Catherine Frysinger Kear
Catherine Frysinger, wife of Thomas Reed KEAR, moved to Champaign County, Ohio in 1816 with her mother [note 1], Catharine Frisinger, the widow of Peter Frysinger. Peter died on January 4, 1815 while serving in the Virginia Militia [note 2]. For more genealogy of the Frysinger/Frisinger family click [ HERE.]
Catherine
Frysinger Kear was converted at a Methodist camp meeting held in 1838
near Urbana, Ohio, and often walked
through the unbroken wilderness to participate in Methodist class
meetings [note 3].
She was a member of the first Methodist class that organized in Van Wert County, Ohio. This class met in the home of her brother-in-law, Richard Pring. Joining the class in 1836, she remained active until she moved to the Town of Van Wert, Ohio, where she joined the society and helped found the First Methodist Episcopal Church [note 4].
In
the days when women did
not own significant amounts of property, it was unusual that Catherine
owned and developed the
property known as "Kear's Addition" to the Town of Van Wert.
The
property was located at the southwest intersection of streets that are
now known as Kear Road and Shaffer Street [note
5]. She also purchased and sold the property
bounded by Caroline, Wall, George, and Lynn Streets [note 6].
Catherine was known as the best "treble" singer in northwestern Ohio, and all of her children were given vocal lessons. The same severe case of diptheria, however, that took the life of her youngest child adversely affected the singing voices of the rest of the children.
Peter Frysinger died in an accident while awaiting discharge from service in the War of 1812. Although too old to enlist, he was young enough to volunteer to serve in place of a neighbor who had been drafted. The neighbor had a large family, and Peter felt it his Christian duty to go in place of the neighbor [note 7]. Thus, Peter enlisted as a private in Captain Christopher Morris' Company of Light Infantry, 4th Regiment of Virginia on July 14, 1814 [note 8].
Catharine
Frysinger told
her children that Peter served in the American Revolution, and again in
several battles of the War of
1812. On the day of his death, while helping to take a trip
of horses
over a pontoon bridge, he and others were thrown into the river when
the bridge collapsed. Peter, a strong swimmer, helped
several men and horses to safety, but then disappeared.
Later, his
body was found and buried in the Old Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia. An
eyewitness report by a neighbor was given to his widow [note 9].
Peter
had previously been a
private in Captain Robert Magill's Company Riflemen, 58th Regiment,
Virginia, in the county of
Rockingham from July 8, 1813 to October 1, 1813 in the War of 1812.
The entire company was discharged on the same date because of
sickness
[note 10].
There also is a record of his
service in 1810 in Captain Joseph Manzey's Company.
The
funeral of Catherine Frysinger Kear was held at the First Methodist
Episcopal Church in Van Wert on
Sunday, November 3, 1895 at 2:00 p.m. Burial was at Woodland Cemetery
on the same day [note 12].
Notes:
1. Papers, Wiley McDonald Kear. [Return
to text]
2. Frisinger, Peter, 1812, 4 Regt Militia, Records of the
Adjutant
General's Office, Record Group 94, National Archives, Washington, D.C. [Return to text]
3. Van Wert Times, November 8, 1895, Vol. 10, p. 1. [Return to text]
4. Ibid. [Return
to
text]
5. Deed Records, Van Wert County, Ohio, Vol. 5 [Return to text
6. Ibid [Return to
text]
7. Papers, ob sit. [Return
to text]
8. Frisinger, Peter, 1812, Captain Christopher Morris'
Company,
Virginia Militia, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, Record
Group 94, National Archives, Washington, D.C. [Return to text]
9. Papers, ob sit. [Return
to text]
10. Frisinger, Peter, 1812, Flying Camp (McDowell's),
Captain
Robert
Magill's Company of Rifleman, Virginia Militia, Records of the Adjutant
General's Office, Record Group 94,
National Archives, Washington, D.C. [Return
to text]
11. Van Wert Times, p. 1. [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.