Davisons and Allied Families
Waterman, Conkle, Moore, Witzel, Farison, Jaquith

Jonathan Davison of Delaware, Ohio, (b. in Va.), had quite a family; we know about Sarah, Elizabeth, and John. These three were near Napoleon and we know some of their descendants.

I. Sarah Davison married Harry Waterman and moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., 3 children. 1. Helen Gertrude Waterman; 2. Georgia Rebecca Waterman married Mr. Brineman, had a family. A few years ago she resided at 3121 1/2 Hoagland Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46807. I had a visit with her and she said that my mother was the only Ohio relative that she had ever met; 3. Harry William Waterman, now deceased.

II. John Davison married Rebecca Conkle, daughter of Jane Huston and Peter Conkle. After the death of Peter Conkle, John and Rebecca resided in the family home on Adams Ridge, Ohio, and raised their family there. 1. Harriet (Hattie) Davison, married Wayne Fisk; 2. Arthur M. Davison married Clara Schultz of Defiance, Ohio. They had one daughter, Rebecca, called "Rebah," who married Roy Wells. He is deceased. They had 2 children; a. Frances (Wells) Wheeler (Mrs. Keith); b. Mary Ann (Wells) Kruese (Dr. Charles). (I had the pleasure of meeting these three ladies in Defiance a few years ago); 3. Mae Davison married Mr. Shrimplin; 4. Cora Davison married Charles Shoemaker; 5. Charles Davison married Nellie Godfrey; 6. Adelle Davison married Ed Conkle, had a son and daughter and moved to Calif. (They took the family and household goods on a ship through the Panama Canal when they moved); a. Adelle Conkle now resides at 875 W. Huntington, Arcadia, Cal. 91006. In 1973 she visited me in Brawley, California, and in 1974, I had a happy visit with her in Arcadia. We visited the Huntington Gardens, Disneyland and all parts of those beautiful cities; 7. Ed Davison, single, died in California. I believe that Arthur died in California, also.

[Photo, p. 162] Farison Family Reunion about 1912. Eliz. Davison Witzel is in black on the first row of benches.

III. Elizabeth Davison, born February 19, 1837, in Delaware, Ohio, died January 10, 1916, in Grand Ledge, Michigan, buried in Cole Cemetery near Napoleon, Ohio. She married (1) William Moore and they had one daughter, Mary "Etta" Moore. She married Henry Farison. (THE FARISON FAMILY REUNION has been held on the first Sunday in August since 1904. We always try to go to keep in touch with our Ohio relations.) William Moore is buried in Cole Cemetery beside the family of his daughter. He resided in Florida, Ohio. Elizabeth married (2) April 11, 1872, in Henry County to Samuel Witzel. He was born March 11, 1835; died August 11, 1902, Holgate, Ohio, buried in Cole Cemetery. He was in the Civil War. Elizabeth married (3) David Glick. This was a brief marriage and she spent the remainder of her life with her daughters. Samuel Witzel and Elizabeth resided south of Napoleon near the Maumee River. Their only daughter, Lolo Catherine Witzel was born here June 13, 1879. They soon moved to Holgate where Samuel was a miller in the Snyder Mill. Lolo spent her childhood there, was trained to be a milliner, and had a shop in Holgate. Her niece, Clara Farison (Mrs. Steve C. Sumner), was three years her junior and stayed at the Witzel home in Holgate to attend high school and became as close as a sister. Lolo's children always called her "Aunt" Clara.

Rivers Burdette Jaquith was born November 12, 1874 in Hutchinson, Kansas, to Tilleson and Lucinda (nee DeVinney) (Manley) Jaquith. His parents were born in New York State and New Jersey. R. B. was of the 9th generation of Jaquiths in America. The parents were married in Upper Sandusky and had it not been for the Civil War would probably have stayed in Ohio. Tilleson served in the Civil War from Ohio. After the war was over, it was decided that there should be train transportation from North to South. Heretofore it had been only East to West. The railroad companies started to build the lines south. In those days trains did not carry sleepers and diners. Just as in Canada, the railroads built hotels along the line and passengers de-trained to eat and sleep. As Tilleson and Lucinda had operated hotels in Ohio, they decided to accept the job of managing the Harvey Hotel in Hutchinson, Kansas. It was said to be the most beautiful of the chain. Citizens of Hutchinson couldn't save it and now, since about 1970, a Ramada Inn is on the Main Street near the tracks where the "Bison" used to be. "Burtie" had a brother, Wilbur, just three years older who helped him chase prairie dogs on this new prairie. His half-sister, Georgia Manley, who was much older, played the piano and the passengers sang together after dinner.

When Burt was nine years old, 1893, the family returned to Forest, Ohio, where he graduated from high school and took a post-graduate business course. At 15 he was a printer's "devil" and spent 65 years in the printing trade. While in high school and after, he had a job printing shop and produced the Hay Journal, then the Eye Opener, while he was working in a shoe store in Forest. He spent two years in California with his sister, Georgia, and wrote promotion material for a real estate company, but returned to Ohio in 1901 to resume newspaper publication. He and Capt. R. D. Smith purchased the Henry County Review in Holgate. Soon after, R. B. Jaquith purchased Capt. Smith's share and became sole owner, editor, and publisher.

On July 8, 1903, two Holgate business people consolidated their interests when Rev. E. S. Weaver, Pastor of the M.E. Church married Burt Jaquith and Lolo Witzel at the bride's home. It was a quiet family wedding and the pair planned a trip to Chicago on the train. The village band and all of their friends turned out to accompany them to the depot. Remember, it was the 8th of July, very hot, very noisy and exciting. When they were finally seated on the train, Lolo thought that she was going to faint. Burt went down the aisle to get her a drink of water. As he left, she opened her eyes — then she wanted to faint for sure, — for he was walking down the aisle with maline bows stuck all over his back by some of the well-wishers — when they were trying not to act like newly-weds. (For those who do not know maline — it is the gauzelike veiling used for trimming hats. Ladies used to wear bows of it at the back of high necked dresses.) Her friends had taken them from her own millinery shop for this occasion.

They enjoyed their trip to Chicago so much that they decided to return for Christmas vacation. One day they purchased matinee tickets, but thought they'd visit a sick friend before going to the theater. It was twenty miles north through the city of Chicago to the Marine Hospital where their friend was a patient. They made the visit but it took so long that they would be very late for the show, so they decided not to go that day. Fortune smiled on them because it was the December day in 1903 when many lives were lost in the Great Theatre Fire, the very one where they expected to go.

They returned happily to Holgate and in a few years added a daughter and a son to their family.

1. Georgetta May Jaquith, born July 14, 1904, Holgate, Ohio, was graduated from Grand Ledge, Michigan, High School in 1922; she attended Michigan State, Eastern Michigan University at Ypsilanti; she received B.S. degree at Central Michigan University at Mt. Pleasant and earned graduate credit at U. of M. She taught in the later elementary grades at North Intermediate School in Saginaw, Michigan, for 44 years; she retired in June 1970. Since then she has spent full time on genealogy. For three winters she has gone to Brawley, California, to work with her cousin, Dr. George Jaquith. They will be co-authors of the book, soon to be published, about the JAQUITH FAMILY IN AMERICA. She belongs to many national societies such as D.A.R.; Daughters of the Union 1861-65; Daughters of the 17th Century; Dames of the Court of Honor; Daughters of 1812; Founders and Patriots and many others. She has traveled to Europe four times. She married (1) Aug. 26, 1928, in Forest, Ohio, Henry William Barnoske of Saginaw, Michigan He died in 1958, buried Oakwood Mausoleum. No children. She married (2) May 25, 1959, at Chapel One at Fort Sheridan, Ill., Colonel George Lavere Walker, U.S. Army. He retired in September 1959. They traveled from coast to coast and attended the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley in 1960. They were divorced in 1961. No children. She resides at 4580 Hemmeter Court, Apt. 2, Saginaw, Michigan 48603.
2. Kenneth Burdette Jaquith was born Apr. 2, 1906, in Holgate, Ohio. He graduated from Forest High School, attended Ohio State; he was an excellent salesman for Duplex Printing Press Co., Battle Creek, Michigan. In WWII, he was Commissioned Lt. (j.g.) in 1943 in U.S.N.R.; Lieutenant in 1944; Lcdr 1951. While in service he studied Asiatic languages at Princeton University and was to be a judge in Asia. He held the Asiatic-Pacific Medal — submarine patrol; the Atlantic Defense Medal — executive officer and the World War II Victory Medal. He spent much time on submarines in the Pacific area. In this theater of the war, he contracted fungus in his ears. After keeping him at Great Lakes for a long time, to identify and treat it — they couldn't cure it. He kept losing so much weight that they thought he'd blow away — so on November 1, 1951, he was retired on physical disability. He had resided in Battle Creek, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio. He became a linotype operator on the Toledo Blade.
About 1929, Kenneth married Mary Ellen Marshall, daughter of Seth Marshall of Patterson, Ohio. She was a school teacher in Forest. No children. On December 10, 1966, Kenneth died, age 60, while shoveling snow at his home in Toledo. He is buried in Patterson, Ohio, Cemetery.
In 1913, Burt sold the Henry County Review, bought the Grand Ledge Times and moved to Grand Ledge, Michigan The family resided there ten years and added two more sons to the family.
3. Lincoln Ledge Jaquith was born January 15, 1915, at Grand Ledge, Michigan, attended school there and at Findlay, Ohio, and Forest, Ohio. When he was five years old, he had sleeping sickness so was never too well thereafter. He died of typhoid fever in Forest, August 22, 1933, age 18, buried at Hueston Cemetery at Forest with his parents and Jaquith grandparents.

[Photo A, p. 163] John Davison 1840-1921 Napoleon or Adams Ridge, Ohio

[Photo B, p. 163] 1926 Lobo Witzel Jaquith, and Rivers Burdette Jaquith's children: Ledge, Georgetta, Kenneth, and Mickey. Forest, Ohio

[Photo C, p. 163] The Conkle home in Adams Ridge, Ohio, where the John Davison family was raised.

[Photo D, p. 163] Samuel Witzel and Elizabeth (Davison) Witzel at Holgate.

[Photo, p. 165] The Family of Henry and Etta Farison near Napoleon. Left to right: Ray, George, Bess, Earl, Charles, Steve Summer (husband of Clara who is in front of him), Gladys, Richard (Pete), Don, and Babe. Around 1908.

4. Rex Donald (Mickey) Jaquith was born Dec. 11, 1921, at Grand Ledge, Mich. When he was a year old, his father sold the Grand Ledge Times and moved to Findlay, Ohio, where he and Lolo operated a variety store which included a millinery department. Burt also worked at the office of the Findlay Republican. In the fall of 1924 he returned to Forest and revived the Forest Review, the first paper that he had ever owned. Mich attended school in Forest. In W.W. II he was in the Army Tank Corps in California.

On October 12, 1945, Mickey married Dorothy Louise Beach of Arlington, Ohio. He enjoys salesmanship, is a good mechanic, and has an interest in antiques. He won high honors and prizes in sales programs. He is presently employed by a plastic company in the Industrial Park at Camp Perry, Ohio.

Mick and Dorothy have two daughters who graduated from Lakeside, Ohio, High School.

1. Janet Louise Jaquith, born May 22, 1950, in Bucyrus, Ohio, is now employed in Sandusky, Ohio.

2. JoAnn Beach Jaquith, born September 19, 1952, in Galion, Ohio, is now employed in the office of Standard Products in Port Clinton, Ohio. The family resides at 237 N. Camp Perry Rd., Port Clinton, Ohio 43452.

These little girls were the ages of 3 and 1 when they attended their grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.

In every paper that Burt owned, he expressed his editorial views in "Burt's Column." People looked forward to reading it.

On January 30, 1955, the Forest Lions Club sponsored a Community Appreciation Dinner for five retired business and professional pioneers. R. B. Jaquith as editor and publisher and Lobo Jaquith as co-publisher, a doctor, a druggist and a school superintendent were honored. His last 30 years were in Forest — Lolo was an active partner in publishing the Review. She also represented several greenhouses of Kenton. She always had a beautiful flower garden and once gave a paper at a Columbus radio station (when she was 60 years old) on the problems of growing a garden under a forest of oak trees.

The Jaquiths celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 8, 1953, in Forest. All of the family was present. All birthdays, anniversaries and special days were enjoyed and celebrated by this family.

They were members of the Presbyterian Church; Lolo was a 58-year Rebekah and a 50-year O.E.S. Burt was a 50-year IOOF and a 50-year  F&AM.

Lolo had a stroke on January 28, 1957, from which she never recovered. She died February 28, 1957, age 77. Burt died in his sleep of a heart attack on January 1, 1958, age 83; both are buried at Hueston Cemetery, Forest, Ohio.

They were fine citizens wherever they lived and great boosters for their town and community.

I'm glad that they were my parents.

Submitted by Georgetta Jaquith Walker