John Cears Kear Family
A History of the John Cears/Kear family
Mary Ann Kear, page 2
Resuming Grace Crane Johnson's story:
"Exploratory trip or trips were probable made by the [Pring] men in 1855 or 1856 (or even earlier), and the area they chose was north of Mitchellville, about five or six miles, and other families from Van Wert County, Ohio, either had already settled or were about to settle in that area. Probably some of those families -- Johnsons, McClearys, Copes, Lavis -- may have been with the Pring men on their explorations, in any case, a good share of the Pring family made the move, probably in the Spring of 1857."
"Their first task was to clear space
in the timber for a big double log cabin with a covered open space in
the center, which now 120 years later would be called a "breezeway.'
The entire tract, which was made up of three or four
'claims,' was timberland -- oak, walnut, hickory mostly -- and with
hazel brush and other shrubby growth. It was located on the
first rise from the Skunk River. . .
"Richard Pring, the
patriarch, was a religious man and held Sunday School in the
'breezeway' in the years before churches were built, and many other
types of gatherings were held there. . . .
"When
they lived in Polk County
for about six years, Mary Ann (Kear) Pring, the mother of the clan,
died the day after her 60th birthday. I have pondered a good
deal
about all these happenings and, thinking of her, I believe she must
have been a sturday person to bear and raise a family of the children,
move as often as she had to move, weave and spin and sew and cook and
haul water and so many chores, and still live as long as that. . . .[note]"
Mary Ann's sister, Eleanor Kear, married John Pring, Richard's brother.
The children of Mary Ann and Richare Pring are listed in the left-hand column.
- Johnson Family History, by Grace Crane. [Return
to text]
Copyright
Information on this site related to the Kear family is from The John Cears Kear Family compiled, written and edited by Donald L. Kear, copyright © 1984. Copyright © 2000 - 2006 by Donald L. Kear. All rights reserved. Portions of the pages on this site may be reproduced for nonprofit use only. Credit shall be given to the source.