In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1908) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1833, Shenandoah County
From 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908), The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881)
REUBEN SCIFERS, farmer; P. O. Springfield; born in Virginia Feb. 14. 1833; isa son of Jacob and Nancy (Romick) Scifers, natives of Virginia, but who emigrated to Ohio and located in Champaign Co. in September, 1833, and there resided till their death. He died Sept. 9, 1875; she died Nov. 17, 1869. They were parents of fifteen children; fourteen now survive— Matilda, Eliza, Catharine, Elizabeth, William H. H., Reuben, Martha Jane, Isabel and James H. (twins), Samuel, Sarah Aun, Rachel, Margaret and Hannah Ellen; one deceased—Mary, who married David Jenkins, by whom she had eight children. Mr. Scifers always followed farming as an occupation; was a remarkably active and industrious man, having to make his own way through life; raised a large family of children, besides supporting his aged mother for many years, who lived to the remarkable age of 96 years. Mr. Scifers was a soldier in the war of 1812. He lived to the advanced age of 90 years, and was quite smart and active up to within a few days of his death. Our subject remained at home with his father till his majority. He then learned the trade of plasterer, which he followed till last summer, when he gave up his trade and has entered upon farming, to which he intends to devote the remainder of his life. He bought the farm upon which he now lives in the spring of 1868, upon which he has since resided, with the exception of two years, during which he lived in Springfield. He was married, Jan. 30, 1859, to Mary F., daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth (Maggert) Hullinger, he a native of Pennsylvania and she of Virginia. By this union they have two children—Alice Ada (now Mrs. Charies O. May) and Ulysses Grant.
As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
REUBEN SCIFERS, one of Moorefield Township's representative men, residing on his excellent farm of fifty-six acres which lies on the Springfield-Urbana turnpike, one mile north of the corporation limits of Springfield, was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, February
14, 1833. His parents were Jacob and Nancy (Romick) Scifers.
The Scifers family originated in Germany. It was established in Loudon Covmty, Virginia, by the grandfather of Reuben Scifers. Grandfather Scifers, wishing to escape military service, ran away from home and gained a vessel which brought him to the American colonies during the Revolutionary War, in which he served for six years. Jacob Scifers, father of Reuben, was born in Loudon County, Virginia, in 1787. He served in the War of 1812. He married Nancy Romick, who was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, where her father owned a large plantation. They had eight children born in that county, Reuben being the youngest, and seven more were added to the family after settlement was made in Mad River Township, Champaign County, Ohio. One of his sons, James H., served four years in the Civil War.
Reuben Scifers was less than one year old when his parents left the old Virginia home, in September, 1833, and crossed the mountains in wagons to Champaign County, Ohio, where they settled on a rented farm. The father had previously bought a farm, but had never moved there and later sold it. He was a man of sterling character and reared his large family to respected maturity. In 1844 he contributed, with his neighbors, to assist in the building of Wittenberg College, his contribution taking the form of a load of lumber, and it was his son, Reuben, then a boy of eleven years, who delivered this first load as a beginning of that notable edifice.
In 1854, when he had readied his twenty-first vear, Reuben Scifers left home and went to Urbana to learn the plasterer's trade, at which he worked until 1856, and then came to Springfield, where he worked as a journeyman plasterer until 1860 when he went into plastering contracting, for several years being associated with David Stevens. From 1872 until 1880 Mr. Scifers continued in business alone, doing a great deal of the plaster work on Springfield buildings. It was done with the slow, careful methods which make for permanence, rather than with the cheapening hurry of the present day, which too often entirely destroys the substantial character of a building. In the spring of 1868, Mr. Scifers bought his present farm, to which he moved in the following fall and resided on it until 1876, when he spent two years at Springfield, in order to give his children city school advantages. In 1878 he returned to the farm and resumed agricultural pursuits. On January 30, 1859, Mr. Scifers was married to Mary Hulinger, who is a daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth (Maggart) Hulinger. Mrs. Scifers was born and reared in Mad River Township, Champaign County, where her parents had married, although her father was born in Pennsylvania and her mother in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Scifers have two children: Alice Ada and Ulysses G. Alice Ada Scifers married Charles 0. May, who is a contracting plasterer at Springfield. They have four children, namely: Ford A., who married Ross Poysell; Margaret; John R.; and Blair, the latter of whom was accidentally drowned on Decoration Day, in 1904, when within one week of being twelve years of age. This was a sad blow to every member of the family and aroused the sympathy of the whole community. Ulysses G. Scifers resides at Springfield. He married Mary Clouse, and they have one sou, Robert B.
Mr. Scifers is a Republican, and he was elected township trustee and faithfully served through his term of three years. For the space of eighteen years he was a member of the Board of Agriculture. With his family he belongs and gives liberal support to the Fourth Lutheran Church at Springfield.
As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1908. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.