Mary Frances Leonard Erion (1845-1914)

Mary Leonard Erion was my great great grandmother. She was the wife of Jacob Benjamin Erion and the mother of six children: Jennie Mabel; Luella Matilda; Alice L.; Francis Leonard; Esther; and my great grandfather, Lloyd DeWitt Erion. She is shown above with her husband, Jacob, and their family.

(One of the things I've learned about researching family history is that to write about the lives of the women, one must write about the lives of their fathers and husbands. Not until the second half of the 20th century have women come out of the shadows and become more visible. It's really a shame since we comprise fifty percent of the world's population and, without us, there would be no population!)

Mary Leonard Erion was born 23 Nov 1845 in Logan County, OH. (Source: Linn County, Iowa History to 1878.) Her parents were John Leonard and Lucinda Rush Leonard. (Source: Fern E. Terry, granddaughter of Mary Leonard Erion). Mary was the third of nine children.

According to information found in The Biographical Record of Knox County Ohio to Which is Added an Elaborate Compendium of National Biography, pages 43 and 44 (Chicago; The Lewis Publishing Company, 1902), contributed by John Leonard's second wife, Harriet Boudinot Leonard:

"John Leonard, now deceased, was one of the honored pioneers of Knox county, where he located when this portion of the state was a wiild frontier region in which the work of progress and development had scarcely been begun. His labors added to the general advancement and improvement, and in the passing of the years he was acknowledged to be one of the most valuable representatives of the farming interests of the county.

Mr. Leonard was a native of Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in Washington county, of the Keystone state, on the 28th of March, 1814. His education was there obtained in the primitive schools of [that] time, and through the summer months the work of the home farm claimed his attention. He was but thirteen years of age when he came to Knox county [Ohio] with his parents, Samuel and Phebe (Logan) Leonard, who entered a large tract of land in Morris township and there began the development of a farm. Our subject shared with his family in all the hardships and trials of pioneer life and bore his share in the arduous task of reclaiming wild land for purposes of civilization. Throughout his entire life he carried on general farming and at his death was the owner of a very valuable and richly improved tract of land of three hundred and fifty acres. . . . Mr. Leonard devoted his time and energies to general farming and owned and operated three hundred and fifty acres of land, constituting a valuable and highly improved tract. He was industrious and energetic, and his capable management made him one of the prosperous farmers of his locality. His fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, frequently called him to public office. He served as township trustee and for a number of terms was supervisor, discharging his duties in a manner that won him the commendation of all concerned. He co-operated in all movements which he believed would prove of general good, and in matter of business and private concern he was ever straightforward and honorable, commanding the respect of his fellow men in a high measure. He passed away October 28, 1893, and the community mourned the loss of one of its best citizens, while in the household, his place can never be filled."

So that was Mary's father, John Leonard. Mary's mother, Lucinda Rush Leonard, died before 1866. I am still researching Lucinda. (As I said before, our foremothers are living in the shadows.)

On 31 Dec 1863, Mary Frances Leonard and Jacob Benjamin Erion, the son of Philip Erion and Matilda Latham Erion, married. (Source: Family bible of Jacob Benjamin Erion.) Mary’s life was one of being a loving mother and a supportive wife to her restless husband, Jacob. Between 1870 and 1875, the family lived in Linn County, IA, then moved to Bates County, MO, then on to Appleton City, MO, where Jacob is listed as having a saddlery and harness business. (Source: Linn County History to 1878.) By 1878, the family is once again living in Linn County, IA. Mary’s husband Jacob is running a circulating library and is also a druggist. (Source: Linn County History to 1878)

The 1880 census finds the family living in Lewis, Cass County, IA. Jacob is the owner and publisher of the “Lewis Independent.” By 1885, the family had moved to South Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, where Jacob began the first newspaper in South Omaha, “The Globe.” He also began the newspaper, “The Stockman.” Between 1885 and 1899, Mary and her family lived in South Omaha. According to articles found in various Omaha newspapers, the Erions entertained frequently. Jacob was appointed by the Governor of Nebraska to the position of Deputy Labor Commissioner for the State of Nebraska. (Source: Lincoln Evening News, 26 Apr 1893)

The 1900 US census finds Jacob and Mary and their daughter Alice living in Pineville, LA. Jacob, a Civil War veteran, had applied for and received an appointment as Superintendent of the North-South National Cemetery, now known as Alexandria National Cemetery. According to files found in the National Archives, Mary and Jacob were living in Beaufort, South Carolina by 1907. This is verified by the 1910 US Census which lists Jacob’s occupation as keeper of the National Cemetery.

Throughout all these moves, Mary was giving birth to and raising their six children. Her daughter Alice died of Bright's Disease while Jacob, Mary and Alice were living in Pineville, Louisiana. Mary was with Jacob every step of the way. Her granddaughter, Fern E. Terry, wrote of her grandmother: “Grandmother Mary Frances (Leonard) Erion was a very kind and thoughful woman who took good care of her family and helped others when she could. (You see, I visited them when I was 10 years old.)”

According a copy of the death certificate issued by the State of Alabama, Mary Leonard Erion passed away on 15 Sep 1914 at 12:30 p.m. at her home at 1056 Eslava Street, Mobile, Alabama. She had been ill for over one year with carcinoma of the cervix and undergone curettage six months before her death. The place of interment was Pine Crest Cemetery, Mobile, Alabama.

A picture of Mary's and her husband Jacob's grave can be seen at www.findagrave.com. The beautiful picture was taken by Tim Childree of Mobile, AL.