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Levi F. Crisman
LEVI F. CRISMAN, who farms the old Peter Fair place in Washington township,
is a member of the fourth generation of his family to live in Armstrong
county, where he was born Feb. 21, 1857, in Madison township. Frederick
Crisman, his great-grandfather, came to this region from east of the mountains
and located in what was then Sugar Creek (now Washington) township, on land
still owned by the family, obtaining about two hundred acres. There he reared
his family and continued to live until his death. He was of German extraction.John Crisman, son of Frederick, remained all his life on part of his
father’s homestead, and became quite prominent in the locality, holding
various local offices. In politics he was a Republican. He and his wife
Catherine had a family of ten children: Philip, Esther, Lavina, Frederick,
Eliza, Hamilton, John, Catherine and Henry and Adam, twins.Frederick
Crisman, son of John, was born March 20, 1838, on the home farm, where he grew
to manhood. He settled on a farm in Washington township and followed
agricultural pursuits throughout his active years. He now lives among his
children, his wife having died Aug. 23, 1901. Her maiden name was Catherine
Crisman, and she was born in 1838. Mr. Crisman served in the Civil war, and he
has been a Republican from the early days of the party. He has never taken any
active part in public affairs. To Mr. and Mrs. Crisman were born fourteen
children, ten sons and four daughters, whose names and dates of birth are as
follows: Levi F., Feb. 21, 1857; Sarah Jane, July 10, 1858; Adson Somerville,
Aug. 10, 1860; John Walter, Jan. 21, 1862; Malissa May, July 9, 1864; Henry
McClure, July 14, 1866; Frederick Ross, May 6, 1868; Laura Luella, April 9,
1872; Charles Calvin and Edward Alvin, twins, Aug. 26, 1874; William Harrison,
Oct. 9, 1877; James Burt, Oct. 18, 1879; Jesse Merril, Jan. 12, 1882; May
Priscilla, May 15, 1885 (died when eighteen months old).Levi F.
Crisman lived in his native township, Madison, until he was a youth of fifteen
or sixteen, meantime attending the common schools and assisting with the work
at home. Then he accompanied his parents to Clarion county, this State, where
he remained until twenty-one years old, at which time he went to McKean
county, Pa. He was there for five years, working in the oil fields, and from
there came to Washington township, Armstrong county, locating on a farm. He
worked for Mr. Wilkinson five years, and then bought a piece of ground in the
township, near Mahoning. After a residence of seven years thereon he came to
his present home in Washington township, the old Peter Fair homestead, having
sixty-eight acres where he carries on general farming most successfully. He is
a good business man and an excellent manager, and has found his work very
profitable. Mr. Crisman has served his township as overseer of the poor,
giving the highest satisfaction to his fellow citizens in the discharge of his
duties as such. In politics he is a Republican.Mr. Crisman’s first
marriage was to Ida John, who died leaving one child, David Erwin, born Jan.
18, 1884. His second marriage was to Mary Adaline Fair, who was born Jan. 4,
1857, on the farm where she and her husband now live, and they have had two
children: Verda Ethel, born Oct. 2, 1891, and Millie Fair, born July 7, 1895.Peter Fair, Mrs. Crisman’s grandfather, was of German descent. He settled
in Washington township on a tract of about three hundred acres then all in the
woods, built a log cabin on the hill and made a permanent home there. He was a
Lutheran in religion and a Republican in politics.Leonard Fair, son of
Peter and Sarah Fair, was the father of Mrs. Crisman. He was born Nov. 12,
1821, grew up on the home place, and remained there all his life, improving it
greatly; he erected the brick buildings still standing and in good condition.
He was one of the best known citizens of the township in his day, having
served his fellow men as clerk, overseer of the poor, tax collector and for
twenty years as justice of the peace. Like his father he was a Republican and
a Lutheran. He died April 16, 1900. On Feb. 16, 1843, he married Mary
Magdalene Helms, who was born Dec. 14, 1819, and died May 20, 1872. His second
marriage, which took place Oct. 14, 1873, was to Catherine Martin, who died
Sept. 3, 1890. His children were all by the first marriage, viz.: Jeremiah,
born Nov. 16, 1844, who died aged fifty-four years, six months, twenty-one
days; Eliza, born June 9, 1846; Peter, born Feb. 5, 1849; Emily, born Aug. 19,
1850, who died Dec. 20, 1866; Amos T., born March 23, 1853; Augustus C., born
April 7, 1855; Mary Adaline, Mrs. Crisman, born Jan 4, 1857; and Malinda, born
Jan. 9, 1861.
Source: Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed January 2012 by Sara Stewart
for the Armstrong County Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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