| Notes |
- Wood County, Ohio
Jeremiah S. Benschoter, a well-known agriculturist of Grand Rapids
township, and a veteran of the Civil war, was born in Erie county, Ohio,
September 19, 1843, son of Samuel Wetherlow and Nancy Ann (Bassett)
Benschoter, who were pioneers of Grand Rapids township, having settled there
upon a tract of wild land in 1853.
Samuel W. Benschoter was born March 27, 1811, in Erie county, Ohio,
near the mouth of Rock river. His education was somewhat limited, but he was a
bright and industrious man, and, by hard work and judicious management as a
farmer and stock dealer, accumulated a comfortable competence. In 1838, in
Milan township, he married Miss Nancy Ann Bassett, by whom he had ten
children, as follows: Sarah A., who died at the age of three years; William
A., of Bowling Green; Jeremiah S., subject of these lines; Charles W., a farmer
of Grand Rapids township; Ella Eugene, now the wife of J.J. Black, of near
Tontogany, Ohio; J.W., in the insurance and real-estate business at Bowling
Green; Lucy M., single; Alice H., who died 1862, when eight years old; Jennie,
who also died in 1862, at the age of five; and Curtis E., of Bowling Green.
The mother of this fine family is still living. The father passed from earth
September 2, 1884, at Lakeside, Ohio, a consistent member of the M.E. Church;
during the later years of his life he was a strong advocate of temperance.
Politically he was originally a Democrat, but in 1861 he voted for Lincoln,
and ever afterward supported the Republican party.
J.S. Benschoter attended the district schools of the neighborhood of
his boyhood home, later the schools of Grand Rapids. On July 4, 1863, he
enlisted in Company F (Capt. Squire), 86th O.V.I. (Col. Lemert) "six-months
servicemen", and, after a short stay at Camp Chase, the regiment took part in
capturing Morgan's men when they made their raid into Ohio. Later it served in
the army of the Cumberland, participating in the battle of Cumberland Gap, and
the siege of Knoxville. Mr. Benschoter received his discharge February 14,
1864, returning home, resumed his studies for a time at Perrysburg, and then
spent three years in teaching. He and his brother William took charge of the
homestead for several years, but, in 1869, our subject began farming
independently, and now owns an eighty acre farm near Grand Rapids, besides his
interest in the old homestead of 240 acres. His farm is well tilled, has a
productive orchard, fine barns, and a brick dwelling house costing $2,000.
He stands well in the esteem of the community, is a Republic
politics, and has held many local offices, such as supervisor and school
director, for a number of years, trustee for two terms, member of the school
board twelve years, and he is now serving as justice of the peace. He is a
member of the M.E. Church, in which he has been steward for many years, and
has faithfully discharged the duties of trustee, class leader, and Sunday-
school superintendent. He belongs to the G.A.R., Bond Post No. 24, Grand
Rapids, also to the F.& A.M., Grand Rapids Lodge No. 289, and is past master
of the Lodge; also of the Enterprise Grange, in which he has served both as
secretary and master. He has always taken an active interest in the Farmers
Institute, and for three years was president of the Tri-county Institute of
Henry, Lucas, and Wood counties.
On February 25, 1869, Mr. Benschoter was married to Miss Rachel S.
Hannah, and three children have blessed this union: Lilly May, a young lady of
fine abilities, who was educated in Grand Rapids, and is now at home; Charles
E., a graduate of the Grand Rapids schools, later attending Oberlin College;
Effie Belle, now at school. Rachel S. Hannah was born February 10, 1845, in
Portage township, Ottawa Co., Ohio, and is a daughter of William P. and
Elizabeth (Dalzell) Hannah, who were the parents of ten children, as follows:
Nancy Isabel (Mrs. McMann), now deceased; James Gill, who died when nineteen
months old; Robert D., a farmer of Grand Rapids township; Elizabeth Jane, wife
of C.C. Gundy, county commissioner of Wood county, and residing in Washington
township; Mary Ann, deceased wife of William Spangler; Rachel S., Mrs. J.S.
Benschoter; Sarah M., deceased wife of George Cunnings, farmer of Washington
township; Cynthia R., wife of W.U. Baker, a farmer of Washington township;
William H., a farmer of that township; and Alice E., wife of R. J. Collin,
mayor, and a druggist, of Tontogany.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1811 - 1884 (73 years)