Lester G. Seymour

LESTER G. SEYMOUR is a grower, buyer and shipper of onions, with headquarters at Kenton. The Seymour family for three generations has been identified with a business handling grain and other agricultural products at Kenton. He represents the third generation in Kenton. The founder of the Business was his grandfather, William Henry Seymour, who settled in Hardin County in 1850, and for many years was a merchant at Kenton. In 1872 he and his son, John B. Seymour, became grain commission merchants at Kenton. He finally retired from the business in 1893. For many years he was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. His wife, Eliza Bemis, was born in Ohio, daughter of Elijah Bemis.

John B. Seymour, one of the four children of William H. Seymour, was born in Huron County, Ohio, January 2, 1849, was reared in Hardin County, where he attended the public schools at Patterson, and at the age of eighteen went to Chicago, being employed in a hardware establishment.  Returning to Hardin County, he became associated with his father in the grain and produce business at Kenton, and gave his time and energies to that firm until the grain department of the business was sold in 1919. He died in 1920. The firm at one time operated two elevators, one at Kenton and the other at Foraker. At Foraker was started the business of the firm as buyers and shippers of onions.

John B. Seymour married in 1872 Pauline Heym, who was born at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 21, 1851, daughter of J. Adam and Jane Heym. Her father was a soldier in the Civil war. John B. Seymour was employed in the hardware business of William Blair, Chicago, when the great fire of 1871 occurred. He was a republican in politics, and a member of all the York and Scottish Rite bodies of Masonry, and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

Lester G. Seymour was born at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 24, 1891, and was reared at Kenton, attending the grammar and high schools there. He spent one year in Wooster University, and completed a business course at Kenton. He married Eleanor M. Zeis, of Kenton, widow of Dr. H.J. Zeis, and daughter of Daniel R. McArthur, who was a pioneer of Hardin County. Mrs. Seymour by her first husband has one son, Robert H. Zeis, now a sophomore in high school. The one child of Mr. and Mrs. Seymour is John L. Seymour.

        Mr. Seymour is affiliated with Lodge No. 154 of the Masonic Order, Scioto, Royal Arch Chapter, Kenton Council, Kenton Commandery of the Knights Templar, Toledo Consistory of the Scottish Rite and Aladdin Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Columbus. Mr. Seymour served eighteen months with the colors during the World war, but was never assigned to overseas duty. He was commissioned a first lieutenant with the Three Hundred and Thirtieth Machine Gun Battalion. He is a republican, a member of the Elks, and is a past commander of Kenton Post of the American Legion.

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HISTORY OF OHIO
The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925
Volume V, page 455

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HURON COUNTY OHIO - BIOS: SEYMOUR, Lester G. (published 1925)

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Contributed to the HURON Co., OH Biographies Project with permission of the OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing list coordinator (Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman<73777.25@compuserve.com>) and the submitter.

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File contributed to OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List by
Mrs. Gina M. Reasoner
AUPQ38a@prodigy.com
1 August 1999

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