Orlando Brace

Orlando Brace, son of Myrtle G. and Phoebe (Munson) Brace, was born in Elmira township, this county, August 8, 1838. His father, a native of New York state, was reared and educated in Luzerne county, Penn. His mother was also a native of that county. In 1836 Myrtle G. Brace, his wife and two children came to Osceola Grove, making the trip overland. Of their eleven children, three sons and six daughters survive. The pioneers were laid to rest in Elmira cemetery, the father dying in 1866, the mother in 1873. Orlando Brace spent his boyhood on the farm, again farmed his own lands in Henry county, and was so engaged when the civil war broke out. In 1862 he entered Company A, One hundred and twenty-fourth Illinois infantry, and followed the fortunes of that command until April 1, 1865, when he received a wound in the right shoulder joint at Spanish Fort, Ala. Subsequently he spent three months in the hospital at New Orleans, and in October of that year was honorably discharged at Springfield, Ill. In 1867 he resumed farming, but owing to the failure of his health had to discontinue agriculture. In 1873 he was elected treasurer of Stark county, which position he held for five consecutive terms, and doubtless would be elected and reflected had not the legislature adopted a law fixing the tenure of that office, During all these years not one cent has been incorrectly entered or unaccounted for, precision marking all his dealings with the office. In December, 1886, he was elected commander of the G. A. K. post at Toulon. He married Miss Lucy A. Hudson, of Elmira township, whose parents, Daniel and Mary Hudson, settled there about 1854, moving that year from Washington county, Ohio. They are the parents of seven children, namely: Lottie, now Mrs. William Nixon, of Wyoming ; Luella, now Mrs. F. S. Rosseter, of Chicago; Frank, Florence, Harry, George and Edith. A reference to the military, political and pioneer chapters of the general history, to the chapters on Elmira township, and to that on the town of Toulon, will point out definitely the various positions held by Mr. Brace.