Francis M. May
Francis M. May, farmer, P.O. Lima, was born in Bath Township, this county, April 5, 1847; son of George and Catherine (Gensel) May, who settled in Bath Township, this county, in 1834, on the farm now owned by Jacob Monry, which they cleared, and improved, afterward locating at the farm now occupied by our subject, where the father died in 1881, in his eighty-first year; the mother is now in her seventy-eighth year; both were natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject's paternal grandfather, John May was a farmer of Pennsylvania; his maternal grandfather, John Gensel, was a native of Pennsylvania, and a pioneer of Jackson Township, Allen County, Ohio. George and Catherine May had twelve children of whom ten grew to manhood and womanhood: John, Albert, Nathaniel, George W., Andrew, Mary (wife of Benjamin Keller), David, Susannah (wife of Lewis Weyer), Francis M. and Jacob. Of these, four sons served the Union during the late war of the Rebellion: David, George W., Andrew and Francis M. who was in the 100 days' service, enlisting in 1865, in Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-first O.V.I., and was honorably discharged at expiration of that time.
The subject of this sketch was reared in Bath Township, this county, where he received a common school education. At the age of twenty-two years he purchased the old homestead, in company with his brother-in-law, Lewis Weyer, which they afterward sold; and in 1870 purchased the farm where he (Mr. May) has since resided (he purchased his brother-in-law's interest in 1879), and has cleared a part of the farm,making many improvements. Mr. May was married June 3, 1866, to Melinda, daughter of Andrew and Nancy E. (Nash) Weyer, of Lima, by whom he has four children living: Lewis, Lizzie, Etta and Walter. Mr. and Mrs. May are members of the German Reformed Church. In politics he is a Republican.
From History of Allen County Ohio, Warner, Beers & Co.: Chicago, 1885