Jacob M. Reasoner
Jacob M. Reasoner, is one of the successful agriculturists of Jackson Township, engaged in farming on sections 3 and 4, where he has 200 acres of well improved land. He is a native of Blackford County, Indiana, born in Licking Township, December 2, 1847, a son of Peter and Rhoda (Frye) Reasoner, the father born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1798, and the mother born in Harrison County, Virginia, February 16, 1809.
The father was reared to manhood in Muskingum County, Ohio, where he was married, and the mother was reared in Guernsey County, Ohio. They were the parents of eleven children -Sebur, Washington F., Mary, Noah H., Calista A., Joseph (died in early childhood), Evelyn (also died young), Harried (died aged eighteen years), John B. and Almira C. (twins), and Jacob M. our subject, who was the youngest child.
The father remained in Muskingum County until December, 1831, when he came with his wife and two children to Blackford County, Indiana, settling in Licking Township, and while he was building his cabin his family lived in Grant County with the family of John Grimes, and for a bout six weeks the Grimes cabin contained about nineteen persons. Mr. Reasoner moved his family to his cabin about the end of December, 1831. He made the first clearing, and was the first to engaged in farming in Blackford County. The following spring he cleared enough land to raise corn and potatoes to support his family, and their meat consisted of wild game or venison.
Benjamin Reasoner, the grandfather of our subject, was an early settler of Ohio, and came to Blackford County with his son Peter in 1831, where he lived until his death. The grandmother, Mary (Hill) Reasoner, died in Grant County. The Reasoner's are of German descent, coming to America at the time of the persecution of the Huguenots. The father of our subject died October 22, 1868. The mother is still living in Licking Township, and is the oldest living settler in the county. She relates many reminiscences of pioneer life, of which we may mention the following: Some time after coming tot he county a large Indiana opened the door of their cabin and gave a grunt. They could not understand what he wanted, but he notices a whetstone on the mantel, which he took up and commenced sharpening his scalping knife. The mother became greatly frightened, and taking her two children ran tot he house of her father-in-law, who lived about a half mile distant.
Jacob M. Reasoner, whose name heads this sketch, was married October 26, 1875, to Miss Emma Willman, who was born in Hartford City, Indiana, January 29, 1854, where she was reared and married. She is a daughter of John P. and Nancy (Kirkpatrick) Willman, and a grand-daughter of Lewis and Christian (Keller) Willman, who were born in Germany, her grandmother dying a few years after coming to Blackford County. her grandfather died in Blackford County, February 16, 1876. Her father was born November 27, 1830, in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, coming to America with his parents when two years old, they settling in Pennsylvania. He was brought to Indiana in his boyhood, where he was reared and married, may 3, 1853, to Miss Nancy Kirkpatrick. To them were born four children -Emma, wife of Mr. Reasoner; Catherine, wife of George Brown, of Leipsic, Ohio; Minnie M., wife of Arthur Lyle, of Hartford City, and Rolla, at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Reasoner are the parents of five children -Ralph B., born July 19, 1876; Ethel, born July 11, 1878; Walter H., born February 23, 1881; Shirley W., born March 20, 1883; and an infant yet unnamed, born May 1, 1887.
Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.
