John Allison ^{1 2 3 4}

   Cause of his death was Suicide by hanging.⁶

  Burial Notes:

The Boynton cemetery has also been called Springfield Cemetery, since it is located in Springfield Twp. It is located southwest of Stryker on the south side of State Route 34, 3/4 mile west of SR 191. The original size was 4.25 acres which was deeded to John Stubbs in 1835, and transferred to the township in 1865.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1850 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 19 September 1850. ¹

1850 US Census
Page 95B, Dwelling 399, Family 408, Roll 741
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..30..OH..Farmer

(Living with wife and 3 children.)
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• He appeared on the 1860 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 10 July 1860. ²

1860 US Census
Page 125, Dwelling 982, Family 954, Roll 1052
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..40..OH

(Living with wife and 8 children.)
.

• He appeared on the 1870 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 20 June 1870. ³

1870 US Census
Page 27, Dwelling 199, Family 199
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..50..OH..Farmer

(Living with 2nd wife and 8 children.)
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• He was buried after 10 September 1877 in the Boynton Cemetery in Stryker, OH.

John and Maria share one common gravestone in Boynton Cemetery which is a badly weathered column of white sandstone approximately 24 inches square and capped with a gray granite decorative ornament. On one side the inscription reads "John Allison, Died Sept. 10, 1877, Aged 57y & 10m.

Find A Grave Memorial 73441567
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• His obituary was published in the Byran Democrat on 13 September 1877 in Byran, OH.

Suicide of John Allison

Monday evening the citizens of Stryker were astounded by the information that John Allison, one of their most prominent citizens, had committed suicide by hanging himself in a granary in his barn. In his hat, which lay up on the floor, was found a letter in which the deceased said, among other things, that he felt his mind giving way and rather than eke out a miserable life in an insane asylum he preferred to die at once. Financial ills are supposed to be the cause of his mental depression.

(Source: Byran Democrat, Byran, Ohio, 13 Sep 1877, page 5)
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John married Maria Arnsberger, daughter of Daniel Arnsberger and Elizabeth Shade, about 1842. (Maria Arnsberger was born on 10 June 1826 in Shiremanstown, PA ^{1 7 8}, baptized on 20 December 1826 in Shiremanstown, PA,⁷ died on 6 September 1860 in , Williams County, OH ⁸ and was buried after 6 September 1860 in Stryker, OH ⁸.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1850 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 19 September 1850. ¹

1850 US Census
Page 95B, Dwelling 399, Family 408, Roll 741
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..30..OH..Farmer
Maria Allison..24..OH
George Allison..7..OH
Permina Allison..7..OH
Daniel Allison..1..OH
.

• They appeared on the 1860 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 10 July 1860. ²

1860 US Census
Page 125, Dwelling 982, Family 954, Roll 1052
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..40..OH
Maria Allison..30..OH
George Allison..16..OH
Pernina Allison..16..OH
Daniel Allison..11..OH
Oliver Allison..9..OH
Orlando Allison..8..OH
Mary Allison..6..OH
Maria Allison..4..OH
Lymna Allison..2..OH
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  Marriage Notes:

In addition to the children listed as being born to this marriage, there is one more gravestone at the burial site for John and Maria Allison and it indicates the probability of more children. It is a badly weathered tablet that is broken off from its concrete base and is leaning up next to the marker of John and Maria. It is barely readable as of September 2002 but it says "Two Infant daughters of J. & M. Allison". There are no dates or names on the marker. I must assume that Maria gave birth to twin girls but they both died. The most likely dates would be between 1843 and 1849. That represents a large range in which she gave no other births.
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Some documents give their first son's, George, birth date as 30 Oct 1843 but most seem to favor a birth year of 1841. The earlier date avoids the possible conflict of two children (George and Pernina) being born in the same year of 1843. George's death certificate also lists Nancy LaRue as his mother instead of the expected Maria Arnsberger.

This name of Nancy LaRue as a possible first wife of John Allison means that it is entirely possible for both John and Maria Arnsberger to have been previously married when they met. Each of them may have brought one child into the relationship, George, from John's first marriage to Nancy LaRue and Pernina, from Maria's first marriage to Jacob Steel.
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John Allison must have remarried after his wife, Maria Arnsberger, died on 6 Sep 1860 and her gravestone confirms that date. In the 1870 census, John is living with "Mary A.", who was born about 1824 in Ohio (Maria Arnsberger was born 1826 in Pennsylvania). Researchers believe her name to be Mary A. Casebeer.
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John next married Mary A. Casebeer about 1861 in , Williams County, OH. (Mary A. Casebeer was born in 1824 in Ohio ³ and died after 1 June 1880.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1870 US Census in Springfield Township, Williams County, OH on 20 June 1870. ³

1870 US Census
Page 27, Dwelling 199, Family 199
Springfield Township, Williams County, Ohio
John Allison..50..OH..Farmer
Mary A. Allison..46..OH..Keeping House
Daniel Allison..21..OH..Farm Laborer
Oliver Allison..19..OH..Farm Laborer
Orlando Allison..18..OH..Farm Laborer
Eunice Allison..16..OH
Ella Allison..14..OH
Laura Allison..12..OH
Frank Allison..6..OH
Byron Allison..3..OH
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