Collier Family

The Collier family came from England and settled in Virginia, later moved, to Maryland, and then Ohio in 1790. There is some question as to Where the Collier family were between 1790 and 1794 because of the Indian Wars. Daniel Collier settled on Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio in 1790 and in the history of Adams County, Colonel Daniel Collier is listed as coming to the Northwest Territory in 1794.

Daniel served as a state representative from Adams County in the second legislative session of the state, December 5, 1803 until February 17, 1804; and the fourth legislative session, December 2, 1805 until January 27, 1806. He was commissioned Colonel of the Third Regiment, First Brigade, Second Division of Militia, by Governor Samuel Huntington on December 29, 1809. He served during the war of 1812 and was in the engagement of Sandusky. On May 2, 1814, acting Governor, Othniel Looker, endorsed Colonel Collier's resignation and noted that the resignation of his commission was accepted on account of long service, advanced age and bodily infirmities.

Daniel Collier married Elizabeth Prather before coming in a company down the Ohio River. They had twelve children: James, John, Thomas, Daniel, Joseph, Richard, Isaac, Sarah, Elizabeth, Katherine, Luther and Harriet.

The first son, James Collier, is the direct ancestor of the Henry County branch of the Collier family. James was born in Oldtown, Maryland, on May 1, 1787 and married Sarah Eyler in 1810. They moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where Sarah died in 1830 having born six children. According to the History of Wayne County she was buried directly north of a mound known as "Fort Tyler", two miles south west of Blachleysville.

James married, as his second wife, Orphia Baird Gardner, a widow, in Wayne County, Ohio, on March 10, 1831. They took their children and moved to Wisconsin where James died on August 11, 1836 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Orphia returned to Wayne County, Ohio, with the children.

She married John Davis in Wayne County on December 9, 1841. On the day they were married, she bought a farm in I lenry County with her children: Charles H. Gardner, by her first husband; William Collier, born October 7, 1834; Commodore Oliver Perry Collier, born March 3, 1832; Isaac Collier, born June 10, 1835.

Perry enlisted in Wood County in the 68th O.V.I. in November, 1861 and died at St. Louis in the hospital on March 25, 1862.

William Collier, was married to Salinda Shull and had four children: Frank, Ellen, Lincoln, and Julia. Frank and Lincoln never married. Julia married Smith Piddock and had no children. Ellen married Warren Brown and had three children: Julia, Heller, and Edward. William Collier enlisted in the 55th O.V.I. in November, 1861, in Wood County, and died in the hospital at Savanna, Georgia, on December 8, 1964.

Isaac Collier married Delilah Rowland on October 18, 1862 and died on September 24, 1916. He enlisted in Company B, 21st O.V.I. at Bowling Green, Wood County, on April 21, 1861, and was discharged at Columbus, Ohio, on August 12, 1861. He re- enlisted on August 23, 1864 in Com pany H, 128th O.V.I. transferred to Company A, same regiment, and was discharged at Johnson Island, Ohio, on June 9, 1865.

As a young man, Isaac Collier drove mules on the Miami and Maumee Canal

Isaac and Delilah Rowland Collier had three children: James, Jennie and Effie. They lived on the home place in Richfield Township for a while and then moved to the village of Deshler, Ohio. There Isaac went into business for himself, as a drayman and as a hotel operator.

When the Collier children were all grown, Isaac gave them each a piece of land with the choice to go to James. James chose the small farm just west of Deshler. Jennie and Effie had adjoining places in Richfield Township, section 24.

James Collier was born on October 15, 1863 and married Alice Barr on November 24, 1887. Alice was the daughter of David and Mary Ann Taylor Barr. They had two children: Harley J. and David Isaac. Before the turn of the century James had a thriving dairy business with two milk wagons delivering milk in the village of Deshler. He was involved in the dairy business all his life. He also took over the cement construction business of his son, Harley, in his later years.

James was a graduate of Northwestern Ohio Normal School at Ada, Ohio and taught school before marrying and going into the dairy business. He taught the style of handwriting known as Spencerian Script and was quite an artist with the pen.

Jennie Collier was born on September 28, 1866 and married William Bishop on March 27, 1885. They had eight children: Isaac A., born February 25, '1887, died in November, 1910; Albert James, born September 25, 1889, died in 1954, lived on the home place and never married; William C., born January 3, '1892, died August 29, 1974, West Unity, Ohio, married Marie Sellmyer, lived in Fulton County; Effie L., born December 12, 1893, died 1938, married George Dilsaver; Mary, born August 5, 1896, married William Richard; and Emma, married Virgil McMillan and had two children.

Effie Collier, born April 1, 1869, died in 1951, married Frank Sipe on June 24, 1888, lived in Toledo, Ohio, where Frank worked for Willys Overland as a carpenter making body frames of wood. They returned to the farm after the children were grown, and Frank farmed and became a bee keeper. They had six children: Floyd, born August 4, 1889, married Florence Martin; Ida C., born December 22, 1891, married Carl W. Bochringer; Latha married William C. Lamb; Oral E., born July 1, 1897, married Ross Hoskinson; Charles G., born February 28, 1900, married Gertrude Winner; Lee O., born March 30, 1903, married Esther Witt. All of the children of Frank and Effie lived in Toledo.

Harley J. Collier, born July 14, 1890, grew up on the farm west of Deshler, helping with the chores and delivering milk before and after school. He graduated from Deshler High School, and the Valparaiso College of Medicine in 1912. He never practiced medicine because of a mix up on high school qualifications. He married Elizabeth Williams on October 1, 1911, and they had nine children: Frances Pauline, born July 13, 1912; Robert J., born November 16, 1913; Fred, born January 18, 1915; James William, born March

19, 1916; Charles Richard, horn January 3, 1918; Mary Delilah, born March 31, 1921; Betty Jane, born January 8, 1923; Harold Edward, born February 16, 1926; and Alice Joan, born January 17, 1930.

Harley Collier learned the cement construction process and started a business in Deshler, building sidewalks, basements and cement watering tanks for farm stock. He left this business to his father and went to work for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as a fireman and moved to Willard, Ohio, with his family in 1919. He returned to Deshler with his family to live on the family farm in July, 1926, and continued to work for the B. and O. Railroad as an engineer until his retirement. He died in November, 1950 in Deshler and Elizabeth passed away in July, 1977.

Frances Pauline married Findley Potts, and after his death, she married John Karnes, who passed away in 1977 in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Frances and her son, Garry Karnes, still reside.

Robert J. Collier attended Ohio State University, in electrical engineering, never married and has worked at a wide variety of occupations including engineering, bee-keeping, various railroad occupations and factory jobs, and spent the last seventeen years as a Methodist minister and retired to his home in Deshler in late 1978.

Fred Collier, a graduate of Ohio State University School of Agriculture, has taught school and held other positions connected with the field of agriculture. At the present time, he is managing a branch for the Napoleon Creamery located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fred has four children: Linda, married, has several children, and lives in Iowa; Michael, married, lives in Liberty Center, and has two children; Cindy married Ronald Gerdeman, lives near New Bavaria; Donald, married, lives near Napoleon, and has several children. Fred is a widower and lives in Fort Wayne.

James William Collier, now deceased, married Wilma Tonges and had four children: James lives near Crestline, Ohio; William lives in Michigan; Rodney and Kevin live near Pemberville, Ohio, with their mother.

Charles Richard married Wilda Wheeler and lives near Oak Shade, Ohio, in Fulton County. Wilda teaches school, and Charles farms and works for Willys Overland, a part of American Motors. Their children are: Paul, David, and Nancy.

Mary Delilah Collier graduated from Ohio State University School Home Economics and is a dietitian for the Mansfield school system. She married Theodore Fraker and they live near Mansfield, Ohio. They have two children: Theodore, Jr. and Mary Ann, both married.

Betty Jane married Darel Parker. They live in Leipsic, Ohio, where Darel works as a welder for the Nelson Trailer Manufacturing at Ottawa, Ohio. They have two children: Judy, who is not married, and Rickey, married to Bobbie Wiethart.

Harold Edward Collier, now deceased, married, and was living at Flat Rock, Michigan when he passed away. His two children are Garry Collier, Flat Rock; and Sussey, married to a career army officer.

Alice Joan married Arnold Rose- brook and they live in Deshler, Ohio, with their son, Ronald. Arnold is an employee of the telphone company.

Donald I. Collier, the second son of James Collier, married Augusta Guelde and they had three sons: Dale, now deceased, married Marie Merritt;

John, married, had several children; and Wayne, married, lives near Cleveland, Ohio.

Submitted by: Robert J. Collier