My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Portrait and Biographical Album of Greene and Clark Counties, Ohio published by Chapman Bros., in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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AARON CRITES is one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Spring Valley Township, Greene County, his home farm being one of the finest in the entire valley, and comprising one hundred and ninety acres of land. It has been carefully and intelligently conducted, and presents an attractive appearance to the eye of the passer-by, evincing its productiveness and the thrift of its owner. He also owns another farm of one hundred acres in Greene County. He has served in local positions, and is an honored and respected member of the community. He belongs to the Free & Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The birthplace of Mr. Crites is New Creek, Grant County, W.Va., his natal day having been February 23, 1840. He was reared on a farm, and in his youth removed with his parents to this State, where the most of his education was obtained. His school privileges were quite limited, but although he has not the extended knowledge sometimes obtained in the schoolroom, he is intelligent and well informed, his native intelligence and the resources to which anyone desirous of information can have access having given him a large fund of information.

When twenty-one years old Mr. Crites began his career in life, meeting with some discouragements and having some disadvantages to overcome, but gradually and surely reaching a position of financial comfort. On the 18th of February, 1872, he was united in marriage with Margaret E., widow of Lewis W. Babb, who was born on the place where she now resides. Her natal day was March 19, 1839, and she is a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Coppic) Evans. The happy union has been blessed by the birth of two children — William E. and Sarah May.

The subject of this sketch traces his paternal ancestry back to Germany, the first of the line in this country being his grandfather, Jacob Crites. He had six sons — Jacob, John, Solomon, Joel, Phillip and Jonathan. Joel Crites married Sarah, daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Bond) Crites, of West Virginia, his own native State having been Pennsylvania. They had nine children — Clara, wife of George W. Fletcher, of Missouri; Aaron; John, now living in Nebraska, who belonged to the One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry during the late war; Hannah, Sarah; Jane, now Mrs. Parks; Abraham and Isaac (twins); and Lovina, who died in Ohio. The latter was twice married, her first husband being John Shoemaker, and the second John Jackson. The mother of this family died in 1838, and the father subsequently married Nancy Shoemaker, of Greene County, who bore three children — William, now deceased, Clara and Mary.

Joel Crites was and still is a farmer. In 1855 he came to this State, residing for a year in Spring Valley Township, Greene County, and thence going to Montgomery County, Ill., where he remained two years. He then returned to the Buckeye State, remaining there until the spring of 1802, when he changed his abode to DeKalb County, Mo., where he is still living. In politics, he is a Democrat. The parents of our subject were members of the Lutheran Church in West Virginia, but on coming to Ohio they became identified with the Methodist Episcopal denomination.

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This family biography is one of the many biographies included in Portrait and Biographical Album of Greene and Clark Counties, Ohio published by Chapman Bros., in 1890. 

View additional Greene County, Ohio family biographies here: Greene County, Ohio Biographies

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