James C. Grover - Civil War Soldier Buried in Farmer Cemetery

He was a member of the Farmer G.A.R.

James Grover was a Vermont man, born there in Rutledge County about 1829.  Not much could be found on his very early life, but in 1850 ,he was living with the Lucian and Mary Parker family and their four children in Clarendon Township, Rutledge County.  James was twenty years old and working on the farm.


In 1860, he lived with a different family - the Rufus Headle family - only this time, James, 32, was joined by Emily Grover, 42, and Lewella Grover, 7.  

On June 25, 1862, Grover enlisted at Mt. Holly, Vermont, into Company D of the 9th Vermont Infantry. The unit was signed for a three year term of service, but James was discharged on November 18, 1862 for a disability.  The Vermont records indicated that he reenlisted September 5, 1864, into Company I of the 9th Vermont where he served until his mustering out on June 13, 1865.

After the war, James settled in Chester Township, Windsor County, Vermont.  The 1870 census enumerator found James, 41, and his wife, Phila M. (Phila Minerva Preston), and children: Ella Grover, 16; Mary Preston, 21; Louisa J. Preston, 18, Hannah Preston, 16, and Willie Grover, 3.  One might conclude from this list that Ella (Luella/Lewella) was James's child with a first wife named Emily, as named in the 1860 census.  The Preston children could be the children of his second wife, Phila - James's stepchildren - and then little Willie would be their common child.

By 1880, the family moved to Farmer Township, Defiance County, Ohio.  James C. was 52 that year and Phila, 54.  Willie, 14, was with them, and Mary Anthony, 33, and Lodell Anthony, 11 - perhaps Phila's daughter, Mary, and a grandchild.  James was a farmer.  His life was cut short the very next year, as he died February 12, 1881.

Only a short death notice could be found in the Defiance County Express on March 3, 1881 on page 5, from the Farmer correspondent:

"Died, at his home in this township, Feb. 11th, after a lingering sickness of very nearly a year's standing, Mr. James Grover.  Rev. Isaah Johnston preaching the funeral service, Sunday, the 13th."

After Grover's death, John Norway was appointed administrator of the estate.  By July, it was determined that there was not enough money in the estate to pay the bills, so Norway put a Legal Notice in the paper informing Luella (Grover) Cutting, James' daughter, and her husband, Adison, of this fact.  Phila was to receive her dower rights so she could sell the land to Harry Sweet who held the mortgage lien on the land.

  
Even by 1888, the Soldier's Relief Commission was giving money to the widow, Phila, of Farmer - $6.00 a month.