Notes:

Information about Albert P. is mostly from his children's memories, with some of it coming from insurance papers, deeds, and birth records.

When he was a child, he hated school and by the fifth grade his mother took a switch to him to get him to school. He was a very gentle and quiet man, the opposite of his wife in many ways. He was a very plain looking man and always very kind. His only fault mentioned was a quick temper. He went out of his way to help any person in need. He was the first of his family in Ohio to not be a practicing Quaker as an adult. He was a floor sander by trade and worked in all the counties surrounding his home. He also worked for what is now ARMCO, a steel rolling mill company. His job was to help turn the steel over and flip it onto a new line. When my dad was about nine, his father designed a device to automatically place the steel onto the new line. He showed the company his design and they said they had just gotten a patent on a similar device. They paid him $500.00 for his design. It was his design they actually built and this invention is still being used there today.

Some of what we know about Albert P. Coate comes from documents in his insurance files and my father, Albert Edward Coate. They rented one half of their Aunt's house in Piqua, Ohio when their first daughter was born. In the record of their 2nd stillborn daughter's birth in 1912, they lived at 696 Woodlawn, Middletown, Ohio. (C-DOC). They had moved to Baltimore St. in Middletown when their first son, Albert Edward was born. When Albert was 2 years old they tried to make a living by moving to the onion fields of northern Indiana. The summer brought a drought there and my father remembers living on potatoes and onions. It was a disaster and the Coate and Stevens families both moved back to Ohio after the first summer. Albert Pickering and his family then lived in Piqua, Ohio renting the house from their aunt again where Ben was born in 1916. Within a year, they moved to Trenton, Ohio on the opposite side of town that became their final home. Here Bob was born in 1917. They returned to Middletown on Franklin St. in 1919. About 1923, they returned to 113 John St. in Trenton where Albert P. Coate purchased the home I remember them living in for one thousand dollars. This is where he lived until the end of his life.

He was the third person to own a car in Trenton, Ohio. It was a Green Rio. His second car was a Model T. His young son Ben and a neighbor boy cut out the icing glass in it's windows when it was brand new. (C-687) On Sept. 13, 1934, he bought a Ford 28 Roadster from Lebanon Motor Sales for $95.00.(C-284) The final home belonging to Albert P. and Maud Stevens Coate at 113 John St., in Trenton, Ohio was sold in 1976 when Maud Coate moved to Columbus. It was listed at a cost of $23,500.00 with Jack Hembree Real Estate. (C:DOC-20)

Albert P. was known as a very friendly man. My father says "he never knew an enemy". People came from miles around to honor him at his funeral. It was one of the largest the town ever held and was packed with the people he'd befriended and an overflowing abundance of flowers. Twenty five years after his death, my father ran into a member of his community who commented on his dad's funeral and then said in a soft, sweet voice, "There was a fine.... man." He obviously touched people's hearts. One of his newspaper obituaries says that he had been ill since the November previous to his death and had been bedridden for the last three months. My father remembers his death occurring at the young age of 54 due to liver cancer. Apparently Albert P.'s smoking and years of exposure to floor sanding products got to his liver. My father, Albert Edward, stayed with him the night before he died. He died the next morning with the whole family gathered around him including his sister Mamie and her husband, Joe. His funeral service was held at the United Presbyterian Church with James P. Sturgeon and J.E. Amstutz (a Mennonite and close friend of the family) officiating. (C-284, 285, 2108) His death certificate says he died at age 53 years, 7 months and 21 days. It also says he was born on Nov 12, 1887, but his funeral book says he was born on Oct. 12, 1887 and his birth certificate says he was born on Dec. 12, 1887. The later is more likely to be correct. His son Benjamin was the person who gave the information for his death certificate and his memory on this subject might not have been accurate. His birth record would have been added closest to the event. (C: DOC)

The following is a biographical piece done by Richard Coate, son of Albert Pickering Coate about his father.ALBERT PICKERING COATE - INTELLIGENT, RESOURCEFUL AND INVENTIVE."As we all know, Dad was not a man of great means at the time he married Mom; however, an overall view of his history as a provider for his family reveals him to have been an intelligent, resourceful, and inventive man whose attempt to improve his circumstance and exercise a degree of control his own destiny was often foiled by the climate of the times in which he lived as well those who would exploit him for their own gain. That he was a man of deep humility was evident to all that knew him, due in large part to his Quaker upbringing. That he was capable of overcoming the many obstacles he confronted through the years is a testament to his tenacity, resilience and strength of character.

The pride and devotion to his family predominated all else. Considered by some to be a "dreamer" he was actually a man of considerable vision. Despite the error in judgment in quitting school at an early age, he was nonetheless determined to overcome the handicap by making his mark in the world.(In) 1915, when Marahelen and Albert were five and two respectively, Dad and Mom, along with members of the [Kaufman family] in Piqua, Ohio spent a hot, dry and unproductive summer in the Onion fields in Indiana. Though I don't know how many children they had at the time Dad and his younger brother John, owned a company for the manufacture of decorated cement blocks, they were still residing in Piqua. It must have been disheartening when Dad learned that Uncle John took off for Mexico with the $7000.00 in company funds.

When the Company was forced to close down for lack of sufficient operating funds, Dad, was again confronted with a crisis. Not one to bear a grudge, with passing time Dad apparently forgave his brother, for I recall the times Dad visited Uncle John at his home in Hamilton, Oh. However, as long as Mom lived she never had a good word to say about her brother-in-law. Though it is not known when he became an employee of the steel manufacturing company which became known as Armco in Middletown, Oh., Dad's inventive mind became a boon to his employer. In 1922, he was paid $ 1,000.00 for an invention of a means whereby a sheet of steel was automatically placed onto a new line in the manufacturing process. After he paid the man whom supplied material and the money to develop the invention, his profit only amounted to $5,00.00. Revolutionary as the process proved to be, the $500.00 was still pittance in comparison to the boon it proved to be for his employer. The amount of money and time in labor it saved them is inestimable.

Apparently Dad used some of the money to purchase the house on 113 John Street in Trenton, which became our home until Mom sold it in 1976. It was still in the boom years of the '20s when Dad left Armco. He apparently used some of the money to invest in a new business of his own. Dad would continue in the floor sanding business until his death. However, during the early depression years, floor sanders or refinishers as they were sometimes referred to, were not in great demand. Confronted with yet another personal financial crisis, Dad again confronted the challenge with the courage and resourcefulness that was akin to his nature. Though I have vague recall of Dad loading blocks of ice containing frozen fish onto the fender of his car, I was not old enough to appreciate what he did with them after he pulled out of our driveway. The older boys in the family no doubt recall that Dad hawked the fish as one source of income. He purchased the fish encased in ice blocks at the fish market in Middletown, Oh. Securing the blocks on either fender of the front bumper of his truck, he proceeded through the streets of Trenton and Middletown, calling out for all to hear. "Fresh fish for sale, Fresh fish for sale. Get them before their gone!" Warren tells me that he did this for several winters in those early depression years. By the time the Depression began to ease up, Dad was back at floor sanding full time.

As all the boys in the family learned the business, we had good reason to be proud of our father. By the mid-thirties, word had spread about the pride he took in his work as well as his work ethic. Always an advocate of a fair business deal, his client's invariably recommended his work to others. By the time ill health forced him to retire, his territory expanded to include Middletown, Hamilton, Lebanon, Franklin, Oxford, the outskirts of Cincinnati and Dayton, Oh. His clients included business people, owners of luxurious farm homes as well as those of city dwellers. As a boy, I found the diversity of his clients exciting and it always proved to be an adventure to work in these great houses I would never have seen had it not been for Dad's choice of occupation. As the invention for Armco Steel had lasting impact, Dad was sure that his invention for a more efficient floor sanding machine would lift him from the economic woes which plagued him for most of his married life. The invention was intended to render the machine more efficient in operation and less time consuming in the achievement of the desired result - a smooth, magnificent finish intended to endure for years. I recall the many arduous hours Dad spent working on the invention with his partner, Gink in "Gink's garage." Gink [short for Gingerich] was a long time, and highly respected Trenton resident. Dad, in the late '30s, employed Gink's hearing impaired son. Unfortunately, Dad's illness halted work on the invention, so a patent was never issued.

Though some of my older brothers often referred to Dad as a dreamer, he was, in my mind, a true visionary. As one with proven ability to conceive ways to improve productivity in a manufacturing process ranked him well above those who readily accept status quo as norm. Had he not been felled so early in life, I am sure that a patent on the invention for improving the sanding machine would have resulted in the financial boon he deserved. And I might add, as a kid whose formative years were during the hard times of the Great Depression, I was not a little envious of those who could afford to live so well. And it was a proud moment for me to walk hand in hand with Dad through the streets of Trenton, passing towns people who invariably addressed him, "Hello, Mr. Coate. How's the family." Dad would always respond with a warm smile, nodding in the affirmative, replying "Just fine, thank you." The occupational hazards of working with material giving off toxic fumes would take its toll. In 1939 when his health began to fail, Ben, a student at Ohio State University, having established his own floor sanding business in Columbus, Oh. was able to supplement Dad's diminishing income.

By summer of 1940 Dad was no longer able to work and the burden of supporting the family fell upon the older boys. Given the circumstance at home, Bill, Shirley and myself would spend a year away from home, Bill living with Aunt Grace and Uncle Corey in Akron, Oh., Shirley with Marahelen and Charles in Ashville, NC, and I with Ben's business partner's family, the Renwick's of Uhrichsville, Oh.[Though I could never relate this experience to Charles at the time I wrote the letter, by late May of 1941 we returned home to discover that Dad's weight was so reduced that he was a mere shadow of his former self. The day before he died, Dad summoned me to his bedside to read from the 23rd psalm from his bible. It was an experience I treasure. That he had singled me out for so private a moment so near his death was a defining one.

During my first days as a combat rifleman, I would have reason to recall that an ennobling experience with Dad. I, too, would seek comfort by repeating the 23rd psalm. On a post card to Betty I would inform her of my assignment, my address and state, "If I've repeated the 23rd psalm once, I've repeated it a hundred times this past day." Dawn of June 2, 1941 is one I shall never forget. Marahelen's gentle hand shaking me, her insistent voice commanded me to wake up. Her speech had taken on a soft southern inflection. "Wake up Dick, wake up, your Daddy's dyin.'" I recall racing downstairs to join the entire family, including Helen Schenck, Aunt Mamie and Uncle Joe, who were gathered around his bed at the moment of his passing. It was a sad day for all of us. Dad was dearly loved and respected and the impact of his life upon his immediate family, relatives and a vast array of friends, business associates and clients, accounts for the huge turn of those who came to pay their respects at his funeral."

Albert married Maud STEVENS on 2 May 1910 in Covington, Kenton, KY, USA. Maud (daughter of John STEVENS, * and Keturah (Kitty) DIMMACK) was born on 14 May 1892 in Dayton, Montgomery, OH, USA; died on 27 Mar 1982 in Columbus, Franklin, OH; was buried on 30 Mar 1982 in Woodside Cemetery, Middletown, Butler, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Marahelen COATE was born on 30 Nov 1910 in Piqua, Miami, OH, USA; died on 7 Mar 1997 in Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina, USA; was buried on 11 Mar 1997 in Lewis Memorial Park, Asheville, Buncombe, NC, USA.
2. Margaret COATE was born on 15 Mar 1912 in Middletown, Butler, OH, USA; died on 15 Mar 1912 in Middletown, Butler, OH, USA; was buried on 23 Mar 1912 in Pioneer Cemetery, Middletown, Butler, OH, USA.
3. Albert Edward COATE, * was born on 5 Mar 1913 in Middletown, Butler, OH, USA; died on 17 Jan 2000 in Columbus, Franklin, OH; was buried on 22 Jan 2000 in Blendon Central Cemetery, Westerville, Franklin, OH, USA.
4. Benjamin Dimmack COATE was born on 5 Feb 1916 in Piqua, Miami, OH, USA; died on 26 Mar 2000 in Worthington, Franklin, OH, USA; was buried on 29 Mar 2000 in Blendon Central Cemetery, Westerville, Franklin, OH, USA.
5. Robert (Bob) Leroy COATE was born on 30 Dec 1917 in Trenton, Butler, OH, USA; died on 3 Sep 1980 in Columbus, Franklin, OH; was buried on 6 Sep 1980 in Glen Rest Cemetery, Columbus, Franklin, OH, USA.
6. Charles John COATE was born on 28 Mar 1922 in Middletown, Butler, OH, USA; died on 15 Nov 1997 in Licking Memorial Hospital, Licking, OH; was buried on 17 Nov 1997 in Reynoldsburg, Franklin, OH, USA.
7. Warren Floyd COATE was born on 26 Apr 1924 in Trenton, Butler, OH, USA; died on 24 Dec 2014 in Mt. Carmel East Hospital, Columbus, Franklin, OH, USA.
8. Richard Eugene COATE was born on 6 Feb 1926 in Trenton, Butler County, Ohio, United States of America; died on 19 Apr 2020 in , , New York, USA; was buried in Middletown, Butler County, Ohio, United States of America.
9. William (Bill) Donald COATE was born on 28 Jul 1928 in Middletown, Butler, OH, USA; died on 23 Sep 2001 in Hamilton, Butler, OH, USA; was buried on 26 Sep 2001 in Woodside Cemetery, Middletown, Butler, OH, USA.
10. Shirley Ann COATE

Notes:

Warren Coate taught school at Wilmington, Ohio where I believe he had gone to college. He then married and inherited the large dairy farm in Ludlow Falls, Ohio from his father. He somehow lost possession of it financially about 1899, at which point he and his wife Ida Jane and family moved to Piqua, Ohio. They rented a house owned by (Mary) Jane Mast Pickering at 309 Wood St. Warren went to work for a dairy farm across the street from there. When he no longer could do that hard labor, he helped his wife run the boarding house that was one side of the home they were renting. (Mary) Jane Mast Pickering was very aged and didn't know that her relatives renting her home were also running a boarding house for a good 20 year period. This is also the home she later rented to Albert Pickering Coate and Maude Stevens Coate, my dad's parents, several times. (Interview of my father, Albert Edward Coate, C-54 & 606)

Warren's grandson, Richard Coate, remembers him handing him a "Milky Way" candy bar when he was just a preschooler. It made a lasting impression. He also remembers him sweeping the rows between the corn in the backyard garden with a broom! On Warren's death certificate, he was listed as a gardener by occupation. He lived on Urbana Pike R.R. 5 St. in Piqua, Ohio at his death. He died of Volvulus of a transverse colon in Memorial Hospital on Sep. 27, 1929. (C-1847, DOC)

Warren married Ida Jane HARB on 30 Jan 1879 in , Miami, OH, USA. Ida (daughter of Marquis Lafayette HARB, * and Arabelle C. MAST) was born on 15 Feb 1860 in Van Wert, Van Wert, Ohio, USA; died on 4 Sep 1926 in Hamilton, Butler, OH, USA; was buried on 6 Sep 1926 in West Milton, Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Much can be learned about Ida Jane Harb Coate in her obituary. It verifies her parents and states she went to live in West Milton, Ohio in 1876 to stay with her mother's sister, Mrs. M.J. Pickering. "Here she became a member of the First Christian Church and was a teacher in the West Milton Public schools." After her marriage in 1878 she joined his church, The Friends Church of West Milton. After they moved to Piqua she moved her letter to the Grace M.E. church where she was a faithful member for 25 years. "Her cheerfulness and her sweet patience have been a source of inspiration to all who have had the privilege of coming in contact with her. Forgetful of self, ever mindful of her family and those about her, a loving and faithful wife, a wonderful mother, her going leaves a void that can never be filled."

My files also include a letter written in her own hand from Memphis, Tenn. dated Jan. 10 1920. She wrote to Mamie & All (Meaning her children) back in Piqua, Ohio. She was apparently helping "Margie" to get regain her health. (C-DOC)

A third document, is a letter in Ida's handwriting dated just two months before her death, June 18, 1926. She was writing to her daughter Grace. She had gone to live in Hamilton in 1926 or so. (C-54) She said her health was improving, that she felt really good when she was lying down or sitting, but could not walk without being weak headed. Her heart was still too weak. Even so, her letter had grace and a beautiful turn of phrase clear to the end. (C-365)

Notes:

John H. is in the deed records for Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio in 1850 and 1856. He originally purchased 226 acres and later added 40 more. His property is listed in the 1871 Atlas of Miami Co., Ohio published by C.O. Titus in Union Twp. wedged between the Heirs of Aaron Coppock and Benj. Coppock. He was the first dairy farmer in the state and well respected stock dealer of his dairy cattle. By 1897 he was supplying local hotels, restaurants and the Soldiers home with the finest butter anywhere. (C-26, 1025)

In the 1850 census, John Coate is 24 years old, a farmer worth $5000 in real estate. He was living with his wife Jane, age 20 and was married within the year of the census. This census was taken in late 49 or 50 before the month of Oct. His stepmother, Eunice Cothran Coate, who is 57 years old is living with them. John and Jane were born in Ohio Eunice was born in South Carolina. In the 1860 census records, John's worth is estimated at about $14,000. He was a farmer. In the 1880 Ohio census records for Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio, he was 55, a farmer and sick that day of disease of the bowels. He said he was born in Ohio and both his parents were born in North Carolina. The data for his family was: wife Jane C., age 51, born Ohio as well as her parents, Warren, age 24, b. OH; Ida J., daughter-in-law, age 20 b. OH as well as her parents; Loretta, age 18, b. OH; Maurie J., age 8/12, b. Sept. 1879 in OH; Rachul Coppock, age 71, Mother-in-law, b. Oh, her parents born, North Carolina; (Eluoia) Coppock, age 18, niece, Servant, born Indiana, parents born in Ohio. (C-385) His father's third wife, Eunice, also lived with them in both the 1850 and 1860 census records. John H. was living with his daughter Loretta and son-in-law, Edgar W. Yount in the 1900 census records. (C-224)

He might be the John Coate who was a dealer in groceries, wood, coal, lime, hair plaster and cement in Beers History of Miami Co. OH, though this is more likely to refer to another John, as the census records consistently list him as a farmer. (C-10) Specifically, we know for certain that he was a dairy farmer in Miami Co., Ohio.

His death date is the 24th on his death certificate and the 26th on his cemetery stone. I do not know which is correct.

John married Jane COPPOCK on 22 May 1850 in Union M.M., Miami, OH, USA. Jane (daughter of Joseph COPPOCK and Rachel HOLLINGSWORTH) was born on 1 Oct 1829 in Ludlow Falls, Miami, OH, USA; died on 4 Dec 1914 in West Milton, Miami, OH, USA; was buried on 7 Dec 1914 in Union Joint Cemetery, Ludlow Falls, Newton Twp., Miami, OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

My father, Albert Edward Coate, remembers his great grandfather, Marcus Lafayette as a tall man. He often tells the story that he knew his ancestor named Marcus who was probably named after someone who respected and knew the original Marquis de Lafayette who helped found our nation. (C-43) He is living with his mother, Rhoda Coate, who was recently widowed and wife, Mary J. and daughters, Ida J. and Lena in the 1870 census in Union Twp. Miami Co., OH. His son Franklin was not listed in this household. I theorize that his son Franklin died before 1870 as he does not appear in any census record after his birth about 1862. Marcus was a clerk in a Dry Goods store in this census. He was living with his daughter, Lena and son-in-law, Amos Coffman in Preble Co., Ohio by the year 1900. He was a mail carrier in that year. (C-97)

Marquis married Arabelle C. MAST on 15 May 1859 in , Miami, OH, USA. Arabelle (daughter of Absalom MAST and Mary JOHN) was born on 23 Dec 1836 in West Milton, Union Twp., Miami, OH, USA; died on 27 Feb 1865 in West Milton, Miami, OH, USA; was buried in Riverside Cemetery, West Milton, Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The birth places I've found published for Henry Coate and Rebecca Willson in second hand sources give Henry's birth place as Newberry Co., SC (C-556-Compilation of Quaker Records) and Rebecca Willson's as New Jersey. However, in two of their son's, John H. and Henry's census records in 1880, both listed that each of their parents were born in North Carolina, and a third, Caleb (a blacksmith) thought they were born in Maryland. It is possible that Marmaduke and Mary Coppock were living in North Carolina when they had Henry Coate in 1770, but I suspect they didn't really have that knowledge from their father. All the Quaker records suggest they lived in S. Carolina by 1770. Henry was born on the 8m 18 1770 according to Hinshaw's Encyclopedia. (C-384-385)

Henry was a Blacksmith and sickle-maker by trade. According to an interview I had with a Blacksmith at the Ohio Historical Society, Henry would have been the best paid member of the community and honored. On top of that, Henry manufactured "edge" tools which required a keen eye and a "feel" for the metal. It supposedly defined an accomplished, not just skilled, blacksmith. (C-648) He and his family moved to Ludlow Falls, Ohio on a letter dated 7/28/1804 where he set up shop as a smithy. (C-100) They had sold their land in Newberry Co., SC to John Chapman on April 4, 1804. Not long after moving to Ludlow Falls, due to fear of the Indians, they moved to Waynesville, Warren Co., OH for a period of 10-12 years after which they returned to their property on Ludlow Falls. He is listed in the 1827 and 1835 tax lists for Union Twp., Miami Co., OH living next to his brother Samuel. In the 1830 census for Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio, Henry Coats was listed between the age of 60-70 with 3 males 5-10 yrs, 2 males 10-15 yrs 1 females 5-10 yrs. and 2 females 20-30 yrs living with him. We don't know who the young female was. My best guess is that she was a visiting grand daughter at the time. He was a Whig and a Quaker. He prospered by his own hard labor and at one-point owned 2000 acres. (E) Henry and Eunice are listed in the Deed records of Washington Twp., Miami Co., Ohio in 1836 and 1840. (C-1025) He or his son Henry might have been the Henry Coates who was an operator on the Underground Railroad in Montgomery Co., Ohio.

He wrote a will in 1848 in Miami Co., Ohio. It is in Will Book B, pg. 122, case # 1711. It follows with spelling and punctuation retained. "Be it Remembered that I Henry Coate of the County of Miami and State of Ohio, Considering the certainty of Death and being Desirous of Setling my worldly affairs Do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following vez First it is my will that all my Just Debts and Funeral Expenses by Justly paid out of my personal Estate. Secondly It is my will that my wife Eunice have and hold possession of and for her Sole use and benefit the quarter Section of land we now reside upon Except a Lot or lots given to my Son Caleb Coate So long as she remmains my widow. I also will that so much of my personal property after my Debts be paid and my wife Eunice has set off to her as much property beds beding & house hold & kitchen furniture and all other things She may (have) in kneed of also my Carriage and harness and the Interest of two hundred Dollars annually ___ That so much as remains after this Setoff and what is hereafter bequethed Be Sold by my Excrs and Equally Divided between my Sons that may then be living and also at the Death of my wife Eunice; or before if She prefers to give it up that what personal property she has had in her care and for her use be Sold and the procedes with the two hundred Dollars which She is to have the Interest of be Equally Divided amongst my Sons that may then be living = the two hundred Dollars above refered to to be kept at Interest by my Exrs for the purpose and use above Stated Thirdly I give and bequeath to my three Sons Namely, Robert Henry W. and David M Coate Each of them two hundred and thirty Dollars = Fourthly I give to my son Caleb Coate two hundred and thirty Dollars to be held by my Executors for the Express purpose of paying out for a Certain tract of land in Carrol Co., IA on which Caleb has mad a payment until Such payment may be made that my Executors made full payment on Said land and the ballance to be applied to the payment of his Debts if any and the ballanc if any to be payed over to him; if any Fifthly I give and bequeath to my Son John H. Coate and his heirs the quater Section of land which I now Reside upon it Being the South west quater of Section Six Township Six Range five East the same being subject to the use of my wife Eunice as above Stated I also give and bequeath to my Son John H. Coate and his heirs the west half of the North West quarter of Section Six Township Six Range five East I also give to my Son John Coate all my horses Except the use of one at any time my wife Eunice may wish to Ride or use it in the carriage also I give him the Carriage after my wife Eunice is Done using it also the wagon and horse gearing and four Cows except one milk Cow So long as my wife Euncie may wish to use one for milk and butter as much as she may wish to use also my (maps) and all farming utensils also all corn wheat and oats hay & also all utensils used about the barn Stables and Cribs = my other Sons Namely Isaac Samuel Robert Henry W. Caleb & David W. Coate have had their portions of real Estate by deeds made heretofore Sixthly I give and bequeath to my grand Children Henry Samuel Isaac & Jonathon Davis each of them two Dollars and their Sister Mary Hoover five dollars Isaac Pearson Henry Miles and Rhoda Jones each of them two Dollars I have already give Isaac coate his portion also to my Daughterinlaw Samuel Coates widow I give fifty Dollars Seventhly I give and bequeath one hudnred Dollars to be placed in the hands of the African Commitee and their successors of Union monthly meeting of friends to be applied to the Education of they children of the Couloured people of the Randolph family in our Neighbour hood - And lastly I hereby Constitute and appoint my Soninlaw David Miles and my Son Henry W. Coate Executors of this my last will and Testament hereby revoking and annuling all former wills by me made or Suffered to be made and ratifying and confirming this to be my last will and testament Given under my hand and Seal this twenty third Day of Ninth one thousand Eight hundred and forty. Henry Coate (seal) Signed Sealed and Declared by Henry Coate to be his last will and testament in presence of us who in his presence and at this Request have Set our hands as witnesses the Day and year above written John Baggs Joseph C. Coppock Aaron Coppock"

The following is a most interesting account of our family as it relates to President Hoover's "cousinhood." It is transcribed with retained spelling from a handwritten account in my Great Aunt Grace Coate Wilson's penmanship. My father remembers this story clearly being written by her sister, his Aunt Mamie. He went with her when she interviewed a very aged man in a small town near Trenton to assist her with that story. He does not remember who the man was. The story could possibly be the article that Mamie was writing for a magazine or Dayton newspaper. In a letter written to my Gr. Aunt Mamie, April 25, 1931, from a Mrs. V. (T.) Dunn, it states "I ... hope that you will have something ready for a magazine or at least for a Dayton paper by June." (C-361) Gr. Aunt Mamie, seems to have been the researcher in our family starting in 1929 and her sister, Grace, avidly communicated Mamie's findings to family members. This is the pattern that my father and Uncle Richard have both described. The original copy of the account is in possession of my cousin, Richard Simms, of Georgia. Here it is transcribed verbatim. Henry's emigration from South Carolina to Miami MM, Ohio supposedly took place in 1804.

OHIO HISTORY OF HERBERT HOOVER'S ANCESTRY "Ohio claims fifty-three years of the triumphant march of President Hoover's ancestry, that March beginning with the arrival in America of contemporaries of George Fox and William Penn, seeking religious freedom in a new world; their descendants through the years pressing over various states, ever seeking opportunity for broader development, and culminating with California's giving our President to an eager people. In him are focused generations of sterling pioneer character. Attracted by fertile land in the Stillwater Valley, there came between 1801 and 1809, from the Carolina's and Georgia (or) the covered wagon and horseback routes, (bands) & determined faced immigrants, settling in what is now Miami County, Ohio. They were nearly all members of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers. Plain in dress and quiet in manner these Quaker colonies set about with eagerness, bravery and faith to reclaim the land from its wild state. Henry crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati, wagon trains, traversing trails northward through the Stillwater Valley in 1801, entered an almost unbroken forest. Lurking in forest shadows was danger of attacks from wild beasts and Indians.

Among the very earliest emigrants from Randolph County, North Carolina, were John and Sarah Byrkett Hoover with their children, one of whom was Jesse; and David and John Mast. John Hoover settled about one and one-half miles southeast of the present site of the old West Branch Friends Church near West Milton. John Mast whose wife was John Hoover's sister, built the first grain mill on the Stillwater River. Several South Carolinians staked their claims in the vicinity of the picturesque waterfall on Ludow Creek, that flows into the Stillwater River. Henry Coate with his wife Mary Haskett Coate and their children, the oldest of whom was Lydia were among the first to come from Newberry District, South Carolina. Henry Coate's choice of location was determined by the proximity of a fine spring of water to Ludlow Creek where water power could be obtained. This point is up the creek less than two miles from the waterfall. There he pitched a tent and unloaded the things brought on the long tedious journey; tools for conquest on the forest and new soil, carpenter's tools, guns and ammunition for game and protection from the Indians, a spinning wheel and loom, a crane and andirons, flint stones and punk, blacksmith's tools, bedding, cooking utensils, pewter plates, a Dutch oven, and a few chairs. The chairs were used for seats in the wagons on the journey. Those chairs are highly cherished relics to this day. A long desired goal (u...ied) the first night must have been a restful one to Mary and Henry and the first morning one of keen interest to each member of the family.

Henry, out early for game, discovered a number of maple trees that would afford an abundance of sugar the following spring. As he strode stealthily through the forest in quest of wild turkeys, he was forming plans for the clearance of land during the ( ) months and for building a dam in the creek to supply power for the shop he meant to have for manufacturing edged tools. Returning to the camp with a couple of fine young turkeys he found Mary removing corn bread from a Dutch-oven by the campfire and the children eager to related the happenings of the morning. Lydia accompanying her mother to the Spring had glimpsed a deer; Isaac had seen a pheasant with its highly colored plumage, and was delighted with grey squirrels scampering through the trees; he had found a beech tree (heanly) laden with deserted pigeon nests; Samuel and Little Mary were playing with an odd shaped stone which Henry explained was an (axe?) (NOTE: A hat shaped stone is believed to be the one just described. It is in the possession of Linda Coate Dudick. It was given to her father by the same Aunt Mamie who authored this account. When Mamie made sure he got it, she told him it was found on the banks of Ludlow Creek and had been in the family a long time); the baby Rhoda was peacefully sleeping. Henry produced from the pocket of his hunting coat a handful of (darts), triangular sharp-pointed stones which he had picked up during his tramp through the woods. As they ate their simple breakfast, their hearts were filled with gladness, they had arrived safely; land in natural resources was theirs to develop and within the next four years, many of their relatives and friends would come from the South making possible the establishment of schools and churches. All was well, except for the menace of Indian depredations.

After breakfast Henry, taking Lydia with him, cast a line in the creek which they found teaming with fish; Henry was want to talk much to Lydia, about God and about the wonders of nature. This morning he talked of the beautiful new country to which they had come. Henry a dreamer, had visions of good things to be (vested) from nature's store house, not only material things but the blessings of mind and heart that come from peaceful living in a land of plenty where ignorance and superstition were banished and where God could be devoutly worshipped. Henry was more than a dreamer. He had courage, physical strength, initiative and executive ability, forming a combination pretty sure to make dreams come true. It was Henry's enthusiasm about the blacksmith shop more than the fish that drew him to the banks of Ludlow Creek this morning. He wanted to decide on the proper location for the dam and select the site for the shop for manufacturing plant, ocicles, axes, chains, knives, (hors), (hame)-hooks and mattocks all of which the early settlers stood so much in need. Because of his skill in this kind of work as well as in farming, Henry visioned great possibilities. Looking down the years as he angled in the creek, he saw the land yielding bounteous harvests, he saw schools and churches, emblems and the development of mind and heart.

As he looked into the potential future, he did not forget the past, in which his ancestors in England had so steadfastly stood for what they believed to be right. Marmaduke Coate, Born about 1620 in England became a convert to the teachings of George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends. Because they refused to conform to the rules and ceremonies of the Church of England, Marmaduke and his wife, Edith were imprisoned most of the time over a period of fifteen years. His son Marmaduke who married Ann Pohl was also persecuted because of his religion. Seeking religious freedom he with his family emigrated to America in 1715, settling near Burlington, New Jersey. His son, William married Rebecca Sharpe and with her he moved to South Carolina about 1727. Their son Marmaduke early became a character worthy of the elder Marmaduke, who had so courageously and successfully upheld the principles of their new faith. (This lineage has proven to be incorrect. L.D.)

In Newberry District, South Carolina, neighbors to Rebecca and William Coate and their son Marmaduke, there lived Moses and Martha Scarr Coppock. In the absence of the father, Indians raided and burned the home, capturing the children all were soon rescued except Mary, who remained a prisoner for several years. During this time, she learned the Indian language and became familiar with all their customs. Her long captivity fired the imagination and heroism of stalwart young Marmaduke Coate, who sought and found the tribe of Indians who held pretty Mary. Marmaduke paid a horse, bridle and saddle for her ransom. They were married with the Indian ceremony before leaving camp. Marmaduke and Mary's son, Henry, had harkened to the call of progression and conscience, and brought his family in covered wagons over hundreds of miles to their promising Ohio country and there inside the creek with nature gay in her autumn dress, and his daughter Lydia, aged eight, playing among the stones; looking both backward and forward, he was a link in the chain of progress. Henry must have sensed this. He there made a mighty resolve to teach his children a realization of their place in the change of the universe. And so it was that Lydia Coate, great-grandmother of President Hoover, received in her early childhood strict discipline in spiritual things and faithfulness of the discharge of duty. Henry Coate visioned both the material development of the rich new country and the spiritual growth of his posterity; the promise "I will give thee the land that thou seest" was literally fulfilled through the years with good measure. While felling trees for the cabin, Henry carefully cautioned Lydia to assist her mother in watching the younger children lest they stray into the wood, becoming an easy prey to Indians. This injunction was strictly obeyed, for Lydia had heard from her grandmother's own lips the story of her captivity among the Indians.

Pioneers all helped each other in the construction of cabins, the work progressing rapidly. Henry and Mary were soon established in their log house with its stone chimney and fire place and greased paper for windows. All through the winter there was tedious labor in clearing the land for crops. In the spring, men assembled to roll their logs into heaps to be burned, taking turns at each clearing in the neighborhood, until all the timber was rolled, corn and a vegetable garden was planted. It was soon found necessary to build a stake-and-rider fence around the garden plot to keep out the deer. The growing corn was badly damaged by squirrels, rabbits, Raccoon and deer. Early settlers would get up at dawn to frighten the pests from the fields. Indians were committing such atrocious deeds that the second winter Henry Coate placed his family in a covered wagon going to Waynesville, (Ohio) several miles to the south, where the settlements were stronger and better prepared to oppose the foe.

In 1804 there arrived in Waynesville, Henry's parents, Marmaduke and Mary Coate, and Abiather Davis with his three sons, one of whom was John. The latter came from Georgia. Lydia Coate was now about nine. There in childhood in Waynesville, ( ) began Lydia's acquaintance with John Davis, which in later years was to (ripen) into love. In the autumn of 1804, Henry's family in company with the new arrivals from the south, journeyed back to their improvement on Ludlow Creek. Marmaduke Coate chose his land about one half mile north of the present site of Ludlow Falls ..

Abiather Davis settled on land which is on the outskirts of West Milton. Here there were three springs of excellent water. Abiather built his house at the center spring, the double stone fire place and chimney of which remained standing until 1927. The spring to the north fell to John where a few years later he erected a cabin for his bride to be. Meanwhile John and Sarah Hoover in their little cabin, were also dreaming of the future for their children. The plenteous land portended that their future might hold many good things but they had no way to judge to what marvelous extent the material increase of their labors would reach, or how far the noble character building of their children would extend through the years. Schools and places of worship always held paramount consideration in Quaker settlements. John and Sarah Hoover were foremost in arranging for meetings to be held in the homes prior to the erection of the West Branch Meeting House.

Abiather Davis and his sons had arrived in time to assist in the erection of the first meeting house which was built in 1804-05, cabin fashion 20 by 30 feet, near a spring of clear cold water. Covered wagons bearing Friends were arriving in such numbers that the little meeting house was soon replaced by a larger, hewed-log structure. Every one within a radius of many miles attended the First Day and Fifth Day meetings held there. About this time, Henry Coate secured apple trees from Caleb Mendenhall who had brought apple seeds from North Carolina. The orchard resulting from this planting proved in subsequent years to be one of the finest in the country. Emigrants from Pennsylvania and points farther east began bringing him stock to Ohio. The settlers in the Stillwater Valley came soon stocked with calves, sheep and hogs. Especially necessary were the sheep, for warmer clothing was needed in this climate than they had in their southern home. Moreover, the beautifully checked and striped cotton garments brought from the south would not last indefinitely. The need of warmer winter clothing was supplied at first by skins. Flax growing and sheep raising became a part of every settler's work, and the women of each household spun and wove as industriously as the men worked felling trees, cultivating the land, hunting game, rolling log's or building houses. Lydia Coate early learned to spin and weave. Proud was she when on meeting day she wore a dress made by herself out of cloth which she had spun and woven.

In May, 1809 a great grief came to Henry. His wife Mary, who had shared with him all the hardships of pioneer life, died. She was taken through the woods to a burying ground in a clearing donated to the community by Marmaduke Coate from his quarter-section of land. Lydia then assumed charge of the household. From Isaac down to Esther aged two, she gave loving and watchful care.

Though wagon trains from year to year arrived from the south bringing girls, John Davis found no one who might so well grace his cabin by the North Spring as Lydia Coate. In the Spring of 1810, he went courting to the house on Ludlow Creek. In September of that year, John and Lydia made public declaration in meeting their intention of marriage and on Nov. 10, 1810 they were married in the log meeting house at West Branch, in the presence of witnesses appointed by the church to attend the wedding. In the Minutes of the West Branch Monthly Meeting which convened Nov. 17, 1810 is the following settlement; "Friends appointed to attend the marriage of John Davis and Lydia Coate, report they attended and it was orderly accomplished." Lydia wore a neat home-spun dress with a gray quilted bonnet framing her pretty, alert face. John wore a short breasted coat with straight collar and no unnecessary buttons, a long vest and pantaloons without suspenders. This was the customary costume of Quaker men at that time. It was the same as worn by George Fox in England and similar to that worn by English noblemen. Many guest assembled for the wedding dinner in Henry's house. Venison, wild turkey and dried corn in addition to the fall vegetables, formed the feast.

Before nightfall, John with Lydia on his horse, forded the creek and took the trail for the cabin by the North Spring. All about the bright orange and red hues of bitter-sweet (vied) with the colors of the sunset. Great (teams) of birds on their way southward, settled in the trees for the night. Lydia and John entered the cabin and started a fire on the hearth of a new home. Here they lived and prospered; the log house was replaced by a larger frame one. That Lydia was active in the church is evidenced by the entry in the church minutes under the date of Apr. 21, 1821: "The committee appointed to make choice of a friend to serve as overseer, proposed Lydia Davis, with which the meeting () and appointed her to that service." Lydia's covered wagon journey from South Carolina to Ohio in her childhood, the exceptional training by her parents, and the care of her brothers and sisters following her mothers death, served to give Lydia more than an ordinary preparation for life. Lydia and John Davis were careful about the discipline of their children. Their son Henry became a doctor; Samuel, a judge; Jonathan and Isaac were farmers; and Mary was the grandmother of Herbert Hoover. The north spring still gives forth it's refreshing water. The house is (just) a few () of the bitter-sweet remain.

Meanwhile, John and Sarah Hoover prospered, acquiring a large acreage, all of their children developed worthy characters. One son was a surveyor, following an occupation much in demand in those times; another son was a school teacher; their son Jesse married Rebecca Yount from the Mill Creek Monthly Meeting of Friends in Montgomery Co, O. Their son Eli early gave indication of possessing the keen intelligence and steadfastness of purpose of his Father and of his Grandfather Hoover and the kind friendly disposition of his grandmother Sarah Hoover. All through the years, Sarah Hoover was held in high esteem by the entire community- she was active in her church, ever ready to befriend an orphan, to help some one in need, or care for the sick, though she reared a large family of her own, one example of her thrift was the saving of wild duck and loon feathers for making a feather bed for each one of her sons and daughters.

Henry Coate each year reaped a greater harvest than the preceding one, as he was gradually acquiring more land. In 1816 he built a larger hewed log house, and to this in 1820 he built a frame addition which today is standing in good condition. In his merchant blacksmith shop on Ludlow Creek, he at times employed several men. For many years he supplied tools over a large area. His sickles were in great demand. On the Stillwater River at Possum Hollow, Henry built a store room for the exchange of his tools for products of the farms, which in turn he had hauled in wagons to Dayton or Cincinnati; and shipped in boats at Cincinnati and points farther south, sometimes as far as New Orleans.

Joel Hollingsworth, a man of great physical strength and bravery, made trips down the rim by boat with Henry Coates cargo, returning on horseback. Henry and his father Marmaduke Coate both were active in the establishment of the Union Meeting of Friends, by the burying-ground near Ludow Falls, the first Monthly Meeting being opened Feb. 1, 1813. The first building was of logs. Incessant labor through the years in (commiting) natural resources of the wilderness into civilized utilities resulted in prosperity, leaving in its wake schools and improved places of worship. The log church in 1818 gave way to a brick structure which for many years was a social center for the whole country side. Though long unused, this building stands today, a lonely sentinel guarding the church yard where lie many of the pioneers, including members of the Hoover families. The Union Meeting House also was replaced by one of brick which stood until about 1884, when it was torn down, the brick being partially used in the construction of the new church at Ludlow Falls. The grave-yard on the original site has been maintained in good order to the present time and there lie Marmaduke and Henry Coate and members of their families. The outstanding characteristic of early Quakers was their strict adherence to what they believed to be right. A Quaker's word was as good as his note. Often at a meeting there would be no preaching. If the "Spirit moved", some one would speak. Otherwise a meeting hour would pass in silent mediation and prayer. Modern psychologists no doubt would point out the Quaker "Silences" as the source of the sterling character all early Quakers possessed.

Henry Coate had many (problems) in his life. His second wife Rebecca Wilson Coate died young, leaving him with another family of small children. Lydia died in 1826 leaving her youngest child Mary Davis an orphan at the age of six. With his orphaned children and grandchildren, it is not strange that Henry sought another wife. At Ludlow Falls there stands today the log house in which Henry Coate courted Eunice Coppock, a very estimable woman whom he married. Eunice mothered Henry's children and orphaned grandchildren winning the love and respect of each. Mary Davis Hoover must have been especially fond of her since she named her eldest daughter Eunice.

So it happened that Mary Davis was much under the care of Henry that man of wonderful personality who had the faculty of teaching children the things worth while in life.

Mary Davis grew to womanhood, possessing the grace and beauty of her mother Lydia, the patience and fortitude of her grandmother Mary Haskett Coate, and the courage of her great-grandmother Mary Coppock Coate. It was quite natural that she won the heart of (promising) young Eli Hoover, one of the most prospering farmers of the community. Another wedding was solemnized at West Branch Church. Eli and Mary Davis Hoover lived in a fine new house on a flourishing farm on the Butler Road which leads out of West Milton to the south-west. At this period extensive house building was going on over the country. Eli's father Jesse, built near-by a commodious brick house.

Eli and Mary were very happy with their growing family which numbered five; Eunice, Allen, Jesse Clark, Rebeca and Henry. But a great shadow fell upon them, submerging all the joy in their pretty house and production fields. Mary's health was failing. With the hope of finding a better climate, the farm was sold. Before a removal could be made, the death angel came, claiming both Mary and her daughter Eunice. Side by side they lie in the West Branch Church Yard. On the pages of the old West Branch Church Records, are the following minutes; "18th day, 5th month, 1854, those appointed to prepare a certificate of removal for Eli Hoover and family produced one to Red Cedar Monthly Meeting of Friends, Iowa" which ( ) Ohio gave to Iowa, the boy Jesse Clark Hoover who became the father of (President) Herbert Hoover."

Henry married Rebecca WILLSON on 4 Oct 1815 in Waynesville, Warren, OH, USA. Rebecca (daughter of Robert WILLSON, Sr. and Mercy HEATON) was born about 1792 in , Warren, NJ, USA; died on 4 Apr 1828 in , Miami, OH, USA; was buried after 4 Apr 1828 in Ludlow Falls, Miami County, Ohio, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to a grandson (E.W. Yount) information on his mother-in-law, Jane Coppock Coate's death certificate, Joseph Coppock was born in South Carolina. His father bought land in Miami Co., OH in 1804, but he apparently did not bring his wife and daughters north until 1807 as that is when they were received in Quaker church records. Joseph Coppock and family are in the 1850 Ohio census for Miami Co., Union Twp., Ohio on page 168. The data is as follows: Joseph Coppock, age 45, farmer, worth $2890.00, b. SC, wife Rachel, age 43, b. OH, children: Sampson, age 22, farmer; Mary A., age 17; Isaac, age 11; David, age 9; Isabell, age 9; Sarah, age 5. All children attended school including Sampson at 22. All were born in Ohio. (C-382) In the 1860 census his property and possessions are valued at $6,300.00. (C-70)

This Joseph might have been the Joseph in the 1827, 1830, 1835 and 1840 Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio census records also. They need checked to verify this. There appears to have been at least two more Joseph's living at the time, one in Concord Twp., Miami Co. and one in Newton Twp., Miami Co., Ohio. (C-1025)

According to "A Genealogical and Biographical Record of Miami County, Ohio" c1900, Joseph died suddenly in 1862 of a broken blood vessel. (E)

Joseph married Rachel HOLLINGSWORTH on 10 Aug 1825 in Union M.M., Miami, OH, USA. Rachel (daughter of Henry HOLLINGSWORTH and Sarah COOK) was born on 30 Nov 1808 in Worth, Perry, OH, USA; died on 17 Sep 1892 in Of Union Twp., Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Rachel was living with her daughter, Jane Coppock and son-in-law, John H. Coate in the 1880, Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio census. (C-385)

Notes:

William's birth date varies depending upon the source. His cemetery stone said he died on Mar. 1, 1867 and was age 70 years, 11 months and 2 days. This suggests his birth date was a bit earlier than found in other sources giving him a 1798 birth date. He is buried in the same row with his family. William Harp learned his trade, tailoring, in Philadelphia. He went west and settled in Dayton, Ohio from 1814-1823. He is listed as living in Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio in 1835. In 1833 he had moved to West Milton, Union Twp. and remained there until his death. In the 1860 census record his property and goods are listed as being worth a little over $4000.00. His daughter and son-in-law Ann and John Secrist lived with he and his wife. (C-79) He was born in Pennsylvania in his son's 1900 census records. (C-32) In the Oct. 1850 census for Miami Co., Ohio, Union Twp., he is listed at age 52, a merchant, b. in Pennsylvania, whose property was worth $300.00 at the time. His wife Rhoda was age 48, a female, b. in Kentucky. The box is checked that they were both married within that year. That doesn't match with other family information we've found. If true, it would mean that Rhoda was not the mother of William's children. Son Jackson Harb was age 25, b. in Ohio and a merchant. Son Lafayette was age 16, b. in Ohio and a clerk by trade. He had attended school that year. Calvin was age 15, with the rest of his data matching his brother, Lafayettes. Daughter, Eliza was 12, Charles was age 5, born Ohio. Note that many of the children were called by their middle names. Up to 3 of his children were missing from this 1850 census. William's wife, Rhoda Harb, lived 4 houses away from Johnson P. Mast, another family member, in the 1880, Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio census. She was 77 at the time, born in Kentucky, her father was born in New Jersey and her mother in Kentucky. The census taker marked that she could not write. She was living with Anna E. Secrist, age 41, her daughter, who was also a widow. (C-385) William's son, William B. Harb was a dry goods merchant in Willshire, Van Wert Co., Ohio and had 7 children with Caroline Harper, his wife. (C-387)

William married Rhoda MARTIN, * on 12 Dec 1822 in Warren, Tennessee, USA. Rhoda (daughter of William MARTIN, * and Margaret HORNBUCKLE, (1820 census, 1 age 26-44, 1830 census - age 40-49)) was born on 31 Mar 1802 in , , Kentucky, USA; died on 27 Mar 1887 in West Milton, Miami, OH, USA; was buried about 23 Mar 1887 in Riverside Cemetery, West Milton, Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Rhoda is in the 1880 Union Twp., Miami Co., Ohio census records. According to her cemetery stone in West Milton, Ohio, she was born in 1801 instead with no month or year given. (C-PHO, 1025)

Here is a transcription of her marriage to William Harb.

State of Ohio, Montgomery Co.

I do hereby certify that by virtue of a license received from the clerk of Warren Co. I joined together in the holy state of Matrimony William Harb and Rhoda Martin on the 12 Day of December 1822 given under my hand and seal the 9 day of March 1823, Henry Heineke, minister to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

I can't find any first hand records where she is listed as a Martoin. She is always listed as a Martin.

Notes:

Absolam's named in spelled in a variety of ways in various first hand records, Absolom, Absalom or Absolam. Absolam Mast's families birth dates come from his bible. He was born in Randolph Co., NC at the Hury Court House according to Judy Ireton in the articles in the Englewood Independent Magazine. He moved with his family from North Carolina to Ohio when he was about five or six. He was one of the most prominent citizens in the county according to "The Mast Family History". He was a farmer by trade.

He lived in Randolph Twp., Montgomery Co. census records from 1830 to 1850. He built a lovely home still standing and well cared for in 2004 on State Route 48 on the corner of Philipsburg Rd in Randolph Twp., Montgomery Co., Ohio. This home is within a quarter mile of his father's home, also restored and in lovely condition in 2004 on section 3 of Randolph Twp. Absalom's home was highly likely to be built on his father's property. Known as "Captain Mast" he headed the Militia known as a Light Horse Co. He loved horses and was a fine horseman. He is listed living with Labin/Sabin? (age 63) and Rebecca Jenks (age 60) in the 1860 census at age 62 and lived in Milton Twp. (now the town of West Milton), Miami Co., Ohio. Their appears to be no relationship to them as they were both born in Rhode Island. He was born in North Carolina, was a farmer and had property worth $14,000 in that census. (C-79,756, 1025, 2537)

At least two of his children were highly valued citizens from the following undated newspaper clipping. "Accident Fatal to Aged Woman, Mrs. Jane Pickering, 94, Dies at West Milton,..Feb. 1. Mrs. Jane Pickering died yesterday at the advanced age of 94 years. About two months ago, the decedent fell from her chair and broke her hip. This accident coupled with the infirmities of age was the immediate cause of her death. She was the widow of Albert Pickering, a successful business man, who dies in 1891, and a sister of the the late Asher Mast. Probably no other residents of West Milton were held in higher esteem than Mr. and Mrs. Pickering who had always resided here and were prominent members of the social and business life of the town. There were no children in the home but a niece, Mrs. Ida Coate, was reared in their home as well as other relatives who loved and revered her as a mother. Not withstanding the age of the decedent, she retained an active and keen interest in all current events. Funeral services will be held from the residence, Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will be made in Riverside." (C-372)

Absalom married Mary JOHN on 11 Sep 1817 in , Montgomery, OH, USA. Mary (daughter of David Davis JOHN, * and Elanor POWELL) was born on 5 Mar 1799 in Little Cove, Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA; died on 23 Aug 1846 in Union Twp., Montgomery, OH; was buried in West Branch Quaker Burial Grounds, Union Twp., Miami, OH, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The ancestry of our Mary John was unknown until the publication of the Chancery Court Records for Montgomery Co., Ohio In two different land cases, she is listed as the daughter of David John and wife of Absalom Mast along with the siblings I now have listed for her. It should be noted that there was another Mary John in Montgomery Co. that had been connected to this family instead in places like Brien's "Miami Valley Genealogies, Vol. II", but the Chancery Court records are as clear as day on this. It's this Mary married to Absalom Mast who is the d. of David John and Eleanor Powell. (C-2318) Mary's birth date is listed as Mar 5, 1797 in her husband's bible, her cemetery stone and in a published book "The Mast Family History" (Mar 3, 1797). She is listed as age 16 in the guardianship papers after her father's death in 1815 with her older brother, Bowen being listed at age 18. This would calculate his birth date at 1797 and hers at 1799. She is definitely the sibling born after Bowen (b. 1797) and before Samuel (b. 1801) in all of the court records on this family. I suspect that the earlier dates of birth, given when they were children are more correct. It should be noted that in a transcribed Bible record belonging to Gr.Gr. Aunt Jane Pickering, she was listed as a Mary Johns with an s on the end of the name.