1862 Benjamin Mellinger died on Jun. 4, 1862 and was buried at Masonville Mennonite Cemetery, Washington Boro, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Benjamin Mellinger was born Oct. 22, 1785. [1]
A biosketch reports [2]:
David F. Mellinger (deceased), late a highly honored resident of his native township of Manor, Lancaster county, was born Jan. 6, 1820, a descendant from one of the oldest families of the township, mention of whom will be found on several pages of this volume.
Benjamin Mellinger, father of David F., was the eldest son of John and Elizabeth (Dills) Mellinger, and was born in Indiantown, Manor township, in 1785; he died in 1861. Soon after the war of 1812 had closed, Benjamin purchased, when prices were at the highest point. a tract of land which depreciated in price fully one-half before he had cleared off the mortgage, but he struggled on manfully, and finally extricated himself from debt. He devoted his time to farming and distilling. realized a competency, and became one of the most prominent men of his town ship, gaining the full confidence of his fellow citizens. In politics, Benjamin Mellinger was first an anti-Mason Whig. but later became a Republican, was honored by his townspeople with many local offices, and for years was a member of the school board. In religion he was a Mennonite. Benjamin Mellinger married Anna Eshleman. who was born in Manor township in 1784, was a daughter of Jacob Eshleman and died in 1875. the mother of seven children who grew to mature years, viz.: John E.. a farmer, who died in Yellow Springs, Ohio, June 21, 1900. at the advanced age of ninety years and seven months: Jacob E., a farmer of Millerstown, Pa., who died in 1893, when over seventy-four years of age;
Benjamin E., a farmer of Manor township, who died about 1855, about forty-two years of age; Elizabeth, born Aug. 4, 1815, who is the widow of Henry E. Baer: Henry H., formerly a farmer, now eighty—two years old, and residing in Steuhenville, Ohio; David F.; Martin E., born in 1826. a school-teacher, and later a clerk, who died in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1882.
David F. Mellinger was unmarried, and made his home with his sister, Mrs. Baer, on his homestead about one mile from Safe Harbor, which homestead contains twenty-three acres on which Mr. Mellinger lived for forty-eight years. Besides his home he owned a tract of eighteen acres in another part of Manor township. Mrs. Baer, now a widow, is the mother of three children, namely: Benjamin, a farmer of Manor township; Elizabeth, wife of George H. Weaver, of Harrisburg: and Annie, deceased wife of Benjamin Frey, of Manor township.
David F. Mellinger began his active life when eighteen years old by teaching in both public and private schools, and he followed the vocation fifteen years—teaching every winter and some of the summers. After abandoning this profession he worked for some time for neighboring farmers, when he secured his late home, where his declining years were passed in peace and quiet, and cheered by the visits of many warm friends who honored and esteemed him for his many amiable traits of character. In religion he was a Methodist and in politics a Republican. His death at four score years closed a well spent life.
[1] Find A Grave Memorial 86038949, [FindAGrave].
[2] John F. Meginness et al, Biographical Annals of Lancaster County Pennsylvania (Beers: 1903), 286, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].