WILLIAM HOFIUS,
the third son of George Hofius, was born May 12, 1806, in Hickory
Township, where he spent the early years of his life on the homestead
farm, and was engaged in farming. About 1847-48 he removed to Jackson
County, Iowa, where he now resides. He married Martha. daughter of Thomas
Dugan, of Trumbull County, Ohio, who died in 1841, leaving seven children:
Seth, Azariah, Jonathan, Hulda, Mrs. Bently, of Iowa; Marilda, wife of
John Damond, of Iowa; Mary A., Martha, Mrs. Melvin J. Thompson. His second
wife Was Mrs. Vaughn, and by this marriage they have one child, George.
Seth, the eldest son of William, was born in May,
1829, in Hickory Township, where he was reared and educated. In 1846 he
entered the employ of Himrod & Vincent, subsequently working at the
different furnaces located in Clarion and Venango Counties, Penn.,
Youngstown, Ohio, and West Middlesex, Penn. In 1858 he removed to Mineral
Ridge and took charge of the works at that place for James Wood & Warner.
He subsequently was engaged as superintendent for James Wood, Sons & Co.,
of Wheatland. He also had charge of the Mount Hickory Iron Co. works at
Sharpsville. He then removed to Buffalo, N. Y., and took charge of the
Buffalo Iron & Nail Co.'s works. In 1882 he located, in Ohio, and engaged
in farming, where his family now resides. In 1886 he was placed in charge
of the Spearman Iron Furnace at Sharpsville, which Position he now fills.
Our subject was married in 1850 to Miss Elizabeth Maxwell, of West
Middlesex, Penn., and by this union they have five children: William D.,
Lewis W., Frank. Annie J., wife of Henry Sibes, of Buffalo, N. Y., and
Harriet, wife of William Fair, of the same city. Mrs. Hofius died in 1862,
and our subject was again married in 1867 to Miss Margaret McGowan, of
Campfield, Ohio, and by this marriage they have five children: Walter,
Charley, Blanch, Seth and James.
William P. Hofius, the eldest son of Seth, was born
September 25, 1852, at West Middlesex. He was reared and educated at
Mineral Ridge, Ohio, Wheatland and Sharpsville. At the age of twenty he
engaged in the iron business as furnaceman, and followed that business as
an occupation until 1883, when he engaged in the foundry and machine
business with Charles F. Eldridge, under the firm name of Hofius &
Eldridge, located at Sharpsville. He is also operating the Grafton Furnace
at Leetonia, Ohio, under the name of McKeefrey & Hofius. Mr. Hofius was
married in 1882 to Miss Emma K., daughter of Louis Laux, of Baltimore, Md.
Our subject is a member of the F. & A. M. . Lodge No. 250, Norman Chapter
241 and Commandery No. 50, of Sharon.
History of Mercer County,
1888, page 841-842