Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897
[p. 357] who now resides in Enon Valley, Lawrence Co., Pa., was born near Hopedale, Harrison Co., Ohio, April 7, 1856. Of eight children in his father's family, four sons are living, and four daughters have passed away. Mr. Slemmons lived in Harrison County until 1863 or '64, when the family removed to Hardin County near Ada, where he went to school until he was eighteen, living at home until after his father's death. He then secured a place as a clerk in a clothing store of Lima, Ohio, and remained in that position for one year, after which he traveled for a grain merchant, and lived for a short time at Farmer City, Ill. Returning to Hardin Co., Ohio, he was appointed deputy auditor of the county, and after serving eighteen months he resigned to go to Colnmbus, Ohio, where he was employed in the State House for three months. He next secured a place in a clothing store, and was thus employed at the time of his marriage in 1889. This event, to which reference has just been made, occurred on July 10 of that year, and was the means of uniting in marital bonds himself and Susan B. Slemons. Then having real estate interests in Enon Valley, Lawrence Co., Pa., he removed to that place, which has since been his permanent location. After his removal to Enon Valley, Mr. Slemmons was engaged in mercantile business for a year, but lost his stock by fire, as he had previously in his first commercial venture in Lima. He has large investments in landed property, owning a house in Enon Valley, and a farm of 127 acres near the village, forty-one acres in Allegheny Co., and eighty acres in the State of Kansas. On Aug. 19, 1897, our subject and wife were blessed with the birth of a baby boy, who has been named J. Guy.
Susan B. (Slemons) Slemmons, our subject's wife, was born in Old Enon, and was a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Kildoo) Slemons. It is a rather odd coincidence that husband's and wife's names should differ only in the addition or omission of an M, but they are not able to trace any blood relationship, and if there is any, it must be many generations back in Scotland. On Mrs. Slemmons' mother's side the father's name is unknown, but the grandmother's name was once Miss Stickel. James Slemons was born in Ireland, and was a son of James Slemons, Sr., who emigrated to America, where he died in 1879, when he was fifty-seven years old. Mr. and Mrs. James Slemons, parents of our subject's wife, are members of the Presbyterian Church, and of their two children, Mrs. Slemmons alone is living.
Our subject, during his stay in Ohio, served as constable, and in Enon Valley, Lawrence County, he officiated as supervisor for one year. In May, 1896, he was elected justice of the peace. In politics he is a Republican, and is acting as secretary of the Republican County Committee, of which committee he has been a member almost continually since becoming a citizen of Little Beaver township. In August, 1897, he was appointed a member of the executive committee, which appointment continues for one year. At the present time (1897) he is a candidate for surveyor of the port in Pittsburg. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias order, and is recording secretary of the junior O. U. A. M. Since his arrival in Little Beaver township, Mr. Slemmons has thoroughly identified himself with all its interests, and is considered one of its most valuable citizens; he has done all in his power in building up the community and giving it a moral tone, and is considered one of its mainstays. He was elected director and treasurer of the Mt. Jackson Mutual Insurance Co., which was organized Oct. 2, 1897. He has been faithful to the relations of life, and bears an excellent reputation for uprightness and fair dealing.
Our subject is a son of Samuel and Eleanor P. (Leatham) Slemmons, the latter a daughter of Elias and Susan (Maxwell) Leatham. Elias Leatham was a son of Robert Leatham, who was born in the State of Delaware, and lived to be seventy-three years old. Elias was a Whig and later a Republican, and died at eighty-six; his wife, Susan Maxwell, was a daughter of Robert and Deborah (Weierman) Maxwell. Deborah was of German origin, a daughter of Robert and Susan Weierman. Robert Maxwell, great-grandfather of Mr. Slemmons, was of Scotch descent, and was a son of James Maxwell. Samuel Slemmons, father of the present bearer of that honored name, was a son of James and Kate (Johnson) Slemmons; James was a Pennsylvania farmer, and died in 1841, when fifty-eight years of age; his wife passed away in 1851, aged sixty-two. Samuel Slemmons was born June 9, 1814, in Jefferson Co., Ohio,and was a farmer and carpenter in his callings. Politically, he was a Republican, and served as school director, and as constable for sixteen years, and when sixty years old was elected justice of the peace. He was for the period before the Republican party came into existence an adherent of the Know-nothing party. He was taken to his long home in Canton, Ohio, July 23, 1886, when aged seventy-three years.
Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
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Updated: 27 May 2001