Ancestors of Che'usa Darri Stoner Wend Daniel HESS

More information gathered:

Since finding the Centennial History book written in 1901, I have acquired a copy
of 'History of Balser Hess 1747-1806 and Descendants' compiled by
Frank E. Hess of Goshen, Indiana in 1950.
From the Hess book, a more comprehensive history of the Hess family is understood and
it serves to correct some information that was given in the Centennial History book.

Daniel Hess

Daniel Hess, the oldest child of Balser Hess and Mary Eve Hensel Hess, was born February 2, 1783 at Bedford, Pennsylvania. He spent his boyhood days in Bedford and worked in his father's shoe shop and leather goods store. They made shoes from the raw products, so here he learned the manufacturing business of that day. They sold shoes and leather goods out of the store and he learned the retail business of the day.

His mother's people, the Hensels, lived twelve miles south of Bedford and were prosperous farmers. He most certainly spent some time on this farm during the first fifteen years in the village of Bedford. There he learned from his Grandfather Hensel the basic principles of farming. He learned to swing an axe, use a saw, a sickle and trowel and other tools essential to pioneer life. This training was to serve him well a few years later in the Ohio wilderness and there were school advantages there that the younger children were denied in the then wilds of Ohio, where they were to spend their early childhood. In fact, his education was quite complete for that early day.

When Daniel was fifteen, in 1798, he helped the family move to Hopetown, Ohio where they were greeted by the Michael Cryder Family, their Bedford neighbors who preceded them to Hopetown in 1796. Here he helped clear the land and erect buildings on the land his father chose for homesteading and later lost to Michael Cryder because of 'sleeping on his rights' as a homesteader too long.

In late 1801 or early 1802, the family moved fifty miles north to Franklinton, Ohio, where his father bought four hundred acres of land and proceeded to start all over. Daniel again was a strong factor in this successful venture. He was now twenty years old and a grown man. He helped to clear the land and erect the first log cabin about three miles north of the forks of the Scioto and Olentangy Rivers on the bank of the latter.

On receipt of the deed for this 400 acres at Franklinton, Daniel was dispatched by his mother, on horseback to Chillicothe, Ohio to have the deed properly recorded. Mother Eve had learned her lesson well and Hopetown incident must not reoccur.

On December 27, 1806, between four and five years after arriving at the new home, Balser Hess died. Daniel, now twenty fours, moved up as head of the family. He was co-administrator with his mother, of his father's will. His father had named him in the will for this important trust because of his age, experience, educational advantages and the implicit confidence he had in Daniel's ability and integrity. It is said that at this dark time in the life of the family, he told his widowed mother that he would stick by her and help raise the children and would never marry until all his sisters were settled in life. That promise was fulfilled with a few years to spare.

Daniel Hess was married on April 20, 1819 to Sarah Gordon of Franklinton, Franklin County, Ohio. He was past thirty six years of age. He had waited until all his brothers and sisters were married, with the exception of the youngest brother, John Moses, who did not marry until July 25, 1824. Sarah Gordon was born February 13, 1801 and was just past eighteen years of age when married, and therefore, just half the age of her husband.

Their entire married life was spent in Franklin County, Ohio and possibly much of it on the farm he inherited from his father. His principal occupation was farming. He spent his last days in the village of North Columbus, just across the Olentangy River to the east. There he died August 14, 1852, aged seventy nine years, six months and twelve days. His widow, Sarah died at the same place January 5, 1873, aged seventy one years, then month and eight days, after being his widow a little over ten years. Both are buried in Union Cemetery near the burial place of his father and mother.

Daniel Hess had a sterling character. He placed the welfare of his widowed mother and her eight younger children above his own personal life and interest and devoted nearly half his long life to her care and the rearing of the younger children. It is said he was a devoted Christian and conducted family worship in the home after the passing of his father. His slogan in life must have been "Others."

While not a great man as the world measures men, he must have been a great man in the eyes of those younger brothers and sisters that he guided and gave fatherly advice. He left 'footprints on the sands of time' that we who live after might take courage and emulate.

Daniel Hess and his wife Sarah Gordon had ten children. (note: only two are listed above, as I did not know the names and birth information of the others before I began this website!).

Henry F. Hess, b. 1820, d. 1827
Lucy Hess, b. 1823, married Elah Shanck
Amanda Hess, b. 1825, never married
Daniel Hess, Jr., b. 1827, married Eliza Shattuck
Philomon Hes, b. 1829, married Mrs. Mary Foster
Mary Eve Hess, b. 1831, married Thomas W. Cover
William Wilson Hess, b. 1833, married Harriet ?
Horatio Gates Hess, b. 1835, never married
Emeline A. Hess, b. 1838, d. in infancy
Alfred G. Hess or Alice G. Hess, b. around 1840, died of scarlet fever as a child

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