Harry A. McCurdy

     Harry A. was born on Saturday, 9 August 1902 in Liberty Township, Crawford County, Ohio, at the family farm at 4665 Stetzer Road. He was christened there in Liberty Township at Liberty Chapel Church. 5 April 1930, the U.S. Federal Census listed Harry living in the home of his parents at Liberty Township. Enumerated in this household were Sidney McCurdy [58 Ohio], his wife: Cora [55 Ohio], children: Harry A. [27 Ohio], Jessie A. [24 Ohio], Edith E. [19 Ohio], & Russell J. [15 Ohio]. They own their home on New Haven Road worth $3,800.00. Sidney was 30 and Cora was 27 when they first married.¹ Harry married Lela Ruth Beery, daughter of LeRoy Selby Beery and Bertha Smith, on 5 April 1931 in Liberty Township, Crawford County, Ohio, at the Beery home on U.S. 30. On Easter Sunday, by Rev. Trenton O. Copus.² Harry and Lela worked farms that they rented at various locations in Crawford County paying the land lord by splitting the profits of the land until their move in 1942. After this date Harry still did some farming for others on the same basis, but only in putting in crops. 25 May 1940, Harry and his wife, Lela, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Liberty Township. Enumerated in this household were Harry A. [37, Ohio], his wife Lela R. [33, Ohio], & Marilyn Joyce [8, Ohio]. They were renting a farm for 5 dollars a month. [Note - This farm was the "Peterman Farm" which originally belonged to Harry's grandparents. - KLM]³ 18 April 1950, Harry and his wife, Lela, were listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Liberty Township, Crawford County, Ohio. Enumerated in this household were Harry A. McCurdy [47 Ohio], Lela R. [42 Ohio], M. Joyce [17 Oho] & Larry A. [5 Ohio]. He was a night watchman for a manufacturer of electic bulbs and worked 40 hours the previous week. Joyce worked as a sales clerk at a department store and worked 10 hours the previous week.⁴ Harry died on Friday, 19 November 1982 in Liberty Township at his home, 4163 State Route 96 at age 80 years, 3 months and 10 days of heart Failure. He just laid back & went to sleep. He was buried there in Crall Cemetery (Liberty Chapel) on Tuesday, 23 November 1982. He was buried in lot 87.⁵