Morr Family Stories

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Ashland/Wayne, Ohio
Surnames/tags: MORR MYERS MOHR

http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/1856581

Originally published April 14, 2007

Andrew and Michael Morr (Mohr, Moore) walked, carrying their satchels, from their home in Free Ohio in 1827. Their brothers, George and Philip, previously had purchased land in Wayne County.

The two younger brothers bought several acres at $3 to $4 per acre in what would become Perry Township after Ashland County was established in 1846. They returned to Pennsylvania and brought the rest of their family West, including their widowed mother and three unmarried siblings.

In spite of the threat of wild animals, Indians, inclement weather and limited food supply, the pioneers survived in the cabins they built that were 16 feet by 21 feet in dimension.

Meanwhile, their neighbors in Freeburg, the Jacob and Susanna Myers (Meyer, Moyer, Myer), who like the Morrs, had migrated from Germany, decided to move West and several of their nine children bought land adjoining the Morr properties.

This and other information came from the book "Supplement of the Genealogies of the Morr-Myer Families published in 1896 and 1890 Respectively," compiled by Ralph B. Morr in 1971.

Morr took part of the original genealogies, updated the lineage, and included summaries of the Morr-Myers reunions from the first in 1881 through the 89th in 1969.

Andrew and Elizabeth Morr had 12 children, some of whom married offsprings of the Myers family. Daughter Catherine married John Myers in 1837, son Andrew married Catherine Myers in 1827, Elias married Sarah Myers in 1851 and Elizabeth married George Myers in 1849. It is from this last marriage that the F.E. and P.A. Myers and their two brothers and four sisters are descended. When Elizabeth Morr died in 1876, she had 63 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

The first reunion was held in 1881 in the Samuel D. Morr grove near Trinity Church, which was six miles east of Ashland. That church still stands today. Savilla Myers gave a history of the Morr family to the 205 people who attended.

In 1895, the secretary reported 97 copies of the Moor genealogy books had been sold at $1.65 each. The following year 106 others had been sent out totaling $132 in sales and F.E. Myers had been paid the $102 he had advanced for publication.

The 1904 reunion notes mentioned several members of the Myers families came in automobiles, which were great attractions during the day.

Speeches, vocal solos, readings and the necrology report were part of the early reunions. Later reunions had no speeches except recitations from children including ones from little Billy Emery and Betty Ann Schneider.

Many reunions were held at the Pleasant Home Campground until 1910 when the first of several gatherings took place at Chippewa Lake Park. (It is interesting to note that the interurban was up and running then. Since F.E. Myers was president of the line, we wonder if he gave free passes to his relatives. The line ran to Chippewa Lake Park on its way to Cleveland.)

At the 1914 reunion, it was announced that the roster of membership totaled 405, which did not include spouses or children.

Effie Myers Fehrman, who often served as the historian, announced there was a round-robin letter started to keep families informed between reunions.

The 1919 reunion moved to the grounds in Wayne County where the older brothers had settled a century earlier. Effie Fehrman reported 14 boys from the families were serving in World War I.

After several years at Chippewa Lake Park, the reunion site moved to Brookside Park. Pictures taken in two groups of 50 or more each was taken in 1947 and appears on page 159 of the book. In 1913, the Morr descendants in Indiana formed their own reunion, and a picture on page 190 of the book shows a group of more than 60 at the 1963 reunion.

The last few reunions were held at Jeromesville Park and attendance had dropped off even though Morr reported that 1,360 invitations had been sent to descendants that year with 57 returned as "undeliverable." The total number eligible to attend including spouses and children would be about 3,760 people.

Now it is time for some descendants in the family to update the genealogy of the last 38 years.