Obituary : Gerald Walker LeMaster, Portland Commercial-Review, March 20, 1987

Obituary of Gerald W. LeMaster
Portland, Indiana Commercial-Review
March 20, 1987

FORMER COMMISSIONER GERALD LeMASTER DIES

Gerald W. LeMaster, 91, RR 6, Portland, died Thursday afternoon in Hometown Nursing Home, Celina, following an extended illness.

Born Jan. 15, 1896 in Madison Township, Jay County, he was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara (Wehrly) LeMaster.  He first married Mabel Kantner. She died on Jan. 3, 1927.  He then married Pearl Smith on Nov. 24, 1929 and she died on March 9, 1984.

LeMaster was a retired farmer and served as a Jay County Commissioner for one term in the 1960s.  He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Salamonia.  He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War I, where he served in the Calvary {sic}.

LeMaster was a member of the American Legion Post 211 and the Disabled American Veterans, Portland.

Surviving are one son, Robert J. LeMaster, Lorain, Ohio; three daughters, Mary M. Matthews, Emporia, Va., Mrs. Hugh (Roberta) Lenox, Alanson, Mich., and Mrs. Nadine Perry, Portland; one sister, Mary Olive Taylor, Akron, Ohio; one brother, Elvin C. LeMaster, Columbus, Ohio; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.

Services are set for 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Portland Chapel of the Williamson and Spencer Funeral Home. Rev. Francis Bock will officiate and burial will follow in the Salamonia Cemetery.  American Legion Post 211 will be in charge of military rites at the cemetery. 

Friends may call at the funeral home from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and prior to services on Monday.

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Gerald was my paternal granduncle, the older brother of my grandfather, Ord Wehrly LeMaster.

If you are related to this family or have any additional information, I'd love to hear from you.

Sunday's Obituary: Maxine Elizabeth LeMaster (1920-1931)

Commercial-Review, April 4, 1931, page 1

Scarlet Fever Is Fatal Friday to Lemaster Child

Maxine Elizabeth Lemaster, 10, died Friday evening at 5:30 o'clock at the home, in Salamonia from scarlet fever, which developed Tuesday.


She was the daughter of Gerald W. and Mabel Agnes (Kantner) Freemyer and was born August 29, 1920, being aged at the time of her death 10 years, 7 months and 4 days.  She was preceded in death by her mother, January 3, 1929.


She is survived by the father, step-mother, two sisters, Nadine and Roberta, and a half-sister, Mary Marie, the latter being seriously ill from the disease.


Private funeral services will be conducted Sunday morning at 11 o'clock from the home in charge of Rev. Leroy Myers, pastor of the Salamonia M.E. church.  Iterment will be made in the Salamonia cemetery.



Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

Jay County Men Respond

Source: Indianapolis Star, Friday, May 4, 1917, page 11


JAY COUNTY MEN RESPOND


Portland, Ind. May 3 - Jay County sent eight more recruits to Fort Wayne this afternoon to join the army.  All are from Salamonia, a town of less than 200 population.  They are Forest and Orville Chew, brothers; John F. and Guy F. Kantner, cousins; John M. Bischoff, Ray C. McKinley, Gerard W. LeMaster, David Clyde Andrews.  Daniel Shaneyfelt and Isaac J. Garringer, both of Boundary, accompanied them, expecting to enlist.  Four new enlistments were recorded in Company G, I.N.G., this city, today.  They are Orville Upp and Frank Fiekle, this city, Oscar Shafer and Frank Sientz, both of Pennville.  Fred Chronister, private in the local company, has been elected second lieutenant of the new guard company being formed at Decatur.


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Many of these names are familiar to my family research:


Gerald W. LeMASTER (name misspelled as "Gerard"), was my paternal granduncle, son of Luman and Barbara (WEHRLY) LeMASTER.


John M. BISCHOFF, was a foster child of my great-granduncle, Arthur R. LeMASTER.


Forest and Orville CHEW, were my paternal 1st cousins, 3 times removed, sons of Dr. William and Emma (STRAIGHT) CHEW.

Wednesday's Child: Maxine E. LeMaster (1920-1931)

Maxine Elizabeth LeMASTER, daughter of Gerald Walker and Mabel Agnes (KANTNER) LeMASTER, is buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Maxine was born August 20, 1920 in Jay County, Indiana.  She died April 2, 1931.  I need to obtain a copy of the obituary to find out how and where she died.

Note the surname is spelled with a final 's' on the family grave plot.

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), Maxine LeMaster marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009.

Wednesday’s Child – Post photos of gravestones of children. A sad topic indeed but posts can give life to the stories of these young souls. This has been an ongoing series by Amy at Gravestoned.

Tombstone Tuesday: LeMasters

Source: Salamonia Cemetery (Jay County, Indiana), LeMasters marker, photographed by Travis LeMaster, 26 March 2009

Gerald Walker LeMASTERS and both wives, Mabel Agnes (KANTNER) LeMASTERS and Pearl L. (SMITH) LeMASTERS, as well as daughter, Maxine, are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Gerald was born January 15, 1896 in Jay County, Indiana, the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (WEHRLY) LeMASTERS.

Mabel was born November 9, 1898 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of Henry and Estella (BROWN) KANTNER.

Gerald and Mabel were married November 22, 1919 in Jay County, Indiana.  They had 3 children: Maxine Elizabeth, Marjorie Nadine and Eva Roberta.

Mabel died January 3, 1927 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.

Gerald married secondly on November 24, 1929 to Pearl Lovina SMITH, daughter of Samuel E. and Mary E. (BIBLER) SMITH.  They had two children: Mary Marie and Robert J.

Pearl was born April 23, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana.

Daughter Maxine Elizabeth LeMASTERS, was born August 20, 1920 in Jay County, Indiana and died April 2, 1931.

Smaller markers next to the larger marker spell the surname LeMaster.

Tombstone Tuesday – To participate in Tombstone Tuesday simply create a post which includes an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors and it may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor. This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Amanuensis Monday: Sketch of Luman W. LeMasters

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today I'm looking at the biographical sketch of my paternal 2nd-great grandfather, Luman Walker LeMASTERS, which appeared in the book "History of Jay County, Indiana: including its World War Record and Incorporating the Montgomery History", by Milton T. Jay, 1922, Historical Publishing Company, page 195.





Luman W. LeMasters, an honored veteran of the Civil War and one of the best known farmers and landowners of Jay county, proprietor of "Lookout Hill Farm" in Madison township, where he makes his home, this farm being on rural mail route No. 6 out of Portland, is a "Buckeye" by birth, but has been a resident of this county practically all the time since he was twelve years of age, a period of about seventy years, and thus has been witness to and a participant in the amazing development that has taken place in this community since what might properly be regarded as pioneer days, for there was still much of the primeval wild here when he first came to this county.  Mr. LeMasters was born on a farm in Shelby county, Ohio, October 19, 1842, and is a son of Luman W. and Nancy (Young) LeMasters, Virginians, who became residents of Ohio in their childhood days and were there married. The elder Luman W. LeMasters was born in that section of the Old Dominion that came to be organized as West Virginia in Civil War times.  He was reared as a farmer and also became a "local" preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church.  After his marriage he made his home on an eighty-acre farm which he owned in Shelby county, Ohio, and there remained until 1854, in which year he moved with his family over into Indiana and located on a quarter section of land he bought in Madison township, this county, the west "eighty" of which is now owned by his son Luman, the subject of the sketch.  On that place the elder Luman W. LeMasters and his wife spent the remainder of their days, their influence for good in that community continuing a pleasant memory in the neighborhood.  He died on April 15, 1888, and his widow survived until August 26, 1904.  They were the parents of nine children, six of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having three sisters, Phebe J., Mary P., and Martha J., and two brothers, Jacob and John LeMasters.  As noted above, the junior Luman W. LeMasters was twelve years of age when he came to Jay county with his parents in 1854.  He grew to manhood on the home farm in Madison township, completing his schooling in the neighborhood schools and by two years of attendance at the old Farmers Academy at College Corner, and was living on the farm when the Civil war broke out.  On July 21, 1861, he enlisted his services in behalf of the cause of the Union and went to the front as a member of Company C of the 39th regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which presently was reorganized as the 8th Cavalry, and with that gallant command was serving when on July 3, 1863, while on a charge against the enemy at Deckers Forge, two and one-half miles south of Winchester, Tenn., he was shot through the left breast, receiving a wound which terminated his further usefulness as a soldier, putting him on the invalid list.  In March, 1864, Mr. LeMasters received his discharge and in the following fall was married and began farming for himself as a renter of land in this county.  Three years later he moved over into Darke county, Ohio, and was there engaged in farming for nine years, at the end of which time he returned to Jay county and took charge of the home farm in Madison township.  In 1904 he bought the west "eighty" of that quarter section and is still living there, practically retired since 1907, renting his fields.  Mr. LeMasters is a Republican,  is a member of Henry McLaughlin Post, No. 516, Grand Army of the Republic, at Salamonia, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of that village.  It was on October 2, 1864, that Luman W. LeMasters was united in marriage to Mary K. Chew, who has thus been his helpmate for more than fifty-seven years.  Mrs. LeMasters was born in Camden county, New Jersey, February 13, 1847, and is a daughter of Dr. Ezekiel and Caroline B. (Woolston) Chew, both of whom were born in that same state.  In 1855 Dr. Ezekiel Chew moved with his family from New Jersey to Farmersville, Ohio.  Two years later he moved to Ft. Jefferson, in Darke county (Ohio) and after a sometime residence there came to Indiana.  He made several changes of residence after coming to this state, but finally located in St. Joseph county, where his last days were spent, his death occurring there in August, 1888.  His wife died on February 27, 1879.  They were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are living, Mrs. LeMasters having one sister, Sarah F., and five brothers, Nathaniel D., Cooper, Charles, Virgil and Donald Chew.  To Luman W. and Mary K. (Chew) LeMasters have been born ten children, Beulah S., Luman C., William C., Elsie, Bertha, Ord O., Edith, Maude, Arthur and Vernon, all of whom are still living.  Beulah S. LeMasters married L.L. Rockwell, who is engaged in the garage business at Ft. Recovery, Ohio, and has four children, Claude, a Noble township farmer, who married Opal Loy and has two children, Catherine M. and Duetta; Opal, who married Daniel Grile, who is operating a garage at Geneva, Ind., and has two children, Lester and John Lynn; Edith, wife of Cecil Bickel, a Madison township farmer, who has one child, and Anna.  Luman C. LeMasters, a farmer of Madison township, married Belle Wehrley and has twelve children, Clarence, a Madison township farmer, who married May Bickel and has three children, Kenneth, Mary I. and Luman; Chesley, now living at Richmond, Ind., who married Clara Burkey and has two children, Donald and Doris; Bertha, who married Russell Hercules, of Richmond, Ind., and has two children, Mervil and Isabella; Floyd, a Noble township farmer, who married Opal Gagle and has one child, Remonda; Gerald, who is the garage business in Pennville and married Mabel Kantner and has one child, Maxine; Stanley, who is at home; Dorothy, wife of Charles Hunt, of Richmond, Ind.; John, a teacher in the schools of the county, making his home in Madison township, and who married Dorothy Delauter and has one child, Geraldine, and Freda, Ord, Mary O., and Elvin C., who are at home.  William C. LeMasters, who is now living at Victor, Col., where he is the proprietor of a moving picture theater, married Lella Lewis and has four children, Gladys, who married Lloyd G. Moser, of Mt. Rosa, Col., and has two children, Carrie and Bobby; Lella, who married Earl Slinkard and is living in California, and Ralph and William, at home.  Elsie LeMasters married M.J. Adkinson, a farmer of Madison township.  Bertha LeMasters married John Yaeger, who is now principal of schools at Brazil, Ind., and has six children, Clarence, Mary, Helen, John V., George W., and Luther L.  Dr. Ord O. LeMasters, now a practicing physician at Sidney, Ohio, married Emma Garmenhouser.  He and his wife have an adopted daughter, Isabella.  Edith LeMasters married Henry Mineholtz, who is now engaged in the mercantile business at Alamosa, Col., and has four children, Wilhelmina, Lucile, Helen E. and Marjorie M.  Maude LeMasters married Dr. S.W. Phillips, a veterinary surgeon, now living at David City, Neb., and has two children, Donald and Louise.  Arthur LeMasters married Maude McLaughlin and is now engaged in the garage business at Geneva, Ind.  Dr. Vernon LeMasters, a veteran of the World war and a practicing physician, now living at Sidney, Ohio, married Helen Garmenhouser and has one child, a son, Robert.  Doctor LeMasters was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the United States army during the war and served for eighteen months overseas.  Mr. and Mrs. LeMasters were among the most active promoters of the movement which led to the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church at Salamonia in 1876 and thus for more than forty-five years have been prominently identified with that congregation.  Mr. LeMasters served as a member of the board of trustees of this congregation until 1920 and for more than forty years was class leader, while for many years Mrs. LeMasters was one of the leading teachers in the Sunday school.




John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch started this Monday genealogy meme, which has quickly spread throughout the Geneablogger community. I am excited to be a participant and transcribe the records of my family.

Family Milestones: January 15th

My maternal 5th-great granduncle, James CHEW, married on this date in 1829 in St. Clair County, Illinois to Nancy T. MILLION.  James was the son of Andrew and Anna Marie (BARTHUS) CHEW, and the younger brother of my Elizabeth CHEW.  James was born in 1805 in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio.  I do not have dates of birth or death for Nancy.  James died in 1840 in Indiana.  Nothing futher is known at this time.


My paternal granduncle, Gerald Walker LeMASTERS, was born on this date in 1896 in Jay County, Indiana.  Gerald was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (WEHRLY) LeMASTERS, and the older brother of my Ord Wehrly LeMASTER.  Gerald married on November 22, 1919 in Jay County, Indiana to Mabel Agnes KANTNER, daughter of Henry and Estella (BROWN) KANTNER.  Mabel was born November 9, 1898 in Jay County, Indiana.  They had 3 children.  Mabel died January 3, 1927 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Gerald married secondly on November 24, 1929 to Pearl Lovina SMITH, daughter of Samuel E. and Mary E. (BIBLER) SMITH.  Pearl was born April 23, 1894 in Jay County, Indiana.  They had 2 children.  Pearl died in March 1984.  Gerald died in March 1987.  Both are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My paternal 3rd-great grandaunt, Hannah LEMASTERS, was born on this date in 1816 in Champaign County, Ohio.  Hannah was the daughter of Jacob and Hannah (________) LEMASTERS, and the younger sister of my Luman Walker LEMASTERS.  Hannah married October 5, 1834 in Shelby County, Ohio to James McVAY.  James was born May 27, 1809 in Pickaway County, Ohio.  They had 6 children.  The family lived in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio.  James died October 28, 1907 in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio.  Hannah died September 14, 1892 in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio.

My paternal 4th-great grandaunt, Rhoda MOULTON, was born on this date in 1786, probably in Rutland County, Vermont.  Rhoda was the daughter of John and Avis (HURLBUT) MOULTON, and the older sister of my Selah MOULTON.  Nothing further is known at this time.

Family Milestones: November 22nd

My paternal granduncle, Gerald Walker LEMASTERS, married Mabel Agnes KANTER on this date in 1919 in Jay County, Indiana. Gerald was the son of Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (WEHRLY) LEMASTERS, and the older brother of my Ord Wehrly LEMASTER. Gerald was born January 15, 1896 in Jay County, Indiana. Mabel was born November 9, 1898 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of Henry and Estella (BROWN) KANTNER. Mabel died January 3, 1927 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Gerald remarried to Pearl Lovina SMITH. Gerald died in March 1987 and is buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana.

My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Dialtha Adaline SWAFFORD, married John R. KING on this date in 1849 in Monroe County, Indiana. Dialtha was the daughter of Larkin and Nancy (________) SWAFFORD, and the younger sister of my Peter Kirkpatrick SWAFFORD. Dialtha was born circa 1830 in Tennesseee. John was born circa 1825 in Kentucky. They lived in Washington Township, Monroe County, Indiana through the 1870 census. Need to do more research to determine when and where they died.

My maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Eliza Margaret KING, was born on this date in 1857 in Frankton, Madison County, Indiana. Eliza was the daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (SHAW) KING, and the older sister of my Ellen KING. Eliza married James H. DWIGGINS on August 16, 1877 in Madison County, Indiana. They had at least 3 children. Eliza died August 18, 1889 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana and is buried in the Sigler Cemetery, Madison County, Indiana.

My maternal 4th-great grandaunt, Sarah Ann WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1820 in Brown County, Ohio. Sarah was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (ROBBINS) WRIGHT, and the younger sister of my John WRIGHT. Sarah married Allen HENDRIXSON on October 24, 1839 in Brown County, Ohio. Allen was born on May 4, 1817 in Fleming County, Kentucky, the son of Enoch and Nancy Ann (ROE) HENDIXSON. Sarah died February 9, 1858 in Brown County, Ohio. Allen died April 11, 1885 in Brown County, Ohio.

My paternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Hannah LEMASTERS, was born on this date in 1832 in Shelby County, Ohio. Hannah was the daughter of Jacob and Hannah (________) LEMASTERS, and the older sister of my Luman Walker LEMASTERS. Hannah died November 21, 1838 in Shelby County, Ohio.

Tombstone Tuesday: Luman Cooper & Barbara Isabelle (Wehrly) LeMasters

My paternal great-grandparents, Luman Cooper and Barbara Isabel (Wehrly) LeMasters, are buried in the Salamonia Cemetery, Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Luman was born May 27, 1867 in Jay County, Indiana, the son of Luman Walker and Mary Keziah (Chew) Lemasters.

Barbara was born March 14, 1869 in Jay County, Indiana, the daughter of William P. and Olive Jane (Smith) Wehrly.

Luman and Barbara were married on November 13, 1886 in Jay County, Indiana. They moved shortly after their marriage to Ord, Valley County, Nebraska, but returned to Jay County, Indiana after the death of their first child. They lived out their remaining years on their farm in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Luman and Barbara were the parents of thirteen children, all but the first child were born in Jay County, Indiana.

• [unknown name] LeMasters (1887-1887) died in infancy in Valley County, Nebraska
• Clarence Harrison LeMasters (1888-1963) married Ferry May Bickel, had 5 children
• Chesleigh Franklin LeMasters (1890-1960) married Clara Louise Burkey, had 6 children
• Bertha Alberta LeMasters (1892-1961) married Russell J. Hercules, had 4 children
• Floyd LeMasters (1894-1982) married Shirely Opal Gagle, had 2 children
• Gerald Walker LeMasters (1896-1987) married Mabel Agnes Kantner, had 3 children; married Pearl Lovina Smith, had 2 children
• Stanley Duey LeMaster (1898-1982) married Anna Beard, had 4 children
• Dorothy Dot LeMaster (1900-1984) married Charles Glendon Hunt, had 3 children; married Glen Lock
• John Leland LeMaster (1902-1980) married Dortha LeEtta DeLauter, had 6 children
• Freda Claire LeMaster (1904-1979) married James Orville LaFollette; had 2 children
• Ord Wehrly LeMaster (1906-1971) married Ruth Pauline Haley, had 6 children. These are my grandparents.
• Mary Olive LeMaster (1909-) married Virgil Thornton Taylor, had 1 child.
• Elvin Cooper LeMaster (1912-2000) married Cleo Belle Hanks, had 4 children.