Steinmetz Family Biography



History of the George Steinmetz Branch Biography

George Steinmetz, son of Phillip Steinmetz, was born in the year 1775, in the State of Pennsylvania. He married a lady by the name of Ruth Evans. About the year 1815 they came to the then wilderness of Ohio. The family came on a flatboat to Zanesville, Ohio, and opened up farm near Frazysburg, Muskingum county. He was by trade a millwright, but spent his life opening and cultivating his farm. To them nine children were born, four sons and five daughters. We will begin with the daughters first because the oldest was a girl and give a brief history of each one.

Polly was the oldest child. She married twice, her first husband's name was Jonah Loveitt. He lived only a short time. Some years, after his death she married a man by the name of Davis. She was the mother of three children. Mr Davis died and left her a widow. After she was an aged woman she moved with her son to the State of Iowa, where she died at the age of eighty-four. She has one daughter living, in Coshocton, Ohio.

Leah, the second daughter, married a most worthy man by the name of Iven Loveitt. For many years after For many years after their marriage they lived in Muskingum county, Ohio. In the year 1854 they moved to Henderson county, Ill. He was the owner of a fine farm. She was the mother of twelve children. At this date, September, 1903, there are seven living. They are scattered all over the West. One of her sons, Albert, is a fine lawyer; he lives in Kansas. They are noted as the finest singers in the West. Her sons are large, fine looking men, the daughters are beautiful women. Leah died in 1898, aged ninety years. Her husband preceded her a few years. He was eighty-nine years old when he died. They were members of the Disciple church.

Melinda Steinmetz married a man by the name of Edmond Fletcher. They moved to Union county, Ohio, about the year 1852. She was the mother of seven children, two sons and five daughters. All of those are dead except Jane, the youngest. She married a well-to-do farmer by the name of Shirk. They live in Richwood, Union county, Ohio. They were a bright, intelligent set of children. One or two were fine school teachers. George was a veteran in the war. Melinda died about the year 1877.

Ruth Steinmetz married a man by the name of Thomas McMahon. They had one son by the name of Joseph. He was a veteran in the war. He lives in the State of Iowa, is a farmer. Ruth, it is said, was the most beautiful woman in that country. She died many years ago. She is buried in Knox county, Ohio.

Elizabeth Steinmetz married a man by the name of Alason Spicer. To them were born thirteen children. They came from Muskingum county, Ohio, to Union county, Ohio, in the. year 1844. At this date three sons and five daughters are living. The two older sons, William and Orin, were veterans in the late war. The oldest son, William, was an old bachelor; was killed by the cars at Richwood about 1878. One son, Orin, lives in the State of Michigan; the other two live near Toledo, Ohio. One girl lives in Marion county, Ohio, two at Richwood; the others are in the far West. Mr. Spicer died in about the year 1877. He was a cooper by trade as well as a farmer. After several years his widow married again. Her second husband's name was John Fryman. He lived in Delaware county, Ohio. He was a well-to-do farmer. He has been dead several years. She died in February, 1903, almost ninety-one years of age.

John Steinmetz was the oldest son; was born in Westmoreland county, Penn., Aug. 17th, 1803. When he was twelve years old his parents emigrated to Muskingum county, Ohio, on a flatboat. John, the subject of this sketch, rode his father's horse through to the then wilderness of Ohio alone, quite an undertaking for a boy of that age. At the age of twenty-three he began working on the Ohio canal at $8.00 per month worked three years; part of that time was a boss stone mason. He built several locks. When at the age of twenty-four he met Miss Ally Coons, whom he afterward married, April 29, 1830. They moved to Union county, Ohio, in the spring of 1831, bought a fine piece of land, paid $1.25 an acre, settled among the Indians. They lived on the same farm seventy years. They endured all the hardships of a pioneer's life. Often the red men would visit them. For all the hardships they endured, their life was a happy one. The weary traveler, whether he had money or not, was never turned away hungry. The sick of the neighborhood always were visited and administered to by Uncle John and Aunt Ally, as every one called them. To them were born eight children, five sons, and three daughters. They all lived to maturity except the youngest daughter, who died in 1853. George was the oldest. He was a powerful man physically. He could cut and split four hundred rails from the stumps in short days in the winter. He died September 1st, 1857, aged twenty-six years, from the effects of a hurt he sustained in a saw mill. He was never married. H. S. Steinmetz, second son, for many years followed engineering, but now owns a fine farm. He married for his first wife May Robbins. She only lived a short time. She was a fine school teacher. In a few years he married Miss Hope Haines, of Champaign county, Ohio. They have three living children. One lives in Columbus, Ohio, the others live near them. He is a genial, whole souled man, has hosts of friends, can tell a good story and listen to one as well. For many, years he has been land appraiser and assessor in the township in which he resides. His postoffice address is Byhalia, Union,county, Ohio.

Matthew E. and Malchus Steinmetz are twins. Malchus' postoffice address is Bores Creek, Union county, Ohio. He is a successful farmer; owns a good, farm pleasantly situated of one hundred acres. He married Miss Mary Southard, the daughter of a Methodist, minister. She was a school teacher. They are the parents of four children, three daughters and one son. One daughter, Sarah, was a graduate in music, was a graduate from Hillsdale College, Mich. She died in 1895 of typhoid fever. A grant good girl she was. The oldest daughter is a graduate of Hillsdale College, Mich. She married a man by the name of Smith. They are both teaching in Illinois State University, Champaign, Ill. Their son John lives in Northern Ohio. He is a fine musician and can play a violin to perfection. Zona, the youngest, it at home. She is a music teacher also.

Matthew, the other twin brother, owns and lives on a beautiful farm one and one-half miles west of Richwood, Union county, Ohio. He was a veteran of the late war. For about two years he was one of General Thomas' body guard. He was in several of the hardest battles of the war. For many years he was one of the trustees of the Girls' Industrial Home. He married a lady by the name of Lissie Price. For many years she followed school teaching. Kesiah, the oldest daughter, married James D. Haines, one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Union county. She only lived about two years after they were married. She died in 1863. She left one son, Cyrus. He lives near Byhalia, Union county, Ohio.

Cyrus and Sarah are twins; so you see there are two sets of twins in our family. Sarah married a farmer for her first husband by the name of John Marmon. After some years he died. She remained a widow for some years, then she married a man by the name of Wm. Hamilton. They never had any children. They live in Richwood, Union county, Ohio. Sometimes Hamilton preaches. They have a nice home of their own in Richwood.

Cyrus Steinmetz, youngest son, at the age of thirty married Margaret Fish, daughter of a prosperous farmer near Richwood, Ohio. They have two children, Carrie and May. Carrie married a Mr. Sivy; they have two sweet children. May married a man by the name of Lynn. Cyrus was a soldier in the late war, was in some of the hard battles, witnessed the army of General Hooker when he took Lookout Mountain, was in the charge of Missionary Ridge. He has a fine farm and lives in a large brick residence.

Would say before closing the history of this pioneer family that John Steinmetz and his beloved wife are buried five miles west of Richwood in the Presbyterian cemetery in a quiet country churchyard.

George Steinmetz, second son of George the first, went at an early age to Brownsville. Penn., married and raised a family of six children, five girls and one son. George was a boat builder or ship carpenter. George lives at Braddock, Penn, is a real estate agent. Ore girl lives at Brownsville, two at Coal Center, two are dead. George was an honest, good man. He collected the tax in his borough for many years. He kept the toll gate at the Monongahela bridge for many years. He was a man that was universally respected by every one that knew him. He died in 1897, aged eighty-seven years.

Harrison Steinmetz married a Miss Ann Shafer. He died quite young with fever. They had several children. They are all dead. He is buried at Frazysburg, Ohio.

Iven, the youngest son, married a lady by the name of Slaughter. They had three sons and three daughters. Only two sons and one daughter are now living. John lives in Iowa, George in Indiana, Homer is dead, was a fine carpenter; he left three sons; they live in Frazysburg, Ohio. Iven was a very intelligent man, was a most exemplary Christian gentleman. He died about 1882 from the effects of a sunstroke. He as well as his father, George Steinmetz, is buried at Frazysburg, Ohio. George Steinmetz when he died was aged eighty-two years; died Sept. 24th, 1857, of old age.

Thus we have given in our own language the history of the George branch. We would remark before closing there are some peculiar traits in the character of the race, not one of them but what is strictly temperate in his habits, not one drunkard in the race that the writer knows of. They are lovers of horses, all of them have great conversational powers, despise tyranny and old England. Everywhere you see the George branch are almost universally Baptists in religion, in politics Jefferson men, Democrats.


Source: Steinmetz Family, The; B. F. Steinmetz; c. 1896.










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