The Clarence Seymour Family

Clarence Seymour and Della Redfield were united in marriage in 1914. In 1915, they purchased a 40 acre farm, two miles north of Liberty Center. They built the barn in 1916 and remodeled the house in 1919.

Mr. Seymour was a blacksmith by trade, and with the coming of automobiles attended a mechanic school in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1926 Mr. Seymour was killed instantly when a large section of coping fell from a store in Ridgeville, Ohio. Mr. Seymour's parents were Wesley and Hattie Seymour from Pickaway County. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Seymour raised her children and lived on the farm until her death in 1961.

In 1946, the barn burned; it was one of the disasters of the area as Ronald Stevens, age 5, was trapped inside. Mrs. Seymour cared for her grandchildren while their parents worked.

When Mrs. Seymour died, her daughter Eloise and Barney Stevens bought the farm. For a time, they resided in the residence, remodeling it once again. They then subdivided the acreage, and several houses and house- trailers are now on the land. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens live south of the Seymour residence in a new home.

Mrs. Seymour was the daughter of Ralph and Jennie (Clapp) Redfield. Mr. Redfield was born in Wyandot County in 1842; at the age of four years he came to Henry County with his parents, Linas and Hannah (Hudson) Redfield, and settled on land purchased by his father from the Government which was later occupied by his brother Court. In 1870 he purchased a farm on the banks of the Maumee River and in 1883 moved his family there. After attending the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, and seeing the displays there, he decided he could build a house to stand a lifetime. In 1894 the home was completed and at that time was one of the most beautiful homes in the country. Today, the house still stands, near the viaduct on Route 24. Mr. Redfield died in 1908. He was a member of the Christian Union at Olive Chapel.

His mother's parents were Allen and Phoebe (Wadams) Hudson of Cayuga County, New York. Mr. Hudson and his wife moved to Wyandot County in 1833. There as a farmer and gunsmith Mr. Hudson was kept busy in repairing the guns of the Wyandot Indians.

Jennie (Clapp) Redfield's ancestory dates back to 1630 when Roger Clapp came from England on the second fleet of vessels, on the ship Mary and John and arrived at Nantasket, under the patronage of the Massachusetts Bay Company. In 1637, he was chosen selectman, and in 1665 took command of the castle which was later named Fort Independence in Boston Harbor. He was Captain of the Castle, twenty-one years until he was 77. Several times he was chosen deputy from Dorchester to the general court.

The Redfields were the parents of four daughters: Pheba died at an early age; Jessie married Jim Conway, and had three daughters: Isabel, Jessie, and Blanche.

Ethel was the wife of Lyman Benskin. They had a daughter Ruby. Ruby Benskin married Fred Creager, and she still resides in Liberty Center. Her sons, Ralph and Bruce also live in Liberty Center.

Their fourth daughter, Mrs. Seymour, had three children: Eloise (Mrs. Barney Stevens) of Liberty Center. Their children are: Loretta (Mrs. Paul Mann) of Delta. They have two children, Julie and David; Barbara (Mrs. Donald Bost) of Napoleon, their children are Cyndia, Deborah, Peggy, Tina and Candie; Lawrence Stevens resides in Liberty Center.

Berenice (Mrs. Marion Compton) have two children, Jennie and Lester, and reside in Arcadia, Ohio.

Riffe married Grace Kessler. They reside in Milan, Illinois where he is employed by Rock Island Arsenal. Their children are Riffan (Mrs. Ronald Klavohn), they are the parents of Robbi and Roni Sue. Clarence Seymour and his wife Barbara also reside in Milan, Illinois.

Submitted by the Family