The Breese Families of Allen County, Ohio

GEORGE BREESE, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born in Franklin County, Penn., October 1, 1817, son of Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, who settled on Section 10, Shawnee Township, this county, in 1832, where they lived one winter in the Indian Council House, afterward entering the land now owned by their sons, William D. and David M., which they cleared and improved, and where they lived and died. The father was a native of Wales, the mother of Pennsylvania. They reared a family of six children: Nancy, George, John (who was killed while moving a house, by a hook flying and striking him on the head), William D., David M. and Griffith (who was a member of the Ninetyninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the late war, and died of disease contracted in the service before the expiration of his term). Our subject, who was fifteen years of age when his parents settled in Shawnee Township, this county, received a limited education in the schools of his day, and resided with his parents until their death. He was married September 6, 1855, to Sarah, daughter of Solomon and Ruth (Carter) Yoakum, who settled in Shawnee Township, this county, in 1842. The issue of this union is four children: Charles L., Mary E. (Mrs. C. D. Strawbridge — have one child, Cloyd E. Ina and John O. After his marriage Mr. Breese settled on Sections 9 and 16, Shawnee Township, this county, a part of which he drained and improved. He afterward moved to Section 21, same township, on a farm of 160 acres, which he also cleared and improved, and afterward bought an addition of 160 acres adjoining, on Section 16, and this he also cleared, and where he now resides in the fine residence built by him in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Breese and three children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he served as trustee for several years. In politics he is a Republican.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM D. BREESE, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born in Butler County, Ohio, April 30, 1822; son of Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, former a native of Wales, latter of Franklin County, Penn. His paternal grandfather was John Breese, a native of Wales, who came to America in 1798, settling in Champaign County, Ohio, in an early day, and whose children were Susan, Griffith, Robert, Mary and John (all new deceased). Our subject’s maternal grandfather was Lewis Mowen, a native of Pennsylvania. William D. Breese came with his parents in 1832 to this county, where the latter entered land in Shawnee Township, a part of which is now occupied by our subject, and which, with the assistance of their sons, they cleared and improved. Here the father died in 1848, at the age of fifty-eight, and the mother in March, 1853, at the age of sixty-two. They had a family of six children: Nancy, George, John (killed while moving a house), William D., David M. and Griffith (who died in the army October, 1862). Our subject war reared in Shawnee Township, this county, from ten years of age, and has always resided on the old homestead. He was married March 15, 1859, to Ellen, daughter of Solomon and Ruth (Carter) Yoakum, who settled in Shawnee Township, this county, in 1842, and to this union was born one son, G. Alva (who was married January 20, 1881, to Iva, daughter of Jehu and Mary (Clark) John, of Elida, Ohio, by whom he has three children: Clifford E., Julius C. and Vida M. Mrs. Breese died in February, 1861, at the age of twenty-eight years; at the time of her death she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Breese has served the township as justice of the peace one term, was township treasurer for several years and also township clerk. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

DAVID M. BREESE, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born in Butler County, Ohio, February 27, 1825, son of Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, who settled in Shawnee Township, this county, in 1832, former a native of Wales, latter of Pennsylvania. They were parents of six children: Nancy, George, John (killed while moving a house), William D., David M. and Griffith. Our subject was seven years of age when he came with his parents to this county, and was reared on the old homestead, a part of which he now owns and occupies, receiving a limited education in the country schools. He was married January 1, 1849, to Mary, daughter of Crane and Mary (Harper) Valentine, of Berrien County, Mich. The issue of this union was three children: Mary E. (Mrs. Columbus Maltbie), George L. and Emmett (deceased). Mr. Breese after his marriage located on Section 3, Shawnee Township, this county, on what is now known as the Shaffer farm, which he cleared and improved, and where he lived fourteen years. In 1883 he removed to his present farm, a part of the old homestead originally entered by his father, where he has resided ever since.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM H. BREESE, farmer, P. O. Lima, was born September 12, 1848, in Shawnee Township, this county, on what is known as the old “Turkey Foot farm”, and is a son of John and Emily (Valentine) Breese, the former a native of Butler County, Ohio, born April 18, 1820; the latter a native of Champaign County, Ohio,- born April 21, 1820. His paternal grandparents were Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, the former a native of Wales, and a son of John Breese, who immigrated to America in 1798; the latter a native of Pennsylvania, a daughter of Lewis Mowen. Our subject’s maternal grandparents were Crane and Mary (Harper) Valentine, who settled in Lima, Ohio, in 1832, when there were but ten houses in the place. His material great-grandparents were William and Johanna (Crane) Valentine, natives of New Jersey and pioneers of Champaign County, Ohio. Mrs. Mary (Harper) Valentine was a native of Virginia, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Cunningham) Harper. John Breese, father of our subject, who was twelve years of age when his parents settled in Shawnee Township, this county, received a limited education in the schools of that time, and commenced the world for himself on what is known as the “Turkey Foot farm,” this county, where he resided three years; in 1851, he removed to the farm now owned and occupied by Samuel Zurmehly, a part of which he cleared and improved, where he lived until 1863, when he located on the farm now occupied by our subject, and here he resided until his death, which was caused by being struck on the head with an iron hook while engaged in moving a building, November 16, 1865, his death ensuing the day following; he was in the 100 days’ service in the One Hundred and Fifty - first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the late war of the Rebellion; he held several minor offices in Shawnee Township; in politics, he was a

Republican; he was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject is the only child of his parents, and was reared and educated in Shawnee Township, this county, where he has always resided. He was married November 10, 1874, to Ida A., daughter of James A. and Isabel K. (Ferguson) Hover, of Shawnee Township, this county, and by her he has two children: Naamah B. and John E. Mr. Breese is serving his first term as trustee of the township. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is steward. In politics, he is a Republican.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE L. BREESE, one of the well- known farmers and successful stock-raisers of Shawnee township, was born December 8, 1851, on what is known as the old Frederick Goodwin farm, in section 4, Shawnee township, and is a son of David M. and Mary (Valentine) Breese.

The great-grandfather of Mr. Breese was born in Wales and died in Hardin County, Ohio. His grandparents, Griffith and Mary (Mowen) Breese, were born respectively in Wales and Pennsylvania. They were the founders of the family in Allen County, coming here from Butler County, Ohio, in 1832.

David M. Breese, father of George L., was born in Butler County, Ohio, February 27, 1825, and was seven years of age when his parents settled in Shawnee township, where he lived until his marriage and then settled in section 3, Shawnee township, on the Spencerville toad. In 1863 he removed to his present farm in section 10. He was a soldier during the Civil War and has always been identified with the Republican party. He married in 1849 a daughter and a granddaughter of pioneers in Ohio. She was Mary Valentine, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, March 23, 1827, and still survives. Her-father, Crane Valentine, came to Allen County, in 1832 and settled on Elm street, Lima, at a time when that section was still so much of a wilderness that wild animals came out of the forest at night and invaded it. The children of David M. and Mary Breese were: Mary E., wife of Thomas Maltbie, of Lima; George L., of this sketch, and Emmet, who died aged seven years.

George L. Breese was educated in the Shawnee township schools and assisted his father on the farm until his marriage, which occurred in 1876. He then took up agricultural pursuits on his present finely improved farm in sections 9 and 10. In addition to general farming, Mr. Breese has been an extensive stock-raiser, making a preference of Guernsey cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs.

On September 6, 1876, Mr. Breese was married to Susan Nye, who was born in Shawnee township, and was a daughter of Jacob and Catherine Nye. Mrs. Breese died in 1896, leaving two children, viz: Clarence Nye, born December 13, 1877; and Mabel Kerr, born March 13, 1880. Clarence N. Breese is now deputy county clerk. In 1905 he married Mabel M. Kerr, daughter of George S. Kerr, of Lima.

Politically George L. Breese is a strong Republican. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of the active and enterprising men of Shawnee township, interested in its agricultural development and ready at all times to advance its various interests.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CLARENCE N. BREESE, deputy county clerk of Allen County, and one of the enterprising and successful young business men of Lima, was born in Shawnee township, Allen County, Ohio, December 13, 1877, and is a son of George L. Breese, and grandson of David M. Breese, of whom sketches appear is another part of this work.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS BREESE, farmer and stock-breeder. Delphos, Allen County, was born in North Wales, March 15, 1835; son of Richard and Elizabeth

(Rollands) Breese, former of whom died November 20, 1875, aged seventy-three; latter September 28, 1852, aged forty-eight years. They came to America, landing at Philadelphia, and settled the same year on the farm, where the subject of this sketch now lives, there being only four acres, cleared out of the 100, and for which Richard Breese paid $100 cash. Here, before the father’s death, they cleared about seventy acres, and endured the trials and hardships of pioneer life. Richard Breese was a man of prominence in his township, a deacon in the Congregational Church many years. He and his wife, were parents of seven children: Mary (wife of Joseph Watkins, in Sugar Creek Township, this county), Thomas, Ann (wife of John Morris, of Lima), Jane (wife of Evan Morgan, in Benton County, Ark. Alice (single), Richard (deceased, leaving a family of three children in Delphos), Samuel R. (who enlisted in May, 1861, in Company H, Thirty-second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, going out as the first lieutenant, he was killed in the Battle of Harper’s Ferry, in August, 1862, and had his death not occurred, he would have been promoted to lieutenant colonel in a few days). Thomas Breese, the subject of this sketch, received a meager education; being the eldest son, his services were required in clearing up the farm. He was married September 6, 1861, to Martha Davis, a native of Montgomeryshire, Wales, born Septembor 10, 1842, daughter of Rev. James and Mary (Davis) Davis, who came to America in August, 1849, and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the former preached for three years, in the Lawrence Street Congregational Church. They then came to Gomer. this county, in 1853, where Mr. Davis preached eight years, thence moved to New York State, remaining two years, thence to Radnor, Ohio, where he preached eight years. Rev. James Davis, was a son of Isaac and Sarah Davis; he died in April, 1873. His widow who is still living with Mr. Breese, is a daughter of Richard and Margaret (Davis) Davis. Rev. James Davis was the father of seven children, of whom three died without issue. Those who had families were Sarah (deceased wife of John Thomas, leaving family in Van Wert County, Ohio), Benjamin (deceased, leaving family in Crawford County, Kans. James (a business man in Sandusky City, has a family of three children), William (a merchant in Keokuk, Iowa, has a family of three children), and Martha (Mrs. Breese). To our subject and wife, have been born six children: Emma, born July 10, 1862; Samuel, born July 23, 1864; Mary (deceased at five years of age); James D., born January 31, 1874; Richard, born May 1, 1878, and Mary, born May 29, 1881. The life of Mr. Breese has been spent chiefly on the farm which he now occupies. He takes an active interest in all educational and religious matters. The family are members of the Congregational Church. In politics he is a Republican.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.