John Berfied

John Berfied, son of Benjamin and Martha (Sloan) Berfield, was born in Summer Hill township, Crawford county, Pa., April 24, 1814. His father was born in Clearfield county, Pa., and his grand lather at London, Eng., who came to our shores as a British soldier during the Franco-Indian War, settled in Mahoning county, and afterwards embraced the cause of the Revolution; lived to see the country rid of tyranny, and a family of five sons and two daughters growing up in a free state. His wife was a Miss Hall, who, like the old soldier, ended her days on the old farm beside the Susquehanna. Mr. John Berfield's father served in the War of 1812; settled in Crawford county, Pa., where he raised a family of four sons and five daughters. In 1834 he moved to Peoria county, Ill.; and in 1836 took up land in West Jersey township, where he and his wife died in 1840, and were buried in the McClenaghan cemetery. His wife was a daughter of John Sloan, of Crawford county. Of his family, Elizabeth, wife of Nathan Stockton, of Peoria county, is dead; Maria, wife of Jacob Kightlinger, of Yates city is dead. The former was the mother of two sons and three daughters, and the latter of eleven children, seven of whom are living. Sarah, wife of Mr. Ball, of Dakota, is dead; Carson and John, of Stark county; George, who died in 1845; Martha, wife of Joseph N. Benedict, of Moline, deceased, leaving three children—Wheatley B., a farmer, near Hokah, Minn., and Mary Anne, wife of Miner Hedges, of Denver, Col., deceased. John Berfield received a fair education in his native county, learned the carpenters trade there, and on coming to Knox county, now a part of Stark, purchased and improved a farm in what is now West Jersey township, and ever since has been identified with the county's progress. He married here Emily, daughter of Squire Thomas Colwell and a native of Boss county, Ohio. They are the parents of two sons and two daughters, who are also the heads of families. Mr. Berfield has served as justice of the peace for West Jersey, supervisor of Toulon, whither he moved in 1852; has been township treasurer of schools and member of school board, as related in the histories of these townships. Mr. and Mrs. Berfield at one time were members of the Baptist church, and are numbered among the most useful citizens and honored pioneers of the county.