James W. Spensley was raised on a farm on Coddingville Road owned by his father Raw Spensley. The family had a bad time of keeping their barn. One year for some reason their barn burnt clean to the ground. James cut up some logs and built his father a brand new barn. This barn was later destroyed by a cyclone.
James W. was married to Alice Geraldine Vroman in the Sharon Lutheran Church on 28 February 1871. To this union were born two daughters, Delila Ann (b-1872) and Eva (b-1882).
James and Alice at one time in their life set out for Kansas to build up a homestead in or near Audryville, Kansas. One of their daughters, Delila, was born while they lived there. That fact though is disputed by the 1880 Ohio census that listed her state of birth as Ohio (it should be noted though that this census also lists James birth place as being England which is in disagreement with his death record and family records). Their stay wasn't for very long because Alice came down with a sickness called ague. This sickness, as the story had been passed down to their grandson, Gerald S. Snyder, was common to the pioneers on the plains. He was told that it resulted when the plains vegetation was plowed up for the first time. In reality ague (malaria) was passed on by mosquitoes. About the time James came down with the sickness it was time to come home and they returned back to Ohio. Gerald Snyder was not real sure how long they lived in Kansas.
Besides being a farmer, the 1880 census lists James's occupation as a butcher.
James W. bought a select Holstien bull for breeding purposes while living in Granger Township. He bought it along with two partners named Clare Miller and John Indoe. It was supposedly a special event in the dairy and cattle business in the area.
He died at the farm of his daughter Eva while his son-in-law, Wilson W. Snyder and his grandson Gerald S. Snyder, stayed at his bedside. Cause of death, according to his death record, was carcinoma of the liver and acute myocarditis. James is buried in row 2 of the Jones Cemetery (Coddingville) located on Dunsha Road north of state route #18 in Coddingville, Granger Twp., Medina, OH. Rows go north to south starting by the fence along the road.
According to Gerald, James and his wife, Alice, were separated, but continued to live in the same home for most of their lives. James was known to be somewhat of a "womanizer". They lived many years together living with their daughter Delila (Dell). They just went their separate ways and finally divorced after about fifty years of marriage.
June 1919
A REAL CYCLONE
Or Was It a Tornado That Visited Granger?...Two Barns Demolished
It first appeared a mile west of Grangerburg, between the Smith road and Grangerburg road. It struck the Harry Hopkins farm and blew the roof off the barn, hurling it into road. Crossing the road onto the Edith Reed farm it swept a clean path, easterly, leveling pactically all the fruit trees and stacking up farm tools, etc., in a queer fashion. It tore a gap through the woods on this farm and the net damage was done on the farm of J. W. Spensley on the road known as the "Rabbit Path." Mr. Spensley's bank barn was one of the largest in the county, but it took but the twinkling of an eye to reduce it to a mass of ruins. W. W. Snyder's threshing outfit was in the barn and was badly wrecked, but strange to say, two horses and two heifers escaped injury except that a sliver of wood was driven through the lip of one of the horses. The animals had to be thrown down and rolled out in order to extricate them. Mr. Spensley's son-in-law, Peter Nye, was in the barn when it was struck. He rushed out and was huried to the ground and somewhat stunned, but not injured.
Prank It Played
Mr. Spensley was sitting on his porch and saw the storm coming. "Look at that," he remarked to his wife. "it's coming straight here and the barn is going to get it--and there it goes," as the big structure collaped. The wind played all around the house, leveling trees on every side, but strange to say, no damage was done to the house or windmill. A second and smaller barn was, however slightly twisted on its foundations. From the Spensley farm the storm went into Fred Webster's woods and there spent it's force. Mr. Spensley's daughter was on her way home from a neighbor's and ran into a barn where Harold Tubbs and his wife, on their way from Akron to their home in York, had taken refuge. "Father and mother were in that barn," she screamed, and fainted dead away. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs succeeded in restoring her to consciousness and it was soon found that her fears were groundless. Monday Mr. Spensley's neighbors organized a "bee" to clear away the wreckage.
1926
James Spensley's bank barn, filled with hay and grain, also his Percheron stallion were destroyed by fire, Sunday night. His tool house, filled with farming implements, and a sheep barn were also destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.
James W. was married to Alice Geraldine Vroman in the Sharon Lutheran Church on 28 February 1871. To this union were born two daughters, Delila Ann (b-1872) and Eva (b-1882).
James and Alice at one time in their life set out for Kansas to build up a homestead in or near Audryville, Kansas. One of their daughters, Delila, was born while they lived there. That fact though is disputed by the 1880 Ohio census that listed her state of birth as Ohio (it should be noted though that this census also lists James birth place as being England which is in disagreement with his death record and family records). Their stay wasn't for very long because Alice came down with a sickness called ague. This sickness, as the story had been passed down to their grandson, Gerald S. Snyder, was common to the pioneers on the plains. He was told that it resulted when the plains vegetation was plowed up for the first time. In reality ague (malaria) was passed on by mosquitoes. About the time James came down with the sickness it was time to come home and they returned back to Ohio. Gerald Snyder was not real sure how long they lived in Kansas.
Besides being a farmer, the 1880 census lists James's occupation as a butcher.
James W. bought a select Holstien bull for breeding purposes while living in Granger Township. He bought it along with two partners named Clare Miller and John Indoe. It was supposedly a special event in the dairy and cattle business in the area.
He died at the farm of his daughter Eva while his son-in-law, Wilson W. Snyder and his grandson Gerald S. Snyder, stayed at his bedside. Cause of death, according to his death record, was carcinoma of the liver and acute myocarditis. James is buried in row 2 of the Jones Cemetery (Coddingville) located on Dunsha Road north of state route #18 in Coddingville, Granger Twp., Medina, OH. Rows go north to south starting by the fence along the road.
According to Gerald, James and his wife, Alice, were separated, but continued to live in the same home for most of their lives. James was known to be somewhat of a "womanizer". They lived many years together living with their daughter Delila (Dell). They just went their separate ways and finally divorced after about fifty years of marriage.
June 1919
A REAL CYCLONE
Or Was It a Tornado That Visited Granger?...Two Barns Demolished
It first appeared a mile west of Grangerburg, between the Smith road and Grangerburg road. It struck the Harry Hopkins farm and blew the roof off the barn, hurling it into road. Crossing the road onto the Edith Reed farm it swept a clean path, easterly, leveling pactically all the fruit trees and stacking up farm tools, etc., in a queer fashion. It tore a gap through the woods on this farm and the net damage was done on the farm of J. W. Spensley on the road known as the "Rabbit Path." Mr. Spensley's bank barn was one of the largest in the county, but it took but the twinkling of an eye to reduce it to a mass of ruins. W. W. Snyder's threshing outfit was in the barn and was badly wrecked, but strange to say, two horses and two heifers escaped injury except that a sliver of wood was driven through the lip of one of the horses. The animals had to be thrown down and rolled out in order to extricate them. Mr. Spensley's son-in-law, Peter Nye, was in the barn when it was struck. He rushed out and was huried to the ground and somewhat stunned, but not injured.
Prank It Played
Mr. Spensley was sitting on his porch and saw the storm coming. "Look at that," he remarked to his wife. "it's coming straight here and the barn is going to get it--and there it goes," as the big structure collaped. The wind played all around the house, leveling trees on every side, but strange to say, no damage was done to the house or windmill. A second and smaller barn was, however slightly twisted on its foundations. From the Spensley farm the storm went into Fred Webster's woods and there spent it's force. Mr. Spensley's daughter was on her way home from a neighbor's and ran into a barn where Harold Tubbs and his wife, on their way from Akron to their home in York, had taken refuge. "Father and mother were in that barn," she screamed, and fainted dead away. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs succeeded in restoring her to consciousness and it was soon found that her fears were groundless. Monday Mr. Spensley's neighbors organized a "bee" to clear away the wreckage.
1926
James Spensley's bank barn, filled with hay and grain, also his Percheron stallion were destroyed by fire, Sunday night. His tool house, filled with farming implements, and a sheep barn were also destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.
James W. Spensley was raised on a farm on Coddingville Road owned by his father Raw Spensley. The family had a bad time of keeping their barn. One year for some reason their barn burnt clean to the ground. James cut up some logs and built his father a brand new barn. This barn was later destroyed by a cyclone.
James W. was married to Alice Geraldine Vroman in the Sharon Lutheran Church on 28 February 1871. To this union were born two daughters, Delila Ann (b-1872) and Eva (b-1882).
James and Alice at one time in their life set out for Kansas to build up a homestead in or near Audryville, Kansas. One of their daughters, Delila, was born while they lived there. That fact though is disputed by the 1880 Ohio census that listed her state of birth as Ohio (it should be noted though that this census also lists James birth place as being England which is in disagreement with his death record and family records). Their stay wasn't for very long because Alice came down with a sickness called ague. This sickness, as the story had been passed down to their grandson, Gerald S. Snyder, was common to the pioneers on the plains. He was told that it resulted when the plains vegetation was plowed up for the first time. In reality ague (malaria) was passed on by mosquitoes. About the time James came down with the sickness it was time to come home and they returned back to Ohio. Gerald Snyder was not real sure how long they lived in Kansas.
Besides being a farmer, the 1880 census lists James's occupation as a butcher.
James W. bought a select Holstien bull for breeding purposes while living in Granger Township. He bought it along with two partners named Clare Miller and John Indoe. It was supposedly a special event in the dairy and cattle business in the area.
He died at the farm of his daughter Eva while his son-in-law, Wilson W. Snyder and his grandson Gerald S. Snyder, stayed at his bedside. Cause of death, according to his death record, was carcinoma of the liver and acute myocarditis. James is buried in row 2 of the Jones Cemetery (Coddingville) located on Dunsha Road north of state route #18 in Coddingville, Granger Twp., Medina, OH. Rows go north to south starting by the fence along the road.
According to Gerald, James and his wife, Alice, were separated, but continued to live in the same home for most of their lives. James was known to be somewhat of a "womanizer". They lived many years together living with their daughter Delila (Dell). They just went their separate ways and finally divorced after about fifty years of marriage.
June 1919
A REAL CYCLONE
Or Was It a Tornado That Visited Granger?...Two Barns Demolished
It first appeared a mile west of Grangerburg, between the Smith road and Grangerburg road. It struck the Harry Hopkins farm and blew the roof off the barn, hurling it into road. Crossing the road onto the Edith Reed farm it swept a clean path, easterly, leveling pactically all the fruit trees and stacking up farm tools, etc., in a queer fashion. It tore a gap through the woods on this farm and the net damage was done on the farm of J. W. Spensley on the road known as the "Rabbit Path." Mr. Spensley's bank barn was one of the largest in the county, but it took but the twinkling of an eye to reduce it to a mass of ruins. W. W. Snyder's threshing outfit was in the barn and was badly wrecked, but strange to say, two horses and two heifers escaped injury except that a sliver of wood was driven through the lip of one of the horses. The animals had to be thrown down and rolled out in order to extricate them. Mr. Spensley's son-in-law, Peter Nye, was in the barn when it was struck. He rushed out and was huried to the ground and somewhat stunned, but not injured.
Prank It Played
Mr. Spensley was sitting on his porch and saw the storm coming. "Look at that," he remarked to his wife. "it's coming straight here and the barn is going to get it--and there it goes," as the big structure collaped. The wind played all around the house, leveling trees on every side, but strange to say, no damage was done to the house or windmill. A second and smaller barn was, however slightly twisted on its foundations. From the Spensley farm the storm went into Fred Webster's woods and there spent it's force. Mr. Spensley's daughter was on her way home from a neighbor's and ran into a barn where Harold Tubbs and his wife, on their way from Akron to their home in York, had taken refuge. "Father and mother were in that barn," she screamed, and fainted dead away. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs succeeded in restoring her to consciousness and it was soon found that her fears were groundless. Monday Mr. Spensley's neighbors organized a "bee" to clear away the wreckage.
1926
James Spensley's bank barn, filled with hay and grain, also his Percheron stallion were destroyed by fire, Sunday night. His tool house, filled with farming implements, and a sheep barn were also destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.
James W. was married to Alice Geraldine Vroman in the Sharon Lutheran Church on 28 February 1871. To this union were born two daughters, Delila Ann (b-1872) and Eva (b-1882).
James and Alice at one time in their life set out for Kansas to build up a homestead in or near Audryville, Kansas. One of their daughters, Delila, was born while they lived there. That fact though is disputed by the 1880 Ohio census that listed her state of birth as Ohio (it should be noted though that this census also lists James birth place as being England which is in disagreement with his death record and family records). Their stay wasn't for very long because Alice came down with a sickness called ague. This sickness, as the story had been passed down to their grandson, Gerald S. Snyder, was common to the pioneers on the plains. He was told that it resulted when the plains vegetation was plowed up for the first time. In reality ague (malaria) was passed on by mosquitoes. About the time James came down with the sickness it was time to come home and they returned back to Ohio. Gerald Snyder was not real sure how long they lived in Kansas.
Besides being a farmer, the 1880 census lists James's occupation as a butcher.
James W. bought a select Holstien bull for breeding purposes while living in Granger Township. He bought it along with two partners named Clare Miller and John Indoe. It was supposedly a special event in the dairy and cattle business in the area.
He died at the farm of his daughter Eva while his son-in-law, Wilson W. Snyder and his grandson Gerald S. Snyder, stayed at his bedside. Cause of death, according to his death record, was carcinoma of the liver and acute myocarditis. James is buried in row 2 of the Jones Cemetery (Coddingville) located on Dunsha Road north of state route #18 in Coddingville, Granger Twp., Medina, OH. Rows go north to south starting by the fence along the road.
According to Gerald, James and his wife, Alice, were separated, but continued to live in the same home for most of their lives. James was known to be somewhat of a "womanizer". They lived many years together living with their daughter Delila (Dell). They just went their separate ways and finally divorced after about fifty years of marriage.
June 1919
A REAL CYCLONE
Or Was It a Tornado That Visited Granger?...Two Barns Demolished
It first appeared a mile west of Grangerburg, between the Smith road and Grangerburg road. It struck the Harry Hopkins farm and blew the roof off the barn, hurling it into road. Crossing the road onto the Edith Reed farm it swept a clean path, easterly, leveling pactically all the fruit trees and stacking up farm tools, etc., in a queer fashion. It tore a gap through the woods on this farm and the net damage was done on the farm of J. W. Spensley on the road known as the "Rabbit Path." Mr. Spensley's bank barn was one of the largest in the county, but it took but the twinkling of an eye to reduce it to a mass of ruins. W. W. Snyder's threshing outfit was in the barn and was badly wrecked, but strange to say, two horses and two heifers escaped injury except that a sliver of wood was driven through the lip of one of the horses. The animals had to be thrown down and rolled out in order to extricate them. Mr. Spensley's son-in-law, Peter Nye, was in the barn when it was struck. He rushed out and was huried to the ground and somewhat stunned, but not injured.
Prank It Played
Mr. Spensley was sitting on his porch and saw the storm coming. "Look at that," he remarked to his wife. "it's coming straight here and the barn is going to get it--and there it goes," as the big structure collaped. The wind played all around the house, leveling trees on every side, but strange to say, no damage was done to the house or windmill. A second and smaller barn was, however slightly twisted on its foundations. From the Spensley farm the storm went into Fred Webster's woods and there spent it's force. Mr. Spensley's daughter was on her way home from a neighbor's and ran into a barn where Harold Tubbs and his wife, on their way from Akron to their home in York, had taken refuge. "Father and mother were in that barn," she screamed, and fainted dead away. Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs succeeded in restoring her to consciousness and it was soon found that her fears were groundless. Monday Mr. Spensley's neighbors organized a "bee" to clear away the wreckage.
1926
James Spensley's bank barn, filled with hay and grain, also his Percheron stallion were destroyed by fire, Sunday night. His tool house, filled with farming implements, and a sheep barn were also destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.
Gravesite Details
James Wharton Spensley was the son of Raw Spensely (1826-1864) and Anne Falshaw (1825-1899) and was born in Granger Twp., Medina, Ohio and husband of Alice Vroman
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