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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of Genealogy
Express
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Welcome to
Van Wert County,
Ohio
History & Genealogy |
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EDMOND A. LEATHERS,
one of the prominent and representative farmers and
stockraisers of Ridge township, whose well-improved farm of
120 acres is situated in section 34, was born in Ridge
township, on Feb. 26, 1859, and is a son of Harrison and
Martena A. (Cummings) Leathers. The father was
born in Fairfield County, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1834, and was a son
of German extraction but a native of Maryland. The
parents came to Ohio at an early day, and in Harrison's
boyhood settled in Ridge township, Van Wert County.
The latter spent the remainder of his life in the township
named, where he died June 5, 1902. He was a prominent
and valued citizen, and served efficiently in a number of
the local offices, at various ties being assessor and
township clerk. During the greater part of his life he
was an elder in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the
General Synod. He was a valued member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his burial was
conducted according to the ritual of the order. His
widow still resides in Ridge township. The children of
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Leathers were: Edmond
A., of this sketch; William C. and Delora V.
(Mrs. William C. Gilliland) both of Ridge township; and
Florence E., wife of John G. Prill, of Payne,
Paulding County, Ohio.
Edmond A. Leathers was reared in Ridge township
and was educated in both its public and private schools as
well as at Van Wert. After completing his education,
he taught for four consecutive years in Willshire and
Liberty township, and after his marriage settled on his
present valuable farm on which he has erected one of the
most attractive modern residences in the township. The
land owned by the estate of the late Harrison
Leathers has become doubly valuable on account of the
great development of oil upon it. In 1901 there was
drilled on the farm mentioned, which is situated in section
34, Ricge township, an oil-well which, for 33 consecutive
days, flowed 250 barrels of oil per day, without being
pumped. Later pumping machinery was installed and oil
was produced in large, paying quantities.
On June 3, 1883, Mr. Leathers was married to
Mary J. Bell, who was born in Ashland County, Ohio, and
is a daughter of James and Charlotte (Reame) Bell.
Seven children have been born to this marriage, namely:
James H., Arthur M., Urban C., Clara B., Earl E., Beulah
B. and Luther E.
Politically Mr. Leathers
is usually in accord with the Republican party. He has
served several terms as assessor of Ridge township and as
land appraiser, his knowledge in this direction being very
considerable. Fraternally he belongs to Van Wert
Lodge, No. 251, I. O. O. F., which he joined in 1880; the
Knights of Pythias, at Middlepoint, and the Modern Woodmen,
at Van Wert. Since his youth he has been a member of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church, is an elder in the Ridge
township church, is serving as secretary of the joint
council of the Salem charge, and is also a church trustee.
In short, he is a man of whom his neighbors have placed
implicit confidence for many years - One of the Township's
most intelligent and representative men, in every relation
of life.
Source: History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ.
1906 - Page 529 |
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HARRISON LEATHERS, deceased,
formerly one of the leading men and highly esteemed citizens
of Ridge township, and for many years closely identified
with the township's various interests, was born in Fairfield
County, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1834. His death occurred June
5, 1902, ad his home in this county. He was a son of
Christian and Catherine (Shoup) Leathers, her parents
being among the hardy pioneers who first brought
civilization to the wilderness embraced by Van Wert County
of the present day. Although Harrison Leathers had but
meager educational opportunities, he was endowed with an
active an receptive mind, advancing therefore more rapidly
than his companions of the pioneer schools and becoming a
teacher of others. He grew to manhood as a practical
farmer, fully capable of conducting large agricultural
operations even when little labor saving machinery had been
invented or been put in use.
On Apr. 15 1858, Harrison Leathers was united in
marriage with Martena A. Cummings, who was born Oct.
4, 1836, in Guernsey County, Ohio, and is a daughter of
Emanuel and Mary (Redman) Cummings, her father being a
native of what is now West Virginia, and her mother of Ohio.
Mrs. Leathers was four years old when her parents
moved to Van Wert County and settled in Liberty township,
where they lived until she reached her 21st year, when they
located in Ridge township. The children born to
Harrison Leathers and wife were: Edmond
A., William C. and Debra V. (Mrs. William C.
Gilliland), all of Ridge township; and Florence E. B.,
wife of John G. Prill, of Paulding County, Ohio.
All the children are honorable and respected members of
society, and a credit to their parents and themselves.
Mr. Leathers was a soldier of the Civil War, on
Aug. 12, 1862, becoming a member of Company A, 99th Reg.,
Ohio Vol. Inf., and seeing much hard service until his
honorable discharge in July, 1865, at which time he had
devoted himself to the Union cause for a period of nearly
three years.
The late Harrison Leathers was a man of sterling
traits of character, his absolute reliability being
recognized on many occasions when his fellow-citizens made
him their choice for local offices He served with
honest efficiency, as clerk of Ridge township and as
assessor, and for years creditably filled some position on
the School board. Politically he was a Republican, and
is remembered generally as one of the township's
representative men - one whose standard of citizenship was
high, and who invariably conformed to it himself. The
deceased was a man of excellent business perceptions,
accumulated a comfortable competency and was numbered with
the township's most substantial farmers. For a number
of years Mr. Leathers had been an interested and
active member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, and his burial
was conducted according to the ritual of the order.
For many years he was an elder in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of the General Synod.
Source: History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ.
1906 - Page 524 |
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