In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1830
From The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881)
W. G. BRAIN, Springfield; a native of Springfield; is a son of George Brain, Sr. The subject of this sketch was born in 1830; when a youth, he engaged as clerk in a drug-store here, and subsequently engaged in the drug trade on his own account. and continued the business here ten or twelve years; he has been in the lumber trade here for the past eleven years, and has resided here, with the exception of one or two short intervals, all his life. He has been twice married, his. first marriage being with Mary Dyer, of Cincinnati, in 1858; she having died. he married Elizabeth Dyer, a sister of his first wife, in 1876. By his first wife he had four children, two of whom are living; he has one child by his second marriage. His residence is No. 272 West Pleasant street. His oldest daughter living, Miss Belle M., is Superintendent of Drawing in the city schools; Robert D. is a graduate of the high school, and Stanley, the youngest, is a child of 3 years. My. Brain’s lumberyard and office are between the C. S. & C., and L. M. depots; he is handling large quantities of lumber, mostly in: ear lots.
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.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.