J. B. Stratton

As printed in 1885

J. B. STRATTON, P. O. Kent, a retired farmer and an honored citizen of this county for upward of forty years, was born at Bennington, Yt., March

14, 1800. His parents, Joel and Rhoda (Beaman) Stratton, were farmers, to which occupation the subject of this sketch was reared. In 1824 he deposited his first vote for Henry Clay as President. He was married, in his native town, May 12, 1824, to Ruth Olin, a daughter of Ezra Olin, of Shaftsbury, Vt. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Stratton are as follows: Almira, born February

15, 1825; Mary M., born August 12, 1826; Asa, born February 24, 1828; Lucas, born November 8, 1829; Samuel, born August 19, 1831; Freeman, born June 26, 1833; Joel, born March 28, 1835, and accidentally scalded to death, January 12, 1838; Jonathan N., born May 16, 1837; Melissa, born May 28, 1839; Susan, born December 30, 1840; Joseph B., born October 22, 1842; Clarissa C, born July 2, 1849. Soon after marriage Mr. Stratton moved to Genesee County, N. Y., and thence to Wyoming County, N. Y., and in 1837 took up his residence in this county, buying a farm of 130 acres about two miles north of the present village of Kent. Though Mr. Stratton received in his youth a very limited education, his success in life speaks well for his natural sterling qualities of mind. He added to his first possessions in this county, and at one time owned some 400 acres of valuable land and other property. At the time (1874) of the celebration of the golden wedding of himself and wife, eleven of their children were living, all of whom were married, ten of them being present on the occasion, and Mr. Stratton presented each of them, as a memorial of the event, with $1,000. The eleven children are all now living and in prosperous circumstances. In 1884 our subject's grandchildren numbered thirty-two, and his great-grandchildren, fifteen. Mrs. Stratton, who was a member of the Universalist Church, died April 4, 1877, and Mr. Stratton then, January 15, 1878, married Mrs. Martha A. (Williams) Munsee, widow of Edward A. Munsee, and daughter of Mark and Polly (Staunton) Williams, of Hampshire County, Mass. Mr. Stratton now resides in the north part of the village of Kent, wherehe owns eleven acres of land. He and his wife are members of the Universalist Church. In politics he is a Republican.

As printed in History of Portage County, Ohio (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.