Dear Readers,
I am looking for the family of Abraham Fye and his wife, Nancy Ann, who lived around Preble, Darke, and Butler County, Ohio in the 1820’s through the early 1840’s. I do not know much about this family. I have recently authored a 120 page book on the Fye family and I am now working on trying to prove that Abraham is the younger brother to Charles (Carolis) Fye, who is my ancestor. I believe that they are related because both were born in Virginia and moved to Ohio (particularly the Butler and Darke County region to begin with) around the early 1810’s and early 1820’s. Another brother, John Fye Jr., moved with them around the same time. What little that I been able to collect on Abraham’s family is typed below.
I believe that Abraham was born October 29, 1792 in Rockingham County, Virginia. Abraham was baptized on June 23, 1793 at Peaked Mountain Church, Rockingham Co., Virginia. He was the son of John Sr. and Susanna (Miller) Fye. According to Abraham’s son’s, Joseph Evans Fye, obituary Abraham died around 1840 when his son was 14.
The following is the obituary for Joseph Evans “J.E.†Fye, the son of Abraham and Nancy Ann Fye.
“Joseph Evans Fye, son of Abraham & Ann Fye, born near Lewisburg, Preble Co., Ohio September 18, 1826 and died Arcanum October 17, 1903. Age 14 years when his father died and helped raise family of 6 children, 4 younger than he and 2 children of widowed sister being foster father of Mrs. G.D. Voorhis and her brother Palmer, the last preceded him. Bachelor and member of the Lutheran Church at Euphemia.†(obituary dated October 22, 1903, Arcanum Times, Arcanum, Darke Co., Ohio)
Joseph Evans will lists the following next of kin and beneficiaries:
1. William Fye of Verona, Ohio (relation=brother)
2. Jane Kirkhoff of Arcanum, Ohio (relation=sister)
3. Susann Fye of Arcanum, Ohio (relation=sister)
4. Jane Bixler of Lewisburg, Ohio (relation=niece)
5. Sallie A. Rice of Lewisburg, Ohio (relation=niece)
6. W.H. Horn of Lewisburg, Ohio (relation=nephew)
7. J.E. Horn of West Manchester, Ohio (relation=nephew)
8. B.S. Horn of Lewisburg, Ohio (relation=nephew)
9. D.H. Horn of Greenville, Ohio (relation=nephew)
10. D.E. Horn of Greenville, Ohio (relation=nephew)
11. James Brown of West Sonora, Ohio (relation=nephew)
12. Opal Gebhart of West Sonora, Ohio (relation=nephew)
13. Luther Brown of West Sonora, Ohio (relation=nephew) He died before Joseph died and his two daughters were given his share of the inheritance. Their names were Orida and Ruth Brown.
His will lists his sisters as Mary Susan Fye (a bachelorette) and Nancy Jane (Fye) Kirkhoff.
Here is a list of all who I believe is the list of Abraham and Nancy Ann’s children(note that Joseph’s obituary states that he came from a family of 6 and 4 were younger than him, I think that Elizabeth Ann may have been the oldest followed by Joseph and then 4 more children, as you can see I haven’t been able to account for 1 child):
1. Joseph Evans Fye (can view dates from obituary above)
2. Elizabeth Ann Fye (b. abt. 1824 in OH, married Henry Horn, see below for more)
3. William Fye (?)
4. Mary Susan Fye (b. abt. 1838 in OH, bachelorette)
5. Nancy Jane Fye (b. abt. 1841 in OH, married a Kirkhoff)
Here is a little more on Elizabeth Ann Fye who married Henry Horn. This is Henry’s obituary as it appeared in a Preble Co., Ohio newspaper.
“Henry Horn born 1821, son of George the pioneer. He married Elizabeth Ann Fye on October 25, 1843, had 6 sons and 2 daughters, all survive except the oldest son who died at 14. His was the first name on the charter of the Lutheran church in 1851. He was a mason. He died at the house of his son, Horace, of cancer, January 20, 1859 in Euphemia.
Here is an 1880 census record for Henry and Elizabeth (Fye) Horn.
Monroe, Preble Co., Ohio
1. Henry Horn, Married, age 58, b. in OH, farmer, father/mother b. VA
2. Elizabeth Horn, Married, age 56, b. in OH, kpg. house, mother/father b. MD
3. Hors Horn, Single (son), age 22, b. in OH, school teacher, mother/father b. OH
4. Nettie Hoffman, Single (other), age 20, b. in OH, kpg house, mother/father b. OH
Here is an 1880 census record for Joseph Evans Fye, notice that two of his sisters are living with him.
Arcanum, Darke Co., Ohio
1. Joseph E. Fye, Single, age 52, b. in OH, retired farmer, father b. VA, mother b. MD
2. Mary S. Fye, Single, age 42, b. in OH, kpg. house, father b. VA, mother b. MD
3. Jane Kirkhoff, Widowed, age 39, b. in OH, father b. VA, mother b. MD
4. Palmer R. Kirkhoff, Single (nephew), age 10, b. in OH, father/mother b. OH
5. Rosalene Kirkhoff, Single (niece), age 8, b. in OH, father/mother b. in OH
If anyone out there can add anything to this family I would appreciate it very much. I would be more than happy to trade information.
Thanks
J. D. Houchens (
jdhouchens@yahoo.com)