COLUMBIA COUNTY OHIO - MORRIS/MILLER History Chapter 22 (published 1873) *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman MaggieOhio@columbus.rr.com November 5, 1999 *********************************************************************** "HISTORY OF THE MORRIS AND MILLER FAMILIES" By Morris Miller 1873 *********************************************************************** Chapter 22 Thomas Ball’s Family Thomas Ball, finding from his growing family that more territory would be essential, sold out the next season and moved to a purchase about four miles north of Levi’s location. Situated on one of the principal roads of the country, it afforded a good location for a blacksmith. He was an excellent axe-maker, and this gave him a good run of custom work, as such work was then in great demand. His children also being very industrious gave the farm and shop both the appearance of economy and thrift. He had built a good mansion house for those early times, and was beginning to feel pretty comfortable in his Ohio possessions. About seven years after their removal to Ohio, Hannah (the mother) was called away by death, leaving 11 children, the youngest not quite a year old. Six of them were girls and the others boys; namely, Alivia, Guy, Nancy, Levi, Mary, Rebecca, Nathan, Thomas, Hannah, Abraham and Catherine. No family could miss a kind and affectionate mother more than they did. She had led them thus far by her kind and virtuous example, strictly in the path of rectitude which they were favored to maintain in after life greatly to their credit and comfort. Nancy, the second daughter, had been married and comfortably settled more than two years before. The older daughter also was under a matrimonial engagement which was consummated a few months after her mother’s death, thus leaving no girl large enough to prudently manage the household affairs. The father deemed it proper to employ a housekeeper. Another bereavement occurred in the family about ten months after the mother’s death. The second brother - Levi by name - was called away by death in his nineteenth year. He was one of the most gifted, like his mother, of any in the family. This was again a heavy stroke on them. The father, in about a year after the mother’s death, married the widow housekeeper whom he had employed before. This was an occurrence that does not always result in the best feelings in a large family of children. Although she was kind and courteous toward them, yet they could not quite respect her socially as a mother. As they came to an age to do for themselves, they manifested a desire to scatter. The oldest son, being of age, went over to Washington County, Pa., and engaged as a journeyman blacksmith, but ere he returned, married soon after and settled in the little town near where his father lived. His first wife did not live many years. To them were born twin sons. By his second wife he had two daughters. One is living near Damascus, in Mahoning County, and the other in Salem. I know no other of the twin sons. I believe the father was a widower several years previous to his death. In the course of events I should have noticed Alivia, the oldest of the children. She was married a few months after his mother’s decease to a man named Samuel Fugate, with whom she lived about 45 years on a small farm near Guilford. They raised a family of seven children - four sons and three daughters. The three older sons and one of the daughters are married and very comfortably settled. The other three are still on the farm, having taken care of their infirm father who survived their mother about seven years. Nancy, the second daughter (as noted before) was married about two years previous to her mother’s death to a man named David Brison. They first settled about two miles west of her father’s, but after living there about five years they sold out and went to his native home in Fayette County, Pa., and as near as I can learn, they resided there about 40 years, after which they went west and stayed a few years until her husband’s death, after which she returned to Fayette County and is probably still living with some of her children. I was told that she made a visit to Ohio to see some of her relations in the autumn of 1874, but not seeing her or anyone that talked with her, I am unable to say anything about her children. Mary, the third daughter, married a man by the name of and went west, but I do not know what part. I remember of hearing that she deceased many years ago. Neither do I know anything about their posterity. Rebecca, the fourth daughter, married, I believe, soon after Mary. Her husband’s name was Harrison Vaughn. They had resided in several different localities, not having acquired extensively of this world’s goods. He was a good harness maker and by frugal industry had managed to make a good living. Rebecca was gifted more like her mother and brother Levi, with a different turn of mind from the others. They had only four children that I know of - three sons and one daughter. One of the sons was lost in the rebellion, which was a great trial to the family. The others have much cause to be thankful for a mother’s good example and sincere Christian virtues. She was for many years before her death a very consistent member of the Methodist Church, and was regarded by all who knew her as a Christian. She was favored in seeing all her children walking in the paths of rectitude before her death. For some years previous to her decease she experienced declining health, which she bore with remarkable Christian patience, and with but little severe suffering, calmly departed on the 24th of the 4th month, 1874. Hannah was the youngest daughter that lived to be married. After her father’s death she resided with sisters and cousins until she came to the age of womanhood. On the 11th of 11th month, 1835, she was married to a young man named Caleb Hawley, after which they settled in the town of Guilford. To them were born seven children - five sons and two daughters. They lived comfortably together more than twenty-seven years, when the mother was called away by death on the 12th of the 3rd month, 1863. The father remained single, making his home with three of his children - one son and two daughters - on the old homestead. Of the other four sons I know nothing, but suppose they are comfortably settled in business. The youngest daughter, May by name, had the reputation of being a very efficient school teacher. So far as I know at this writing, both father and children have pressed forward in an honorable state of respectability, and may they so continue through life, is my earnest desire. Having spoken about the sisters, I shall now speak of the three younger brothers: Nathan, Thomas and Abraham. Some years before their father’s death Nathan had devoted much of his time to the carpenter’s trade. I believe he never was an indentured apprentice at it, but worked as a journeyman with others. After their father’s death, which occurred on the 23rd of the 4th month, 1839, the family and homestead were both discontinued, the widow and her young son James, who was then about six years of age, retiring to abide with her former children. The two younger brothers were apprenticed to trades. Thomas was put at shoemaking and Abraham at the tailoring trade. I believe that Nathan married near the time his father died into a very respectable family living a few miles south of Salem. They lived in several different localities while he worked at his trade. In process of time they acquired means to purchase a small farm situated in Mahoning County. To them were born two sons and three daughters. The mother deceased shortly after the birth of her last child, at what date I am unable to learn. The father still kept house by employing a housekeeper. In course of time he married a woman by the name of Wichersham, of a very respectable family living in the south side of West Township, Columbiana County. They resided on the farm, as he had long adopted its cultivation in preference to carpentering. His two sons were called into the war and both were lost. This was a great bereavement to all the family. He had four children, all sons, by his present companion. Thomas married a woman named Phebe Wright, of a very respectable family living two miles from Salem. They were married on the 8th of 1st month, 1836. They resided near their relations about nine years. In the meantime he worked at his trade with reasonably good results. Having some relatives going west in 1845, they concluded to accompany them, and settled in Williams County, Ohio. Beginning to feel the weight of years and having most of their children comfortably settled, they retired from the farm to a town nearby about two years since, leaving a married son to take charge of the farm. Favored with good health, in 1873 they made a visit to their numerous relatives and friends in Ohio, where they were very cordially received. Abraham, some years after he had completed his trade, married a woman by the name of Johnson, whose parents resided near his father; hence, they were acquainted from their earliest recollection. After marriage he moved to Hanover, where he stayed several years working at his trade in the meanwhile. About twenty years ago his health became much declined, and being unsuccessful at his trade he also grew discouraged. Both he and his wife having relatives in the then new state of Iowa, they concluded to sell out and go there, hoping that a change of climate might renovate his health. Upon arriving there they were both advised and assisted by many persons who felt deeply interested in their welfare. They purchased and moved to a tract of land containing 80 acres in Marshall County, after which his health improved and they prospered beyond what they had really anticipated. In a few years they were in comfortable circumstances, and as time went on they acquired an addition to their first purchase; hence, from what I can learn, they were considered as being among the independent farmers of that state. Their prosperity reminds me of Abraham the patriarch of old. A passing notice is due in this place to the half- brother, James Ball. After his father’s death he was left more destitute than the others in consequence of being so much younger. He was of an apt turn of mind, and succeeded in getting a reasonably good education. On arriving near the age of manhood, he aspired to the medical profession, but not having sufficient means to qualify himself at that, he abandoned it and adopted that of school teaching, at which he became an ordinary proficient. He married respectably. Although not gifted for the acquisition of this world’s goods, he had lived comfortably, and when his aged mother required a home for retiring, his heart and door were opened to her. She passed several of her latter years in his family. By the even and peaceful career of his life, he had always merited the respect of the general community.