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Crawford County, Ohio |
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Family Histories |
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SLIFER Family |
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by Ken Striker |
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source: TRACKING IN CRAWFORD COUNTY, Vo.. 35, Issue 5 |
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John Slifer is the acknowledged founder of Annapolis, referred to some as Slifertown. It is now Sulphur Springs and which became 175 years old in 2008. Knowing of my interest in the village, Mr. John McLeod* recently contacted me with regard to the 1933 History of Sulphur Springs. He is an indirect descendant of John Slifer (who for brevity he refers to JS4) and shared a portion (below) of his Slifer genealogy. He writes that “he and his family appear in the 1830 census in the Petersville District in Frederick County, MD. He did buy land in Crawford County before 1830, and I conclude that he bought it sight unseen from the State of Delaware. Many eastern states owned land in Ohio ceded to them in compensation for Revolutionary War costs.”
In the early 1840’s, a little more than a decade after naming and platting the village of Slifertown, JS4 had sold his holdings and moved on. He was a Justice of the Peace (JP) for several years. JS4 conducted 17 marriages during his term as JP in Liberty Township, dated from 4th February 1836 through 18th March 1841. He donated land for the first school. Later his land holdings were sold to business man Judge R.W. Musgrave. Mr McLeod writes JS4 died by early 1842, but is puzzled as to the exact date or place of burial. There is meager information in the Sulphur Springs (SS) histories as to his sudden demise and death. McLeod writes, “John clearly died in either December of 1841 or the first days of 1842. Two of his children married at Annapolis in 1842. His widow and children did move about that time. “Probate records of his estate are on file at Bucyrus. The inventory of his estate is dominated by debts owed to him, many of them far from trivial, with a comment on each as to its probably collect ability. I was unable to find any record of the cause of death.”
It would be assumed JS4’s burial would be at Liberty Twp/Union Cemetery, but there is no record. In 1933 when the SS Centennial history was written, knowledge was scant as to happenings back some 90 years. I am able to find a clue though. The 1933 SS history may reveal the answer as to his final resting place. In the chapter Cemeteries it is written, "About one-half mile south-west from the village "in the woods" as it was at that time, and at that time on the John Slifer farm, also a number of people were buried. That place was established about 1835. The persons mentioned above (Oliver J Keller, C.A. Keller and Charles Heiby) have seen this place also when it was very easily identified. "The writer (of the 1933 History) also saw it in its earlier history. At this writing (1933) it is farmed over and but a few evidences remain, and small pieces of marble lie along the fence where the cemetery as located on the Isaac Klopfenstein farm". It would make sense that he was buried at his farm cemetery. Crawford County Farm Plat Book shows Isaac Klopenstine et al 95 acres just south west of Sulphur Springs. McLoed writes “I would expect JS4 to have been buried in some small, local cemetery. “ - Not verified. McLeod adds “it is clear that his widow and children remained in the area for at least 9 months and more likely 15 months. Two sisters of John Slifer IV had moved to Champaign County, OH in 1832; Hannah [Slifer] Hefflebower (Abraham) and my ancestress, Eve [Slifer] Miller (Henry) living there barely half a mile apart. Mary [Wolfe] Slifer and her children joined them some time in 1843. By 1850, John V had returned to Crawford County. John VI died in Crawford Co before the age of 10, ending the line with the name John Slifer. Mrs. JS4 rests at Moorefield Chapel, Moorefield Twp., Clark County, OH, near where her second son Loyd Slifer and his wife Sarah Rowland lived, just across the county line from Urbana Twp., Champaign Co.”
Below are excerpts from Mr McLeod’s Slifer genealogy. Bold type indicates a part of the family who remained in Crawford Co.
Children of John Slifer IV and Mary Wolf:
a . Ruth2 Slifer, born 24 Oct 1819 in Burkittsville, Frederick Co., Maryland; died 09 Jan 1888 in Salem Township, Champaign County, Ohio.
b. John2 Slifer V (John1, JohnA, JohnB, JohannesC Schleiffer, RudolfD Schleipfer, JacobE, RudolfF, HeinrichG, ??H) was born 02 Jan 1821 in Burkittsville, Frederick, Maryland, and died 22 Aug 1901 in Crawford County, Ohio. He married Elizabeth Hawke 12 Sep 1842 in Liberty Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio, daughter of David Hawke and Margaret Haffen. She was born 10 Oct 1822 in Pennsylvania, and died 10 Jan 1916 in Crawford County, Ohio.
Children of John Slifer V and Elizabeth Hawke
i. Sarah Jane3 Slifer, born 01 Oct 1843 in Crawford County, Ohio; Did not marry, died 20 Nov 1917 in Crawford County, Ohio. Burial: Union Cem., Liberty Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio 20 Nov 1917, Occupation: Teacher
ii. John W. Slifer VI born Nov 1849 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio; died Bef. 1860 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio. Died less than 10 years of age!!
iii. Oliver Slifer, born Bet. 1853 - 1854 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio; taught at Tabor School, Cranberry Twp died 03 Mar 1931 in Pacific County, Washington. He married Mary ??; born Abt. 1860; died Unknown.03 Mar 1931, Died, leaving no children
iv Olive E. Slifer, born 08 Oct 1857 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio; died 17 Mar 1925 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio. She married Elmer O. Parcher 6 Jan 1910 in Crawford Co., Ohio; born 25 Feb 1872 in Cranberry Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio; died 1955 in Sandusky Twp., Crawford Co., Ohio.17 Mar 1925, Died leaving no children
c. Loyd Slifer, born 21 Mar 1822 in Burkittsville, Frederick Co., Maryland; died 26 Mar 1851 in Moorefield Twp., Clark Co., Ohio.
d. Eve Slifer, born 07 Oct 1824 in Burkittsville, Frederick Co., Maryland; died 07 Nov 1874 in Johnson Co., Missouri.
e. Mary Slifer, born 27 Oct 1826 in Burkittsville, Frederick, Maryland; died 21 Mar 1900.
f. Catherine Slifer, born 26 Mar 1828; died Bef. 1840 in Crawford Co., Ohio.
g. Jane Slifer, born 11 Apr 1830 in Burkittsville, Frederick, Maryland; died 06 Jan 1862 in Urbana
h. Ellen Slifer, born 10 Feb 1832 in Burkittsville, Frederick Co., Maryland; died 29 Nov 1910 in Johnson Co., Missouri. She married John Rowland 01 Aug 1875 in Johnson Co., Missouri
i. Aaron Slifer, born 03 Nov 1833 in Crawford Co., Ohio; died 19 May 1918 in Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Missouri.
j. Nathaniel W. Slifer, born 07 Jul 1837 in Sulphur Springs, Crawford Co., Ohio; died 25 Oct 1915 in Stuttgart, Arkansas Co., Arkansas.
* John McLeod , 5 Maya Lane, Los Alamos, NM, 87544.[email protected]
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Wednesday, May 06, 2015