James W. Stocker Family

James W. Stocker was the oldest child of a family of nine children.

His grandparents were John and Elizabeth Stocker who came from Pennsylvania to settle in Holmes County, Ohio. Daniel Stocker was born on February 1, 1819 in Oxford Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He met and married Elmire Willhower who was born October 9, 1835 at Port Washington, Tuscarawas County. They were married on December 31, 1854. To this union were born nine children.

John Stocker was a prominent real estate holder in Wood and Holmes Counties. Daniel's family moved to Wood County in 1883. After the death of his father, John, Daniel moved back to Holmes County with his family. Daniel died on March 28, 1889. Then Mrs. Stocker came with her family back to Wood County.

Daniel owned a tract of land lying on the boundary between Weston and Grand Rapids townships in Wood County. This area was often called the "Beaver Creek Settlement". The Daniel Stocker family were prominent members of the Disciples Church and took interest in all religious movements. Politically, they were Democrats, but held broad views on all leading questions of the day.

James was born May 30, 1857. He met and married Lura E. Wheaton. Lura was born April 6, 1864. Both attended school in their native county. James and Lura were married on March 14, 1882 and were the parents of eight children.

James and Lura returned with his mother to Wood County and lived for a while with her. Then James and his family moved near "Potter's Town", a small settlement south of Grand Rapids. Later they moved east of Grand Rapids on the south bank of the Maumee River. In 1913, their place was surrounded by flood waters. The children of James and Lura Stocker were:

Daniel Stocker, named after his grandfather, was born on October 8, 1882. He married Florence Kendell and had four children: George Eldon, Ida Marcella, Bertha Rozeela and Halleck Dean. These children live in the Canton and Wooster, Ohio area.

Elmire Stocker was born on September 15, 1884. She married Herman Green of Bowling Green area, and they had a family of four children. Elmira died on January 22, 1978 at the age of 93 years.

Grace Green married Warren Roe, and they had two sons who live near Weston, Ohio. Gladys married George Tyler of Tontogony, O., and had one daughter.

Mittie Stocker was born January 11, 1887 and married Carl Munn. They had four children. "Bus" Carl Fryman Munn married and had two sons. James Munn married and had one daughter. Clarissa Munn married Robert Fortney and had five boys and one girl. G.C. Munn married and had three girls and two boys.

George W. Stocker was born on March 15, 1890. He married Irs Patterson. Their only child, a daughter, married Russell Shinnew and they live near Bowling Green, and had no children.

Ollie Stocker was born on August 29, 1894. She married Archie Porter and had six children. Later, Ollie married Harmen Herr. They lived in Liberty Center, Ohio. Both were killed in a car accident in 1969. The Porter children are: Wayne Porter, who married and had two sons. Inez Porter married William Kernaghan and had three daughters and lived near Hudson, Michigan. Ralph Porter married and his wife died. Then he married again and has one daughter, and three sons. Sarah Ellen Porter married Lee Myles. They had two daughters and a son. Helen Porter married Raymond Herr and has four children. Archie Porter, Jr. married, has a family and lives in California.

Bertha Stocker was born on May 26, 1899. She married Homer E. Patton, Colton, Ohio, on February 2, 1916. Their family of six children were all born and reared in Henry County, Ohio.

Mary Ellen Patton, born February 9, 1918, married Leland Soles of Colton, Ohio. Leland died in 1951. Mary Ellen married Hans Thrane on August 29, 1953. Hans was born in Kolding, Denmark. There were three Soles children.

Lila Lee Soles, born August 25, 1938, Henry County, Ohio, married Robert Krohn. Their son, Rick Lee Krohn was born on July 15, 1958 at Napoleon, Ohio. They adopted Julie Ann who was born May 19, 1963. Lila and Robert divorced and Lila married Carl Nichols, Jr. of Monroe, Ohio. Carl had two sons, Jeffery and Robert Nichols.

Lawrence Leroy Soles was born in Henry County, Ohio on December 24, 1943. He married Linda Schudel on September 24, 1966. They have one son, Lawrence Lee, born on October 11, 1971. Lawrence and family live in Stryker, Ohio.

Sharon K. Soles was born in Henry County, Ohio on January 18, 1944. Sharon married Melvin Andrews, and had one son, Mark Lee, born June 5, 1965 at Napoleon, Ohio. Sharon and Melvin parted, and Sharon married Forrest Arps on August 15, 1975 and live near Holgate, Ohio.

Lawrence Patton was born February 7, 1923 at Colton, Ohio, and married Marcille Brandt. They had two children born at Liberty Center. Lawrence married Nancy Tietje, of near Napoleon, Ohio and they have one daughter. Pamela married James Clair of Delta, Ohio. Their children are Andrea, Jeni and Joey. Jeni and Joey are twins.

John D. Patton was born on March 10, 1925 near Colton, Ohio. He never married. John was killed at the age of twenty years at Steinhardt, Germany.

He was a sergeant with the 395th Infantry, 99th Division of Ohio.

All five of the Patton sons served in World War II.

Charles A. Patton was born December 18, 1926 near Colton. He married Norma Miller of Tylorville, Illinois. They live at Tylorville and their children are Linda, Terry and Kathy.

Homer Dale Patton was born December 4, 1928 near Colton. He married Rose Gambino of Chicago, Illinois. One daughter died as a baby. Their other two children are Lyn, who lives in California, and Debbie lives with her parents in Berwyn, Illinois.

Bernard Patton was born July 11, 1931 in Henry County, Ohio. He married Nancy Murphy of Colton, Ohio. Nancy was killed in a car accident. Bernard then married Evelyn Ludeman of Napoleon, Ohio. Evelyn had two children, Delbert and Dawn Ludeman from her first marriage. Bernard and Evelyn live in Napoleon, Ohio.

James and Lura Stocker moved to Henry County in the spring of 1914. They bought a ten acre farm on township road D in the northeast corner of Henry County in 1920. All their children were married and gone, and only 011ie and Bertha remained in Henry County.

Grandfather painted his house and barn a bright red. He always spoke of it as his "Little Red Onion". He raised fruit and vegetables to sell, and with a cow, and some chickens, made a fair living. They always had lots of onions and melons to sell. It was on this farm that James and Lura spent their last twenty-six years.

The little red house would about burst at the seams when all the children and grandchildren came home. As a child, I can remember Grandfather saying, "He was happy to see us all come, but a darn sight happier to see us go".

Since I am a grandmother myself, I can understand what Grandfather was talking about. But the next time the family returned to Grandfather's house, they were just as happy as always to see the whole family. There were lots of family dinners, and they never missed a holiday.

There are lots of good memories when I look back today.

Submitted by: Mary Ellen Thrane