CYRUS FREEDOM DE TRAY

My paternal grandfather, Cyrus Freedom DeTray was born in Seneca County, Ohio, January 25, 1831. He married Elizabeth Ingle on October 5, 1858. They, with their first born, moved to Henry County in 1861 and settled in the "woods" one mile south of McClure across the road from what is now the Temcole plant.

To this union twelve children were born — four of whom died in infancy. They reared Ida (Johnson), Mary (Cornell), Grant, Truman, Arthur Edwin, H. Harry, Andrew M., and Charles Forest, my father. Grandfather DeTray did very little clearing of the land but preferred to hunt and trap for a livelihood. Consequently grandmother, Elizabeth, became a real pioneer practically raising her family alone, as her husband would be away days and weeks at a time, staying with faraway "neighbors" overnight. Grandpa DeTray died at the age of 57 on October 2, 1888. My father was eight years old.

In 1889 Grandma Elizabeth married William Mollett who had purchased 120 acres of land in 1871 from Morris and Jane Skinner for eighteen hundred dollars. I have that deed. The land lay a half mile west of the Temcole plant.

Grandpa Mollett had three children by his first wife who also died in 1888. They were Henry, Charles, and Jennie (Frye). The family called my father Forest to differentiate from Charles Mollett. The two step-brothers grew to manhood together. Charles Mollett first owned the McClure Grist Mill in McClure which burned in January, 1915.

Grandpa Mollett continued to clear the land with Grandma at his side. However, Grandpa at some time sold some land to Jim McClure another pioneer. They were both Civil War veterans. My father later bought back 23 acres along with the old Mollett farm. Grandfather had two brothers, Will and George Mollett. Both lived near Holgate. When Grandpa retired from farming, he and Grandma moved to the home on Main Street in McClure where Grandma died November 28, 1911. I remember her very well. Grandpa then lived with his son, Charles, in Toledo. But he spent much time with my parents and me on the old farm. He died in Toledo January 24, 1919. He is buried in Hockman Cemetery, McClure. Grandpa DeTray and Grandma DeTray Mollett are also buried in Hockman Cemetery.

Submitted by: Lillian DeTray Steiger