| Notes |
- SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY, INDIANA HISTORY BOOK, 929.2 1823-1988.
"THE FRENCH FAMILY
The Elmer French family, because of its numerous progeny, isassociated with many families in the area, with direct descendantsnumbering nearly 300 in 1989.
Elmer Edgar French, born Apr. 6, 1876, near Portland Arch in FountainCounty, died June 9, 1971 at Ladoga, was a son of James and AliceLaBaw French. James was born in 1852, a son of William and ElizaOsborn French. Eliza's father, Daniel Osborn, born in 1791, came toFountain County in 1824, where he ministered to the communalsettlement near Stone Bluff, north of Veedersburg. Daniel's parents,Cyrus and Esther Baldwin Osborn were natives of New Jersey, and latermoved to Ohio where they were among the founders of Middletown. Cyrusfought in the Indian Wars in Ohio, and helped bury the dead after St.Clair's defeat. Esther was a true frontiers woman, born in 1763, whogrew up in the midst of the Revolution. Cyrus died in 1805, andEsther eventually moved on to Indiana where she died at the age of 90.
Esther's immigrant ancestors included: John Ogden, Governor of EastJersey, William Meeker, a founder of Elizabeth, NJ, William Preston ofthe New Haven Colony, Cornelis Melyn, Patron of Staten Island, andRalph Dayton, Thomas Baker and Jacobus Schellinger, all among thefounders of East Hampton, Long Island. The Osborns were descendantsof Thomas Osborn, village tanner in New Haven and later East Hampton.
Elmer French's mother, Alice LaBaw French, 1858-1936, was a daughterof Benjamin and Elizabeth Smith LaBaw. Benjamin was a descendant ofPenelope Van Princin, who was ship wrecked at Sandy Hook off theJersey coast, later being rescued by friendly Indians and taken to NewYork where she married Richard Stout and in 1648 returned to MonmouthCo., NJ, as its first settlers.
Elizabeth Smith LaBaw was a descendant of the Martin and Otterbachfamilies, who were among the 13 families from Muesen, Nassau-Siegen,Germany, who emigrated to Fauquier Co., VA, in 1714 -- starting thefirst iron works in the Virginia Colony.
Elmer French was reared by his mother and step-father, Henry Douglas,near New Market, (Fountain County, Indiana) where he attended schooland belonged to the New Market Christian Church where he was baptized. He had three step-brothers: Aaron, Emmons, and Edwin Douglas, astep-sister, Sarah Amanda Gilliland, and three half-brothers, Walter,Homer, and Everett Douglas. A farmer and fence builder, he firstmarried Mabel Reynolds, 1881-1904, daughter of Lewis and Mary WrightReynolds of Brown's Valley. Elmer and Mabel had four sons: Earl, Sr.married Mary Gooding, Paul married Juanita Sparks, and twins, Claudemarried Opal Douglas, and Clyde married Charlotte Roberts. Mabel diedwhen the twins were ten days old and Elmer married secondly, LillieKinkead, 1883-1963, daughter of Stephen and Nancy Zimmerman Kinkead ofnear Ladoga. Stephen was a grandson of Matthew and Sarah GaleyKinkead, who settled in Brown Township in 1829. Elmer and LillieKinkead French had eight children: sons, Ernest Sr. married GarnetGause, Clarence, Ralph married Alleen Morrison, E. Edwin marriedEulalia Switzer; daughters: Helen married Howard Webb, Hazel marriedHoward Hartung, Opal married John McKinstry, and Gladys married JohnFletcher. By Larry J. McKinstry" [Transcribed 25 January 2006,SLJuhl]
NOTE FROM AMY TERRY: "When Elmer's wife Mable died, after twins wereborn, he married Lillie Kinkead. They then had 8 children. Elmer andLillie raised Elmer's two oldest boys, and the twins were raised bythe Reynolds." During World War II, he went to work for R.R.Donnelley and Sons where he worked until 1951. The family lived inPutnam County (Carpentersville, New Maysville and Roachdale area) fromabout 1907 to 1921, when they moved to the Ladoga area. In 1931, theymoved to Mace where they lived until 1963, except for a short time inLinnsburg. Elmer died at Ladoga Golden Manor Nursing Home and hisfuneral was conducted at Perkins Funeral Home in Ladoga with burial inthe New Ross Cemetery." From www.RootsWeb.com web site dated3/22/2005 under WorldConnect where Amy has submitted information onthe family, and from personel correspondence on 07 April 2005.[Transcribed 26 January 2006, SLJuhl, compiler]
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1876 - 1971 (95 years)
