Fayette County Genealogy Project

Jonathan LYONS 
Contributed by Keely Deuschle

LYONS (pages 579-581:
Jonathan Lyons was an early settler of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, where
he grew to manhood, but in early married life moved to Salt Lick township,
Fayette county, where he was the owner of three hundred acres of land on
which he lived until his death. He was a staunch Republican and a man of
influence in his township. He married, early in life, Sarah Boucher, who
bore him five children: 1. Hannah, married Irving Brooks, a farmer of Salt
Lick township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where both died. 2. John B., of
whom further. 3. Eliza, married William Miller, a farmer of Salt Lick
township, where both now reside. 4. Margaret, married James Miller, a
miller, who died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his widow now resides.
5. Rebecca, residing in Fayette county, unmarried.
Sarah Boucher was a daughter of Henry (2) Boucher, youngest son of Henry (1)
Boucher, the founder of the family in America. He was no doubt a Frenchman
from one of the provinces bordering Germany, as he spoke the German
language. He came in the ship "President," it is said, and in the old
Boucher family Bible it is written in his own hand that he landed in
Philadelphia, June 20, 1755, with wife and children. He settled in Berks
county, Pennsylvania, where her purchased land in Albany township and
followed farming. He was a member of the German Reformed church, and chiefly
instrumental in erecting the church edifice known as "Bethel" near his home.
It has been rebuilt three times, but still retains the name given it by its
pioneer founder. It is further known of him that he lost heavily by the
revolution, that he died early in the nineteenth century, and is buried in
the churchyard near the church which he built. He had sons: Peter, William,
Philip, Jacob and Henry. Peter died without issue; William settled in Ross
county, Ohio, in 1901; Philip remained with his father and inherited the
estate, much of which is yet owned by descendents; Jacob settled in
Schuylkill county; Henry, the youngest son, was born in Berks county,
Pennsylvania, March 10, 1759. He married Mary Shoemaker, and moved to
Hamburg, Pennsylvania, where he farmed and followed his trade of shoemaker.
In 1801 he started west on horseback with a neighbor, Jacob Will, intending
to purchase lands there and settle. He proceeded as far as the Miami valley,
in Ohio, where the prevalance of fever and ague so alarmed him that they
returned east. On reaching Somerset county, Pennsylvania, they bought lands
to which they moved their families in the spring of 1802, The lands bought
by Henry Boucher lay about three miles from Glade, and consisted of four
hundred and fifty acres. He spent the remainder of his days there as a
farmer, and died January 22, 1834. His wife, Mary Shoemaker, born January
22, 1762, died May 12, 1840. They are both buried at Glade, Somerset county.
Children: Jacob, Henry, Christian, David, Solomon, John, Elizabeth,
Magdaline, Mary, Rebecca, Catherine, Sarah (of previous mention), married
Jonathan Lyons, and Hannah.
A great-grandson of Henry Boucher is John Newton Boucher, the well-known
attorney of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and author of a standard history of
Westmoreland county, published by the Lewis Publishing COmpany of New York
in 1906.
(II) John B., eldest son of Jonathan and Sarah (Boucher) Lyons, was born in
Salt Lick township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1838. He attended the
public school and grew to manhood on the home farm of three hundred acres,
which he afterward bought and on which he still resides, although he has
reduced the acreage by sale. He is an ardent Democrat, and has held several
township offices, including school director and register. He was drafted for
the army service during the civil war, but furnished a substitute, and was
released from military duty.
He married Ann Resler, born in Springfield township, Fayette county, only
child of Daniel and Esther (Brooks) Resler, both born in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania, but early in their married life settled in Springfield
township, where their only child Ann was born and early left an orphan.
Daniel Resler marred (second) Tina Dull. Their children: Peter, now living
in North Dakota, and mary, who married Martin Kirg, both deceased. Mrs. Ann
Lyons has  been a member of the United Brethren church since girlhood.
Children of John B. and Ann Lyons: 1. Norman Resler, of whom further. 2.
Sarah, married William Christner, who survives her. 3. Eliza, married
William Snyder, who survives her. 4. James, a farmer; married Lizzie
Ritenour. 5. Mary, married Robinson Berg; resides in Hammondville, Fayette
county. 6. Laura, deceased; married John Ritenour. 7. Samuel, a farmer of
Fayette county; married Rosa Newman. 8. Emma, died aged eleven years. 9.
Gertrude, died aged twenty years. 10. Infant died unnamed.
(III) Norman Resler, eldest child of John B. and Ann (Resler) Lyons, was
born in Salt Lick township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1862. He
was educated in public and normal schools and remained on the home farm, his
father's assistant, unti lhe was of legal age.
At the age of twenty-one years he began teaching, and for twenty-seven years
was a most successful instructor of youth, continuing until 1911. He passed
all required teachers' examinations, and in 1896 was granted a permanent
teacher's certificate. During most of these years he owned a farm of seventy
acres in Bullskin township, which he cultivated during the vacation periods,
gaining considerable fame as a breeder of fine Berkshire and O.I.C. hogs.
In politics he is a Prohibitionist and has held several town offices. He is
a member of the local grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and with his wife
belongs to the Evangelical association. He married, July 29, 1886, Kate
Bailey, born in Springfield township, Fayette county, daughter of James and
Sarah Bailey.
James Bailey was a soldier of the civil war, was taken prisoner and died in
Libby prison. He was a son of William Bailey and a grandson of John Bailey,
who died in Springfield township, leaving William, Riley, Fanny, Michael,
Rebecca and Margaret. William Bailey was a farmer of Stewart township,
Fayette county, where he owned several hundred acres of land. He and wife,
Mahala, were the parents of fifteen children: James (of previous mention),
father of Kate Bailey Lyons; John, died in infancy, as did George and
Catherine; David, now living at West Newton; Rebecca, married (first) Thomas
Mitachell, (second) William Dull, and is now living at Confluence,
Pennsylvania. Ann, married James Rush and lives in Iowa; Ellen, died aged
twenty years; Hiram, married Rena Mitchell, and lives in Ohiopyle,
Pennsylvania; Thomas, married Alice Immel, and lives on the old Bailey
homestead; Clara, marred E. S. Jackson, and lives in Ohiopyle; Amanda,
married George Moon, and lvies in McKeesport, Pennsylvania; William, a
farmer of Nebraska, married Miss Immel; Cramer, married Mary Dial, and lives
at Confluence; Irwin, married Mattie Seybert, and lives at Ohiopyle; James
Bailey, father of Kate Bailey Lyons, marred Sarah, daughter of Joshua and
Susan (Mariette) Kern, both of Fayette county. Joshua Kern was a farmer and
small land owner, also a soldier of the war of 1812. He died aged eight-six
years. His children: 1. John, killed in the civil war. 2. William, now
living in Springfield township. 3. George, a farmer of Springfield township.
4. Mary, died young. 5. Sarah (of previous mention), married James Bailey.
6. James, killed in the civil war. 7. Margaret, married Silas Prinkey, and
lives in Springfield township. James Bailey was born in Springfield
township, October 18, 1837. he married in 1858, later served four years in
the Union army, nine months of which he spent in Libby prison. He died at
Hilton Head, South Carolina, on his way home. He was a private of Company K,
Eighty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry. His widow never remarried.
Their children: 1. Joshua, now living at Coal Brook, Fayette county. 2.
Kate, married Norman Resler Lyons; their children: Randall Bailey, born
October 16, 1890, now employed with the Crystal Ice Company of
Connellsville, Pennsylvania; Maude Esther, born October 19, 1892, now a
student at the Pennsylvania State Normal school at California, class of
1913.

Source:
Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Under the Editorial Supervision of
John W. Jordan, LL.D.
Librarian of Pennsylvania Historical Society, Philadelphia AND
James Hadden of Uniontown, Pennsylvania; author of “Washington and Braddock’s Expeditions Through Fayette County,” and the reproductions of Judge James Veech’s work entitled “The Monongahela of Old, or Historical Sketches of Southwestern Pennsylvania to the Year 1800.”

New York
Lewis Historical Publishing Company
1912
Three Volumes

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