Ward Family

Mae Ward Durant was born on August 25, 1896, in Harrison Township, Henry County, Ohio. She was one of seven children born to George Merritte Ward, born June 18, 1865, Henry County, and Hannah Adelia Beard, born April 21, 1865, Seneca County, Ohio.

She is a descendant of Amos Ward who was born in Middletown, Connecticut and died January 18, 1825, aged sixty-one years, and his wife, Bethiah Washburn who died May 8, 1812, aged forty-four years. Amos and Bethiah Washburn Ward had ten children: Amos, Jr., Alva, Isaac, Elijah, Eli, Margaret, Hannah Clark, Lucinda Burringham, Nancy, and Bethiah Holmes.

The line continues through Eli Ward, born in Massachusetts and died in Lorain County, Ohio, August 18,1860, aged fifty-eight years, and his wife, Aurilla Graves Ward, born in Vermont and died in Lorain County on July 1, 1886, aged eighty five years. Eli and Aurilla Graves Ward were married June 10, 1822 and had twelve children: Ira, William, Isaac, Lucy Sellon, Marvin, Miranda Edwards, Samuel, Mary Edwards, Hannah Mills, Sarah Altman, Eli, and Aurilla Hoffman.

The line countinues through Marvin Ward who came with his parents to Lorain County, Ohio about 1836. Marvin was a twin to Miranda Ward who married David Edwards and died at the age of thirty-six and is buried in Hoy Cemetery, Henry County. David Edwards then married Mary Ward, his wife's sister.

Marvin was born in Vermont, August 17, 1833, and died in Henry County, Ohio, December 17, 1891, and is buried in Hoy Cemetery. He married Mary Morrow who was born in Ohio on January 11, 1840 and died in Henry County, June 19, 1872. They were married April 8, 1856, lived in Harrison Township and are buried in Hoy Cemetery but not together because he married twice after Mary Morrow Ward died. Mary is buried at the west end of the cemetery beside her twin babies who were born May 10, 1872 and died soon after. Marvin was buried about half way back in the cemetery. Children born to Marvin and Mary Morrow Ward were: Aurilla Reed, Albert, Sadie Crandle, George Merriette, and the twins, Mary and Marion.

George Merritte Ward was a quiet spoken man and quite a good sized man. He was born on June 18, 1865 and died on January 29, 1934, in Henry County. He married Hannah Adelia Beard who was born on April 21, 1865 in Seneca County, Ohio, the daughter of Jacob Nicholas Beard, born March 2, 1833, in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Phoebe Ellen Saul Beard, born November 5, 1836, in Seneca County. The Beards moved to Henry County in 1865 and are buried in Hoy Cemetery. Hannah Beard Ward died January 14, 1934, just two weeks after her husband. George and Hannah Ward were called by their middle names.

George and Hannah Ward had seven children. Adah M., born December 6, 1884, died May 30, 1941, married R. K. Dunbar, and had Ward, Beatrice Howell, and Frances Gilliland. Blanche, born March 31, 1887, married George Bodmer, and had Florence Felton, Gale, Donald, and Neva Coleman. Cecil Glenn, born January 17, 1889, died December 11, 1942. Merritte Dale, born August 25, 1894, died November 8, 1966, married Ola Hefflinger and had Verena Hall, Arlene Eichmeier, Merritte, and Doyle. Mae D., born August 25, 1896, married Frederick John Durant, and had Madge Aurilla Bernath and Eva Marguerite Segrist. Walter, born October 15, 1899, died October 31, 1941, married Mildred Hill and had Frieda Reiser, Gayette Shawver, Virginia Nagle, Marcella Miller, Arthur, Bernita Brinkman, Byron Robert, Carmah Wanemacher, Shirley Vance, Donna Cameron, and Janice Cramer. Nina, born June 7, 1903, married Harold Ward and had Betty Bledsoe.

Mae Ward was born in Harrison Township, Henry County, Ohio, August 25, 1896, and married Frederick John Durant on April 19, 1916. The history of this family appears under the Durant family in this volume. Mae Ward and Fred Durant had two daughters.

Madge Aurilla Durant was born on January 28, 1917 and .named for her great aunt, Aurilla Ward Reed. Aurilla is a family name coming with Aurilla Graves Ward from Vermont to Ohio. Madge married on June 12, 1935, Merril Vincent Bernath who was born on September 27, 1912 in York Township, Fulton County, Ohio, to George Bernath and Evalyn Oden Bernath. After their marriage, they lived in Wauseon, Ohio, where Merril is president of the Peoples State Bank. Their two children are Janet Bernath, born July 23, 1936, who married Robert Estes Taylor, born December 9, 1924; and Donald Lloyd Bernath, 1st Lt. U.S. Marine Corp, born February 24, 1939, who was killed in a plane crash on July 7, 1964, at the Naval Air Station, Meridian, Mississippi.

Eva Marguerite Durant was born on March 25, 1918 and married on January 26, 1938 to Lawrence E. Segrist, who was born on January 7, 1918.

From material submitted by: Mrs. Merril Bernath