Edward M. Gunn Family

Edward McCartney Gunn

Jane Stone Gunn

Edward McCartney Gunn was born at Damascus, Liberty Township, Henry County on February 10, 1821, and was one of the first white children born in the county. His parents were Charles and Elizabeth Mattic Gunn. His grandfather was Elijah Gunn, Sr. Charles was a veteran of the War of 1812 and after the war opened a trading post at Damascus. He had a half-breed in his employ that made long journeys trading and buying furs from the Indians. One day he came back to the trading post and was told a new baby had been born. He asked to name the boy and gave it the name of Edward McCartney Gunn.

Both of Edward's parents died in 1832 within three weeks of each other. After their death, Edward came to Flatrock Township, Henry County, to live with his uncle, Elijah Gunn, Jr. He lived with his uncle until 1847.

Edward and Jane Stone were married on June 6, 1847. They took their wedding trip on horseback through the dense forests where there were no roads, only a path marked by blazed trees, and settled on the land that they later bought on October 7, 1853. Sixty years later they covered part of the same ground in an automobile as part of their 60th wedding anniversary.

Jane's parents were Joseph and Polly Millington Stone. Jane was born in Ononadago, New York, in 1828. Her parents later came to the Defiance County area. Her father was a stonecutter and died of cholera at Defiance. Her mother then came to the Gunn's to make her home. She was good at spinning and weaving, but was considered by many to be the most expert cheese maker in Henry County.

Gunn Crest

In 1912 Edward was recognized as being the oldest living native of the Maumee Valley.

Edward and Jane Gunn had six children. Lyman married Jennie Davis and had children Aurelius and Hiram who died before reaching maturity; John married Grace Van Rensellar; Nellie married Eugene Bridenbaugh. Hiram and Orphy Jane, children of Edward and Jane Gunn, died of diphtheria as children. Edward and Jane's son, Edward, lived in the west all of his life; their daughter, Mary Louise, married Fred Dodd and lived at Waterville; and their son, Frederick Arthur, married Rose Schumaker and stayed on the Gunn farm.

Edward died in Waterville Township, Lucas County, on March 9, 1914. Jane died October 19, 1909 in Henry County.

Frederick Arthur Gunn was born July 5, 1866, and married September 30, 1888, Rosina Shumaker. She had been born February 13, 1868, to Joseph and Mary Wiler Schumaker. Their children were: Howard born January 8, 1891, and died June 22, 1963. He married Helen Rasmus and had a son, Norman Gunn; Ortez Gunn was born August 30, 1894, and married Imo Linthicum on May 18, 1918. Ortez and Imo's son is Robert Kenneth Gunn. Robert has a daughter Georgette Maxine Gunn who married James Taylor, has three children, Jonathon, Kelly and Richard and lives in Macon, Georgia.

Frederick Gunn died September 28, 1955, and Rosina died September 5, 1957.

Correction To The Edward M. Gunn Family, Volume 3, Page 61

In the article done for Volume I there are two errors in the history of the family. The first error is that Ortez Gunn sent the article in for the book. The person who submitted the article did not sign it. The second mistake was that part of the family were inadvertently left off the family article. The paragraph in question should read:

Frederick Arthur Gunn and Rosina Shumaker Gunn had four children: Howard, Ortez, Berdette and Myron Gunn. Berdette and Myron were left off the family list in Volume I.

Berdette F. Gunn was born on December 19, 1896 and died on November 5, 1956. He married Viola M. Dawson in 1920. They had three children. A daughter died at the age of three years. Their two sons are Leland B. Gunn, of Perrysburg, and Ronald R. Gunn of Napoleon. There are .eight grandchildren. Kathy, Terry, Jeff and Judy Gunn live in Perrysburg. Vicki, Douglas, Sharon and David Gunn live in Napoleon, Ohio.

Myron E. Gunn was born on March 5, 1907. He married Lenore Eisenbarth, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and they have two sons, Bruce and David Gunn. The family all live in Riverton, New Jersey.