The Climer Family
Part 2
Isaac Denny Climer and Sarah Jane Hill were married on Oct. 20, 1873. They settled in Pittsylvania Co., Va. Isaac and Sarah Jane Climer had the following children:
- William Edgar Climer, b. July 20, 1867 in Pittsylvania Co., Va. m. Bridget Anna Ferry on Oct. 15, 1892 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record), d. July 29, 1934 in Middletown, Butler Co., Ohio (see death certificate).
- Mary Alice Climer, b. July 30, 1874 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., m. Asa W. (Acy) Pruett on Dec. 31, 1891 in Pittsylvania Co, Va., d. June 11, 1961 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Georgeanna Climer, b. March 31, 1878 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., m. Daniel Adkins in Pittsylvania Co., Va.
- Robert Denny Climer, b. Feb. 21, 1880 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., m1. Annie Ratigan on Nov. 7, 1899 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record), m2. Anna [Maude] Motley On Feb. 17, 1920 in Monroe, Mich. (see marriage record), d. Aug. 2, 1929 in Loveland, Colo.
- John H. Climer, b. April 1, 1884 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., d. in infancy.
- Martha Jane Climer, b. April 1, 1884 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., m1. Thomas F. Stahley on March 7, 1906 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record), m2. Joseph Ennis around 1940, d. Oct. 15, 1964.
- Dorothy Climer, b. Aug. 31, 1886 in Pittsylvania Co., Va., m. Harry Raymond Rader on Dec. 5, 1908 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record).
Here is the 1880 census record for the Climer family. Note that the enumerator spelled their name "Clymer."
| Name | Sex | Age | Relation | Single | Married | Profession | Read | Write | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac D. Clymer | M | 35 | X | Farmer | No | No | North Carolina | ||
| Sarah Clymer | F | 32 | Wife | X | Keeping house | Virginia | |||
| William Clymer | M | 12 | Son | X | At home | No | No | Virginia | |
| Mary Clymer | F | 6 | Daughter | X | Virginia | ||||
| Georgeanne Clymer | F | 2 | Daughter | X | Virginia | ||||
| Robert Clymer | M | 3 months | Son | X | Virginia |
William E. Climer moved to Cincinnati in the late 1880s or early 1890s. Acy and Mary Alice (Climer) Pruett and Isaac and Sarah Jane Climer moved to Cincinnati around 1898, bringing their daughters Martha and Dorothy with them. According to the 1900 census (see Pruiett, Part 7), Isaac Climer and Martha lived with Acy and Mary Alice Pruett. Sarah Jane Climer lived with her son William E. Climer. It's not known where Dorothy lived at the time of the census.
William Edgar Climer was born six years before the marriage of Isaac and Sarah Jane Climer. His son, William Edgar Climer, Jr., indicated on his father's death certificate that he was the son of Sarah Jane Hill and a father "unknown" to him. It is not known whether William Edgar was born out of wedlock or in a previous marriage of his mother. William E. Climer, Sr. and Bridget Anna Ferry, who was born in Ireland, had one son and six daughters:
- Nellie, b. May 1893.
- Alice Marie, b. Feb. 1895, m. Carleton Cobb Clark on April 27, 1918 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record).
- Dora (Eunidore), b. Nov. 6, 1897, m. John R. Gardner on June 17, 1922 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see marriage record).
- Margaret Grace, b. Jan. 29, 1900 in Hamilton Co., Ohio.
- Jane Ferry, b. ~1905, m. William H. Cobb, d. March 25, 2001 in Annapolis, Md.
- William Edgar, Jr., b. Jan. 18, 1907 in Hamilton Co., Ohio, m. Ruth, d. Nov. 15, 1993 in Hamilton Co., Ohio.
- Anna, b. Feb. 1910, d. around age 6.
William E. Climer, Sr. had a restaurant on West Sixth Street at the Sixth Street Market. Their home was at 18 East McMillan Street. His wife Bridget Anna (Ferry) Climer died on March 18, 1929 in Hamilton Co., Ohio (see death certificate). His daughter Jane Ferry Climer and her husband William H. Cobb went to the University of Cincinnati. William Edgar (Sonny) Climer, Jr. and his wife Ruth lived at 16 East McMillan Street in Cincinnati until it was turned into a bank parking lot. Sonny and Ruth graduated from the University of Cincinnati, where Sonny played football, and both were elementary physical education teachers. They did not have any children. Family members remember Sonny as a "wonderful guy, full of jokes and riddles and family stories." After Sonny's death in 1993, Ruth Climer established a scholarship in his name at the University of Cincinnati.
William E. Climer Scholarship Fund - Established September 1994 by Mrs. William E. (Ruth) Climer. Income will be given for one or more scholarships to graduate students in early childhood or secondary education. Preference is given to students indicating a commitment to teach in public schools. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of demonstrated academic achievement and financial need.
Mary Alice Climer and Asa W. (Acy) Pruett had five children: William Ellis Pruett, Charles H. Pruett, Isaac D. Pruett, Delores May Pruett and Viola A. Pruett. For more on Asa and Mary Alice Pruett, see Pruiett, Part 7.
Georgeanna (Anna) Climer was known in the family as "Aunt Tiny." She and her husband Daniel Adkins were the only members of the family to stay in Pittsylvania Co., Va. They had the following children:
- Frank, b. Oct. 29, 1894.
- Sarah Jane (Janie), b. June 1, 1896.
- Isaac Daniel, b. July 4, 1899.
- Henry Elliot, b. Aug. 30, 1903.
- Albert J., b. July 9, 1906.
- Samuel, b. ~1908.
- Mary, b. ~1914.
- Katherine, b. ~1915.
- Jessie, b. ~1917.
Before he enlisted in the Army, Robert Denny Climer was a stone cutter and a laborer according to two source documents. He enlisted in the Army on Jan. 5, 1903 and joined the Coast Artillery Corps where he remained, in various Companies, throughout his military career. He was discharged from his first enlistment on Jan. 8, 1906 at Ft. Preble in Maine. He reenlisted on Jan. 16, 1906 at Ft. Banks in Massachusetts and was discharged again at Ft. Preble on Jan. 15, 1909. There followed two more enlistments and discharges: reenlisted at Ft. Slocum, N.Y. on Jan. 25, 1909, discharged at Ft. Strong, Mass. on Feb. 17, 1912; reenlisted at Columbus Barracks (later Ft. Hayes) in Columbus, Ohio on May 17, 1912; discharged on Feb. 17, 1917. Robert's marriage to Annie Ratigan must have been short because there is a record of a child being born to Robert D. Climer and Almer Peterson in 1908 in Maine. The child died after just a few days. According to the 1910 census, Robert was stationed at Fort Strong in Boston, Mass. His marital status indicated that he was single at that time. His dog tags indicate that he was in the 46th Company of the Coast Artillery Corps. On Feb. 17, 1920 Robert D. Climer married Anna [Maude] Motley in Monroe, Mich. Maude, born in 1879 in Chatham, Va., was the daughter of James Motley and Elizabeth Scates. Their marriage record indicates that Robert Climer was a ranchman residing in Weston, Kansas (probably Weston, Missouri). Since Weston, Missouri is very close to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, it is likely that Robert Climer spent some time there after his assignments in Maine and Mass. It's interesting that both Maude and Robert were born in Pittsylvania Co., Va. Robert's family was living in Hamilton Co., Ohio by the late 1890s. It may be that Robert met Maude on a trip to Chatham, Va. to visit his sister Georgeanna, but that doesn't explain why they were married in Michigan. It is said that Robert and Maude moved to Loveland, Colo. around 1924 because of his tuberculosis. Robert D. Climer died on Aug. 2, 1929 in Loveland, Colo. The 1930 census indicates that Maud[e] Climer was a servant in the household of Earnest Johnstone of Loveland, Larimer Co., Colo. Maude Climer died in 1947.
Martha Jane Climer first married Thomas F. Stahley who was born on June 21, 1873 in Palmyra or Harrisburg, Penn. He died on Aug. 27, 1930 of throat cancer (see death certificate). Thomas and Martha Stahley had the following children:
- Virginia Stahley, b. ~1909, m. August K. Mutschler.
- Walter Stahley, b. ~1914.
- Anna Jane Stahley, b. Jan. 23, 1915, d. April 3, 1915 (see death certificate).
Martha Jane (Climer) Stahley then married Joseph Ennis around 1940.
Dorothy Climer and Harry Rader had two children:
- Ruth (Macke), b. Sept. 27, 1916.
- Dorothy Jeanne (Maloney), b. July 6, 1918.
Harry Rader died on Feb. 22, 1961. Dorothy died on June 7, 1974.
William Jenkins Climer, son of Mary (Polly) Climer, remained in Guilford Co., North Carolina. He married Mary Jane Wyrick on March 18, 1886 in Guilford Co., N.C. They had five children including William David Climer who was born on Oct. 16, 1887. Mary (Polly) Climer, who was born on April 5, 1817 in Guilford Co., died on May 11, 1896. According to William David Climer's descendants, the family changed the spelling of their name to "Clymer" around the 1930s and everyone else in this line did so as well. The 1910 and 1920 census records verify that the family was still spelling their name "Climer" in those years. However, it's interesting that the death certificates for both William J. Climer (death certificate) who died on Oct. 20, 1917 and Mary Jane (Wyrick) Climer (death certificate) had the last name spelled "Clymer." Mary Jane (Wyrick) Climer, who was born on March 21, 1851, died on Feb. 24, 1926.
Isaac Climer died on Dec. 8, 1900. Sarah Jane (Hill) Climer died on Sept. 29, 1915. They are buried in the Walnut Hills Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Acy Pruett died on Sept. 27, 1924 and Mary Alice Pruiett died on June 11, 1961. They are buried with their son, Charles, in the Vine Street Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. William Ellis Pruiett, Erma May (Brown) Pruiett and Viola A. Pruiett are all buried in the family plot at Graceland Cemetery in Milford, Ohio.