Markley Family

The Ditto, Eckhart and Markley families came to Fulton County, Ohio from Seneca County, Ohio, from that portion that had been Wayne County, together in the spring of 1834.

Francis Ditto was married in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania to Eleanor Gift and lived there many years before settling in Seneca County. He was born in 1758 in York County, Pennsylvania, and died in 1841 in Eden Township, Seneca County, Ohio. He enlisted as a private in the 2nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Troops under the command of Captain John Rebbs and Jacob Strong. He was stationed at Valley Forge where he spent the winter and was taken prisoner after the Battle of Monnouth, marched to New York, and imprisoned in the famous "Sugar House" for three months before being exchanged and returned to the Colonial Army.

After his death, his widow came to Fulton County to live with their daughter, Maria Catherine Ditto Markley, and died in their home, and is buried in the Wauseon, Ohio, Cemetery.

The Ditto issue were Samuel who died in infancy; Maria Catharine; John Ditto, born 1785, married Elizabeth Eckhart; and George Ditto, born 1796, married Susan Folk.

George and Susanna Ditto purchased land in Fulton County in 1836 coming from Lorain County where they resided although they owned land in Seneca County. They lived in the portion of Fulton County that later became the city of Archbold.

John Ditto and Elizabeth Eckhart Ditto came from Seneca County in November, 1834 and were the first of the families to arrive in our area. They had been married on October 14, 1814.

John Ditto had served in the War of 1812 and after the war located at Piqua, Ohio. He went to Seneca County to share in the hunt for the Mohawk and Wyandot Indians. He married Elizabeth Eckhart in Seneca County and they settled in a home in that county in 1822. Elizabeth had been born on June 23, 1795, on mid-Atlantic Ocean while her parents were emigrating from Germany. John Ditto died in 1853 and Elizabeth died in 1885.

George Markley, whose father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, was born in Union County, Pennsylvania and married in 1806 to Catherine Ditto. In October, 1835, they purchased their land in East German Township, Fulton County, Ohio, and settled after the trip from Seneca County. John Ditto and his wife, Elizabeth Eckhart Ditto, lived in the same section of the Township having arrived in 1834. In 1838, George and family settled in Clinton Township. At one time the old Markley cemetery was on their farm, but when the cemetery was destroyed, the bodies were moved to the Wauseon cemetery.

The will of George Markley filled in 1859 named the following children: John H., born 1812, married Susannah Kline; Andrew L., born 1819, married Julyette Eckhart; Francis D., born 1822, married Sophia Eckhart; Sarah married Benjamin Coulter; Marie C.; Mary R.; Elleanor Jane, born 1828, married Matthias Kline; George J.M., born 1818; and Martin;.

John H. and Susannah Kline had eleven children. The names of Lillick, Demoline, Sweeney, Myers, Lumbardy lines come through this marriage to the present day.

Through the Kline and Markley marriage of Elleanor Jane Markley and Matthias Kline come the present names of their descendents of Cameron, Peters, Burke, Van Ness, Eberle, Fink, Steele, Burkholder, Smith, Mohr, Seigel and Gerken, and many more.

Francis and Sophia Eckhart children were, Francis, Andrew, Maria, Sophia, Daniel, Solomon, Mary, Edward and William.

Daniel, son of Francis and Sophia, married Elizabeth Motter. Daniel was born in 1859, died in 1928. Elizabeth was born in 1867 and died in 1937. Their children were Emanuel R., born 1893, died 1958; and Allie, born in 1901. A son, Albert E., was born in 1891 and died the same year.

Emanuel Markley married Clara Hoy, born 1893, died 1960.

Allie, born 1901, died 1935, married Clarence Tietje, son of William and Della Davis Tietje. Clarence died in 1978. William Tietje and Della lived in Napoleon Township and Clarence later lived on the homeplace. Clarence and Allie Tietje had two children, Quention who has never married and Juanita who married James Myers.

Other families related to the Markley family are the Ziegler, Lettick, Motter, Davis and Weirauch.