Pike-Ross County OhArchives Biographies.....Penisten, Sr. , George abt 1766/8 - abt 1846/7
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ralph Cokonougher rcokon@hotmail.com May 3, 2008, 3:28 am

Author: From page 769 of the HISTORY OF THE LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY.


	George Penisten, Sr., was born in the State of New Jersey, and while 
still in his youth removed to Kentucky.  From there he emigrated to Ohio about 
the year 1797 and settled on what was then known as “Bullskin,” near 
Cincinnati.  He afterward located in the present territory of Pike County 
(then a part of Ross County) where he died about the year 1847, at the age of 
seventy-nine years, nine months, one day.  He reared a family of ten children, 
five boys and five girls, all of whom lived to rear families of their own.
	George Penisten, Jr., the only surviving son of George Penisten, Sr., 
was born in 1804.  In 1833 he married Vianna Murphy.  They reared a family of 
eight children, five boys and three girls, all of whom are now dead except 
three.  Isaac C., the second son, died while a member of the Ohio 
Legislature.  He was serving his second term.  He served two terms as Auditor 
of Pike County.  George Pennisten lived all his life in Pike County with the 
exception of five years when he resided in Highland County, where he married 
his second wife, Rebecca Rains, who is still living.  Mr. Penisten filled many 
local offices and served in the militia five years as First Lieutenant.
	Lewis Penisten, also a son of George, Sr., was born in 1809, in what 
is now Pike County; lived all his life in said county.  He was the father of 
twelve children, eight boys and four girls, nine of whom are now living, all 
in the West except Uriah.
	Uriah Penisten, third son of Lewis and Elizabeth (Boyles) Penisten, 
was born in Benton Township, Pike Co., Ohio,  Jan. 18, 1836.  His father was 
also born in Pike County about the year 1809, and after living out a lifetime 
of usefulness died at fifty-two years of age.  His widow still survives him.  
Our subject assisted his father on the farm until attaining his majority.  The 
two years following he engaged with his cousin at farming.  At the close of 
the first year he married Elizabeth Henry, by whom he had three children, two 
daughters and one son --- Amanda, William Henry, and Agnes Alwilda.  Since the 
year 1877 he has been engaged in the mercantile business.  He located in 
Waverly in the fall of 1881 where he operates a general store and is also 
proprietor of the hotel known as the Penisten House, located on Market 
street.  Mr. Penisten comes of pioneer stock and is one of the substantial and 
enterprising business men of Waverly.  He is a member of the Idaho Lodge, No. 
620, I.O.O.F.; was also one of the charter members.
              From page 769 of the HISTORY OF THE LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY.   
Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co., 1884.



Additional Comments:

       The following oral history was written down more than a century ago by 
one of the descendants of Joseph Penisten/Pennisten (who was a descendant 
himself of George Penisten Sr.), and then passed down through the family to 
the present day.  Like most oral histories, it contains some inaccuracies, and 
maybe even a few tall tales, but for the most part captures the gist of the 
family history.  I am a gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-gr-grandson of George Penisten, Sr.

				THE PENNISTEN FAMILY
	The Pennisten family is one of the oldest on record in America; which 
has been dated back to the beginning of the 17th century.
	Two small boys, brothers, ages 7, and 5, whose names were Washington, 
and George Penisten were at play on the beach.  They were born in Ireland of a 
rich family.  While playing on the beach, they were kidnapped and taken on a 
pirate ship and brought to America.  They were taken off the ship on the 
shores of New Jersey.  There they were sold for ransom.  One was a weaver, the 
other was a shoemaker until the Revolutionary War when they joined the colors 
of the colonies and served through Valley Forge, until the defeat of 
Cornwallis.
	I will now give some of the history of the family of George the first 
who was born in 1766 and died in 1846.  He married Rebecca Wheaton and 
immigrated to Ohio when the settlement was very sparse.  They located near the 
head-waters of Morgans Fork, a tributary of Sun Fish Creek.  In Pike County he 
raised ten children, five sons and five daughters.  Their names were Joseph, 
George, Louis, Isaac, and John.  The girls names were Polly, Sally, Kitty, 
Hannah, and Priscilla.
	Joseph, the son of George the first, was born in the year 1781 and 
died in 1886.  He married his first wife Geruosch Lunbeck and to this marriage 
six children were born.  They were William, Rebecca, Polly, George, Johanna, 
and an infant who died at the age of three months.  Joseph's second wife was 
Sarah Hill and to this union was born eight childern, seven daughters and one 
son.  They were Umphrey, Emile, Emma, Hilla, Isabel, Martha, Caroline, and 
Sarah.
	George, the second son of Joseph and Greshia Penisten, was born June 
8, 1825 and died February 29, 1884.  When he was 21 years old, he married 
Melvina Coughill on on March 26, 1846. to this union were ten children two 
dying in infancy, the others living to maturity.  They were Mary, Jane, Nancy, 
Julia, Anna Eline, William, Georganna, Harriett, Flora, and Virginia.
	With the passing of the fourth generation of Joseph, goes the 
descendents of history of the Penisten Family."

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