My Genealogy Hound

ISAAC JOLLY is a prominent and wealthy farmer of Seneca County, and his beautiful home, with its trees and flowers, proclaims to the stranger that it is the abode of culture and refinement. His fine estate is located in the town of Fayette, in which locality he was born, May 17, 1831. His parents were William and Emily (Austin) Jolly. His grandfather, who bore the name of Isaac, came to Seneca County from the Keystone State in an early day. The latter was a farmer by occupation and was married in Pennsylvania to a lady of Dutch descent. He came to this county poor indeed, but so successful was he in his farming ventures that at his death he was the proud possessor of one hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, besides having considerable money in the bank.

During the boyhood days of our subject his father was unable to send him to school very regularly, hence his education was somewhat limited. On one occasion, when it became necessary for him to have an arithmetic, he went to work and cut a quantity of wood from the unimproved farm, and, being given half of this, sold it and thus obtained the money to buy the needed book.

Our subject remained at home aiding his father until after attaining his majority, when, September 7, 1852, he was married to Miss Rebecca Leddick, the daughter of Samuel and Cornelia Leddick. Her birth occurred in the town of Fayette, April 15, 1834. She was of great assistance to her husband, and aided him very materially in obtaining his present high standing in the community. For two summers after his marriage our subject worked out for $18 per month, and then, receiving a good offer to conduct a farm on shares, accepted it, and for three years and a-half received a good portion of the crops from an estate of one hundred and sixty acres. In this manner he saved quite a snug little sum of money, with which he purchased from the other heirs a portion of the old homestead. Later he disposed of this tract and invested his means in one hundred and twenty-three acres, located near the old place. In order to do this he was obliged to go in debt over $6,000, but upon selling the property two years later he found that he had not only made enough money to pay for the land, but had cleared $6,500.

Mr. Jolly then bought the one hundred and thirty and one-quarter acres in this town which he still owns. The land is improved with the best class of, buildings, among the most noticeable of which is a fine large barn, which was erected in August, 1893, to replace the one which had been destroyed by fire a short time before. In all, Mr. Jolly works four hundred and twenty acres of farming land, though he does not own the whole amount.

Two children were born to our subject and his wife, namely: Sarah Lavinia, who died when eleven years of age; and Fred, born November 4, 1867. The latter is active, wide-awake and well educated, and a man of temperate habits, using neither tobacco in any form nor intoxicating drink. December 25, 1888, he married Miss Cora, the daughter of Henry Lahr. To them have been born a daughter and two sons: Jessie, Frank and Alva. Our subject’s son aids in the operation of the home farm, and so manages affairs that the best results are reached. In addition to this the latter gives some time and attention to raising hogs, which he ships to the city markets. In politics he is a Democrat, as is also our subject, whose first Presidential vote was cast for Franklin Pierce, in 1852.