In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1853
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
ELIAS CRISSINGER.
Elias Crissinger, a trustee of Dallas township and a prominent farmer and successful stock-raiser, was born near Peru, Illinois, August 11, 1853. Pie was a son of William and Mary (Baker) Crissinger, both natives of Ohio, the former of Marion county and the latter of Crawford county. The paternal grandparents were of Dutch ancestry and removed from Pennsylvania to Crawford county, Ohio, early in its settlement, later going to Marion county where they spent their last days.
William Crissinger was reared in Marion county, but his wife grew up in Crawford county, where her father, Benajah Baker, was a pioneer settler of Whetstone township. Later in life he removed to Indiana and died in Jasper county. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Crissinger, one o>f whom has passed away. After the death of our subject's mother in Illinois, when he was but two years old, the father placed the children in the care of their paternal grandparents. Later he married a second time and lived in Marion count) and from there, in 1861, he entered the United States army, and upon the expiration of his term of enlistment re-enlisted, and died at Murfreesboro while serving in the cause of his country.
Our subject did not live with his grandparents very long, as after his second marriage the father claimed his children. After his death they were directed by a guardian and thus Elias had several early homes, but was given a common-school education and was taught how to work on a farm. From early life, however, he was obliged to earn all he received and perhaps the stern discipline of neseccity helped to make him the reliable and excellent man he now is.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
For the following seventeen years the family resided in Marion county upon a forty-acre farm given to Mrs. Crissinger by her father, but in 1896 he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Dallas township, Crawford county, where he has since lived and followed farming.
In 1897 Mr. Crissinger was elected trustee, and in 1900 was re-elected for a second term and in the spring of 1901 he was made assessor also and is now serving in both positions, to the entire satisfaction of the community- In politics he is a member of the Democratic party and is one of the representative men of his community. With his wife and family of eight children he belongs to the Methodist church, where he is most highly esteemed for his many traits of Christian character. His business relations have brought him into contact with almost all the residents of the township and there is no one who nas more friends than Elias Crissinger.
As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
ELIAS CRISSINGER, who is a leading citizen of Dallas township, Crawford county, O., active in its public affairs and successful in his agricultural activities, owns 120 acres of very productive land and carries on general farming. He was born Aug. 11, 1853, i" Illinois, and is a son of William and Mary (Baker) Crissinger, and a grandson of Benaiah Baker.
The father of Mr. Crissinger was born in Crawford county and was a farmer and laborer prior to entering the Federal Army for service in the Civil War and died while a soldier. He married Alary Baker, who was also born in Crawford county, and died when their son Elias was but two years old. Their other children were: James A.; Alary, deceased, who was the wife of Henry Zoll; Emma, who is the wife of Elias Stiger; Isabel, who is deceased; and Dora I., who is the wife of John Lyons. The parents of the above family were members of the German Reformed church.
Since his school days, Mr. Crissinger has been interested continuously in farm pursuits and in late years has received assistance from his son but still retains the general management of his estate. He is largely a self-made man, becoming an orphan when ten years old and afterward living with relatives and strangers until he made a home for himself.
On Oct. 20, 1874, Mr. Crissinger \\as married to Miss Harriet L. Houser, who was born in Scott township, Marion county, O., a daughter of Anthony and Eliza (Wise) Houser. The father of Mrs. Crissinger was a farmer in Marion county, O., and also followed the carpenter trade. Mrs. Crissinger was the youngest but one of his children, the others being: John, Eliza, who married (first) Michael Mathias, and (second) Christian Pommert; Catherine, who married Robert Highley; Sarah, who married Elliott Denman; and Malinda, who married Jacob Spiece. To Mr. and Mrs. Crissinger the following children were born: Manford Roy, who married Agnes Keckler, and has two children, Julia and Frank. Daisy Viola, who married Wallace Lindsay, and has two children, Plites, and Reo May; William A.; Ray, who married Hattie Mollenkoff, and has five children — Helen, Homer, Raymond, Velma and Wilma; Grover O., who married Mary Oberlander, and has two children, Harold and Eveline; Blanche E., who is the wife of David Pierce; Mervin E.; and
Florence. Mr. Crissinger and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he served some years as steward and for six years was a class leader. As a citizen Mr. Crissinger has been interested in all that has promised to build up and make more stable good laws and good influences in his community. Politically his opinions have made him a Democrat and for many years both in Alarion and in Crawford counties he has served honestly and efficiently in township offices, beirig assessor for five years in the former and for three years in the latter, and for six years served Dallas township on its board of trustees.
As printed in History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Elias Stiger (b. 1857)
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.