LAKE COUNTY OHIO - BIO: HOLCOMB, Dereath R. *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Deb Breniser rbcobb@ncweb.com January 6, 2000 ************************************************************** This biography is taken from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, Embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake; Lewis Publishing Company, 1893. Dereath R. Holcomb Dereath R. Holcomb, a well known farmer of Perry township, Lake County, Ohio, and a native of this county, was born in Leroy township, December 18, 1845. Of his life and ancestry the following facts have been gleaned: The Holcomb family is descended from English ancestors. Three brothers of that name came from England to America at an early day, one settling in Virginia, one in Canada, and the other in Connecticut. The one who settled in Connecticut was the progenitor of the family to which the subject of our sketch belongs. Joel Holcomb, the grandfather of Dereath R., was a native of Connecticut. See moved with his family to New York and settled near Syracuse, from whence, in 1824, she made the journey with ox teams to Lake County, Ohio, and us took up his abode in Leroy Township with. There he built his cabin in the forest, and amid pioneer scenes passed the residue of his life, dying at age of nearly ninety years. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, had fought at Stony Point and West Point and in other battles along the Hudson River, and when his life work was ended he was buried in Leroy township with military honors. Marcus Holcomb, son of Joel and father of Derearth R., was born in a Granby, Connecticut, April 20, 1807 and was eighteen years old when he landed with his fathers family in Lake County, Ohio. He was married here to Lovisa Brooks, a native of Bennington, Vermont, born May 1807. In 1815, when she was seven years old, she came to his country what her father, David Brooks, who settled on the South Ridge. After her marriage to Mr. Holcomb they settled in Leroy Township and lived there until 1853, when they moved to the south part of Perry Township. About the time the War broke out Marcus Holcomb located on the farm, on which his son, Derearth R., now lives, and here spent the remaining years of his life. He worked on the Concord conference and also on the railroad furnace. When a young man he was an exceptionally good of woodchopper, receiving extra pay fort his work in. He died July 24, 1880. In politics he was first day Whig, and later a Republican. His wife died October 29, 1883. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. They reared three children: Delorma, Lidora and Dereath R. Dereath R. Holcomb received his education in the district schools and the high school in Painesville. When she was twenty he began working the home place on the shores and conducted the farm successfully. He now owns 100 acres, all improved land, and is engaged in general farming. Mr. Holcomb was married May 20, 1869, to Emma Champion, a native of this township and a daughter of Joel and Jemina (Gardner) Champion, both natives of New York State. Her parents came sheer in 1850, and are still residing on the old farm. Mr. and Mrs. Holcomb have one child, Frances. Mr. Holcomb affiliates with the Democratic Party. He has served as a member of the School Board for a number of years.