John D. Cleaver Biographical Sketch from Beers History of Warren County, Ohio
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John D. Cleaver

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Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 2 November 2005

Sources:
The History of Warren County Ohio
Part V. Biographical Sketches
Massie Township
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)

Page
997

JOHN D. CLEAVER, retired; P. O. Harveysburg; born in Warren Co., Feb. 12,1820; is a son of Peter and Sarah (Crew) Cleaver; he is a native of Pennsylvania, and she of North Carolina. The paternal grandparents, Ezekiel and Abigail Cleaver, were natives of Pennsylvania, and emigrated from there to Ohio, and located in Warren Co., near the mouth of Caesars Creek in 1805, being among the early settlers of that section of the County, opening out right in the woods, and enduring the hardships of the true pioneers of the county, and here they lived and died. They had four sons and three daughters. Mr. Cleaver first bought 240 acres, where he located, and which constituted the homestead farm; after which he purchased 500 acres about three miles east of his home farm, in what is now the southern portion of Massie Township;

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998
this last purchase he apportioned to his children, settling his eldest son the first or western 100 acres, and the second son on the next 100 acres, and so proceeded till five children were settled; the youngest two children to have the homestead place; thus providing all with a farm. Peter, the father of our subject, was the fourth child of his parents, married and settled on the 100 acres given him by his father—it then being all in the green limber, and here he began to make a home and a farm, erected a cabin and commenced to transform the vast forests into cultivated fields. But he was not permitted to carry out his full plans, as the messenger death came early and cut short his career; he died in 1832, aged 35 years, just in the prime of life. His widow is still living, now past 80 years of years, and has lived a life of widowhood of almost half a century, and has continued her residence to the present time on the old home place. They had four sons, three now survive—John D., Nathan and William, (deceased, Levi L). Our subject was 12 years of age when his father died, and the other children still younger, which brought a great care upon the mother, but she faithfully discharged her duties and raised them all to manhood. John D. was married in November, 1843, to Catharine Tiger, by whom he had three children, two now survive—Peter Benton and Charles; one daughter, Harriet, died in early childhood; his wife died in 1852. On May 10, 1854, he was united in marriage with Lucinda, daughter of John B. C. and Elizabeth (Hart) Reed, he a native of Scotland, but was brought to America when 3 years of age. She was a native of Pennsylvania, where they were married, and became settlers of Warren Co. about 1815, where she died; he died near Dayton in Montgomery Co., Ohio. By his last wife Mr. Cleaver had one child— May (deceased). Mr. Cleaver followed farming till 1870, when he retired from active labor, and located in Clarksville, Clinton Co., where he resided four years; thence located in Harveysburg, where he has since resided. Mr. Cleaver is one of the prominent men of Massie Township, and has held the office of one of the Trustees for many years; is a man of undoubted integrity, a kind and sociable neighbor and universally respected throughout his community.

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