BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - WATSON ANCESTORS LEMLEY 92-George LEMLEY’S (my 4G Grandfather) father is thought to have been born in Germany and to have immigrated to America and settled in New Jersey where George was born in 1741 and lived the early part of his life. He probably married 93-Catherine YOHO before leaving New Jersey. According to at least one account George first came to Southwestern Pennsylvania as a member of the American Revolutionary Army, stationed at Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh), and upon his discharge he and his family temporarily settled near Fort Jackson (Waynesburg) where he traded his army greatcoat for a tract of land. Fort Jackson was located some six miles from his farm and he was soon serving in Captain James ARCHER’S Company of the Washington County Militia to help guard the local settlers against Indian attack. He and his family next located about three miles northwest of Kirby in Greene (now Whitely) Township where a tract of land was warranted by him 25 May 1785, surveyed 20 August 1785 and patented under the name "Lemley's Plain" 6 June 1787. The 1789 tax lists show him with 450 acres of land, 4 horses and 5 cows. In 1790 he bought 331 acres on the northwest border of "Lemley's Plain". In 1792 his taxes were 2 pounds - 7 shillings and 5 pence, among the higher taxes paid in the area. In 1792 he purchased a tract of 388 acres of choice Dunkard Creek bottom land located on the south side of the creek just southwest of Mount Morris and bordering West Virginia (Mason Dixon line) on the south. This land was patented under the name "Shiver-de-Frise" and was to be George and Catherine's home for the rest or their lives. The 1796 tax rolls list George with 340 acres, 50 acres of cleared land, 3 cabins, 1 barn, 3 horses, and 5 cattle with a total assessed value of $537.50. 92-George and 93-Catherine had eleven children, John, Jacob, Mary, George Jr., Peter, Catherine, Susannah, Isaac, Rachel, Samuel and 46-David. 92-George died in 1813 at age 72. He willed 93-Catherine one third of his personal and real estate and to each of his eleven children he made a specific bequest, the amount of which was based on prior gifts to each. "Shiver-de-Frise" was divided between Isaac and 46-David, who were his executors. He had $269.00 cash on hand when he died, considered a sizable sum ofmoney in those days. 93-Catherine died in 1825 at age 81. Both are buried in the family cemetery on a high ridge of their farm, "Shiver-de -Frise", overlooking Dunkard Creek. 46-David LEMLEY, youngest child of George and Catherine YOHO LEMLEY, was born in 1787 while the family was living on "Lemley Plain", near Kirby. He was 5 years old when the family moved to "Shiver-de Frise", near Mount Morris. He lived the rest of his life at that location, inheriting part of the farm when it was divided between he and brother Isaac upon his fathers death. In about 1806 he married 47-Ruhama SNIDER who lived on the adjoining farm, across the state line in West Virginia. They had eleven children, the first born when David was twenty years old. Their children were, Margaret, George, David, Jeremiah, Asberry, Elizabeth, Sarah (who married Joseph Robinson DONLEY, 22-Daniel's brother), 23-Catherine, who became the wife of 22-Daniel DONLEY, Mary, Susannah and Rachel. 46-David died in 1843 at age 56, and 47-Ruhama in 1861 at age 76. Both are buried in the LEMLEY Cemetery on the family farm at Mount Morris. SUPPLEMENTAL BIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL - LEMLEY
(Added after initial printing) BAZEL LEMLEY
Obituary of Cousin Bazel (Basil) LEMLEY, Greene County’s last Civil War Veteran. Bazel was a 2G Grandson of my 4G Grandparents 92-George LEMLEY and 93-Catherine YOHO. His G Grandfather was Jacob LEMLEY, Sr., brother of 3G Grandfather 46-David LEMLEY. WAYNESBURG, Feb.18, 1943 - Bazel LEMLEY, Greene County's last Civil War Veteran died at 8 o'clock this morning at his home at Mt. Morris at the age of 101 years. In November Mr. LEMLEY recovered from bronchial pneumonia, but weakened gradually since that illness. Only a week ago on Feb. 10, Mr. LEMLEY celebrated his 101st birthday. For almost the entire 101 years of his life he had been a resident of Greene County. He was born at Marietta, Ohio, February 10, 1842, a son of Israel LEMLEY and Mazie (WHITE) LEMLEY. When he was only five weeks of age his parents moved to Greene County, where he spent the remainder of his long life, with the exception of four years devoted to fighting for the North in the Union Army in the 1860's. When the Civil War broke out in April 1861, Bazel LEMLEY went to the front with the first troops leaving Greene County. He enlisted June 30, 1861 and was mustered into the Federal service July 15, 1861 as a member of Company I, Eighth Pennsylvania Reserve Corps (37th Regiment). He was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness, and on May 15, 1864, he was transferred as a veteran to the 191st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He was the last survivor of his unit. He saw action in 19 battles of the war, but the only wound received was at the Wilderness. During a military review he shook hands with President LINCOLN: and at a review of Union veterans held at the battlefield of Antietam over 70 years later he again shook hands with a President of the United States - Franklin D. ROOSEVELT. At this meeting he told the president that if he ever had the opportunity he would vote for him, and though a staunch Republican, he made good on this promise in 1940. He was mustered out of the service with an honorable discharge on July 5, 1865, after which he returned to Greene County, where he spent the remainder of his life. Mr. LEMLEY in July, 1865, became a member of Waynesburg Lodge No. 469 I.O.O.F. and on February 12, 1942, just two days after his 100th birthday he was honored at a meeting which he attended. At that time and at the time of his death he was the oldest member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Pennsylvania and perhaps in the United States. President Franklin D. ROOSEVELT, Governor Arthur H. JAMES and Senator James J. DAVIS sent him congratulatory Messages on his 100th birthday. On this occasion he was elected to membership in Pittsburgh’s Dapper Dan Club, a nationally known charitable organization with 2,500 members. He was considered Greene County’s best dressed senior. Between 75 and 100 persons attended the dinner given in his honor on February 10,1942. Mr. LEMLEY was a regular attendant at the annual national encampment of the G.A.R. and at he time of his death was chaplain of the G.A.R. for Pennsylvania. When the Department of Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Republic, held its 72nd encampment in Washington from June 19 to 23, 1938, Mr. LEMLEY was one of four surviving Civil War Veterans living in Greene County. The others were Derrick U. SHAFFER of Waynesburg; Robert WATSON of Holbrook, and Elijah WATTERS of Carmichaels. Only two of these veterans – Mr. LEMLEY and Mr. WATSON – were able to attend the encampment. Mr. LEMLEY was the last survivor of this quartet. On September 3, 1865, Mr. LEMLEY was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Jane HIGGENS, who died February 27, 1925. Three daughters survive, Mrs. Dora KERR, Orlando, Fla.; Mrs. Lou HEADLEY, Toledo, Ohio and Mrs. Bertie AREFORD, Waynesburg. On October 7, 1935, he married Mary Kennedy ENGLE, who survives. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist church. SOURCE: Copy of original newspaper article submitted by Cousin Peggy DUCSAY of Cecil, PA |