resident of Portland, Oregon; Gwinn,
who lives in Plain City, Ohio; Carrie, who married
John Horney; of Plain City; Ried, who
lives in Fremont, Nevada; Ralph, who is the subject
of this sketch; and Amy, who is the wife of Bemis
Mendenhall, of Springfield, Ohio.
The late Moses Thomas was a farmer by
occupation and owned ninety acres of land in this county.
He died on July 3, 1905, and his wife died two years
previously, on Aug. 5, 1903.
Ralph W. Thomas received a good common-school
education at South Solon and was graduated from the high
school at that place.
On Dec. 23 1908, Ralph W. Thomas was married to
Anna Ada Burnham, the daughter of L. A. and Anna (Longbrake)
Burnham, who live in Plain City. Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas have two children, Lucille, born on June
23, 1909, and Ralph H., Apr. 30, 1911.
Mr. Thomas followed farming until 1908, when he
was appointed superintendent of the Madison county
infirmary, a position which he has now held for seven years.
The infirmary includes a farm of one hundred and six acres,
of which Mr. Thomas is ex-officio manager.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are members of the
Presbyterian church at London. Mr. Thomas is a
member of the Masonic lodge at London and the Knights of
Pythias lodge, No. 539. He is also a member of the Oak
Run Grange. Mr. Thomas is a Republican.
Source: History of Madison County,
Ohio - Illustrated - Published by B. F. Bowden & Company,
Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana - 1915 - Page 747 |
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