Jeremiah Weaver, who now lives on Section 1, Wayne Township, is one of the pioneers of Jay County, settling here in February, 1839. He was born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in 1814, his father, George Weaver, having been born in the same county. When he was a year old he was taken by his parents to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he was reared and where his parents lived until their death. They had a family of eight sons and four daughters, all of whom reached maturity with the exception of one son, David, who was drowned at the age of seven years. Eight of the family is still living.
Jeremiah, our subject, was reared on a frontier farm in Ohio and was early in life inured to hard work and the lessons of preserving industry learned in his youth havebeen of lasting benefit to him. He was married in 1836 to Miss Martha Miller, a daughter of Isaac Miller. On the nine children born to this union six are living –William, who is now living in Pennsylvania; Isaac, a resident of Westchester, Jay County; Lucy Ana, wife of Thomas Hoch of Bear Creek Township; Martha, wife of Josiah Renner of Bear Creek Township; Harriet, wife of Lewis N. Metzner, also living in Bear Creek Township, and John, the youngest surviving member of the family, living at the homestead. Martin, George and Sarah Ann are the names of the children who are deceased.
In 1838, Mr. Weaver started West with his family, then consisting of his wife and their son William, who was then less than a year old, and was also accompanied by his father-in-law, Isaac Miller, who brought with him his wagon and team. The latter however did not settle in Jay County, returning soon after to his home in the East. At that time the country was very sparsely settled and was nothing but a wilderness. Deer and other wild game were very abundant.
Mr. Weaver on first coming to the county settled on Section 7, Noble Township, on a tract of 120 acres which he had entered by his father-in-law, and seventy acres of this land he cleared of heavy timber and put under improvement. He resided on this farm until the fall of 1860, intending to remove to Missouri, but the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion prevented him from doing so. He then purchased the farm where he has since resided, which was also heavily covered with timber. He has always been a hardworking, industrious man, and since coming to the county has cleared about 200 acres from the heavy timber. He has his farm now well improved, and good residence and farm buildings, the entire surroundings showing the care and thrift of the owner.
Mr. Weaver was bereaved in the autumn of
1880 by the death of his wife, who had shared with him all the trials and
vicissitudes of pioneer life, as well as their pleasant home of later years.
Jay County Biographical & Historical Record, 1887 History of
Jay and Blackford Counties
Transcribed by Jim Cox