Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 2 November 2005

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994

HIRAM ALLEN, farmer; P. O. Harveysburg; born in New Jersey, Dec. 6, 1818; Is a son of Kenton and Delilah (Elwell) Allen, natives of New Jersey, and emigrated to Ohio and located in Warren Co., near Ft. Ancient, in 1825, and here resided till his death; his wife survived him till 1854, when she died on the place where our subject now lives; they have two children now living—Rebecca, now Mrs. Crawford, and Hiram. Mr. Kenton Allen was a farmer by occupation, a hard-working industrious man, a man of integrity and high principles of honor, a good neighbor and a worthy citizen. The subject of this sketch was but seven years of age when brought to this county, and here was raised and grew to manhood; was married to Margaret Miller, whose family and ancestral history is written in sketch of Conrad Miller; by her he had two children—Rachel, deceased) and Susan, now Mrs. Anson, residing at Harveysburg; his wife died Oct. 1, 1876. On April 2, 1877, he married Mrs. Sarah Ann Rees, a daughter of David and Mary Elwell, natives of New Jersey; she was born Dec. 29, 1814, and emigrated with her parents to Philadelphia when one year old, and to Ohio in 1828. David and Mary Elwell had eleven children, four now survive— Sarah Ann, Susanna, Anna Maria and Zeru. Mr. Elwell died in Springboro in 1852 ; his wife died April 27, 1862, aged 69 years; Mr. Elwell was a man of undoubted integrity and high moral character, a member of the Masonic fraternity, and whose funeral services were conducted under that order. Sarah Ann was first married to David P. Rees, a native of Pennsylvania, and a twin-brother of Henry Rees; both married sisters and both died within ten days of each other, aged 71 years. By Mr. Rees she had eight children, three now survive—John Wesley, Hiram, and Susanna, now Mrs. Joseph S. Johnson, residing at Franklin. Mr. Rees was a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed for fifty-six years; an honest, upright man, well and favorably known in Springboro and vicinity, where he resided so long; was a member of the M. E. Church fifty-seven years and died rejoicing in a bright hope of a blessed immortality. Mr. Allen has always followed farming as an occupation; is an upright, hard-working man, and a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church, to which he has belonged twenty-five years. Mrs. Allen was a member of the M. E. Church for forty-nine years; then, after her marriage to .Mr. Allen, for convenience and to be in accord with him, she united with the Free-Will Baptists, with whom she has been a member four years. Mrs. Allen has been an extensive writer and contributor to various newspapers and especially to the Lebanon Star; in this paper her contributions have been known over the signature of Aquilla, and have been eagerly sought and read by the public and earnestly prized and solicited by the editor. Alice, (deceased,) daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rees married Oscar Grifthner, of Franklin, in June, 1874; had one child, Jennie.