My Genealogy Hound

WILLIS N. HANCE, farmer; P. O. Casstown; born on the farm where he now resides, Sept. 27, 1836; is a son of Benjamin and Nancy (Frazell) Hance; Mr. Hance was born in Kentucky Sept. 22, 1791, and Mrs. Hance Oct. 17, 1790; the grandfather, William, was a native of England, and emigrated to this country about the time of the Revolutionary war, settling in Kentucky, and subsequently in Miami Co., where he lived and died; Benjamin removed from Kentucky to this county in 1810; was in the war of 1812, under Gen. Hull; after the war, he bought 160 acres of land for his father, which has since been known as the Uncle Joe Hance Farm; and is now owned by Soloman McKee; about the same time, he bought the farm for himself, upon which our subject now lives, since known as the Uncle Ben Hance Farm; in 1814, he visited his native State, Kentucky, and on Feb. 15 of that year, was married, and, with his wife, returned to his farm on March 15 of the same year; here they commenced to make a farm and a home right out of the dense forests, in the roughest pioneer style, being very poor, and having to endure all, and perhaps more, hardships than almost any one of the first settlers; his first large iron kettle was bought in Urbana, and carried on his shoulder twenty-four miles to his home; his first bushel of salt was bought at the same place and carried home in the same manner; very few would or could endure such hardships now; but those days are past; their labors and industry won for them good farms and homes, and their children’s children may enjoy the fruits of their many labors; he died May 5, 1877, aged 86 years; they were parents of ten children; five are living, viz., William, Alfred, Joseph, Mary (now Mrs. Hetzler), and Willis. Our subject was married March 15, 1859, to Miss Sarah S., daughter of John and Elizabeth Lefevre; by this union they have had five children, of whom three are now living: Dora L., Charles C. and John Benjamin; Mr. Hance has a fine farm of 158 acres, with good buildings and improvements; this farm has been in the ownership of the Hance family for sixty-seven years.