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 1841, Boone county
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1912)
F. M. FOSTER.
F. M. Foster, a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, residing in Crestline, was born in Boone county, Kentucky, on the 2d of July, 1841. His father, James A. Foster, was a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and was there reared until sixteen years of age. The paternal grandfather of our subject was seven times married and the grandmother of our subject was his fourth wife. There were three children by this marriage, a daughter and two sons, one of whom was J. A. Foster. At the age of sixteen he left home and went to Kentucky, where for a time he followed any employment that he could get, which would yield him an honorable living. With two of his half-brothers he went to Springfield, Illinois, in an early day, but afterward returned to Kentucky. He married in Boone county, that state, ami then took up his above there, making it his place of residence until about 1851, when he removed to Grant county, where he was engaged in farming. Earlier in life, however, he had been connected with steamboating as a mate on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, running between Cincinnati, St. Louis. New Orleans and other cities. After devoting some time to farming in Grant county Mr. Foster went to Tipton county, Indiana, where he again carried on farming until his removal to Edgar county, Illinois, where he spent two years. On the expiration of that period he became a resident of Coles county, Illinois, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and later he resided for some time in Montgomery county, Illinois. His wife bore the maiden name of Prudence Knight, and was born in Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania. She was of Scotch-Irish and German lineage, while her husband was of Irish and Scotch descent. Her father entered the army as a soldier in the Mexican war and was killed in the service, leaving to his widow a large family. Mrs. Knight was in her maidenhood a Miss Walker and belonged to the same family with James G. Blaine, now deceased. She was a woman of much more than ordinal"y intelligence and displayed ability in rearing her family. Unto Air. and Mrs. Foster have been born five sons, of whom F. M. is the eldest, the others being: Robert K., a resident of California; George, who is supposed to be in Texas; William, now in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and Charles, who died in Grant county, Kentucky, when twenty-one months old, The father of this family passed away in East St. Lonis, in 1869.
Mr. Foster, whose name introduces this review, was reared under the parental roof and when twenty years of age started out in life on his own account. He had previously devoted his time and attention to assisting his father and in the acquirement of his education in the common schools, but a year prior to the time when he attained his majority he began railroading", on what was then the Indianapolis & St. Louis road, building bridges and culverts along the line. His next railroad service was in the employ of the Illinois Central, as brakeman on a passenger, the train running from Centralia to Cairo, Illinois, and subsequently he became a brakeman on the Ohio & Mississippi road, running on a freight train. He was with that company for about four years and during the latter part of the time acted as conductor. After severing his connection with the read be traveled over the country to a considerable extent, hoping to benefit his health, which had become impaired. He found in travel and rest the help be needed and after a time went to Scott county, Iowa, where he spent about four years, engaged in farming. In 1872 he came to Crestline and entered the service of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad as brakeman, serving in that capacity until the nth ot October, 1873. when he was promoted to conductor. He has been constantly in that service through the past twenty:eight years, running most of the time on a freight train running between Crestline, Alliance and Allegheny. He is very reliable and painstaking, is courteous and obliging in manner and has won the warm regard of many of the patrons of the road.
On the 20th of June. 1872, Mr. Foster was united in marriage to Aliss Mary E. Wertz, a native of Ohio, born in Holmes county, and a daughter of George and Amanda (Myers) Wertz. She was reared and educated in the place of her nativity, and by her marriage has become the mother of one son, vet living, Ira J., who is engaged in the undertaking business in Crestline. Two sous have passed away. Benjamin having died at the age of seven months, while the eldest son, Charles H., died in his twenty-sixth year. He married Josephine Dunlap, of Freedom, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and they had one son, Marion PI., who is living with his mother in Pennsvlvania.
Charles F. was a telegraph operator and at the time of his death was acting as manager of the office at Conway, Pennsylvania. At the time of his demise the following memorial was prepared by the Masonic lodge, of which he was a member:
"Death, the impartial messenger of the Grand Master, has again entered our ranks. The name of another loved brother has been added to the long roll of our fraternal dead that have their final record in the reports of our committees Tn Memoriam.'
"Brother Charles H. Foster, of Arcana Lodge. No. 2"j2, of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons, died at Freedom, Beaver county, Pennsylvania. June 5. 1899, A. L. 5899, at 6:00 p. m., in the twenty-sixth year of his age. Brother Charles H. Foster was born in Crestline, Crawford county, Ohio, August 2$. 1873, his father being Brother Frank Foster, of Arcana Lodge, Xo. 272, Free and Accepted Masons. He was made a Mason in Arcana Lodge, No. 2/2, Free and Accepted Masons, August 12, 1897.
"He was united marriage March 9, 1898, in Crestline, Ohio, to Miss Josephine Dunlap, of Freedom, Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Nearly the whole of his life he lived in our midst, with some of our young brothers as a schoolmate, in his youth and young manhood living in friendly intercourse with both old and young, and respected by all, for those native endowments that make a good citizen and brother. As a husband he was kind and affectionate, as only she can know and tell, into whose home entered so early in life, the dark-winged angel of death, and carried away the loved half of life, and left sorrow and almost despair in both heart and home.
"As a grandson he also exemplifies his character as a son, by his love and considerate kindness for his aged grandmother, Mrs. Prudence Foster, by having his marriage solemnized at the home of his parents, that she might be the honored one among all the guests; but for this love and considerate kindness, her infirmities of age would have prevented her attendance at the ceremony and would have compelled her as though neglected to live alone by recollection in and with the past, for she had long passed the Psalmist s allotted time of three score years and ten, and for years she had not been able to participate in the affairs of the active present. But recalled from the memories of the past to be the honored guest at the most important event in her grandson's life, was evidence to her aged heart that she had not been forgotten, and that she was not an unwelcome guest, that here was a grandson young and strong who would if necessary care for her.
"Filial devotion like that manifested by our young brother that brings throbs of joy and confidence to the aged heart, bears the impress of a nobility of soul that God alone can bestow and that no outward adornment can typify, and is expressive of a feeling fine as pure gold and for his parents is the highest tribute to his worth as a son as well as a grandson.
"As a brother he was devoted to the interests of Masonry: few of his brothers were more faithful in the discharge of their Masonic duties; worthily have warm tears bedewed his grave; worthily did out brother Masons of Rochester Lodge, Xo. 229, of Pennsylvania, drop into his grave in our stead the spring of acacia, that Masonic emblem of sympathy, undying affection and immortality, and with the hope that we, and they, may meet our brother, Charles H. Foster, in the grander halls than those of earth.
"Bowing with reverence to the mandate of the Grand Master of the universe, that God whom all Masons must acknowledge, it is appropriate, it is a duty here to place our testimonial to the worth of our brother, Charles H. Foster, in life and to his memory in death upon the pages of our enduring record:
"Therefore be it resolved that in the death of Brother Charles H. Foster, of Arcana Lodge, Xo. 272, of Ohio Free and Accepted Masons, the parents, our brother Frank Foster and his wife, have lost a devoted son; the wife a kind and affectionate husband, Arcana Lodge, Xo. 272, Free and Accepted Masons, a just and upright brother.
"Resolved, That these resolutions in memoriam of Brother Charles FL Foster be made a part of the record of this meeting.
"Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions under seal of the lodge be presented to Brother Frank Foster and to Mrs. Josephine Foster.
"Resolved, That Arcana Lodge, Xo. 272, of Free and Accepted Masons, tender to Rochester Lodge. Xo. 229, of Pennsylvania, Free and Accepted Masons, our Masonic thanks for their attention to Brother Charles H. Foster in his illness., and for the faithful discharge of the burial rites of the Masonic order at his grave.
"Resolved, That we extend to his fellow operators the thanks of Arcana Lodge, Xo. 272, Free and Accepted Masons, for their kind words and floral testimonial to the memory of our deceased Brother, Charles H. Foster.
"W. Stahle, "Thomas H. B. Clutter, "Charles Redeker,
"Committee in Memoriam.''
For sixteen years Mr. Foster has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the degrees of the bine lodge and chapter in the branches at Crestline. For about twenty years he has been a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, and in politics he is a Republican in the questions of state and national importance, but at local elections, where no national issue is before the people and the question is merely to select the must capable man to perform the business of the office, he votes independently. As a citizen he is public-spirited and progressive, taking a commendable interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community. For thirty years he was connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and the record is certainly a creditable one, indicating his prompt fidelity to duty.
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.
FRANCIS MARION FOSTER,* who has been a resident of Crestline, O., where he now lives retired, for 40 years, for 36 of these was a faithful and valued employe of the great Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He was born in Bracken county, Ky., in July, 1841, a son of James and Prudence (Knight) (Walker) Foster.
On the paternal side Mr. Foster's ancestors came from Scotland and Ireland and were early settlers in Tennessee. Grandfather Foster was born in Tennessee and was married seven times and survived all his wives, the fourth one being the grandmother of Francis M. Foster of Crestline and was the mother of four children, one of whom was James Foster. He was born near Knoxville, Tenn., in 1817. In early life a farmer, he later became mate on a Mississippi River steamboat, but afterward returned to his farm and died at St. Louis, Mo., in 1869. Prior to the Civil War he was a Democrat but afterward was identified with the Republican party. He married Prudence Knight Walker, who was a first cousin of Hon. James G. Blaine, and was born in Westmoreland county. Pa. After the death of her husband she came to Crestline and for 32 years was a member of the household of her son, Francis Marion Foster, where her death occurred in January, 1900, when her age was 82 years, 2 months and 18 days. Her grandfather Knight died while serving in the War of 1812. During the life of her husband she attended the Baptist church, to which he belonged, but later she united with the Presbyterian church. She was the revered mother of four sons, all of whom grew to manhood and three married, Francis Marion being the eldest arid the only one living.
Francis M. Foster was 1 5 years of age when his parents moved to Indiana and later to Illinois. When he started out for himself he entered railroad life as an employe of the old
I. & St. L. line and engaged in construction work for one year and then became fireman, later a brakeman on the Illinois Central Railroad and still later, on the O. & M. Railway, which is now the B. & O., southwest. In 1872 he came to Crestline and accepted a position as freight conductor with the Pennsylvania Railroad, beginning a connection that lasted for 36 years, when he retired with a clean record, this move being made at his own request, when he was 68 years of age, his pension being dated August i, 1909. Mr. Foster is well and favorably known to all railroad men in this section and is highly esteemed by the company he served so long and by his comrades who had confidence in his skill and knowledge and affection and admiration for him as a man. Since 1885 he has been a member of the order of Railway Conductors and was a charter member of the division order at Alliance, O., known as Division No. 177, with which he has always been in good standing. From 1875 until 1885 he was chief conductor in the old order of Brotherhood Conductors, when that organization had its headquarters at Crestline. Aside from his own business, Mr. Foster has also been a progressive and energetic worker and a useful and public spirited citizen. In politics he has been a supporter of the policies of the Republican party since the close of the second administration of President Cleveland. In 1881 he became a Mason and belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Crestline, actively interested in the fraternity and living up to its teachings.
On June 20, 1872, in Knox county, O., Mr. Foster was married to Miss Mary E. Wertz, who was born in Holmes county, O., where she was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Foster had three children: Charles H., whose lamented death occurred in his 26th year, and who married Josephine Dunlap who survives with their daughter, Marion, now 14 years old; Ira G., a funeral director at Crestline, who married Almira Geiger, and has one son, Eugene Francis; and Benjamin, who died at the age of seven months. Mrs. Foster died Dec. 23, 1906. Mr. Foster is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as was his wife, ei
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: Thomas H. B. Clutter
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.