My Genealogy Hound

Mrs. Susan F. Ash, widow of James Ash, and a resident of Newport Township, Barton County, is a milliner by trade, and carries a fine assortment of goods, her establishment being in the town of Newport. She was born in West Virginia, on the 17th of February, 1850, and is a daughter of William F. Clarke, and Sarah Ann (Batton) Clarke, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, born in March, 1810, and 1822, respectively. The father is still living, and resides in Nebraska, but the mother died in her native State, in 1864. Seven of their nine children are now living: John A. Clarke, who owns a steam saw and planing mill on Cheat River, Point Marion, Penn.; Edgar J. Clarke, a merchant, stock, and real estate dealer, of Nebraska; M. J. Clarke, a farmer and fine stock-breeder, of Nebraska; Sarah A. Clarke, wife of Dan Chisholm, a merchant of Uniontown, Penn.; William M. Clarke, a farmer and stock-raiser of Nebraska; Martha M. Clarke, wife of Rudolph Newman, a farmer of Nebraska; and Susan F. Clarke, who was married to James Ash, on the 22d of May, 1873, by whom she became the mother of three children, two now living: Martha E., who was born June 27, 1874, and is now in Pennsylvania attending school, where three generations of her grandparents of the Batton family passed away; and Charles Brown, who was born October 4, 1879. An infant died, unnamed, on the 14th of June, 1877. James Ash was born September 17, 1842, and died on the 29th of November, 1879, being a son of Abraham and Hannah (Logue) Ash, who were Pennsylvanians by birth, and at an early day moved from their native State to Ohio, from there to Indiana, and then to Dade County, Mo., where the father was engaged in farming until his death in 1874, still survived by his widow. He was twice married, and to his first union were born two sons: Joseph, living at Ozark, Mo.; and Amos, who was killed in the army. His second union resulted in the birth of twelve children: Annie, wife of John Ernest, of Miami County, Ind.; Telitha (deceased): James, Elizabeth, wife of Henry Lowery, of Dade County; Mary, wife of John Smith, of Indiana; Andrew, also in Indiana; Upton, who died leaving two children, one living in Dade County, and one in Greene County, Mo.; William, a farmer of Dade County; and Eliza, wife of J. L. Dantice; Atsey, wife of William Harmon; and Ella, wife of Joshua Ridge, are living Northwest, in one of the Territories. James Ash left his widow in good circumstances, and, to all appearances, she has proved as good a farmer as her neighbors. She has 175 acres of fertile land, on which are good buildings and orchards. Mrs. Ash is energetic and enterprising, and for a number of years has been a member of the Christian Church. She remained on her farm two years after her husband’s death, and then purchased her present property, and engaged in millinery work, which enterprise has proven quite a success.