The Fry Family of Crawford County, Ohio

J. H. FRY, deceased; was born in the Canton of Zurich, in Switzerland, Nov. 14, 1791. His passport to this country bears date March 11, 1817; he landed at New York, and went thence to Chambersburg, Penn., where he resided several years, when he resolved to come to the West, and in 1824 he came to Crawford Co., entering 160 acres of Government land, west of where the village of Annapolis is located. In January, 1827, he married Catharine— daughter of Thomas Williamson, and in ' 1833 they sold out, but purchased 160 acres [ about half a mile north of where the village is [ located, of one Matthias Markley; this location Mr. Fry made his home until he was called hence by the messenger of death. They were, quite prosperous in their farming pursuits, and i were also blessed with a family of ten children I — Henry, Elizabeth, Catharine, Thomas, Alfred, I Hannah, John. Sarah, Joshua and Francis, all of whom are living except Elizabeth. Mrs. Fry was born in Schuylkill Co., Penn., October, 1809, and came to Crawford Co., Ohio, with her father's family, in 1826; they located on the Broken Sword, in Liberty Township, but in 1829 they moved to St. Joseph Co., Mich., with seven of their children, four sons and three daughters. There Mrs. Fry's mother, Mrs. Williamson, died, and, after the death of his wife, Thomas Williamson went, with others, to California, and died in San Francisco in 1846. While they resided here, their daughter Polly was married to Jacob Whetstone; she and Mrs. Fry being the only members of the Williamson family to remain here. For years Mr. Fry had been a member of the Lutheran Church, and on March 11, 1875, he received the summons to enter into the full enjoyment of a higher and better life. His widow still survives, and although her 72d year is rapidly approaching, she is as quick, both mentally and physically, and as ambitious as many who have scarcely passed eighteen summers.

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

ALFRED FRY, merchant and Postmaster, Sulphur Springs; was born near Sulphur Springs, this county, Feb. 7. 1835. He is the sou of J. H. and Catharine (Williamson) Fry-, whose sketch is in this work. Being among the pioneer settlers, his school advantages were very limited for those in the country who were earnestly endeavoring to care out a habitation in the woods. Mr. Fry got but the ordinary course in the common schools; but, being naturally apt to learn, he made more of his opportunities than most boys do. He spent the summers of 1856 and 1857 in the Primary Department of Oberlin College. Although he returned to work on the farm, he improved his leisure moments until in the end he acquired a practical business education. He enlisted in the war of the rebellion in May. 1861, in Co. C. 8th 0. V. I. At the battle of Winchester, Va., March 22, 1862, he received a serious wound; an ounce ball entered the side of his right high, immediately below the hip-joint, passing through both thighs and lodging near the outer surface of the left high. As a souvenir from the confederacy, he has carefully laid the missile aside. He lay in the hospital at Winchester seven weeks, and then got a furlough, but had been home only a few days when inflammatory rheumatism set in. When convalescent, he joined the regiment, in September of the same year, at Alexandria, and served until November, when he was discharged on account of physical disability, which was brought on by the severity of his wound. He came back to his father's, and took a tour of several months through the Western States. When he arrived again at home, he accepted a clerkship with Jay & Biddle. of Sulphur Springs, which lasted one year. With a view of improving his commercial education, he entered college at Pittsburgh, Penn., attending the winter terms of 1864 and 1865. and the following spring he built a business-room at Sulphur Springs, and put in a stock of general merchandise, and opened in trade on his own responsibility in October, 1866, where he has been ever since, with several changes in the firm. John Guiss, Jr., bought an interest in April. 1867, with Mr. Fry, which partnership continued until 1876, when Guiss sold out to C. A. Keller, with whom he conducted business one year, under the firm name of Fry & Keller; subsequently, he sold out his interest in the stock to Isaac Klopfenstein, and still retained the building, which is equivalent to one-third interest in the business, the firm name being Klopfenstein & Co. Mr. Fry received the appointment of Postmaster in 1869, which position he has held ever since. In 1872, he was elected Township Treasurer. He was united in marriage with Laura C, daughter of Thomas and Marie Gillespie, Sept. 16, 1871. They have two children— Edgar and a babe. Mrs. Fry was born in Bucyrus Oct. 8, 1843. Her father, Thomas Gillespie, came here from Pennsylvania. He was twice married; his first wife died in Bucyrus in 1845, leaving two children — Laura C. and Charles. He afterward moved to Paulding Co., but finally returned to Sulphur Springs, and died at the residence of Mr. Alfred Fry, July 31, 1880.

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

FRANCIS FRY, farmer; P. 0. Sulphur Springs; is the youngest of the family of John H. and Catharine (Williamson) Fry, and was born near the village of Annapolis, May 13, 1848. He remained at home until nearly 22 years old, and received a good common-school education. He united his fortunes with those of Jennie, daughter of Lewis Perse, on Oct. 27, 1869. She was born in this township April 26, 1847. When she was quite young, her mother died, and she was reared by Charles Perse, her father's brother. They have five children: Charlie F., Myrtie C, Maudie 0., Laura J. and Katie. Mr. Fry owns 80 acres of well-improved land in a beautiful location, to which he moved in November, 1870. They are members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Fry is a member of the Knights of Honor, Liberty Lodge, No. 845.

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

JOHN H. FRY, hardware merchant, Sulphur Springs; was born Dec. 28, 1839, in Chatfield Township, Crawford Co. His father, John Fry, was born in Switzerland Dec. 17, 1799, and emigrated to the United States in 1834. He came direct to Ohio, and worked four years for his brother, J. H., in this county, who had been here several years previous. In 1838, he married Rachel Helm, who was a native of Somerset Co.. Penn., and came to Liberty Township with her father's family about the year 1825. They reared three children — John H., Susanna (now Mrs. John Guiss), and Lorene (who married William Guiss, and who are both deceased). John H., being the eldest and only boy in the family, was compelled to apply himself steadily to the farm, and therefore had little time to devote to educational exercises, and having but poor schools, at best, in the vicinity where he was reared, made it so much the worse. The bulk of his schooling was one term, which he attended in Liberty Township with one Williams, whose reputation as a teacher was good. He then resumed work on the farm the following spring, and continued until he was 28 years of age, when, on Nov. 1, 1876, he united his fortunes with Julia Warner, who was born in Vernon Township, this county, June 15, 1844. They have four children living — Rilie R., Daisy D., Cora and Elve A.; and one deceased — Willie J. He continued to work on his father's farm for about one year after they were married, and, in 1868, he purchased a half interest in the hardware store of Henry Fry, in this village. For about five years they did business together under the firm name of H. Fry & Co.. when, in 1873, the subject of this sketch bought the remaining half interest of H. Fry, and, since then, has been doing a very prosperous business in his own name. He carries a very good and large assortment of every'thing in his line, both shelf and heavy hardware, such as is seldom equaled in much larger towns — a minimum estimate of which would no doubt be about $-1,000 in value. His well-deserved patronage is daily increasing, as he has in his line all that is required in any farming community, and his patrons show their appreciation of honorable dealing In increased patronage and confidence.

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

EUGENE E. FRY, one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Cranberry township, Crawford county, O., who lives on his valuable farm of 152 acres, situated in sections 27 and 22, was born in this township, June 30, 1864, and is a son of John C. and Mary (Becker) Fry.

John C. Fry was born Sept. 27, 1836, near Sulphur Springs in Crawford county, and died on his old farm in Cranberry township, Feb. 3, 1911, when aged 74 years, four months and six days. He was one of ten children born to his parents, John H. and Catherine Fry. He grew up on the farm and during 1858-9 he was a student at Oberlin College, preparing for teaching and also cultivating his marked musical talents. Afterward he taught school for one year in Wyandot county and then went to Missouri, where he taught until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he returned to Ohio. On Nov. 12, 1862, he married Mary A. Becker, who died Jan. 4, 1898, the mother of three sons and one daughter: Eugene, Elmer, William and Minnie. After marriage they located on unimproved land in Cranberry township, which, through the industry and perseverance of Mr. Fry was developed into a fertile farm. He was one of the founders and one of the main financial supporters of the Tabor church near his home. In 1889 when Mr. and Mrs. Fry retired to Tiffin they identified themselves with the Methodist Protestant body there. Following the death of his wife, Mr. Fry spent his time with his children, ever being a welcome presence. He was a man widely known and universally respected. Both he and wife rest in the Union Cemetery near Sulphur Springs.

Eugene E. Fry has been engaged, in agricultural pursuits ever since his school days, and is one of the progressive farmers of this section, a charter member of Cranberry Township Grange. He married Miss Ida Elizabeth McKeehen, who was born in Liberty township, Crawford county, a daughter of Samuel A. McKeehen, and they have four children: Nina May, who is the wife of Milton A. Ulmer, of Tiro, O.; and John E., Carl Elsworth and Edith Marie, all living at home. Mr. Fry and family are members of the Christian church. He is a Democrat when he cases his political vote, but otherwise takes but little interest in political matters.

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

ELMER J. FRY,* who lives on the old homestead farm of over 140 acres, which is situated in section 27, Cranberry township, Crawford county, O., belongs to an old Crawford county family that was established in Cranberry township by the grandfather, John Fry, who secured this land during the administration of President Andrew Jackson. Elmer J. Fry was born here June 24, 1867, and is a son of John C. and Mary A. (Becker) Fry.

John C. Fry was born in Crawford county, one mile north of Sulphur Springs and did not settle on this farm until after he married, when he purchased it from his father. He was an educated man, having attended Oberlin College in youth, afterward engaging in farming. He continued to live in Cranberry township until he retired, when he moved to Tiffin, O., but subsequently returned to the farm to end his days among early surroundings. He married Mary A. Becker, who was born near Harrisburg, Pa. Her people later moved to Crawford county and her father lived one mile south of Sulphur Springs for a number of years and then moved to Michiigan. She died Jan. 4, 1898, her husband surviving until Feb. 3, 191 1. They had three sons and one daughter, namely: Eugene, who was born June 30, 1864, married Ida McKeehen, and they live in Cranberry township north of the home farm; Elmer; William, who was born July 24, 1872, married Catherine Bozenville and live at Toledo; and Minnie, who is the wife of Clarence Hathaway, and they live at Lansing, Mich. The father of the above family was a lifelong Republican, and he and his wife were faithful members of the Methodist Protestant church.

Elmer J. Fry not only remained at home through a happy boyhood but was able to attend school without leaving his father's land, the old log building utilized for school purposes then standing eighty rods south and west of the present residence.. His tastes proved to be agricultural and after his school days were over he decided to remain with his parents and cultivate the home estate and has continued here, purchasing the property when his parents died. He still has twenty-five acres in valuable woodland but all the rest of the land is under a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Fry married Miss Leeanna McCammon, who was born in Sandusky township, a daughter of R. B. and Sarah McCammon, former well known residents of Sandusky township. Mr. and Mrs. Fry have had three children, the youngest. Bertha, alone surviving. She is a bright little seven-year old school girl. Robert R. died when almost two years old and the second born, a son, died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Fry attend the Lutheran church, Mrs. Fry being a member. Mr. Fry has always been a citizen interested in public matters and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens. He has been a school director and for six years served as a trustee of Cranberry township.

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