William Holmes Stairs
School
Information comes Marcia K Brandt and from the files at the Campbell County Historical & Genealogical Society in Alexandria Ky.
William Holmes Stairs was born 5 May 1837 in Clermont Co Ohio, the son of Nobel Stairs and Mary Louisa Wilson Homes. He married Elizabeth Amanda Short 18 Jan 1863 in Indiana. Elizabeth Amanda Short was born 12 Nov 1845 in Brownstown Indiana and died 7 Jan 1924 in Saginaw Michigan. William Holmes Stairs died 15 Sep 1888 in Alexandria and both are buried in the Grandview Cemetery in Mentor Ky.
Children of William Holmes Stairs and Elizabeth Amanda Short
Stella Hildreth Stairs b-22 Feb 1863 in
Seymour, Indiana; d-28 Jan 1937 in Cincinnati; br-Grandview Cemetery, Mentor Ky.
m-James Maurice Shipp
Mary Winona Stairs b-19 Sep 866 in Seymour, Indiana; d-10 Nov 1944 in Tiffin Oh;
br-Cleves Oh; m-Dudley Brown Clift
Minnie Clair Stairs b-23 Jan 1870 in Mitchell Indiana; d-30 Sep 1952 in Grand
Rapids Michigan; br-Tallmadge Michigan; m-Theodore Nelson
Ida Belle Stairs b-1871 in Marion Indiana; d-1887 in Alexandria Ky. br-Grandview
Cemetery, Mentor Ky.
Samuel Holmes Stairs b-1874 in Berlin, Bracken Co Ky; d-1888 in Alexandria Ky.
br-Grandview Cemetery, Mentor Ky.
Jennie Russell Stairs b-1 Jan 1876 in Berlin Ky. d-28 Feb 1956 in Tawas City,
Michigan; br-Saginaw Michigan; m-Jay W Thomas
Sadie Ann Stairs b-17 Sep 1877 in Berlin Ky. d-27 May 1965 in Saginaw Michigan;
m-John Doerfner
Mattie Glen Stairs b-8 Mar 1880 in Flagg Springs Ky. d-25 July 1961 in Saginaw
Michigan; m-Manly MacArthur
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In 1887 William Holmes Stairs and his sister, Louisa, started a school in Alexandria. They taught their until his death 15 Sep 1888. She continued to live in Campbell County married to George Jordan until she died in 1922 in Mentor and was buried in Grandview Cemetery.
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A copy of the following letter written 7 Sep 1888 from Alexandria by William is on file at the historical society.
"Dr. Amanda, I have got the school started and it bids fair to be a very pleasant one. Sister seems pleased with her department. We started in with sixty scholars and some new ones coming in every day. We will get Dr. Rachford's house toward the last of the month. I wish we had it now. It would be pleasant for all of us.
The house is a real nice one with eight rooms and a good stable and a garden of nearly one acre of splendid ground. You did not kiss me when I left. Your husband, W H Stairs.