Horatio Gates Cress

Other Events:

• Census: 1860, Butler Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio Cress, in the household of Geo. Cress, Esq.
• Census: 1870, Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio G. Cress, works on farm, in the household of George Cress
• Census: 1880, Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio Cress, son, farm hand, in the household of George Cress
• Census: 1900, Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio G. Cress, bank broker, head of household; Address:
  Hay's Avenue
• Beneficiary: 5 Mar 1900; in the will of his father, George Cress
• Census: 1910, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio G. Cress, banker, head of household
• Census: 1920, Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as H. G. Cress, toy manufacturer, head of household; Address:
  536 West Main Street
• Census: 1930, Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio G. Cress, toy manufacturer, head of household; Address:
  508 Main Street
• Residence: 1935, Troy, Concord Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States
• Census: 1940, Troy, Concord Township, Miami County, Ohio, United States; as Horatio G. Cress, widowed, president of novelty factory, head of household, same residence in 1935

Notes:

Horation Gates Cress, son of George and Ruth Cress was born in 1859, married Amanda Shearer of near West Milton, graduated from Ada College (Ohio Northern), organized several banks, namely at Brookville and Arcanum, taught school at Nashville, Ohio in Union Township, was in the manufacturing business at Berea, Ohio and established the H. G. Cress manufacturing business in Troy, Ohio, where he died in 1943. Their children: Clara, deceased; Blanche Yarman, deceased; Estella Weisenberger, Orlando, Florida; Mary Eidemiller, Orlando, Florida; and Helen Grassle, deceased. George and Ruth Cress have some twenty-five or thirty great, great grandchildren and about as many great, great, great, grandchildren, many of them still living in Miami County, Ohio. ~ Edna Falknor Clements, Virgil M. Cress (Source: The Miami County Historical Society, Tipp City, Ohio, "History of Miami County Ohio", Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing County, pg. 440)

Horatio G. Cress. From the creative ingenuity of a country school-teacher has grown the important toy manufacturing concern of H. G. Cress Company, of Troy, one of the leaders in its lines in the Middle West. The creator of these instructive playthings, and the head of the present large concern, Horatio G. Cress, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1859, a son of George and Ruth (Mann) Cress. Educated primarily in the public schools of his native county, and at West Milton he furthered his preparation by courses in a commercial school and at Valparaiso University, and Ada, Ohio, following which he began teaching school in the country districts of Union and Monroe townships, Miami county. It was while he was thus engaged that Mr. Cress conceived the idea of advanced methods of teaching reading and spelling for the use of children. These met with almost instant popularity and were followed by other toys. The full history of the growth and development of this industry will be found in the Troy section of the General History of Miami County, a part of this work. Mr. Cress has also been identified with financial undertakings which have proven successful having been the organizer of the Citizens Bank of Brookville in 1895, the Farmers Bank of Arcanum in 1902 and the Farmers Bank of Englewood in 1911. He likewise has been interested in civic affairs, and during the period of the World war was a generous contributor, of time and money, to the various enterprises outlined by the administration at Washington. Mr. Cress married Amanda, daughter of Abijah Shearer, of West Milton, and to this union there have been born four daughters: Stella, the wife of H. G. Weisenberger, of Troy; Blanche, the wife of S. K. Yarman, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; Helen , the wife of L. N. Graessle, of Troy and Mary E., the wife of A. F. Eidermiller, major, U. S. A., stationed at Panama. (Source: "Memoirs of the Miami Valley", (Chicago: Robert D Law County, 1920), vol. 3, pg. 58)

Horatio married Amanda Elizabeth Shearer on 14 Feb 1884 in Miami County, Ohio, United States. Amanda was born on 6 Aug 1864 in Nashville, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died on 14 Feb 1928 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States; was buried on 17 Feb 1928 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Horatio married Clara Elizabeth Thomas after 1928. Clara was born on 8 Aug 1868 in West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died on 9 Aug 1937 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Stella Bella Weisenbarger
• Census: 1900, Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Stella B. Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cre; Address:
  Hay's Avenue

Notes:

Died:


OBITUARY
STELLA BELLE WEISENBARGER, 102, Orlando, died Sunday. Born in Miami County, Ohio, she moved to Orlando from Troy, Ohio, in 1945. She was a homemaker and a member of Grace Convenant Presbyterian Church, Orlando. Survivors: son, Robert G., Winter Park; daughter, Gladys Siegel, Clermont; sister, Mary Eidemiller, Orlando; one grandson; one great-grandson; two great- great-grandsons. W. Guy Black Home for Funerals, Orlando. (Published in the Orlando Sentinel July 22, 1987)

Stella married Holly George Weisenbarger on 5 Oct 1903 in Darke County, Ohio, United States. Holly was born on 7 Dec 1881 in Gordon, Darke County, Ohio United States; died on 24 Jul 1974 in Orange County, Florida, United States; was buried in Jul 1974 in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1900, Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Blanche Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cre; Address:
  Hay's Avenue
• Census: 1910, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Blanche M. Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cress

Blanche married Samuel Kirkwood Yarman on 27 Nov 1913 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Samuel was born about 1884 in Londonville, Ashland County, Ohio, United States; died on 3 Jul 1967 in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, United States; was buried in Jul 1967 in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1900, Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Mary E. Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cress; Address:
  Hay's Avenue
• Census: 1910, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Mary E. Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cress

Mary married Aaron Fouts Eidemiller on 16 Jul 1914 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Aaron was born on 24 Feb 1891 in West Milton, Miami County, Ohio, United States; died on 19 Jul 1946 in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1900, Brookville, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Helen C. Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cre; Address:
  Hay's Avenue
• Census: 1910, Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, United States; as Helen C Cress, daughter, in the household of Horatio G. Cress

Helen married Lawrence Neal Grassle in 1920. Lawrence was born on 7 Feb 1894 in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio, United States; died on 16 Oct 1922 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States; was buried in Oct 1922 in Troy, Miami County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]