The Crall Families of Crawford County, Ohio

JOHN CRALL (deceased); born in Dauphin Co., Penn. Dec. 18, 1809; he was the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Henshew) Crall, who were natives of Pennsylvania. When young, Mr. Crall worked at the millwright trade, until he was married, which event occur-ed April 16, 1835, with Elizabeth Eaysor, daughter of John and Susanna (Fackler) Raysor. Mi-s. Crall was born Feb. 10, 1817, in the same county as her husband. After their marriage they lived with his father's family one j'ear, when they moved to the farm of her father; where they remained nine years; he gave them money to purchase the farm of Mr. Crall's parents, who were about to sell and move to the West. The Crall family moved to Ohio and settled in this county and the flattering accounts sent back by them of this country induced John Crall to move here; according-, he, with wife and Ave children, left Harrisburg in a two-horse wagon in April, and arrived in Crawford County, in June, 1852; they purchased the Samuel Foster place, where their son Elias lives. They were parents of twelve children, three of whom died in Pennsylvania in childhood, and two died in childhood after they came here. Those living are John, who resides at Milan; Elizabeth, now Mrs. E. M. Moore; William, Elias, Oliver and Susie reside with their mother. David enlisted in August, 1861, in Company C, 101st 0. V. I., and served through the war until captured by the rebels at the battle of Chiekamauga, and sent to Danville Prison, where he died May 24, 1864, thus terminating his sufferings in the rebel prison, which he had withstood from the preceding September. Mr. John Crall was called from his earthly scenes Nov. 25, 1879. He and Mrs. Crall had been members of the United Brethren Church since shortly* after their marriage; her father, John Raysor, was a minister of that persuasion.

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

ELIAS CRALL, farmer; P. 0. Bucyrus; is the son of John and Elizabeth (Ray-sor) Crall; he was born Oct. 9. 1850, in Dauphin Co., Penn., and is one of the five children who came here with his parents in 1852; his early life was spent on the farm and attending school. In 1870. he began his studies at Oberlin College, but ere two months had elapsed he was taken down sick, and had to retire from the college. The following year he resumed his studies at Republic, but, as at Oberlin, he was compelled to give up on account of failing health.

In 1872, he began teaching school in Sandusky Township, this county, and taught three winter terms. The second term was a school at State Line, and the third was in his own district. On Sept. 24, 1874, he united his fortunes with Lovina Spahr — daughter of Geo. A. and Catharine (Cover) Spahr, who came from Columbia Co., Penn., and settled in this county upward of forty years ago. Mrs. Crall was born in this county, Nov. 8, 1852. They have one child, Eva L., born Oct. 14, 1877; they reside where Mr. Crall's parents bought and settled, when they came here in 1852. They own 75 acres of well-improved land, and reside in the substantial brick residence which was built on the premises over 44 years ago.

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

OLIVER K. CRALL, a general farmer and well known citizen of Bucyrus township, Crawford county, O., who owns acres of valuable land in this township, was born June 13, 1856, in Liberty township, Crawford county, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Raysor) Crall.

John Crall was born in Pennsylvania and was a son of Henry Crall. l'or many years he was a respected resident of Liberty township, Crawford county, where lie carried on farming, and there both he and wife died and their burial was in the Crall graveyard. They were members of the United Brethren church. Their family was made up of the following children: John R.; David, who was a soldier in the Civil war and died while imprisoned by the Confederates in an old jail at Danville, Va.; Elizabeth, who was the wife of E. M. Moore, both of whom are now deceased; William IT.; Elias; Oliver K.; and Susan, who is the wife of S. D. Meyers.

Oliver K. Crall attended school in Liberty township and enjoyed one term in the Normal school at Eosloria, O., following which, before settling down as a farmer, he taught one term of school, lie remained on the homestead for one year after marriage but in November, 1881, came to Bit-

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On Dec. 21, 1880, Mr. Crall was married to Miss Mary C. Kerr, who is a daughter of David E. and Margaret (Dobbins) Kerr. The father of Mrs. (Trail is deceased, but the mother, now in her eighty-fifth year, lives comfortably at Bucyrus. To Mr. and Mrs. Kerr the following children were born: John A.; Margaret, wife of Robert Andrews; Belle J.; Mary C., wife of Mr. Crall; and Celestia I., who is the wife of John Eckard.

Mr. and Mrs. Crall have had three children, namely: Arthur K., who is deceased; Homer Boyd, who is a farmer in Bucyrus township, and married Susan Ebert; and Nellie B., formerly a student at Wooster College, who is now teaching, in her fifth year, in grade No. 8 in the Union school at Bucyrus. She is an educated and accomplished young lady and very successful in her educational work. Mr. Crall and family are members of the Presbyterian church. Politically he is a Republican but is not active in politics, taking the part only of a good citizen who has the best interests of the country at heart. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum at Bucyrus.

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

EARL W. CRALL, a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio, who is engaged in the railway mail service, was born in Liberty township, this county, just east of Bucyrus, in October, 1875. He is a son of John Raysor Crall, and a descendant in the fifth generation of Mathias Crall, who was of Swiss parentage and who resided in Dauphin county, Pa. Mathias, who had served as a soldier in the Colonial army in the Revolutionary war, had a son, Henry, who was born in Dauphin county, and who married Elizabeth Henshaw, a native of Pennsylvania, like himself. Among the children of Henry and Elizabeth was John, known as John Crall, Sr., who was born in Dauphin county, Pa., December 18, 1809. When a young man John Crall worked at the millwright’s trade. On April 16, 1835, he married Elizabeth Raysor, a daughter of John and Susanna (Tackier) Raysor. She was born February 10, 1817, in the same county as her husband. After their marriage they lived with his father’s family one year, when they moved to the farm of her father, where they remained nine years. He gave them money to purchase the farm of Mr. Crab’s parents, who were about to sell and move to the West.

The Crall family moved to Ohio, settling in Crawford county, and the flattering accounts sent back by them of this country induced John Crall to move here also. Accordingly with his wife and five children, he left Harrisburgin a two-horse wagon in April, 1852, arriving in Crawford county in June. Here they purchased the Samuel Foster place, in Liberty township, afterwards occupied by their son, Elias, and in this township both Henry and John Crall died and were buried — the former at a very advanced age. Their bodies rest in the old Crall cemetery, connected with the

Crall United Brethren church, which they had taken a leading part in founding, and of which Henry Crall was one of the first trustees. This church has been several times repaired and remodeled and is one of the best known churches in the county, being in fact an old landmark.

John and Elizabeth Crall were the parents of twelve children, three of whom died in Pennsylvania in childhood, and two died in childhood after they came here. The others were: John R., who settled in Milan, Erie county, O.; Elizabeth, who became Mrs. E. M. Moore; William Elias, who for some time taught school and who settled on the old homestead, marrying Lovina Spahr, but who later moved to Hicksville, O., where he now resides; Oliver and Susan, of whom, like William, we have no special record; and David, who served in the Civil war as a member of the 101st Regt., O. V. I., was captured at Chickamauga, and died in Danville prison, May 24, 1864. John Crall, Sr., died Nov. 25, 1879. Pie and his wife were both members of the United Brethren church, her father, John Raysor, being a minister of that persuasion. She died at an advanced age and was buried in the old Crall cemetery. All were worthy people, prominent in the affairs of the township and universally liked and respected.

John Raysor Crall, father of the subject of this sketch and son of John and Elizabeth Crall above mentioned, was born in Dauphin county, Pa., in 1837, and was fourteen years of age when he accompanied the family to this county. He was brought up to farm life and was thus engaged, for the most part in this county, until about ten years ago, when he removed to Wauseon, Ohio, and later to Adrian, Mich., where he resides at the present time with a daughter. Like the majority of the Crall family, he is a Republican in his political affiliations..He was first married in this county to Catherine Eerral, who died in the prime of life, leaving one son, Clark Crall, who is now farm manager for the Sciota Land Co., at McGuffy, Ohio, and who is married but has no children. John R. Crall married sec-

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Earl VV. Crall was educated at Ada, O., and at Alliance, O., and was for some years a school teacher. In the fall of 1903 he took a place as railway mail clerk and is in class 4A of the department. ITe also studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1908. Ide is a broad-minded man of scholarly tastes and has many friends throughout the county. He was married in Whetstone township to Mabel B. Campbell, who was born in that township, April 4, 1875, a daughter of John Benton and Jennie F. (Shanks) Campbell, and who, after receiving a good education, taught school in the county for some three years. Mrs. Crall is a granddaughter of Edward Campbell and a great granddaughter of John Campbell, who was an early settler in Wayne county, Ohio. In 1823 John Campbell came with his family to Crawford county, settling in Whetstone township, where he took up government land and applied himself to the task of developing a farm. For years he resided in a log cabin, which he built himself. He was a man of ability and became one of influence, doing much respected at the age of 76 years.

Edward ( campbell was reared on tlufarm on which lie continued to reside after his father’s death. Ide married Amanda Tupps, who bore him four children. Their daughter, Catharine, married Frank Iveiffer and is now deceased. Their son, Samuel K., became in his turn the manager of the homestead farm. A daughter, Lettie married Andrew J. Gibson and resides on the old Campbell homestead in Whetstone township, which, as has been stated by another historian, “ in the days of its founder was the center, not only of a generous hospitality, but of an influence which extended in many directions, for that honored pioneer served for many years in the office of justice of the peace, at one time represented his district in the legislature, and was an active and prominent member of the Disciple church.”

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

SIMON CRALL, farmer; P. 0. Sulphur Springs; was born June 2, 1808, in Dauphin Co., Penn. He is the eldest of six children, and had little opportunity of going to school, as he would have to work on the farm, and go to school alternate weeks with his brothers, for a few mouths only in the winter season, for they were all kept steadily at work through the summer, as soon as they were able to do anything. In February, 1830, he married Elizabeth Becker, and lived on his father's place one year after he was married. He then moved to his father-in-law's place, where they lived one year, after which they rented a farm in that vicinity, on which they lived eleven years. In 1845, they sold out in Pennsylvania, and started with a four-horse team, besides a carriage for the wife and five children, for Ohio. They located in Richland Co., near Shelby, but stayed there only- about a.year, when they moved again, and that time settled in Liberty Township, Crawford Co. Here he purchased 120 acres of land, and set about improving it. Since then he has purchased at various times, until he owned 590 acres; but has since sold and given his children, in value, to the amount of $20,000. Mrs. Crall was born in the same county as her husband, and, after many years of useful toil, the fond mother was taken from her family by death, Aug. 16, 1855, leaving six of her nine children — Jacob, Elizabeth (deceased), Henry (deceased), Annie, Samuel, Mary A., John, Emos and David. Mr. Crall married a second wife, Elizabeth McGinnis, in May, 1858, and sustained the loss of his second partner, April 1 1, 1875. His third marriage was celebrated with Fannie Kider, widow of the late John Ostander. His family were all the children of his first wife. Jacob is living in Berrien Co., Mich.; Annie was married to Daniel Keller, and, in 1860, when about fourteen months married, she died of that terrible disease, milk-sickness, which was then prevailing in some sections of this county. Samuel enlisted in 1862, and served three years in the late rebellion. He was once taken prisoner, and spent several months in Libby Prison; thence brought to Annapolis, Md., where he was released, and got leave to come home. He and two others started from there on foot, and walked to his father's, in this township, in about three weeks. He now resides in Eaton Co., Mich. Mary A. is now Mrs. Ebenezer Istone, of Knox Co., Tenn.; John lives in Wyandot Co., this State. Emos had been residing in Michigan, but is now in Shelby, this State. David is the only one of the family residing here. He has a good farm, principally given him by his father. He was born in this county Feb. 23, 1848, and spent his youth like the generality of young men who are reared to farming. In 1870, he went to Seneca Co. to work a farm of his father's. There he fortunately formed the acquaintance of Fannie Snyder, who, on Oct. 24, 1872, became his bride. They remained there one year afterward. He then, with his wife, returned to Crawford Co., and rented the farm where he now lives: and.

shortly afterward, with his father's assistance, he purchased it. Mrs. David Crall was born in Seneca Co., in November, 1852. They have three children — Nine M., Elizabeth M. and Eltie J. Mr. and Mrs. Crall are members of the United Brethren Church, and Mr. Simon Crall has been a member of the same church for over thirty-nine years.

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