George Edwin Neff

As printed in 1906

EORGE EDWIN NEFF, a native of this county and a resident of it since his birth, has conducted a general store at Derby for the past 12 years. He was born December 13, 1854, and is a son of William and Elizbeth (Marshall) Neff and a grandson of Jacob Neff.

Jacob Neff, who was born in what is now West Virginia, married Catherine Clark in that State, and as emigrants he and his wife with their three children came to Pickaway County, Ohio, by wagon, settling first on a rented farm, the Judge Florence place. The three children born to them before coming to Ohio were three sons, namely: John, who married Elizabeth Owens and resided near Circleville — both now deceased; William, the father of our subject; and Tillison, who married Elizabeth Steele — both now deceased.

William Neff married Elizabeth Marshall, a daughter of James and Sarah (Murray) Marshall, the latter of whom was born in Ireland, and came to America when six years of age with her parents, who settled in Pennsylvania. It was in that State that she was married to James Marshall. The seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. William Neff were: Sarah, now deceased, who was the wife of Albert Miller: George E., our subject; Mary, wife of A. E. Loofbourrow, both of whom reside at Mount Sterling, Ohio; John, who married Osie Maxwell and is a resident of Columbus; William, Jr., who was married (first) to a Miss Cartmill and (second) to Helen Strain; James, who married Elizabeth Hewitt and lives at Newport, Ohio;*and Courtney M., who married Mary Anderson.

George E. Neff married, as his first wife, Mary E. Hott, daughter of Peter Hott, a native of this State. Mrs. Neff died in 1882. On September 2, 1886, at Derby, he married Mary Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of James and Sarah (Briley) Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. James Johnson came from Maryland and 17 children were born to them — Jonathan, William. James, Homer, Matthew, John, Grant, Peter, David, Jane (deceased), Mary Elizabeth, Alice, Price, Hattie (deceased), Lillian, and two children that died in infancy.

After his marriage to Mary Elizabeth Johnson, Mr. Neff commenced housekeeping in the present family home at Derby, which belongs to his wife. Three children have been born into the household, namely: Brice, who died in 1892; and Marguerite, born May 17, 1892, and Sarah, born May 17, 1896, both of whom live at home.

Mr. Neff has been engaged in business at Derby for the past 12 years, and has established one of the leading general stores in his section of the county, carrying an especially good line of groceries, dry goods and shoes. He has served on the School Board for six years, is a member of the, Methodist Episcopal Church, is an Odd Fellow, and altogether is a substantial, moral and progressive member of the community in which he has resided throughout his life.

As printed in History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.