Bio-Schofield, Elza

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Elza Absalom Schofield
(1863-1928)

Elza Absalom Schofield was born in June 1863 at Mt. Perry, Perry County, OH, the son of Joseph and Mary (Danison) Schofield.

At the age of 20, Elza married 17-year-old Hattie L. Smith (1866-1951), the daughter of James and Louisa (Law) Smith, on Sept. 26, 1883, at "the house of Rev. E. Rose," news that made the pages of the Perry County Tribune.

The Schofields lived at Mt. Perry in Madison Township, and farmed for some 55 years. They were members of the Mt. Perry United Presbyterian Church.

They were the parents of Ray E. Schofield, Joseph Schofield, Fred James Schofield and Carl L. Schofield.

The federal censuses of 1900, 1910 and 1920 show the family residing at Mt. Perry. In 1910, 18-year-old son Carl worked as a salesman in a local general store. By 1920, Elza and Hattie were empty-nesters. They continued to farm well into their 60s, as shown by the 1930 census.

Elza served as a trustee of Madison Township in 1907, as a Republican. The other two trustees, also Republicans, were J.E. Wilkins and O. Burgess. They are listed in the 1905 book, Ohio - Federal, State, County, Township and Municipal Officers (page 229).

Elza died of heart disease on Dec. 5, 1938, at the age of 75. A newspaper obituary said he was "a lifelong resident of Mt. Perry [and] was well known throughout the community."

Hattie survived the heartache of the death of her son Ray, who passed away in 1941. (See below for more.) She outlived her husband by 13 years. She died of a stroke at the age of 84 on Jan. 7, 1951. They are buried at the Mt. Perry Methodist Church, in a row with his parents and pioneer grandparents, who originally owned the land on which the church and cemetery sit.

Son Ray E. Schofield (1884- ? ) worked as assistant cashier of the New Somerset Bank. He never married. He died of heart disease at the age of 57 on Nov. 21, 1941, just a few weeks before the United States was plunged into World War II.

Son Joseph Schofield (1885- ? ) disappears from history.

Famous three-way "Y" bridge in Zanesville, a local landmark

Son Fred James Schofield (1888-1953) married Flossie Campbell (1891-1931), the daughter of O.E. and Emma (Ramsey) Campbell. At the time of marriage, Fred was age 19 and Flossie 17. They lived in Mt. Perry. They had three children, Willabel Schofield, Virgie Schofield and Phillip Schofield. Flossie contracted a brain abscess in June 1931, and "was admitted to the hospital in critical condition for medical treatment, but an operation became necessary as her condition grew worse," said the Zanesville Signal. Sadly, Flossie died of at the age of 40 on June 18, 1931, in Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville. Burial was in Mt. Perry. Fred married again, in 1935, to Emma Denison (1886-1976), the widow of Fred Denison. The following year, they moved to Zanesville, Muskingum County, and lived at 813 Arch Street. Emma, said the Zanesville Times Recorder, "was a 50-year member of South Zanesville United Methodist Church and its CIC Sunday School class." Fred worked as an oiler in the Columbia Cement plant in Zanesville for 19 years. Circa 1946, they lived in Norval Park near Zanesville. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 64 on Feb. 27, 1953. His remains were laid to rest in the Mt. Perry Cemetery. Emma outlived Fred by 23 years. She died at age 90 on Dec. 13, 1976, after becoming ill while celebrating her 90th birthday at an open house. Burial was in Highland Cemetery in Glenford.

Daughter (?) Schofield married Ralph Dickson and resided in Mt. Perry. They had at least one daughter, Sally Kay Dickson. She served as music director of the United Presbyterian Church of Mt. Perry circa 1950.
Daughter (?) Schofield wed Roy Beardsmore and lived in Mt. Perry.
Son Phillip Schofield served in Germany during the Korean War era. He made his home in 1976 in California.
Stepson Ralph E. Denison lived in South Zanesville. He was a member of the board of the Muskingum County Commissioners in 1953.
Stepdaughter Mary Ellen Denison wed Carl Smith and lived in Zanesville circa 1976.

Son Carl L. Schofield (1891- ? ) was a farmer. He married Faun (?) (1895- ? ) and had two sons, John F. Schofield and Donald L. Schofield. They resided in Mt. Perry. Carl's nephew, Philip Schofield, lived with Carl and Faun for many years. Carl served in about 1938 as township clerk in Madison Township, following in the footsteps of his grandfather some three decades earlier. He also was elected vice president of the Farmers Institute in Perry County in January 1943. Faun and their niece (?) (Schofield) Dickson attended the second annual O.E. Campbell reunion in Mt. Perry in August 1957. Reported the Zanesville Recorder, "43 persons [were] in attendance. A basket dinner was served and games and contests enjoyed."