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Born the son of a farmer in Wayne Township, Ohio, John was a Civil War veteran. He fought along side the Union Army in the 120th, 114th, and 48th divisions of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry over the span of 3 years. John returned home after the war and lived out a quiet life on a farm in Chester Township raising his four children with his wife Catharine.
Born to a corn miller father at Newinn Mill, Samuel was raised in Trentham, Staffordshire, England. He married Elizabeth Collier in Stowe-by-Chartley in 1887 and five years later at the age of 35, they immigrated to Columbia Township, Ohio where they would raise their children and live out the rest of their lives. They had 9 children in total and spent the majority of their lives in extreme poverty, constantly struggling to provide for their children. Samuel died in Berea, Ohio at the community hospital in 1930.
Our Schnell immigrant ancestor was born in Germany. Our only account of Levi's early life comes from his immigration manifest that says he was from Hanover, Germany. His childhood and origins beyond that are a mystery. Even his actual birth name is up for debate as he has been written under many different variations of Christoph Levin Schnell. He originally married in Cuyahoga County, Ohio to Mary Richardson at the age of 30, less than a year after arriving in America. They lived in Liverpool Township, Ohio where he worked as a carpenter and farmer and had 4 children together before Mary died. Levi remarried Catherine Rauch at 46 and moved to Beebetown where they had 5 more children together. Levi died in Beebetown at the age of 74.
Born in Berea, Ohio, the son of a merchant tailor, George was the eldest of nine children. They were a fairly prominent family in the village as his father was very active in the community, eventually holding position of mayor during some of the town's most troubled times. George married in Lorain county at 25 and lived and worked in Cleveland as a machinist & laborer. He went through multiple periods of unemployment and eventually moved the family out to Medina where he became a farmer. After a few years in the area he became ill. The sickness never seemed to be diagnosed, but persisted for year before he finally succumbed at 58.
Thomas E. Winkler, known as "Tom", was born on 19 Apr 1871 in Overton, Chester Township, Wayne, Ohio to parents John Wesley Winkler and Catharine Ann Warner.1 Thomas was raised in Overton. He was the oldest of 4 children, with his sister Effie being 2 years younger, brother William being almost 8 years younger and brother Charles being 18 years younger. The amount of schooling he received is not known but his education level is listed as being able to read and write.2
Thorvald Haugen was born Torvald Hansen on 16 Dec 1864 in Sandsvær, Buskerud, Norway to parents Hans Jorgen Petersen Haugen and Anne Olsdatter.1 The family lived at the northern end of Hedenstad, Sandsvær on the Haugen farm in what was the Saggrænden and Medheien school district.2 Sandsvær has since been incorporated into the city of Kongsberg and is south of the city center.
