Esli T. Clouse

1851-1926

Esli T. Clouse was born 4 May 1851 in Van Wert County, Liberty Township, Ohio. He was the son of George Clouse 1816-1859 and Elizabeth Kesler 1816-1884. Esli married Rebecca Susan Swartz 1853-1917, (#2190) the daughter of William R. Swartz 1820-1908 and Elizabeth Ann Bonewitz 1824-1897. They were married on 22 Jun 1875 in Wayne County, Ohio.

Esli was a farmer by trade. He and Rebecca had 6 children, Silvia 1877-1880, William Theodore 1880-1979, Mary Eliza 1882-1922, Lucinda 1887-1887, Ada Elisabeth 1888-1971 and Matilda Iona Clouse 1892-1918. On the 1880 census the family was living in Calhoun County, Michigan, where son William T. Clouse was born. In 1880 they were in Wayne county and by 1900 they were back to Van Wert, County, Ohio. Esli and Rebecca lived on a 40-acre farm in Van Wert, County.  In the early 1900's they signed an agreement with an oil company allowing oil wells to be installed on their farm. That was back when oil was selling for less than $1.00 a barrel. Though it sounds like that could have made the wealthy, I don't believe they made all that much money from oil. Records indicate they were poor farmers that barely got by. See more about the Ohio City Oil Fields in Esli Clouse pedigree chart also accessible from home page under Mihm Pedigree Chart.

Rebecca (Swartz) Clouse died on 20 Sep 1917 in Ohio City, Van Wert County, Ohio. Esli died 9 years later on New Year's Eve, 31 Dec 1926. The story was told by my mother, Esli's granddaughter, Virginia (Mihm) Kohus 1921-2003 that he had a stroke and was being taken care of at her parents, Justice and Ada (Clouse) Mihm's house in Van Wert, when he died. My mother was 5 years old at the time. She said that the bells were tolling at midnight, bring in the new year 1927, when they were removing his body from the house. Probably a story repeated as she was growing up. Both Esli Clouse and wife Rebecca (Swartz) Clouse are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio.

Photo - Esli T. Clouse 1851-1926 and wife Rebecca Susan Swartz 1853-1917 (Wayne County photo circa 1875) 

(Top L-R) Siblings, George W Clouse 1845-1931, Mary Jane (Clouse) Duncan 1848-1927, Esli T Clouse 1851-1926, (bottom L-R) Jacob Clouse 1838-1920, Michael Clouse 1841-1909, William Marion Clouse 1843-1923. Esli's three brothers seated in the front row were all Union Soldiers, veterans of the Civil War

Esli T. Clouse with his daughter Ada Elisabeth (Clouse) Mihm 1888-1971

Esli Clouse and Rebecca (Swartz) Clouse, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio