William Marion Clouse

1843-1923

William Marion Clouse is an extensive landowner and a representative farmer of Liberty Township. He has 366 acres of land, divided into several farms, the resident property of 157 1/2 acres being situated in section 20. Mr. Clouse was born in Liberty Township on March 18, 1843 and was the fourth child of George and Elizabeth (Kessler) Clouse, who were among the very earliest settlers of Van Wert County. 

W. M. Clouse has always lived in his native township, with the exception of the time he spent in the army during the Civil War. Here he was reared and educated. At the beginning of the war, our subject enlisted in Company A, 99th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Capt. W. C. Scott and later served under Capt. W. T. Exline. He served from August, 1862, until July, 1865, and in the charge at Lookout Mountain was severely wounded, causing him to be in the hospital for several weeks. On two other occasions he was confined to the hospital; once in Louisville, Kentucky, from the fall of 1862 until the following March, and also in Washington, D. C., for three months. With these three exceptions he was with the regiment continuously. File (#2425) is a newspaper account in 1901 of the 25th reunion of the 99th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Delphos, Ohio. Attending the function were brothers Jacob and William M. Clouse.

On June 17, 1866, Mr. Clouse was married to Emaline Boyer in Willshire township, and had three children by this marriage : Emma May; George Monroe, who married Clara Anspach and has three children; and Orpha Annis, who married Bert Wright, lives in Harrod, Ohio, and has three children. Mrs. Clouse died in 1873. Mr. Clouse was married (second) to Minerva Watt, in 1873 (#2378); they had two children : Charles Lucine, a farmer of Liberty township, who married Bertha Stover and has three children ; and Nellie Victoria, who married Owen Boyer. Mrs. Clouse died in 1879, and Mr. Clouse was again married, in 1881, to Frederica Riddle, and has four children by this marriage: David Waldo; William Elsworth ; Lusta Lee ; and Ernest Virgil. 

Mr. Clouse has erected a fine large frame house and barn on his residence property. Another house and barn on the farm are occupied by a renter. Mr. Clouse has a farm of 80 acres in section 29, Liberty township, on which he first settled. In 1903 he purchased 80 acres in York township in section 30, which is also rented, and has good substantial buildings. In 1904 he bought the old Lindemoot farm of 46 1/2 acres, which has upon it one of the finest frame houses in Liberty township, as well as a fine barn. There are 12 producing oil wells on this land. 

Mr. Clouse has never been actively interested in politics, but has served one term as township trustee. He is a member of the Church of God, and was for five years deacon ; he has also served as trustee of this church. He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry. William M. Clouse died on 23 Jan 1923 in Van Wert County, Liberty Twp., Ohio. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio. "History of Van Wert County, published by Richmond and Arnold George Richmond; C. R. Arnold Chicago, Illinois, 1906"

Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio