Eldest Children of Early Williams County Settlers - Divorce, 1872

By

Pamela Pattison Lash

If one finds a direct relationship with any of the principals in this genealogical detailing, one may file application papers to the First Families of Williams Co, OH. Children of these early settlers often married and some were separated by death while others chose to separate in life. Such is this story.

Philetus Gleason was born 24 June 1814, Tompkins Co, NY and married Jane Douglas, 13 Sept 1835.  In Oct 1835 the couple came to Springfield Twp and later Pulaski Twp where Jane died 29 Apr 1854.  They had six known children: George B., Jerome D., Lettie Jane, Sidney M., Emily E., and Alfred F.  Philetus needed a helpmate to raise his children and he found her in the form of Mrs. Mary Bostater McNary whom he married here on 1 Mar 1855 (V2 p154).  The Gleasons became parents of Emma L., Charles E., and Alvin Frank.  Mary Boastater McNary Gleason's mother, Agnes Gantz Bostater 79 PA also lived in the Bryan residence of Philetus Gleason in 1860 but died  on 14 Dec 1865.  Her husband, John Bostater, b.1773 in Hagarstown, Washngton Co, MD, had died on 24 Jan 1849 in Georgetown  (Ney), Defiance Co, OH. 

            In the 1850 Washington Twp, Defiance Co, OH federal census p65, the McNary family was listed as Samuel 35 VA cabinet maker, Mary 32 PA, James 11 OH, Harriet 9 OH, William 7 OH, John 6 OH, Juliet M 1 OH, and Agnes Bostater 69 PA.  Our story deals with the oldest son, James R. McNary, b. 1839, OH, a Civil War vet. 

            James married neighbor, Susan R. Carroll, 19 Dec 1867, Wms Co (V3 p740).  Susan Carroll was the eldest daughter of William and Sarah Evans Carroll who were married here, 17 Sept 1837 (V1 p26).  William Carroll was a native of Maryland while his bride hailed from New Brunswick, Canada.  William is enumerated in the 1840 Tiffin Twp, Wms Co, OH (now Defiance Co) federal census. A close neighbor was Isaac Evans and his family who may be relatives to William’s wife, Sarah. William and his family lived in Evansport-Tiffin Twp and were enumerated in the 1850 federal census for Defiance Co, OH p50 as William 37 MD pearl ash maker, Sarah 32 New Brunswick, Susan R 10 OH, Thomas R 8 OH, William J 6 OH, Edwin E 4/12 OH.  By the 1860 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census p53A, the family moved and they appear as William Carroll 47 MD with Sarah 40 New Brunswick, Susan R. 20 OH domestic, Thomas 18 OH clerk, William 15 OH farm labor, and Edwin 11 OH.  The Old Evansport Cemetery in Defiance Co, OH also shows tombstone inscriptions for two youngsters born to this family, David S. and Isaac E.

            According to Journal 8 p41 and Roll 24 (#45) of the Williams County Civil and Criminal Court Records, Susan McNary sued her husband for a divorce in May 1872 stating that he had been willfully absent for three years and had left the state.  Apparently there were no living children as there is no mention of minors.  Susan was granted a divorce and was restored to her maiden name, Carroll.

            Into this native Wms Co, OH mix came a Prussian born shoemaker who set up shop in Bryan and married Mary M. Gerst in Wms Co on 10 Nov 1867 (Marriage V 3 p731).  William Kapelsky, b 1833, and his wife Mary M. b 1852, IL, were parents of Harmon, Adolph, Albert, Wilhelm, and Ellen.  The Kapelski family was listed in the 1870 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census p21 as William 37 Prussia shoemaker, Mary 21 IL, Harmon 2 OH, and Adolph 1 OH.  In 1881 Kapelsky owned a saloon in Bryan on W. Edgerton St. Whether he died or left for parts unknown, Mrs. Mary Kapelsky married James R. McNary, 8 July 1884 (V5 #503) in Wms Co.  The new couple had a son, JR McNary, b. 11 Sept 1885, Bryan. In the 1910 Bryan, Pulaski Twp federal census p160, the McNary family lived on Center Street and was listed as James 71 OH married 26Y with 8 children/ 2 surviving, wife Mary 52 IL, and children Ray 24 OH, and Beulah 18 OH.  

            Father James McNary was a member of the GAR of Bryan, Evans Post, and died in Sept 1926.  His wife Mary, who died 1930, plus three of her Kapelsky children were buried with James in Fountain Grove Cem.  James' mother Mary Gleason (1817-1902) and stepfather Philetus Gleason (1814-1891) are also buried there.

            In the 1880 Village of Pulaski, Pulaski Twp federal census p617C William Carroll was enumerated as 67 MD with wife Sarah 63 New Brunswick, and their daughter Susan R 40 OH dressmaker. Susan Carroll lived only until 1888 and would later be joined in Shiffler Cem, Jefferson Twp, Wms Co by her parents, William Carroll (1813-1889) and Sarah (1816-1896).  Susan's brother William J. Carroll ran a grocery store in Bryan.

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