Three Sheets of Paper

Sometimes, you bring home a stack of papers with details on the lives of your ancestors. Sometimes, you bring home lost family photographs gifted from a distant relative. Sometimes, you bring home three sheets of paper…

That’s all I got. Three sheets. But, this is the best lead I’ve had on William G. Bender in years. 

My three pages are all from a guardianship of estate record dated 1875. For twelve hundred dollars of a deceased man by the name of Henry Bender’s money. The guardian was Lavina Bender of Mercer County. Henry’s children were named Charles J. Bender (19), John H. Bender (16), William Bender (13), and Eliza A. Bender (9).

Of course, William is my primary interest. When looking at his name on the record it appears to say “William B McC Bender” but what is that little thing between his first name and the letter “B”?

This page states that Lavina Bender was in charge of the money and that she is the guardian of Charles J. Bender, John H. Bender, William B. McClellin/McClellan Bender, and Eliza A. Bender. William’s other middle name peaked my interest because Martha M. Fast Bender’s second husband, James Couts whom she married after divorcing William, shared that middle name. Couts was born in 1863 and this particular William Bender was probably born between 1862-1865. So, I did a simple Google search for “McClellan Civil War” and I found George Brinton McClellan. So, if William was named after this Union General turned Democratic President Nominee in 1864, his name would be William George Brinton McClellan Bender. It’s a long name, but I think it is a possibility. It also would explain those little marks between William’s name and the middle initial “B”. It kind of looks like someone attempted to stick in a “G”.

I’ve already begun looking into this family but I don’t have enough to share yet, when I do I will post more about them! 

Still Searching

It has been almost two and a half years since I’ve posted about my elusive 2x great grandfather, William G. Bender, my most contemporary brick wall. What makes it so hard to find him is that I cannot seem to find any census records on him. I have managed to find his marriage record placing him in Mercer County in November 1890.

And today I am posting this because I received this lovely divorce record in my email inbox this morning, dated September 26, 1900 in Mercer. In June 1900, when the census was taken, Martha Bender listed as married but was living with her children in her parent’s home (Jacob Ginter Fast and Sarah) in Dublin, Mercer, Ohio. I was hoping this would tell me where William went, but all it’s told me is what I already knew: that he left.

There are two William Benders living in Mercer County, Ohio in 1870, one was the son of Hannah Amanda Murlin and Jonathan Bender, he moved from Center Twp. to Iowa by 1880 and married Melissa Ella Raw there in 1888. The other William Bender was the son of Clementina Lovina and Henry Bender, Henry died prior to 1880 and in the 1880 Census it’s just Lovina and daughter Eliza living with a farm laborer Lovina would later marry. Because Lovina had such a large farm I would assume that her now 15 year old son would be living with her if alive, but William is missing by 1880 and I presume he is dead.

Hopefully I am one step closer in locating William and his family…

52 Ancestors #7: Jacob Ginter Fast is my 3x great grandfather. He was born June 4, 1840 in Fairfield County, Ohio to Abraham Fast and Mary Jane Ginter.

On October 7, 1861 at around 20 years old, Jacob entered service with the Union for the Civil War, serving with Company D of the 71st Ohio Volunteer Infantry alongside his younger brother Abraham. He came back home and married Sarah Ann Keyser on March 6, 1864 in Mercer County – their first son Charles was born that year but died before reaching adulthood.

After marrying, Jacob returned to service and on January 1, 1865 he was appointed corporal. After three years of service, he was mustered out on October 17, 1865 at Camp Dennison, Ohio by order of the War Department.

After the war, Jacob returned home to Mercer where he and Sarah raised their ten children while he became a pretty successful farmer. He was the first in the county to own a car, which he kept in his barn and some sources say that he actually went through the barn in his red auto.

In 1900, Jacob G. and Sarah took in their daughter, Martha Magnora Bender and her two children Jesse Preston Bender (my great grandfather) and Louella Bender after Martha was deserted by her husband, William G. Bender.

Fast loved to eat, but suffered from chronic stomach problems which made it necessary for him to carry a stomach pump. He is said to have gone back behind his barn to pump his stomach.

He died February 13, 1912 in Dublin Township, Mercer, Ohio of his stomach problems. On February 14 the local news wrote:
Jacob Fast, a well-known and aged resident of Rockford, died early Tuesday morning at his home in that village. He was about seventy years of age, and is survived by a large family. The funeral is to be held in the United Brethren church at Rockford, Thursday afternoon at one o’clock, and is to be conducted by the Rev. L. T. Lemunyon of this city, assisted by Rev. E. A. Lilly and Rev. Thomas Coates.

Jacob is buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Dublin, Mercer, Ohio next to his wife and near many of their children and grandchildren.

52 Ancestors #5: Jesse Keyser is my 4x-great grandfather on my father’s paternal side. He was born on July 16, 1816 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to Jacob and Rebecca Keyser.

He married Martha Yost, daughter of Eli and Susan (Hendricks) Yost, on April 25, 1835 in Pennsylvania. That same year, the newlyweds and their firstborn daughter Audora Keyser Fast moved to Ohio, first settling in Miami County and then moving in 1837 to live in Mercer County. Jesse, on of the pioneer settlers of Mercer, bought and cleared a tract of land and built a round-log cabin, later building a cabin of hewed logs.  In time the latter was replaced by a frame house and this in turn by a brick residence.

The Fairview Church of God was established on January 30, 1868 in the Keyser residence with nineteen members.

Keyser passed away on August 29, 1895 at the age of 79 years, 2 months, and one day. He was buried next to his wife Martha in the North Grove Cemetery in Celina, Mercer County, Ohio