The Persons Family

From time to time I play with researching our family genealogy.  It is a fun challenge and occasionally you can see how your family is connected to historical events.  One part of the family we have lost track of over the last couple generations are our cousins in the Persons family.  Every now and then I see if I can learn more about what happened to this family and maybe eventually connect to a living relative.  I thought I might post some updates to share here.

Let's start with Elvero Greenleaf Persons.  According to my notes he was born in New York on March 3, 1842.  He moved to Ohio, Michigan, possibly Missouri, and finally Island County and Bellingham in Washington State.  He died in Bellingham, Washington; March 24, 1912.  He was a Methodist Minister and fought in the Civil War on the Union side.  My grandfather, who's father died when he was young, visited and stayed with Rev. Persons family several times.

I was searching for him in some old newspaper articles in Ohio and found several references to Elvero Persons.  Here is one about the Methodist Episcopal Church in Orrville, Ohio.  At the end it mentions Elvero Persons as one of the presiding elders of the church.  (Source: The Orrville Courier; Friday, November 24, 1905; Orrville, Ohio; p. 2) 

And, here is another newspaper article mentioning Elvero Persons as one of 12 presiding elders of the Methodist church directing a seasonal event in Lakeside, Ohio. (Source: The Morning Star; Monday, June 6, 1898; Sandusky, Ohio; p. 2)

And here is mention of one of Rev. Persons' sons in a horse-riding accident.  His son escaped injury but the person running to his aide, Charles Weber, did not.   (Source: Orrville Crescent; Tuesday, October 12, 1886; Orrville, Ohio; p. 3)

And another clipping related to the Methodist Church activities and placing him in Berea, Ohio. (Source: The Mansfield News; Tuesday, September 22, 1903; Mansfield, Ohio; p. 8)

Finally, this article about the renovation of the Perkins Brick Methodist Episcopal Church mentions Elvero Persons as one of that past pastors of the church.  (Source: The Sandusky Star Journal; Monday, August 28, 1922; Sandusky, Ohio; p. 5)

I found a website that mentions this (Perkins Brick Methodist Episcopal Church) church in reference to the modern graveyard ( http://www.perkinstownship.com/cemetery.html ).    This places the church in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio.