Willis Myers

As printed in 1898

ILLIS MYERS, a native of Streetsboro township. Portage county, Ohio, prominent farmer and an exsoldier of the Civil war, was born on the farm on which he now resides, February 13, 1 84 1, received a good common-school education, and was reared to the pursuit of agriculture.

Stephen Myers, grandfather of Willis, was born in Wheeling, Va., whence he moved to Beaver county. Pa., where he married Catherine Graham, and to this union were born nine children — Stephen, John, Adam, Jacob, William, Charles, Daniel, Frederick and George. About 1838 he brought his family to Portage county, Ohio, settled in Streetsboro township, within a mile of the place where Willis Myers now lives, and cleared up a farm of 160 acres from the forest, but later moved, and cleared up another farm of sixty acres, and on this he passed away his remaining years, dying in 1864, at the patriarchal age of 105 years. He was a very intelligent man, was educated in Germany, and a great student of the Bible.

John Myers, son of Stephen and father of Willis, was a native of Beaver county, Pa., and was about thirteen years old when brought to Ohio by his parents. He first married, in Geauga county, Amelia Hagen, who bore him one son, Frederick, and then passed away. His second marriage was with Nancy Tucker, a daughter of John and Catherine (Nieman) Tucker, the former of whom was a pioneer of Franklin township. Portage county, where he cleared up a fine farm, but later removed to Streetsboro township, where he purchased and cleared up another farm on which he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the advanced age of ninety-one years. John Myers was the original settler on the farm now owned by Willis, which he brought out from the woods and on which he built a saw-mill. He was a hard-working, honest man, was a democrat in politics, and died at the age of seventy-one years.

Willis Myers, on attaining his majority, enlisted, August II, 1862, at Cuyahoga Falls, in the Ninth Ohio battery of artillery, to serve three years, or during the war, and was honorably discharged at Chattanooga, Tenn., June 16, 1865, with the rank of corporal. He took part in all the marches and campaigns in which his regiment was engaged and endured all the hardships of a soldiers' life, performing his duties cheerfully and promptly, and received his promotion for meritorious conduct on the battle field. It may here be mentioned that Frederick Myers, half-brother of Willis, as alluded to above, was also a corporal, served in company F, Thirteenth Michigan cavalry, in the three years' service, and was wounded in battle. After his discharge from the service.

he returned to the old homestead, and married, March 25, 1868, Miss Ellen Miner, who was born March 8, 184= in Goshen, Ohio, a daughter of John and Mary (Hornish) Miner. Mr. Miner was a farmer of Columbiana county, of American birth, but of English descent, and his wife, Mary, was of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock. They were the parents of eight children,, who were named Joseph, John, Thomas, William, Samuel, Lucinda, Matilda and Ellen. Of the sons, Thomas served in a Michigan regiment during the Civil war, Samuel was in the Sixth Ohio cavalry and was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness, and Joseph and William were in the Ohio infantry. The father of the family died in middle age. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Myers settled on the old homestead, and their union has been blessed with the following children: John, James, George, Jesse D., Frank, Edith, Mamie and Sylvia. In politics Mr. Myers was formerly a republican, but is now a free-silver democrat. Fraternally he is an ex-member of A. H. Day post. No. 185, G. A. R., of which he was junior vice-commander, and was a member of Brady lodge. No. 183, I. O. O. F., both of Kent. Socially Mr. Myers and family stand very high, and personally he is greatly respected for his strictly moral character.

As printed in A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio (1898). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.