Frank S. Boyee
Joseph J. Devore
Harry N. Young

Christian Henry Boyee, Jr. youngest son of Christian Boyee and one of six children was born in Schlawe, Prussia, Jan. 22, 1827, died June 22, 1906, and is buried at the Ayersville Cemetery, Defiance County. He arrived in New York July, 1858, went to Canada for two years, after which time he came to Henry County, Ohio, buying 40 acres of land from the United States Government in 1861, located in Flat Rock Township in Section 31 near Stand ley. This land has been continuously owned by the Boyee family and in 1975 is owned by his great granddaughter Linda Lee Young.

Mr. and Mrs. Christian Boyee - Standley

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Devore, May, Arizona, and Isaiah - 1899.

On June 26, 1869, Christian Boyee, Jr. married Louisa Maria Troutwein, (born Sept. 10, 1848, died Nov. 7, 1913, buried in Ayersville Cemetery) who was the daughter of George and Rachael (Ashton) Troutwein of Defiance County. To this union in Flat Rock Township near Standley were born: Lottie Boyee Bordner Drackert, born April 6, 1871, died November 5, 1956; Margret Isabelle born Aug. 3, 1872 died Feb. 7, 1878; John William born May 15, 1875, died June 6, 1974;

John David born May 7, 1879, died Jan. 18, 1925; Lillie born June 23, 1882, died Sept. 9, 1963; Frank Selsby born Jan. 1, 1877, died Jan. 31, 1957. All the above are buried in the Ayersville Cemetery. The youngest child Christian Fredrick born Nov. 1, 1885 is still living in Ayersville.

As a young man Frank worked for Jacob Dirr and "Farmer" Hornung of New Bavaria and Ira Day of Holgate.

He married Elsie May Devore of Holgate, June 29, 1914, moving shortly thereafter to a farm in Section 5 in Pleasant Township. For a short time he was rural mailcarrier and worked at the Holgate Telephone switchboard one winter.

He was proud of his draft horses and enjoyed raising hogs. Beginning in 1930 he gave a 40 lb. pig, or the equivalent in money for nearly 25 years to benefit the Holgate Band and PTA. The first pig was won by Mrs. Hushenfeld whose husband managed the first experiment farm south of Holgate on State Route 108. He was a trustee of the Methodist Church and a Red Cross Board Director at Napoleon. In 1948 he and his wife built a home at 433 Keyser Street, Holgate. He was a member of Holgate Masonic Lodge No. 553 and of Charity Chapter No. 142 OES.

His wife Elsie May was born June 28, 1887, and died Dec. 16, 1956. She was born in Holgate the daughter of a building painter, Joseph James Devore born July 11, 1866, Monroe County, Ohio, died Dec. 13, 1904 and he married Elizabeth Austermiller of Monroe

Township Feb. 28, 1885. She was born May 13, 1862, and died Oct. 6, 1950. They are buried at Cole Cemetery.

Elsie May had three sisters: Arletta born May 23, 1891, died Aug. 23, 1892; Arizona born Feb. 7, 1894, died Nov. 22, 1972, and is buried at Lindenwood Cemetery, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Silva Edna born March 19, 1900, died Aug. 31, 1902; and two brothers, Isaiah born Feb. 27, 1897, died Sept. 18, 1899; and Lee Roy born March 15, 1903, died Sept. 9, 1966, and is buried in Phoenix, Arizona.

Elsie May graduated from Holgate High School in 1904, attended Ohio University at Athens and taught grade school from 1904-1914 at the Holgate School and at Flower's Country School and at this time helped her mother at the telephone office.

She organized the PTA at the Kline-Kelly School in Pleasant Township and was its president for 5 years and sec. of the Holgate PTA.

In her youth she was very active in the Methodist Church Epworth League and later was primary supt. and a Sunday school teacher for 30 years. She was a member and trustee of Charity Chapter No. 142 OES.

May Devore - Flowers School - 1913-1914. Albert Hoff, Roy Day, Iden Rettig, Willie Day, Ivan Day

Frank and May were the parents of Lois Evelyn born Dec. 15, 1916 and lives on the home farm. She is a graduate of Holgate High School, holds a home economics, vocational home economics and social science degree from Bowling Green State University. She taught 1942-1945 at Hamler High School at which time she organized the first home economics club known as the "Betty Lampers" meaning lamp of knowledge. Later years it continued but the name was changed to the state FHA organization. Before the Hamler School joined with the Patrick Henry School the club celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

After World War II and returning from San Francisco, she again taught at Hamler, 1947-1950. For 6 months in 1947 she was Henry County Home Demonstration Agent working with E. H. Bond while Helen Strow was on leave to go to India. In 1951 she again worked in extension office this time for Doris Rice who was on leave to attend Cornell University.

She has been the "Story Hour Lady" to a great number of "Story Hour" children in the community, sponsored by the Holgate Library. She is a member of Charity Chapter No. 142 OES and for many years worked with children at the Methodist Church. 19611964 she taught at Holgate and was school librarian from January through June of 1971.

She is Past Regional I Director of Ohio Association of Garden Clubs -for two years State OAGC Nature Camp Sec. and did radio for Garden Club.

Lois married Harry Norton Young on June 11, 1943, at Norfolk, Va. He was born April 3, 1918, in Birds, Illinois, the son of Arthur L. and Ethel Young now living in Holgate. A graduate of Navarre, Ohio High School and he received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Bowling Green State University in 1941.

Harry Young - Defiance Command #30

Maurice Maddock - SS Supt. March 16, 1969. Linda L. Young, scout.

He worked as a chemist for the National Carbon Company in Fostoria, Ohio, and the United States Rubber Company in Detroit where he enlisted in the Navy in June of 1942. He entered Midshipman's School at Columbia University in New York in October of 1942 and was commissioned Ensign USNR on February 17, 1943. After further training at Ohio State University and Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned the Destroyer U.S.S. King where he served until November of 1945 and was honorably discharged as Lieutenant USNR on December 20, 1945.

His occupation was farming and a civil engineering technician with the Soil Conservation Service in Defiance. He has been the Sunday school treasurer, church usher and is now trustee of the Holgate Methodist Church. He is a past patron of Charity Chapter No. 142 OES and was given the Grand Cross of Rainbow. He is very active in masonery, having been a Past Master of Blue Lodge #553 Holgate, Past High Priest of Haley Chapter #136, Napoleon, Past Master of Oc-co-noxee Council no. #55 and Past Commander of Defiance Commandery # 30. In 1975 he holds the office of warder in Ohio Priory #18.

Lois and Harry have one daughter Linda Lee born January 1, 1953, a graduate of Holgate High School and Northwest Technical College with an Associate Degree in Applied Business. She is employed as a secretary for L. R. Babcock Plumbing and Heating Contractor, Napoleon.

The summers of 1968 and 1969 were spent at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, on a part music scholarship. In 1970 as a Senior Girl Scout with 7 other girls, she toured the British Isles for 21 days with Mrs. Robert Boehm Scout Leader - Defiance. She is a children's Sunday school teacher at the Methodist Church. On March 16, 1969 at the Holgate Methodist Church, Rev. Stewart presented Linda the "God and Community" Scout award. She was approved by Maurice Maddock, Sunday School Supt.
She held several offices in Defiance Rainbow #96 and now in Charity Chapter No. #142 Order of Eastern Star at Holgate.

Submitted by Harry Young

Alva and Niva Clark, Frank and May Boyee, Mrs. Charles Weber, Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Brandon, John and Mable Rudolph, Charles and Thelma Paul, Zoo and Roy Magill, Ben and Bess Miller