Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 10 April 2005

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842

ROBERT F. FURNAS, physician, Waynesville; born in Wayne Township, Oct 10, 1830; is a son of Seth and Dinah Furnas, whose ancestral history is given in sketch of Davis Furnas. The Doctor was raised and brought up to farm labor, and received a good common-school education, remaining with his father till 22 years of age; was united in marriage, Sept. 23, 1853, with Bethia, daughter of Robert and Edith (Nichols) Mosier, he a native of Massachusetts and she of New York State; they emigrated to Ohio and located in Morrow County in 1812, being among the first settlers of that county, opening out in the woods, and combating with and enduring the many trials and hardships of those early days, the Indians plentiful and the howling of wolves a nightly sound; wild game of all kinds in abundance, which in that day formed a great source of sustenance, and sometimes formed the main provision for saving many from want and starvation; there Mr. Mosier and family have remained through all the changing scenes of nearly threescore years and ten, witnessing the growth of civilization and the vast improvements made by the hands of those honest and sturdy pioneers; the forests disappear, and waving fields of grain in their stead; the railroads and telegraphs traversing the country in all directions, transporting the products of the country to distant markets, and carrying news to all parts of the world with the rapidity of thought; all these Mr. Mosier has witnessed in the progress around him; in the meantime, he has not been idle; his hands, industry and good management have wrought wonderful changes on his premises; from his small and rough beginning in the log cabin in the woods, he now has a beautiful farm, with good buildings and all modern improvements; has accumulated a large amount of wealth by his own honest efforts, and is one of the prominent farmers of that county, beloved and respected by all who know him; he is now 81 years of age, and his wife 79 years, and they have traveled the journey of life together, sharing its hardships and its pleasures for fifty-four years; they have had two sons and nine daughters, eight of whom now survive—Phoebe, Gideon, Nathan, Bethiah, Rachel, Peace, Eunice and Cynthia. The Doctor and wife have had eight children; five now survive—Mary, now Mrs. Frame, residing on the farm on which his Grandfather Kinley settled in 1804; Seth W., Eunice, Phoebe and Robert H. The Doctor, after his marriage, engaged in farming and raising and dealing in stock for about twenty years, during which time he has been a great reader, keeping himself thoroughly posted in general matters of science, literature and the general progress of events; in 1878, he turned his especial attention to the study of medicine, attended the Pulte Medical College at Cincinnati, and graduated in spring of 1877, and has continued the practice of his profession at Waynesville since, with a good and growing business. The Doctor is an earnest and devoted member of the Society of Friends, having been a birthright member, and from the early age of 17 years commenced speaking in their meetings, and for the last twelve years or more has been a regular recorded minister in the Society; he is a man of more than ordinary activity and depth of mind and thought, with good versatile powers, expressing himself with force and ease; in all public enterprises of the day, he takes an active and leading part, and in the general progress and advancement of all matters of public in-