In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1910) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1842, Fairfield County
From Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens (1910), History of Hancock County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns ... portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the Northwest Territory, history o (1886)
JOSEPH R. KAGY, lawyer and farmer, ex auditor of Hancock County, Findlay, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, December 21, 1842, son of Samuel and Hannah (Baker) Kagy, natives of that county, the former of whom, a son of Christian Kagy, who located in that county in 1800. fi'om Shenandoah County, Va., comes of pioneer stock in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Hannah (Baker) Kagy was a daughter of Charles Baker, also a pioneer of Fairfield County. In 1847 Samuel Kagy settled in Allen Township, this county, where he cleared and improved land, and was a worthy citizen. He reared and educated his family well, and was altogether an active and energetic business man; he died May 7, 1884, in full communion with the Baptist Church, of which he had ever been a liberal supporter. Of his twelve children, four sons and four daughters survive: Joseph R., Solomon D., a farmer in Waverly, Neb.; Barbara E., wife of Samuel Swab, a farmer in this county; David B., a farmer and teacher; Samuel A., attorney at law, Findlay; Clara R., a teacher; Alice C, wife of L. A. Heminger, a farmer and teacher in this county; and Frances E. Joseph R., the eldest, obtained a good education and taught school for many years here. During this time he accumulated a nice competency and carried on farming, with which he is still identified. He has always taken an active part in public affairs, and has held many of the offices of the township. In 1871 he became a member of the board of school examiners for the county, and served in that incumbency for six years; in 1877 he was elected auditor of Hancock County, which position he creditably filled till November, 1888, when he retired fi'om public affairs, and is now pursuing the study of law in order to adopt it as a profession. He married in Van Buren, Ohio, January 21, 1804, Catharine M., daughter of John and Mary (Bookman) Zarbaugh, pioneers of this county, fi-om Pennsylvania. They have a family of three sons and two daughters: Nora B. and Edith, the eldest two, are ladies of literary attainments and teachers of excellent reputation; Earl C, David Dudley and J. Rodney are young lads yet attending school. Mrs. Kagy is a member of the Christian Church, to which Mr. Kagy is a liberal contributor. He is a worthy Odd Fellow and member of the Encampment. Since locating in Findlay Mr. Kagy has taken an active interest in the development of the social and industrial life of Findlay, and has always been a liberal contributor to measures tending to its welfare. He is of good p/i?/s/(/u6, strong constitution and vigorous nature, and bids fair to take rank in the line of long-lived citizens of this section of the county. In politics he is a Democrat.
As printed in History of Hancock County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns ... portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the Northwest Territory, history o (1886). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
HON. JOSEPH R. KAGY, formerly mayor of the city of Findlay, and for many years a public official of Hancock County, during which time he capable filled many offices of responsibility, has been engaged in the real estate and insurance business at Findlay, for over a decade. He was born December 21, 1842, in Fairfield County, Ohio, and in 1847 was brought to Hancock County by his parents, and from that time until the present he has been identified with the interests of this section of Ohio.
When nineteen years of age, Mr. Kagy began to teach school during the winter seasons, passing his summers in healthy farm work; and for about nine years he had charge of the public schools of Van Buren. During his many years of residence in Allen Township, Mr. Kagy proved himself an active and useful citizen, and after serving a number of terms as township clerk, assessor and treasurer, in 1877 he was elected auditor of Hancock County, being re-elected in 1880. After the close of his second term, he served for almost two years as deputy auditor. When Hon. W. L. Carlin, then mayor of Findlay, was elected to the State Senate, Mr. Kagy, who was then serving as a member of the city council of Findlay, was elected by the council to fill out the unexpired term of Mayor Carlin, which he did to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. The duties of his other public positions occupied a large part of his time, these offices including membership on the board of county school examiners, and the positions of assistant clerk of the State Senate, deputy state superintendent of insurance, and roll clerk in the Pension Department at Columbus. Since 1901, when he was put forward by the Democratic party as its candidate for state senator, Mr. Kagy has not been as active in politics as formerly and thus has found more time to give attention to his own business affairs. From 1886 to 1889, he was engaged very successfully in the oil and gas business, but since 1898 he has been mainly interested in fire insurance and realty, and in these lines is a representative business man of this city. He has offices in the Marvin Block and is agent for fire, tornado, and plate glass insurance, representing the following standard companies: the Aetna Insurance Company, of Hartford, Conn.; the Phoenix Insurance Company, of Brooklyn, New York; the Royal Exchange Assurance, of London, England; the Sun Insurance Office, of London, England; Lloyd’s Plate Glass, of New York; and the Citizens, of St. Louis, Missouri.
At Van Buren, Ohio, on January 21, 1864, Mr. Kagy married Miss Catherine M. Zarbaugh, and the survivors of their family of six children are: Nora B., who resides at home and is associated with her father in the office
(she is prominent in the Rebecca branch of Odd Fellowship, and is past president of the Rebecca Assembly of Ohio); Mary E., who is the wife of Dr. E. B. Jacobs, residing at Chicago, Ill.; David C. D., who is an attorney and a well known educator in Hancock County; and J. Rodney, who is engaged in the practice of dentistry, at Chicago, Ill. The family home is situated on Perrysburg Road. Mr. Kagy is an Odd Fellow and an Elk.
As printed in Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Samuel Swab (b. 1845)
Their biographies name Joseph R. Kagy: Daniel Frick (b. 1855)
The printed record stops around 1910. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.