Category: Biographies

Henry Wentz, Jr.

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In 1834, Henry Wentz Sr. brought his family to Cass Township, Ohio from Perry Co., PA where Henry Jr. was born on Dec. 9, 1839. Henry worked on the family farm until age 18 when he began to learn the carpentry trade. At age 21, he moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where he worked in the railroad car assembly shops.

At the start of the Civil War, on July 11, 1861, Henry enlisted as a private in Co. E., 11th Ind. Vol. Inf. and he served throughout the war in various capacities in campaigns including – Vicksburg, Winchester, Fisher Hill and finally Cedar Creek on Oct. 19, 1864.

After the war Henry returned to Crestline, Ohio. On June 8, 1865, Henry married Abraham Bushey’s oldest daughter Sarah and entered the lumber business. After a year, he sold the business and began a hardware store that he ran until about
1875. In 1875 he began an interest in the fire insurance business which he followed until 1880 when he became the secretary the Underwriter’s Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which would become the Shelby Mutual Insurance Company. Also during the mid 1880s, Henry served as the clerk for the Sharon Township Trustees and was a member of the Crestline city council.

Henry and Sarah were the parents of two sons and a daughter.

Submitted by Lisa Wentz-Steiner

 

Jacob Fletcher

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Jacob Fletcher was born in Bedford County, PA. ca. 1809. His parents, Baltzer & Mary Means/Fletcher moved to PA from the Frederick Co., MD area. They were listed as living in Cumberland Valley Twp., Bedford County, PA, during the census years 1830-1850.

Jacob first married Elizabeth Robison, daughter of Thomas & Sarah Conrad/Robison. This marriage was of very short duration and there are no known children.

Jacob then married Hannah McFerren, daughter of William & Barbara (Weirich,Weyrich,Wirick) /McFerren, in about 1832, in Bedford County, PA. Barbara is a daughter of Valentine & Catherine Ann unknown / Weirich, Weyrich,Wirick.

Laverne Ingram Piatt notes: Any woman descending through Hannah McFerren Fletcher would be eligible to join the DAR on an existing line due to the descendency from Valentine Weirich,Weyrich,Wirick, who is in the DAR patriot index.

By 1852, Jacob and Hannah were raising a family of at least 9 children, 8 sons and 1 daughter:

David Fletcher b: April 28, 1833 in Bedford Co., Penn.
William Fletcher b: December 25, 1834 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Charles Baltzer Fletcher b: October 30, 1836 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Rebecca Fletcher b: March 11, 1839 in Bedford Co., Penn.
John Fletcher b: May 13, 1841 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Samuel Fletcher b: July 19, 1843 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Henry Fletcher b: June 15, 1845 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Franklin Fletcher b: Abt. 1847 in Bedford Co., Penn.
Hiram Fletcher b: Abt. 1851 in Bedford Co., Penn.

In about 1853-54, they sold their property in PA and moved to Sharon Twp., Richland County, Ohio. Jacob and family are listed as living in Sharon Twp., Richland County, Ohio in the 1860-1880 census years. During the period of 1856 to the start of the Civil War, Jacob and the younger sons were area farmers.
David was listed in the 1860 census as a carpenter and living at home on the family farm.

The start of the Civil War changed this family dramatically.  Sons: David, John, Samuel, William, and Henry, all enlisted in the Union cause.

David enlisted in Co. I., 15th Regt., Ohio Vol. Inf.
John joined Co. B., 121st Regt., Ohio Vol. Inf.
Samuel enlisted as a pvt. in Co. D., 15th Regt., Ohio Vol. Inf.
William joined Co. H., 64th Regt., Ohio Vol. Inf.
Henry served as a pvt. in 84th Ohio Vol. Inf. for 3 months, then
reenlisted in Co. I. 15th Ohio Vol. Inf and served until the end of the war.

A 6th son enlisted on the confederate side. (Not yet determined, but probably Charles Baltzer)

William got sick at Chattanooga, Tenn, was discharged to return home, where he died after only two days.

Samuel enlisted, April 17, 1861 in Shelby, just slightly before his 18th birthday. His first enlistment lasted 3 months, and he was discharged at Camp Chase, Ohio after spending his 3 months primarily in W.VA. and Maryland. He reenlisted and was sent to Camp Dennison, Ohio. During the following years, Samuel saw action in the battles at: Shiloh, Chattanooga, Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and the siege of Atlanta. Samuel was discharged at Chattanooga, Tenn,
Sept. 17, 1864, after 3 yrs., 4 mos., and 21 days of active service.

Henry enlisted as a pvt. in the 84th Regt. Ohio Vols., and served 3 months. He returned home for about a year and then reenlisted in Co. I., 15th Ohio Vol. Inf. He was in the battles of: Chattanoga, Mission Ridge, and Nashvile. He was discharged at the end of the war, at San Antonio, Texas.
After their service, four sons returned to Sharon Twp. to start their families.

David Fletcher married Nancy Hawk (born about 1845) on October 01, 1868.

On November 22, 1866, Samuel Fletcher married Catherine E. Laser
(born May 05, 1843) daughter of Samuel & Catherine Henry/Laser.

Henry Fletcher married Elizabeth S. Hershiser (born June 02, 1846) on
September 03, 1868.

Charles Baltzer Fletcher appears to have been married c. 1862. He married Margaret ?
and their first child Louisa was born December, 1862. Their other child Katherine “Katie”
was born c. 1868. Both children were born in Ohio. In 1870 Charles Fletcher and family
were living in St. Louis, Mo. and Charles was 2nd mate on a steam boat.

Submitted by Tom Clabaugh

David Crall

David Crall was born in Dauphin County, PA in Nov. 25, 1821. David was a son of
Henry (born abt 1779) and Elizabeth Henshaw / Crall. David was the youngest of
six children:

Simon
John
Elizabeth
Susannah
Henry II
David

David worked on the family farm until he was about 22 years of age. In 1844,
David and his oldest brother Simon, came to Ohio on horseback and purchased
about 230 acres of land in Sharon Township, Section 19. He returned to PA and
stayed for about a year before returning in 1845, to “improve” his land. On
April 12, 1846, in Richland County, David married Mariah “Mary” Stentz
(or Stein) born March, 1825. David and Mary had nine children:

Elizabeth
John
Sophronia
William Rhinehart
Susan
Mary Sophia
Emily Alice
Henry Nelson
Anna Eliza

David and Mary also owned land in Section 24, Sharon Twp. Their land was a large
part of that which became the center of Junction City (and later Vernon Junction), founded in 1872.

Submitted by Iris Crall.