Heber W. Custis

As printed in 1915

HEBER W. CUSTIS.

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Levi H. Custis was one of seven children born to his parents, as follows: William was born on September 8, 1836: Isaiah, November 2, 1838; Myra, March 18, 1840; Hannah J., July 21. 1843; Levi H., December 26, 1845; Rhoda, October 23, 1848, died on October 10, 1850; and Mary, February 13. 1851.

Heber W. Custis Is one of five children born to his parents, and he Is the youngest in order of birth. Lillian Is the wife of Clark Haines, of Warren county, Ohio. Edna Is the wife of Irving Peelle, of Wilmington. Ohio. Dwlght married Nettle Hughes. He Is a minister at Richwood, Ohio. Maude died in Infancy.

Like most lads born and reared in Clinton county, Heber W. Custis attended the district schools, but he had unusual educational advantages In being permitted to attend Wilmington College for two years, after which he took an agricultural short course at Ohio State University, at Columbus. There he received a splendid training for practical farming, and completed the course In 1909. In 1911, Mr. Custis* father retired from active farm life and removed to Sabina. Ohio, since which time Heber W. has rented the home place of one hundred and twelve acres from his father. The farm has a very handsome brick house on the Washington pike, with an avenue of maples leading back to the house. Mr. Custis bought seventy-seven acres of land from his father near the home farm. In this community be Is considered a very pleasant, agreeable young citizen.

On August 10, 1010. Heber W. Custis was married to Hazel Reed, who was born in Wayne township, Clinton county. Ohio, a daughter of Amos and Ella (Drlscoll) Reed.

Mrs. Curtis graduated from the Reesvillc high school and also attended Wilmington College, after which she taught school two years in Wilson township. Amos Heed was born in Wayne township, Clinton county, Ohio, in 1852. and died In 1888. He was a son of William and Rachel Kede, the former of whom was born in Clinton county, Ohio, and the latter of whom whs born in Virginia. William Heed was a farmer in Wayne township. Ella (Driscoll) Reed, the mother of Mrs. Custls, was a daughter of Ephralm and Hester (Kaiser) Driscoll, the former of whom was a native of ('Union county, Ohio, and the latter of Indiana. Ephralni Driscoll was a farmer living near Cuba. Amos and Ella (Driscoll) Reed were farmers in Wayne township, and were the parents of two children: Orville, of Melvln. Ohio, and Hazel. Amos Reed died while Hazel was an Infant, and In 1801 her mother. Ella (Driscoll) Reed, married, secondly, William B. Vermllyea. who was born in Wabash county. Indiana, a son of Solomon mid Mary Jane Vermllyea. William Vermllyea served three and one-half years in the Civil War in the Seventh Missouri Cavalry. He was a widower, his first marriage occurring In 1860. He and his wife, the mother of Mrs. Custls. are now living retired in Reesville, Ohio. By this second marriage, there were two children: Ethel, who married Virgil Ireland, of Dayton, Ohio; and Wright, who Is unmarried and lives at Keesville with his parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Heber W. Curtis have had two children:.lean, born on July 2. 1011, and Freda, January 2, 1914.

Mr. and Mrs. Custls belong to the Methodist Protestant church at Melvln, Ohio. Mr. Custls is a member of Kablna Lodge No. 324. Free and Accepted Masons.

The Haworth family has been well established In Clinton county for more than a century, and the various members of the family have been prominent in the political nud religious life of the various sections in which they have lived. Elijah Marmaduke Haworth. one of the older members of the family now living in this county, is a well-known churchman and farmer of Union towushlp. where he Is prominent in the Dover meeting of Friends, and a former trustee of Wilmington College. In Clinton county the name Haworth stands for honesty. Integrity and the highest moral purpose, and the representative of the present generation are no exception to the rule established by the worthy pioneers and early members of this family.

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Elijah Haworth was the son of Mahlon and Phoebe (Bailey) Haworth. the former of whom settled on Todd's fork in 1804. This Is a part of Clinton county, now comprised In Union township. Mahlon Haworth was a son of George Haworth. said to have been the second settler in what Is now Union township, and one of the earliest in Clinton county. He opened a farm and built a grist-mill. His son, James, settled on a farm long occupied by Ell Gasklll: Richard settled on the David Myers place, and John the Morris farm; Oeorge owned the John Haines place, while Samuel and Dillon lived at home with their father. A year later Mahlon brought his family from Tennessee and settled on the farm since owned by William Walker, of Todd's fork, two miles north of Wilmington, on the Dover road. Other sons opened other well-known farms in this part of the county until each of the eight had homes of their own. Here George Haworth continued to reside until about 1825. when several of hia sons, having sold their possessions In Ohio, removed to Illinois. He also sold out and removed with his two younger sons. Samuel and Dillon, to Quaker Point, near Georgetown, Vermilion county.

ELIJAH MARMADUKE HAWORTn.

Illinois, in order to be near his children. Georgetown was laid out by his sou, James Hawortb, and called after his father's given name. George Ha worth was a worthy member of the Society of Friends nnd In the letter years of his life a minister. About 1K07 or 180S. be traveled on horseback to Baltimore to attend the yearly meeting as a representative from the Miami quarterly meeting, then, as now, held at Waynesvllle.

Mablon Hawortb, the son of George Hawortb, who bad settled on Todd's fork in sitt. visited Ohio first in 1800 on a prospecting tour and prosecuted his explorations up the Little Miami and Mad rivers, returning by way of Van Meter's. When be came from Tennessee with his family In 1804, he was accompanied by John and James Wright and their families. At this time Cincinnati contained altogether about eighteen houses. It Is said that Mablon Haworth on the journey north rode the wheel horse and drove the team over Clinch mountain, bearing an infant in his arms. This child, then nearly two years old, was his daughter. Susanna, who afterwards married Marmaduke Hrackney. Besides Susanna, be brought to Ohio his three children older than she. Rebecca. George 1). and Hezeklab. The families of George Hawortb. Mahlou Haworth. James and John Wright were among the first white families to settle In Clinton county north of Wilmington. In the bottom of the opjtoslte side of Todd's fork, where they built their cabin, wits a camping ground of Indians. In their rude cabin and during the cold winter season a daughter. Mary Haworth. or 'Tolly," as she was called, was born to Mablon Hnworth. She grew so beautiful that she was admired of all the surrounding country, but In the midst of her loveliness, in her early womanhood, she was called away. Mablon and I'hohe (Bailey! Haworth had also born to them upon this farm other children, as follow: Phoebe. Mablon. Jr.. John. Elijah. James nnd Richard. Rebecca died In early womanhood, nnd Johu and James In lnfnncy. The remaining children all lived to he respected and inlhieutlal citizens of Clinton county and heads of families. Mahlou Hi worth finally owned about two hundred acres. He died on his farm at the age of sixty-eight In 1849. All the members of his family were ment Quakers and he helped to start the Dover meeting in his neighborhood.

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KHJah Haworth grew up on a farm In I'nion township, nnd with only three hundred dollars ei'sh for payment purchased ninety-seven acres of land out of the Wrlghtsman farm, where his son now lives. He built a cabin on the farm and kept adding to the place until lie owned two hundred acres. In 1R40 he built the house which yet stands on the place and In which Ills son lives. Tt Is a very comfortable dwelling. In 144 lie built the large barn which also stands on the place, hewing ever?' stick of timber in it. He lived on this farm until his death. He was a stock raiser and took especial pride in fnttenlnc large numbers of hogs. He served as township trustee, having been elected as a Whig, and during ail his life was a radical Abolitionist, and on the formation of the Republican party became Identified with It. He and his family were all active In the Dover meeting of the Friends church.

Elijah and Elizabeth (Walthall) Haworth had five children, three of whom, the eldest, are deceased. The living children are Elijah Marmaduke. the subject of this sketch, nnd Phoebe, who married H. Mather, a farmer of Union township. The deceased children are: Henry, who was a farmer in the Dover neighborhood, and was killed in ISfll by the kick of a horse: William, who died in 1909. was a farmer in Union township; Martha, who married Josiab nosklns. died. February 15, 1915; her husband is also deceased.

Elijah Marmaduke Haworth attended the public schools and also the subscription

As printed in History of Clinton County, Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.