Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-08-16
OBITUARY.

DIED-At Laclede, Linn county, Mo-, o.
SUNDAY. July 29th, 1877, Col HENRY NEFF
aged n years.
Col. Neff, the subject of this notice, wa
born near West Liberty, Ohio county, Va, IL
the first year of the present century. WheI
about eight years of age he removed win hi
parents TO Belmont county, ONO, ana located
about five miles south OF st. Clalrsvllle, Oh
the farm which for more than half century
has been known as the Neff farm or home
stead. Soon after arriving at his majority he
engaged in the mercantile business at Jacobs
burgh, and afterwards at Captina, purchasing
his goods in Baltimore, and wagoning them
over the mountains-railroads being at mat
early day thing of the future. lie was al
this time also pretty extensively engaged In
the tobacco and general produce business, ne
quen,ly shipping agricultural products to New
Orleans and other Southern towns. After
wards he was for number of years engaged
in trade in Beallsville, Monroe county; and
still later, for time, in Wheeling, Va. Some
years after the death of his father he purcha
sed the interest of the other heirs in the farm
or homestead, and turned his attention to
farming La 1864, on account OF rheumatic
troubles interfering with his farm labors, he
sold the homestead, and engaged for couple
of wears in trade at Bellaire, Ohio. About ten
years since he migrated with his family to
Missouri, and gagged in the Nursery busl-
ness at Laclede, in that State, with his son-ln-
law, j. NJ. Welsh, Esq, and continued in
this business up to the time OF bis death: al
though for some time prior to his death his
health was such as to preclude him from CIV
ing much attention to business affairs.
Col Ntff was twice married-first to Miss
- Bryson, of Belmont county, by whom
ba bal n,
In 1889 he was married to Miss Louisa Viii
liams, who was for several years Principal OF
the ST. Clairsville Female Seminary. -Four
children, son and three daughters, were the
issue of this marriage. The son died In ln-
fancy in Wheeling, in 1S4S. The three
daughters, all married, reside at Laclede, Mo-,
also Mrs. Neff, who survives her husband.
Edward Neff, Esq, the son by the first mar
riage, resides at Delaware, Ohio. The daugh-
ter by the first wife, died at Wheeling several
years ago.
Col. Neff, quite early in life, became
member of the Masonic fraternity. In what
year he was initiated is unknown to the wri-
ter; but the records of one of the ST. Clars
vile lodges, of viii b he was member up to
the time of his death, will probably show.
Although not an educated man in the ordi-
nary acceptation of the expression, Col. NeH
of remarkable business energy. For num-
Der of years prior to his death, his constitu-
ton, naturally vigorous, was much enfeeeled
by overwOrk. Although at no time connect
ed with any temperance organization he was
from his bOylfosd teetotaler. At the early
age of twelve, and at a period when it was
fashionable for aA classes to imbi6e, he, of his
own option, formed the resolution to abstain
from Incorporate habits; and it is said Of him
that he adhered to this resolution through
life, refraining entirely from the use of both
intoxicating beverages and tobacco.
In his cartier manhood, at a period when
ev r. able bodied citizen was required to dis
charge military duty as militiaman, ,rtleman,
or cavslryman, Col. Neff became captain of
military company, and afterwards was promo
ted to the colonelcy of regiment, position
of me distinction in that day. During the
recent civil war, although too old to partiei-
pate as soldier, Jhis sympathies were with
the Union cause; yet he ever believed that the
sectional differences which led to the war
should and might have been adjusted by com-
promise rather than by the arbitrament of the
swold. F. s. w.