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Williams County

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Submitted March 8, 2005 by Kevin Motter

Matthews Family of Williams County

Thomas Matthews (1) and his wife, Charlotte (Disbrow/Disbro) Matthews came to North West Ohio from Toronto, Canada in 1842.
They had three children, two sons and a daughter; one son was Charles W. Matthews. They settled on a farm of 80 acres of land
in Florence Township.  Thomas Matthews (1) and Charlotte are buried in Ligget Cemetery in Florence Township near SR-49 and
County Road M-50.

Charles W. Matthews (1), was born 18 February, 1841 and died 4 February 1916, enlisted in Co. F First Michigan Sharp Shooters
on 23 February 1864 at North Branch, Michigan when he was 23 years old.  He was wounded (by company records) in the Battle
of Spottsylvania, Va. on 12 May 1864 in the left leg.  He was discharged on 26 July 1865.  He returned to the family farm and
married Lucinda (Cain) Matthews.  They had four children, Thomas (2), Wesley, Delora and John.  John died as an infant.
The family settled down and raised potato's and onions.  Charles W. Matthews (1) and Lucinda (Cain) Matthews moved from
the farm to Montpelier, Ohio in 1903.

Thomas Matthews (2), born 23 November 1865 and died 18 December 1931, married Emma Knapp, born 20 July 1867 and died
8 April 1941, and has sons John, born 15 July 1890 died 18 January 1946, Deleon-Mur, born 19 August 1894 died 3 March 1967,
Benjamin, born 22 December 1891 died 22 November 1958, Charles (2), born 15 October 1910 died 15 September 1975 and
Nelson, born 9 December 1896 died 5 March 1956.  Thomas Matthews (2) left the family, reason unknown, and is buried in an
unmarked grave with his father, mother and his son Charles (2) in a plot at Riverside Cemetery, Montpelier Ohio.

John, Deleon-Mur, and Benjamin served in WWI.  John was a victim of a German gas attack in the trenches of France and
returned home severely disabled.

Deleon-Mur returned to the farm after the war and made his living as a piano tuner.  He was a bachelor all his life after
the woman he loved refused to change her religion to marry him.  Benjamin left the farm after the war and joined the
Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus as a band member.

Charles (2) was in the Glider Infantry in WWII.

Nelson married Lefa O'Connor and were the parents of Robert, Gene, Carol, Deleon-Lyle, Thomas (3) and Deana (Kay).
Nelson and Lefa moved to Montpelier and Nelson worked for Powers and Sons as a machinist.  Robert was in the Navy
during WWII, Gene was in the Army during WWII, Korea and Vietnam, Carol was severely burned in a stove accident
as a child and lived with Emma Matthews on the farm after Nelson and Lefa moved to Montpelier.

Carol married Ralph Remsnyder and was the mother of Lucile.  Carol Divorced and married Ralph Motter and was
the mother of Kelly, Kevin and Kathleen.

Deleon-Lyle was known as "Shorty", Thomas (3) served in the Korean War and married Doris Croniger and were
the parents of Jeff, Jerry, Kerry, Eric and Thomas (4).  Deana (Kay) married James Rocky and is the mother of Tamara,
Pamela and Deborah.

Aunt Kay remembers sitting on the front porch of the old farm house one time with Great Uncle John, a biplane was
flying down 107 and Great Uncle John panicked thinking it was the Germans and threw Aunt Kay down to protect her.
As the story goes, he marked the day he was going to die on a calendar and when that day arrived, they found him dead
in the front room of the family farm.

Great Uncles Ben, Deleon-Mur and Grandpa Nelson either had their own band or traveled with a band in the 1920's and
30's going to small resorts and clubs.  One time, Grandma Lefa went to Theil's Landing to dance with him. The drummer
for the band that was playing failed to show up and Grandpa Nelson was drafted into playing the drums, which angered
Grandma.  My mom, Carol, remembered going with the band as a girl.

Deleon-Mur was afraid of thunder and lightening because of a storm that destroyed the old barn.  It was struck three
times by lightening and burned down.  Whenever a storm came in, he would come to Montpelier in his big old white
Ford Galaxy 500 and play cards with my mom until the storm passed.