Frank Fawn & Nancy Booher
The Story of Frank Fawn & Nancy Booher:His gradfather married in England in 1816.Had a family with all known chilgren being christened there.They picked up & moved to America in 1832 hoping for a better life.Here we loose track of all other childrn except for th marriage of one sister whom we can't find after that.
His father, coming to Ohio fam nother state in 1836.He marries & moves to Licking co. Ohio where Frank was born.His mother dying by the time he was 4, probably from childbirth.Frank had one sister, who must have died around the same time.About a year after his mother's death, his father remarries.Evidently, Frank's father had some money, as he then bought 3 different properties.Within a few years, they moved from Licking co. Ohio.Again, property was bought with cash in hand ( as stated in the property deed).Most of his life was spent as a farmer, with some time as a grocer at one point.Much of this information was drawn from his obituary.
By the age of 20, Frank is again living in Licking co, where he meets his wife Nancy Booher, and they are married.As the Licking co. courthouse has had 2 fires the exact date is unknown, Knox co. does not have any record of the marriage either.
Their first child was born about 1863, so the marriage most likely would have been about 1862 or so.Charles E. was born in 1864 in Knox co. & James Ryan - Pete- in 1865.Both boys apparently were named after their grandfathers.After the age of 7 the first child can no longer be found.By 1870, Frank has left his family to fend for themselves.His children are living with their grandparents, and his wife is working as a domestic servant to support them.
Frank Fawn served in the Civil War in the Ohio Vol. Inf. from his papers we find that he was: age 21, 5'7" tall,blue eyes, sandy hair and a farmer.He is listed as having deserted on June 10, 1862 & has never been honorably discharged.In 1901, at the age of 58, he applies for a pension being sick with chronic diarrhea and having little money, but he is denied as having been a deserter.In his statement: "After the battle of Shiloh, on the way to Coriuth, was captured by the rebels, and gave them the slip after 3 days.Made his way to Indiana, where he worked 2 months, and then made his way back to Ohio where he has resided ever since."
At age 39, Frank is tending a bar, and lives alone in a boarding house not more than 50 miles from his children.At age 69, he is still living alone and in 1911, he dies.His half brother signs his death certificate and doesn't know Frank's birth-date or mother's name.It does say he was divorced.He had so little money that a tombstone could not be purchased, so his grave now lays unknown and unmarked in Union co. Ohio, which we know because his death certificate states it.At the time of Frank's death, his sons are living in Paulding co., and probably know nothing of his death.
All evidence points that Frank had very little contact with his father or children after he moved out.
The story coming down through Charles E. Fawn-Fown's family is that Frank deserten Nancy and the children.This story was also told by Thelma Fawn-Ball.Nancy later remarried in 1873, and having 2 daughters.The boys were raised by their step-father, as they were only 8 & 9 at the time of Nancy's remarriage.The girls, Estella & Della, not coming until four and six years later.At the time of Nancy's death, Charles' name is spelled Fown on her death certificate.
Charles E. married Almira Doane in 1883, and Pete married her younger sister Clarinda in 1887 in Paulding co. Ohio.It is unkmown what led them to Paulding co.Charles stayed there until 1913 when he moved back to Licking co. Ohio.The birth records list his children born under the name Fawn.No other wives are known for Charles.Pete's second wife Myrtle Atherton Fawn died of cancer in May of 1940.Her death certificate states that she was married and was signed by JR Fawn.
The two brothers lived quite close toeach other untill 1913.It has not been established when Charles changed the spelling of his name other than that he was using Fown by 1918.At this time, it is unknown if he legally changed the spelling of his name.
C Fown and M D Jordan
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Re: Frank Fawn & Nancy Booher
9/28/01