CATHARINE WAGGONER

by J C Overmyer, Columbus, Ohio Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan

Catharine Waggoner, eighth child and third daughter of John Waggoner Sr, and his wife, Elizabeth Leach Waggoner, was born in Perry County, Ohio, August 21, 1804, the first child born to her parents after they came to Ohio from Maryland. Her two younger brothers, Solomon and Samuel, were later born in Perry County before the family located in Sandusky County, Ohio. 

She grew to young womanhood in Reading Township, Perry County, Ohio. At the age of eighteen she married Christian Dersham, September 15, 1822; Rev Andrew Henkel, Lutheran minister in Perry County, officiating. Volume One, Page Thirty-six, Perry County Records. 

The name "Darsham" has undergone various forms of spelling from time to time, as most of the Pennsylvania German names have. We find that "Dasham" was used in the marriage record and that "Darsham" was also used in Perry County, while "Dersham" and "Dershem" are used in the records of Sandusky County. 

Christian Dersham, the husband of Catharine Waggoner, was born in Pennsylvania October 24, 1795, and migrated to Perry County, Ohio, early in the 19th century. We find the name Christian Dersham in the records of Hopewell Township, Perry County, as a resident as early as 1816 and 1817. While this may also have been his father's name, we are reasonably sure that it was the same family if not the same person. Jacob Dersham, born October 28, 1798, is buried in St Paul's Cemetary, south of Glenford, Perry County, Ohio. He was no doubt a brother of Christian. His epitaph states that he came from Pennsylvania. 

The writer's great-grandfather, John M Overmyer, was a carpenter and cabinet maker. During his residence in Perry County, from 1811 to 1832, he kept a book account with many of the pioneer families of that community. This book was kept in the German language and many of the items were named in the Pennsylvania dialect of those days. We quote herewith a brief account from this book with the spelling and arrangement just as written, showing the account of work done for Christian Dersham in the year 1823: 

The above translated, would be as follows:

Another entry made by Mr Overmyer, while still a resident of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, makes a reference to a member of the Dersham family as follows: 
"August Den...1799. 
"Hab ich fleish von Lutwig Dersham vor die kirg, magt oL.-2S-3P" 

Translated: "August...1799. 
I received meat from Ludwig Dersham for church.--2S-3P" 

Note that the value was given in English money, Pounds, Shillings, and Pence. This entry shows that some members of the Dersham family lived in or near New Berlin, Northumberlin County, Pennsylvania, before coming to Perry County, Ohio. 

Both of these families later located in Sandusky County, and the remains of John M Overmyer and wife are interred in the Four-Mile Cemetary, while those of Mr and Mrs Dersham repose a few miles to the west in the Washington Chapel Cemetary. 

Christian Dersham and his wife, Catharine Waggoner Dersham, resided in Perry County until June 27, 1829, when he entered from the government 160 acres of land, being the Northeast quarter of Section Thirty-three, Washington Township, Sandusky County, where they located soon thereafter as one of the pioneer families in the Black Swamp. This was the first tract sold by the government in Section Thirty-three, but was soon followed by the purchase of eighty acres, being the West 1/2 of the Southeast quarter of the same section, by the father of Catharine Waggoner Dersham, John Waggoner Sr, the Revolutionary ancester of the family who purchased this tract from the 
government February 16, 1830. This was the only parcel of land he (John) ever owned in Sandusky County besides the quarter-section in Section Eighteen, Sandusky County, known as the "Homestead", where he resided until his death, December 15, 1842. 

Christian and Catharine Dersham settled on their quarter section in the unbroken forest of Washington Township when but few white people were in that locality and about six years before the township was organized. 

Indian tribes roamed along the banks of the Big Mud Creek and made frequent visits to see what progress the new settlers were making in erecting log cabins and enlarging the small clearings around them in the dense, unbroken forest of that region. Mr Dersham's next neighbor to the north was Michael Fought, who bought 320 acres from the government in Sections 27, 28, and 32, between June 4, 1830, and February 25, 1836. The Dersham and Fought families both lived in Perry County prior to their settlement in Sandusky County, and were in several instances united in marriage by some of their members. Jacob Fought, born May 10, 1788, married Eva Dersham, born March 23, 1792. He was an older brother of Michael Fought, the neighbor of Christian Dersham. Both Jacob Fought and his wife are buried in St Paul's Cemetary, south of Glenford. 

Although Christian Dersham and his wife Catharine Waggoner Dersham, settled along the Big Mud Creek in the dense virgin forest, she had the satisfaction of knowing that both of her sisters, four of her brothers, and her parents, all owned lands along the banks of Big Mud Creek throughout Washington Township. 

As stated before, her father, John Waggoner Sr, owned the tract just to the south of them, Elizabeth her eldest sister, the wife of Bernard Henry Bowman, located on the west bank of the creek, on the south side of the Maumee Pike, where they operated a tavern and grist-mill, and in 1837 became one of the founders of the village of Hessville. 

Nancy Waggoner Macklin, the other sister of Catharine Waggoner Dersham, located on the east bank of the creek and the south side of the pike, about one-half mile east of the "Bowman Tavern", and with her husband, John Macklin, built and operated the "Macklin Tavern". John Jr, George Sr, 
Solomon, and Samuel Waggoner, four brothers of Catharine Waggoner Dersham, each owned large tracts along Big Mud Creek, extending practically across the whole of Washington Township from southwest to northeast. The territory owned by the father, four sons, and three daughters shows briefly the extent of the lands owned in this community by members of the Waggoner family in the early settlement and development of the township. Christian and Catharine Dersham cleared and drained their land, erected new and better buildings, reared their family, and spent the remainder of their lives on the same farm, surrounded by their children, grandchildren, and admiring friends and neighbors who held them in high esteem. 

Christian Dersham departed this life May 11, 1866, aged 70 years, 6 months, and 17 days. Catharine passed away November 5, 1874, 70 years, 2 months, and 14 days. Their remains rest on Washington Chapel Cemetary, the oldest cemetary in Washington Township, set aside as a cemetary in 1830 by Michael Fought on his farm just north of the Christian Dersham farm. 

Christian Dersham and his wife, Catharine, were the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters. A more complete biographical sketch of the children will follow. 

That the surroundings and conditions of these early pioneers developed strong physical personalities with endurance to match is brought out in the following reminiscence. Several descendants of Catharine Waggoner Dersham, remember hearing her son tell how his mother, Catharine, would walk from her home to Fremont, a distance of seven and one-half miles, carrying her baby on one arm and a basket of butter on the other. It is not known what price she received for the butter, but it is safe to say it was not more than six or possibly eight cents per pound. From this meager income came the groceries needed and perhaps other necessities. 

At the death of her husband, May 11, 1866, Daniel Ickes was appointed administrator of the estate. The estate was appraised June 1, 1866, by the following persons: John Kuhn, John Heberling, and James Snyder. They allowed the widow $100 for her support for one year following the death of her husband. 

It might be interesting to note what chattels and personal property belonged to the estate, viz: six new chairs, five old chairs, one clock, one bureau, two bedsteads and bedding, one table, one sink, one doughtray, one churn, one corner cupboard, one cookstove, one lot of crockery, one box-stove, one drum-stove, one reel, three stove-pots and griddle, one lot of tin-ware, three wooden pails, one wooden bowl, one pair steel yards, one coffee mill, one wool-wheel, one 1 1/2-in auger, one meat-tub, one lot of old barrels, one keg and pickles, one barrel and molasses, one barrel salt, two iron kettles, four hives of bees, one lot of corn, three grain sacks, one sausage grinder, two flat irons, one muly cow and calf, one lineback cow and calf, one white cow, five head of sheep, and four head of hogs. At the public sale held June 2, 1866, the property as listed brought $329.59. Cash on hand and notes held by the deceased totalled $705.49. 

The grave stone at the grave of Catharine Waggoner Dersham in Washington Chapel Cemetary has been broken and mended, obliterating a part of the inscription thereon. 

Family of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dersham: 

WILLIAM DERSHEM 

by  Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan 
Willian Dershem, oldest child of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem; very little authentic information of this child could be obtained. However, it is known that he died in the Civil War while serving in Co. D, 180th regiment. He died in action in one of the first battles of the war. Being 
unmarried, he left no issue. A peculiar coincidence as related by a niece is that before leaving for the war he told his brother that he felt confident that he would never return home as he was convinced that he would be killed in action. His premonition proved only too true. The living members of the 
family do not know  where his body rests; undoubtedly among his comredes who fell beside him. 

LEVI DERSHEM 

by  Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan 
Levi Dershem, second child of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem. A picture of Levi will be found in the family group, but no further information could be found except that he died as a patient in the Toledo State Hospital. 

ELIZABETH DERSHEM

by  Mrs John S Miller, Delta, Ohio 
Elizabeth Dershem, daughter of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem, born in Sandusky County, Ohio, July 1, 1825. Married June 8, 1848, Daniel Cordell, born September 20, 1816. Elizabeth died June #, 1889. Daniel died April 11, 1896. Both are interred in cemetary at Liberty Center, Ohio. Graves marked. Six children: Joseph Cordell, 1850 & died young; Aaron Cordell, 1851 & died young; Mary Cordell, 1854 & died young; Clara A Cordell "Rogers", 1856 to 1921; Franklin Jerome Cordell, 1860 to 1940; and Harriet C Cordell "Lyman", 1866. 

JOEL DERSHEM

by  Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan 
Joel Dershem, son of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem, born June 6, 1831. Married, June 23, 1853, Elizabeth Ann Aldrich, born April 12, 1829; died August 11, 1855. Joel Dershem died June 11, 1894. Both are burien in Washington Chapel Cemetary, Sandusky County, Ohio. Graves marked. One child: Alice A Dershem, 1854 to 1874. 

Joel married second, Sarah Snyder, born January 5, 1832; died January 25, 1895. Date of marriage, January 28, 1858. Sarah is buried in Washington Chapel Cemetary. Four children: Infant son 1859; Eliza Dershem "Fought", 1860 to 1935; Oliver Dershem, 1863; and Albert Dershem, 1866 to 1868. 

HARRIET DERSHEM

by  Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan 
Harriet Dershem, daughter of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem, born in Sandusky County, Ohio, February 21, 1834; died June 3, 1900. Buried in Amanda Baptist Cemetary, Allen County, Ohio. Grave marked. Married August 8, 1858, William Imler, born June 23, 1832, in Pickaway County, Ohio; died March 22, 1865. Buried in cemetary at Kingston, North Carolina. A member of Co. D, 180th Regiment, O.V.I. Four children: Catharine Alice Imler "Tone", 1859; George Christian Imler, 1860; Sarah Sylvania Imler "Brewbaker", 1862 to 1939; and Rachel Almeda Imler "Greer", 1864. 

Harriet married second, June 5, 1879, Ebenezer Sunderland, born in 1832; died in 1905. Buried in Christie Chapel Cemetary, Allen County, Ohio. A member of Co. A, 81st Regiment, O.V.I. 

AARON DERSHEM

by  Miss Flossie Foster, St Louis, Michigan 
Aaron Dershem, son of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem, born in Sandusky County, Ohio, May 30, 1836; died May 28, 1908. Married Rebecca Parrot, born October 17, 1836; died February 11, 1914. Both art buried in Oak Grove Cemetary, St Louis, Michigan. Graves marked. Seven children: George R Dershem, 1859 to 1924; Perry C Dershem, 1861 to 1916; Laura Dershem "Sweet", 1864 to 1936; Addie Dershem "Overmier", 1867; Mary Dershem "Foster", 
1870; Delilah Dershem "Fought", 1874; and Mertie Dershem "Carnicom", 1879. 

REUBEN DERSHEM

by  Ruth Irene Dershem, Lima, Ohio 
Reuben Dershem, son of Christian and Catharine Waggoner Dershem, born in Sandusky County, Ohio, August 22, 1838; died November 5, 1905. Married Louisa Imler, born May 9, 1841; died August 24, 1905. Both are buried in the Allentown Cemetary. Graves marked. Served in Civil War, Company D, 180th Regiment. Ten children: James Dershem, 1861 to 1931; Mary Dershem, 1863 to 1878; Sarah Dershem, 1866 to 1918; John William Dershem, 1868 to 1869; Emma Dershem "Miller", 1870; Elijah Dershem, 1872 to 1900; Sheldon Dershem, 1874 to 1940; Hattie Dershem, 1877; Infant Dershem, 1878 to 1879; and Jesse Dershem "Shock", 1883.