Isabelle
(Van Horn) Blythe
(1839-1911)
Isabelle (Van Horn) Blythe was born on March 11, 1839
near Grand Rapids, Wood County, OH, the daughter of Samuel
and Sophia (Minard) Van Horn. Her husband was a Civil War veteran and is seen here.
On March 22, 1856, at the tender age of 17, Isabelle married Henry Blythe (1828-1905). The ceremony took place in Perrysburg, Wood County, and was performed by D. Ross, a justice of the peace. Henry was a native of Stark County, OH, and was 10 years her senior. He stood 5 ft., 11 in., and had blue eyes and light brown hair.
The Blythes had five children -- Jay Orlando Blythe, Ella Sophia Duffy, Emma Hoy, Ida E. Blythe and Henry Ross Blythe. Sadly daughter Ida died in 1865 at she approached her third birthday.
They moved early in their married life to near Toledo, Lucas County, OH, where their eldest son Jay was born in 1857. They then moved to DeKalb County, IN, where their middle child Emma was born in 1860. However, two years later, when daughter Ida was born, the family was back in Ohio in Henry County. Eighteen years passed until the birth of their last child, Henry, in 1880.
During the Civil War, on Nov. 1, 1864, Henry was drafted as a
private in the 67th OH Infantry, Co. B, commanded by Capt. Ansold. Little is
known of his service. As a soldier, he suffered from hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea
and a "sore mouth." At right is a sketch of "Camp
Life" published by Currier & Ives, and a scene with which Henry would
have been very familiar.
Henry was honorably discharged after one full year of service, at Richmond, VA, on Nov. 2, 1865.
The Blythes are believed to have spent most if not all of their remaining years farming in Harrison Twp., near Napoleon, Henry County. They owned a 40-acre tract in Section 15, Township 5, Range 7.
In January 1885, Henry wrote a will filed at the courthouse of Henry County. He left everything to his "beloved wife," and directed that no sale of his personal property be made.
Napoleon, Ohio, circa 1887
When examined by a government surgeon in 1891, for purposes of assigning a value to his Civil War pension, Henry was found to have no teeth. Unfortunately, he could not wear dentures because his gums were "very red and tender," according to the physician.
The
photographic portrait seen here is circa 1890 and shows three generations in the family,
with grandfather Henry at left, son Jay Orlando at right, son Henry standing in
the back, and grandson Henry Ross Blythe (born 1884) seated in front. This undated image was taken at Gardner's Studio in Napoleon.
In the image, Henry proudly wears a medal of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans group.
Henry died on Feb. 18, 1905, at the age of 76. At the time, he owned a horse, cow, buggy, harness and $100 worth of household furniture, as well as about 60 chickens.
Isabelle outlived her husband by 6 years. She derived her annual income from the sale of farm products, including from $60 to $70 from the sale of butter and eggs, $25.50 from oats and $3.50from hay. She passed away on Jan. 29, 1911.
Son Jay married Lydia S. Hoy on Oct. 11, 1879. They had six daughters and one son. Jay died in Ferndale, WA in 1929 or 1930. Lydia passed away in Ferndale on Jan. 4, 1938. Two of the known daughters were Lydia Blythe (1880- ? ) and May Axford.
Daughter Emma married Albert Hoy (1858- ? ) in Henry County on New Year's Day 1881.
Son Henry (1880- ? ) married Anna Victoria Reichard (1884- ? ) on Nov. 2, 1902.
Daughter Ella married Fred Duffy at age 19 on Sept. 29, 1878 in Henry County. She died in Wayne County, MI. Fred passed away on March 20, 1945 in Henry County.
Seen at right is the famed "Horse Shoe Bend" in
Napoleon, at the foot of Glenwood Avenue, a local landmark.
Grandson Henry Ross Blythe (1884-1976) married Lauren Rene Johnson.
According to the Springfield (IL) State Journal-Register, great-granddaughter May 'Blythe' (Axford) Eldridge (1911-2004) was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
For more information, please contact great-great-great grandson Rich Biagioli.
Copyright © 2003-2005 Mark A. Miner. Sketch of Napoleon from an 1887 photograph by Gardner & Son. Civil War sketch by Currier & Ives.