John M. Bruner
John M. Bruner was brought by his parents to Shelby County in 1833. He was born in Greene County, O., in 1832. His parents located on a piece of land in Jackson Township, being nearly the first settlers in the township. Two years after their settlement the father (Joseph Bruner) went one day to where Port Jefferson now is; it was the day the lots were sold for the town. He remained all day at the sale. In the evening he started for home. This was the last that was seen of him alive. The country from where he lived to Port Jefferson: was all woods, without a road. it was supposed he got lost. The following day the people of the country were aroused and collected together to search for the lost. Although diligent search was made by everybody throughout the whole country, yet they failed to find him. About a month afterward some three or four of the neighbors were passing through the woods when they came upon the bones of a human being. They were identified by some pieces of clothing as the remains of Joseph Bruner. It was supposed he had got lost and was attacked by some wild beast and killed. His remains were found some three miles from home. Mrs. Bruner was now left with four small children, in the woods, with only about three acres of cleared land. Here Mrs. B. and her children remained and worked on their little place to maintain themselves as best they could. When John was ten years of age his mother died, and he was thrown upon the world to care for himself. After he grew up to manhood, having acquired a fair education, he commenced teaching school, which he followed for a number of years. In 1856 he married Miss Minerva Dunston. In 1866 he moved to Putnam County, lived there till 1875, when his wife died. In the spring of 1876 he returned to Shelby County. In March, 1877, he married Margaret A. Staley, a daughter of Nicholas Staley. Mr. B. has had no children by either marriage, but has adopted a brother’s son (Albert L. Bruner). He has quite a taste for music, and has made it a study, although he never had the advantage of a musical education except as he learned it himself by study at home. In 1871 he took out a patent for a transposing board, for the transposition of the musical scale, which is quite an ingenious and useful implement, making the transposition of the scale simple and easy for beginners.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883