Gerard - Royal H.
Royal Hart Gerard was born in Montgomery County on the 13th day of March in 1875, the only son (had two sisters) of David W. Gerard and his wife, Elizabeth Krug. His father, was quite a interesting man and one of Crawfordsville's finest. A teacher, banker and the founder of the Supreme Tribe of Ben Hur his fame spread for states. Born on a farm in Shelby County, Ohio, he learned a great deal from his own father, Abner Gerard who was a farmer, merchant and tanner. It was Abner who headed the family to Indiana from the Miami County, Ohio area to near Romney and opened a general store there. Not long afterward, he died, leaving his wife, with not only a couple of children of their own but six step children.
She loaded them up on a canal boat and returned to Sidney Ohio. David knew poor and knew it well but quite a determined man, he worked hard and at just 16 became a teacher. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted saw several large campaigns and was mustered out in August of '65.
Upon the finish of the war, he took his widowed mother and brothers and returned to Montgomery County, Indiana, returning also to teaching. He met and married Elizabeth Krug David Gerard discovered a real need for real estate and insurance and the family moved to Crawfordsville. He and a few other citizens formed the Indiana and Ohio Live Stock Insurance Company. In several fraternal organizations, he became a firm supporter for fraternal insurance. Months went into the perfection of the plans and its working of the Supreme Tribe of Ben Hur. Lew Wallace gave his permission for the use of Ben Hur. Lew greatly admired Gerard and in a discussion of what to call the company, David suggested The Knights of Ben Hur. Wish I'd have been there as Lew laid his hand on Gerard's explaining, "Well, my boy, there were no Knights" in that time but they had tribes so the general suggsted that name. It became one of the finest insurance companies ever. Not only shrewd with his money, a planner and doer, he was an excellent speaker and handed a customer a "clean and logical" insurance plan.
When David Gerard passed away there was a large spread in the local newspapers but Col. Isaac Elston summed him up nicely when he said he was a kind neighbor, affectionate father devoted to his family, a cheerful, cordial friend... he was a builder, as the ST of BH was "promoted, organized and guided by him to its present enviable position in the insurance world."
The whole family were Methodists and very close. The very last contact in this world was a smile for his son. That son would fill-out then become reelected as the Supreme Chief of the Tribe of Ben-Hur.
A tall, medium-built man with green eyes and black hair, Royal had married Mary Bruce Bryson. Royal received his physician's license right before the 1900 census and is then living with his parents listed as a physician. He attended the Medical College of Indiana in Indianapolis and his course of medicine was Allopathic. He passed away 12 May 1923 in Terre Haute in an accident. He and Mary are buried at Oak Hill Cemetery. Mary remarried Chase Harding, a local lawyer.
Royal and Mary Bruce became the pareants of four sons: Bryson; Bruce; Dave; and Edmond (Tip). California and Ohio would be where the Gerard boys mainly went, but son David Charles (Dave) Gerard was born June 18, 1909 right here in Crawfordsville at 5 a.m. with Dr. J.F. Davidson in attendance. He and brother Bruce were baptized the same day on 5 June 1910 in the United Methodist Church.
Although I didn't know Dave extremely well, the description above of his grandfather David reminds me so much of him. Love of family, community, drive, humor and a nice, gentle man describes our Dave well.