1850 Wayne Twp Wayne Co OH census, hh 249, p 579, has Felix Lair, 28, farmer, born OH, wife Susan, 27, born OH, daughter Mary 6 and daughter Morain?Marian? 5.
Abraham Lair on p 582 Wayne Twp Wayne Co OH 1850 census.
John Lair on p 589 Wayne Twp Wayne Co OH 1850 census.
Other Lair's in Wayne Co OH 1850 census: George Lair in Mohiccan Twp,p12, (George in 1830 census there also, age 30-40, with 4 boys and 5 girls), William Lair in Greene Twp,p 383, Aaron Lair in ClintonTwp, p5, Elis and Jackson Lair in Clinton Twp, p 11, Moses Lair in Clinton Twp, p6, and Joseph Lair in Clinton Twp, p30 (also in 1830 census there, age 40-50, 6 boys, 2 girls).1840 Canaan twp Wayne Co census has in close proximity on the page: Daniel Lehr, Henry Ritter, Solomon Bartel, Henry Hofine. Daniel Lehr was 50-60, with 3 sons (5-10, 15-20, and 20-30) and one woman 50-60.
from message board, Sandy Hutchinson (sanddollar500@staffnet.com), 4-14-02: "Daniel Lehr Sr died in 1842 in Wayne Co, OH. He left his widow and 3 known children: Daniel Lehr jr, Isaac and Abraham. Possible outher children are William, David, mosses and Felix Lehr.
In the 1850 census Abram LAIR (WHICH I BELIEVE IS REALLY LEHR) was listed as 28 Shoemaker with wife Matilda 22 and daughter Magdeline 2.
Magdeline 64 from Pa (probably Dainel's widow, Isaac (18)and David (17)."marriage index has these Wayne County Lehrs: Abraham Lehr & Susan R. Carl, Apr 30 1856; John Lehr and Rebecca Wertsbaugher 1851; John G. Lehr & Mary Jane Wells, 1854; Mrs. Sophrone Lehr & John Ashelman, 1857, Sarah Lehr & James Boley, 1857.
from Mike Lehr, Apr 2003: 'Here is what I have on "Felix" Lehr and later I will try to connect my Felix to your Felix.
Phillip Lehr was born January 1820 (Some records say OH others PA) [I suspect Pennsylvania]. He married in 1878 Mary Ann Wymer in Wood County OH.He was 58 and she was 28! They had several children including their first born George Lehr born in Wood County, OH in 1878 [He is my gg grandfather] Most all the census records and other records identify him as "Phillip" However, in the late 1880's and again in 1891 he applied for relief from the County Poorhouse [due to lame leg] and on one such document is identified as "Felix Lehr".
According to IGI, I had long ago assumed he had an "earlier" life prior to his marriage to Mary Ann Wymer in 1878, at age 58. I had guessed it was probably he "Felix Lehr" that married Susan Hoffines in Wayne County, OH in 1841. Phillip "Felix" Lehr died in the Poorhouse of Wood County, OH in 1891. On one of the documents he came to Wood County from Sandusky...Might one reasonably suspect after the death of Susan Hoffines he may have had a connection to Sandusky? Maybe either son Wesley or daughter Mary Ann have been in Sandusky? Would you have any such evidence?'(Wesley Learr found in Fulton Co, OH (contiguous with Wood Co, in 1860 census), age 14.)
(A Philip Lehr, age unknown, is in the 1st ward Cleveland Cuyahoga OH 1850 census, in the county jail for petty larceny.)
speculative; Daniel Lehr found in Canaan twp near the Bartels, Ritters, and Hoffhines in 1840 Wayne Co census
m. Elizabeth Hull
from Catherine Rudnick:"I was just in Highland County this spring, and I met a David Bird descendant, George C. Bird of Monterey, who was kind enough to show me David Bird's family Bible,
which is in his possession. The family pages of this Bible are also on Library
of Virginia's digitized images, I think, but they are so badly reproduced
that they are hardly readable. I double checked my transcription as I
copied the following info from the Bible:
(under Births)
David Bird born March 23rd 1781
Elizabeth Hull born (left blank)
(under Marriages)
David Bird and Elizabeth Hull were married August 30th 1806"
based on entry in Wabash Historical Museum's marriage record book (Addie C. Billings mar William F. Porter, no date) and a 1935 photo of Maude and Ira's 50th anniversary at Arch Porter's place in Wabash IN with my note on back "Arch, Hazel are Wilbur's maternal cousins" from info given by David W Bare.
1920 Lagro Wabash IN census has William F Porter, 78, b. Ohio, parents b. Ohio, living with daughter Hazel, 35, b. IN, father b. OH, mother b. IN.
Arch's place is where Ira and Maude Bare spent their 50th wedding anniversary, acc to photos.
Dec 7 1915 Fort Wayne Sentinel: "Andrews. Misses Estella, Georgia, and Nondus Billings were Sunday visitors at the Arch Porter home in Lagro." (image 7/19)
1924 Wabash City Directory: Porter Archd B (Bertha E) dentist 5 W Canal h 460 W Main
1930 Wabash, Wabash Co IN census has Arch Porter, 50, a dentist in general practice, married to Bertha, 49, a high school librarian, son George 15, daughter Eleanor 12, mother-in-law Adda Todd, 74 (image 23/46).
Jones Funeral Home records: "PORTER, Arch B. (Dr.) - d. Feb 26 1954, p. Hosp., r. 357 W. Sinclair St., bp. Wabash Co., b. Dec 23 1875 a. 78-2-3, w. nee Bertha Todd, f. William F. Porter m. nee Adeline Billings, c. Falls"
Authored a piece for the Wabash County Centenniel Celebration "Early Recollections of the Lagro Dam and Environs" which was later published in the Wabash Co Historical Society Newsletter, Winter 1984. I've transcribed it for the computer; it's about his "Huck Finn" days and is very amusing. He mentions a John Porter who built a footbridge to the Wabash river beside his home.
Lt. George W. Porter Dies in Jap Prison Camp
War Department Is Source of Notice of Death May 21
Wabash Man Fought With Filipinos on Bataan Peninsula
Official word was received here Sunday from the war department of the death of Second Lt. George W. Porter, 28 years old, son of Dr. and Mrs. Arch B. Porter, 357 West Sinclair Street, May 21 in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippine Islands.
The notice from Ulio. Washington D.C., adjutant-general, was contained in a telegram which stated:
"Report now received from Japanese government through the International Red Cross that your son, Second Lt. George W. Porter, previously reported a prisoner of war, died on the twenty-first of May in the Philippine Islands. The secretary of war shares your grief and extends his sympathy. Letter follows."
The news, which quickly spread through the community, caused a wave of sympathy for the grief-stricken family, and further intensification of the bitterness against the Japanese military. While no details of the cause of death were listed in the brief notice, there was general belief among townspeople that Japanese mistreatment probably figured as an indirect cause of the demise.
In Bataan Fight
Lt. Porter was a veteran of the brave defense of Bataan and Corregidor, and had been held in a prison camp in the far east ever since the capitulation of American and Filipino forces more than a year ago.
Only in March did his parents learn officially from the war department that he was a prisoner of war. This information together with that received from another officer who escaped from the islands and lived to get back to this country and write his experiences of the last days on Bataan, greatly encouraged Mr. and Mrs. Porter in the belief that George was "doing as well as could be expected." The news Sunday came as a crushing blow, and Dr. Porter today was confined to his bed, prostrate with grief.
Lt. Porter was born in this city March 2 1915, ths son of Arch B. and Bertha (Todd) Porter. He was graduated from Wabash High School in 1932 and for several years afterward was employed at the Wabash Cabinet company and the General Tire and Rubber company.
He belonged to the First Presbyterian church, and was a member of the Elks lodge.
His first enlistment in the army occurred in December, 1937. He was trained at Chanute field, Rantoul, Ill., and Lowry field, Denver Col., as an aerial photographer, and in March 1939, was sent to the Phillippine Islands after volunteering for foreign service. In the islands he was attached to the 2nd Observation squadron, Nicholas field, Manila, in the days before the outbreak of war, and gained advancement to the grade of sergeant.
Led Filipino Troops
Although his second enlistment expired in March, 1941, Lt. Porter decided to delay his visit at home until the summer, and by that time was unable to get passage back to the United States.
When Japanese aggression burst over the Pacific, the Wabash man was commissioned as an officer of a group of Filipino soldiers, (91st Division of the 92nd Infantry), whose record of resistance to the invaders has become one of the epics of military history. It was during this forlorn campaign, that Porter received his advancement to the rank of second lieutenant.
He is survived by the parents, by a sister, Mrs. Joseph B. Randolph, South Bend, who arrived here Sunday night, and the maternal grandmother, Mrs. Adda Todd.
Memorial services probably will be held later.
----------------------------------------------------Porters Give Thanks for Many Messages
Dr. and Mrs. Arch B. Porter Saturday expressed their appreciation for the many messages of condolence and other evidences of sympathy that reached them after announcement of the death of their son, 2nd Lt. George W. Porter, in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines.
The statement of Dr. and Mrs. Porter is as follows:
"We deeply regret that we cannot possibly give a personal reply to nearly 200 cards and letters ranging from Florida, Louisiana and "deep in the heart of Texas" to the Dakotas and Michigan and from the east coast to California, besides the numerous and beautiful floral offerings. So we take this means of thanking you individually and collectively for the heartfelt expressions of sympathy and when we say that these messages helped to relieve the shock we mean just that.
What a bleak old world this would be if it were not for tried and true friends who rush to your aid in times like these and literally keep you from falling into the bottomless pit of despair.
May God spare you the disaster that has been ours--but if not our hearts reach out to you as yours have to us.
To the Plain Dealer we extend our sincere thanks for the space and splendid writeup given to our beloved George at this and other times."