The Martin Jackson Family

According to the best of my knowledge my Great Grandfather D. B. Walls from Albany, New York, traveled to Henry County in the 1830s. He was employed as a surveyor in the construction of The Miami & Erie Barge Canal. He settled on a farm near Ridgeville Corners and to his family was born my Grandmother Isabelle. She was married to Samuel Martin in January, 1868. He came to Napoleon after serving in The U.S. Army during The Civil War and was wounded in the battle of Winchester, Va. His birthplace was Tiffin, Ohio, of Irish descent. To this union was born my mother Mary Letitia, Grace, and Nathan C. Grace was married to Charles King and they had four sons, Norman C., Samuel Martin (deceased), John, and Robert.

My mother was married to Charles W. Jackson Sr. in 1890. They had a daughter, Annabelle (widow of Fred Cuff) who now lives in Temperance, Mich. with her daughter Janet a school teacher. Charles Jr. and wife Helen living in Napoleon have three daughters and four grandchildren. My father came to Henry County in 1888; he was one of eleven children by David Butler and Caroline Carpenter Whitney Jackson. His mother was a direct descendant of The Whitney Family that camefrom England with Henry Hudson on The Half Moon in 1607 and settled in New Amsterdam which is now New York. My grandfather David Butler Jackson was a first cousin of Stonewall Jackson and a relative of Pres. Andrew Jackson. My father was born on a farm near Adrain, Mich., and came to Napoleon to join and play in The 16th Regimental Band which was located here. He then served with the 6th Regiment Co. F. of The ONG in the war with Spain as a 1st lieutenant in Cuba in 1898. He then returned home and operated The Criterion Barbershop until he was elected sheriff of Henry County 1909 to 1913. At the time of his death in 1924 he owned an Insurance and Loan Business. He and my mother who died in 1954 are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.

I was married to Hettie (Kerr) in 1934 and we have four children and nine grandchildren. Eugenia is married to Donald Hatfield; they have two sons Jeff and Doug and one daughter Debbie. They live in Haskins, Ohio. Susan is married to Jack Rainbolt and they have two children, Tammy Sue and Scott. Their home is in Troy, Ohio. Martin Jr. is married to Judith (Brink) and they have a son Steven Martin and live in Napoleon. Robert is married to Sandra (Jaynes) and they have two daughters, Natalie and Angela and one son Patrick. They live in the old homestead on Welsted St. that my grandfather Martin built in 1869.

I am semi-retired and with my wife are employed part time by our two sons co-owners of Honeck Cleaners in Napoleon. We are members of The First Presbyterian Church where I have been a member for over 50 years. The Church is where my parents were married in 1890.

Submitted by Martin E. Jackson