Silas A. Morehous, farmer, resides on section 20, Noble Township, where he owns 120 acres of good land; he also owns seventy-seven acres on section 29, making a total of 197 acres. He was born March 6, 1846, in Noble Township, upon the farm where his father first located in Jay County. He obtained his early education in the common schools, and later attended college at Liber about five terms. His parents were Wilbur and Susan (Patterson) Morehous, formerly of this county. He was married June 10, 1869 to Miss Mary A. Halfhill, born in Gallia County, Ohio, August 6, 1849. When she was five years old she came with her parents to Jay County, the family settling in Madison Township. Her parents were John and Nancy (Darst) Halfhill. Her father was born in Pike County, Pennsylvania, November 10, 1817, and when he was five years of age came to Gallia County with his parents, and was there reared and married. Several years after his marriage, he removed to Madison Township, this county, with wife and eight children.
The country was comparatively new, and his family lived in a
neighbor’s cabin while they built one for themselves. It was a hewed log
cabin, and is still standing and is occupied. It was considered a palace
when it was built. Their children are – Sarah A., wife of Jacob LeMasters,
now living in Valley County, Nebraska; Margaret, wife of William LeMasters
of Red Willow County, Nebraska; Milton, also living in Red Willow County;
Emeline,a twin sister of Mrs. Morehous, and wife of Solomon Premer; Benjamin
D., of Greene Township; Lucinda, wife of Jonas Hartzell and living in Wayne
Township; Samantha, wife of William Shultz, of Greene Township; Samuel of
Valley County, Nebraska. The children are all living. The mother of Mrs.
Morehous was born in Gallia County, Ohio, December 9, 1822 and died when her
youngest son, Samuel was three weeks old, and is buried in Madison Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Morehous have had eight children – one
child unnamed died in infancy in 1870; Perry Albert, born December 30, 1871;
Arthur E., born February 26, 1874; Sylvester, born September 8, 1876, died
February 16, 1880; John W., born December 14, 1878, died April 26, 1880;
Calvin, born January 23, 1881; Chauncey, born April 16, 1885; Roxy E., born
January 23, 1887.
The grandfather of Mrs. Morehous,
Samuel Halfhill was born in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and died in Gallia
County, Ohio, November 8, 1884, aged ninety years. Her grandmother, Anna
(Lemley) Halfhill was born in Pennsylvania and died in Gallia County in the
fall of 1839, aged sixty years. Both were of German ancestry. Her maternal
grandparents were born and died in Ohio, the grandfather at an advanced age.
Biographical and Historical Record of Jay County, IN
Lewis Publishing Company, 1887
Transcribed by Jim Cox